This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] Talia Suskauer: This is Talia Suskauer and you're listening to Behind the Awards.

[0:13] Eila Mell: Hello and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila. I'm here with Bruce.

[0:17] Bruce Gotlieb: Hello there. Good morning. How are we doing?

[0:21] Eila Mell: OK. So what's new today, Bruce?

[0:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Not much new today, per se, but we had a little bit of Hadestown in the news.

[0:29] Bruce Gotlieb: The pro shot that they recorded in London was released as a theatrical release at movie theaters, giving people the opportunity to see it across the country, really.

[0:45] Eila Mell: That's excellent. So you went to see it. Who is in this cast? This is the original Broadway cast as the principals that did it in London.

[0:53] Bruce Gotlieb: OK. All right. Even a little Noblezada, Reeve Carney, Andre De Shields, Patrick Page, Amber Gray. Excellent.

[1:09] Bruce Gotlieb: You get, obviously, the different perspectives and different vantage points that you wouldn't get from a Broadway stage because you could only see it in... Unless you're performing in the round, it's normally just one view. So this gives you different intricacies, which I think is really cool.

[1:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Hadestown went through so many iterations when it was being developed. So when you say in the round, it started out as a very simple kind of show in a much smaller venue.

[1:41] Eila Mell: It's interesting to hear that now it's so big. And the set by Rachel Hawke is really so great. When you see it in person, did the set translate in the theater?

[1:53] Bruce Gotlieb: A little bit. A friend of mine that saw it after when we were walking out of the movie theater did tell me that in person because I hadn't seen it on Broadway, in person that the lighting and the set really is so dynamic.

[2:09] Eila Mell: Oh my gosh. It's like when you try to take a picture of the moon, how brilliant it is. Unless you have really high tech capabilities, it's never going to be what you're seeing with your eyes.

[2:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Exactly. There's that one moment that's so gorgeous in person where... Is it lamps? That the main character is sort of in between all these lamps?

[2:37] Eila Mell: Yes. Oh my God. It's stunning in person. I don't know if something like that can translate. Although there are other things that you get on screen, like you said, close-ups and things like that that you can't get in the theater, so it really is a trade-off.

[2:53] Bruce Gotlieb: When I saw the show, I had missed the original cast, but I did get to see Lilius White. She was the reason I went to see it, and she was great.

[3:01] Eila Mell: Oh, how fun. Then I immediately went home and watched a bootleg of the original because I wanted to see Andrea DeShields too.

[3:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure, sure. Hermes is a fun part because you can really put anybody in it. It doesn't have to be a specific type of actor or actress.

[3:21] Eila Mell: I think it's a fun show. It's not a favorite of yours?

[3:25] Bruce Gotlieb: No, it was okay. I enjoyed it. There were certain things I liked more than others. I did find it to be a little slow, especially in the beginning. I felt like it was a little slow for me.

[3:41] Eila Mell: That's true. But again, I wonder if in person you had seen it, you might not have felt the same way because the energy is very different.

[3:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Quite possible. It's so much easier for me to fall asleep in a movie theater than in a Broadway show.

[3:57] Eila Mell: Oh, you're reclined back. Right, so many factors. Although I will say even Noblezada and Reeve Carney are also in the news because at the time of recording yesterday was their last Great Gatsby run. They did another run.

[4:13] Bruce Gotlieb: They just left the show yesterday along with Sam Pauly who had been in it since day one.

[4:21] Eila Mell: It's exciting.

[4:25] Bruce Gotlieb: It's sad always to see somebody leave a role, but then it gets exciting because you wonder, well, what are they going to do next? Most people aren't just sitting around doing nothing.

[4:33] Eila Mell: Right, and how long can you stay in a show? Most people, it has a shelf life. Some people can stay for years and years. Some people that are in Chicago have been there forever.

[4:45] Bruce Gotlieb: I know. Well, they get to come and go, which is the best of both worlds, I think. The people who come in like a Charlotte D'Amboise or a Bianca Merrick and they come in and they do however many weeks and then they go and then they come back. It's a great deal for them, I'm sure.

[5:01] Eila Mell: Absolutely. Well, speaking of coming and going, our guest today has gone in to play Elphaba and says she would do it again, so we have Talia Suskauer coming on to talk about A Walk on the Moon and Wicked and Parade and all the other things that she's had the pleasure to do in her career thus far. Okay, well, here's Talia.

[5:25] Eila Mell: Well, Bruce, I'm so excited to welcome Talia Suskauer to Behind the Awards. Hello there.

[5:33] Talia Suskauer: Hi, I'm so happy to be here.

[5:37] Eila Mell: Yes, so A Walk on the Moon, how is that going?

[5:41] Talia Suskauer: It's a big title. It is a big title and it's going great. I mean, to be a part of a new musical is, it's a lot.

[5:45] Talia Suskauer: But, you know, we're doing it. People are coming and enjoying.

[5:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Bruce went to see the show over the weekend.

[5:53] Talia Suskauer: I was there Saturday night. It was a great-sized house. Everybody was thrilled to be there and yeah, it was, again, you're walking into something which is always exciting to see something new and something, even though the IP might exist, you know, to see how does it translate to a stage and what are we going to be in for.

[6:17] Eila Mell: Totally. Had you seen the movie?

[6:21] Talia Suskauer: I had not seen the movie going in, so I knew nothing.

[6:25] Eila Mell: Okay. Yeah, I think a lot of people missed this movie as did I and as did my parents, but it was one of those movies that I got to see, obviously, when I was cast and I was like, how did we miss this? Right. Because it's so up our alley and up my, you know, it's like, you know, my parents went to the bungalows in, you know, in the Catskills when they were kids.

[6:45] Talia Suskauer: Oh, wow. Yeah, it's just so part of our, like, history that we were like, how did we miss this? It's such a good movie, you know.

[6:53] Eila Mell: Is the Blouse Man a real thing?

[6:57] Talia Suskauer: Yes, yes, it is. And it's so weird. The Pickle Man is a real thing. The Blouse Man's a real thing. The Blouse Man's a real thing. They would have these announcements over the loudspeaker and, you know, just to announce because these families came and they stayed the whole summer at these bungalows in the Catskills. You know, these were working class families. Like, the wealthier families went to go stay at resorts like the Grossingers, you know.

[7:21] Eila Mell: Yeah. The big resorts that existed and so working class families would rent these bungalows and bring their whole family for the whole summer and, you know, vendors would come on to the property and sell them things.

[7:33] Talia Suskauer: So, the Blouse Man would be on if they wanted to buy some new shirts and the Dress Man and the Knish Man and the Pickle Man, you know, you get it. So on and so forth and it would make, you know, life interesting.

[7:45] Eila Mell: I would want to be friends with the Knish Man personally.

[7:49] Talia Suskauer: For me, it's the Pickle Man. I would be, like, really ready to go for him. Hopefully, the Pickle Man would come on a regular basis, not just once.

[8:01] Eila Mell: But it's a cool thing. It's very unique and doesn't really exist anymore.

[8:05] Talia Suskauer: I know. It is an odd thing. I can't even imagine. How did this piece come to you?

[8:13] Talia Suskauer: So, I had heard about this show kind of, like, in the years prior. They had a couple of different iterations of it. They had a production at ACT in San Francisco many years ago. And then, most recently, in 2022, they did a George Street Playhouse production. Both of those productions had, like, different writing and different music.

[8:41] Talia Suskauer: And so, you know, I had heard... I have a really good friend that I actually went to Sleepaway Camp with in the Catskills, who's on the producing team. And he was talking to me about doing this show at George Street and I was like, wow, that sounds interesting. He's like, it's a great part for you, like, in a few years. And I was like, oh, cool. Didn't really think anything else of it.

[9:01] Talia Suskauer: And then, I was doing Parade on the National Tour last summer and my friend came and saw me in Chicago. He flew to Chicago to see me and he's like, I'm bringing my bosses. His bosses are the Hendels. And so, I didn't really... I did not think anything of it. And little did I know, he was like, this is who I think should be our pearl in the next iteration of A Walk on the Moon. And they came and saw the show and, I guess, loved it.

[9:33] Talia Suskauer: And then, I got the offer shortly after to do a reading of the show back in September of 2035. And so, my friend Max Charnin also got an offer, who I started opposite of in Parade.

[9:45] Eila Mell: I was gonna ask to get to Parade with him.

[9:49] Talia Suskauer: Yes. And so, they kind of were like, wow, actually, they played a good husband and wife team in that show. Let's just see how they do in this one. And, you know, they felt we did great. And he's playing my husband again.

[10:01] Eila Mell: Well, it's a slightly happier show.

[10:05] Talia Suskauer: For me.

[10:05] Talia Suskauer: For him, because he doesn't die, but he does get cheated on.

[10:09] Eila Mell: Right. Yeah. Yes, yes, yes. It's in goodness, right?

[10:13] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, I think people would take being cheated on... Over death.

[10:17] Talia Suskauer: Yes, exactly, exactly. And I think the one thing about this show that was really cool for us to come into this experience after doing something so heavy and profound like Parade was, you know, that was hard to listen to and be, like, kind of bear witness to that story every single day and to come in and really experience this thriving Jewish culture and have this story that's, yes, about heartbreak and betrayal in a way, but it's also, like, Jewish joy throughout is really refreshing and special and, like, you know, to do a show that's not about the Holocaust or about a Jewish trauma is it's a gift, you know?

[11:01] Eila Mell: Yeah. And it is, like you said, it's a slice of a certain period of time and a certain, you know, obviously doesn't exist anymore in that way or really much at all, you know, and hearing even just, like, the names, like, to have a parent who has a friend named Bunny.

[11:24] Eila Mell: Welcome back to Behind the Awards. Today, we have a fantastic guest, Talia Suskauer, who is here to talk about her new show, A Walk on the Moon.

[12:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, and Talia is also known for her incredible role as Elphaba in Wicked. We can't wait to hear all about that experience.

[12:44] Eila Mell: Absolutely! And she has so many exciting stories to share, especially about her time in the National Tour of Parade.

[13:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Plus, we’ll dive into her experiences on the road and how it feels to perform in different cities across the country.

[13:24] Eila Mell: And let's not forget about the Hadestown pro-shot that's currently playing in theaters. So much to discuss!

[13:44] Bruce Gotlieb: Right! And we’ll also touch on the final bows of Sam Pauly, Eva Noblezada, and Reeve Carney in The Great Gatsby.

[14:04] Eila Mell: Talia has such a rich background in theater, from Be More Chill to Little Shop of Horrors. It’s going to be a great conversation.

[14:24] Bruce Gotlieb: I’m excited to hear her insights on the industry and what it’s like to step into such iconic roles.

[14:44] Eila Mell: And how quickly she becomes green as Elphaba! That’s a fun detail I’m looking forward to.

[15:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Definitely! Let’s bring her on and get started.

[15:24] Talia Suskauer: Hi, Eila and Bruce! Thanks for having me.

[15:44] Eila Mell: Talia, we’re thrilled to have you! Let’s jump right into it. What has it been like stepping into the role of Pearl in A Walk on the Moon?

[16:04] Talia Suskauer: It’s been an incredible journey. Pearl is such a complex character, and I really love exploring her story.

[16:24] Bruce Gotlieb: You mentioned that Pearl makes a significant decision in the show. How do you feel the audience responds to her choices?

[16:44] Talia Suskauer: You know, I was nervous about that. People tend to view women and men in these situations very differently.

[17:04] Eila Mell: Absolutely, and that’s a conversation worth having.

[17:24] Talia Suskauer: Exactly! We have protagonists like Don Draper in Mad Men, and he’s celebrated for his journey, while Pearl faces harsh judgment for her choices.

[17:44] Bruce Gotlieb: It’s interesting how societal perceptions can shape the audience's connection to a character.

[18:04] Talia Suskauer: Yes, and I knew that going in. I decided to just be true to myself in this role and hope that people would understand Pearl’s journey.

[18:24] Eila Mell: That’s a great approach. Have you had any feedback from the audience that has surprised you?

[18:44] Talia Suskauer: Definitely! I’ve had people come up to me and say they understood something about their own relationships or family dynamics through Pearl’s story.

[19:13] Brandon Uranowitz: It’s amazing how art can resonate with personal experiences.

[19:23] Talia Suskauer: Exactly! Many families are touched by this story, and it’s been rewarding to see that connection.

[19:37] Talia Suskauer: Pearl has a real conversation with Marty at the end of the show about accountability and self-discovery.

[19:51] Talia Suskauer: I wanted to ensure that Pearl was taking responsibility for her actions while also acknowledging her growth.

[20:16] Talia Suskauer: It’s a beautiful moment, and I think it’s important for audiences to see that complexity.

[20:44] Bruce Gotlieb: That’s such a powerful message. Are you finding that your Wicked fans are coming to see A Walk on the Moon?

[21:03] Talia Suskauer: Yes! It’s really cool to see them supporting this new musical.

[22:49] Talia Suskauer: We love you and Parade in Des Moines and we're coming out and that just it's so touching when that happens.

[22:56] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, and getting people to be fans of like a new thing now, which is great.

[23:04] Talia Suskauer: I mean, you know, the classics are fantastic, but theater has to keep evolving. So it is great that people care about seeing a new show.

[23:11] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, it's a really special thing to know that, like, you know, people walked out of that show in Iowa going, "Wow, I really was moved by those people" or "I enjoyed them." And I'd love to follow their career and see them in something else. I mean, that's just the goal.

[23:22] Talia Suskauer: Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You reach them. You touch them.

[23:25] Talia Suskauer: What is the makeup for Wicked? Like, how long does that take to put on the green?

[23:31] Talia Suskauer: Yes. You know what? I mean, it can go as fast. So the makeup artist can get Elphaba green in like seven minutes. If she has to, like, you know, Elphaba has had to go on mid-show before. And, you know, that's happened. But really, I sit in the makeup chair at half hour and I'm done in 20 minutes.

[23:48] Talia Suskauer: Right. That's fast. And it's so good. I mean, the makeup is like sometimes makeup for stage. If it's like you don't have to be as precise as you would if you're doing like prosthetics or makeup for a film.

[24:01] Talia Suskauer: Yeah. Because it's not up here. But you could literally look that close to me and be like, "Oh, wait, it's gorgeous." You know, like, I mean, we have our makeup artist on Wicked right now. I mean, she's like a beauty makeup artist. This stuff is gorgeous.

[24:14] Talia Suskauer: So it's very cool. Kind of an honor to be painted by that person every night.

[24:21] Talia Suskauer: That is cool. Is that a show that people go in and out of?

[24:27] Talia Suskauer: Yes. All the time. I mean, it has a deep bench. And, you know, because it's been running for 23 years. Crazy. It's crazy.

[24:35] Talia Suskauer: And so I think that I mean, I've been back in a couple of times. Most recently in February, I went and did four shows.

[24:43] Talia Suskauer: Wow. You know, and what's cool is that I started playing the part. I had just turned 23 and, you know, over the years, I've gotten to jump in and out of it as I've grown up, which has been really cool.

[24:56] Talia Suskauer: And so she feels different every time. I mean, I started playing her when I felt like a child. And then, you know, going back in at like turning 30 this year is different and cool.

[25:07] Talia Suskauer: And yeah. Have you ever had a no fly show?

[25:11] Talia Suskauer: Yes, I've had one. Did you really?

[25:14] Talia Suskauer: Well, I did. I did. I think. When was it? I think it was on tour. And, you know, it was fun. The ensemble kind of it's called the plan B. They all lie down and, you know, because she's supposed to be in the air when she's not in the air.

[25:28] Talia Suskauer: They got to be on the ground. And it kind of is thrilling to get to like. All right. That part of the spectacle is gone now. So just go do your thing. And I loved it.

[25:39] Talia Suskauer: I don't get fazed when stuff like that happens. I actually it's thrilling for me. That is the fun of it's live theater. It's live theater.

[25:48] Talia Suskauer: And I think the audience is the audience. I can't believe it. I love it. You know, it's cool.

[25:54] Talia Suskauer: And I've had a couple like wonky little levitator shows where some little things have happened here and there. But that's live theater. And that's the beauty of like a show that has been around for so long.

[26:06] Talia Suskauer: They have all of the tips and tricks for you to, like, you know, get through it any which way.

[26:12] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, they've worked everything out. They have. But, you know, it's the best place to work. And it's like it feels like coming home every time I get to come back. So I'm very lucky.

[26:23] Talia Suskauer: What's it like for you coming off from being on the road for so long? Like having to adjust to, I guess, being in one place for an extended period of time?

[26:32] Talia Suskauer: It's hard. And I think because this was my second tour, I toured with Wicked pre and post-pandemic and then touring with Parade.

[26:39] Talia Suskauer: I mean, I think, you know, the Wicked tour is obviously still running. So people go in and out of that. And our Parade tour was like a little family because we started rehearsals together and then we had our nine-month stint. And that was it. No one else came in. It was just our group.

[26:54] Talia Suskauer: And so I think doing that show together was tough and it was special. And I think there was some withdrawal, certainly after that experience and so much so that I was like, "I miss these people."

[27:05] Talia Suskauer: And I miss telling the story. And oh, my goodness. Like sometimes traveling every week and being on the road. I mean, it gets exhausting, but it's thrilling.

[27:15] Talia Suskauer: And so I think that there is a massive adjustment period when you get back and say, "Wait, hold on. What's my routine here?" I know what my routine is on the road, you know, before any show week.

[27:27] Talia Suskauer: I need to figure this out again. So there is some like finding your footing that is pretty difficult. And especially after that show, it kind of left all of us, I think, in this wake of like, "OK, I have to recalibrate emotionally, but also like need to get my stuff back together so I could live my life."

[27:43] Talia Suskauer: So that was pretty interesting. And I'm still recalibrating. I mean, it's tough.

[27:48] Talia Suskauer: Yeah. Well, also, when you're on the road, you're just you're kind of there to do that show. So you don't have like the everyday life things that come up at home.

[27:56] Talia Suskauer: Correct. And I think it's like an escape, but it's also, you know, I personally love being in a new city.

[28:03] Talia Suskauer: And like I got to find like my little coffee shop in every city and I get to go, you know, like every so we switch. We had a lot of one-weekers on this past tour.

[28:10] Talia Suskauer: And so like I would make it a goal like every Monday when we arrived in the city, like I would have a nice dinner. I would go find like the best place to eat and like, you know, Chicago or in Vegas or wherever we were.

[28:20] Talia Suskauer: And I would have a nice dinner. I would have my routine of doing that and then find my gym or find whatever. And it was I kind of love that. I think I thought it was great.

[28:30] Talia Suskauer: And so, yeah, it's tough to come back and be like, "Wait, hold on. What's what am I doing now?"

[28:37] Talia Suskauer: Right. And you also get to see the places you probably wouldn't even think to go to.

[28:43] Talia Suskauer: That is correct. You know, and I think that's, you know, there are things places you went on the Wicked tour that I'm like, "Hey, if anyone's driving through Little Rock, Arkansas or anyone's driving through Columbia, South Carolina, I have four places for you to go to."

[28:56] Talia Suskauer: You know, we were there for three weeks. So, like, I have all the spots, which is a cool thing to be able to, like, give someone tips about a place that they might not ever have known.

[29:06] Talia Suskauer: You know what I mean? No one. Someone else.

[29:09] Talia Suskauer: Right. You know, it's very, very cool. And it's my party trick.

[29:14] Talia Suskauer: You also get to become a little bit of a local, too.

[29:18] Talia Suskauer: You do. And the people are so different from place to place. And but and to get to experience people and the audiences and like how what people respond to place to place is very, very cool.

[29:30] Talia Suskauer: And so, yeah, you do. I get to like on the Wicked tour. You know, I got a car and so I would drive around like and it was just awesome.

[29:39] Talia Suskauer: And yeah, I would tour again with like the right thing. But it is hard to uproot that, you know.

[29:46] Talia Suskauer: Yeah. You know, the political climate is very different when Parade first opened to now and even on Broadway, there was, you know, there was tension.

[29:54] Talia Suskauer: Oh, yeah. The opening. Did you experience any of that on the road?

[29:58] Talia Suskauer: Yeah. You know, you put it perfectly because I think that the show resonated better now than it did when it had originally opened on Broadway.

[30:06] Talia Suskauer: And that's sad, you know, like I wish that it had been the opposite, but everything I think, you know, it had opened and everyone was like, "Actually, things are OK right now. I don't want to see a story like this. This is not what I want to be seeing."

[30:19] Talia Suskauer: And right now, it hits so hard. And, you know, the election had just happened and then we went on. We went out on the road.

[30:27] Talia Suskauer: So it's like it was really tricky and tough. And either way, it was going to like we were like, "OK, so he wins. He doesn't win. It's going to be tricky."

[30:36] Talia Suskauer: Yeah. So, you know, obviously we know what happened and it was, you know, we had to make sure that we had our security measures in place. That was something that we talked to the producers about before going out.

[30:48] Talia Suskauer: I mean, we're doing a show. We're very visible Jewish and black people on stage here. And so we need to know that we're being protected.

[30:58] Talia Suskauer: You know, people are bringing in weapons places. I mean, we went to D.C. and just weeks before that, there was a shooting at the Jewish Museum.

[31:07] Talia Suskauer: So it's like it was vital that we felt protected. And even so, I mean, we had weird interactions at like the stage doors after, you know, people making comments like it's just either way.

[31:19] Talia Suskauer: It's like I don't want to know your opinion on this particular story. Like, you know, let's just like you enjoyed the show. You didn't, whatever.

[31:27] Talia Suskauer: I don't need to make a comment on someone's innocence or guilt or something like it. That was tough.

[31:34] Talia Suskauer: And, you know, we had a scary. Our one scary moment was in Atlanta. We had an audience interruption at intermission, which if you saw the show on Broadway or on tour, you know that the show doesn't end at intermission.

[31:46] Talia Suskauer: Leo remains on stage. So that was a thing, too, where he's kind of a sitting target. He's sitting there and it's intermission. People are getting up and doing whatever.

[31:56] Talia Suskauer: So that's a very brave thing that, you know, both Ben Platt and Max had to do for a long time. And we had someone shout something at him in Atlanta.

[32:06] Talia Suskauer: That was pretty terrible. And that person was escorted out. And I'm like, "Why are you buying a ticket to the show if you're just like."

[32:14] Talia Suskauer: I mean, like, OK, thank you for giving us your money. Thank you. Goodbye. But let me tell you, getting back into it and doing act two after something that is as rattling as that and like having an anti-Semitic comment, you know, flung at you and then having to go do a show about it is not for the faint of heart.

[32:32] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, I was mad. He was OK. I mean, he left the stage as he should have. But, you know, it was we all I will say our company really rallied behind one another in that moment.

[32:47] Talia Suskauer: And we all and I'll say this, too, that Michael Arden set up this like beautiful community within us and established this safety in the company that I think speaks to how he runs a room.

[34:13] Talia Suskauer: We had each other's backs for the rest of the show. We were like, I've got you. I'm with you. Here are my eyes. And I felt it. We all felt it. And that was just beautiful to experience. And also, I mean, it's so unpleasant that that happens. But then the audience probably feels the impact of the show even more that night.

[34:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And also, we were in Atlanta, where this all happened. And I will say, like, that week in Atlanta, we sold out the Fox Theater, which is like 4,500 seats or something like that. We sold it out. And that's where the first national tour Parade opened the first time. And so to bring this story back and to, you know, say the names of these people that are from there, like, it was almost like saying Kaddish for them every night. It was very special. And to have that happen there showed both, you know, those 4,500 people and us that the importance of telling the story is it's vital.

[35:18] Talia Suskauer: Yeah. Sad, though, you would think.

[35:21] Bruce Gotlieb: So sad. It made me so sad. I was like, come on, like, come on, right? Like, just why did why?

[35:29] Talia Suskauer: But it happens.

[35:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Yeah. What is it like for you as I know you said your age, but I won't put someone your age to not only play a mother, but you're playing a mother to a 15-year-old currently. Is it I'm assuming you draw inspiration from, like, your mom and other, like, matriarchal life?

[35:43] Talia Suskauer: I know you can almost play either role at this point. Yeah, well, the whole point is that she had her kid at 16. So that is, you know, she was a kid when she has a kid. And the whole point is now her kid is the same age, basically, that she was when she got pregnant and is having her first, like, romantic experience. So, you know, I've been playing mothers since I was in, like, elementary school. I was always like the tallest kid, you know, so they were all like, make her the evil villain, make her the mother. And so it's not anything new to me. It's now what's new is like, oh, I could actually, like, I still feel like a teen mom inside, but also like I could have a kid, you know what I mean?

Like, that's, I have, I have, you know, a ton of friends and people I went to high school with that are like, I'm their third kid. And I'm like, Oh, that's cool. But it's cool. Yeah. I mean, I grew up with a lot of just surrounded by strong women and was raised by like my mom and her friends and my aunts and my grandmothers. And so I did what's not been hard for me to, you know, kind of get that motherly sense going within myself. It comes pretty naturally. But it is nice that, you know, at the end of the day, you can sort of leave that at the show. Yeah, it's great. It's the best part of the day. It's like, all right, I'm good. I we have, you know, not only in the show, do I have this 16-year-old, but I have a nine-year-old boy who we have these two incredible, like, child actors play sharing the role. And it's so sweet. But it's also like, Okay, I'm good. Like, thank you. Right? Just go think about yourself. Yeah.

[37:40] Talia Suskauer: And it hasn't been, you know, getting to be the first people to sing this music. It's so interesting. This is my first time and I've done a ton of like workshops and readings of new stuff, which I've been so grateful to have done. But it has been incredible to sing and that to sing new music and to remind yourselves that this is the first like, your diction is vital. You're, you know, like people don't know these songs. So you're the first one to be able to sing that. And I think that it's also helped. There are moments in previews where I was like, I don't feel like I don't feel like I sounded that good on that note. I'm like, Talia, no one knows what it's supposed to sound like. Right, right.

You there's no cast album that they're comparing it to. I think the years in Wicked are like, Oh, God, like they're, you know, they have all these bootlegs and videos and cast albums and all this stuff to compare you to. And I think now it's it's so freeing to be like, Wait, actually, the way that I sing this is the way that it's used at the bar. Totally. And I think that's going to be a valuable lesson for me to take into even, you know, shows that have been done before. When I when I do those again, because it's like, you know what, the way that I sing this is the way that it's being sung right now. Right. And that's a beautiful thing. You know, that's also what's fun about seeing different people do different roles that you know, there are these changes.

So you know, they're not totally exactly the same. I remember as a kid, you know, listening to Annie constantly, but then seeing the show, and it's different. You know, the music is different in A Chorus Line, you know, there are cuts. Yeah, and I think that's the beautiful thing about two replacements in a show is that it's like, okay, you get two very different takes on this. And I think that to compare people, you're doing yourself a disservice as the watcher and the listener and the observer, because it's like, we actually, what can I learn from this person's interpretation? Right? So it's, I love that. And as a musical theater, like super fan myself, that's my favorite thing is being like, wait, oh my god, actually, like, Bernadette's Morrow's versus Patty's. And it's like, it's just like, it's not like comparing them. It's Wow, how different are the same role can be played so differently with these different interpretations. So cool.

[39:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. We just had Marianne Plunkett on last week, and I got to see her do Sunday in the Park with George and Bernadette do Sunday in the Park. And it's like a totally different same character say, but no, totally different takes.

[40:04] Talia Suskauer: Oh my god, she's one of my favorite performers ever.

[40:10] Bruce Gotlieb: She's great. And her show is great. Yeah, he's doing The Loved Ones. Yeah. Oh, great. Obviously, you can't see it.

[40:16] Talia Suskauer: I know. Well, I mean, yeah, we have a kind of a unique schedule. We've got two days off every week. So I actually technically could go see a show on if it's playing on a Sunday, but I like to be resting.

[40:22] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, yeah, for sure. So but you're still doing eight shows in five days.

[40:27] Talia Suskauer: We are we're doing 32 show days. Oh, which is a lot. But what is cool is that like, you know, the matinees are where this show kind of thrive. Yeah, I have a lot of people from this like generation, you know, that they they're coming to see the matinees. And so it really weirdly gives us a lift. Because those shows are fire, like they're getting all of the jokes, and they're with us every step of the way. And so it's like, actually, it does it lifts us up to do those, but it's hard. It's definitely been an adjustment to do to figure out how I'm going to do the show twice in one day, three times a week. Yeah, yeah. But I'm sure it is nice to have the two days off.

[41:39] Talia Suskauer: Well, it's a normal weekend. It's like, wait, I get to have a weekend like a normal person, right? Like, it's, that's a really cool thing. I get to have actually a day to relax and then a day to do the like, the things that you do. Right. So it's very cool.

[41:46] Bruce Gotlieb: The funniest part of the Tony's this year is when they said the weekends are Monday.

[41:50] Talia Suskauer: Yes. Yes. Oh my God. Oh, my God. When? Yes. Megan Thee Stallion was like, Yeah, she goes, your weekends are Monday. Like, that's, it is true. Because that's just the thing that we know to be true. And then someone comes in from a different world and is like, wait, what is this that you guys do? It does give them a profound level of like, respect for what we do, which I think, I think sometimes, you know, we've all gotten the comments of, oh, like, you do theater, like, what's your real job or this or that? Like, no, actually, this is, right, not only a job, but it is one of the harder jobs.

[42:21] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, I mean, I don't question athletes. Why would they question performers? Yeah, people come in who aren't, who don't do this. And they come in and you know, they're stunt cast or whatever. And they end up like not being able to get through the week or get through shows because they're like, wait, hold on, my body is being put through something so physically intense and mentally intense that I'm just not used to it. Like we are. We are athletes, we don't get paid like athletes, but we're athletes, you know, and there's people don't understand. And I think until you do it, you until you do the act of being on, so to speak, the people don't understand how exhausting that is to just be firing on every cylinder and being so on, even if it's just for two hours, or an hour and a half, but the level of intensity that you have to put yourself into, just do it.

And to finish the show, and then you have, you know, people there or you're meeting people right after and it's like, you're on for another hour, half hour, you know, it's like it's and then you get on the train and you're like, Oh, wait, I can finally like melt now. You know, it's it's a lot, but it's, it's a special thing. And I'm really lucky that I get to do it.

[43:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I'm I feel so lucky that I got to see you sing at the Cleveland Awards.

[43:40] Talia Suskauer: Oh my god, right.

[43:43] Bruce Gotlieb: We met in person, right? That's right. And you're so good. I mean, thank you.

[43:48] Talia Suskauer: Yeah. And Bruce, you got to see Talia in the show. Even luckier.

[43:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah, it's um, I loved getting to do that for Eric Price. I mean, it was it's like an honor when someone's being honored, and they ask you to sing one of like, I'm good. I can die happy. You know, that is. That's it. Like that's such a big compliment and an honor to be able to sing. Like someone has asked you to interpret and sing their words and their work on stage.

[44:13] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, like, when they're being honored for them. Yeah, yeah, it was very special. And to get to watch him get awarded something by all of his hero, like just very cool.

[44:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, the award is a big. Yeah, we actually did an episode from that night. And it's it's one of our top 10. Yeah, they're around there. Yeah. So yeah, so people care about it. It's a big thing.

[44:45] Talia Suskauer: Yeah, well, that's great. Well, Talia, thank you so much for joining us.

[44:50] Talia Suskauer: Oh my god, thank you for having me. Seriously. Wonderful.

[44:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, you're invited back anytime you have a project or anytime you just want to chat.

[44:59] Talia Suskauer: Listen, I love it. I'm as I'm as big a fan as I am a performer. So yeah, yeah, I get it.

[45:05] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Well, everyone go see A Walk on the Moon. Is there an end date?

[45:10] Talia Suskauer: Yes, we are closing. We're running until August 22.

[45:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay, so there's a little bit of time left. Yeah. So and then can you talk about what's next? Or do you even know?

[45:18] Talia Suskauer: I don't even know. All right. What if I had it, but I don't even know. But hopefully something fun and exciting. Yeah, well, it's us. I'm sure of that.

[45:27] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, thank you again. And we will see everyone next time on Behind the Awards.