Welcome to our exclusive interview with the masterminds behind the provocative musical satire, “White Collar Prison.” Today, we have the pleasure of diving into the creative minds of Neil Garguilo and Gregory James Jenkins, the dynamic duo behind this innovative project. From the inception of their debut track, “If It’s Not Too Much Trouble (You’re Going to Jail),” to the intricate character development within the confines of a single song, Neil and Gregory offer us a glimpse into the world of musical storytelling with a satirical twist.
Congratulations on the release of your debut track, “If It’s Not Too Much Trouble (You’re Going to Jail).” Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song and how White Collar Prison came to fruition?
NEIL: It was early in the pandemic and I had gotten pretty deep into the Fyre Fest documentaries. After
some Wiki detective work, I stumbled upon the prison that Billy had been sent to and noticed a
who’s who of inmates. It was the Great Gatsby Federal Corrections Institute or something.
Anyway, that was the spark. And from there we built a musical.
GREGORY: This song was the first we wrote for the musical and really set the tone for the rest of the show. I was on board right away with Neil’s vision as I was equally obsessed with all of the Fyre Fest
documentaries. I knew we needed a big, grand, and FUN opening number for this show. Neil
came up with the lyric “If it’s not too much trouble, you’re going to jail” and I started running
with it. I wanted to write something that felt undeniably “American”, much like how the class
divides in our criminal justice system could be considered “American”. I started with a verse that
feels like it’s from the golden age of American musicals and juxtaposed that with a chorus
inspired by 1970s bicentennial era patriotism. I thought it’d be pretty funny to have a song that
felt very earnest and prideful, which hopefully helps highlight the irony of our show.
The title of the track, “If It’s Not Too Much Trouble (You’re Going to Jail),” immediately grabs attention. Can you tell us more about the significance of this phrase and how it encapsulates the song’s themes?
NEIL: It is no secret that the wealthy have a different relationship with the law. We were trying to find a
hook that gives a feeling of “sorry to bother you with this” or “we’re so embarrassed to even
ask.” We felt that “If It’s Not Too Much Trouble (You’re Going to Jail)” sums up that moment.
You can just feel the apprehension of the poor soul that has to deliver the news.
GREGORY: “Omg, omg….I am SO sorry, like seriouusssllly. I know you’re used to getting away with every
terrible thing you do on a day-to-day basis, but this time you MIGHT have to serve the tiniest of
consequences, and for that, I’m sorry!”
“If It’s Not Too Much Trouble (You’re Going to Jail)” offers a satirical take on white-collar crime and justice. What motivated you to explore this theme, and what message do you hope listeners take away from the song?
NEIL: This musical is a big farce that exaggerates reality, but the point is very clear. There is a double
standard in many areas of life due to a sizable wealth gap and that applies to prison as well.
Being a non-violent offender and a non-violent offender with money are different things.
The ensemble cast of White Collar Prison includes talents from both TV and Broadway. How did you approach casting for this project, and what did each member bring to the table?
NEIL: We are lucky to have worked with a lot of talented people over the years. We knew we wanted a
mix of Broadway-level talent and comedians, so we went out and started begging. Fortunately,
we were able to beg hard enough to get Lucas Grabeel, Alex Lewis, Mary Birdsong, Lauren
Evans, Epic Lloyd, Rob Cantor and a bunch of other incredibly talented folks.
GREGORY: Speaking about ‘If It’s Not Too Much Trouble’ specifically, I’ve been working with Lauren
Evans, who plays our judge, for years and she is one of the most talented vocalists I’ve ever
heard in my life. I knew if we were going to start out this record with a bang, we needed Lauren
to kick us off, and man oh man did she deliver. There’s an earnest authority in her performance
that perfectly captured the satire of the show. It was a delight working with her and watching her
performance bring the character to life. Everyone we worked with on the rest of the album really
took every track and elevated it beyond our expectations.
The song explores the repercussions of white-collar crimes through the character of Congressman Richard Dutch. How did you approach character development and storytelling within the confines of a single track?
NEIL: We didn’t want him to be any one person. He’s not Donald Trump. He’s not Bob Menendez.
He’s not George Santos. The goal in character building was to try and make a sweet, somewhat
likable monster who is kind of oblivious to how corrupt and wrong he is at every turn.
When you grow up in a certain environment and everything is catered to you, and you’ve never
had a single consequence, you just assume everything is easy all the time. He’s kind of a naive
child in that way. And Gregory James Jenkins pulls off a naive child like no one I know.
GREGORY: I think what immediately got me excited about playing Richard on the album was exploring this guy, who has never faced a consequence in his life. As a result of that, he never grew up
because why would you have to grow up? He’s walked through life having everything work out
for him, so he feels pretty free and easy most of the time. In the first song specifically, he’s
upset, he’s worried, he’s concerned… but he’s also a little excited. Even when being faced with
very real consequences, there’s a part of Richard that thinks everything is going to work out just
fine, because it always has up until now.
Humor is a key element of White Collar Prison’s musical satire. How did you strike a balance between humor and seriousness in crafting the tone of the song?
NEIL: Well, the subject matter is serious, but we approach it in the silliest possible way. Our goal was
to try and remember that people want to laugh and have a good time. This isn’t a Ted Talk. It’s a
comedy.
GREGORY: From a musical perspective, I was trying to give us energy and excitement right from the get-go. I really liked the idea of hearing lyrically all the bad things this guy has done, and how he’s
going to have to face real consequences for his actions, while the music is juxtaposing those
ideas with excitement and earnestness and patriotism!
The ensemble cast brings the song to life with energy and charisma. Can you share any behind-the-scenes anecdotes or memorable moments from the recording process?
GREGORY: Working with so many vocalists and instrumentalists was truly amazing. Music is really the best
when it’s collaborative, and this has been one of the most collaborative projects of my career.
Also, Neil and I had some pretty amazing meals together during this process. I’m talking about Jersey
Mike’s, I’m talking SubWay, I’m talking Quiznos and Firehouse Subs, and I’m talkin’ Jimmy
John’s, and Bay Cities, and Tony Boy’s, and Fat Sal’s. I’m also talkin’ about Arby’s and Jerry’s
and… and Togo’s! And don’t forget about Tubby’s, D’Angelo’s, heck the Earl of freaking
Sandwich got in on this! YOU NAME IT, WE’VE DONE IT! WHEW! Yah, that was great.
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from White Collar Prison Greg & Neil in terms of future releases or projects?
GREGORY: We are always working on projects together, that up until now have largely been in the film and TV space. We’re excited to get this album out into the world and hopefully, we get to see it have
a life beyond the audio format!
NEIL: We are currently developing our next musical, but our main focus is trying to get While Collar
Prison from album to stage. If anyone has millions to spare, we’re open for business.
As we eagerly anticipate the full album release and the future endeavors of Greg & Neil, let’s continue to challenge societal norms through the power of art and satire.
