This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Robert W. Schneider: Well, hello, listeners. Happy 2023. I can't believe how fast time flies. How are you, Kev?

[0:06] Kevin David Thomas: Good. I can't believe it's 2023. Oh, my goodness.

[0:09] Robert W. Schneider: Kevin and I are actually sharing a mic right now. I feel like I'm at a bar mitzvah.

[0:12] Kevin David Thomas: Do you know when they pass the mic around?

[0:15] Robert W. Schneider: Thank you, Rob. We haven't seen each other in years, so it's actually nice to be together.

[0:20] Kevin David Thomas: You guys haven't heard us in years, so it's nice to be together with you as well.

[0:24] Robert W. Schneider: And the reason we're sharing is because our other mic right now is with our favorite guest.

[0:28] Kevin David Thomas: We will go on record and say favorite guest of all time.

[0:31] Robert W. Schneider: Full circle. It's been eight years since we first met this wonderful man and been in his townhouse.

[0:38] Kevin David Thomas: Yes. And in his talent and in his presence and in his stories.

[0:42] Robert W. Schneider: If anything else comes out of this podcast, the fact that we get to now call this person a friend makes it absolutely worth it. Folks, of course, we're talking about the one and only Lee Roy Reams, who is with us to do our In Memoriam episode, which has become a tradition.

[0:58] Kevin David Thomas: Although last year we all got busy and weren't able to do 2021 In Memoriam. So today will be 2021 and 2022 In Memoriam.

[1:07] Robert W. Schneider: In person.

[1:08] Kevin David Thomas: In person. We're actually in Lee Roy's townhouse with beautiful.

[1:12] Robert W. Schneider: Was it liver? Was it chicken liver?

[1:14] Kevin David Thomas: Chopped liver.

[1:15] Robert W. Schneider: Chopped liver.

[1:16] Kevin David Thomas: A little chopped liver.

[1:17] Robert W. Schneider: Right from my people.

[1:19] Kevin David Thomas: The cat skills already, right? And so we're going to go through some of the big people that passed over the past couple of years. And Leroy is going to tell us his memories and anecdotes about these individuals.

[1:25] Robert W. Schneider: And we always say we like to treat this as a wake, like an Irish wake.

[1:32] Kevin David Thomas: Yes, yes.

[1:33] Robert W. Schneider: The bad, the ugly, the sexy, sexy.

[1:36] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bring it all.

[1:38] Robert W. Schneider: Yes.

[1:38] Kevin David Thomas: So remembering them with lots of affection.

[1:41] Robert W. Schneider: Yes.

[1:42] Kevin David Thomas: Preserving the history.

[1:44] Robert W. Schneider: And it's not so much making a legend or anything, but just making them real, living people who created such wonderful things and should be appreciated.

[1:53] Kevin David Thomas: You've always helped us with that, Leroy.

[1:55] Robert W. Schneider: And you've always given us context and sort of like the realm of like, because sometimes as fans, you know, and lovers of the art form, we see these as iconic people. And yet you can fill in a little bit and be like, well, I was there at this one party. And, you know, and that's, you know, that is the humanity that we're looking for. And so we're so thankful over these years that we get to have that with you.

[2:17] Lee Roy Reams: Yes. And so we're going to, we're going to go randomly here. But I think the first person we should probably talk about is someone who just passed away, actually, in 2023. But we're going to include them in this episode. That's your good friend, Carol Cook.

[2:32] Robert W. Schneider: Yes.

[2:33] Lee Roy Reams: And you just got to see her, right?

[2:35] Lee Roy Reams: My buddy. We spent Thanksgiving together at her beautiful apartment in Beverly Hills when her nephew, who is a St. Mark Kochenauer, did a fabulous dinner. And we just laughed and had a glorious time. And Carol was there with her still Lucille Ball red hair, full makeup on one of her drapery dresses. And we just had a fabulous time. And then two days later, we had a brunch with Karen Morrow, Nancy Dussault, Joanne Worley, Mary Jo Catlett. How good does it get? I mean, what a wonderful time.

[3:07] Robert W. Schneider: Does not get any better than that.

[3:08] Lee Roy Reams: Doesn't get any better than that. And Carol and I, I mean, just to go on and on and on. The first time I met Carol at rehearsal for 42nd Street, I'd heard about her, but we did not know each other. And she walked up to me the first day of rehearsal and she said, so you must be Leroy Reams. And I said, yes, and you must be Carol Cook. And she said, every sister boyfriend I have says to me, I'll wait till you meet Leroy. You are not going to be the best friend. She said, I don't even know you at all. I already hate your fucking guts. And with that, and with that, we went to lunch.

[3:42] Kevin David Thomas: Yes.

[3:42] Lee Roy Reams: And we were finishing each other's sentences. And that was it. We were joined at the hip from that very first meeting. And then the next day, Gower Champion did the scene in which Carol is with the girls, where she takes the girls and Peggy Sawyer to the gypsy tea kettle. And of course, Carol had her script and she kind of knew what she was doing. And of course, she was very good friends with Michael Stewart, who, you know, made sure she was cast. That part wasn't auditioned for it. It was Carol's role. It was written for her. And so Carol was, yeah, Carol was off script. And so her first line in the show, they dance in, they all sit down and they said, what do you have? And Carol Cook then said, she said, well, Peggy, how did you enjoy your first year on Broadway? Which is the line and Carol said, well, Peggy, how would you like a finger up your ass?

[4:36] Kevin David Thomas: What is that line?

[4:38] Lee Roy Reams: Well, what you just did is what I did. Then Gower shot a dirty look at me. Then he looked back at Carol and he said, don't ever do that in my rehearsals ever again. And Carol said, I'm very sorry, Gower. It will never happen again. I apologize. So we did the scene and after the scene was finished, she came over, she sat down by me and she looked at me and she said, you know, he never did have a sense of humor. And I said, I just met you. And in one day, we're both in trouble with the director.

[5:08] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah.

[5:08] Lee Roy Reams: So what is kind of a thing? Well, that unifies from that moment on joined at the hip and we went out of town. I drove my car down. I had my 1964 Galaxy XL, which was my graduation present from my mommy. And we had champagne and caviar.

[5:26] Kevin David Thomas: And Leroy, how old were you?

[5:29] Lee Roy Reams: I was 38 years old.

[5:31] Kevin David Thomas: You're 38. And Carol was probably.

[5:35] Lee Roy Reams: I never knew how old she was until.

[5:37] Kevin David Thomas: No one ever did.

[5:38] Lee Roy Reams: Like she was legendarily. We were shocked when we found out how old she was.

[5:42] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah.

[5:43] Lee Roy Reams: Because she didn't look that way and she didn't act that way. But even then you felt that she was an older grand dame, like.

[5:49] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, yeah.

[5:50] Lee Roy Reams: Even I loved, I loved her sense of humor. You know, she's from Abilene, Texas originally. So she's a down home girl. And she was a Greek drama major in college, if you can believe that. I mean, that's, you know, not in keeping. But she developed this persona that she made a career out of. And but anyway, you should see them sitting at a rest stop on the way to Washington, drinking champagne and having caviar. You know, I mean, you can imagine the people looking at us. But that's the kind of the way we were. And also we found out we wear the same size shoe.

[6:25] Kevin David Thomas: Oh.

[6:26] Lee Roy Reams: So I could she used to give me all of her high heels to break in. And she wore those really high heel shoes. So we always used to use that as a joke. So, you know, we were good friends. We can wear each other's shoes. But she was a really a fabulous person and had a wicked sense of humor. I remember one day, Mike Stewart, who was a good friend of her, said, hey, Mike, did you hear the one about the Polish actress who fucked the book writer out of town? Michael wrote the book.

[6:52] Kevin David Thomas: That's right.

[6:54] Lee Roy Reams: Context. And of course, Michael would laugh because she was hysterical. I know one time in New York during the run, this was Carol's favorite story on us. Carol Channing.

[7:04] Kevin David Thomas: No, Carol.

[7:06] Lee Roy Reams: So anyway, how do you have another glass of wine? We should say we've had a few cocktails prior to that. We're having a good time. But anyway, so in the show, in the lullaby, a Broadway number, there was a set change. And one day, the set all ran on stage and clogged. And so they had to stop the show. And the stage manager didn't know what to do. I said, well, I'll go out and I'll ad lib. I'll go and talk to the audience. So I walked out. I said, ladies and gentlemen, obviously, you can see we're having trouble with the set. And the stage hands are going to come out and correct it. And while they're correcting, I'll tell you a few stories, like how I got my job in this show and Ruby Keeler. And I told my whole story.

And of course, they hadn't fixed it yet. I'm still ad libbing. And I said, and there's a song that was never in the show, which I always wanted to be in the show. I sang it at my audition. And I'd like to sing it for you today. I would like to sing, I Only Have Eyes For You. And I looked down at the accompanist who got up and walked away from the piano. And I looked at the conductor. And I said, I only have eyes for you. He said, I don't know it. I said, well, then I'll just sing it a cappella. So I got to the end of it. And then the stage manager came up before I hit the last note and said, thanks, Leroy. We're fixed. I said, thank you. I walked off stage to polite applause. Carol is waiting for me in the wings. And Carol said, I don't want anyone to know that I even know you. That is one of the most embarrassing things you have ever done in your life. Please don't ever do that again.

[8:39] Kevin David Thomas: So I mean, she was joking, but yes.

[8:41] Lee Roy Reams: So then the next performance, the next performance, we're doing Lullaby at Broadway. Carol comes down the stairs at the Grand, the station, whatever it's called there in Philadelphia. Grand, what's it called? Not Grand Central, but something like that, something street station. But anyway, she comes down. She trips in her skirt. Her high heel got caught. She fell and literally is leaning against the railing. And had she fallen, it would have killed her. So she's like up in the air from that staircase. And so, of course, the kids can't get over her and the guy playing. And it was actually Lonnie who used to be the Mickey Mouse guy named Lonnie, who was the understudy for Abner Dillon. He was on that day.

He straddled her and tried to sing. But it was a mess. It was a mess. And we're all going, ooh, and no one's singing. But anyway, they had to stop the show. So the stage manager, we got Carol up and her wig was askew. And she got up and they said, Carol, are you OK? And she said, you bet your ass. Well, the audience laughed. They said, where do you want to take it? She said, from my entrance, everybody back. So we did it again. She completed the number. She came off and her knees were bleeding. I mean, she had hurt herself and I was waiting for her. And she came off and I said, Carol, are you OK? I said, my God, how did you have the presence of mind? Because I thought you were knocked out to do that.

She said, I would have done anything to keep you from singing. I only have fucking eyes for you. She said, I could just see you going and say, the character lady is dead. So while they're hauling off the dead body, I'd like to tell you how I got my job at 42nd Street. And I like to sing the song that she knew you pretty well. But interestingly enough, that song, I only have eyes for you, eventually went into the show and replaced I Know Now. You see? But you knew you knew that was Carol's favorite story of our relationship. But she was a very generous, warm, giving human being. And that tough, smart ass exterior she had was all show. Behind it, she was a very sensitive, very moral woman. And, you know, she was well known for the night when they asked her about Donald Trump, when she was leaving a restaurant. And she's very famous. She made the news.

[11:02] Kevin David Thomas: She made the national news.

[11:02] Lee Roy Reams: That's right. She said, where's John Wilkes Booth when you need him?

[11:07] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, exactly.

[11:08] Lee Roy Reams: And of course, the FBI.

[11:08] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, came up after.

[11:08] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah. And I would be remiss to not say that, Rob, you actually got to spend some time with her.

[11:13] Robert W. Schneider: Like, yeah, we interviewed her and we'll be posting that episode again to celebrate her. But yeah, I was able to go to her house in L.A. and spend some time with her.

[11:21] Lee Roy Reams: What was that like?

[11:23] Robert W. Schneider: Oh, she was hysterical.

[11:26] Lee Roy Reams: Hysterical.

[11:27] Robert W. Schneider: And literally gave me a one person show in a three and a half hour time frame. Never once flagging an energy, never once forgetting a name. And she was funny. I always said she should have done a TV series and never given her lines. Just say, yeah, put her in a letter, walk in and let her react.

[11:44] Lee Roy Reams: Yes.

[11:44] Robert W. Schneider: And use her own mentality because she just thought funny.

[11:48] Lee Roy Reams: Yes.

[11:48] Robert W. Schneider: Funniest people I've ever been with.

[11:50] Lee Roy Reams: Yes. She also this has been going around lately, and this is why I like her. But she was doing a radio show somewhat recently. And somebody asked her, you know, what's the reason for your marriage to have lasted so long? Because she and Tom were together 50 years.

[12:05] Lee Roy Reams: Oh, longer.

[12:06] Robert W. Schneider: Longer than that.

[12:07] Lee Roy Reams: They were married in 64.

[12:09] Robert W. Schneider: Oh, OK. So much longer. And so the radio broadcast, the host said, you know, is it communication? Is it, you know, openness? And she said, no, I'm the best fucking town. This went out on the air without flinching. And, you know, she meant it. You know, she meant, oh, yeah, I'm the best.

[12:27] Lee Roy Reams: Good story on the on the Merv Griffin show. OK, because Merv liked her very much and he had her on all the time. And when we did 42nd Street, he devoted an entire show to 42nd Street. But Carol on one of his shows came out and she wore these big flowing dresses. And so she came out and Merv said, Carol, I want to talk to you about these. I don't know. What do you call these things? You wear your drapery dresses. She said, Merv, you're on very thin ice. Be very careful what you're going to ask. He said, well, you know, Carol, I don't want to get personal, but what's going on underneath all of that? And she said, an old friend doing me a favor. Well, of course, they had to stop tape.

[13:11] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, of course.

[13:12] Lee Roy Reams: Of course, he said, don't fuck with me, Merv. And of course, I got a bigger laugh and it took forever, took forever to get back to do the interview. But that's the audience. When you have truths like that, I mean, this woman could play an audience truths like that. You know, there was no censorship there. Jerry Herman. Carol was the first person to play Hello, Dolly! outside of the Carol Channing on Broadway. She did the Australian company on New Zealand. She played the first person to play Dolly outside of the New York cast. But Jerry Herman told a story. He said one of the funniest things I ever saw. She was doing a benefit in L.A., which she was famous for. And she started out this number and the music was very strong.

She came out in one of her drapery dresses and stood there in dramatic light. And she sang, let the drums roll out. And this big bass drum rolled across in front of her. And Jerry said, she just watched it roll by. Jerry said it had to be one of the.

[16:16] Lee Roy Reams: That we finally found Rosie and it was like the party was over and her daughter-in-law Debbie Boone was there and I said, "Debbie, it's Leroy." She said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Rosie was not well this evening and we are into the party early." I said, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." So she said, "But I'll tell her that you came." So as we're leaving and we shut the door, Carol looked at her fingernails and her hair that she had done. She looked at me and she said, "Well, I guess when she's singing that song 'Come On to My House,' she didn't mean it." And we went up to the French market where all the leather guys hang out and had a hamburger. Good Carol Cook was my kind of woman.

[17:29] Lee Roy Reams: You want to talk about the next one? Was that Don Pippin?

[17:35] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, oh Don Pippin. Now we were lucky enough to have a little chat with him in a diner in upstate New York, Brewster. Yeah, right near there. Truly legendary. And I had the honor of he accompanied me singing at 54 Below. Tell us the first time you met him. Tell us any memories.

[17:52] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, he was the musical director of Applause and we became fast friends and had a great time. And I know one night Lauren Bacall, as we were leaving the stage, she looked at Don and she said, "Listen, Don, that tempo," and I can't remember the number it was, but it was either too fast or too slow, I can't remember, but it wasn't right. And he looked at me and he said, "That's all right, Betty, I'll fix it." And he looked at me and winked. That sounds like a music director like I've ever heard work the ladies.

[18:20] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, he knew how to work. And he was Jerry Herman's man. I mean, like every single show that he'd ever done, he was part of at some point. People knew Jerry wasn't necessarily a learned musician.

[18:32] Lee Roy Reams: That's right. He played, that's right, and all of that. And Don kind of filled in all of that extra stuff. So that's why there was a very close collaboration. But Jerry was gifted.

[18:43] Kevin David Thomas: Well, there's something almost protective about that too because the composer, you want to protect that image of what they can do. And yet, you know, it's a little mysterious. What does the composer do? How much do you write on the paper? If you're a music person, you know this, but like how much is written, how much is felt, how much is interpreted? You know, and Don, when you find a good collaborator like Jonathan Tunick with Stephen Sondheim, you know, you can find someone that helps elevate your music to almost another level.

[19:19] Lee Roy Reams: And I don't think it's a coincidence that Don Pippin was, you know, to the vocal arrangements of the Hello Dolly revival with Bette Midler. You know, that was the finishing the triumvirate of like all of the works that Jerry Herman did. Did you work with Don as a music director on any of the Dollies that you did?

[19:36] Kevin David Thomas: No, no.

[19:42] Lee Roy Reams: Okay, so he never, he was not a Dolly. That's why when he did the Bette Midler revival, when he did the vocal arrangements though recently, that was sort of like the last check on the list of things. And just, I mean, just quickly just to run by some of Don's credits, it was 110 in the Shade, Oliver, Mame, La Cage Aux Folles, Applause, Chorus Line. Yes, I mean the list goes on and on and on and on. Did you get to do La Cage with him or no?

[20:10] Kevin David Thomas: No, we never did La Cage together. Great interview with him, folks, from our previous episode. Take a listen to it because Don was really a special guy. And you remember he took a liking to your wife. We went, it was me, Kevin, and Kevin's wife Sutton, and we would ask him a question and he would look right at Sutton and answer it. Remember that?

[20:27] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, yeah, he had a fancy for your wife. That's how we brought Sutton along.

[20:38] Kevin David Thomas: Tell me about Joe Allen.

[20:45] Lee Roy Reams: Joe Allen, oh man, well one of the nicest guys on the planet, a space for a theater artist. You know, well he was a waiter at, what's that, the place over there by Lincoln Center, you know, the hamburger joint by Lincoln Center? Famous.

[21:01] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, Smith? No, isn't that terrible now? Somebody will think of it before I will. It's right there.

[21:06] Lee Roy Reams: Yes, I can see it. Hamburger place. Yep. And that's where Joe, well not that place, but another one on the east side is where Joe Allen started out as a waiter. So he took the idea of that place and turned it into Joe Allen, made his own restaurant, and it's a very famous. And why can't we think of the name of it?

[21:23] Kevin David Thomas: P.J. Clarke's.

[21:32] Lee Roy Reams: That's it, thank you. P.J. Clarke's, thank you. Yep. And so Joe fashioned Joe Allen after that and he was very kind to actors. He gave us credit. We had bills there you could pay at your leisure. He was just a great guy and everybody loved Joe and that's why everyone went to the restaurant and we still do.

[21:44] Kevin David Thomas: No, and famously, you know, if you're not from New York City and you don't know, you know, there was the posters on the wall of not hit shows.

[21:57] Lee Roy Reams: Flops.

[21:57] Kevin David Thomas: That's right. None of your shows up there, right?

[22:03] Lee Roy Reams: Thank god. Not a single Leroy Reams name on there. But like most of us remember going to this place. I mean, I came to New York in 2002 and 20 years ago and it was an iconic moment to be able to go to this legendary place. And I went with, remember Jack Lee?

[22:16] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, I love Jack. Jack was my mentor.

[22:23] Lee Roy Reams: Right. So Jack would take me there and he would say, "Kid, you got to go to this place. This is the legendary place." And we would go to Joe Allen's and it was, of course, I was 21 and had, you know, stars in my eyes. And it was, and he introduced me to that world. And yet, and every time we went, Leroy, it was, "There's Kirk Douglas, there's Ann Reinking." I mean, every time we went, there was some legendary, everybody quote-unquote star there. It was special.

[22:41] Lee Roy Reams: Their chili, yeah, it's terrific.

[22:54] Kevin David Thomas: Which they don't serve anymore.

[23:00] Lee Roy Reams: They treat their people right. Yeah, too. He understood how to treat the theater community, which is not how most theater places are.

[23:05] Kevin David Thomas: No, and I don't know if you feel this way. I feel when I go there, everyone's equal. Like, you know what I mean? No matter who you are in the business.

[23:10] Lee Roy Reams: Well, you're equal. Yeah. I was in Joe Allen's one night, attention to drop a name, Angela Lansbury.

[23:16] Kevin David Thomas: Always drop Angela's name.

[23:23] Lee Roy Reams: Now Angela Lansbury, I know had she walked in and we waved at each other, that would have been enough. No, she came over to the table. She's a table because then she passed away this year. So we talked about Angela, one of the truly greats, talent-wise and as a human being. She was royalty, class act, real royalty. She came over to the table, we hugged. I was so flattered that she came over and I said, "You know, Angela, your success with Murder, She Wrote is thrilling all of us because suddenly someone with a talent and the input finally is getting the success they deserve. We're all so happy for you." And she said, "And you know, darling, I'm sitting here looking at you and I want you to know that I wish I were going in your place tonight to do my show."

Because she said, "Television, I get up at the crack of dawn, I work all day, I have so much responsibility. How I wish I could just walk into a theater tonight and do my show." So she said, "You're envying me and I'm sitting here envying you." Does it get better than that? How do you not love a woman with that kind of humanity and the talent? I mean, my god, you look back at her body of work and she always was a lady.

[24:35] Lee Roy Reams: Gaslight. I mean, yes, I, it's shocking. I knock on wood that I was somehow able to do a show with her for eight months and we did A Little Night Music. And I remember we had a party and she threw a party at Chez Josephine, you know, on 42nd Street, not Joe Allen's, but a similar type establishment. But it was the first time I learned when you host a party and we are a cast of 15 and we, you know, this woman, this 85-year-old woman went to every table and it wasn't like the performative, like, "So glad you're here, so nice to see you." No, no, no. She sat down at every table and looked you in the eyes and took you in and said, "I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad we're spending time together." You know, that was a lesson on showbiz, the real deal.

[25:27] Lee Roy Reams: And you'll never feel, I have never heard anyone ever say one derogatory thing about me. People say, "What do you think? Tell me what Angela Lansbury was?" And I always say, "What do you think she is? That's who she was."

[25:38] Kevin David Thomas: That's right. What was she like in a rehearsal hall?

[25:44] Lee Roy Reams: Focused on the job. I remember when we walked the first day we did A Little Night Music, she had cranberry juice on her mouth and I walked in the first time I met her and I said, "Angela, Miss Lansbury, you've got just, uh, wipe this." Like I wanted to, I didn't want her to have, you know, juice on her mouth. And I just said, "Just, uh, I'm wiping my mouth right now as I do this." And I said, "Just," and she said, "Oh, thank you, sweetheart, that's wonderful." And she was doing a crossword puzzle in the New York Magazine. And from that day forward, I became a die-hard subscriber of New York Magazine crossword.

[26:17] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, of course. No, she was showbiz. She understood the teamwork that it took to put on a show like that. If you were lucky enough to be in the room where it happens, she was, you're a team member. That was it. And you think of the time she went through being a young girl, being foisted into that Hollywood machine where she was not the typical beautiful glamorous girl, this Brit that was playing these older parts and yet getting recognized, you know, Academy, but not really appreciated.

[26:51] Kevin David Thomas: No, you didn't know what to do with her.

[26:51] Lee Roy Reams: Didn't know. No idea. And how great she was. And you know, the Frank Sinatra movie, she was so brilliant in that. My god, that was an Academy Award-winning performance, but it was so good they didn't quite know what to do with her.

[27:08] Kevin David Thomas: The Manchurian Candidate.

[27:08] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, oh my god. How did she stay kind of level the whole?

[27:18] Kevin David Thomas: Well, what really brought her to fruition was Mame and thank Jerry Herman for that because, you know, who was going to really be Mame? I'll tell you, Dolores Gray, because Alan Carr, one of the producers, that's who he wanted.

[27:32] Lee Roy Reams: So it was going to be Dolores Gray and Jerry was pushing.

[27:39] Lee Roy Reams: Oh, I do too. She was a buddy, a real true buddy. I love Dolores Gray, but it was going to end. Jerry kept fighting for Angela, played her audition, and she auditioned many times. And finally, they went with her and it was the right decision. Not saying that Dolores wouldn't have been wonderful, but is and was awesome. Yeah, but what a stroke of genius to throw it to the, and also at a time when, you know, it was only a couple years earlier where actor singers were not necessarily in the vogue. You know, you had Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady just like, boy, eight years earlier, but like it wasn't, you know, if you were a singer, you were an actor. Angela Lansbury would do the first, what she told me, "I'm an actor. I happen to sing. That's just what I happen to do. I'm not a trained singer."

[28:33] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's start with Stephen Sondheim. I mean, what can you say? He was a genius. His music, his lyrics, they changed the landscape of musical theatre forever. I remember the first time I heard "West Side Story." It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The complexity of the music, the depth of the characters, it was revolutionary.

[29:03] Lee Roy Reams: And then there was "Company." That show really pushed boundaries. It was one of the first musicals to really explore adult themes and relationships in a way that was honest and raw. Sondheim had this incredible ability to capture the human experience in his work.

[29:33] Lee Roy Reams: I had the pleasure of working with him on a few occasions, and he was always so generous with his time and talent. He would sit down with you and really delve into the material, helping you understand the nuances of the characters and the story. It was a masterclass every time.

[29:53] Lee Roy Reams: And then we lost Harvey Evans. Harvey was such a bright light in the Broadway community. He had this infectious energy that could light up a room. I remember doing "Hello, Dolly!" with him, and he brought so much joy to the stage. His performances were always filled with heart and humor.

[30:13] Lee Roy Reams: He was also a fantastic dancer. I mean, the man could move! He had this grace and elegance that was just mesmerizing to watch. And offstage, he was just as wonderful. Always had a kind word and a smile for everyone.

[30:33] Lee Roy Reams: And then there's Carole Cook. What a powerhouse! Carole was a force of nature. Her talent was undeniable, and she had this incredible ability to connect with an audience. I remember seeing her in "Six Degrees of Separation," and she was just phenomenal.

[30:43] Lee Roy Reams: She had this unique blend of comedy and drama that made her performances unforgettable. And she was such a generous spirit. Always willing to share her wisdom and experience with younger performers.

[31:03] Lee Roy Reams: I also have to mention Michael Bennett. Now, that was a character! I had some wild experiences with him. He had this larger-than-life personality, and he was so passionate about his work. I remember one time, he got a little too hands-on during a rehearsal.

[31:13] Lee Roy Reams: But you know, that's just who he was. He loved to push boundaries and challenge the status quo. His vision for "A Chorus Line" was groundbreaking, and it changed the way we think about musical theatre.

[31:33] Lee Roy Reams: And then there was Lauren Bacall. Oh, what a woman! I had the pleasure of working with her, and she was just as glamorous and captivating in person as she was on screen. I remember making her laugh during a rehearsal, and it felt like I had won the lottery.

[31:43] Lee Roy Reams: She had this incredible presence, and you could feel the history and the talent radiating from her. It was an honor to share the stage with her.

[31:53] Lee Roy Reams: And let's not forget about the actors who played in "Li'l Abner." That show had some of the most colorful characters, and the actors who brought them to life were just as vibrant.

[32:13] Lee Roy Reams: I mean, the name "Li'l Abner" itself was so fitting for some of those performers. They had such unique personalities and quirks that made the show truly special.

[32:23] Lee Roy Reams: It's always bittersweet to reflect on those we've lost. Each of them left an indelible mark on Broadway and the hearts of those who had the privilege to know them.

[32:33] Lee Roy Reams: But we also have to celebrate their lives and the joy they brought to the stage. Their legacies will live on through their work and the memories we hold dear.

[32:43] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's raise a glass to Stephen, Harvey, Carole, Michael, Lauren, and all the others we've lost. They may be gone, but their spirits will always be a part of Broadway.

[32:53] Lee Roy Reams: And speaking of spirits, I think it's time for another round of wine!

[33:03] Lee Roy Reams: Cheers to the legends!

[33:13] Lee Roy Reams: You know, it's moments like these that remind us why we love this business. The stories, the laughter, the friendships—it's all part of the magic of theatre.

[33:33] Lee Roy Reams: And as we continue to celebrate these incredible artists, let's not forget to support the new generation of performers. They are the future of Broadway, and we need to nurture their talent and creativity.

[33:43] Lee Roy Reams: It's our responsibility to pass on the knowledge and love for this art form to those who come after us.

[33:53] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's keep the spirit of these legends alive by sharing their stories and inspiring the next wave of talent.

[34:03] Lee Roy Reams: And remember, every time you step into a theatre, you're walking in the footsteps of giants.

[34:13] Lee Roy Reams: Their energy and passion are still present, and it's up to us to carry that torch forward.

[34:23] Lee Roy Reams: Now, who else should we toast to? There are so many incredible talents we've lost in the last couple of years.

[34:43] Lee Roy Reams: It's important to keep their memories alive, not just through our words but through our actions as well.

[34:53] Lee Roy Reams: Let's continue to create, to innovate, and to push the boundaries of what musical theatre can be.

[35:03] Lee Roy Reams: Because that's what they would have wanted.

[35:13] Lee Roy Reams: And as we look to the future, let's remember to honor the past.

[35:23] Lee Roy Reams: Each of these artists contributed to the tapestry of Broadway, and their legacies will forever be woven into the fabric of our community.

[35:33] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's keep celebrating, keep sharing stories, and keep the love for musical theatre alive.

[35:43] Lee Roy Reams: Because at the end of the day, that's what it's all about—connecting with each other through the magic of performance.

[35:53] Lee Roy Reams: And I can't wait to see what the future holds for Broadway and all the incredible talent that is yet to come.

[36:03] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's raise our glasses one more time to the legends we've lost and to the bright future ahead.

[36:13] Lee Roy Reams: Cheers!

[36:23] Lee Roy Reams: And now, let's take a moment to reflect on the impact these artists had on our lives and careers.

[36:33] Lee Roy Reams: Each of them taught us something valuable, whether it was about performance, resilience, or the importance of laughter.

[36:43] Lee Roy Reams: Their spirits will continue to guide us as we navigate this ever-changing landscape of theatre.

[36:53] Lee Roy Reams: And as we celebrate their lives, let's also remember to support each other in this journey.

[37:03] Lee Roy Reams: We're all in this together, and the bonds we create in this community are what make it so special.

[37:13] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's keep lifting each other up and celebrating the joy of musical theatre.

[37:23] Lee Roy Reams: Because that's what it's all about—bringing people together through the power of storytelling and song.

[37:33] Lee Roy Reams: And I know that each of these legends would want us to keep that spirit alive.

[37:43] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's continue to share their stories, their music, and their love for the stage.

[37:53] Lee Roy Reams: And as we do, let's remember to have a little fun along the way!

[38:03] Lee Roy Reams: Because after all, that's what Broadway is all about—entertainment, joy, and a little bit of magic.

[38:13] Lee Roy Reams: And I can't wait to see what the next chapter holds for all of us in this incredible journey.

[38:23] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's keep the wine flowing and the stories coming!

[38:33] Lee Roy Reams: Cheers to the legends, and cheers to the future!

[38:43] Lee Roy Reams: And now, let's take a moment to remember the laughter and the joy they brought to our lives.

[38:53] Lee Roy Reams: Because at the end of the day, that's what we will always cherish—the memories and the love we shared.

[39:03] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's keep celebrating, keep laughing, and keep the spirit of Broadway alive!

[39:13] Lee Roy Reams: Because that's what they would have wanted.

[39:23] Lee Roy Reams: And I know that as we move forward, we will carry their legacies with us in everything we do.

[39:33] Lee Roy Reams: So, here's to the legends, and here's to the future of musical theatre!

[39:43] Tony Walton: I couldn't agree more, Lee Roy. It's such a beautiful way to honor their memories.

[39:53] Tony Walton: Each of these artists has left a mark on our hearts, and it's our duty to keep their stories alive.

[40:13] Lee Roy Reams: Absolutely, Tony. And as we continue to share their stories, let's also remember to support the new generation of talent.

[40:33] Lee Roy Reams: They are the future of Broadway, and we need to nurture their creativity and passion.

[40:53] Lee Roy Reams: It's all about passing the torch and ensuring that the magic of musical theatre continues for generations to come.

[41:03] Lee Roy Reams: And I know that each of these legends would be proud to see the next generation carrying on their legacy.

[41:23] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's keep celebrating, keep sharing stories, and keep the love for Broadway alive!

[41:33] Lee Roy Reams: Because that's what it's all about—connecting with each other through the magic of performance.

[41:53] Lee Roy Reams: And I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us in this incredible journey.

[42:03] Lee Roy Reams: So, let's raise our glasses one more time to the legends we've lost and to the bright future ahead.

[42:23] Lee Roy Reams: Cheers!

[42:43] Lee Roy Reams: And now, let's take a moment to reflect on the impact these artists had on our lives and careers.

[43:21] Lee Roy Reams: You know, I was thinking about Stephen Sondheim and how he was such a pivotal figure in musical theatre. His work has influenced so many artists, including myself. I remember the first time I heard "West Side Story." It was revolutionary, and it changed the landscape of Broadway forever.

[43:30] Lee Roy Reams: And then there was Harvey Evans, who was just a delight. I had the pleasure of working with him on several occasions. He brought such joy and energy to every performance. I remember one time we were doing a show, and he just lit up the stage with his presence.

[43:40] Lee Roy Reams: Carole Cook, too, was a force of nature. I had the honor of sharing the stage with her, and she was always full of life and laughter. Her stories were legendary, and she had a way of making everyone feel special.

[43:50] Lee Roy Reams: Speaking of stories, I have to tell you about Michael Bennett. He was quite the character. There was this one time when he got a little too friendly during a rehearsal. I mean, it was all in good fun, but you had to be on your toes around him!

[44:00] Lee Roy Reams: And then there was Lauren Bacall. Oh, she was a class act. I remember making her laugh during a performance, and it felt like I had won the lottery. Her laughter was infectious, and she had such a commanding presence.

[44:10] Lee Roy Reams: You know, the names we give to shows and characters can be quite telling. Take "Lil Abner," for example. It was an appropriate name for some of the actors I worked with. They had that charm and charisma that just fit the title perfectly.

[44:20] Lee Roy Reams: I also think about the legacy of those we've lost. Each one of them contributed something unique to the theatre world. It's important to celebrate their lives and the impact they've had on all of us.

[44:30] Lee Roy Reams: I remember when we lost Stephen Sondheim. It felt like the end of an era. His music and lyrics were so profound, and he had a way of capturing the human experience like no one else.

[44:40] Lee Roy Reams: And then there was Harvey Evans. His spirit will always be remembered. He had this incredible ability to connect with the audience, and his performances were always a joy to watch.

[44:50] Lee Roy Reams: Carole Cook's humor was unmatched. She had a way of making even the toughest days feel lighter. I cherish the moments we shared, and I know her legacy will live on through her work.

[45:00] Lee Roy Reams: It's a bittersweet feeling, remembering these legends. They shaped the industry and inspired countless performers. We owe it to them to keep their memories alive.

[45:10] Lee Roy Reams: I often think about the stories behind the scenes, the camaraderie we shared. Those moments are just as important as the performances themselves.

[45:20] Lee Roy Reams: And let's not forget the joy of sharing a glass of wine after a show. Those late-night conversations with fellow artists are some of my fondest memories.

[45:30] Lee Roy Reams: The theatre community is like a family. We support each other through thick and thin, and the bonds we form are unbreakable.

[45:40] Lee Roy Reams: As we remember these incredible individuals, let's also celebrate the new voices emerging in the industry. They are the future of Broadway, and I can't wait to see what they create.

[45:50] Lee Roy Reams: So here's to the legends we've lost and to those who continue to inspire us. May their stories live on in our hearts and on the stage.

[46:00] Lee Roy Reams: And speaking of stories, I have a few more to share about my experiences in the industry.

[46:10] Lee Roy Reams: You know, every performance is a chance to create magic. It's about connecting with the audience and sharing a piece of ourselves with them.

[46:20] Lee Roy Reams: I remember one performance where everything went wrong, but we turned it into a moment of pure comedy. Those are the nights you never forget.

[46:30] Lee Roy Reams: The unpredictability of live theatre is what makes it so special. You never know what might happen, and that's part of the thrill.

[46:40] Lee Roy Reams: And let's not forget the importance of mentorship. I've had so many incredible mentors throughout my career who have guided me and helped me grow as an artist.

[46:50] Lee Roy Reams: It's our responsibility to pass on that knowledge to the next generation. We need to nurture and support young talent as they find their way in this industry.

[47:00] Lee Roy Reams: I often think about the advice I received when I was starting out. It was invaluable, and I hope to provide that same support to others.

[47:10] Lee Roy Reams: The theatre is a place of learning and growth. We all have something to teach and something to learn, no matter how experienced we are.

[47:20] Lee Roy Reams: And as we celebrate the lives of those we've lost, let's also celebrate the joy of being part of this incredible community.

[47:30] Lee Roy Reams: It's a privilege to share the stage with such talented individuals, and I am grateful for every moment.

[47:40] Lee Roy Reams: So let's raise a glass to the memories, the laughter, and the magic of Broadway.

[47:50] Lee Roy Reams: Here's to the legends, the stories, and the future of musical theatre.

[48:00] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for joining me in this celebration. It's been a joy to share these memories with you.

[48:10] Lee Roy Reams: And remember, the show must go on!

[48:20] Lee Roy Reams: Let's keep the spirit of Broadway alive in our hearts and in our performances.

[48:30] Lee Roy Reams: Until next time, keep dreaming and keep creating.

[48:40] Lee Roy Reams: Cheers!

[48:50] Lee Roy Reams: And don't forget to support live theatre. It's more important now than ever.

[49:00] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for being part of this journey with me.

[49:10] Lee Roy Reams: Let's continue to honor the legends and inspire the next generation of artists.

[49:20] Lee Roy Reams: Together, we can keep the magic of Broadway alive.

[49:30] Lee Roy Reams: So here's to the memories, the laughter, and the love of theatre.

[49:40] Lee Roy Reams: Until we meet again, take care and keep shining.

[49:50] Lee Roy Reams: Goodbye for now!

[50:00] Lee Roy Reams: And remember, every performance is a chance to make a difference.

[50:10] Lee Roy Reams: Let's make the most of it!

[50:20] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for listening, and I hope to see you at the theatre soon.

[50:30] Lee Roy Reams: Keep the spirit of Broadway alive!

[50:40] Lee Roy Reams: And always remember the legends who paved the way for us.

[50:50] Lee Roy Reams: Their legacy lives on in every note, every line, and every performance.

[51:00] Lee Roy Reams: So let's celebrate their lives and the joy they brought to the world.

[51:10] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for being part of this special tribute.

[51:20] Lee Roy Reams: Until next time, keep dreaming big!

[51:30] Lee Roy Reams: Cheers to the magic of Broadway!

[51:40] Lee Roy Reams: And remember, the show must go on!

[51:50] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for joining me in this celebration of life and art.

[52:00] Lee Roy Reams: Let's continue to honor those we've lost and celebrate those who inspire us.

[52:10] Lee Roy Reams: Together, we can keep the spirit of Broadway alive!

[52:20] Lee Roy Reams: So here's to the memories, the laughter, and the love of theatre.

[52:30] Lee Roy Reams: Until we meet again, take care and keep shining!

[52:40] Lee Roy Reams: Goodbye for now!

[52:50] Lee Roy Reams: And remember, every performance is a chance to make a difference.

[53:00] Lee Roy Reams: Let's make the most of it!

[53:10] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for listening, and I hope to see you at the theatre soon.

[53:20] Lee Roy Reams: Keep the spirit of Broadway alive!

[53:30] Lee Roy Reams: And always remember the legends who paved the way for us.

[53:40] Lee Roy Reams: Their legacy lives on in every note, every line, and every performance.

[53:50] Lee Roy Reams: So let's celebrate their lives and the joy they brought to the world.

[54:00] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for being part of this special tribute.

[54:10] Lee Roy Reams: Until next time, keep dreaming big!

[54:20] Lee Roy Reams: Cheers to the magic of Broadway!

[54:30] Lee Roy Reams: And remember, the show must go on!

[54:40] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for joining me in this celebration of life and art.

[54:50] Lee Roy Reams: Let's continue to honor those we've lost and celebrate those who inspire us.

[55:00] Lee Roy Reams: Together, we can keep the spirit of Broadway alive!

[55:10] Lee Roy Reams: So here's to the memories, the laughter, and the love of theatre.

[55:20] Lee Roy Reams: Until we meet again, take care and keep shining!

[55:30] Lee Roy Reams: Goodbye for now!

[55:40] Lee Roy Reams: And remember, every performance is a chance to make a difference.

[55:50] Lee Roy Reams: Let's make the most of it!

[56:00] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for listening, and I hope to see you at the theatre soon.

[56:10] Lee Roy Reams: Keep the spirit of Broadway alive!

[56:20] Lee Roy Reams: And always remember the legends who paved the way for us.

[56:30] Lee Roy Reams: Their legacy lives on in every note, every line, and every performance.

[56:40] Lee Roy Reams: So let's celebrate their lives and the joy they brought to the world.

[56:50] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you for being part of this special tribute.

[57:00] Lee Roy Reams: Until next time, keep dreaming big!

[57:07] Lee Roy Reams: Michael Bennett is choreographing a number for Joel Grey on a TV special for, oh, the comic guy, and I can't think of his name now, and I'll think of it in a minute, Alan King. And he said, and how would you like to do it? I said, well, I have to audition. He said, no, I'll just tell Michael, he'll take you. So I go into the art to do the job, and I'm only being honest now, we're here with a couple glasses of wine and just being factual. And I was hit upon by Joel Grey, and also by Michael Bennett. But I didn't want to get involved. And, you know, and I wasn't attracted. So that's as simple as that.

[57:56] Kevin David Thomas: You were hot, Lee Roy. You are. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You are hot.

[57:59] Lee Roy Reams: Well, God bless you, darling. Michael, we get so Bob Aviance says, Michael is doing the Millican breakfast show. Do you want to be in it? The classic industrial? Well, I was then cast for Oklahoma, playing Will Parker at Lincoln Center with Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West. So exciting. I said, Well, I don't know, but it worked out fine. I could do it. And that was a good job. It paid well. And you got a $1,000 bonus at the end.

[58:24] Kevin David Thomas: So you completed the run.

[58:25] Lee Roy Reams: That's right. And so I go into do and of course, Michael's at me immediately. And I think I'm smart enough to avoid. And so finally, one day, Michael says, Okay, now, what excuse do you have tonight? What are you doing tonight? I said, Well, it's funny, you should ask Michael, I'm going to see Dear World. He said, that's at the Broadway theater. That's a block and a half from my apartment. Why don't you drop by after we'd have a glass of wine. He's a strong personality. This Michael Bennett Napoleon, baby.

[58:52] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah. And I said, Well, you're very kind, Michael. I said, But you know, I don't like to go out after the show, because I've got rehearsal. He said, Leroy, why you avoid me, I want to get to know you, you're going to be one of my dancers. And I don't know, I know all my dancers, but you every time I come away, you always shot. He said, Don't you like me? I said, Well, I like mixing what you more, but you're going to be working for me, and I don't know you. So just drop by and have a glass of wine. I said, Okay, I will. I thought I could handle this.

[59:30] Lee Roy Reams: In those days, we wore jackets and ties to the theater. So I go over to Michael's apartment, I hope he opens the door, the shirts open to the waist. He's barefooted and higher than a kite. We've heard from many of our previous interviews that like, and this is not talking out of turn, but Michael Bennett enjoyed some of the substances and took solace in some of those substances. I'm being nice right now, but he liked to do some drugs. Heavy duty pot smoker.

[59:56] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, later it was cocaine.

[59:57] Lee Roy Reams: Well, yeah, later cocaine was other in the 80s. It was other things too. Yeah. So I go into his apartment, we go into the living room, wall to wall carpeting, a wall to wall carpeting, a black suede chaise lounge, and big pillows on the floor. The only place to sit was the chaise lounge. So I sat down, and we started talking.

[1:00:26] Lee Roy Reams: And he said, You know, I've been offered a show called Coco about Coco Chanel and Catherine Hepburn is going to start. He said, after Henry, sweet Henry, I think he said, But I don't know whether I want to do it or not. Because there's not choreography. It's like moving models around. I don't know. I said, But Michael, what about your life experience being with Catherine Hepburn? I said, Michael, to be with that woman, I think would be a four year course in college. And also to be with Alan J. Lerner. I said, Mike, and Andre Previn. I said, Michael, are you crazy?

[1:01:04] Lee Roy Reams: So he said, Leroy, would you take, loosen your tie and take off your jacket? I feel like I'm in church. And I laughed. And I said, I said, Let me fill your wine. I don't want any more wine. He filled my glass. And we're talking about show business and getting really into him. And then he pounced. He just literally jumped on me. And I felt so embarrassed for him. And I thought, Oh, hell, if you want it that badly, here it is. So I laid back. And with Michael, I'm just being honest. It's like when you go in the kitchen, turn on the lights and the roaches start running. He was all over me. And I never had to do anything but just sit there. I just had to lay there. He did all the work.

[1:01:49] Lee Roy Reams: And so then the next day at rehearsal, I come in, I'm thinking, and he said, spend the night, spend the night. I said, I can't. I shouldn't have done this. I got to go home. So I go into rehearsal. And of course, he comes up to me during rehearsal and I can still taste you from last night. I can't stand it. And he starts calling me on the phone. I got to see you. I'm in love with you. All of this stuff. I thought, Oh, my God, I'm not in love with him. I like him very much. I think he's so talented, but I'm not in love with him. But so we're having like a little fling. Sure. But I never said I love you. And God knows he said it to me and would talk to me on the phone till I would blush.

[1:02:38] Lee Roy Reams: And at the same time, I was seeing Bob Donahoe, your husband of free spirit decades. I wasn't committed to anybody. I was just having a good time. And so anyway, I'm getting ready to open in Oklahoma. So I said, Michael, I have a ticket for you for opening night. He said, fine. So a week before this is the Oklahoma at Lincoln Center. Thank you. With Richard Rodgers produced by Yep. Yep. And I work with Richard Rodgers. My God, just another whole show that we all know. But anyway, so we're now.

[1:03:09] Lee Roy Reams: And so Michael called me a few days before the opening and said, I hope you aren't going to be angry with me. I can't come and see Oklahoma. I said, Oh, I'm sorry. What do you got a job? Are you going out of town? He said, Leroy, I have to be honest. Please always be honest with me, Michael. He said, I can't sit through Oklahoma. Now this is a man who says, I love you. I can't live without you. Will you move in with me? Will you be my, I mean, and yet you can't come and see me in Oklahoma, which is my first big role in New York. And so I thought, Oh, okay.

[1:03:46] Lee Roy Reams: So I called Bob Donahoe who said, Oh yes, I'll be there. And I'm going to rent a limousine. This is a big night for you. And I said, well, that settles that. So the show opens two days later, ring goes the phone. Michael says, you're mad at me. You haven't called me. I said, no. Or have you called me, Michael? He said, well, you got good reviews. I said, I'm very good in the show. I'm sorry. You don't want to see me do it. And he said, well, can you come down on your day off? And I said, Leroy, I can't, I can't live without you. I've, you know, I'm in love with you. I said, sure, Michael, I'd be glad to come down.

[1:04:21] Lee Roy Reams: So on the day off, I go down and his lady who took care of it made us dinner. We sit down. I said, now, you know, Michael, you've been honest with me and I must be honest with you. I am not now, nor am I ever going to be in love with you. I just don't have those feelings for you. I certainly admire you. I think you're so talented. I want to work with you. We don't have a lot in common as far as friends, you do drugs. I'm never going to smoke dope. I'm not going to do the weed. You do it all the time. You wake up in the morning and you smoke a joint and your friends all sit around and they go, Oh yeah, man, that's cool. Oh, I dig that. Oh, that's, I said, you know, Michael, I had four years of college. My vocabulary extends past cool. And that's all of that stuff. Groovy.

[1:05:06] Lee Roy Reams: I said, you know, and I, I said, and I love you, Michael, as a, as a partner, you know, in profession. So I said, let's just be professional friends and get the newest boy and fall in love with them. And, you know, just that I'm not in love with you, Michael. That was it. Never heard from him again.

[1:05:24] Lee Roy Reams: And so in addition to that, we're going to name some of the other people from 2021 just to celebrate them before we talk about some more people. We're going to have to put on the coffee. No, we got, no, we're going to just go through this list just so we can mention them. We got Bob Avian, Cicely Tyson, Hal Hallbrook, Jessica Walter from Arrested Development, who was a brilliant stage, Olympia Dukakis, huge supporter of regional theater, huge support.

[1:05:51] Kevin David Thomas: I loved her.

[1:05:52] Lee Roy Reams: Also was so brilliant and moonstruck. Yes. My God, that movie share Nicholas Cage. I love that movie. Share is just, I tell you.

[1:06:08] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, she's brilliant. She can act.

[1:06:09] Lee Roy Reams: Olympia Dukakis is like oftentimes the thread that ties things together. Like you think of like Steel Magnolias, if you're thinking of movies and stuff, but like this woman was regional theater off Broadway, had done it for years and years and years. I think of like Linda Eamon, I think of like women, like these, these actresses that have been around, are working nonstop. You know what they do? They focus. When they act, they focus.

[1:06:39] Lee Roy Reams: Now Olympia Dukakis was doing regional theater in Jersey when she got moonstruck and that's what walked away with an Oscar. Samuel Wright. Kids probably know him as the voice of Sebastian from Little Mermaid. Lisa Baines. She was a brilliant actress. Remember her? She got hit by the car or she got hit by a cyclist by Lincoln Center. Oh my God. She was this brilliant actress. She was in Neil Simon's Rumors. She had done tons of things. She was walking down the street by Lincoln Center and they still haven't found the cyclist. Still don't know who did it.

[1:07:12] Lee Roy Reams: Paul Huntley, wig, hair and wig. Lovely man in his townhouse. We all got to bring a fit in. He worked out of his townhouse. Yeah. And he did all my wigs for La Cage and for the producers. Wonderful, brilliant, genius guy.

[1:07:26] Kevin David Thomas: And he worked for you too?

[1:07:27] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, I believe he did Little Night Music, but I remember him going to his house and like he worked out of his townhouse. He was the wig man of New York.

[1:07:37] Kevin David Thomas: That was the wig man, yeah.

[1:07:38] Lee Roy Reams: Elliott Lawrence, the great music director. Great music director. Mickey Grant, who we tried to get on the show many times. One of the first women to have nominated for a Tony Award for book, music, lyrics, and everything. I mean, this is a legendary writer. If you can't listen to Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope on YouTube, listen to this album. It's amazing. It is a shame that her work was not recorded more. Magical.

[1:08:12] Kevin David Thomas: And when we met her at 54 Below, I mean, that was, I felt like that was a really special moment.

[1:08:18] Lee Roy Reams: Great television actor, Ed Asner.

[1:08:24] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, lovely man. Brilliant Lou Grant.

[1:08:25] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, kind of grouchy. We did cruises together.

[1:08:30] Kevin David Thomas: Did you really? For Theater at Sea, yeah. Was he fun or no?

[1:08:34] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, and we had a good time.

[1:08:36] Kevin David Thomas: He seems like a fun guy.

[1:08:37] Lee Roy Reams: Elizabeth I. McCann, I'm sorry, the great producer. Melvin Van Peebles. Leslie Bricusse, songwriter. Peter Scolari, who he did, he's a big television actor. He did like Bosom Buddies and New Heart, and then the latter part of his life did a lot of regional theater and a few musicals. He played a lot of Wilbur in Hairspray, but you never worked with him, right?

[1:09:04] Kevin David Thomas: No. Never worked with him.

[1:09:05] Lee Roy Reams: Okay. Jeffrey Johnson of Johnson Lift, the great casting director. Sally Ann Howes, did you have any interaction with her? One of the greatest voices.

[1:09:14] Kevin David Thomas: And then finally, the biggest loss of 2021 is Stephen Sondheim, who I've heard of him, who we've all had some interactions with.

[1:09:22] Lee Roy Reams: Well, I was in his home in Connecticut because of Jonathan Tunick and Lee Beery, who are friends. But it was an interesting evening, but I don't know Stephen, and he doesn't really know me, but I find that he's not very comfortable with people he doesn't really know. And I was being polite that evening because he and Jonathan had so much in common to talk about that Lee and I were just kind of sitting there being polite and not being bored, God knows, but it just wasn't.

[1:10:00] Lee Roy Reams: And so I never really had a very personal thing with Stephen. I regret, I wish, and then Hal Prince the same way. But I know that Stephen was not comfortable in social situations because one night I was at a big thing with Bacall and he came and he said, I hate these things. Why do we put ourselves through this? And I thought, well, why do you? If you don't like it, then stay home. Or if you're going to go, at least, you know, play the game and try to enjoy yourself and enjoy the people.

[1:10:29] Lee Roy Reams: I think he liked to control the situation he was in is what it seemed like when I did a little night music, the revival, and when we had a party at his house in New York, you know, in Kips Bay. And it was, it's interesting, the people he invited, the cast is a cast of 15, right? So it's only 15 people and the orchestra, and it was a reduced orchestra, much to the regret of any diehard fans of little night music. And it was a party of 23, four or five people, which included Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones. And yet, and the cast and amazing people, best musicians ever, he could control that. When you knocked on his door, he opened the door, welcome, hug, all of that. And I stayed the entire night because I'm a nerd and I loved it all. And we were on his first, you know, the first floor up, his office area. And I remember connecting with him. It was only being

[1:11:24] Lee Roy Reams: I was blown away by this, and he said, "Well, can you think of the music?" And so, if you're a classical listener, you know this: in classical music, you do not alphabetize by title; you alphabetize by composer first. That's exactly right. If you want to listen to Tosca, you've got to go to Puccini. If you want to listen to La Traviata, you've got to go to Verdi. If you want to go to Don Giovanni, you've got to go to Mozart. That's just the way it is. Well, I was a little dick, and I had a little... I was like, I was trying to challenge the master. Please forgive me if you've heard this story before, but I was at a party, had a couple glasses of wine, and I wanted to challenge him. I was like, "Does he really love it?

Does he really?" And I was like, "Well, Steve, what if you want to listen to Never T'd?" Now, folks, Never T'd is a musical that was never done on Broadway; it was done in Chicago in the late seventies. No one knew about it. Michael Nouri, if you know that name, God bless you, he was in it. So, I challenged him, and I was like, "What if you want to listen to Never T'd, Steve?" And he immediately was like, "Gore," he knew the composer immediately, and he was like, "Oh, there's a song in the second act." Oh man, he named it. He was like, "That's not a good title." And then he was like, "You know what I do? When I listen to music, I like to collect sounds from other places. So, I collect classical albums of composers that are new from countries that are not famous.

So, I will get a new composer from Peru, a new composer from Denmark, and I will steal their ideas and then try to, like... because that's what everybody does: just steal bits and pieces of ideas." He essentially told me his secrets, you know what I mean? In that moment, I found out why he alphabetizes by composer, because he thinks of composers first. If you read any work about him, he wants to be known as a composer first; that's the most important thing. Going back to when he stopped being a lyricist—he was always a lyricist, but he stopped being known as a primary lyricist after West Side Story and Gypsy. He wanted to be known as a composer, and it was just really interesting to see that firsthand and to witness it. Anyway, that's my story.

[1:14:41] Lee Roy Reams: The thing about his shows, I was there opening night of Company. Just electric! Oh God, yes! You knew at the time; you could tell that this was something different. Immediate! This was a magical experience. My ears perked up. Sweeney Todd blew me away. I went back—first of all, I love Lynn Karyu, who's a buddy—and I went back a second time to see it, and I was even more blown away. I think it is, as a friend of mine said, the best of its generation. It's just an incredible piece of music, and he just thrills me. I'm so sorry that I haven't had the pleasure, and he never got to know me. When I did Company up at the prestigious Darien Dinner Theater, we really had a great production of that, but he never went to see it.

I think he would have had a different impression of me had he seen that, but he only knows me as a tap dancer from Forty-Second Street, so that's unfortunate. Also, with Hal Prince, just to make one quick thing: I auditioned for Phantom of the Opera, and I said, "May I wear a mask so they can't see my face?" They said, "No, they won't let you do that." I said, "Because if they see my face, they're not going to buy it, but if I hide my face, they wouldn't let me do it." When I auditioned, Sandy—can't think of her last name, the pianist who used to play all the auditions—I think she's left us now, but she told me later, she said, "When you were auditioning, Hal Prince turned to Andrew Lloyd Webber and he said, 'If there were an MGM today, he would be the next Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly. He would have inherited that.'" But of course, I didn't get the job in Phantom of the Opera. Anyway, I went for it, but I never had the pleasure with either one. I regret that.

[1:17:01] Lee Roy Reams: When I worked with Mr. Sondheim, what I learned was how not precious he was with his material, especially as he got older. You know, I totally agree with you. We were in A Little Night Music, and Henrik has a line where he says, "Short and boring," and the actor is tall. So, we were sitting there in rehearsals, and Sondheim out of nowhere—literally out of nowhere—Trevor Nunn's talking, and Sondheim's like, "BLAND AND BORING!" We're like, "What?" "Bland and boring? Yes, he's hardly worth ignoring." We're like, "What are you talking about?" Well, he's not short; he's tall, so it should be "bland and boring." I love that. So, Mr. Sondheim, God bless you. Better things will always be done and continue to be done. Even the less successful will be like Shakespeare; keep doing it. As Betty Comden once said, "They never revive a musical for its book, only for the score." What a great quote that is!

[1:18:30] Lee Roy Reams: Jumping into 2022, just—Sydney Party, Marilyn Bergman. Did you ever get to do any of Marilyn Allen's stuff? Great Ballroom? No, I didn't. I met her one night when we were honoring Helen Mirren and Stiller. But I didn't know her. Beautiful composer, lyricist. Terry Teachout, the great critic, Margaret Stein, Julie Stein's widow. Yes, yes, wonderful, lovely lady. Very Irish, and she had to deal with a lot, didn't she? Yes, what a personality! Julie did have a strong element, but you had to love him; he was like a big lovable teddy bear. I couldn't keep my hands off of him—not sexually; I just loved him. I had to hold him; I had to have my arm around him. That's just the way Julie was.

[1:19:52] Lee Roy Reams: Oh yeah, the stories we heard—Julie Stein on the piano, even at a party, was like, "Let me play a song for you." When he was doing Treasure Island, they called me up and said, "Lee Roy, it's Julie." He said, "I'm doing this new show called Treasure Island. I don't want to work with a fucking kid. Can you sound like a little boy? Will you come in and sing the little boy?" I said, "Sure, Julie." He said, "You come in; you be the little boy." He thought I was a sight reader. I'm not. Now, I have a good ear, and I know a note goes up and a note goes down, but I'm not a sight reader. But Julie thought I was. What I would do is go and say, "Julie, you do the song first. You do it for me; let me hear you do it."

He would do it, and I would look at the music, but it all made sense in my ear. Then I would do it, and he would say, "God, you're fast!" I'd say, "No, Julie, you're that good because you make sense musically in my head and my ear." He was just a great, great guy and loved show business. He could write a show a day if you wanted him to.

[1:20:59] Lee Roy Reams: Don Pippin told us that—no, sorry, that was Cy Coleman. He would be like, "Cy, just settle on something!" But same thing with Julie Stein; Julie Stein could literally just, like that, "What do you want? What do you want to hear?" But like his wife, you know, was the gatekeeper. She was a great gatekeeper. Yes, she was a great gatekeeper, and Julie loved his kids from her. He loved all of his kids.

[1:22:00] Lee Roy Reams: Okay, go ahead.

[1:22:01] Kevin David Thomas: I was a Jimmy Niederlander—lovely man, producer, great producer. Ray Allen, great comic actress, and now somebody that's the reason why we're all here for us, at least. The great Gilbert Gottfried, who never did Broadway but had a brilliant podcast where he interviewed wonderful artists and got their stories. Unfortunately, he passed away much too young.

[1:22:38] Lee Roy Reams: Jay Bender, the casting director—actually a huge influence of mine.

[1:22:41] Kevin David Thomas: Talk to me more.

[1:22:42] Lee Roy Reams: No, it's just someone that—like, you should talk. I don't want to talk out of turn. We mentioned a certain actor in A Little Night Music, and I remember going into an audition with Jay, and it ended up being a twenty-minute audition because Jay just wanted to talk shop the whole time. Because if you're someone who loves show business, right? And you know this about me, Lee Roy, and I love the history. How do you appreciate the choir? Jay loved the history. So, when someone walks in and starts singing old show tunes—I sang from Goldilocks, you know, and Jay—

[1:23:38] Lee Roy Reams: One of my favorites!

[1:23:39] Kevin David Thomas: One of my favorites too! My all-time favorites! Oh my God!

[1:23:42] Lee Roy Reams: We would talk shop, and I don't want to say anything out of turn, but we just enjoyed talking about some of the other performers, and I loved Jay. Jay Bender loved theater. This man loved it, and that's why he was in charge of—I mean, you cast Encore for so many years.

[1:24:02] Kevin David Thomas: Yes, he loved it.

[1:24:03] Lee Roy Reams: Another song—I never know when to say when.

[1:24:06] Kevin David Thomas: A favorite!

[1:24:08] Lee Roy Reams: One Julie Stein quick story, please. When I turned forty, they did a big thing at the Palace, which was going to be a nightclub that they were opening in the old Luch House. The guy who was running it did my fortieth birthday, and he invited all the stars, which they came. They said, "What do you want for your present?" I said, "I want to sit at the piano with Jerry Herman, Cy Coleman, Charles Strouse, and Julie Stein and sing a song of theirs with them at the piano." You're lying! Yeah, so I got it. The thing about Julie Stein—he sat down, and I always wanted to sing "All I Need Is the Girl" because when I was younger, I thought that would be a great part for me until I found out that she steals the number at the end, and you'll lose focus.

But anyway, I did the number with Julie, and everybody clapped and carried on, and Julie said, "Oh, come on, kid! Come over and sit down, and let's sing another song," which wasn't scripted to do. So, I went over, and I sat down, and he said, "I want you to sing 'People' because Streisand ruined it for all the women." But a man can sing, and I want you to sing "People" tonight. So, he sat down at the piano, and he started playing "People." I was crying so hard I got through it, but I thought, "I am sitting at a piano with Julie Stein singing 'People.'" I think of all those years being in Kentucky, laying in the living room, listening to albums, and suddenly I'm sitting with Julie Stein playing "People," and I'm singing with him, with Jerry Herman, with Cy Coleman, with Charlie Strouse.

I mean, come on! That's the moment when you step outside yourself and say, "Fuck the awards, all the other crap; this is what it's about." It's these people, these geniuses that you worked with, and they have accepted you, whether you're on their caliber or level or not, but they like you. And I think I can speak for both Kevin and I when we say we feel the same way when we talk to you.

[1:25:14] Kevin David Thomas: Oh please!

[1:25:15] Lee Roy Reams: No, seriously.

[1:25:17] Kevin David Thomas: Seriously.

[1:25:19] Lee Roy Reams: Also on our list—oh, Robert Morse, Bobby Morse—divine, charming, adorable, funny. Did you get a chance to work with him, Kevin?

[1:25:32] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, really? The sweetheart, yeah! When we did How to Succeed at Fifty-Four, I got the idea. I said, "Would you play the narrator? Would you be the book voice?"

[1:25:41] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah!

[1:28:27] Lee Roy Reams: I just felt so out of place. It was not my thing at all. But we didn't know anything about it. We hadn't seen it. In addition to Robert LaPone, somebody we interviewed, and God, did I love her, Rita Gardner? Oh, yeah, the original girl in The Fantasticks who was working up until the day she died. I used to have her in 54 stuff every chance that I could. My performance with her during my act was her last stage performance.

[1:28:52] Kevin David Thomas: Was it really? What?

[1:28:54] Lee Roy Reams: Yes. What did you all do together? We did, uh, soon it's gonna rain.

[1:29:01] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah.

[1:29:02] Lee Roy Reams: What was the other song? Uh, just try to remember soon it's gonna rain.

[1:29:07] Kevin David Thomas: They were you?

[1:29:09] Lee Roy Reams: No, no, they were you. That's the song we did. And because Alex Reibach, my accompanist, is her accompanist. And I told this story about being in college and our college, University of Cincinnati, was the first production of The Fantasticks to be done outside the original show because my professor, Paul Runledge, went there, saw it, asked if he could get the rights to do it at school. They gave it to him. Wow. So we were the first production. And, uh, so Alex said, well, let's have Rita appear and sing with you. So she did. She was my special guest. That was her last performance. God bless her. She was divine, so special. And we're doing a special show of hers in a couple months at 54 Below.

[1:30:05] Kevin David Thomas: Yes.

[1:30:06] Lee Roy Reams: Incredible. And she was one of the sweetest, nicest. I always wanted to do Harold and Maude with her. That was when we kept trying again, and that just did not happen. But God bless her. Also, you younger people, you might remember her as the grandma in The Wedding Singer on Broadway, and she was hysterical with the rap song. Charles Fuller, who wrote A Soldier's Play, Mickey Callen, who played the original Riff in West Side Story, Lucy Simon, Secret Garden fame, uh, Susan L. Schulman, the great press agent. Well, one of our first guests, I mean, that was someone that was not only a guest but a proponent, someone who supported, someone who was an advocate for other artists, who spent her entire career trying to lift up and elevate, you know, the people of this industry and sometimes not always the biggest names of the industry.

And this is a woman who was always celebrating, always advocating, always pushing somebody. And Lauren Bacall adored her. She was our, uh, she was the press rep they sent because Bacall liked her, and she got along with Betty, so it was good for her too.

[1:31:05] Kevin David Thomas: That's a pretty hard job, I can imagine.

[1:31:07] Lee Roy Reams: Uh, but yeah, folks, if you've not listened to our interviews with Susan, I encourage you to do so. She also wrote a fantastic book called Backstage Pass to Broadway, which is so wonderful. So please honor her that way. That surprised me when I saw she passed. I didn't know she was sick. It was very sudden. I didn't know.

[1:31:24] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, yeah.

[1:31:25] Lee Roy Reams: Uh, Julie, he was a great casting director. Um, of course, Chet Walker. Yeah, great, great, great person who brought back Bob Fosse's legacy. The game, I feel like the gatekeeper of Bob Fosse. He produced, I mean, he choreographed the production of La Cage aux Folles that I did, the 10th anniversary.

[1:31:44] Kevin David Thomas: Oh, really? He directed that?

[1:31:46] Lee Roy Reams: So I worked with Chet.

[1:31:47] Kevin David Thomas: How was he?

[1:31:48] Lee Roy Reams: I knew him as a dancer.

[1:31:50] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, good fun, fun experience.

[1:31:52] Lee Roy Reams: Oh, yeah. Yeah. And then, of course, Seymour Red Press. Talk about legendary. Um, this is someone who I've been aware of since a kid, but that was, you know, not the most glamorous job as being the music contractor of shows. But, and yet, Seymour Red Press, he was in his late 90s, uh, had not only done that, but, you know, was a band member, somebody who was consistently there. We, we, I felt like we were really lucky that we got to talk to him at where he was. And yet, um, we, we loved celebrating his career. And yet, uh, I think The New York Times, like, or one of the periodicals used us to help elevate his career, and he's special.

[1:32:35] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, The New York Times obituary was pretty much our interview with him.

[1:32:38] Lee Roy Reams: And so we're, but that's why it's important to get these people's stories so that way they can be documented. And it's also important that we celebrate them this way. I want to, uh, do a couple shout-outs before we hit some of the other, like, you know, major ones like Lansbury. Bruce Pomahak, uh, Bruce Pomahak was the music director for Rogers and Hammerstein organization. If you listen to our Ted Chapin interview, Bruce was like the gatekeeper of the Hammerstein estate. If anything was written by Richard Rogers, Bruce was aware of it, knew it. Any revival of Cinderella, of anything that had Richard Rogers and Hammerstein associated with it, Bruce Pomahak was associated. David McDonald was an actor who I did Les Mis in the national tour, but he was in Sideshow.

He was 63 and way too young when he passed away. He did Dr. Zhivago and Mamma Mia with Carolee Carmelo and many, many things. Paul Sorvino, um, and Marva Hicks. Marva Hicks, uh, was a background backup singer for like Whitney Houston and any great singer in the 80s and 90s. And if you were like me and love Caroline, or Change, the original 2003 cast album, that's the radio. If you hear the radio, that lead singer, that's Marva Hicks. Like, it's gonna, she slays it on there.

[1:34:02] Lee Roy Reams: Um, and I just need to give a shout-out to Marva Hicks because that was his truly legendary voice. And of course, I forgot to mention another one of our guests that passed away, Carlton Carpenter. Yes, also passed away, the great Carlton Carpenter. Abba dabba dabba.

[1:34:17] Kevin David Thomas: I think of like how sweet and kind and loving he was when we talked to him. Just his experience in the industry, you know, it kind of reminds me of you, Lee Roy, because like Carlton, you know, the showbiz has its slings and arrows, and yet Carlton came out of it sort of like, yeah, had a good time. It was a fun time, you know, and I feel like you can relate to that a little bit. Did you get a chance to work with him ever?

[1:34:41] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, but we did evenings together. We would come out and sing songs on an evening, but, uh, no. But he was always a kind and a gentle.

[1:34:50] Kevin David Thomas: And I never used to really advantage in his career.

[1:34:54] Lee Roy Reams: No, no, no, no, no. He played, uh, Cornelius in Hello, Dolly.

[1:35:01] Kevin David Thomas: Yes, I never saw the performance, but he was certainly right for the part.

[1:35:04] Lee Roy Reams: Yeah, and Rebecca Luker. Here we go, Rebecca Luker. What a wonderful human being, quintessential soprano, Rogers and Hammerstein voice. She had no break. She just had voice was soared like a bird. It could do anything. She is a heaven, heaven human being.

[1:35:25] Kevin David Thomas: We're just lucky that, you know, in our business that we've been with people of genius.

[1:35:31] Lee Roy Reams: We've been very lucky.

[1:35:33] Kevin David Thomas: What would you say is like one of your, if you were to say, I love this about showbiz? Like, I know it sounds like a generic question, but like what is something you love about this after all this time?

[1:35:45] Lee Roy Reams: The enthusiasm of the people who love it, which is why it keeps going. That we all have this love. It's the reason I live in New York. It's the reason I will die in New York as long as I can climb the stairs. That it's the art form and the people in it and everything changes. Everything new is old again too, right? And we're going through a big transition on Broadway now.

[1:36:15] Kevin David Thomas: No, I was curious though.

[1:36:18] Lee Roy Reams: This is non-sequitur, and we can like cut this or whatever. You were literally aware of the La Cage aux Folles drama when, Santa, in 1984, picture it, 1984 Tony Awards. Sondheim's nominated, Jerry's nominated, Jerry gets the Tony Award, Sondheim does not. What was the vibe like?

[1:36:39] Kevin David Thomas: What was it? No, but like we all know what it was like from history's perspective, but like what was it really like in the trenches? Like what was it?

[1:36:48] Lee Roy Reams: It was misinterpreted.

[1:36:50] Kevin David Thomas: Yeah, unfortunately, it was misinterpreted.

[1:36:52] Lee Roy Reams: Because Jerry did not mean what came out as there's a nasty rumor that melody is dead on Broadway. Well, it's alive and well at the Palace Theater. And they thought it was a slap against Stephen Sondheim, but it wasn't.

[1:37:08] Kevin David Thomas: It wasn't that at all.

[1:37:09] Lee Roy Reams: It was just Jerry was speaking in generals about musical taste and what the current people who were selling records and all of that. That's what he meant. It was not, oh, yeah. It was not, but it was just unfortunate it was taken that way, and people have made that competition. And we don't compete in the arts; we create. I mean, you don't, you don't. I remember, don't compare Cole Porter to Rogers and Hammerstein. You just don't do that.

[1:37:46] Kevin David Thomas: I know a few years after that happened, somebody asked Sondheim about that at a public forum, I think it was in Texas somewhere, and they said, you know, how did you react to that? And, you know, weren't you offended? And he got angry at the questioner and he said, why would you even ask that? He goes, I never took it that way.

[1:38:06] Lee Roy Reams: He said that he didn't feel like it was a slap in his face.

[1:38:09] Kevin David Thomas: But I think writers are different than actors because actors, they're so competitive. They can be so competitive with each other because they both want the same role.

[1:38:19] Lee Roy Reams: Writers, no, go create something. I mean, look, look at how many times like Irving Berlin produced someone else's shows or Rogers and Hammerstein produced someone else's shows. They just, they support writers or just like how J2 Spotlight is celebrating shows of, you know, for the plug.

[1:38:38] Kevin David Thomas: He was not told to do this, Goodbye Girl, you know, Sugar, what's the third?

[1:38:44] Lee Roy Reams: Woman of the Year.

[1:38:45] Kevin David Thomas: We're talking like awesome shows that need to be seen and heard, and I think these composers would be very happy to have them be heard.

[1:38:58] Lee Roy Reams: Well, folks, after you said Shiva for all these people, go over to J2 and buy some season tickets for us because we know that's what they wanted. Ray Allen's last words were buy tickets to J2 Spotlight.

[1:39:06] Kevin David Thomas: Joe Allen's. I think everyone just wants to support Lee Roy.

[1:39:13] Lee Roy Reams: Thank you so much for joining us. As always, we look forward to seeing you every year. I, uh, it's and it's exactly what we want this to be, which is absolutely celebratory of these people's lives and the best way to begin the season and the new year.

[1:39:28] Kevin David Thomas: Yes.

[1:39:29] Lee Roy Reams: Yes, may all their memories be a blessing. Friends, we will see you again quite soon. We are so happy that, uh, you joined us for this episode, and Lee Roy, we thank you so much. We wish you a happy new year and can't wait to see all the wonderful stuff that you do in 2023.

[1:39:42] Kevin David Thomas: All right, friends. Take care. Bye.

[1:39:44] Lee Roy Reams: Bye.

[1:39:45] Kevin David Thomas: Bye.