This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:06] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to the Break a Bat Podcast, where baseball meets Broadway, an attempt to show that my two favorite mediums don't have to live in such separate worlds and maybe even break some stigmas.

[0:18] Al Malafronte: We're happy to have you with us.

[0:20] Al Malafronte: Now let's play ball.

[0:24] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to Break a Bat. Al Malafronte here coming at you from my home stadium, the Broadway Podcast Network Studios.

[0:32] Al Malafronte: We're only a few weeks away from opening day, and I couldn't be more soaked for the upcoming season.

[0:37] Al Malafronte: And I think the term excited very much applies to tonight's show. Alongside me in the batter's box tonight is someone who I've gotten to know in the past year, definitely one of my favorites here on Broadway, and more importantly, one of the favorites among the batheads.

[0:50] Al Malafronte: As she was voted to the Break a Bat Broadway All-Star team last summer. And I think what's most impressive about her selection to that roster is that she made it as a first-year player on Broadway.

[1:10] Al Malafronte: A lot of critical and popular acclaim. And as you know, in baseball, you don't necessarily have a ton of players come up and make such a big impact on the game right away.

[1:18] Al Malafronte: So that's partly why the Rookie of the Year award gets so much attention. So if that honor was given out here on Broadway, she'd certainly be right at the top of my ballot.

[1:26] Al Malafronte: So thanks, man. If you'll please turn your attention to home plate, just beyond the marquee. Now batting.

[1:35] Katlyn Carlson: What's up, kid?

[1:38] Al Malafronte: Yo, thanks for having me. So if I'm gonna do that introduction, like what uniform number would you be wearing, like number 21, number 13, Katlyn Carlson?

[1:46] Katlyn Carlson: Well, if we're like honoring Chloe Valentine, it's obviously number one being Queen B as she is. But if it's me, my lucky number's eight. So um, yeah, let's go with eight.

[1:59] Al Malafronte: Chloe Valentine could, I could have seen number one or 69, perhaps, but she was advanced for her age. Um what's going on?

[2:12] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my gosh, what have I been up to? It's felt like such a blur since the show closed. Um, you know, we wrapped up in like mid-late August, and uh I went to LA pretty much immediately after that for a couple of months to audition, and um that was really productive and really fun, and you know, got really close to a couple of things that were like so close it like hurt, you know.

[2:39] Katlyn Carlson: But um it's you know, it's nice to get that close to things, and it still sucks to not get them, but uh that's okay. It's all a process. And then um pretty much right after that, I went to um a long-planned vacation in Tulum that I had to leave halfway through to go do um Joe Trace, bookwriter of Be More Chill, his new Netflix series.

[3:01] Katlyn Carlson: Uh, a guest star on there, so I left Mexico to go back to New York to work with Joe Trace again, which is of course a blessing. And also, piece of advice for everyone out there if you want to book a job, book a vacation. It's the rule of the universe.

[3:16] Al Malafronte: And why is that?

[3:17] Katlyn Carlson: Um, because fate conspires against us and our happiness.

[3:23] Al Malafronte: Ah, I I see where you're coming from. Now, it's funny, you mentioned Netflix. Uh, you know, you were going back and forth to LA and whatnot. You kind of came back to town as a conquering hero because Holly Star was one of the biggest holiday films on Netflix.

[3:38] Katlyn Carlson: It it you know, it had a nice little surge. It was a nice season. We had a kind of an independent release last year, and um it gained some traction with uh you know, Be More Chill following, which is amazing, and then Netflix scooped it up, which is awesome and kind of rare for Netflix to do these days.

[3:57] Katlyn Carlson: They're typically like making their own content and you know, making their own productions from scratch. So it's cool to get um bought by them. And uh yeah, it had uh a nice trending period. I think uh people really enjoyed it. So I was happy to see that.

[4:12] Al Malafronte: And this is of no disrespect to the Be More Chill fan base, but how many stupid DMs did you get like Netflix and Be More Chill?

[4:19] Katlyn Carlson: Um not a not just a few. There were so there are people out there that lame.

[4:27] Al Malafronte: Okay.

[4:29] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, yeah. You know, there is there's there's people of every stripe.

[4:35] Al Malafronte: Yeah, I can imagine. Now you've been in the TV industry a long time and you're going back out to LA for pilot season. How's it changed?

[4:42] Katlyn Carlson: Oh gosh. Well, it's it's so saturated now, which is a blessing and a curse in that there's just so many platforms, uh, which means there's so many opportunities, but it's also um a really dense field.

[5:00] Katlyn Carlson: So uh more platforms mean more shows, means more work for actors, um, and more competition. It's just uh, yeah, as though as the pool gets bigger, so does the uh the fish in it. So it's um, you know, it's harder to compete, but there's more um field to compete on.

[5:19] Katlyn Carlson: So it's uh, you know, and it's happening all year round. So it used to be that pilot season was kind of isolated to, you know, February, March, and now it's expect uh it's heavier then as as it always is, but um, it also happens throughout the year.

[5:34] Katlyn Carlson: So when I go out to LA in the fall, I'm auditioning for pilots as well as episodics and it's all kind of happening all year round.

[5:41] Al Malafronte: Now you actually have a large body of work right now that is available on YouTube. Now, when you shot those, I I could tell you it had like a Katlyn Carlson spin on that.

[5:50] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, which things?

[5:51] Al Malafronte: Uh you did like a you did what was the video that you did with the chick who had that accent. You were kind of like it was kind of bronzy.

[5:58] Katlyn Carlson: Oh god. Um, was it like the wedding planner or something?

[6:03] Al Malafronte: It might have been.

[6:03] Katlyn Carlson: You kind of have like a funnier die type vibe.

[6:06] Katlyn Carlson: Oh gosh. Oh my gosh. Coffee, coffee and curigs or something.

[6:09] Katlyn Carlson: That's what it was.

[6:11] Katlyn Carlson: Okay, so that would have been um damn family, my uh beloved but now defunct sketch team. Um and we yeah, we did make a few videos uh back when, you know, we were just uh wanting to write our own stuff.

[6:26] Katlyn Carlson: And by our I mean me and my husband, and we, you know, we we did improv together for a while, then we switched over to sketch because we liked writing and it was a little more um predictable show to show than improv is.

[6:39] Katlyn Carlson: And um yeah, so we had a lot of fun on this team, and like we we actually started watching some of our old stuff a couple weeks ago. It's kind of stumbled across on like our Vimeo or something. We're like, man, this shit is weird.

[6:53] Katlyn Carlson: Like, what? Or we do we had a show that we wrote for UCB um called Till Death Do Us Fart. And it's like about uh um a spoof of an off, off, off, off, off off Broadway play starring a husband and wife duo.

[7:11] Katlyn Carlson: And um during our like cheesy intro, I fart in front of him for the first time, and he can't handle it, and so we tailspin and uh have to break it to our adult son that uh we're gonna split up and do two separate shows.

[7:26] Katlyn Carlson: So um it's absolutely batshit insane and like freaking hysterical. And we also wrote another show called The Masturbating Time Traveler, which the world just wasn't ready for.

[7:36] Al Malafronte: I was gonna say these titles that you're choosing are very risque, and I'm actually the whole reason I brought it up is because you know, you talked about how things change and how things are so saturated now.

[7:46] Al Malafronte: Like, were you sending these out along with like your audition reels and whatnot?

[7:50] Katlyn Carlson: Oh no, these were sort of like um like morsels to be enjoyed live only, you know, and we we think our humor will um translate in other areas of our career, but um, we weren't trying to like sell Till Death Do Us Fart as uh series, but I mean maybe we should. It was pretty brilliant.

[8:11] Katlyn Carlson: So yeah, it's great. And um, you know, you you mentioned that you and your husband both actors and you both write, and you guys just finished working on a movie together, correct?

[8:22] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, we wrote a screenplay together that we are um in kind of the pre production stage for. Um, my husband's name's Ryan Farrell, he uh is a wonderful actor in his own right, and um he's from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the film is set there and it will be um shooting there.

[8:39] Katlyn Carlson: So we're in kind of that like terrifying uh fundraising, finding investors uh to come on board stage, and it's very exciting, a little scary, but it's like, oh man, we're gonna make a fucking movie. It's gonna be awesome.

[8:52] Al Malafronte: Is that what got Holly Star produced? Did you have to fundraise to get that made?

[8:55] Katlyn Carlson: No, Holly Star was um, I was I was I just auditioned. I was cast off a tape for that movie.

[9:01] Katlyn Carlson: So um that was an independent independent film itself. Um, Ed Burns, the wonderful independent actor director, um, was the executive producer on that film, and um directed by a great guy named Michael A. Nichols, and uh yeah, just cast me off a tape, and we had a FaceTime chat, and that was that.

[9:19] Katlyn Carlson: So I it was kind of a fun crash course in what it means to um do an independent film where a community is rallying behind you to uh, you know, just in every possible facet it takes a village to make an independent film, and the villages happen to be Sacco and Bittiford, Maine.

[9:38] Katlyn Carlson: So um it was really, really cool to see how people were so excited to come together to make uh a lovely film that people can um enjoy every year. So we're hoping to replicate to an extent that sort of um community effort and like pride in a production in Calgary. We're pretty psyched about it.

[9:57] Al Malafronte: Yeah, and and you got producer credit in that film, if I remember.

[10:00] Katlyn Carlson: I did.

[10:00] Al Malafronte: You like reworked the script. What did you do that you actually earned me this title? I'm curious.

[10:05] Katlyn Carlson: Um I think that was more of like an incentive to come on. It was just kind of included in my offer package.

[10:13] Katlyn Carlson: Uh I never really dug into why that was part of it. I think just because I mean, you've seen the movie, I'm in like every frame of the thing, you know, and uh I think maybe they kind of knew how insanely brutal the conditions of shooting mostly outside in Maine in December would be.

[10:29] Katlyn Carlson: So they're like, you know what? This is gonna suck someday. So we're gonna throw you this credit. I'm like, great. So uh I'll take it.

[10:38] Al Malafronte: Absolutely. Now we're gonna leave Maine and take a trip back to St. Louis, Missouri. When we return on Break a Bat.

[10:52] Al Malafronte: Now you grew up in St. Louis. Tell us what it was like in the Carlson household.

[10:56] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my goodness. Oh, well, let's see. Okay, so I grew up outside of St. Louis in a small town called Eureka, Missouri. Eureka is as glamorous as it sounds.

[11:04] Katlyn Carlson: Eureka is a fun word to say.

[11:10] Katlyn Carlson: It is. Um, you know, there's kind of a funny story that I'm probably gonna butcher about why Eureka is called Eureka. Um, and it borders a town called Pacific.

[11:19] Katlyn Carlson: Um the legend goes that when the railroad was being built. The uh making up avatar, the uh the railroad um executive was like, you build this railroad till you hit the Pacific.

[11:36] Katlyn Carlson: And then they uh they gave up halfway across the country like Eureka, we reached the Pacific. With that big smile on their face, like you had telling that story.

[11:47] Katlyn Carlson: Pretty much, see, that might be complete bullshit. My uh AP history teacher told us that story, and he uh was a bit of a fibber, so maybe it was just like an elaborate dad joke.

[12:00] Katlyn Carlson: Um, but gosh, let's see. The the Carlson household was um a kind of a liberal bubble in a very conservative religious area.

[12:14] Katlyn Carlson: Um yeah, a very, very red state in a lot of ways. Um, I like St. Louis a lot, and it definitely has a lot of crazy problems. Um, but there are some cool pockets and like cool art scene emerging, and some, you know, some uh people who aren't denying the human rights of others at every turn.

[12:37] Katlyn Carlson: But um, yeah, I did a lot of um uh praying at sleepovers that I didn't see for what I'd be doing. Um it's like okay, I've accepted Jesus into my heart.

[12:50] Katlyn Carlson: Can we just sing karaoke now? Like just put on Grease 2, and then I'll debate with your mom about fossils not being real in the morning.

[13:00] Al Malafronte: Jesus Christ.

[13:02] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah. So there, yeah, there was a lot of that. That was fun. Um, but uh the yeah, the Carlson Household was great, really fun. And uh my mom was a teacher and my dad still is a lawyer.

[13:14] Katlyn Carlson: And um, my mom is a retired teacher's assistant reading specialist, and she's a Zumba instructor now. And my brother is uh a little bit older than me, and he has uh an amazing bakery in St. Louis.

[13:25] Katlyn Carlson: He still lives there. And uh yeah, this great bakery called Red Guitar Bread. Best pizza in St. Louis. Check them out, Jackie Street.

[13:36] Al Malafronte: That's a bold, you know, thing to say on on this podcast with a largely New York City-based audience.

[13:42] Katlyn Carlson: Well, I know, and St. Louis pizza is a very divisive subject.

[13:45] Al Malafronte: In what way?

[13:46] Katlyn Carlson: Um, it is what many people would describe as gross, but not me. It holds a very special place in my heart.

[13:55] Katlyn Carlson: However, my brother Alex does not make St. Louis style pizza. He makes like Neapolitan pizza, you know, like chard in the brick oven, like incredible crust, blah, blah, blah.

[14:03] Katlyn Carlson: But St. Louis style pizza is like, I mean, that's what I grew up on. So I didn't know differently. It was like, you know, Emo's the local chain, or like Pizza Hut. We all know what Pizza Hut's like.

[14:13] Katlyn Carlson: So it's just like, oh, this is thin crust pizza. It's like cracker thin crust with Provolone cheese, which not everyone knows, like a pro uh provolone and other stuff.

[14:24] Al Malafronte: I like Provolone. I'm curious to hear what this other stuff is.

[14:26] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, I think it's basically like uh a hybrid of um provolone and like American cheese. It's very um liquidy.

[14:37] Al Malafronte: Okay, okay. I'm not selling it.

[14:39] Katlyn Carlson: And you know, but you know what? John Hamm, huge fan of St. Louis pizza as a St. Louis in. And um he sends an emotion pizza to every talk show he goes to.

[14:48] Katlyn Carlson: So I really should have had one sent here.

[14:55] Katlyn Carlson: That's the best. That's the that's the go-to.

[14:56] Al Malafronte: Yeah.

[14:57] Katlyn Carlson: How do you say mozzarella in in uh St. Louis?

[15:00] Al Malafronte: Mozzarella.

[15:02] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, jeez. Do you say mozzarella like like we do around here?

[15:08] Al Malafronte: No, no.

[15:10] Katlyn Carlson: Um uh mozzarella. You know, uh I mean you saw my last name, right? It's like it was I was born into that pronunciation.

[15:20] Al Malafronte: Well, you know, I just watched this long YouTube video that was like asking Italians to say these things, and they're like, no, there's a nay on the end.

[15:30] Katlyn Carlson: What does mozzarella? Like, I don't know. I got a point.

[15:34] Al Malafronte: There's a day. Cala mod, like calamari, like you would probably say calamari.

[15:38] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, that's called bruchetta.

[15:43] Al Malafronte: You just take off the vowel.

[15:45] Katlyn Carlson: We pride ourselves on the vowels, but you just got you just clip them in Italian, yeah.

[15:48] Al Malafronte: You clip them with the food.

[15:50] Katlyn Carlson: See, no, I'm I'm I'm Swedish, Irish, and German, so none of these impulses are helping me out with the uh the mozzarella.

[15:57] Al Malafronte: It's a good combo. The Swedish-Irish and German part.

[16:00] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah. Um, you know, and just going back to your childhood for a second, you know, tremendously bright parents, and I know just from talking to you the you know a few times that I have, you're tremendously bright girl. Uh your parents, one thing that I thought was so cool is that it sounds like you grew up in a house that really embraced sports and the arts.

[16:19] Katlyn Carlson: They did, yeah. You know, Cardinals fans really have a knack or a reputation for being super down to earth. And I know that um, you know, sometimes that, you know, we as Yankee fans, we get a little bit of a bad rap, but you went to quite a few games growing up.

[16:36] Al Malafronte: I did. As a kid. Uh what was it about baseball in particular that you think, you know, drew your family in so much?

[16:44] Katlyn Carlson: Uh drew your family in so much. Um, oh my gosh, that's a good question. Well, my my dad is originally from just outside of Chicago.

[16:51] Katlyn Carlson: So he actually grew up as a Cubs fan. Um, so I think he just grew up going to those games as well. Um, not a big athlete, my father, but um an academic, clearly.

[17:02] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yes, more on that side, more of a like dissecting the game than playing it.

[17:07] Katlyn Carlson: But he I mean, he coached my my table team and everything. Um yeah, so I think one I mean he came to St. Louis as a teenager and um, you know, so I guess became like a big Cardinals fan.

[17:22] Katlyn Carlson: And I don't know that my mom would describe her as a huge herself as a huge baseball fan, but she definitely goes to the games.

[17:29] Al Malafronte: Did you guys have season tickets?

[17:30] Katlyn Carlson: Oh yeah, you know, we had seasoned tickets every year growing up, and it was always like a great family outing.

[17:35] Katlyn Carlson: Um, there's something very like, I don't, you know, I don't seek out watching baseball on television, but going to a game is like such a therapeutic, like meditative experience.

[17:45] Katlyn Carlson: It's sort of this collective chill energy with these bursts of excitement, which is um kind of like the perfect speed for a you know, an outing when you just want to like chill for a while, eat some nachos, and then like stand up and yell and then sit back down.

[18:03] Katlyn Carlson: And yeah, it was great. I loved it. And when you get old enough, you know, you add beer into the equation that makes it more fun.

[18:10] Al Malafronte: Now, this may be too deep a question. Was there any was there ever anything that you saw in the field that, you know, again, you have this performing background that kind of inspired you, or you know, anything that you picked up from the stadium that you applied later in life?

[18:25] Katlyn Carlson: Oh gosh, that's a good question. I mean, well, I was all I was a gymnast growing up, so Ozzie Smith would always do the back flip on opening day.

[18:36] Katlyn Carlson: And I think he was doing it every game for a while, but like later in his career was on opening day.

[18:40] Al Malafronte: Yeah, once he hit 40, you can't do it.

[18:42] Katlyn Carlson: Like you guys did this once. And I loved, I just found that so charming and just so powerful and cool, you know, because like most guys weren't doing a flip.

[18:53] Katlyn Carlson: And it was somehow very like um, it was showmany without being like show off-y.

[19:01] Katlyn Carlson: It was just this ownership of his field and his game and his crowd, and just like, you know, feeling the crowd in the palm of your hand, which I can relate to as like that's one of the best feelings in the world.

[19:13] Al Malafronte: So yeah, absolutely. And you started performing at how old?

[19:17] Katlyn Carlson: Um let's see. My well, I started really, really like wanting to be an actor as a like a sophomore in high school.

[19:26] Katlyn Carlson: I did my first musical, but before I mean my parents would say they knew very early on.

[19:32] Katlyn Carlson: I was doing like a whole routine after dinner every night in our kitchen, like doing impressions, like yeah, a whole, a whole thing.

[19:40] Katlyn Carlson: So they were not surprised when I was like, I want to be an actor. They're like, mm, we know.

[19:45] Al Malafronte: So you were always theatrical, but you didn't really pursue it in you know a formal way, I guess, until you went to high school.

[19:51] Katlyn Carlson: That's amazing. Totally. I was um, well, I was, you know, a gymnast for so long and um a very academic kid.

[19:57] Katlyn Carlson: So I thought I was gonna be a doctor.

[19:59] Katlyn Carlson: Like I thought I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon.

[20:01] Katlyn Carlson: Because, you know, as a young gymnast, I was like seeing my orthopedist a lot, working on that patella tendinitis and whatnot.

[20:07] Katlyn Carlson: So um, I was like, this is great. I I can, you know, extend my love of sports and you know, physiology for the rest of my life.

[20:14] Katlyn Carlson: And uh turns out I just wanna make people laugh on stage.

[20:20] Al Malafronte: I mean, that's the greatest gift that you could give to someone. When you have to make that decision in high school, and there's a dilemma for a lot of performers who did both sports and the arts, you know, getting up to that point.

[20:30] Katlyn Carlson: Uh, did you completely put uh being a gymnast on the back shelf?

[20:34] Katlyn Carlson: Well, um, I that was kind of a decision that was made for me.

[20:38] Katlyn Carlson: I fractured my fifth lumbar vertebra when I was 13 or 14 years old in eighth grade.

[20:44] Katlyn Carlson: And um, yeah, that was like uh kind of put a quick stop to that.

[20:49] Katlyn Carlson: I was uh I wore a brace for like three months, which made me very cool in eighth grade.

[20:57] Katlyn Carlson: In case uh the audience can't sense my sarcasm. I was not cool.

[21:03] Al Malafronte: Wait, were you not cool because of the back braces?

[21:06] Katlyn Carlson: Oh no, I was not cool for many reasons.

[21:10] Katlyn Carlson: Um, but uh yeah, so uh, you know, I that injury happened, you know, where the brace, it healed, went back to gymnastics, promptly broke it again.

[21:18] Katlyn Carlson: And I was like, you know what? I was never like Olympics bound.

[21:22] Katlyn Carlson: I'm just gonna call it a day on this particular, like ginormous piece of my life, which was not a hard an easy decision to make.

[21:30] Katlyn Carlson: But um, you know, I like grew six inches and then uh got to do theater.

[21:34] Katlyn Carlson: And at that point, my brother had started doing theater, and I was like, I want to do what he's doing.

[21:39] Katlyn Carlson: So I got to finally like pursue that and fell in love with it more than anything I'd ever done before.

[21:46] Al Malafronte: It's cool that you look up to your brother. My younger sister made fun of me like for many, many years.

[21:51] Katlyn Carlson: So she could have taken a few lessons from you.

[21:54] Al Malafronte: Uh it's interesting, you know, you went to University of Chicago and you pursue a degree in English.

[22:00] Al Malafronte: Is acting still at the forefront during that moment?

[22:03] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, absolutely.

[22:04] Katlyn Carlson: Um it was uh a funny thing because the University of Chicago is a liberal arts college, and it didn't have a theater major when I went there, which I knew, and I um didn't want to pursue um a conservatory program for acting.

[22:23] Katlyn Carlson: I just uh, you know, I was coming out of high school as you know, like I said, just a very academic-oriented student and um wanted to pursue the whole like learning about everything thing.

[22:32] Katlyn Carlson: And the UFC felt like a really good fit um for my like pretentious little intellectual teen self.

[22:40] Katlyn Carlson: And so um went into the interdisciplinary studies in the humanities, quote unquote.

[22:46] Katlyn Carlson: And then my third year, they offered or they created a major called theater and performance Studies.

[22:53] Katlyn Carlson: So it's like easy, easy transfer of all my credits.

[22:55] Katlyn Carlson: And at that point, I had um I'd booked my first couple professional productions.

[23:01] Katlyn Carlson: Um, and basically the uh program director wanted me to do a BA project, and like instead of doing a professional production, I was like, no, I don't think I'm gonna do that.

[23:13] Katlyn Carlson: So I then transferred all my credits to English and finished that way.

[23:16] Katlyn Carlson: So I was the first theater and performance major in the first theater performance studies dropout at the UFC.

[23:23] Al Malafronte: Do you feel any extra confidence when you get to when you graduated a school when you graduate from a school like that?

[23:29] Al Malafronte: Because as you know, acting can be such a turbulent industry.

[23:33] Al Malafronte: And you know when you have a degree from a school like that that you just in a worst case you have something to fall back on.

[23:38] Al Malafronte: Did is that into your mind, or is it just like, no, screw it? No matter what, I'm gonna make it as an actress.

[23:43] Katlyn Carlson: Because I know that it's very hard to you wanna stay focused on your primary goal, but you also, you know, you want to have somewhat of a safety net.

[23:52] Katlyn Carlson: Am I wrong about that, or how does that work?

[23:54] Katlyn Carlson: Um, I've never considered um my English degree as a safety net in any capacity.

[24:02] Katlyn Carlson: I'm like, I basically like, well, this demonstrates that I can read and I can um, you know, rattle off of your Shakespearean monologues if you want, which came in handy for a while when I was like auditioning for that kind of stuff, which I'm just not really doing right now.

[24:16] Katlyn Carlson: But um, no, it was always pretty all eggs in the acting basket and just hoping that it worked out.

[24:23] Katlyn Carlson: And there's still that hope. I don't think you kind of ever stop hoping that hope.

[24:26] Al Malafronte: Did you get regular work out of college?

[24:29] Katlyn Carlson: Um, I worked as in the storefront theater circuit in Chicago for many years.

[24:34] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, like multiple plays a year. There, it's hard to make a living as an actor in Chicago, and most actors don't.

[24:42] Katlyn Carlson: Um, you know, there's some of the most incredible theater I've ever seen in my life that takes place in like teeny little storefronts, black boxes in Chicago.

[24:51] Katlyn Carlson: Um, but there's like a handful of actors in Chicago who make a living there.

[24:56] Katlyn Carlson: Um, and there's shows the cast there, but you know, they're coming to New York in LA for like the major guest star roles and all that jazz.

[25:03] Katlyn Carlson: So it always seemed like I was gonna leave there eventually, but I was working a lot in theater at the at that time.

[25:09] Al Malafronte: Do you feel like a big fish in a small pond?

[25:12] Katlyn Carlson: Here?

[25:12] Al Malafronte: No, there.

[25:13] Katlyn Carlson: No, no.

[25:15] Katlyn Carlson: God, no.

[25:18] Katlyn Carlson: Um, oh gosh, I I wouldn't say that um at that point.

[25:22] Katlyn Carlson: I was like, you know, mid-20s, and still um, you know, kind of trying to discover my own relevance.

[25:32] Katlyn Carlson: And at one point, this very well-respected, well-known actor in Chicago, um, his name is Larry Newman Jr., who was uh this one of the stars of the first play I did at a Red Orchid Theater, uh, where Mike Shannon is a company member and founding member.

[25:50] Katlyn Carlson: Um, it's an incredible play, it changed my life.

[25:53] Katlyn Carlson: And uh, we did a couple shows together, Larry and I.

[25:56] Katlyn Carlson: And at one point, Larry said to me, uh, I can't remember the context of this, but he's like, Katie, people know who you are.

[26:04] Katlyn Carlson: And I was shocked.

[26:06] Katlyn Carlson: I was shocked to hear that.

[26:08] Katlyn Carlson: I think there was something about like the Midwest upbringing and like, you know, wanting to be known and make a name for myself, but also this these impulses of like, don't be in anyone's way, you know, and just like assuming people don't recognize me or remember me.

[26:22] Katlyn Carlson: And it was like, oh, I'm actually doing great work, and people notice.

[26:27] Al Malafronte: So I think that's an ongoing thing, actually, is like acknowledging when you do good work and like accepting that it's worth knowing.

[26:37] Al Malafronte: And how did you transition to the TV side of things?

[26:41] Katlyn Carlson: So that came, I mean, there were a couple things here and there in Chicago, like really small things.

[26:49] Katlyn Carlson: But um, I was cast as one of the leads in an independent film um in Chicago, which was my first time doing a feature film.

[26:57] Katlyn Carlson: And that was just so life-changing, just like being on set every day and learning from um Doug Jones, an incredible character actor.

[27:08] Katlyn Carlson: He was um the amphibian man in Shape of Water and you know, Silver Surfer, and all these incredible um like prosthetics roles.

[27:17] Katlyn Carlson: And this was uh the first role featuring him as a human man.

[27:21] Katlyn Carlson: And um, it was just a super cool experience.

[27:23] Katlyn Carlson: And I was like, oh man, this on camera thing is pretty great.

[27:27] Katlyn Carlson: And very shortly after actually the same year, I booked the National Tour of Dirty Dancing, the classic story on stage, which was the pre-Broadway national tour that happened to uh begin right before the recession happened.

[27:43] Katlyn Carlson: So Broadway did not read it.

[27:51] Katlyn Carlson: So um, you know, that's where I met my husband.

[27:54] Katlyn Carlson: And so basically he was living in New York at the time.

[27:56] Katlyn Carlson: And I was like, well, I was I knew I was gonna leave Chicago anyway, so I might as well go to the coast where this guy that I fell in love with lives.

[28:06] Katlyn Carlson: And um, you know, once you move to New York, it's like so much television.

[28:12] Katlyn Carlson: There's so much television casting all the time.

[28:14] Katlyn Carlson: So when you are lucky enough to get to a point where you can audition for that kind of stuff, it's uh, you know, that door opens a crack, you just kick it in and you just hope, hope they keep rolling in.

[28:25] Katlyn Carlson: So um, yeah, just moving to New York is kind of where that all began.

[28:29] Al Malafronte: And that's obviously small fish in a big pond.

[28:32] Al Malafronte: And I think in some ways, and and tell me if I'm wrong, and you know, you have a pretty good familiarity with baseball as well.

[28:39] Al Malafronte: I think the biggest separators for the great ones are the ability to be accountable, obviously, always trying to get better.

[28:49] Al Malafronte: However, um, you know, you kind of go from playing against the best players in a particular city uh in a particular state in your particular country, but when you come to New York, you're going up against the best players in the whole in the whole world.

[29:04] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, yeah.

[29:04] Al Malafronte: Um, does that make you raise your game at all?

[29:08] Katlyn Carlson: Absolutely. I think anytime you can raise the bar, um you meet it if you, you know, remain disciplined and motivated.

[29:20] Al Malafronte: Um it's it'll only elevate your game to be among people who are better at it than you.

[29:27] Al Malafronte: And you certainly did that. And before we head off to Broadway, we are going to take a short break.

[29:32] Al Malafronte: Uh, it's time for the seventh inning stretch, next on Break a Bat.

[29:43] Al Malafronte: Now, Caitlin, we're going to do one of our signature segments here on Break a Bat. Are you familiar with the seventh inning stretch?

[29:49] Katlyn Carlson: I am.

[29:50] Al Malafronte: And uh, so uh if you're familiar with it, uh who do you think did the best out of our previous episodes?

[29:56] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, you meant on your show.

[29:58] Al Malafronte: I thought you meant as a concept.

[30:00] Katlyn Carlson: I was like, yeah, it's when you go to the bathroom and you sing Take Me Out of the Ball Game.

[30:04] Al Malafronte: Yeah, well, you you have the right idea. And it's probably I'm kind of happy that you're uh going in blind. Picture this. Games tied, your chance to go into the clubhouse, loosen up a bit, hit the cage for some extra swings, except instead of swinging at baseballs, we're gonna have you swing at some trivia questions.

[30:21] Katlyn Carlson: Oh shit.

[30:22] Al Malafronte: Oh, yeah. Now it's been a few months since Be More Chill closed. Uh-huh. Just to make sure you're still well versed in the legacy of the show. I thought we'd come up with a few questions, half about Be More Chill, and the other half about baseball.

[30:37] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my God.

[30:38] Al Malafronte: Okay, great. I love this. And you get enough right, you win a prize.

[30:41] Katlyn Carlson: Okay, all right. All right. I'm very competitive and not always able to back it up.

[30:47] Al Malafronte: So this could be very frustrating. You just got like a look in your eye, like I feel like you're about to kick my ass. So let's see what we can do. I'm like in my brain, I'm like, come on, Carlson do. All right. Which nationality did Jeremy claim Madeline was?

[31:00] Katlyn Carlson: French.

[31:05] Al Malafronte: Can I hear your response to that in the crazy girl voice that he used in the show?

[31:13] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, she is not French. She just pretends to be for attention.

[31:17] Al Malafronte: Wonderful. Kind of sounds like Kevin McAllister does it. I did one for one, though, nonetheless. Oh, all right. Stan Musial's nickname was um.

[31:35] Katlyn Carlson: Uh let's see. Um the the Stan the Man.

[31:40] Al Malafronte: That is correct.

[31:41] Katlyn Carlson: Is that true?

[31:42] Al Malafronte: That is true. That is Stan the Man, yes.

[31:44] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my god. Amazing. I think see, that was like I learned that by osmosis. That's just like part of my DNA. I don't remember ever learning that, but I clearly did at some point.

[31:52] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, I was well, growing up in a Cardinals household. I feel like that's just a name that's kind of synonymous.

[31:57] Al Malafronte: Awesome. This is going great. When Michael's in the bathroom, he hears a drunk girl sing along with who through the door?

[32:06] Katlyn Carlson: Whitney.

[32:08] Al Malafronte: Three for three. I should have made some tougher questions here, right? Brittany, my my uh friend Brittany Brigolo is in studios and just kind of like looking at me like, what the hell, Al? Like you just went off the soundtrack. Um here's a good one. Who was the Cardinals gold glove winning catcher from the early 2000s who went on to manage four Cardinal playoff teams?

[32:32] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, I have absolutely no fucking idea.

[32:36] Al Malafronte: Is that is that your answer that you don't know?

[32:38] Katlyn Carlson: I don't know.

[32:39] Al Malafronte: It is Mike Matheny. Does that name ring a bell?

[32:42] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, it does.

[32:44] Al Malafronte: What does Squip stand for?

[32:46] Katlyn Carlson: Super quantum unit intel processor.

[32:49] Al Malafronte: You got it. Now we're not gonna let you get away without another baseball question.

[32:54] Katlyn Carlson: Okay.

[32:55] Al Malafronte: Which Yankee legend was Mark McGuire chasing in the great home run race of 1998?

[33:03] Katlyn Carlson: Wait a minute.

[33:06] Katlyn Carlson: Well, wait a minute. I know he was neck and neck with Sammy Sosa, but he that's that's right. Well, they were chasing each other, but they were chasing each other to brace a certain record.

[33:18] Al Malafronte: Mm-hmm.

[33:19] Katlyn Carlson: Um let's see. I I I couldn't even guess a name of a Yankee.

[33:31] Al Malafronte: Here's one Yankee that I have a good feeling that you know a little bit about, just because of his place in the Broadway community. Which Yankee is known as the Cuban missile and the apex predator in the Broadway community?

[33:48] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my God. Chapman?

[33:51] Al Malafronte: That is correct.

[33:52] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my God. Broadway's favorite Yankee, Aroldis Chapman.

[33:56] Al Malafronte: Where did I pull that out from? He does have a very large Instagram presence now these days. It's very much a thing. And hey, that's uh very clever with that apex predator tie-in.

[34:07] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah, he is a lot like Regina George. He's worn a pink suit on occasion to the stadium.

[34:12] Al Malafronte: He's amazing. Sometimes carries a purse. It takes a secure man to do that. And I think we need to break down these gender stereotypes. So uh more power to you, Chapman.

[34:21] Katlyn Carlson: Yes, he is a progressive figure. But let me give you your prize.

[34:24] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my god! Yay, I love to win. I said you get enough of them right, you win the prize. Now I know you like the occasional hat. And I was let's uh now I know you're going out to LA, so I figure you could take a piece of New York with you.

[34:36] Katlyn Carlson: Woo-hoo, dope. I love it. Is that your first Yankee hat?

[34:40] Katlyn Carlson: It is check out the back.

[34:41] Al Malafronte: Wait a second. Big on the back.

[34:43] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my god, look at that. Taking a little piece of this great show with you.

[34:48] Katlyn Carlson: I love it. I don't know when I started becoming a hat person, but I really am now. I love a snapback.

[34:53] Al Malafronte: It's kind of a New York thing, I think.

[34:55] Katlyn Carlson: I think so. I think it gives me a little street cred.

[34:58] Al Malafronte: Yeah. University of Chicago graduate.

[35:03] Katlyn Carlson: We gotta harden up these soft edges. Now it's funny, when we were doing that trivia segment, I left off any questions about the 2013 pennant winning Cardinals because rumor has it uh it might be a sensitive subject for you and your husband.

[35:18] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, you know, it uh it still pains me to think back on. No, it's uh it's it's fine now because they made it right in the end. But so basically this is what happened. So we got married 2013, October. And um we got if if you any St. Louis fans are listening out there, uh, we got married in Tower Grove Park and had our reception at Windows on Washington, right on the corner around the corner from the City Museum, which is a dope location.

[35:48] Katlyn Carlson: So we um stayed at a central hotel, which happens to be directly across from Bush Stadium. Got a great deal for like bridal party and like you know, the people staying at the hotel blah, blah, blah. Well, um, they were playing the Dodgers during the playoffs, and apparently the Dodgers won a game that they weren't expecting to win and ended up having to extend their stay.

[36:17] Katlyn Carlson: So a day before we're supposed to check into the hotel, which is the day before the rehearsal dinner. We get a call from the hotel that our bridal suite is no longer available. And we're like, hmm, the interesting, because we booked that shit like a year ago. So after you know, some digging, it is revealed that the um bridal suite is no longer available because Tommy Lasorda has been staying in it, the manager of the Dodgers, and would not vacate.

[36:51] Katlyn Carlson: The sweet fucking asshole. What a stopping asshole.

[36:55] Al Malafronte: It's a wedding. He can stay anywhere he wants.

[36:58] Katlyn Carlson: Honestly. So, you know, after uh some delegating, like, um, Dad, you handle this. They, you know, the hotel is able to, you know, they put together a couple of big suites to make like a mega suite, but it's you know, still not quite the same. And uh they basically promised us, like, you know, we're gonna make this right for you, like come hang out after the wedding, you know, bar tabs on us, blah, blah, blah.

[37:22] Katlyn Carlson: Well, the wedding ends, the, and we go back to the hotel for the after party, after the reception, and the Cardinals had just won a game. So the hotel is absolute pandemonium. So there's nowhere for us to go. And we basically find a concierge or a front desk person, somebody who's like, um, you know, just order what you want at the bar. Uh, we'll take care of it all, blah, blah.

[37:47] Katlyn Carlson: So we do cut to like half an hour later, the bartender hands me the check. Like in the the girl in the wedding dress. And it's like, what the actual fuck is going on around here? So we track down our front desk friend again. We're like, where can we like this is pretty whack. He directs us to a conference room on some floor upstairs, which we swarm takeover, have like a basically full bar at this point.

[38:18] Katlyn Carlson: And Ryan and I, you know, party there for a little bit, and then they're like, okay, we gotta get out of here. The everyone keeps partying in this conference room until the cops come. Like they got kicked out of the conference room after after party. And somehow, they after a very um sweetly written note from my mom, they they made it right the next year and gave me and Ryan a free stay on our anniversary.

[38:46] Katlyn Carlson: So we got to have a little a little staycation a year later in the bridal suite, finally. And that's Caitlyn's endorsement for that hotel. I'm not mentioning the name, but I will say Tommy Lasorda can suck my dick.

[39:03] Al Malafronte: Now another subject I tried to leave off was, you know, just you know Mark McGuire for a second. It's interesting how you can connect, Be More Chill to steroid use in baseball.

[39:14] Katlyn Carlson: Don't listen, we've had a ton of guys on the Yankees do the same.

[39:17] Al Malafronte: So um artificial means to achieve something.

[39:20] Katlyn Carlson: Mm-hmm. An example of that being prevalent on Broadway and in baseball.

[39:24] Al Malafronte: Indeed. Let me I mean I've done some steroids to get through a show.

[39:28] Katlyn Carlson: So have you really?

[39:30] Al Malafronte: Hell yeah. Like vocal steroids prescribed by a doctor.

[39:33] Katlyn Carlson: Yeah.

[39:34] Al Malafronte: Yeah. So that's different. That's not like yeah that's completely different.

[39:37] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, I don't know. Or it's kind of is it can now let me ask you around your peers, is that considered like a performance enhancing drug and they get pissed off?

[39:44] Katlyn Carlson: They don't get pissed off. It's more like um just you know uh I mean mostly it's like mind your own business I think people like know how to use them responsibly where it's like okay if you're doing this you like you you need you need to get get through this period of time.

[40:04] Katlyn Carlson: It often it's like in that insane period of like previews or like tech and previews where everyone's just dying and um you know you do what you gotta do. And uh I would say most people go to their like ENT for steroids. I'm so sure some people just have their personal cachet that they dip into when the time calls.

[40:24] Katlyn Carlson: But um I think people are pretty responsible with it. Cause like the Broadway performers, it's it's a different it's like a different kind of athleticism. You have to maintain your body at all times at all costs.

[40:35] Al Malafronte: So um people are gonna be careful, they're not gonna like, you know, do the steroids that make them feel great and then blow out their voice in a single night.

[40:42] Al Malafronte: Now, the union has no say in it.

[40:44] Katlyn Carlson: No, I don't think so.

[40:46] Al Malafronte: Okay, yeah, because like whereas with baseball, that is so much I mean, the bail players union protected baseball players for years with the the um the no drug policy. So I was I was just curious to see how if you know if they were in your corner, you know, for that being a

[40:56] Katlyn Carlson: Oh no, I've never I've never heard of any kind of like union intervention in that way. I think it's mostly just like uh you can be able to do your job responsibly, kind of a thing. When you were doing that show in the out-of-town run in New Jersey, did you ever imagine that it was gonna develop that that cult following the way that it did?

[41:19] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my gosh. Um not to the extent that it did, absolutely not. But there were some, you know, there were some hints early on that uh there was something like really special happening, you know, when before the album even existed, of course, we would have mostly teenagers, but all you know, adults too, like coming back to the show over and over and over, and you start to kind of like clock people singing along to the songs.

[41:44] Katlyn Carlson: It's like these songs don't exist outside these walls. So you have to be so familiar from coming to the theater to watch this show to know these words. It was, and that was wild. And that was like, this is that's pretty rare and that's pretty special. So there were there were inklings of like, hmm, I think this is something pretty cool.

[42:03] Al Malafronte: Now, when it makes when did you get the rumblings that it was headed to Broadway?

[42:07] Katlyn Carlson: Oh gosh. Um, well, I mean, off Broadway came as such a surprise that, you know, we we sold out our run before we opened. I remember like the moment during tech when Jennifer Ashley Tupper was like, we sold out. We're like, oh my God, that's wild. And then they um extended for a week and that sold out within hours. And we're like, okay, it's totally gonna go, right?

[42:36] Katlyn Carlson: But of course, you know what, this was my first rodeo with that. So I'm like, I don't ever count chickens, you know, before they hatch. And uh, I'm just like, okay, we'll see, we'll see, we'll see. But um, it was it this insane explosion of energy every night at the signature, and it just felt undeniable.

[42:51] Katlyn Carlson: And even though, you know, the times did not give it the rave that it consistently never gave. Um, it just felt like this thing is uh, it's it's gotta go. It's gotta go. There's like a fever pitch.

[43:05] Al Malafronte: I was gonna say it caught so much momentum. Uh we talk in baseball a lot about the importance of preparation. Uh, was there anything that surprised you or caught you off guard about Broadway as far as what you would have to do to get yourself into the zone?

[43:20] Katlyn Carlson: Everything about Broadway was harder than I expected it to be, especially having done off Broadway so recently, before Broadway. Um, but 3.0, as we called it, was uh just upgraded. Hey show, uh in every possible aspect. That you know, the choreography was harder, the vocal tracks were harder, little things like uh there were more costumes, faster costume changes, the wings were bigger.

[43:43] Katlyn Carlson: So like getting to a quick change took longer. Um, you know, Broadway, we say now, Broadway is stairs. The dressing rooms are never on the same floor, like it's like going up and down wildly gesticulating, hitting my face with the mic.

[44:03] Al Malafronte: I haven't seen your eyes go that wide since uh said she is not French.

[44:09] Katlyn Carlson: I'm like, I'm gonna take this mic and the teeth, I swear. Um, just going up and down stairs all day. It was like every everything was like constant wear and tear. So so much about the Broadway exterior experience was body maintenance, vocal maintenance, living this monastic lifestyle that I didn't expect because I didn't have to do it off Broadway.

[44:29] Katlyn Carlson: You know, as a performer, you know how to take care of yourself to a huge extent, but it was just a completely different animal on Broadway.

[44:46] Katlyn Carlson: It was just like this nonstop regiment of like trying to keep ahead of the sickness and the injury.

[44:53] Al Malafronte: Why do you think the show closed as quickly as it did?

[44:57] Katlyn Carlson: I think there I think the big thing was that we did not get a Tony nomination for best musical. Um and I got a crash course in like Broadway politics this past year. And I think the uh the the big the big thing is with um original musical theater, if you're not a known property, you know, if you're not um a movie adaptation, um you don't have a huge star as your lead, um you're it's a real uphill battle. So um the fact that we um did not get that nomination, that means you're uh out-of-towners just don't hear about you. You know, when you're on the Tonies, nominated for best score, and they don't say the name of your musical in like the parody moment, that's like, you know, that's kind of a bummer.

Yeah, it's just like the uh the Tonies is such a huge moment for recognition. Um that it it's it's just hard to overcome when you're not a super known entity. And I think um, you know, the show was such a you know a misfit kind of vibe, but it really was an international sensation. I think that could have been like emphasized a little more to get um get more of an audience there that wasn't gonna be like that first wave of uh the the rabid fans who did come over and over, which is amazing. But um, I think there was potential for um for more. But uh I don't think I could have done the show for longer.

[46:18] Al Malafronte: Is that right?

[46:23] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, I was I mean, I felt like I was being held together with Scotch tape by the end. It was just like, I yeah, it was just so so brutally hard. Physically, vocally.

[46:32] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yeah.

[46:33] Katlyn Carlson: I mean, I yeah, I had to do, I had to have such a lifestyle change. I just kind of like missed my my life. I like never got to see my friends. I was, you know, eating dinner at like 11 a.m. or 11 p.m. Like Ryan just like sliding a plate of food in front of me, like rolling me into bed. It's like, oh my God, I don't have a life, you know. So, you know, it's a it's very sad to have closed early, but it's you know a bit of a a bit of a blessing to be able to like say thank you, move on.

[47:01] Al Malafronte: Is it weird playing a teenager too?

[47:04] Katlyn Carlson: It's weird to have been able to. I'm like, uh sure. I mean, I'm like literally 20 years older than the character. I was like, I'm for me, I'm like flattered. But uh, no, it's I it's funny. I got to like tap into some of those uh, you know, as I mentioned, I was not a cool kid, so I got to kind of exercise the uh the demons of um popularity that you became damn popular, and that's something that I want to talk to you about.

[47:34] Al Malafronte: And this is gonna touch on your individual success for a moment, a little bit about you as a person and your personal success in 2019. Uh your fan base in Broadway really did grow so quickly. Uh, talent aside, I feel like fans can really relate to you because you're so open with them. It's like, hey, I'm starring in a hit Broadway show, but I'm also a regular person going through a lot of the same real life issues that you are. And there's a lot of people out there in positions similar that will try to put up a facade, uh, whether it's in social media or when you're meeting them in person. And you know, that's like one thing, just speaking from my own experience as a Yankee fan. That was often a dilemma for a lot of fans with A-rod because, you know, even with all of his success on the field, he would try to create this false narrative where he just would never show his hand as to what was really going on.

And as we found out later, there was certainly a lot going on. What is it that drives you to be so authentic and so real with your fans the way you are? Because you've touched on some really serious stuff.

[48:35] Katlyn Carlson: Um I I personally don't know any other way to be. And it sounds like that would be exhausting to have to put on um something very so false. Uh and I I kind of admire people who are able to do that, who are able to kind of like put on the sheen, only share what they want to share. Um, and I could definitely not share, you know, it's like it's not hard to not do Instagram. But um, I think there's I have a I'm so not like famous by any stretch in my estimation. But I feel like I have like a little bit of a platform, a little bit of a megaphone. And I think um I mean I think everyone thinks their own values are good. But I I believe in what I believe in. And I think it's an important thing to share.

I think it's important to share one's own authenticity and experience. And um if that makes people feel less alone or seen or heard in some way um I think that's really important. And I'm not going to tell other people how to act but I do think it's really admirable that that uh you that you use your platform the way you do.

[49:56] Al Malafronte: So thank you very much.

[49:57] Katlyn Carlson: Thank you. And it's a it's a fine line because there's also like you also have the right to not engage at a certain point. And there are I I learned a couple tricky lessons over the past couple years of like kind of you shouldn't read the comments and like probably like at a certain point just like don't engage and like the block button is there for a reason. Use it judiciously as much as like as open as I want to be it's also my own space and I don't need to like welcome every voice and energy into what I'm accepting into my space.

[50:29] Al Malafronte: Keep using it the way you're using it.

[50:31] Katlyn Carlson: Thanks man. We're going to take one last break when we come back it's time for fastball derby stay tuned.

[50:44] Al Malafronte: All right Caitlin, you've accomplished some great things on stage and on screen. But now it's about to get tough.

[50:48] Katlyn Carlson: Oh boy.

[50:49] Al Malafronte: Ninth inning, two outs, bases loaded. Let's just say it's a one-run game. Uh, and you have to get home at least a tying or winning run if you really want to go to the next level. But Aroldis Chapman is on the mound throwing 105 miles an hour. He's a six-time all-star. I'll be playing the role of Aroldis Chapman. I ask you a question, like I'm throwing the pitch to you.

[51:05] Katlyn Carlson: Okay.

[51:14] Al Malafronte: And you say the first thing that comes to your head, take your best swing. Okay. You'll see how it goes. It's like a word association kind of thing.

[51:19] Katlyn Carlson: Not at all. This is just to give more insight to you.

[51:21] Al Malafronte: Okay.

[51:23] Katlyn Carlson: Wow, that's the most confusion we've ever had going into fastball derby, Britt.

[51:26] Al Malafronte: No, this is just my like competitive. I'm like, okay, how didn't you just give me a few? We're all out of process. I don't know if I can win, but I want to win. Sorry to disappoint you.

[51:36] Al Malafronte: Favorite New York City meal.

[51:41] Katlyn Carlson: Oh my gosh. Um. I love food so much. And I honestly it's really hard to. Okay, so uh there's a this great new restaurant on um Columbia Street in my neighborhood called the Longshoreman that opened recently, and they have the best burrata that I've ever tasted. Um, I don't know, maybe it's Burat. No, that's not even Italian. That's just anyway. It's great. It's uh like on arugula and all this incredible shit. Um yeah, it's delicious. That's the first thing that comes to mind.

[52:13] Al Malafronte: If you were a baseball player, which position would you play and why?

[52:19] Katlyn Carlson: Um catcher, because that's what I played when I was in a theater league softball team in Chicago because I couldn't be trusted in the other positions.

[52:31] Al Malafronte: Did you wear a mask and everything?

[52:33] Katlyn Carlson: No.

[52:33] Al Malafronte: Oh no, that's not a thing.

[52:35] Katlyn Carlson: No, no. And um, I think uh it's it was rare for anyone to have to throw home, and that's why they put me there.

[52:41] Al Malafronte: You ever do Broadway Show League?

[52:43] Katlyn Carlson: No. No, I know it was a thing, uh, but we didn't make it to the spring, you know. And last spring we were a little busy. So um, no. I did go, I did do the Broadway bowling once, but your three Desert Island songs.

[53:00] Al Malafronte: Oh my gosh, that's a really hard question.

[53:02] Katlyn Carlson: Um Tear in Your Hand by Tori Amos. Um let's see. Um The Break of Bat theme song. Go on.

[53:19] Al Malafronte: Oh, I want these to be good.

[53:21] Katlyn Carlson: Oh god. Um, let's see. Um, In My Life by the Beatles.

[53:31] Al Malafronte: You're a Beatles girl?

[53:32] Katlyn Carlson: I'm a huge, huge Beatles fan.

[53:34] Al Malafronte: What's your favorite album?

[53:36] Katlyn Carlson: Revolver.

[53:37] Al Malafronte: Okay, interesting. I like I hear a lot of Abbey Road, I hear a lot of White album, I hear a lot of Sgt. Pepper, River Soul.

[53:43] Katlyn Carlson: I also I also love Robert Soul. I mean, I I love them all. The shells in there and all these great songs. I love that. And the cover art is just like just burn into my brain too. I always love it.

[53:54] Al Malafronte: And what was the third song?

[53:55] Katlyn Carlson: Oh, what was the third song? Um, probably my tears dry on their own, Amy Winehouse.

[54:09] Al Malafronte: It's just tears dry on their own, not my tears dry.

[54:14] Katlyn Carlson: Actor or actress, you've learned the most from.

[54:18] Al Malafronte: Hmm.

[54:22] Katlyn Carlson: Steve Martin has always been a huge icon for me in comedy. And as a performer, he wrote an amazing biography, autobiography called Born Standing Up. And that was a very cool insight into his particular showbiz track and his approach to comedy and performing. And his uh his particular breed of comedy has always had a huge influence on me.

[54:52] Al Malafronte: All-time favorite film.

[54:57] Katlyn Carlson: It's a tie between Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Wayne's World.

[55:03] Al Malafronte: Wow. I was not expecting the latter with the way you started that, but awesome.

[55:07] Katlyn Carlson: I mean, I just have to be honest. It's a it's a timeless classic.

[55:11] Al Malafronte: Favorite late night snack. Two show day, maybe 12 hours on set. What's Caitlyn grabbing before she hits the couch?

[55:15] Katlyn Carlson: Mozzarella sticks.

[55:17] Al Malafronte: Mozzarella sticks.

[55:19] Katlyn Carlson: Muts it else.

[55:20] Al Malafronte: I've never had mozzarella sticks.

[55:22] Katlyn Carlson: I've only had Mutsad Else things.

[55:24] Al Malafronte: Completely different entities.

[55:26] Katlyn Carlson: Fair.

[55:27] Al Malafronte: Proudest moment of your career, aside from tonight.

[55:31] Katlyn Carlson: Oh gosh. Um. Oh, that's so tricky. Uh, I'm proud of a lot of things. I'm I I try to be proud of all my work. Um. Oh, fuck. I'm sorry, it's taking a long time. Um, I feel kind of obligated to say like first bow on Broadway. That was a pretty big fucking deal. Um, but I also had a private like family and friends screening of Hollystar when it came out last year. And that was really, really special to like watch that movie for like maybe the second time on a big screen, like in one of those like private screening rooms, which are like cool to be in with my my family and a bunch of close friends. That was that was pretty I was pretty proud of that.

[56:28] Al Malafronte: Lastly, best piece of advice anyone ever gave you, and what was it never talk to the cops?

[56:46] Katlyn Carlson: Just kidding from my father.

[56:55] Al Malafronte: Do you want to tell us the story about where that applied in your life is a bonus feature for our subscribers?

[57:00] Katlyn Carlson: Oh no, it's just that as a defense attorney, that's just a thing he says a lot. He doesn't know we're talking to cause. Exercise your fourth men right. Don't open your trunk.

[57:13] Al Malafronte: Let's see. Best piece of advice.

[57:18] Katlyn Carlson: I assume this should be like career related.

[57:20] Al Malafronte: Could be anything.

[57:21] Katlyn Carlson: Hmm. Hmm. There's no rules with fastball derby.

[57:25] Al Malafronte: That's half the beauty of it.

[57:27] Katlyn Carlson: This is not this is a very slow pitched derby when I'm playing, and I really want to think about my answers. Um best piece of advice. It is actually gonna be career related. And I don't even remember who said this. And it might be like an emagglomation of like many similar concepts. But the best advice that I've heard and that I would give someone else in this business is you can't be anyone but yourself. So don't try to be. And not trying to be someone else. It's very easy to like try to imitate someone else's voice, do the things someone does, dress like someone else, but break out of the cookie gutter, be yourself.

[58:27] Al Malafronte: Awesome. It served you pretty well.

[58:31] Katlyn Carlson: Thanks.

[58:32] Al Malafronte: Well, I know you're going out to LA for a bit, but don't forget us here on Broadway. You're gonna come back. Is that is that gonna I I I better come back or my cat will miss me. And I assume my husband will too.

[58:44] Al Malafronte: Awesome. Well, Caitlin, thank you so much for joining us today on Break a Bat.

[58:48] Katlyn Carlson: Thanks so much for having me.

[58:49] Al Malafronte: That'll close out the ball game. This is Al Malafronte signing off for the Broadway Podcast Network. See you next time.

[58:59] Al Malafronte: Thanks for listening to Break a Bat. This is produced by the fine folks at the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit and subscribe at BPN.fm slash break a bat. You can find me online at break underscore a underscore bat underscore podcasts. And you can also find the Broadway Podcast Network on Instagram at Broadway Podcast Network. It's been so great having you here with us today, and we'll see you next time.