'Camp Getaway' stars answer burning questions about Bravo's latest irresistible reality show
While it's unclear whether or not summer camp will be in session this year, Bravo is making sure that its viewers still get a taste of some of that lakeside fun with the latest addition to its slate of irresistible reality shows: "Camp Getaway."
The series centers on a Connecticut-set summer camp for adults called Camp Getaway, where a lively staff welcomes different groups of guests every weekend throughout the summer. Following activity-filled days like archery and zip lining, guests and counselors really let their hair down for rowdy themed parties that often lead to unmentionable moments after dark.
Ahead of the series premiere of "Camp Getaway" on May 4 at 10 p.m. EST, In The Know's Gibson Johns interviewed three of the show's stars — Randall Klein, Monica O'Neal and Adam Mizrahi — separately over the phone, and they told us about the biggest rules they have to follow (are they allowed to hook up?), managing their professional lives with their weekend camp gigs, what it was like filming a reality show and what shows "Camp Getaway" might remind viewers of. Check out their answers below:
How do you feel ahead of the "Camp Getaway" premiere on Bravo?
Randall Klein: I’m pacing in my apartment, I’m so excited. This has ben such a long time coming and I can’t get over the timing. Even though there are obviously not as fun things about it, like we can’t all be together for the premiere, the timing for a show about camp for Bravo is sent from the Bravo heavens. I’m a Bravo fan, and I needed this kind of levity and fun right now.
I was saying to my friend that I’m just excited to watch it just like any other viewer, forgetting that I’m even in it.
Monica O'Neal: I’m just dying for people to see it!
Adam Mizrahi: It’s a mixed bag of feelings, so I’m really excited. I’m really eager to see how this all god put together and to see who actually became my friends.
Thinking back to last summer during filming, is there anything that you're scared of making it to air this season?
Randall: I feel like nothing is coming to mind, which is interesting. That’s a good sign! Like with any person, there’s going to be moments where I cringe over how I look what I say or what I do, but nothing major jumps out.
Monica: I tend to be a person who keeps my cool, but there is a moment or two where I lose my cool. I tend to be really direct and honest, but I totally blew my top at one or two points.
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Adam: There are going to be some ups and downs. I don’t know what people will hold onto, so it’s hard for me to say which will be negative or not. There are also some run of the mill things when it comes to relationships and with management and with co-workers. There are so many different activities that go on at camp and for things to revolve around, so when these things start to surface, I can imagine that how we respond to those things could be problematic. Getting to see yourself from a third point of view is definitely beneficial, so I’m excited to see what happens.
An interesting dynamic of this show comes from the fact that filming takes place while you're working at Camp Getaway over the weekends, but you all have other jobs and careers during the week. What was it like balancing those two different worlds?
Randall: I work in education and comedy is more of an on-and-off thing on the side when the mood inspires, but my life in education as an administrator was very involved. I had to be at a school in Brooklyn and host open houses for parents and a lot of networking events, so my days were long. Come the weekend, I was ready to be at camp and have fun and it was definitely an interesting balancing act to be like, “I’m still working.” That was something I had to navigate the entire summer. I wasn’t as clear on some of the expectations and what it entailed. Of course I knew I was working, but I didn’t know how much I needed to be on.
Monica: I’ve been at Camp Getaway for three summers, so I’ve done it for a while and the transition for me was adding on the filming. The balance that I achieved when I first started was that it’s so much fun, but also kind of like a weekend vacation I had to look forward to every single week. Granted, when I got back on Sunday, the ringers and notifications had been off and Mondays were hard, but you get into a rhythm when you go weekly. I would get to laundry by Wednesday night and the thing that makes it really cool is because, I’m a psychologist, so I don’t get to have a lot of those ridiculous fun characteristics in my job, while on the weekend I get to really let loose and show my full self.
Adam: To be honest, it definitely felt like a 24/7. We have our regular 9-5 jobs, which in their own rights can be stressful and can be tough, and then to transition to another work-type of event can add additional stress, depending on the weekend and what comes up. But for the most part it is actually a really lovely experience. I hate using the word "getaway," but it’s an opportunity to escape, so to speak.
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Even after watching the first episode, it wasn't totally clear what is and isn't allowed during your time at camp. What comes to mind for you as the biggest rule that you all have to follow?
Randall: I don’t think I’m the right person to ask! I’m scared to get in trouble for answering this wrong. Number one, though, and what stuck out was making sure everyone was happy and having a good time. Making sure everyone there feels included, which I love — that’s what camp is! It was, “Always put them first.” I’m proud to remember that one.
Monica: The top few rules that will get you fired — or not asked back, I would say — is that you’re not supposed to go in guest cabins and they’re not supposed to come into yours. You can hook up, but you just have to find a place in the woods to do it. [Laughs] You have to make it to the morning meeting and you have to show up for your activities. The last one would be that you’re not supposed to argue in front of guests.
Adam: Without a doubt, we’re not supposed to sleep in the other guests’ cabins, as a liability issue. I think that would be it. There’s another one that I’m forgetting about.
Similarly, I feel like there are mixed messages about who's allowed to hook up with who at Camp Getaway. Are you allowed to hookup with guests and/or other members of the staff?
Randall: I still don’t really know. [Laughs] That is what we will continuously wonder throughout all of the episodes.
Monica: Oh my god, yes you’re absolutely allowed. You’re allowed to hook up with anybody, basically. As weekend crew, we’re allowed to hook up with full-time staff, guests, anybody that we want. I would recommend hooking up with full-time staff, but there are some hot guests that come through.
Adam: I wouldn’t say it’s technically allowed. It’s in practice. They know it happens with guests and sometimes within our own staff — something about that summer love. We form really strong bonds as counselors, and sometimes that translates to hooking up.
"Camp Getaway" is a completely new Bravo show with zero connections to existing series, which is really exciting. That being said, it definitely has some elements of Bravo favorites that fans will recognize. How would you describe your show using other shows?
Randall: I’ve been having to describe this show to other Bravo lovers and also for people who have no idea what Bravo is. For Bravo people, I say that it’s the best hits — the "Below Deck," "Vanderpump" working dynamic, the fun of "Summer House," but you develop the connections like a "Shahs" dynamic. In my mind it’s a perfect storm — work, fun and drama. For people that don’t know Bravo, I’m like, "Imagine camp for adults with themed parties and activities day and night that include drinking."
Monica: I would say that it has the behind the scenes look of "Below Deck," but with a look into how people spend the fun of their weekends while having real professional lives like "Summer House," and I think it has the interesting dynamics and strong personalities of "Vanderpump" slash "Southern Charm." For some of us it also has some of the drinking of “The Real Housewives of New York.”
Adam: It’s pretty much a blend between "Below Deck" and "Summer House." You get all of the working components that you see on "Below Deck," where we’re catering to the different guests that come in every weekend and we have to meet those demands, but we also get to let our hair down and let loose a little bit, so there’s this "Summer House" vibe, as well.
Tune into "Camp Getaway" on Mondays at 10 p.m. EST only on Bravo.
If you liked this article, check out In The Know's recent interview with "Vanderpump Rules" star Kristen Doute here.
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