MARLA MINDELLE Went From Bucks County To Broadway

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She would bark at you, and a lot of people had some hesitation to sort of, like, pet her because she was barking at them, and you never showed any hesitation. You would sort of come right in with your hand and pet her, and I feel like she was just confused enough so that she would never, that was it. Like, she wouldn't. I'd sit at that chair at your house, and Debbie would love to just be a part of that. Yeah. Yeah. So, rest in peace, Debbie. Debbie always, to me, had the energy of, like, a 49-year-old woman who had maybe just received some bad customer service. Yeah. Her name was Debbie because when we found her, she looked like someone's aunt. Yeah. And, like, who, like, smoked still. Yeah. Maybe wore glasses with the chain. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which Mackenzie actually bought me those chains when I started wearing glasses, and I was like, yeah, I'm not going to do this. Not quite there yet. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, she was a great dog, and it was, in a way, having to go to Northwestern, or having the opportunity to go, was a good diversion from that that we're still dealing with. But I was asked to speak to the graduates of the School of Communication at Northwestern at their convocation. And mom and dad hadn't been back to Evanston since I was a student. And once I got the speech written and I felt good about it, you know, I sent it off to you and to our friend Peter Gross to get some notes. And once you guys were like, this is great, here are some ideas, I was like, all right, well, now I feel okay about it. And I reached out to mom and dad who, 20 minutes after I asked them, had booked flights in a hotel. So they were in it to win it. And it was just great. It was great to be back on campus, great to be back there with them. You know, we did go into the fraternity house, the Fiji house, and gosh, it just is so gross. Yeah. Yeah. Because dad was speaking at length about how much nicer the campus is since the last time he's been there. Yeah. And the same is not true of our old fraternity house. No, no, no, no. The improvements, the improvements have passed over. Not true. Yeah. But the event itself, the convocation was, it was, it was very emotional. Like I got emotional when those graduates started receiving their diplomas, I got choked up, you know, that's, that's how we do. Yeah. And, you know, I was in the, the regalia, the robes, I wore a tam, it has all that pomp that comes along with it. And we're in the, the basketball stadium. Yeah. And you sort of process in with, you know, behind the dean. And then this student, Shah Zeb Shah introduced me, he had won this competition, he had sent a video in and he was so good. He like sort of gave a, a barn burner of an intro to me that was just great and sort of set the table. And yeah, I was, I was nervous, but once you're up there, it just sort of is going. And, and then afterwards. Uh, there was sort of this like field house, this room, uh, where graduates could, you know, see their, uh, their parents and I sort of made myself available to talk to any of them and talk to so many students and just want the best for them. And I like to think that I, I gave them a good message, uh, to send them out on. And, uh, I think mom and dad, the thing they most wanted to share with me when I talked to them after the thing was, uh, how nice that time after was and how many students wanted to. Uh, talk to you, how many parents want to talk to you and, and how patient, uh, you were and, and generous you were with your time. So, um, and Steve Carell, uh, had spoken at the commencement, the big graduation last year, I want to say, um, which, uh, you could watch it on YouTube. It's great. Uh, he has a great sort of unexpected moment and that, that really went viral. Um, and he was there because his son, uh, was graduating. So he was there with his wife, Nancy. And, uh, he was there with his daughter, uh, but their son was graduating and he was in a little box right next to where mom and dad were. So I hadn't seen him before I spoke, but afterwards I came up and he was like, Hey, um, you know, that was great. And we're talking very quickly, but I sort of wanted to see mom and dad. And then his son came in and I was like, well, you should talk to your son and I'm going to talk to my parents. And I liked, uh, not having to appear too thirsty in that moment to talk to Carell, uh, for longer. But, um, he was very nice. And Nancy, you know, very, very sweet. Lovely people. Yeah. Lovely people. And then, uh, yeah, then just got to spend the day with mom and dad and it was such a, a release, uh, after doing something like that. Uh, so yeah, it was great. And then you guys, that's weird. I thought you guys had completely different days after you did the same thing with dad after the next day. Uh, what do you mean? Like, did you, after your graduation, uh, you and mom and dad? Yeah. Uh, you and mom and dad, like you basically stayed together and did the same stuff? Yeah. Oh, that's weird. Cause I told them that I had talked to you and then they still told me everything they had done. Oh yeah. Well, it was very, like you tried to, uh, you tried at length to talk to all of you, although maybe mom said that you are, I can't remember. You told me that I, they, I called and dad's very good this way. Dad always says, I'm always going to answer the phone. When you called. But I called and you guys were in a very, maybe a loud coffee shop having breakfast. We were in a coffee shop that wasn't that loud. And I think you tried to FaceTime and he wanted to answer and you correctly said, wait. Yeah. Yeah. Because if anyone can ever hear sound coming out of your phone, you're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong. I think that's fair. In a public place. In a public place. Uh, but it was great. Yeah. They were, I mean, it was, you know, and again, one of the things you talked about in your, uh, competition. Yeah. Uh, people obviously listening now don't know this, but you were not at your graduation because you left to do boom Chicago, which we have discussed on this show many times in Amsterdam a week before your graduation, they offered you a job and you had to take it. And so it was, I got emotional thinking about the fact that it was the first time mom and dad got to see you at a graduation. Yeah. I was so happy to sort of get the picture of me in the robes with mom and dad because I didn't have that. Yeah. Um, and then as we were leaving, um, we had this great driver. We had this great driver, Muhammad the whole time, uh, who made it so much easier to sort of get us from place to place and lights out this, this dude was amazing. Um, but Mackenzie, uh, was with us and she was like, I really want to get a picture of you and your parents under the arch, which is sort of the official entryway to campus. Yeah. And, uh, so, you know, he drove, he drove to the rock, which is this like. Mm-hmm. Very central in campus, which you can't drive there, but it was Sunday. So actual graduation was taking place. And on our way out, Mackenzie was like, I want this picture. And she made sure it happened and Muhammad had got us as close as he could. And then we got to walk in and, uh, I've just got these great pictures of me and mom and dad under the arch. Uh. They're very beautiful. Yeah. Very nice. It was special. Special weekend for sure. And, uh, thank you to Northwestern. Yeah. And to Dean Johnson who, uh, asked me and yeah, it was an honor. That's great. Uh, the highlight for our weekend is, uh, uh, Addie four and three quarters, uh, water ski. Ooh. Wow. Yeah. Now it is one of these, it's not two separate skis. It's like a water board. Okay. Yeah. You put your feet in. I'll give it to her. You put your feet in, uh, the way you'd want, uh, or the way you would. Um, and, uh, it was amazing. Yeah. We've tried so hard to make the boys do it and they've never wanted to, and, uh, she was just, she saw another girl doing it and she was like, yeah, no, I'm going to go do that right now. And she sang a little song about how she was a water skier. I'm going to show you a picture of, oh my gosh. So happy. She's just so happy. Yeah. And, uh, yeah. So. Great. Congrats to her. Congrats to her. Shame on your boys. Shame. They did a rope. They did a rope into a lake. So I'm going to give them credit for doing that. Yeah. And, yeah, I've got Summer. Summer's coming up quick. You know where I'm going for the first time, Poshy? I will report back on the podcast. I'm going to Cannes in France. Yeah. So I'll report back from Cannes and let you know. Do you have a film at Cannes? I am. I'm in the new Batman. Oh, cool. Yeah. Yeah. I'm Batman. Looking forward to it. I can't believe I've. It's been the hardest secret to keep. Yeah. I mean, obviously from you especially. But, yeah, I'm going to be the Batman in the new Batman. And it's not early. Early press screenings, I would say, have been bad. Oh, okay. Well, yeah. You know, they say Cannes is the way you. That's where you write that ship. Yeah, 100%. They said. A lot of people said maybe French people will think you make a good Batman. But, yeah. Yeah. Do you want me to do the line? Yeah, please. I'm Batman. Oh. Even when you said it like a minute ago, it was better than that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, no. A minute ago, I was telling you I'm Batman. That's the way I say it. But the way you say it there is sort of more natural. I think I got nervous just because it's a movie. Yeah. You know, so like every. You know, you try being Batman in a movie. I was nervous the whole time. And it comes across. They said it's too. They said it's way. Everybody's like, just Batman. Nobody likes a jittery Batman. And I'm like, well, it's too late. We already shot it. Anyway, check that out. Batman. Me and Batman this summer. And congrats on your convocation. And who's. What episode is this? This is. Who's about to talk? Marla Mendel. Oh, my God. She's fantastic from Titanic. Tony nominee. Great conversation. Enjoy, everybody. Family trips with my. How are you? Good. How are you? It's great to see you again. And I just want to jump right in. We are going to talk about family trips. How was your experience performing at the Tonys? You were fantastic. Oh, thank you. I wish I could say I remembered any of it. But I was. Blackout the whole day. I imagine. That happens. I imagine. It must be. I mean, again, despite it being a show that obviously you're doing every night and you've been doing for years at this point, can you just talk through how much more stressful it is when you're doing it at the Tonys? Oh, my God. Well, you. It's the biggest moment of your life. You know, it's like the biggest day of your life. It's like your wedding. It's like a musical theater wedding. But you have to be up so early in the morning to tech the actual Tonys before the Tonys start. So I was up at five in the morning. I didn't sleep at all. Then I get to the theater. Then I have to put on my costume. We bus to the Radio City. We do a dress rehearsal. Then we do a 1 p.m. matinee of Titanic. Then I have 90 minutes to get ready for the red carpet. And then, you know, and then it all starts. So, I mean, it was like a full day experience. And I feel like I blacked out. I was in shock. And I was so nervous. I was so nervous. You couldn't tell at all. It's funny because it's. You said it's like a wedding. But then, of course, there's so many other people also having their wedding that night because I imagine you're not alone with the way you felt. That was the only good thing about it is that I was on a text chain with all the other female nominees. And it was called Broadway Beta Blockers because you take beta blockers to relax yourself. And so a lot of the ladies were on it. And my solace was knowing that they were all going through the same thing that I was going through. We were all exhausted. You know, by the end of the two-month kind of campaign where you're also doing eight shows a week, you're on your last, like. Nerve, limb, vocal, you know, chord. And. But that being said, getting through it all, I feel like a superhero. I feel like now that I've done that, I can do anything. And you have not done. We're talking on Tuesday morning. So you have not done Titanic since the Tonys, right? Tonight will be your first one? Yes. And frankly, thank God. Because I feel like after the Tonys, they should give everyone a week off. And just be like, you got through it. Go to Turks and Caicos for a week. Relax. See you in a week. The fact that they didn't give you Sunday off probably is a good indicator of how little they consider that. Yeah, exactly. It is a business after all. But you know what? Again, a lot of women all had. Most of them all had shows on the. At least ours was at 1 p.m. So I had 90 minutes to get ready. Do you think it will feel different tonight being on stage knowing that that sort of Tony, you know, whatever gauntlet is over that you just get to do your show again? I think so. I think I will feel like a bit of. I mean, certainly when all the voting, the voters had come and that had stopped, I felt like, oh, I can finally relax, even though it didn't really bother me. But now I feel like, oh, I have my days free. I mean, you go from. In the thick of it, you go from. And I'm sure you do this, too, because of how busy you are with your life. It's like 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. And then you do a show. And the show is already so intense. And you need sleep. And so you're just deprived of all of that for Tony season. Congratulations, just in general, on your nominations. Multiple. And also just the show itself is. Again, this is one of those shows that kind of started in a tiny little space. Yes. And has worked its way to Broadway. And I think every time it happens, it is just a reminder that producers should take big swings based on ideas that are really well-developed and funny and joyful. So, congrats. Thank you. Yeah. Is it also on the Tonys? Is it kind of like. I mean, I guess you're performing live, so there's a difference. But when you go to a movie. Is it like a movie premiere or like a friends and family screening? Is the vibe in the room incredibly supportive? Because it's the night to celebrate all of that. Like, is it just. I imagine the audience is over the moon to be there and to be watching all of these performers. Yeah. Well, you know what? And I think that musical theater, our world, is so. It's like such a microcosm. It's so insular. Everyone knows everyone. It's like. It's Kevin Bacon. It's six degrees of separation. You've worked with someone. You've been in the same show. And you've been doing it for the past. I've been doing it for now 20 years. So, unfortunately, I know everyone. So, it is so supportive. And people are so happy to be there and to perform. I mean, it is such. It's a feat. And I think that, you know, when you're a child, you dream, Oh, my God, I just want to be nominated for a Tony. I just want to perform. And then you get there and you're really. And for me, I was like, Oh, my God. Like, I don't know if I could ever do this again. Because I could pass over at any minute. So, but yeah, it was very supportive. And I was really lucky that my dad was my date. He was there with me. And he's such a huge musical theater person himself. So, it just really felt like truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Had you ever been in the room at the Tonys before? Had you gone as just an observer? Okay. Yeah. Well, I. So, I've spent a long time on the Broadway. So, I was in Sister Act 15 years ago. Gotcha. And I got to perform. But I was never nominated before. So, I was there for Sister Act. And I was also in Cinderella, which was also nominated a couple years. But it had been 12 years since I had done the Tonys. Not only as a performer, but also as a nominee. And that journey is crazy. Because you have to basically, you know, sit down in your glamorous dress. And then they pull you. And you've got to change into your costume. And then, you know, then get changed out. And then they have to make you go all over again. So, it's truly incredible how it all comes together. And, I mean, I will say this. That, like, the opening number, Pink obviously was the host. Was phenomenal. And the opening number had all of the shows. There were 170 people on stage. And it looked incredible. So, I don't know how they pulled that off. It's such a feat. That's very cool. I know from sort of reading your history that your dad was sort of your first connection to this world. It's very, very cool that he was your date. I know. But he gave me the sickness. He gave me the musical. Oh, yeah. You know, I wish he was a brain surgeon or something like that. Or, you know, maybe, well, he wasn't. He is in finance. But just something a little bit more stable would have been great. So, my mother and father met. They met doing musical theater. So, they did a community production of 110 of the Shade in Phoenix, Arizona. And then they did Oliver together. And my father grew up as an aspiring composer and was, I mean, a savant. You know, he was accepted into the Juilliard School. He went to all these programs called ASCAP and BMI, which are very specific musical theater programs, which kind of churn out some of the most elite composers and lyricists and book writers in our field. And he had been writing shows and has done a ton of regional and off-broad shows. And it has always been his dream to get a show on Broadway. And I, you know, listened to him composing growing up, show after show after show. And so, it was really, you know, I knew from a very early age, this is what I want to do. I was belting tomorrow as young as three years old. And my dad was always like, she's got a vibrato. She's got a vibrato. She's only three. And so, they were so supportive of me and always my champions. And so, it was just decided at a very young age. This is it. This is all I will do. This is all I will ever do. It's great. I mean, it's good to know. I mean, it's good to know at a young age. I sometimes feel like at least we had that going for us that we all kind of decided. Yeah, but we didn't do anything. And now that, and then you start doing it and you're kind of like, oh, gosh, like, I could have done anything else. Michael, it's a musical theater? Okay. Did you have neighbors that lived so close that maybe they didn't love the vibrato as much as your father? Well, thankfully, I grew up in Bucks County. I lived in a home. Now, I mean, I have paper-thin walls. I feel so bad for whoever lives next to me. But you know what? They have dogs. And I can hear everything. 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app free for seven days at fitbod.me the app free for seven days at fitbod.me the app free for seven days at fitbod.me slash trip that's f-i-t-b-o-d dot m-e slash trip that's f-i-t-b-o-d dot m-e slash trip that's f-i-t-b-o-d dot m-e slash trip in partnership with airbnb slash trip in partnership with airbnb slash trip in partnership with airbnb i'd like to share a travel story oh yeah i'd like to share a travel story oh yeah i'd like to share a travel story oh yeah go for it sufi you know what i like go for it sufi you know what i like go for it sufi you know what i like pashi what's up i like a neighborhood pashi what's up i like a neighborhood pashi what's up i like a neighborhood yeah me too you know what i mean i like yeah me too you know what i mean i like yeah me too you know what i mean i like to feel like i'm traveling and and i'm to feel like i'm traveling and and i'm to feel like i'm traveling and and i'm amongst the locals amongst the locals amongst the locals i'm i'm not near a chain restaurant that i'm i'm not near a chain restaurant that i'm i'm not near a chain restaurant that i have in in my hometown but i'm i'm by i have in in my hometown but i'm i'm by i have in in my hometown but i'm i'm by a cafe a cafe a cafe that that only those who live there and that that only those who live there and that that only those who live there and walk those cobbled streets walk those cobbled streets walk those cobbled streets are familiar with and so uh when alexi are familiar with and so uh when alexi are familiar with and so uh when alexi and i and i and i went to paris on a vacation uh we booked went to paris on a vacation uh we booked went to paris on a vacation uh we booked an apartment an apartment an apartment on airbnb what neighborhood were you in on airbnb what neighborhood were you in on airbnb what neighborhood were you in sufi we were in the marais poshie oh the sufi we were in the marais poshie oh the sufi we were in the marais poshie oh the marais and if you haven't been in the marais and if you haven't been in the marais and if you haven't been in the marais yeah i don't even know how to marais yeah i don't even know how to marais yeah i don't even know how to describe it to you describe it to you describe it to you you know what they call it in in paris you know what they call it in in paris you know what they call it in in paris what's that la marais or le marais one what's that la marais or le marais one what's that la marais or le marais one of those you've been of those you've been of those you've been you're just amongst everyone you're you're you're just amongst everyone you're you're you're just amongst everyone you're you're a me a me a me that's friend poshie that's friend poshie that's friend poshie oh you're a me yeah yeah oh you're a me yeah yeah oh you're a me yeah yeah lazy me booking a trip on airbnb makes lazy me booking a trip on airbnb makes lazy me booking a trip on airbnb makes her a better trip you could be her a better trip you could be her a better trip you could be traveling with family you could be traveling with family you could be traveling with family you could be looking to discover authentic and local looking to discover authentic and local looking to discover authentic and local experiences you'd be taking a trip with experiences you'd be taking a trip with looking to discover authentic and local experiences you'd be taking a trip with a group of friends a experiences you'd be taking a trip with a group of friends a group of a me two lazy me two lazy me two lazy me this message is a paid partnership with this message is a paid partnership with this message is a paid partnership with apple card planning family trips can apple card planning family trips can apple card planning family trips can get chaotic but my apple card makes get chaotic but my apple card makes get chaotic but my apple card makes things way easier i applied right from things way easier i applied right from 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applying the wallet app on your iphone applying the wallet app on your iphone applying the wallet app on your iphone today subject to credit approval apple today subject to credit approval apple today subject to credit approval apple card is issued by goldman sachs bank usa card is issued by goldman sachs bank usa card is issued by goldman sachs bank usa salt lake city branch terms and more at salt lake city branch terms and more at salt lake city branch terms and more at applecard.com you're in pennsylvania eastern you're in pennsylvania eastern you're in pennsylvania eastern pennsylvania yes yes yes yes and so how pennsylvania yes yes yes yes and so how pennsylvania yes yes yes yes and so how long would i it seems like you would long would i it seems like you would long would i it seems like you would come into new york to see theater like come into new york to see theater like what was that drive or train or how long what was that drive or train or how long what was that drive or train or how long did it take you did it take you did it take you uh well you know i yeah my father would uh well you know i yeah my father would uh well you know i yeah my father would always take me into the city we would go always take me into the city we would go always take me into the city we would go to this place called sam's which no to this place called sam's which no to this place called sam's which no longer exists but to me it felt like you longer exists but to me it felt like you longer exists but to me it felt like you know know know fine quality dining but really i just fine quality dining but really i just fine quality dining but really i just got sesame chicken fingers at eight eight years old and would see a Broadway show. And to me, that was like the most luxurious experience of my lifetime. And then I went to school and I majored for musical theater at this place called Cincinnati College Conservatory. And it's basically a musical theater factory. It turns out people that, you know, just go right onto Broadway. And it took me, it took me a second, but I would say after about three years of, of hustling and auditioning and working at Ellen Stardust Diner, a singing diner in Times Square, right near Rockefeller Center, I, I finally booked South Pacific at like 25 or 26. And then I did 10 years back to back of Broadway shows, 10 years. And it was incredible, but also I think I realized, and I don't know if this has happened for the two of you, but I realized that there were, there were dreams beyond just theater. And it was only when I was doing it consistently and actually very successful in it that I thought to myself, there has to be something else. There has to be something more than this. I could do this for the rest of my life, but I don't think I'll ever, ever grow as a human being. And that was a really, I don't know, it was a really weird thing because I, it was all I ever wanted. And then when I was doing it, I was like, I want, I want something different. I want something more. Yeah. And so how did, how did that manifest itself? Like what adjustment did you make when that, when you have that conclusion? I gave, well, the adjustment was I gave it all up and I moved to Los Angeles. I, after 10 years of doing theater back to back, I had realized in my twenties that I wanted to be a writer and I wanted to have some sort of authority over my career. Because in musical theater, it, you know, you are plugged into kind of a cog and you're doing the same thing over and over and over again. And, um, I, I realized that I just wanted to do something different. I wanted to have a lifestyle that wasn't eight shows a week and no holidays and no weekends. Not that Broadway isn't incredible. It is, but I just thought, you know, I could do this forever. And I feel like I would be in a kind of a vortex or a cycle every single day. So I gave everything up at 30 and I moved to LA thinking it would be so easy for me to be a TV writer. Show and, and develop shows. And I went on that cycle and let me tell you, it is so much harder than being an actor because you, I was getting things up the hill. I was pitching shows. I was being interviewed to staff on shows and everything fell apart. Everything. I couldn't sell a show. I couldn't get staffed. And I just was in development hell on TV shows and movies year after year after year. And something would get so close and then fall apart. And in, and then in the midst of that, you know, I lose all my money that I saved up from New York. I, you know, lose my friends. I lose my connections in New York. I lost my home in LA at one point. Like I went from literally, you know, Broadway to bust in LA for a decade. And that's where Titanic was ironically born and bred was at my lowest point. But, you know, it does come right. Like writing does like sort of bring you back. So it's an interesting journey that you are, you have a hand in your own success, uh, with the help of, of a pen. You know, I, you sort of developed this like incredibly unique show for those who haven't seen it. It's basically, I mean, I, I don't want to get it, say it in a way that seems hamfisted, but it's safe to say it's a retelling of the Titanic story from Celine Dion's perspective. Correct. Using her songs. You are just hilarious. Thank you. In the lead role. And it must've been so fun as you were developing it, knowing you were, you were coming up with a part that, uh, you know, was perfect for you. Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It took, it took a lot of work when they, when, yeah. So I, I, um, I lost everything. I wound up working in a dinner theater in Los Angeles. I mean, talk about Broadway to bust. It was like $75 a show at this dinner theater and they gave you a group meal. So I got fed at least with like a disgusting fish and they would give you a drink ticket after the show. So that was my payment. Oh, score. Yeah. Basically food, one glass of Sauvignon Blanc and $75. And, um, this, this hub, this dinner theater was where it was kind of, you know, similar to UCB. Honestly, you know, it, because it was a very insular world of like musical theater expats that were all in LA that had all come to LA to make it after, you know, kind of succeeding in musical theater, but wanting more and realizing that LA was so much harder. And we were doing these movie to musical parodies like scream and devil wears Prada, where you were kind of matching an iconic movie with a discography that made sense to the, to the movie. So for devil wears Prada, it was all nineties music for scream. It was all like. kind of horror kind of campy horror songs and so i was i'll never forget drunk one night on my glass of sauvignon blanc and connie rassouli the co-writer of titanic said what if we did titanic with all celine dion songs because she famously did my heart will go on yeah and at the time i was like yeah right i was like that'll never happen i was so jaded and so bitter by writing in la that the last thing that i wanted to do was write something else for free and i was like no fucking way also i don't want to play celine dion because i love her too much and i don't want to ruin her so i uh so we slept on the idea for two years and he kept being like we really should do this like what about what about titanic titanic with all celine dion songs and i was like no no no no and finally two years later ty blue the director of titanic was like we have to do this we need to stop talking about it marla stop being so fucking stubborn let's do it and so every week you know it's kind of like a sketch comedy team i would imagine we would meet at connie's weho apartment with a movie theater inside of it we would meet in the movie theater where we watched the movie and we started just writing it for fun so fun it's really yeah yeah that's how it's that started uh all right so uh when you're you have two siblings i have two younger sisters yes okay gotcha and then how much younger uh than you are they uh i am uh one is three and a half years younger and one is eight years younger now i'm the oldest but they treat me like i am the youngest like i am an invalid so they're not in musical theater maybe no so my middle sister lisa she did go to the same college she went to cc as well and then very quickly realized that she was way too smart for it for this business and she's now uh the owner of a she's a financial advisor and owns her own company in beverly hills oh my god and olivia the youngest uh famously never wanted anything to do with it which honestly i love so i'm the i'm the only one that still does it and i think it's probably because i'm a big fan of the movie theater and i'm a big fan of the movie theater because it's such a transient kind of bizarre business that's probably why they treat me like i'm the youngest because like i never know when my next job is going to be and they have consistent jobs and what were your uh when you guys were all young i mean eight years is a pretty uh big gap but were you guys close as sisters lisa and i hated each other i was i tormented her i don't know what your relationship was like but i tore pretty good pretty good yeah i was awful to her we would get in fights like my parents could not take us anywhere because we would get in screaming like we famously were mortal enemies and then something shifted around high school where we became really really close and olivia and i you know there's an eight-year difference so i was already gone by the time she was you know young enough to or old enough to even remember me and uh so your upbringing were you guys the kind of family did you go places uh was there do you remember any trips where it was all five of you well we we didn't you know what we're not an eight-year-old love him to death but like you have to treat him like a child and so we like we weren't hiking or doing anything like that we went to disney world at when i was 20 years old and that was like the biggest thing that we had done together and we went you know to maine but there was we were never like traveling across the seas and i and i think a part of the reason is that my father was an aspiring composer at the time and so that was really our lives our our lives were focused around his projects which were all very specific to new york and so you know i feel like later in life now that titanic has gone all over the world it's been really interesting we have been traveling a lot more as a family for this once in a lifetime kind of thing but when i was a child no we really we we did a little bit but we we you know we weren't going to the grand canyon and going down the canyon and going back up like there are families that do that kind of stuff and i'm like i don't even know what that's like right i don't know how to pitch a tent or anything like that and you couldn't pay me to do it so what were you doing in maine like what was the draw for maine it is vacation land so yeah we would we would go to long beach island with my with my uncle and aunt and my cousin so that was like a big thing we would go to lbi we would go to love ladies which was like the fancy part of of long beach island and i remember that being like a big thing we would have this huge house for a week and we would just play on the beach every single day and the same with maine a lot of it was like trips with my uncle and and and aunt and cousins as well and you know we were all around the same age so i can't even imagine now all my cousins have children and there's like 10 kids running around at family events and i'm like god my parent i don't know how my parents did that yeah were your aunts and uncles did they also live in bucks county were they nearby yeah they were nearby they were in elkins park pennsylvania and now they've all moved to around the dc area but yeah we were all nearby my grandfather was nearby he was about like a five minute drive so there was one point where you know i had a huge i had a huge family i had cousins and second cousins and we would all kind of congregate in these big kind of family family trips on the beach that was really like specific to our family because it's probably the only thing that we could really get to know each other and really do is all come together and like go right on a beach like anything beyond that was probably too much for us was it your uh mom side or dad side that's my dad's side okay dad's side yeah yeah yeah and so now his side like my uncle and his children they're all doctors and like they're they all have stable jobs and stable lives but my family were we were we're all the artists and so very very different lifestyles very yeah do you think they look askance at your uh your family your nuclear family maybe they did i mean thank god thank god you know i i don't think that they can thank god you just performed at the tonics yeah they can eat it i don't think now i think that everyone you know it's very funny when you're on the tonics it becomes this is your life and so like every ex-boyfriend ex-girlfriend from like 20 years ago family people from my high school everyone's coming out of the woodwork and that's been really special yeah and also i i don't know if this happened for you but like i also imagine uh that you were incredibly talented for a high schooler and that they all saw and used some who this should happen for they must all be so proud on your behalf yeah i i think so i mean i was yes in high school and and college you know it was really like for me it was it was broadway or bust and it's all i trained for so but you know it's so interesting that i did it in my 20s and then i literally left it all in my 30s and i was like i don't want anything to do with this i i don't want to be on stage eight times a week it's very ironic that i went to la to pursue writing but i'm actually back in new york doing the thing that i that i originally loved which is yeah they were like you can't shake us they were like you can't shake us exactly when you took those uh beach vacations if you're on the beach are you guys gamers are you just sort of lay around uh and get tanners what's your uh definitely not get tanners i mean look at me i'm white yeah yeah we uh we were we were not game we would just kind of lie around you know what's so interesting is when i was a child i actually hated the beach too i was like why do people do this like this is i still feel that way i still feel that way yeah something switched in my something switched oh so you like it now i love it oh that's right get to a beach every six months i feel like i i will spontaneously combust that's great and and so you we've established that you're not doing anything active are you a beach reader is that something you will do beach yeah i'm a beach reader i'm honestly a beach rotter like i i want to go i will go into the ocean i go to an island every six months and i want to be in a hot body of water and i literally want to lie there like jesus christ for hours in the ocean yeah like i don't if a shark eats me so be it i don't care i think that the ocean is healing and restorative and so yeah like every i have a club with my two friends we're called island girls and every six months we try to go to a different tropical island now do you have any desire to like snorkel or scuba or you just want to be looking up at the sun i snorkel yes i you know once you once you start doing it on every island you're like should i go to an island and snorkel again so i've i've done i've done a lot of the adventurous things i've become way more adventurous now than i was as a child and so i've snorkeled i've scuba'd i've ziplined like i've done i've done all of it i've parasailed and i love it i've i've just so you've parasailed multiple times and you would do it again only once only once okay yeah i i feel very strongly that's a one-time for everybody yes a one-time thing but i'm still at zero i'm still i don't know really i believe i'm at zero yeah i feel like that's weird that you didn't do it on the day i did it yeah i don't know i can't i can't recall it if we did it you're very i it i think the minute you get up on a parasail you're like okay this is a little bit of a scam that's how i felt with a zipline too i was like i could this is how i'm going to die josh almost did i did i fell out of a zipline in mexico and broke my leg and my back and my jaw so uh if you're in zewatanejo between zewatanejo and ixtapa maybe skip that that if you uh discount if you see the discount zipline course yeah my that my frugal brother decided to do hard pass i'm so sorry to hear that well yeah it's okay you'll never parasail or never ever again yeah i mean yeah you never you never quite know thankfully i've been i've been lucky and blessed but you're yeah you get up there and you're like well this could be it yeah you uh you mentioned the travel for titanic what was uh was that you performing it all over the world was this something that happened sort of between off broadway and broadway yeah so we had a really interesting trajectory we we started at old ucb yeah which is now famously demolished right this is the one under gristidis that yeah that's incredible yeah so it was not ucb when we started it was called the asylum oh wow and it really was an asylum it was like you know kind of an insane asylum where it was It was, they were still doing musicals and then live comedy. So we would have to pack up the set in my dressing room. And at the same time, they're buying the building and they're going to condemn the building. So first they shut down Gristiti's. So all the rats from Gristiti's come down to the basement and they're all running around the set. And then the trash juice from Gristiti's, because obviously like they're getting rid of stuff and it's all just, I guess, fermented up there, was leaking on us while I'm performing. And anyway, but the show becomes a huge hit in Gristiti's. We then moved to the Daryl Roth, which is where Fuerza Bruta used to be. And we lived there for about three years. How many seats is that? So that's about 250 seats. And the asylum was 199. So it was tiny. So you upgrade. It's a nicer theater. There's no juice. There's less rats. There's no physical structure in New York that has zero rats. Yeah, exactly. No juice. There were probably Jews to see. Yeah, exactly. A lot of Jews. A lot of supporting theater. Yeah, exactly. And then from there, we start going all over the world. And so that was really interesting because typically it's the opposite. You go to Broadway, then you go all over the world. You go on a national tour. So we started in Sydney, Australia. Then we went to Paris, Canada. I'm missing Chicago. We went to Brazil. And what was the longest run you would do in one of those places? Well, I. So I actually didn't do it. Okay, gotcha. We also went to London, LOL. And we're still in London right now. So basically, that was interesting for a multitude of reasons. So all these countries have their own version of their musical theater star. Gotcha. And so when we went to Brazil, they were like, we have the Patti LuPone of Brazil. And she's got so many followers and she's so huge. But obviously, we don't know her because we are in a different country. It's so fascinating. So yeah. So in all of those other countries, they had their own version. So I would show up on opening night. And it was actually amazing. I would show up on opening night and be there and watch the show. And it would be so surreal. And then I would get to explore the country. Oh, wow. So yeah. So I've gotten to go to all these places and see the world. How exciting is it when you watch something that was so specifically written for sort of a New York audience when it works in another country? Is it just, like, goosebumps-inducing? Yeah. I'm kind of like, wow. I'm like. Are we geniuses? Like, this is crazy. Because you never know how something is going to land. Of course. Like, something can be successful in New York, but it can't be successful. Or it's too. It's specific to New Yorkers. And that's originally what we thought Titanic was going to be. It's like a small kind of. It's a small kind of weird idea. And what I learned is that the comedy that we've written is universal. And the laughter is universal. And so I went to go see it in Brazil. And it was in Portuguese. And it was the first ever time that it was in a different language. And I could still hear the laughter on the same jokes that we had written. You know? Even though I didn't understand their language, I could still. I still. I know the script so well that I was like, wow, they're still laughing in all the places that they were laughing in New York and London and Paris. Yeah. So that has been truly special. And you know what's been great about it, too, is that there are very specific regional jokes to Titanic. Like, we make a huge bit out of Jared's, the jewelry company here. And so that's different. So in London, it's Costco. And in Brazil, it's something else. And in Paris, it's something else. And so, you know, we have to update. Every time they do a new production of it, we have to approve all these new kind of regional specific jokes. And so they take the first pass on the regional specificity. And then they sort of talk it down with you. And like, this is what we think this is. That's great. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we have to, like, approve every script. So it's going to the Netherlands in October. So, yeah, every time it goes somewhere. And now it's going into Montreal again in French. So we have to basically look at. Their translation and then the back translation, which is very fascinating because you'll read something and it's like, it makes sense in their language. And then you read the back translation and it's a completely different scansion. It's so bizarre. And you just got to trust it. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support comes from ButcherBox. A grilling season is finally here. It's finally here. The summer's here. We're grilling. But let's be honest. The difference between a good cookout and a great one comes down to the quality of your meat. You can have the best grill set up in the world, but if what you're cooking isn't great, it shows. It shows in the gray, soft burgers. 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Don't forget to use our link so they know we sent you. Support comes from Rula. Hey, Bashi. Hey, Sufi. I mean, you and I both had times in our life where a therapist comes in handy. It's nice to have a professional you can talk to. You know, maybe during times of professional unrest, maybe times where your interpersonal relationships are getting off track. Finding a therapist is hard enough, but finding one who actually takes your insurance, that's where most of us are. Most online therapy platforms fall short. Many don't work with insurance at all, which means you're stuck paying the full cost out of pocket or paying for an expensive monthly subscription. Rula, thankfully, does things differently. They sure do. They partner with over 100 insurance plans, making the average copay just $15 per session. That's real therapy from licensed professionals at a price that actually makes sense. Think about it. 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You know what I like, Pashi? What's that? I like a neighborhood. Yeah, me too. You know what I mean? I like to feel like I'm traveling and I'm amongst the locals. I'm not near a church. I'm not near a chain restaurant that I have in my hometown, but I'm by a cafe that only those who live there and walk those cobbled streets are familiar with. And so when Alexi and I went to Paris on a vacation, we booked an apartment on Airbnb. What neighborhood were you in, Sufi? We were in the Marais, Pashi. Oh, the Marais. And if you haven't been to the Marais, I don't even know how to describe it to you. You know what they call it in Paris? What's that? La Marais. Or Le Marais. One of those. You've been. I haven't, but I would love to. And let me just tell you that it's just wonderful. You're just in a home that the owners have taken great care and attention to make comfortable for you on your vacation. And you're just amongst everyone. You're a me. It's friend, Pashi. Oh, you're a me. Les amis. Les amis. Booking a trip on Airbnb makes for a better trip. You could be traveling with family. You could be looking to discover authentic and local experiences. You could be taking a trip with a group of friends. A group of amis. Tous les amis. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. Planning family trips can get chaotic, but my Apple Card makes things way easier. I applied right for my iPhone in as little as a minute, and now I use it for everything travel related. I saw it in action when you picked up dinner last time I was in L.A. for your birthday. Well, you didn't have your wallet, or your phone. Oh, my phone was in my pocket. But you love your Apple Card, right? Yes, because with Apple Card, I can spend, track my purchases, and earn up to 3% daily cash back when I use Apple Card with Apple Pay. No fuss. And that Titanium Card? Always a conversation starter. It's sleek, smart, and seriously useful. With the Titanium Card, I still earn daily cash back wherever Apple Pay isn't accepted. You know, for when I'm on the roads less traveled. Applying the Wallet App on your iPhone today. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs, Bank, USA, Salt Lake City branch, Terms and more at AppleCard.com. What of all the places you went and then traveled thanks to Titanic playing there? What was your favorite vacation you got out of it? I absolutely adored Paris. It was so stunning, and the theater was stunning, and I loved—I had never been to London. London before, which is crazy to say. That feels like criminal. And I just loved London. But they've all been so special. Like, you know, I never thought I would have gone to Sao Paulo. And the cast is taking us around and taking us to Soho House in Sao Paulo. And it's just been such an incredible experience because you get to meet the cast as well. And then they, you know, they take you or they recommend all the great places. So it's like really getting to see it like as a local too. So it's it's been phenomenal everywhere we go. And I try to go to every country because I just know that, like, you know, one of the things that's great about is that they fly me out and they have to put me up in a hotel for a couple of days. And so it's I get like a little bit of a free trip. Yeah, you can't turn it down. I don't want to turn it down. I really, really don't. Have you ever had to sort of have an understudy play your part because you were traveling for a show or was that this you have not on Broadway? I assume you would not leave to travel while you're doing the show. I mean, it's opening. I think it's the Montreal production is opening today or tomorrow. And I really wanted to go, but it was right after Tony's. Yeah. But I do have under I do have understudies. Have I traveled to? No, I think I've been lucky enough that our show has been closed when I've traveled to see iteration of Titanic. But, you know, you know, if it came up, like if if we're still playing in the fall and Amsterdam happens, the opening of Amsterdam happens. I definitely want to go to that. I wonder what I'm not going to a beach like I'm going to go to Amsterdam. Sorry. Yeah. Have you I mean, it sounds so decadent. I know that like you're a performer and you want to perform, but to be able to go somewhere and just see a show that you created and then be cut free is like we've talked to so many people whose families have traveled with them when they're shooting something or when they're doing a show somewhere. But then that person then has to do a show while their family is there. And you have to find off time to go away. But you it sounds like you have off time after night number one. So has your family come with you on these trips of you? Yes. Yes. And that's big because my mother, honestly, my mother is the kind I don't know what your mother's like, but if the flight is at 5 p.m. on a Thursday, she'll show up 72 hours in advance. And like, you know, I mean, like she's so stressed the whole time she can't sleep. So getting her out of the country is like a victory. And she also has to deal with my dad, who I love. But he's. Again, like a child and like slightly deaf. It's like putting my we need a leash for my dad because he can't really hear anything. But but my dad was like, this is so they weren't going to go to Paris. They came to London to see the opening at the Criterion, which was incredible because it was a statue of me, a 20 foot statue of me. I look like Jesus Christ above Piccadilly Circus. And then they weren't going to go to Paris. And my dad was like, it's too special. Rita, my mom was like, we have to go. And this is like it's like a wedding. So. And, you know, we haven't really traveled all that much in our lifetime. So, like, let's do this and let's go spend time. And it's incredible because my grandmother was Belgian. So my dad knows French. So when we were there in Paris, he was speaking to everyone and could translate for us. And so that just felt so special. So it does feel incredible to not have to have the pressure of doing the show when you are doing a show. It is eight times a week. It is. You are an athletic. You are an Olympian. It is. And the older. The older I get, the harder it gets. It's exhausting. Yeah. The whole day you're worried about, oh, do I have the voice for it? Oh, I have a cold. Oh, what's the weather like it? There's so much stress about getting there and giving your all. And for Titanic and singing Celine Dion songs, there is no such thing as 75 percent. There is no such thing as marking. I have to be one hundred and fifty percent and my voice has to be phenomenal. So I love going to a different a different country and just watching it and then being released to do whatever the hell I want. And and so and doing it with my family is even. Even more special. Yeah. Any favorite spots or experiences that you've done with your family on any of these trips, sort of a specific in Paris or anywhere in the world, really? Well, with my with my my family is we're such foodies. So we went to so on Belly Eats, you know, like on Belly Eats, the number one rated restaurant in the entire world was in Paris. And it was called La Renumée, which is which is a very, very fancy restaurant. And so I made sure that on the. First day that we were there in Paris, that we had a nice meal because my family loves a good meal. Yeah, it was. Incredible. And it felt so, so, so special. And we were just there and we cheers to the show. And so that felt really great. But then also, you know, we were walking around the La Marais district and just to be there with them and going to see museums together. I feel especially as I get older and my parents get older and I realize that, you know, that there's, you know, hopefully many more years left. But there also can't could not. Right. It just feels so special. Special to be able to travel with my with my parents. Yeah, it's very, very cool. Yeah, I am glad to hear it was good. Sometimes I think if you go to like one of those top rated fancy restaurants, they can be a little too fancy. I know. This was a great meal. OK, good. This one was it was perfect. They the same people have the restaurant for Charles Prime here. I don't know if you've been. Oh, yeah. And it's impossible to get in. So I mean, I immediately changed my tune. I know. Perfect. So it's it was the same thing. Yeah. And then you're obviously being at the theater that the theater there is called the Lido. And why the Lido is so special is because they have a water fountain. They have a whole water feature in the theater itself. So when we went to go see Titanic and the Celine Dion there starts singing, my heart will go on. There was like a Disney like water fountain behind her. And I was like, this is so fucking trippy. I was in one theater has like water coming out from the floor like that. Anyway, that was really special. In terms of touring shows, I can. A lot of shows like, you know, Second City famously would do cruise ships. Now, yeah, Titanic would be both a perfect fit and the worst possible fit for a cruise ship. Has it ever been performed on a ship or is it? No, but I'm waiting. And if anyone's watching this that works for the cruise lines or Princess Cruise, like, call me. Yeah, it's one of those things. I feel like you should. I mean, it's not like this. The secret's out on what happened on the Titanic. People are getting on a cruise. Like, they know it can happen. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it would be very funny either way. Do you when you were young and you would go to New York to see Broadway shows, was it always just you and your dad or did your sister come? Did your mom come? Yeah. Sometimes the whole family would come. But my dad made it like a special thing for me or he would take Lisa, my middle sister. They went to go see Big. We we saw. I mean, he was taking me to see things like very obscure, like Big River as early as three years old. And I was dead silent. I would like be so silent. I would just be transfixed. And we saw Most Happy Fellow together. And I remember just weeping. I remember having these spiritual experiences. And I thought I thought it was so special to be doing it with my dad. I would always go to Sam's and I would get sesame chicken fingers, which felt like, you know, yeah, a ribeye to me. But it was probably like shitty chicken fingers. That's still my ribeye. Yeah. Yeah. Seth is Seth is chicken fingers is almost his middle name. Yeah. Me too. Yeah. I ate. I ate as a child. Do you know that they claim this is a question for Josh now that chicken fingers were invented in Manchester, New Hampshire, which is like at the Puritan backroom? I guess so. I don't know. Yeah. I mean, I know we grew up in the cradle of chicken fingers. I just I just came by it naturally. Did you also know that chickens don't have fingers necessarily? Don't wave it. You know what? We think this is this is like you basically just told me like the earth is flat. Yeah. Get out of Dodge. I wouldn't call them chicken fingers if they didn't have it would on your Disney trip. Were you I mean, just I I sort of naturally think there's a connection between musical theater and Disney. Were you a Disney kid? No, actually. That's why it's so funny that we all. Well, yes, but I wasn't like a Disney World. Like, you know how there are Disney World fanatics. Yeah. Yeah. I wasn't that. But oh, yeah. I mean, I saw Little Mermaid in the theater six times. Yeah. And and I would. Yeah. So I grew up on all of those songs and all of those movies. But, you know, in terms of like going to Disney World, like that was really foreign. And my family, you know, listen, I love them to death. But you know what it's like going on any sort of trip with your family. You have 72 hours with them before one of you gets out a bazooka gun and tries to take the other. Yeah. Yeah. And that was at the beach trips, too. I literally there was one moment in time where my sister Lisa called me. She kept screaming sand penis over and over again because I got sand trapped in my bathing. Suit made me look like I had a penis and I chased her down on the beach and I tried to strangle her. Yeah. And it was like, that's crazy. I tried to kill my own sister in Long Beach Island. So that's what the dynamics of my family were just all loud juice. I will say. If my I've got three kids, if one of them said sand penis, I think there'd be a strangling as well. They're at the age where that's just that's just triggering. Yeah. It was a trigger word. Yeah. Yeah. That's not it's not OK. You can't talk about, you know. Yes. Yeah. And Disney, for the first time, you said you were 20 when you went. I was I was 20. Yeah. So that's like also a sort of strange time to be at a place also with a 12 year old sister. I know. At the time. So were you going into that eyes wide open, excited or were you a bit sort of a jaded 20 year old? Like I'm this is for kids. You know what? I remember that my family, we actually, you know, obviously we spat here and there, but we we did really well. We had a really good time. We like I'll never forget. We went to a photo booth together and we all took like funny. I just remember laughing a lot with my family and we're all such comedians and we all kind of tease each other and have such self-deprecating senses of humor. I credit. it a lot of my own humor to how my family kind of interacts with each other. And I think that that humor was then translated into Titanic. So I'm, I'm, I remember that trip very fondly. I remember a lot more fondly than trying to strangle my sister on the beach. That's for sure. Where did you stay at Disney? Were you at a Disney hotel? I, yeah, one of the Disney hotels. Ironically, I had gone two years later. So it was, or no, in my, in my twenties, when Hurricane Katrina happened, I was supposed to go with my friends and the entire, because of Hurricane Katrina, there was no one in the parks. It was like an apocalyptic park. And I remember being able, I haven't been back to Disney since, cause I went on every ride twice. It was like, the park was at my disposal and I was like, well, it's never going to get better than this. So I haven't been back since. Yeah. Did, what was the first time your family members saw Titanic? Was it in the UCB space? Was it at the asylum? No, it was actually, so it started, Titanic started in Los Angeles. Oh, we were playing a lot of the, yeah. So we were doing a lot of pop-up readings in Los Angeles at like the Dynasty Typewriter, which is a very famous kind of place. And the Wallace Annenberg, which is a theater in Beverly Hills and, and, you know, uh, an a hundred degree dance studio where Abby Lee Miller would do her dance studios. I mean, it was like, we didn't have any money. So it started in these, you know, kind of, I would say groundlings or used to be type fashion where you kind of put everything on a credit card. You, I bought a wig on Hollywood Boulevard. My, Connie was making props from Michael's. And we would do these one-offs and kind of gain this cult following. So it wasn't until we went to New York and we did a week long, uh, like presentation or readings at this place called Green Room 42, which is a kind of a theatrical space where you can put on readings or concerts. That's where we attracted producers. That's where people started being like, Oh my God, this is really legitimate. But we had spent, you know, two to three years developing it in LA prior, which was crazy. Yeah. But my, my family came, my family came, you know, my father who obviously writes for a living and he knows the craft of theater and, you know, the biggest indicator is the audience. You could think that you've written the funniest line or the best song in the world. And if the audience is dead, it's like SNL. It's the same exact thing. If they're not reacting, then sorry, it's just not, it's not good enough. So my, my dad, when he was there, he was like, I've never heard laughter like this before of any show in my life. And that's how I feel to performing it in eight times a week. I've never been a part of a Broadway show. I've never seen a Broadway show where people are laughing harder than at Titanic. That's great. What an accomplishment. Yeah. Thanks. Um, congrats on everything. Uh, we, before we let you go though, Josh is going to hit you with our speed round. Oh God. Uh, no, you'll do well. You're going to do well. We, we, um, we can tell. Okay. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational? Relaxing. I think we all, we all knew that. Yeah. Yeah. Easy. Yeah. Uh, if you could take a vacation with any family alive or dead, real or fictional other than your own family, what family would you like to take a vacation with? The Sopranos. Great. Because you know what? Something, someone would, someone would actually die. Yeah. If you, if you told Tony, uh, he had a sand penis, somebody's going down. You know what, Tony? I don't like this hotel room. Get me a better one. It would happen. We get a suite. Um, what is your favorite means of transportation? Means of transportation. Oh my God. Well, I, I don't know. I guess not. I'm I first class, LOL. First class. That's pretty nice. I've started doing that. Yeah. They have to fly me first class. And I'm like, now that I've had this, I can never go back. Nope. Very hard. Very hard to go back. Yeah. Um, if you had to be stranded on a desert Island with one member of your family, who would it be? My sister, Lisa, my sister, Lisa, the financial advisor, some she'd have money tucked away and she's also very resourceful. My father would be last on the list. He would, he's a child, a child. You can't have an old child on a beach on an Island. Yeah, exactly. Um, you are from, uh, what is your dream destination for a family vacation? Oh, well, I'll, I'll just speak for myself. Like, you know, I'm an Island girly and I want to go to Bora Bora. I want to be one of those huts, $10,000 Marriott huts where you just jump into the ocean. Yeah. I know the huts and good choice. Um, you are from Yardley, Pennsylvania. Is that correct? Um, if you were the head of the board of tourism at Yardley and, uh, and Yardley and had to get more families to come visit your town, how would you pitch that town? How would I pitch Yardley, Pennsylvania? Yeah. We've got the best fire hydrant in town. We've got the best like fire. Oh, you know what? We have the best bakery. We have the best bakery in town. Kramer's bakery. Yeah. Because I'm again, such a foodie person. You got to come. You got to try the cupcakes, but also, yeah. Uh, what's her face? Gigi Hadid. Okay. Her mother, her mother lives famously in Yardley. Oh, great. So if we have the Hadids, we can get anyone. Um, real quick, tell me a little bit more about this fire hydrant. Now there's just, we have like one strip in downtown Yardley. It's like one tiny little strip, but it's so quaint. And there's a, there's like a beautiful fire company. And because it's, you know, it's so funny. I live in New York. I live 90 minutes away from Yardley, but it's like the most beautiful. I spent time there in the pandemic. And I was like, I would absolutely, I wanted to get out of here when I lived here as a child, but I would go back. I want to buy my parents' home. That would be ideal. And then I can have that as a second home. It's just the most charming, quaint colonial town. And there's just one tiny little strip where like all the food is questionable, but it looks so cute. Yeah. Do you think your parents would give you a good deal on that house or would they break you over? No, honestly, so much that I would love to like buy it over asking. I'd be like, here's $2 million for your home. So now go live somewhere else because I'll live here now. Yeah, get out. It's mine now. Seth, those are our final questions. I know the answer based on what you said earlier, which was, have you been to the Grand Canyon? And it's definitely a no. No, I actually, we actually did go to the Grand Canyon, but we visited, we just looked. Okay, gotcha. I feel like there are families that do that trek where you go all the way down and down. Yeah, you just did a look. Yeah, we just did a look. Was the look worth it? It was worth it. And so worth it that I think to myself, God, I really need to get back there. All right, that was not an unexpected answer. What a cool time to get to talk to you, Marla. Likewise. Congratulations and break a leg tonight. Your first time back on stage. I need it. I need it. Enjoy. Congrats. Great to meet you. Good to meet you. Thank you so much. Have a good one. See you soon. Bye. Bye. Good night. Have the Tonys. Some of Marla's homies Needed beta blockers to go off She grew up in Bucks County Would go to the city Sesame chicken And fingers at Sam's Would see a show Whenever she'd go Saw Big River At just three years old From a singing diner Waited for her Made it on the Broadway stage Ten years later Wanted to write Thought it was right to Move on Tried her luck in L.A. Dinner theater With bad pay Seventy-five bucks Gross fish And a glass of Sauvblanc Then wrote Titanic Turned out was Fantastic The show grew And continues To grow Now she goes London, Paris, Sao Paolo And when she's there She doesn't have to go on First class On the flight Watches over ♪ Oh, burning night, then checks out ♪ The city gets something to eat and moves on Well she began on Long Beach Island Loveladies New Jersey had it going on Her sis said she had a sand penis Chased it down, rang her neck Looking back it was all in fine Loveladies New Jersey had it going on