Producer Damon Cardasis about Martin Scorsese Docuseries, Saturday Church

Damon Cardasis now has a lot on his plate.

A musical adjustment of his film ‘Saturday Church’ from 2017 is located in the middle of the Off-Broadway Run, while ‘Mr. Scorsese ‘, director Rebecca Miller’s Apple TV+ Docuseries about Martin Scorsese that he produced, will premiere later today at the New York Film Festival prior to the streaming debut on October 17.

“I write the musical and do texts for the musical, and then change my brain and being the main producer in a five-part doc series about Scorsese,” Cardasis tells me during a zoom interview from his apartment in New York City. “It’s crazy, but I think that’s what I love and what I thrive.”

And then he adds with a smile: “It is also careful what you want.”

‘Saturday Church’, playing in the New York Theater workshop until 24 October, follows a teenager from New York City who is struggling with his gender and sexual identity when he is friends by a group of LGBTQ+ youth. Directed by Whitney White, the show contains a book by Cardasis and Pulitzer Prize-Winner James Joames (“Fat Ham”) and music and lyrics from Sia.

How do you even start producing a docuseries about Martin Scorsese?

It’s so, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at the same time. It started like a single movie. I produced ‘Arthur Miller: Writer’, Rebecca’s film about her father. It was nominated for an Emmy and we had all kinds of people who had contact with ideas. Rebecca said, “Well, Marty would be incredible.” But we thought 1,000 people probably asked him to do it. Then we found out that we were right. People always asked him to do a documentary about his life, but he always said no. I had something like that: “Let’s just ask.” Rebecca contacted Margaret Bodde, who is his producing partner for his documents and runs his film Foundation. She said, “I think it’s a good idea. Why don’t you write him a letter in which you explain why?” Rebecca did it and he said yes.

What was it like to photograph with him?

It started during the pandemic. He is so busy and he is doing so many things, it was a bit beneficial in the fact that everything was closed. It enabled us to take advantage of that moment when he had a free slate because no films were recorded. The interview started outside with a minimal crew. When we got deeper into it, Rebecca came to me at one point and said, “This is not one movie.” In the beginning we are: “Oh, maybe they are two parts.” But then it grew to five parts. Fortunately, because of who he is, so many people wanted to be part of it. It was not only famous people who talk. We have his family. We have his childhood friends, we have received his closest employees. So I think it’s really a three -dimensional portrait of him.

Was there ever a time when he asked to stop photographing because there was something he wouldn’t talk about?

No, never. Rebecca is also brilliant. I say that not only because I am her producing partner and friend, but it was her ability to keep up with his mind. He is so intelligent. Rebecca would say: “Let’s talk about the Italian cinema from 1960” or “Oh, my God, have you seen the opera of this or that?” She can go toe to toe with him because she is so brilliant. We also found out as time progressed that it was great to just have the two alone, only they set up in a room with two cameras and a tree. People will see in the doc that he is very open. He is very honest about things.

When did you decide to adjust ‘Saturday Church’ to a theater musical?

My agent at CAA, Kevin Lin, was on one of the Q & as I did for the movie when someone asked if I wanted to do it as a staged musical, and he called me and said, “Would you consider it?” I had something like: “Yes, that’s the dream.” And then he asked who I would like to do the music if I could choose someone. I knew Sia had seen the film because she tweeted about it. She said, “Everyone goes to” Saturday Church. ” Well done, Damon Cardasis “I told Kevin that Sia was my dream. He said, “I’ll ask.” Two weeks later he came back and said, “She will do it.” That was seven years ago.

Are you now considering adjusting the stage musical back in a film?

I would like to make a film musical with a big budget. A dream of mine is to do a big film musical such as ‘Chicago’. I spoke with a big theater producer who is known for her directness, and she said, “I didn’t see such an audience in a show because I don’t know when.” She said it was the most diverse. You get a 70-year-old white theater visitor, and then there is young queer youth and a straight man. She said: “This plays so well in a theater with 200 seats, but it could also play arenas.” We get videos from people dancing on the songs in night clubs. I think it would be incredible if a big film.

When you first wrote ‘Saturday Church’, could you have imagined how much it would resonate today in such a other way because of the political attacks on the queer and trans communities?

It is frightening that we are back at this stage. All this hatred. It’s endless. It’s horrible. But I hope this will also pass. I hope that “Pose”, “Saturday Church” and all the work that has been done will help to have the community of the community and to be a source of inspiration or to be a source of love, and that the community does not feel alone and that there is a real alliance.

This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.