"The Show Must Go OFF" (w/ Laura Benanti)

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Lisa, tell them about our new show. We have a new podcast. It's called Don't Lie To Me. I'm Lexi Juanio, we're two best friends, 22 years apart, but so close at heart. And I'm Lisa de Julio, the old one, which means we have wildly different references, occasionally different opinions, and at this point in my food days, I've lived it all. Now in my 30s, being the founder of new shoes, good taste is my business. Listen on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Melissa Jeltsin, host of the What Happened to Her Podcast. We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story, a case the police wrote off as a suicide in a snowstorm. Her family never bought it, and the man they suspected wore a badge. You never know who that devil is because he's wearing disguise, sometimes it's a police uniform. And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad free with an iHeart True Crime Plus subscription, exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to iHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait, head to Apple Podcasts, search for iHeart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today. I'm Amy Brown, and every day on Front Page Podcasts, I help you make sense of the stories shaping our world. Each day, I break down the biggest headlines. Canada's trade fight with the US just escalated again, and Americans could fill it in their wallets. And when a story deserves a deeper conversation, I'll sit down with experts, news makers, and thought leaders to help you better understand the issue behind the headlines. Listen to Front Page from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, it's me, Matt, and my tour is on sale now. This time, it's really Christmas. You can go to www.MattRodgersofficial.com. Podcasts are a visual medium. If you're not watching me right now, I am holding in my hands my vinyl. It's called Have You Heard of Christmas. The answer to that question is coming. At this time, it's really Christmas. I'm playing all over the country, and in London, and in Canada. That makes it a world tour. Harry Styles, you're on Burn Notice. I'll see you soon. Look, Matt, oh, oh, I see him. I don't mind. Bowen, look over there. How is that culture? Yes, it is. Wow, let's culture these days. Ding dong! Let's culture these is calling. Do you know what I realized today? What? First ever Maria Von Trap in the studio. Holy shit. Get into it. Remember this? Remember this move? Yeah. Oh, good, forgot. Who could forget? What's more iconic? This? Or the spin? Oh, that's really hard. The spin is on the poster, the cover. Yeah. It's really tough. I don't know. This is Bowen's culture. Well, yeah, and this is up until. Oh, so Matt and I did years ago do a cultural exchange, where I watched Jaws for the first time the same weekend that he watched sound of music for the first time. This podcast is a story of two people who have so little income and on face value. Yeah, oh, but then friendship. Friendship. Brings them together. And through shared. Through shared cultural osmosis. Does that work as a bunch of words together? Shared cultural osmosis. See? Is it a little redundant? SEO. Nope. SEO. Isn't that a business thing, SEO? SEO. Got it. This is why. This is what I'm saying. You see? You see? Okay, this is our first move on trap. This is our first. Gipsy Rose. Gipsy Rose. Louise. This is our first. Melania. This is our first. Oh, Eliza, do a little. It's our first Claudia. No, it's our second Claudia. It was our first Claudia. Nicole Kidman herself. Imagine finding out the role that you played on Broadway. They're making a movie. They say, you say who's doing it? They say Nicole herself. Nicole herself. Fergie. Yeah. Down a third. Down a third. They're saying Nicole's doing your part. Down a third. But down a third. Okay. All right. This is exactly what we needed today. I'm sure it was gorgeous. You didn't see. Ah! Okay. This is too good. Our guest is doing her a fresh off an incredible Edinburgh run. Yeah. And an amazing run at the Manetta Lane. Oh, you know this claim. The other name. Hey, Drew Elaine. You're on burn notice. All lanes. You're on burn. Penny Lane. Have some disrespect. That's from almost famous. Oh. Sort of a wild left. No, I thought you were referencing Beatles. Penny Lane is in my ear. You can see her at the Baltimore Center stage. September 18th through 26th. Then Los Angeles. Costa Mesa. Boston, Massachusetts. And don't you worry if you're in Arlington, Virginia and April and May. A lot of worries happening there. We want you to stop. Put those worries to the side for just now. You can see her show. Nobody cares. No, I'm not saying that nobody cares. A lot of people caring about the show. It's the title. It's the title, silly. Nobody cares. Directed by the great Annie Tip. Oh, wait. I just actually had a palpitation. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When he's whenever I hear the name Annie Tip, I get a positive burst. You'll hear about it in a second. Okay. That's just the tip of that conversation. Oh, my goodness. Anyways. She's a Tony winner. I fucking love her. I'm a Tony nominee. I saw her host the Jimmy Awards in 2018. Which you just did last year. There's a legacy. The livestream commenter said I looked dead. I didn't want to be there. That is not true. I guess I just read is. Hey, can I say something out there? Don't read the comments. Then you walk away from an incredible experience with just that. Oh, no, no, no. I'm just saying that because I had the time. I say that because I had the time of my life. I guess this with art with our guest. Everyone, please welcome. The best of the bizz. Laura Menendez! So much for having me. Oh my gosh. This is the best day of my life. I'm so excited. The background on this is I go to the tone. So we go to the Tony Awards. Yes, we're nominated. What? We didn't win. No. But congrats, Megadune. And I congrats, Lauren. I met the. What was that elegant party that we all go to? Carlyle. At the Carlyle. So there's a lot of hobnobbing happening. So much hobnobbing. And I'm there with Melissa. And I say there's one person I want to go up to when it's Laura. But Dan. Yeah. And I did. And then me, you and your husband almost all went home together. My husband has a problem. He's going to leave me. Probably. I'm into it. He is such a fan. And when you guys walked up, he was like. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. But then he was doing like the straight guy. Like, hey man. Yeah. Oh, it's so sweet. But then three more tequila. Yeah. And he was like, I just got to tell you that I love you. I mean, I love you. I'm a huge fan and I love you. And we've only been married for 11 years. We only had two kids and I will burn into the ground. Yeah. Like it was, it was a lot. It felt doable. I know. He was available to you. Yeah. If you guys split, I'll take you. Oh my god. Yeah. All right. Patrick. Bye. Can I tell you what we would have figured out right away? Like a group vacation. Oh, that was. Yes. I can see the four of us all having different niches and partnering often different. Like two sums for different activities. He wants to hike. And I want to read. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You want to read. He wants to hike. Yes. No. He's like, I want to be busy. I was like, we are busy. We're busy at home. Yeah, yeah. Vacation is not for busy. Oh, 100%. And talk more about the. And I don't want to challenge or push back on this. Okay. We have reading at home. Wouldn't you say? But not the time. But not the time. Not the time. Not the time. That's what I'm saying. I don't want to be busy. - What's with my call, Santa Claus? - They do teetopapa. - That's really a culture number four. - If it's in Italy, it's teetopapa. - He comes in and sleeps with your wife. - Oh yeah. - Good for him. - Good for him. - Oh, I'm happy for both of them actually. - My wife, she gets nothing. - She gets nothing. I'm Patrick's teetopapa. - That's right, you're safe. - I'm sleeping with you. - That's fine. - Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. - Now do we feel as a culture, we're in America, we're a little too hard on Italian. - We do a little dovagool like we call it. - 'Cause they can handle it. - They're fine. - So we can handle it. - We can handle it for a long time. - Yeah. - And also Italians, we can be racist. - Yeah. - That's true. - You know what I mean? - Not we, not we. - No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. - Just everyone else. - Yeah. - Certainly. - Just my extended family. - Yeah. (laughing) - I'm just gonna say, I don't think he would have an issue with me saying this. - Okay. - But anytime you would write like, oh, what's with that? What the Italian guy? - Yeah. - Like some kind of Italian meatball, got a ghoul thing into an SNL sketch. - Yeah. - More Michael's hates it. - Why? - I think he has a sensitivity to Italian ex-culture. - It's the kind of white- - It's a hot, white people. - Yeah, it's the kind of, it's the kind of older white man who still thinks, you know, they were very racist towards Irish people. - That's right. - They were. - And they were. - To be fair they were. - That's not true. - They weren't, they weren't. - That's not true. - They weren't. - They weren't. - They were, but to sort of stop conversations and be like, hey, this actually is a problem. - Yeah. - In the year of our Lord, 2026, feels like not necessarily the things. - Also Irish and Italians were all one now. - Yeah. - That's, if you are Italian or Irish, if you're Irish, you're Italian in America. - Right. That's what we did. - That's what we did. - It's just Catholic and just you, we, everybody did it. - Yeah. - And now we, we're dead. - It's as Moses. - Yeah, so they're not-- - It's as Moses. - Everybody did it. - Everybody did it. - Yeah, that's it. - And now they do this. - You know what's funny? - Yeah. - This is crazy though. You're the only Italian here. - Can I tell you something? - I'm not Italian. - What? - So, okay. So when I was here in America-- - The nanties as Italian is a basil. - You're better explain this one. - You're me out. - We are. - My original last name is Vidnovek Slavic. - Oh, yes. - Right? So here we are. And then my parents got divorced when I was at a year and a half, I'm fine. And my mom remarried. - Sal Binanti, Salvatore Binanti. And I eventually took his name. And now I'm Binanti. - So then, would you say that you absorbed through shared cultural osmosis, the Italian vibes from-- - I am Binanti by love, which is what they say. I'm Italian by love. - Amazing. - And by culture. I mean, it's all I was saying. - Yeah, right. - I don't have any, like, sort of shared slots. - You lied to get cast in line. (laughing) - Yeah, but I sang it up the third. - Yeah. - Oh my God. Nicole's in every possible movie right now. I think she's doing amazing. - No, she's doing amazing. - If you're not Nicole Kidman, you are not working. - No, I know. - Okay, it's the truth. - Let's talk about this, 'cause you touched on this on the downside with Joan Marco. It's like the best. - The best, I love him. - So the movie stars are taking the TV jobs. The TV stars are taking the theater jobs. - Yes. - I do feel like after I'm done doing my little stint. - Yeah. - With Omaria, I'm like, I'm not, I don't wanna, I can't gentrify Broadway. - You know, you're-- - As a gay man. - You're a lot, what do you mean? - I just, I don't think-- - As a gay podcast, as a gay man. - As a gay man, they've been doing it for a second. - No, I was gonna say, you're, you're the core bit, yeah. - Podcasts into Broadway feels like the wrong pipeline. Like Broadway is right now is the repository for all of it, which is so not fair. - Well, speak for yourself. I'm doing Claudia and Ninenecks. (laughing) Singing at the fifth. - Okay. - Oh yeah. - Just a whistle-tone. - And then we hear it. (singing in foreign language) - Really good. - That's, honestly, that was really true. - For 10 a.m. - I think why I'm the current? - That's gorgeous. - I like it. No, I think the thing that scares me for middle class actors, which is me, where I'm like, okay, so the parts I used to play, now like TV stars are taking those jobs, where I'm like, you're better than that. But there's not enough jobs. And so then, you know, then people, and also I think people go to Broadway to like legitimize themselves. It is interesting to me, because as a Broadway actor, I feel like when I audition for TV or film, they're like, is she gonna do jazz hands? Like, is she gonna be big? Like, I've had so many people be like, you're a good actor, like they're surprised. And then I'm like, the only difference is, like, I have, I can also sing. It doesn't like make me bad at acting usually. - I love it. - No, or like a schmackter. - Right. - You're gonna, I am a schmackter. Let's be real. - No, not. - No, but like, as Malania, that is likely the biggest performance. - Well, that turned into like a bortz bell bit. - Absolutely. - Well, she's like, she's like, schmiving. So you have to schmack. - Well, she's a robot. I mean, I made her into something completely. - Loveable. - Thanks, I didn't need to, but. - No, I know. I know, it's tough though. Like, that just hit and then it kept hitting and then all the way to the end. You know what I mean? - It's okay, I'll take it. - You guys have both played. - Malania. (laughing) - Oh, oh. - Iconic character. - Oh my god, you were so funny. - You were so funny. - You as JD Vance. - Oh, no, we're not talking about my JD Vance. - It's so funny. - It doesn't think it's good. - What? - Awful. - No. - I hired a dialect coach and it was still bad. (laughing) - It wasn't. - That's what made it funny. - I don't know. - I don't know. - I'm really proud of George Santos. I feel like I really, it should have gone to Galvanacus. JD Vance should have 100% gone to Galvanacus. - Honestly, I really loved it. I'm not just saying that. I thought it was really, really good. - No, no, you're doing that thing where at, like, when you see a friend at a show, you're supposed to, no matter how, no matter what you thought, you're supposed to see it, let me go. I loved it. - I don't do it. - You're on it. - You don't go back. - I don't say that was amazing. - So what do you say if it was like a C+? - I'll be like, you're a perfor, like, you were great. - Yeah. - And usually they are. I don't have friends who are not great. - Yeah, totally 100%. - So, and if they weren't great, I just leave and we're done. - Yeah, I get that. - So, no, I mean, I just, I don't want people to lie to me, really. - Yeah, and you can tell. - You can tell. - Oh my gosh, when they comment on the set, that set was, oh, just said. - You're like, I will skin you alive. - I mean, yeah. - Just don't come back. - And put it on the set. - Would you prefer that people just don't come back at all? - Yes. - Yes. - Yeah. - Please don't come back if you don't. Like, so I, I will not name this person, but I was doing a play on Broadway and this famous actress was looking for another actress in the show. She popped her head into my dressing room and was like, do you know where so and so is? And I was like, oh, I think she left and she went, okay. And left, left, and I was like. - She can say that she looked for her. - She, right. And I'm just like taking my wig off. - Just like crying, I think she left. - I think she, it was amazing. But I was like, honestly, that's iconic. - That's iconic. - Well, you were Eliza in my family. - I was? - Okay, I just, I just, I just wanted to make sure I didn't get that wrong. - Oh, no, no, no, no, my general. - Well, okay, and God, I know, I know you get asked this all the time, but like, I think you, you open up a really good conversation with Mickey Joe, where you were like, I would do a job split, a job share with like a Kelly O'Hara. - A thousand percent. - If it were like the Countess and Sound of Music or something like that. - Yes, a thousand percent. - So I think this should be, this is a really interesting model that I think, I don't know nothing about the biz, but I think that it's just so much, I'm so terrified for eight shows a week. And I feel like, I'm childless and under, you know, my bones are still, although I am kind of falling apart, but it's a good way. - Well, he's a drug addict. - I'm a drug addict. - Well, yeah, obviously. - Or where we all. - Yeah. - But talk more about this 'cause I feel like this is, this can be something. - I think what's hard and what people are scared of is that there will naturally be comparison. - Yes. - So, that will be hard for us. I think that's the part that will be hard for us. - But you guys are like that. - Yeah, but like also that's hard, you know what I mean? Where you're like, so, like actually, I saw Kelly, I guess a year ago and she sang something, we were doing some benefit and she sang so, beautifully that I was like in tears and she came backstage and I hugged her and I was like, the way that I know that I have grown is I am not mad at you at all. - Just fall beautiful. - Like I am only happy for you. - Yeah. - Like that's it and she was like, I feel the same way. Like when I saw your show, I felt the same way. So, that feels nice for growth. But I do think to have comparison, just it feels ugly. - Of course, yes. - But then you're not like breaking your body, which I've broken my body so many times on Broadway. - Yeah. - You get to see your family, you know, you get to have holidays, you get to breathe a little bit and then you get to come back and do the show and you're like, fresh and happy. - Yeah, yeah. - But I do think a limited run of eight shows a week in something as brilliant as O'Mari. I think you're gonna love it so much. I really think you are. - I'm so excited. - I'm so excited to see it. - I did have to fill out an accident report yesterday. I fell on my head, it's fine. - On your head. - He is resisting the teachings of Juan Hanisolo who's attempting to tell him how to correctly stay tall. - No, he's committing too hard. - Don't commit it, I broke my neck. - Wait, tell us about it. - I broke my neck. - That's crazy, tell us. - I broke my neck and into the woods doing a pratfall down a flight of stairs. So it's 21 years old and I was like, I can do it, I'm 21 years old and then I broke my neck. And so don't do that. Like, don't. - That's the worst, that was like, by far the worst body break. I think it gets worse than I broke my pelvis when I did women on the verge of a nervous breakdown. - Wow. - In the air and I was just like, in a harness, just like. (laughing) - You pushed out in the harness? - Yeah, and then, yeah. And then Patty LaPone was like, "Daw, you broke your vagina." (laughing) - Daw. - Daw. - And I did. - Daw, you broke your vagina. - You broke your vagina. - Oh my god. - But so like, please, you cannot commit eight times a week. Just lay on gently. - I will, no, I've learned. And by the way, Everyone is like so chill there. They're like, oh yeah, just and you know, let us know if you go to the doctor We'll fill it. We'll do like a worker's content. It's comp thing. I'm like, it's fabulous. I am loving every second of it Amazing. You're gonna have so much fun. And then the audience. I mean, you're so used to like a live audience is laughing so hard Not like 900 people right? Yeah, but the feeling of it. Oh Yeah, I'm so excited. I'm so excited, but yes like Even for me who's like a full-on Neophyte Dilleton. It's like four shows a week sounds great. Yeah For like and then and I can do this for like two years. No, no I mean like a thousand percent I mean think that that model would it would it didn't it exist that didn't Cynthia Nixon and Someone switch off a role, but I think they just swapped roles I don't think that they like split the time right right which is also like really exciting I mean the one thing I will say for producers, too is if you have somebody splitting the roles like oh the rules Yeah, people want to come back. Yeah, people want to come back So you know some people will come see it twice and then write about you on Theta Mania It would be like somehow if if like someone were to switch Linda and alpha by every night Right, which which we've that was our dream when we were like 19 years ago. Here's the thing We hear so we heard wicket, you know, they like we need we need help wicket. We need to help We're willing to do it. We're willing to do. Wait. What do you mean we have to help with after the movies? This is my fault. Oh my god. Bowen. Why would you do this? I know this is my plan all along Fanny was a very evil gay character So one of the things about evil gay men is they want to take Broadway for themselves like us Which is why we're saying if this is a starter is a germ of an idea Fanny. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then when they turned fanny into a gay guy for the film They that they made a huge mistake Yeah, because then all gay men finally saw wicket. They wanted to see themselves on screen That's exactly right. They know that for us and now it's gonna be Matt and Bowen and wicket on Broadway I would see that a hundred times Wait is it really people are not seeing it after because now they can watch the movie? This is what we hear. There's nothing like live theater. Not really nothing and seeing that story in one sitting with an Intermission is yeah, unbeatable. Yeah, you know, I've never seen it. That's fine. You never seen wicket on Broadway never This is the reason I'm sorry No, but I mean like have like have you are the thing is they'd be so thrilled to have you but like back in the day No, no Because now it's gonna now now you've really done it because now it's gonna transition into the fact that like You have played so many iconic roles that it sort of feels like okay What are the few that we haven't gotten you in there must have been some crazy You know what it's not as bad as when Ben Brantley said that Louise was the role of your lifetime Then I that I should have died right after that. Yeah, wait was that what he implied? No, but I think he was no, I think he was I think it was nice. It was nice, but I'm like that He understands what he's doing when he's when he writes that you know, what do you think he was doing? That like what do you like for you psychologically? Maybe I'm projecting, but you're like well, I guess I I Should die like you're like well, what am I supposed to do now? I agreed I actually and I still feel that way where I'm like I will never again have an experience like that and that's okay You were like they're Thank you. I will never forget that. I will never forget her son coming backstage afterwards And I'm still in my gown. Wow, and he starts crying and hugging me and he and I just held him like he was my child He was son and I just like held him while he cried and He was like I felt like I was like seeing my mom Wow, and it was so moving to me and I remember thinking in this moment I will never ever have an experience like this again, and that's okay Brought to you by the spam brand Matt. I think we need a new culture award and the category is Hungry for more. Oh, I like the sound of that. This is something that brings this sizzle It always hits the spot. It's been a part of culture for decades. The influencers love it It's like the pop star foods. It's the spam brand. It's always meat for you Well, especially when it's crispy on the outside tender and juicy on the inside and a flavor for every type of food mood Like sweet and savory Korean barbecue flavored spicy jalapeno and who could forget the one that started this old Cultural phenomenon spam classic. It's great with your eggs in the morning It's great with tacos or ramen or really whatever dish that could use some extra sizzle It's like pop music. It's great anytime anywhere. I feel that way about other kinds of music too. Jazz. Yes So even a delicious dish that's also a cultural icon look no further than the spam brand Grab your favorite flavor or try a new one and sizzle it to perfection today in a pan spam brand sizzle pork and mmm learn more and get sizzling at spam.com I'm Melissa Jeltsin host of the what happened to her podcast We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story a case the police wrote off as a suicide in a snow storm Her family never bought it and the man they suspected wore a badge You never know who that devil is because he's wearing the skies Sometimes it's a police uniform and you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free with an iHeart true crime plus subscription Exclusively on Apple podcasts available only to iHeart true crime plus subscribers So don't wait head to Apple podcasts search for iHeart true crime plus and subscribe today What would change if you stopped letting money stress run your life, sis? I'm Mandy money host of brown ambition the podcast and right now I'm taking you through my six-part money reboot series This is your chance to hit reset break the debt cycle get honest about where your money is going Build a savings plan that actually sticks and start making financial choices that support the life you want Not just the bills you have because wealth building is not about being perfect It's about having a plan knowing your numbers and making your next move with confidence with the community that cares like we do on brown Ambition each episode gives you practical steps real talk and the motivation to stop putting your financial goals on hold So if you've been saying I'll get serious about money next month. This is your sign start now Listen to brown ambition. That's brown ambition and begin your money reboot today Listen to brown ambition on the iHeart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts Hey, what's up y'all it's Questlove and on the Questlove show I've been sitting down with some really interesting people And I've got two recent episodes you should check out I caught up with my good friend Jojo and talk about her music Her career and what she's been up to don't invite me to karaoke. I'm gonna make it weird Someone's gonna try to sing leave get out her too little too late or baby to you And I'm gonna be like okay, cool. I also caught up with Wallace 267 for a conversation that covered his story his perspective Plenty more. I don't even call it cheat day. That's a life day I'm not doing that. Don't try to be slick and just go Sunday go Wednesday. This is what you do Sleep later make a reservation for the rest of our lady just chill listen to the music you want to listen to Just enjoy it. It's going to be alright. Nothing's gonna have you awake. Wake up Wednesday. I'm like ah You're gonna feel better and those are just two of the many recent episodes of the Questlove show Listen to the Questlove show or the I heart radio app app podcast Wherever you get your podcast Peace Whether you're stepping up to the starting line of a marathon or just trying to take the first step toward a big scary goal The conversation in your head is usually the same. Do I have what it takes? I'm Emily a body and on hurdle with Emily a body We dive into the grit vulnerability and mindset that fuels our greatest comebacks I talk to elite athletes Olympic champions industry changemakers and everyday runners about how they face self-doubt redefine success and keep moving forward when life gets heavy. I just love to say I never know who's watching So you want to make sure you you through and through and you just stay true to who you are Yeah, your path might change because different things come on your path to disrupt it But it's just putting you on a new path and the skills you have to have faith at the skills that you've learned and developed over time Are going to continue to bring you success when the world is burning and crashing around you Will you still say fight for your dream? Will you still say it's possible? Will you still believe you're a good person? Can you see you still see the brighter side of tomorrow? It's motivation real talk and practical wisdom for life on and off the run Listen to hurdle with Emily a body on the I heart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts It kind of is like well What's so incredible about you is you have this elegance as a stage performer and you are so Refined and you have such a serenity on stage and what you do is so beautiful But then you also are this kind of like feral comedians Like so I that's the part of me that's real Yeah, I guess but that's what I'm saying is it's like in that way It sort of is like this perfect role because the scrappiness and sort of the way that you blend in and then the blossoming that happens Right in front of your eyes. It it exactly was the let me entertain you sequence was the highlight Among many highlights of that show it was something I still to this day remember I remember where we were sitting in the first show of the mezzanine we saw Matt and I with my parents I love I love the first row of the mess Where's that during the Jimmy's when he hosted okay, and you? - I wonder who that is. And then the next time that you would kill it in this way was when you had your one line or something Jimmy Awards. - So I was a dual-can booster, Brandon's got Jones. - Oh my God, amazing. - And we were there, Sabrina and. - Wait, why? - Sabrina Assel. - Sabrina Assel, so she was the girl who did George Clooney. And I don't mean for that to be the claim to pay for her. - Oh, bless. - And she was a finalist. - Yeah, no, I know. - Amazing. - It was such a triumphant moment when you called her name. - Yes. - Like every, it was like, obviously the, the, what do we, where are we supposed to come? We're not supposed to call them kids. We're supposed to call them. - We're not. - No, they were very strict with me. They don't call them children, don't call them kids because they, they're nominees. Because it's like, they want a. - They're a kid nominees. (laughing) - Excuse me. - They're like, don't call that a middle-aged lady. Like, it's like, what are we pretending that they're not children? - I think this is very refreshing because especially because you started, you were incredibly young. - Yeah. - You've been on that boat with them. - Yes. - So thank you. - No, but also like, be called kids for as long as you can be called kids. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Stay in child. - Well, you can be a child. - I know. Why did we go? Because we love the chimneys. - Yes, I love, honestly, I cried basically the whole time. - Yes. - Is it so moving? And also, I never had that as a young person. Like, I was so, other in my tiny, tiny town in New Jersey, like Alabama of New Jersey. And the idea that there were other kids out there my age who loved it as much as I did. Like, it made me feel so excited and happy. And they're so talented. - So, well, I can tell you. - So talented. - And you also, the my most favorite thing about it is you see them really have a community. - That's what's so irreplaceable about it, I think, is that like, you see, and again, as you were saying when you embraced Kelly O'Hara, they are having an experience so really, where they get to be happy for everything. - Because so few of them get picked as finalists, they actually can be excited, I think. - Guys, hold on. - Okay, go off with it, what do you think? - I cannot imagine that that is the undercurrent. - Yeah. - Is it our gen, are they alpha or Z, or what are they? - They're like, Z alpha cars. - There's alpha? - Oh my god, it's crazy. - So like, maybe they are so evolved, and they're also like robots are gonna kill us all, whatever it's fine, we're just gonna love each other. Maybe that's what it is, but I can't really imagine that as teenagers, they're like, I'm only happy for you. - Right, yeah, I don't, I don't, I don't, - No, totally. - They can't possibly be evolved to that point, but and yet, if it's- - Or maybe they are? - No, no, no, I just, what they were telling me was, they were so sweet, they were just like, this has just been like the best month of our lives. - I believe that. - Next one. - What? - Who cares? - Well, they were in your underwear. - Oh yeah, right, okay. - You're so young and confused. A lot of the boys still have to come up and be like, hey, Bowen, so the next one. - Oh god, right. - And then they turn in, they're like, singing from bridges. - Yeah. - I love it. - I love it. - I love it. - I love it. - I love it. - You're wandering from bridges. - My ex-husband's role. - He was incredible. - He was incredible. - I mean, I couldn't have seen, I'd be carried out on a stretcher, but I remember when I hosted the drama desks and he sang it. And then I had to come right back out and be like, yo, bitch. (laughing) - She's so big. - She's so great. - Yeah. - I was just backstage like, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. Tell me, oh, here I was like, I want to watch what you do and this is done. - Oh, my God. - And like a menacing way. - No, and the best way. Just like whispered into my ear. Like, what are you going to do? (laughing) I just stood there for approximately one minute. - Fabulous, of course. - Frozen. - But that was when I, I mean, obviously, at that point you had done Melania, but then I'm like, it was like-- - Oh, the Jimmy's? - The Jimmy's. It was like me and Joel and Brandon like watching you was Laura Bonanti being like, so fucking funny. - Oh, thank you. - And that was the birth of Rene Rapp too. - And Andrew Bartheldman. - Yes. - Andrew, who was mother I played. - Oh my God, I know her feelings. - Oh, no heart. - Yes. - Literally, that's one of the, first of all, I firmly believe. I know that people were like, oh, this is a comedy. And so they did do that thing. They did with comedies, which is like, file it under, don't take it super seriously. - Yeah. - I think that was one of Jennifer's strongest performers. - That's a hundred percent. - I agree. - I think every single scene in that movie is a comedy, like, feat. - She's amazing. When she's just sitting there watching him like play the piano, I'd say-- - Oh, hello, that's you. - And they're slowly panning in on her perfect, perfect face. - Top five scenes of her career. - She is so much going on in her eyes, but she's not moving a muscle. I'm like, literally, how do you do that? - How? - Some people got it. Some people got it. - She got it. - It's in the eyes, isn't it? - Yeah, that's minor dead. - No, I was just gonna say-- - You are. - No. - All I've seen it with both of you. - Yeah, that's a say. - When I sometimes watch myself in a serious drama, I'm like, hello. - You're out of your mind. - Are you okay? Where are you? I've become like a, like a mentor. - No. - Like all of a sudden it's just like gone. - You wanna know what I watch? - You wanna know what I watch on the train on the way up here? - Yeah, no. - Dressing room scene in Gypsy. - Oh, well, that's different. That's theater. I'm like, I come alive. (laughing) - That's theater. - Come on in. - It's-- - She's alive. - Suddenly. - Yeah. - No, just even like the line of like, it's for vogue. - Oh yeah. - Or you're just like, I love every second. I'm like, holy shit. You're doing the press, the LeBon press. You're doing, you're using every fucking crayon in the box. - Thank you. - Anyway, I'm just like, no, it's all in the, which is just to say, it's all in the eyes. Like, J-Law, like, I don't know. I just-- - It's unreal. - She's unreal, but I love that movie so much. I love you with it. - Thank you. - It's so great, and also, you guys shot it in Montauk, which is for my Long Island culture. I mean, Jersey. - Obviously. - It's the same culture. - It really is, and I need people to understand, like, when they make fun of Jersey, they make fun of Long Island and vice versa. - Yeah, absolutely. - Like, when you take down anyone in the Tri-State area. - Absolutely. - Inside of Connecticut, get out of here. - Get out of here. - Get out of here. - Yeah, thank you for that. - No. - Because you're right. - With your stone walls and your ivy. - Yeah, and your security systems. - Yeah, right. Exactly. - You're like 10 years 15. - Yeah, exactly. We're like, it's fine. - So we've sort of stumbled into this area where we could ask the question. Whoa, let me get myself together. Hold on, whoa. So this is the part we ask you. What was the culture, Laura Bonanti, that made you say culture was for you? - Okay. So I think we need to start, first of all. - Oh my God, she's, she's, she's playing here. - There's a photo. - Okay. - I feel like a housewife reunion. - I need to show you. So this is, I got the receipt. - Yeah. It is interesting. - It is interesting. - Remember prostitution, Laura? - Oh, who could forget prostitution? - Oh my God, it's Teresa. - It was Teresa, the Jew Dice. - Love her. - Yeah. - She was past tense. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - You know what, we're actually open again. We're open because Teresa and Melissa are, everything is good and we're moving forward. - Didn't they do some really bad things? - I would say her husband did really bad things and she signed papers sort of like nothing. - I didn't know what I was doing. - She probably didn't. Let's be real. - Okay, so. - I grew up in Kinnellon, New Jersey, a very, very small town, very rural. Like I said, nobody cared about theater. I was like a very odd person on the inside. And then also on the outside. So, and this really, in order to tell you the culture, I feel like you need to see me at 11 years old. - Oh, a sailor girl. - No, that's me. (laughing) - You think that little tech is 11 years old? (laughing) - Have you ever met a child? - A sailor girl. - He's never met a child. - You look. - I am 11 years old. I'm 11. - Look like a woman waiting for her husband to return from the first world war. - You will. - I am. - This is my grandma's outfit. And her sunglasses and what you cannot see unless you go really tight is that I'm wearing wooden fish earrings. - Of course. - And I think I look incredible. - Are you just saying that in so many ways? - Here is, and also, I mean, this is my grandma's elbow. - Who is the sailor girl? - My little sister. - Okay. - Look how cute she is. People thought I was her mother, honestly, on a good day, on a grandmother, on a bad day. - Okay, so there you are, 11 years old. - And what formed this was the 1991 PBS into the woods starring Bernadette Edo Chipsion and Joanna Gleason. - Yes. - So that was the moment where I was like, I will do this. I will do this for the rest of my life. Like, how is this happening? How are these people so talented? Why? Stephen Sontai, I like musicals. - I love Stephen Sontai's. - Yes. - One of the first songs I ever learned had a play on the piano in "Sing" was "I Remember Sky." - I remember "Sky." - So do you. - I was blue as and can you imagine walking in on an eight-year-old, like, singing that, like in the dark with a candle then? - I had to imagine how far away. - You're talking to us, we can imagine we can imagine. - My parents were like, "Ah, okay, well, just, you come up to dinner when you're ready." And just crying in a mirror. - Yeah. - I remember. - Just like a ghost. - Allowing yourself to live lives. - Yeah. - You haven't gotten the opportunity to live. And it can only be done in your room with the candle. - I've never been cool. I've never been cool. And it used to really bother me. And then when I, because I started acting on Broadway when I was 18, I played Maria in "The Sound of Music." - Yes. - And I was not a child actor. All of a sudden I'm living my dream. And I was like, "How can I ruin this?" And I just, like, "How can I ruin my dream?" - Yeah. - I don't want to sort of break. How do I burn this to the ground? And so I started like, now I want to be cool. Now I want to be like a folk singer and I'm gonna like smoke cigarettes and I'm gonna like sleep with everyone. - Yeah. - I say in my show that like so many of the men that I slept with, like immediately became very famous. - Right. - And then I started referring to my vagina as the portal to greatness. - The portal to greatness, yeah. - Title of it. - Yeah, and like what if I kept the greatness for myself? Like I think about that a lot. - Isn't that a movie? - What? - Sort of like a reverse good luck chuck with Dane Cook. - How dare you know that? - I'm so upset for you. - So it's the movie where like Dane Cook sleeps with girls and they get married right after. But this is like a show biz version. - This is like a show biz, yeah. Where they sleep with me and then they immediately like get a show. - Yeah. - They book HBO. - And then they're like me, so I. - Can't wait to find out after who these people are. - I'm gonna tell you. - But like then I just was like, I need to be cool and I tried so hard to be cool for so long. And then finally I was like, you've never been cool. You'll never be cool. Stop trying to be cool. And then I was just so much happier. - And cooler probably. - And well, 'cause then that's when I was like, oh, but having, like being, having joy through bits and being funny with friends. Like that to me is my happiest place. - Always. - You were living a completely singular life where you were 18 years old playing opposite what like a 70. - Richard Chamberlain was like 73. - He was in a 70s. - What? - It was a different time. - Playing gay org, playing yeah. So like, oh my God. That's not, I'm not saying that's like cool. I'm just saying that's like, incredible. It's like you want, you wanted a transformative experience outside of this already completely transformative experience. - Yeah. - Right? - I feel like I was also just like lonely. - Yeah. - Because there were no other girls my age. - Right. - There was just grown men. And who gave me attention. And I was like, okay, so I guess this. - And so you're sort of like alone with the responsibility of like being Maria. - Yeah, just like a teenager playing a grown woman opposite a 70 year old man. - Right, right. - It's a lot. - It's a lot. - And like living by myself in a studio apartment and like, it was incredible. I don't want to complain. - No, no. - My podcast would just be called like actors complaining 'cause I feel like. - Book us. - Yeah. (laughing) - We're free. - We're free. - So I don't want to complain. I feel so grateful for the life I've had. And it truly, like I did get to live my dream. I think I'm mad at myself that I spent like six years of it probably absolutely just like trying to burn it to the ground. - But you know those coincide with like the college years where you're just supposed to be. - Totally. - The worst version of yourself in a way. - And I was. - And you need the opportunity to have rebellion and the fact that you had it. But also kind of still maintained. - It. - I feel like any success I had during that time was in spite of myself. - Really? - It was my better angel's just being like, hang in there girl. You were really ruining this for you. But we're just gonna allow it to, we're gonna keep it together for a little while. - But then I pulled it together. - Yeah, of course. I mean, but how would you describe like the ruin of it? Like the low moments. If you want like you don't have to get into - Yeah, you know, it was like self sabotage. - Yeah. - It was like, you know, instead of like, what do I like to do? What are my hobbies? I was like, well, I guess I'm just gonna fold myself into this man boy's life. - Yes. - A life already in progress. And I'm just gonna become what he wants. His friends are now my friends. - Yeah. - And you lose yourself entirely. And then you're not like cultivating yourself. - And a lot of people don't come out of that mindset. - Truth. Yeah, it's really true. And I did and I'm grateful. And but I think that's part of people pleasing which I talk about in my show a lot too. It was like being a recovering people pleaser. You want everybody to like you. But if everybody likes you, you're lying to somebody. - Oh yeah, yeah. That's the thing too. I think that there is something that happens like when you are the child who, by the way, mine was Green Finch and Leonard Ford. Which my dad walked into the room and saw me on the YouTube watching Green Finch and Leonard Ford. I remember he just looked at me and like shut the door. - I know. - And I was like, oh God. So when that is true, you do kind of go through all the things of like, I know I'm weird and I know I don't. I know I'm, even if what I'm doing brings me joy, I know I'm not right. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - And so I will do what I can to make me right for all of you because I know I'm not right. Like my dad coming in and seeing Green Finch and then closing the door, I was like, yeah, I shouldn't be watching Green Finch. I'm going to keep doing it. But I will in other ways find ways to make it so that I'm easy. - Yeah, like all pretend to love Dave Matthews band. - Correct, correct. - And all sitting by me is good. - It is a great song. - Yeah. - But like sitting in the woods around a bonfire with a hemp necklace, like in high school where I was like, all I wanna do is sing from passion. - Yeah. - And I did dress up as Fosca for Halloween. - Wow. - And I did go trick or treating with my mom. - And that's when that becomes cool later, when you find the people to whom that's cool. - Arneesh, Arneesh Theater. - Arneesh Theater, yeah. - Listen, I'm into it. And I will say like making this transition now from Broadway, like people knowing me primarily from Broadway or a millennia, but going into more of a comedy space at 47 years old. Like that is also hard where I feel like, I, in some ways, I'm walking into something where I feel like, okay, maybe I don't belong here. And how do I maintain what I think is funny without trying to be like, I'm gonna do what other comedians do. - Yeah. - And it's like, I feel like I've lived sort of, and I guess we all have or should live the life of consistent like transition. - Absolutely. - You know, we are always putting yourself out there, but you've said it perfectly. It is that feeling of like, I'm other, so how do I not be other? - Totally. - But I also love it and I don't wanna stop. - We're closeted. - With this, with this, move into comedy spaces, it's like, I don't think you should worry about the fitting in or the belonging. There's like, I don't say this as like a dig at the culture, but I don't think there is such a thing as like belonging and comedy. As long as you like just, I feel like you do, but as long as you just kind of like, get in there and do it. And if you can make a crowd of people off and like you're doing it, yeah. - I feel like as I've started doing like, I opened for Joe Marco for, he, I called him and I was like, do you think, you know, I could do that? And he was like, is, are you okay? - Yeah. - You wanna open for me, is this like, if you're rock bottom, but I wanna do more stand up. My show is stand up. - Yeah. - That's what it's stand up with like, original songs that I wrote with Todd Almond, who's a genius. - I love Todd Almond. - Isn't he the best? - Yeah, I've known him for a long time now. - He's the best last name. - Not known, I've known of him to be clear. - He's, we've been friends for 20 years. - Oh wow. - And he's so brilliant. He has his own one person show. He's a writer, he's an actor. He's all the thing. - Yes. - But like, I am now trying to go out and write other stand up and do this so that I can sort of prove to people that I can be funny. I'm not just like Claudia and not singing it in the car key. - Yeah. - Yeah. - I am blackless. - No. - She runs every show. - It's fine. - I'll never be on him now. I love her. I think she's brilliant. - She is, she is brilliant. - And she has a sense of humor about herself. - She does, she does. - Also, by the way, you write when you speak, which is like, you have jokes. You already, you have your fluent in your own brand of comedy so much so that you write when you speak. And so I wonder about like, your process, have you always written? Like, was that always, even when you were in a bit of confusion about like, what kind of life you were gonna have as a younger person playing Maria, were you always writing and did it always make you laugh? - I wrote a lot of very serious stuff, which makes me laugh now. - Of course. - Wanna go back and write it. - That counts. - That counts. - It's just a lot of poems. Like a lot of really serious poems mostly about young girls, living in a forest, like looking for themselves and finding themselves amongst trees. - That is the funniest stuff. - It's absolutely hilarious. I found my old diary the other day. My mom was like, I think you might want to read that. - Yeah. - And I was like, did you? And she was like, of course. - Because it is material, because I don't think there's anything funnier than, well, people who take themselves so seriously, but then when you've written something where it's very clear you've taken yourself seriously and you can make fun of yourself, that is the basis of I think all the greatest materials. - That is my entire show. - Because you're not dragging anyone else. - Never. - Except for Nicole. - Right. - And only today. - Punching off your fingers. - Never, I'm absolutely punching. No, my entire, my favorite review of the show was a virtuosic evening of comedic embarrassment. And that's exactly what it is. Like I only punch this way, you know? But being able to see like the humor in ourselves, to me that's my favorite kind of humor. - Yeah. - But yeah, I do sometimes worry like that I'm gonna walk into like one of these comedy clubs. And like the seasoned comedians are gonna be like, all right, Broadway, like you think you're funny. And that is a very, like if they were to do that, it's like, okay, what else? You know, just comedian them. Just be like, cool. You've assessed that I have a storied Broadway career and that I'm here, what else? - Yeah, no, you're right. I just don't have that, that's, I don't have that fortitude. I look like it, like I look like a Slavic warrior. (laughing) But like deep, like I look like Xena. But deep inside I'm like the fluffiest of the fluffiest. I'm a true cancer, I'm a crab. - I was gonna, okay, so not now guess what you're, I see Scorpio cancer, it's the train. - Ooh. - And can I just say the train happens all the time? - It happens really. - Although is that what the train means? - We don't know, there's no way to know. - I think the train is, Cancer Scorpio Piscesan, can I try it? - Yeah. - Oh, so then, yeah. - There she is. - We're the triangle. Like, we're separated evenly between the elements. - And I'm just saying. - Honestly, it feels like that. - We've moved into an era where now, like, pretty much, we just invite the guests to be here. And it happens a lot where it's the trine. - I'm sorry, I wonder, how are you guys saying it? - 'Cause I felt like it was screened for a while. - I never said "treen" just to be clear. - I think our friend Mo said "treen" when she knows better. - She knows better. - Our friend, Mo knows better. - Wait, I want to go back to-- - Oh, yes, of course. - I'm Melissa Jeltsin, host of The What Happened to Her podcast. - You never know who that devil is because he's wearing disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform. And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free with an iHeart True Crime Plus subscription, exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to iHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait, head to Apple Podcasts, search for iHeart True Crime Plus and subscribe today. - What would change if you stopped letting money stress run your life, sis? I'm Mandy Money, host of Brown Ambition, the podcast. And right now, I'm taking you through my six-part money reboot series. This is your chance to hit reset, break the debt cycle, get honest about where your money's going, build a savings plan that actually sticks, and start making financial choices that support the life you want, not just the bills you have. Because wealth building is not about being perfect. It's about having a plan, knowing your numbers, and making your next move with confidence with a community that cares like we do on Brown Ambition. Each episode gives you practical steps, real talk, and the motivation to stop putting your financial goals on hold. So if you've been saying, "I'll get serious about money next month," this is your sign, start now. Listen to Brown Ambition. That's Brown Ambition and begin your money reboot today. Listen to Brown Ambition on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. - Whether you're stepping up to the starting line of a marathon or just trying to take the first step toward a big, scary goal, the conversation in your head is usually the same. I'm Emily Abadi, and on Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we dive into the grit, vulnerability, and mindset that fuels our greatest comebacks. I talk to elite athletes, Olympic champions, industry change makers, and everyday runners about how they face self-doubt, redefine success, and keep moving forward when life gets heavy. - I just love to say I never know who's watching. So you wanna make sure you, you through and through, and you just stay true to who you are. - Yeah, your path might change because different things come on your path to disrupt it, but it's just putting you on a new path and the skills you have to have faith at the skills that you've learned and developed over time are going to continue to bring you success. - When the world is burning and crashing around you, will you still say fight for your dream? Can you still see the brighter side of tomorrow? - It's motivation, real talk, and practical wisdom for life on and off the run. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. - Hey, what's up y'all, it's Questlove. And on the Questlove show, I've been sitting down with some really interesting people, and I've got two recent episodes you should check out. I caught up with my good friend, JoJo, and talk about her music, her career, and what she's been up to. - Don't invite me to karaoke. I'm gonna make it weird. Someone's gonna try to sing, leave get out, or too little, too late, or baby, too. - Oh, no. - And I'm gonna be like, "Okay, cool." - I also caught up with Wallace V67 for a conversation that covered his story, his perspective, and plenty more. - I don't even call it cheat day, 'cause a life day. I'm not doing that. Don't try to be slick and just go Sunday. Go Wednesday. This is what you do. Sleep later. Make a reservation for the rest of my life. Just chill. Listen to the music you wanna listen to. Just enjoy it. It's gonna be all right. Never's gonna have you awake. Wake up Wednesday and go like, "Ah." And you gonna feel better. And those are just two of the many recent episodes of the Quest Love Show. Listen to the Quest Love Show on the iHeartRadio app, app podcast, wherever. You get your podcast. Peace. - I wanna keep talking about the show, but I do wanna quickly go back to the PBS ProShot of "Inch the Woods." - Yeah. - 'Cause I rented that out from the library when I was like, - Yes. - 12 didn't. - Yes. - 'Cause I'm renting from a library. - I know, I know. I had a talent crush on this girl, Mallory Stroud, and she was little red, and she got cast as a freshman as little red, and-- - In your high school production. - In my high school production. Which I did not get to see, but then I was like, I need to know everything about this show. So "Inch the Woods" was my first on time, and watched the pro shot, and I was like, "But who was Cinderella in that?" Remind me of the original cast. - Oh gosh. She was a Kim. - Kim. - Kim. - Kim. - And she married the guy who played the role. - So, yes. - And then we lived somewhere blissful in the place. - Don't you love that? - Yes. - Oh my god. - Honestly, that pro shot is just perfection. - Listen. - Join us. - I feel like, you know, one thing I watch all the time is Bernadette's "Stay With Me" in that, because just at the end, at the end, the perfect phrasing of. ♪ Wait for me ♪ - Looks like the way she sort of waits to sing it, like it's her last moment of just like, like I understand I've been yelling at you, but I'm actually begging you. - I'm literally gonna cry. - Yeah. - The way she's, when her voice cracks on when she's like, "Stay a child while you can be a child." - Wait a minute. We were just saying that earlier about the Jimmy's kids. - Yeah. - Yeah. - We were dead. - Yeah. - I mean, what was like, you watched that and like, do you remember how you felt? - I just remember being like, this is it. This is the feeling that I feel inside of me, that I feel like I have to constantly get out. This melancholic, sontime music is the music of my soul. And not jam bands. And like, I really, this is how I feel inside and I want to sing it every day. And if I don't get to sing it every day, I'm gonna combust. - Yeah. - Like that was the feeling I had of like, this is not a want, this is a need. - True musical theater feeling. Which is why when I turn my back on it for those few years, and like sort of mocked it, I'm like, how dare you? - How dare you? - The prodigal sign or whatever. - Right, I guess. - Start to be all biblical. - No, I love the Bible. - I love the Bible. - It's my favorite book. - Yeah, I'm ready to cover it again. - I'm actually adapting it for showtime. - Oh my god! - I hear it's doing great. - Yeah, showtime is doing great. - Yeah, I hear it's doing great. - We are taking on the Bible. - So. - Oh my god! - That's coming in, what? - It's coming in 2042. - Oh, I can't wait. - Link later is doing it. - Yeah, I'm waiting to be doing the songs. - Yeah, he's writing the songs. And I'm improvising the scripts. - Oh, I love it. - I never read it. - Oh, don't. - Yeah, don't. - Don't, don't. - You can say the script. - It's sad. - It's sad. Wait, I think you might have the way, the way you seem to be zeroing in unlike folk, jam bands, you know, sitting around a fire. I think you have, in your future, I predicted a lorbanian tea folk album or something acoustic. - So I write, so this is what's, I wrote it. - Of course you do. - It's sad and ironic. Todd and I write, you know, all genres because it's like comedy music. - Of course. - But I do write and I have always written folks on this. - So this is you, in a way. - It is a facet of me. But if, like, if, when I get to the pearly gates, holding my beloved bible. - Yes. - The red, what is it called when you wear it out? - Oh, I'm wearing red hair. - It'll be a picture of me on it. - Obviously. - Because I'm playing Jesus. And you know how, when you're making a movie, I'll often use the movie "Rembern Picture." - Absolutely, that's coming to you. - If they were like, you can only sing one thing for the rest of your life, like, obviously, some time. - But yeah. - Obviously. - Is there a song that I would sing for the rest of my life? I mean, maybe I remember "Sky" from "Dust" to "Dust." - Wow. - "Dust" to "Ashes" to "Ashes." - What did he have you sing at his birthday? - I remember "Sky." - Oh my God. - So no, but, so one of his birthdays, like not the pandemic birthday, he had me sing the first, one of the first songs he ever wrote. - Which is why it. - I can't remember. - Did you call him Steve? - No, no. - No. I could never. - Yeah. - I could never. - Don't remember if he called him Steve. - I know. - I know. - He told me to call him Steve. And I was like, no, you are Mr. Sondheim forever and ever. Wait, what was the song? Oh God, it'll come to you. - It'll come, it'll come. Don't worry, I'm sorry, we put you in the song. - No, please. But I sang, and I remember being, they were like, he asked for you to sing it and being like, this is it, I can die happily. It was the one where all of the women were in red. - Yes. - Marin and Audrey had. - It was so incredible. - It was so gorgeous. I was in black as well I should have been. And I did not deserve red. - I don't know. - No, not at that point. - Was it very amazing in that too? Oh my God, what a beautiful soul. And such an incredible tale. - I know, the app, I mean, absolutely the best. - Yeah. - And then the set, when it was the pandemic, then I sang, I remember Scott, in my parents' bathroom. - Acoustic. - Yeah, acoustics, all right, then acoustic album. Oh, and then quickly, the hemp, when you just wanted to sing musicals, reminds me of a John Early Joke, early John Early Joke, where he goes, I spent way too much time trying to learn Radiohead, trying to like Radiohead in high school when I should have been using that time to learn how to use my butt for sex. (laughing) He's always been the best. - He is. - He's a bit about ask app not to track and allow. - Allow. - Allow. - He is so funny. - He's amazing. - He's always been somebody brilliant too. - Oh my God, him and Kate, come together. - No, please, I'm trying to get the both of them in here. - Got them. - For the four of us to all hang, 'cause we've never done that. - Try it. - I know, well people be busy now. - We're there. - Really? - Yeah. - Get them on here. I'm beating it. - I know, I can't wait. - Call them right now. - We'll call them. - I wanna see that. - Yeah. - Watch that episode. - Okay, Annie Tip. - Talk about what's talking about you. - Oh, I love Annie Tip. - How do you know Annie Tip? - Okay, so get this. Annie Tip was the girlfriend of our friend Mike Spence in college, years and years and years ago. Do you wanna know what Annie Tip introduced me to? - Yes. - And I'm going to her concert tonight. - Robin dancing on my own. And so I met Annie Tip and I was dating one of her friends at the time, and she was in the Nharmonics, which is the Acapella group at NYU. So I knew she was one of the great singers at the school. 'Cause she is. - Yeah. - And she's great. - She goes, I'll tell you who has the most amazing voice and just released a song that is so good. Robin, and it's called Dancing on My Own. And that was when I first heard it. And it was 'cause that cool girl who was talented showed it to me. And then she ended up, I guess, being pretty correct. I mean, it's a defining song of our generation. - That's 1000%. - That's the taste that we're talking about here. - She honestly could be a DJ. - She could. - She did the mix that plays as people are walking on the theater and it makes me seem so cool. And I'm not. There's songs that I'm like, what is this? And it's so good. She's brilliant. She is kind. She is loving. She is a director who doesn't give you notes. She gives you offerings. - Yeah, mail for it. - Wow. That is so cool. - Please offer it. Please offer it. - Yeah. - And now I want to. - Yes. - 'Cause you offered. - Yeah. - You tell me? You know, she is absolutely brilliant. I love her so much. The combination of her and Todd Almond. And she's also like a gentleman. They're gentle and also hilarious. - Yeah. - And can be like sharp elbowed at the perfect moment. But the kindness. I only want to work with kind people. - That's that whole community though. I will say like Annie Tip. Well, she directed our ours. - She directed our ours, Nova. - We got to tribute from ours Nova, which was so crazy of them to do. - Crazy. - You deserve it. - Well, thanks. But they had put together this amazing night for us. And Annie Tip directed it. And there were so many nods to like, you know, our past like in the like doing underground comedy and theater with all those people. And to see them all there from all those years ago, it meant so much to us and they are all so kind. So to hear that you're like in that like direct community with them making this is just like. - I love her so much. Also, I feel like for so many years, I was the youngest person in the room. And I feel like I still sort of identify as that. And now I'm like, oh, I'm like, I'm older than Annie. Like Annie's giving me these brilliant offerings and like, she is younger than me. And there, I guess there's just like a weird Gen X part of me that's just like, you don't tell older people what to do. - Right. - Is that a very Gen X thing? - Well, it's what we were taught. - Yeah. - It's what we were taught. And then I think we were just like, no. - Yeah. - You know, I mean, I'm only Gen X by like one year, but I claim it. - Yeah. - You know, I claim it 79, baby. But yeah, she is so smart. She is so smart. - Well, like, I guess what's not an authority thing, but it's like, I guess you can still feel like the youngest person in the room when someone who is coming at it from like such intelligence and care, it feels like it's like an adult or a grownup or someone, quote unquote, older than you, like imparting something and being like, maybe you should try this way. - Yeah, like a wise person. You don't have to be old to be wise. ♪ Old to be wise ♪ ♪ Oh, you know right there, that's it ♪ - Teetopapa. - Teetopapa. - Teetopapa. - Teetopapa. - He's coming soon. - He is and he's coming in your wife. - Yeah. - That's what happens. That's what happens. Teetopapa, Santa comes through and gives, Teetopapa comes through and breeds your wife. - That's right. - Good luck, Chuck. - Two. - Good luck to papa. - Oh, that's what the stockings are for. - Yeah, exactly. - Oh, Dan Cook, come back. - Dan. - Remember the movie "Dan and Real Life"? - No. - No. - Well, that was Steve Crowe. - Steve Crowe, Dan Cook and Get Ready For It, Juliet Benosh. - What? - What? - Never forget the scene in "Dan and Real". Okay, so this is actually the plot of "Dan and Real Life". - You'll never forget the scene. - And you'll never forget it. - I'm gonna tell you the plot and you're all gonna be weeping. Also, you know who was in this as a character named Pignos? - Yeah. - Emily Blonde. - She's so good. - She's too good. - Oh gosh. - And everyone had to start somewhere and she started as Pignos in "Dan and Real Life". - Right. - The film starring, "Dan Cook", this is what happens in the movie. - I'm disturbed. - Steve Crowe is a recently widowed guy. - Oh, yes. - And he is on his way home for a holiday celebration and "Dan Cook" is his younger brother. Everyone's excited, he's coming home. On the way there, he runs into, I believe it a supermarket, a gorgeous and mysteriously like sweet like alluring woman played by Juliet Benosh. - That's right. - Connection. He goes home to his, see his family, "Dan Cook" is there. He goes and "Dan Cook" is obviously "Dan Cook" in giving that. - Sure. - He goes, "You got to meet my new woman!" - No. - And it's Juliet Benosh. - Hollywood, how dare you. - And then there is a scene where Steve Carell is gonna play guitar and accompany "Dan Cook" while he sings, "Let My Love Open the Door". - And it's supposed to be funny, right? - And so, "Dan" is like, "Dan is like, "Dan's nervous" and he goes, "When people keep repeating, oh God, "you'll never fall in love." And Steve's like, "Yeah, come on, sing it, buddy." And Dan finishes singing it and then Steve kind of keeps going and gives this very gentle, lived-in, beautiful, fragile performance of "Dan My Love Open the Door" and Juliet gives the most gorgeous French single tear. And then it's clear something has happened in the room, so they step outside because no one knows they met at the supermarket. - No. - And Steve is like, "I'm sorry, I upset you." And Juliet turns the hem in 'cause she's in love with him. - Obviously. - And she goes, "Why did you sing it to me?" (laughing) - Who else was he supposed to sing it to? - Why did you sing it to me? - But who else was he supposed to sing it to? - His dad. - Well, because it was "Dan Cook" song to perform too. - Right, no, obviously. - And so then, why is the question, why would you sing it to me? - Well, because she's like-- - Did you put the emphasis on me or why did you sing it to me? - Listen, despite how you feel, she's in love with Dan Cook. - And she wants to keep the relationship with Dan Cook going, and so now that she's had this connection with Steve Carell, who's actually amazing at drama. - He is a mate, he's an incredible-- - Well, you gotta watch the film. And so then now you see, you don't wanna watch that. - No. - Not even with Emily Blunt as pig face. - I might do it for Emily Blunt. - Emily Blunt. - It's so crazy. - But why is she pig-fake? - Right. - Because they are talking about, I guess like some one in the movie, this is where it gets fuzzy for me, because my love opened the door, seeing it takes up so much real estate. - I believe that Emily Blunt is like a woman that one of them dated that they're making fun of for her pig face. And then she shows up, but it's like full Emily Blunt, like absolute knockout, 10 out of 10, the star of disclosure day. And then you're like, wait, what? - Is she using an English accent? - I don't think so. I think she was using an iconic, have you ever done a British accent? - Eliza, do you know what I mean? - Oh, duh. - Absolutely. - My cockney accent sounds like an Irish person, and a Jamaican person got married to us. - It's no. - I won't. - I'm not supposed to pay all. - I'm not supposed to pay that. - It's a race, somewhere else. - Yeah, yeah. It is giving. - He's so good. - He's so good. Honestly, you should use that accent and no marrying. - I will. - Think about it. - Well, he's prepared to do a scouse. - No, actually no. God, I'm so embarrassed. It's all that coaching for nothing. Again, me with the dialect coaches is a recipe for disaster. I'm like, I'm throwing it all out the window. I'm like, oh, that's not working. The gouse is not working. - Just forgot. - Sorry, sorry Liverpool. Sorry Liverpool. - Sorry Liverpool. - Liverpool. - He's prepared. - He's actually from Liverpool. - I figured that. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - I figured that out. I feel like accent work is, I feel like you identify as not someone who is good at accent. But y'all are so musical that I feel like it's kind of the similar ear. - It depends on the accent. I feel like a posh English accent I can do. Like, and it's calling it. - She could do like a phraser accent. - Yeah, I can't, but if you're like Australian or New Zealand or South Africa. - Oh, I can't even do that. - You can. - This is how you actually, Australia New Zealand. You just go, oh yeah. - Oh yeah. - Oh yeah. - And then with that lilt, you're lucky. - You're good, you're good to go. - You're good to go. - All right. - So we can continue these interview in KW, if you won't. - I would rather that. - But you did. Did you have to do it? - I did. - I did. - Yeah, I did that. It did sound a little bit like Melania. - Of course. - It all blends together. I did a Spanish accent. - Slavic warrior. - Exactly. - In women on the verge and they all sound the same. Like they're all just general rolled ours. - So has Melania DM'd you like crying laughing, crying laughing, crying laughing? Like LMAO can't believe you queen. - I mean, do you, she DM'd me like, would you like to come? Would you like to swap? - Would you like, yeah, help. - Please, please help. - It looks like you can pretend to be me. - Exactly. Exactly. I do wonder if they've seen it. - I'm sure they have. - I think he'll watch this movie. - He's so mad at people who do him, but it is funny to me that he was like, "Oh, he hates her." - Yeah, he hates her. I think he's like, "Is that her?" Like I think. - What's more, what are you doing in the TV? - I don't know, what the hell of accent? - What's more, what's more, what are you doing in the TV? - This is, I don't know, I was like, what's the lotion on her skin? - It's like, that's why it's the same. - Yeah, it is. - The most famous impression you can ever do. - Oh, wow. Okay. - I don't know if that was pretty good. - All right. - James Austin Johnson, you're on burn notice. - He's so good. - He's incredible. - I really, my dream is to do a scene with him. - Oh my God. - I really would want to do that so bad because he is brilliant. And I feel like we could now like improvise those characters, right? - And their bodies for so long. - We can get him up to Arlington. - Let's do it. - Arlington. - Arlington, Virginia. - I love it. - He's a Nashville. - Oh yeah. - That's close. - No. - It's not at all. - No. - Okay, tell you where I'm going in a few weeks. - Yes. - Dollywood. - Oh God. - Didn't realize it was so close. - No, I know. - I know. - Did you ever, did Dolly ever come to any of your shows that you ever meet? - I never met Dolly. But dear friends of mine have met Dolly and are like, she is everything you want to do. - I'm excited for the musical. - I am too. - I think it's gonna be fab. - I do too. - I'm excited. - It's actually replacing Taitanika at the same James. - Oh, is it all the best. - Yes, I love the same James. - Isn't it such a great theater? - Try to Gypsy. - Yes, it was where you did Gypsy. - My favorite. - So my first show, my first Broadway show that I saw was Xanadu. Next door because Mary Tester during Xanadu made a Gypsy joke, like kind of broke the fourth ball and was like, "Well, at least for not like, "creating our faces off the next door like in Gypsy" or something in the audience. The fucking news is that you're like. - Oh my God. Mary Tester, don't talk about yelling. - Don't talk about Mary Tester. - Maum. - It was something along those lines. I know. - Mary Tester. - It was fast. - I was like, I love it here. I was like, I love Broadway. Everyone is having a blast. - Everyone is having fun. - Yes, yes, yes. - Carrie Butler. - So good. - And then I don't think I'd ever heard singing like Cheyenne Jackson doing and don't walk away. - Oh, so good, so good, so good. - Oh, 'cause you were working. - Right, that was. That was screaming. I've had it at the moment. - That does suck, though, that like you, when you are someone who is working a lot on Broadway, you can't see the other things. - Yeah, that's true. Sometimes when you do like the actress fun performances on Mondays, and that's fun because then it's like all your people. - Oh, I know. - You're working on a Monday. - The theater community. - Who are your people in the theater community? Like who are your besties? - Oh my God, this is really putting me on the spot. - And I don't mean six. We're not excluding anyone. - No, no, no. But like, you know, Celia Keenan Bolger. - Love. - She's the best. Kelly O'Hara, you know that I love. - So I was actually, I went that night at the Carlisle. - Yeah. - Kelly O'Hara did walk by, and I think I was like, I had used all my social energy. Like, I'm bucking up to meet you that I was like, "Kelly, I just can't." - She's in the-- - I just can't. - Jessie Tyler Ferguson. - Love. - The best. - Love. - I mean, there are so many people. To start naming, then you're just like, leaving people out. - No, we're delightful people. - Delightful people. Who I've known now for 29 years, some of whom, you know, it's really crazy to me. And I looked around the room at the Tonys at Radio City. And I was like, whoa, I am now one of the people who's been here the longest. - Wow. - And it never used to be like that. So many of my people, Marin Maisie, Rebecca Luka, you know, Steven Sondheim, so many of the people who I equate as like my Broadway are gone. - Rebecca Luka. - You know, not to be like a bummer, but it's really, it's been really interesting to me where I'm like, wow, okay, my Gavin, you know, Gavin Creole. So it's, and again, this is, you know, not to like bring everybody down. But I'm like, oh, now there's younger people coming up, coming and coming up to me being like, I've loved you since middle school. - Yeah. - And then having, you know, people nominated for Tonys, being like, I've loved you since middle school. And saying to myself like, that is a compliment. - It is. - Absolutely. - Stop worrying about your, whatever you look like, and just be like, that is a compliment. - Absolutely. - It is like, it was also the thing is, it's the great joy of those people to be able to get to say that. And especially to someone they look after. - And it's how I felt, it's how I felt when I met, you know, to see Burn It Up Peters and Burn It Up Peters, be like, hey, you're like, just chatting to me? - Oh my God. - Chatting to me, Burn It Up Peters. - Paddy the Pone, isn't my phone. - Oh my God. - My daughter calls her Paddy the Pone. - Paddy the Pone. - Since she was, since she could talk. Paddy the Pone. - Paddy the Pone. - But she still does, is now she's nine. - She says doll. - Doll. - Doll. - Doll, you broke your vagina. - Yeah. - She drank you under the table. - Oh my God, so many times though. - That's crazy. - She's enched and then was fine the next day. And I was ill for like three full days. I like blacked out, woke up in a shower with all my clothes on. - Have you possibly drink after a Broadway show or is that a thing where it's like, you have to be on your best behaves? - I used to, I could when I was younger. - When you were trying to. - I was, as a brand new. - No, it's tough. - It's tough. Like anything more than a sort of one drink the next day. I just like, it doesn't work for me. Drinking, drinking does not work for me, unfortunately. 'Cause I love it. - Yeah, 'cause I love it too. - I love it too. - Will you drink it at the Carlisle that night? - I was, but not as much as my husband. Too is about to leave me. - No, I've got to tell you, he's also like, - Did he do papi? - I'm, this is not going to shock him. - He's very sad. - He's very sad. - Full, total, total stuck. - Yeah, he's really sad. - He's kind of like, what do you make of this? Like, he's-- - I'm done. We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story, a case the police wrote off as a suicide in a snow storm. You never know who that devil is because he's wearing a disguise. - And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free with an iHeart True Crime Plus subscription, exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to iHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. - I'm Mandy Money, host of Brown Ambition, The Podcast. It's about having a plan, knowing your numbers, and making your next move with confidence with the community that cares like we do on Brown Ambition. So if you've been saying I'll get serious about money next month, this is your sign, start now. Listen to Brown Ambition, that's Brown Ambition, and begin your Money Reboot today. - Whether you're stepping up to the starting line of a marathon, or just trying to take the first step toward a big, scary goal, the conversation in your head is usually the same. - Yeah, your path might change, because different things come on your path to disrupt it, but it's just putting you on a new path, and the skills you have to have faith at the skills that you've learned and developed over time are going to continue to bring you success. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. - Hey, what's up y'all, it's Quest Love. And on the Quest Love show, I've been sitting down with some really interesting people, and I've got two recent episodes you should check out. Someone's gonna try to sing, leave get out, or too little too late, or baby too, and I'm gonna be like, okay, cool. - I also caught up with Wallace V67 for a conversation that covered his story, his perspective, and plenty more. I'm not doing that. Don't try to be slick and just go Sunday, go Wednesday. This is what you do. Sleep later, make a reservation for the rest of my life. Just chill, listen to the music you wanna listen to. Just enjoy it. Nothing's gonna happen. We ain't got Wednesday gonna be like, ah, you're gonna feel better. Listen to the Quest Love Show on the iHeartRadio app, app, podcast, whatever. Peace. - I do feel some, we don't have to spend time with-- - No, don't, why do you why? - Don't. That's your not the kind of, so whenever anyone is like, someone is talented as you'll be like, oh, I'm nervous. And I feel like I'm treading on Hello Ground. Like, yes, that's good and you are, but there are other people who should be much more nervous than you do that who have none of those nerves. - You are like, you're brilliant. You are a comedic genius. You really are. I will tell you, my daughter Ella, who's nine, her favorite thing to do is we watch SNL sketches. And you are, hey. hands down her favorite, and she will dissect why it's funny. - Wow. - Really? - Uh, amazing. - I love that you have a commoner daughter. - Talk about that. - I mean both of them. Both of them are absolutely, absolutely hilarious. - Where'd they get that? - I don't know, probably they're dad. - Yeah. - Um, (laughs) - Yeah, we don't know what all dad. - But literally, so my daughter, I have like a giant tattoo of a butterfly in my lower back because I grew up in New Jersey and I didn't have that in, it was a lot. - I almost cut that ring around my bicycle, don't worry. - Yeah, no, of course. - I might throw in your ankle. - Yeah. - Just like, an anchor from a ship. - I will do it now, because I know you have that. I will get the sun, the sun ring around my bicycle. - Can I have a cross on it also? - For sure, for your show. - For your show. - For your show. - For the bike show. - Yeah, I was like changing in front of her, and she pointed to this lower back tattoo and went, do you want that? (laughs) And I was like, you don't. - Oh. - Do you want that? - I really don't. She is so funny on purpose. She also was very cranky one day, very, very cranky, and I was like, I'm gonna fix this. So I started doing like voices and characters and singing and dancing, and she puts her hand on my face and goes, the show must go off. (laughs) - I've never heard that. - That is brand new. - I know. And the show must go off. - I didn't even know she knew the phrase the show must go on. - Let's go on. - To flip it. - And you know what's beautiful is that she can use that in the inverse context of the show must go off. - Oh, I know. - Yes. - Like she could be like at lost boys the musical. - Yes. - And act one could be over, and she could turn to your go, the show must go off. (laughs) - This is crazy. - And she will. - Yeah. - And she will. - The show must go off. - These vampires are on once tonight. - These vampires. - Do you wanna know what we did to Matt? So our friends all went to go see lost boys. - This is how evil. And then our friends, we all took a little bit of an edible. - Oh yes. - And then, I can't do scary by the way. - Oh, you cannot see that. - No, so this is-- - Scary or blood. - This is relevant to the story. - I can't do blood. - I can do scary. - The blood is fine, blood is fine. - Okay. So then our friends, my friend Jared and I turn to Matt and we go, oh my God, Matt, we heard there are like audience plants. - Oh! (laughs) - They're vampires in the audience. - Because I heard that when you go to lost boys, you have to apparently, you're not gonna believe what you see. - And so we made up a thing where we're like, didn't you sign the waiver on that website? Like we said we also know the waiver. - And then bone goes up. - Oh yeah, because I bought the tickets. I signed the waiver for all of that. - Oh my God. - Because apparently the vampires can come grab you and take you backstage. - No, take you backstage. - And I had been told you're not gonna believe what you see. - Oh my God. - So then, it's intermission and Matt is like, what I'm so freaked out. - Because, because of this. And then a woman was sitting behind us that wasn't there. - And she starts an act one. - An older woman sits behind, like a woman behind us who was not there during the day. - Very honest swimming. - You would never guess she was an actress. - And then at that point I was like, wait, are there actual audience plants? I was like, I was believing my own life through it. But first of all, the performance is incredible. - Really incredible. - I loved everything about it. - Sure. - And then there I am the whole time in the back of my mind thinking, and I haven't seen nothing yet because I'm not gonna believe what I see. - Right. - When this woman behind me grabs me. - And we did distract 'cause you were like darting your eyes back and then, and then I think you were so stoned to space that you did turn a draw sharp and you went, did you bring your steaks? (laughing) - I was in it. I was like, did you bring your steaks? - I was like, I really was ready to protect ourselves. - Yeah, you have to be. - You know when they should have gotten me. - When? - When I was really enraptured in the whole thing, my favorite part, when Choshana gets on the thing where she swings. - She goes, I'm a way to go. - Yeah. - She's like. (laughing) - Yeah. - That's a very good Choshana question. - That's a really good question. - By the way, walk up to Choshana at the Tony's. I said, we are all happy for you. For what's about to happen. - And what did she say? - She said, thank you so much. - Oh. - She was doing, she was in gratitude at a good moment. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Because I think she knew she was gonna win. - Well, but you never know. - You never know. - You never know. - You never know. So when I did women on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I had won everything leading up to it. - They nominated. - And I was nominated for a Tony and all of predictions. And when they did not call my name, I literally went, oh wow. Jessie Tyler Ferguson within 30 seconds. - Oh wow. - Texted me a video of me going, oh wow. - But that could be mistaken as an, oh wow. Like, oh, I'm so happy for you. - It wasn't. - Well, it was, it was horrible. Nikki James, who absolutely deserved a different woman, like of course. - Yeah. - Of course. - She's genius, should have won. - Totally. - I was just believing my own hype. Never do that, never read the comments. And my response was. - Oh wow. - You had already won one at that point, right? - Yeah. - Yeah. - I had one to see. - Yes, yes, yes. - You know, all the leading up to it where you win. - Yeah. - Because I was like, I'll never win our show. It was closed, blah, blah, blah. And then everyone was like, I think you're gonna, and I was like, that's the, so you never know. - He's the Susan Lucci of the Primetime Emmys. - I know. - It's not true. But it is, every year, it's always, it all takes this one person to come up to you. - I know. - It doesn't matter if they know anything about the biz. They're just like, I think you're gonna win. - I know. - And I'm like, God, you just, you should not have said that. - You should not. Every year they told me I was gonna be nominated for an Emmy for Melania, and I never was. And every year, I was like, this is it. - Are you serious? - I am. - I was like, this is it. And I was like, surely this will be the year. - This year. - You wanna know what, though, this is, I keep saying it. Like, I think you probably would, like, I both have been in a much better position had they had a category that is right for it, which is for variety performer. It's weird that there's not a category for variety performer. - It's just like guest star. - I know. - It's guest star, and then it's like, you're competing with people who are like, like, imagine like, someone who's doing like, a guest star on SNL or a performance on a variety show, and then they compete with like, Jamie Lee Curtis in the bear, right? - Yeah. - It's like someone giving a dramatic, Shakespeare performance in the category. - It's really, really true. - I know. - And then Betty Gilpin won in the-- - I am obsessed. Did you read her book? - Yes. - Yes. - We love her. I think she's not as genius. - Do you know her? - I'm just a little bit. - Yeah. - Like, you guys, we get along like gangbusters. - We got along very, very well. I just think she is absolutely brilliant. She has the mind of a writer. She is, and she's also just so cookie, and doing it for the right reasons, just love her. And she's really, I just, I thought when you were talking about like the immersive theater of it all, I forgot another patty lapone story. - Tell us though. - I went to sleep no more with patty. - Wow. - So they give us those masks. You know, they give you masks. And she was like, "I'm not wearing this." - Yeah, of course not. - And they were like, "You have to." And she goes, "I'm patty lapone and I'm scared." (laughing) - And then they were walking through, no one's talking. She is talking full, full out. - Full, but are they naked? Is that person naked? Are we supposed to go into that? I don't wanna go in that. - Go interrupting with theater being like, what is it? - What is this? It was the best. She is, I love her so much. - Yeah. - She is patty. - She is. - We saw her on Fire Island at the Ice Palace. - Oh, we did. It was a, you should do that. - How was that? - You should, I would love to do that. - It was amazing. This one, she was pulling the songs out of a hat. The songs out of a hat. - Songs from a hat. - She would just walk over. She would pull that out and she'd go, "Yeah." Number nine. All right. - Yeah. - And then it would be like, "This one's a barn burner." - Don't run me around. - Yeah. - Yeah. - And then we're like, "Ah!" - It was in the original key. - Yep. - Yeah. - A four-Martini's deep. - Yeah. - Four-Martini. - Coat-ups. - Smoking-sicker. - Yeah. - In. - She's a cocaine- - Lady. - What? - She is a monkey. - She's like, "First of all, what's a cocaine-lady?" What are you, my girl? - I'm not exactly what they are. - She is a fucking lady. - She did smoke-sicker. - I got to go. - Apparently you have her herself for all emergency. - Oh my God. - We have to move into it. - I don't think so, honey. - Oh my God, I'm so sad. - No, but you're so what? - She said we have to be done. - No, I'm sorry. I think you were apologizing. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm sorry that I have to cut things short. - No, let me say it again. - This, I don't think so, honey, this is gonna be a time. - Okay, and actually was born today. So this is, I don't think so, honey. It's our 60-second segment where we take a little time. 60 seconds if you really need to know. And we just sort of can't do that. - We work out in something in culture. - Yeah. - In this cathartic way. And I'm ready to do it. - It's good to do it. - Okay. - This is Matt Rodgers. I don't think so many times starts there. - I don't think so, honey, that when you're in a rush and your air pods are in, you don't get to control the song. So today I was a little bit in a rush on the way here because the trains decided to be ornery. And so I had to run here and this was the song. - I knew it, I knew it. And I was like, I like the song, but it's never with what you want it to be. Like when you're in a rush, you want to hear, tumble in the bed and a stumble in the kitchen. But in other country pop ways, I was getting, I knew it, I knew it. And then I'm like kind of singing along while I'm, running around, as it were. And now maybe I'm thinking it was a good song into a company, my run. But I was kind of thinking I was like, it sucks that I can't, we're not technologically advanced enough, like AI is going to kill us, but we can't go like, hey Siri, play a song that's going to motivate me here. - Five seconds. - But instead it was, I knew it, I knew it. - You just want to keep singing that little one. - Maybe I do think so, honey. and that's one minute. - I feel like there is technology to skip. - You have to know something about me. I didn't think my computer made PDFs until like four years ago. - No, same, no, same. I ask my husband to find things for me. - So, oh wow. We were on college and I would always tell our-- - He was the director of the sketch group. He had to open up, he had to make, he'd export files, scripts, all these things. We would be like, Matt, can you send out a PDF? He goes, "My computer doesn't make them "because of a virus." - I'm on a map. - You're the virus. ♪ I'm the virus, it's me ♪ - Okay, so Bowen Yang, when we worked that out, this is Bowen Yang's. I don't think so honey, his time starts now. - I don't think so honey. There are new element on this set and I'm really happy that they're here. But overall, Mugs, I think there's always a surplus of it. It is the opposite of ice, it's always too much. You can never have the right amount. I think I'd see the Mugs on the shelf are already crowding the glassware. Like, you had the-- - I would say there's way too much glassware up there. - You had the gall to put the Mugs in front of the David Hockney book, which you know is a prized possession of mine that I brought into the studio. - Well, it has to represent us both. - And then meanwhile, you get to have your face on that vinyl in the frame at all times. - Towards on sale now. - I want just a few little pops of me and then the Mugs are like a virus invading the space. I think, think about this. - You think seconds, by the way, not that much. - Lauren Bonanti, you got too many Mugs in the cupboards. I just know it for a fact. I know it. How is that universal? It's crazy. We got to get rid of the Mugs. - Too many Mugs. - It's too many Mugs. Mugs, it's not candles as gifts that should be stigmatized, it's Mugs. - And that's one minute. I actually thought we were doing a fun thing where it could be a fun moment where Los Angeles guests could pick a different Mug every day. I kind of know that I have too many Mugs, so I brought them here. I thought it could be fun. Cultural element of the show. So today I picked Donald Duck. - I love it. - Thought it could be cute. - It's whimsical. - Yeah, you have the cold bear mug. - Your cold bear. - My husband, your boyfriend, has a mug in mug out policy. - That's fabulous. - If I bring in a new mug, I got to get rid of an old mug. - That's fabulous. So what if you're us and we don't have Emmys, you know what we have? Seth Meyers Mugs. - Okay. - I am the Jean Smart. (laughing) Seth Meyers Mugs. - Love it. - And I'm going back again and I'm gonna do it as a bit. I'm gonna bring all my Mugs. - All your Mugs, that's really good. - If it's Am like Beyonce at the Grammys at any given year. - Absolutely. - Yeah. - Kradling. - So, but don't. - I just think we can lose a couple. You can say I've distributed them. - Then fine, how about this? The Mugs don't have to be there. They can be in the other room and it can be a fun thing with the guests for every episode we say, before we sit down, you have to come into the mug room and pick a mug. - I love it. - I just think I love the mug. - It can be natural. - Yeah, like a minasher. - Mug minasher. - I'm not, I don't want to, I don't want to yuck the mug, yum. But I just want us to really restrain and rain it in before it gets up. - Mug in, Mug out. - Mug in, Mug out. - Mug in wants you to see his David Hockney book. - What's that? - It's signed. David Hockney is a close personal friend of Lawrence. - All right. - This is true. - Okay. - No, the normal tell you about it. - It was. - Well, David passed. So, we rest in peace. - I don't know. - All right. - I'm ready. - Are you ready to do I don't think so, honey? Because this is the moment in time. - I am really excited. - Okay, here we go. - I'm really excited for this. This is Laura Binanti's "I Don't Think So Honey" and her time starts now. - I don't think so, honey, searching for a photo on your phone for more than 30 seconds while I stand there. - Hell. - If it is more than 30 seconds, I am a hostage. You are spiraling, you're scrolling through your phone as fast as you can, your eyes are not even focusing. Do I look over your shoulder? I want you to know I'm invested, but I don't want to see an accidental winner. - No, yeah, yeah. - I also have horrible performance anxiety because I know my reaction has to meet however long it took for you to get that photo. - Uh-huh. - Honestly, the only photo worth waiting more than 30 seconds is a picture of you and the Obama's and a shirtless Harry Styles in a cheerleader pyramid. - Yeah. - Or an absolutely gorgeous photo of myself. (laughing) Preferably that I have never seen before. So help me, God, you show me a photo of your pet. Even your child, I don't wanna see a picture of you at your cousin's wedding, I don't wanna see any of that. - You would pro. - Text it to me. - Five seconds. - Text it to me. I don't think so, honey, searching for a photo on your phone for more than 30 seconds while I stand there. (clapping) - Absolutely. - Thank you. - I completely agree. And also the thing of surprise weiner or surprise butt is always a threat. - It's always there. - Always a threat. - But also, what else am I supposed to do? Then you think I don't care. - You gotta get a dart around. - Well, I want you to know, I'm invested. I want you to find what you end up doing. - Yeah. - Is then you probably go to your own phone. - You go to your own phone. - And then you're two people standing on the phone. - On your phone, this is terrible. - Just like, if you need me to see it that badly, have it at your fingertips. - Right, screenshot it. - Screenshot it, put it in your favorites. - Yeah. - Is it happening all, someone behind the wheel is doing that? - Oh, I know. - Wait, no, you said you do that? - No. - He said, oh my God. - He said, oh my God, I thought you said, I do that. He's never chimed in ever. - One single time. - Just to offer that he drives, looking for a fine. - I do it. - I do it. I do it. - Oh, okay, great. - I think I've been guilty of this one time. - Only one. - I don't really do this 'cause I hate this. - It's awful. - Yes, I have a photo of me and Carol Burnett. - Sure. - Worth it. - And I would say that that's with the Obamas and Harry Styles shirtless. - Yes, absolutely. - That is absolutely worth it. A photo of you with a comedy icon, oh wait. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. - Yeah. - And you will, if a, should a weaner scroll past, you're keeping your eyes fixed. - I, absolutely. - Imagine just right next to the picture of me and Carol Burnett, I just had one of my weaners like, oh, this was so good. I think we took another, oh. - And then let's hug. - Have you took your ear? - Carol, I love that you met her in my heart. - I need to. - She's the best. - She is truly, and especially like, you know, in this moment where, like, it's like you're saying, it's like, you realize like, oh, people are getting older. And like, not everyone is gonna be here forever. Like, Dolly was just one of those people you felt was always gonna be there. And I think that now more than ever, we've been given that reminder. It's like, that's why I'm going to Dolly was. - Yeah. - It's 'cause I'm like, gotta, gotta seep in this culture. Because also, it's so rare that we can be like, yeah, that's like an American superstar that we're proud of. And that generation has so many of them. - Yes, and that everybody loved, everybody agreed upon. - Yeah. And even, but here's the thing with that too. People kind of play Dolly with this because yes, everyone agreed on her, but the thing is, she was always very outspoken. - Always, always, always honest. - People always like, kind of air away from the fact that like, she, you kind of knew where she stood on things. - But she said it. She never affiliated herself with a political party. She always just took it question by question. - Yeah. And answered it very plainly. - Yeah, here's what's in my heart. - Yeah. - And me at the top of my intelligence, answering your question. And in doing that, I'm not gonna sell people out. - Yeah, with what, her answer to Black Lives Matter was brilliant. - Yeah. - And what do you think Black, and she was like, of course Black Lives Matter. - Of course. - Yes. - Like, that's a crazy question. - That's a crazy question. - Her response was just always, I think, made people go like, oh, you're right. - Yeah, totally. - She was always able to zoom out. - It was questioned by question, 'cause she would never answer political questions if they were asking her about politics in general. - Exactly, right. - But then you look at like, like the reading line, like the library, and you look at like, Dolly would in like the business model of that. - And how she spoke of drag queens? - Exactly. - And you know, the LGBTQIA+ community, like. - So full-throated embrace of everyone in our community. And never, like, always, like, led with love. And I don't know, that was, and so, yes, everyone loved her. And they loved her. Like, yes, in spite of the fact that she was saying things that would quote unquote make her unpopular. But the fact is, she said it was, she had like, she didn't question herself, but she's like, no, I am dignity, and I'm gonna say this, and this is the way it is, and this is who I've always been, if you remember. - Plain spoken, yeah. - Absolutely. You guys, I really need you to know how much I'm sweating. This is a silk shirt, and it, and the-- - Let's see. - Are, is it giving you-- - Oh, no, you're not. - No, can I say something? This actually, by the way, and I also wanna say this, styled by Melissa Layman. - I know. - Wait, but-- - It's good. - Wait, what? - It's okay. - That's your humanity showing. - This is, why am I sweating that much? - Because it's hot, and-- - You gotta lay-- - It gets a little hot. - No, it's good, it's great. - You wanna be in a pose? - Full. - Love that. - It's Perry Manipause. - Is that a nap? - It'll get you. - Oh, of course. - Yeah. - Yeah, the Manipause appetizer nobody tells you about. - I call it the Amuse-Booch-Tonald Kiss. - You go, you go, it'll get you, and I go. - Will it? (laughing) - Sorry, lady. - Guess what? - It will. - Amuse-Booch-Tonald Kooch, and it is the portal to greatness. - Obviously. - Obviously. - We can't even tell you how excited we were to know that you were coming here. - This was, I mean, Chelsea texted me, and she was like, this is literally the best thing that's ever happened to you, and I was like, I know. - This is so, so, so our honor and our pleasure. I'm sorry, though, I-- - No, please, please, please. - Get it, go, go, go, go. - If anyone understands, it's Laura. - This is for you. - Yes, we're gonna, we're gonna frame it. - Can you put this up in your dressing room? - I think we should, I think we should keep this up. - Oh, we should frame it here. - Yes. - This is great. Okay, we'll figure it out. Maybe where the cups used to be, the mugs. - Maybe some of that glass. Turn of the Huckney. - No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. - No framed right there, actually, right there. This has been so fun, and nobody cares as a comedy.com is where you can go to get all the info on Deats for the Tour, and she's coming all over, and you would be-- - Don't say that. (laughing) - Absolutely. - She's doing a show all over. She's coming at home with her husband. (laughing) Thank you very much. So I should be so lucky. - Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas. - Happy birthday. - Happy birthday. - We love you. - We love you. - We love you so much. - We love you. - We on every episode of this song. - Should we do it in the original key? ♪ In a very unusual way ♪ - Is that the original key? - Yeah. (laughing) - All right, bye. (laughing) - "Los Cultures" is the production by Will Ferrell's "Big Money Players" in "I Heart Radio" podcasts. - "Created and Hosted" by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. "Executive Produced" by Anna Hosniay and "Produced" by Becca Ramos. "Edited by Hot Dog Sandwich" and "Our Music" is by Henrik Versky. (upbeat music) - Hey everybody, it's me Matt and my tour is on sale now. This time it's really Christmas. You can go to www.Matt Rogers official.com. It's called "Have You Heard Of Christmas?" The answer to that question is coming. At this time it's really Christmas. I'm playing all over the country and in London, and in Canada, that makes it a world tour. Harry Styles, you're on "Burn Notice." I'll see you soon. Her family never bought it and the man they suspected wore a badge. And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free with an iHeart True Crime Plus subscription exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to iHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. - We have a new podcast. It's called "Don't Lie To Me." I'm Lexi Ivano, we're two best friends, 22 years apart, but so close at heart. And I'm Lisa Di Giulio, the old one, which means we have wildly different references, occasionally different opinions, and at this point in my 50s, I've lived it all. - What up, y'all, this your main man, Memphis, bleak right here, hosted our rock solid podcast. In each week, we bring in your exclusive looks and inside music, everything happening inside the culture, some of the best conversations with the biggest names in the game. - You had a little bit more pressure to be good. They didn't care if you was a girl, like you wasn't getting a point. If you not trash, you better be, not just good, you better be great. - Listen to rock solid on Black Effect Podcasts Network, iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you string podcasts. - I'm Amy Brown, and every day on Front Page Podcasts, I help you make sense of the stories shaping our world. Canada's trade fight with the U.S. just escalated again, and Americans could fill it in their wallets. 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