“I've always dreamed of this, so to be here is incredible,” says Tony nominee Alexander Gemignani. The actor, who most recently played King George in Hamilton in the sit-down Chicago production, earned his first nomination for his portrayal of Enoch Snow in the Broadway revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s Carousel.

“It's amazing to be a part of a show you care so deeply about and you know everyone else does,” he says in the video above. The show was nominated for a total of 11 nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical. “For other people to acknowledge that, getting as many nominations we did, is lovely. It's the community saying, ‘Yes this thing is special—what you think is special I also think is special.’ [It means] we're reaching people and that's powerful.”

As much as he loves the show, Gemignani has a soft spot for his character. “Enoch is great fun. He can seem rigid and uptight but I think if you unlock him he's quite fun and a good conversationalist.”

Watch the full video interview above.