This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:08] 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.

[0:19] Al Malafronte: We're happy to have you with us. Now let's play ball.

[0:26] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to another edition of Break a Bat where baseball meets Broadway. I'm your host, Al Malafronte, coming at you for the Broadway Podcast Network. And tonight we welcome someone from a universe that's quite dear to Broadway and around the Shatman fans everywhere. Our special hitter tonight has stage credits that go as far back as her college days at ASU when she was cast in the National Tour of Spring Awakening, not long before her big Broadway debut in 2011 when she was cast in American Idiot. She's since gone on to appear in American Psycho, and of course, most recently, she found herself up on the marquee over at the August Wilson Theater when she played the one and only Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls on Broadway.

In doing so, she was nominated for the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Female Replacement and certainly made her own unique mark on the role. We know how much our audience is all about the plastics of North Shore High, and in addition to everything our special guest has accomplished on stage, she's also a tremendous Arizona Diamondbacks fan, going all the way back to her childhood in Phoenix. With that being said, I ask you all to please turn your attention to home plate, just beyond the marquee. Now batting, Krystina Alabado.

[1:37] Krystina Alabado: Christina, welcome to Break a Bat.

[1:42] Krystina Alabado: Thank you. I'm so happy I'm finally here. I know we've been trying to make this happen for a while. I'm so happy that it's finally working out. And I'm super excited to be representing both Broadway and my love of baseball. I'm such a Diamondbacks fan still, forever and always. This is an absolute honor.

[1:58] Al Malafronte: And you mentioned, you know, your Diamondbacks fandom. You're the very first D-Bax fan to step into the batter's box.

[2:04] Krystina Alabado: Cool. I love it. Yeah. The D-Bax, like, I remember them becoming a franchise, winning the World Series. I mean, it was my sport growing up. I went to so many games and I got on the Jumbotron once. That was like a huge deal for me when I was like 14 or 15.

[2:22] Al Malafronte: That's absolutely epic. And you know, you mentioned the fact that you remember them becoming a franchise. It was an expansion team. And you know, you and I are right around the same age, so that was back in 1998. What do you remember about that? Was there a lot of buzz around Arizona, you know, when the Diamondbacks were gonna come to town?

[2:38] Krystina Alabado: Totally. Well, my entire family were Dodgers fans because that was the closest team. And my dad actually randomly was a Red Sox fan, which made no sense to me because we were right by LA. But I just remember my dad being so excited that Arizona was getting a team that he could have somewhere to root because he'd lived there, you know, he immigrated from Mexico, but when he was a young person, like starting to love baseball. So I just remember that. I mean, you know, I was like, I guess nine when they became a franchise, but it was really like settling into those teams as they grew, and the players on the Diamondbacks during that time leading into the 2001 World Series, which I remember exactly where I was, how excited I was. It was just so awesome.

[3:22] Al Malafronte: So you would have been in seventh grade because I was in sixth grade in 2001. Who were your guys on that Diamondbacks team?

[3:28] Krystina Alabado: Oh my god, all of them. Luis Gonzalez and Kurt Schilling and Randy Johnson and Young Young Jung Kim, I think. Yeah, he was a really cool under pitcher. I think he pitched underhand. God, I loved them all so much. Like Stadlmeyer. I mean, I was such a girl, like such a D-Bax fan at that time because in Arizona, there's not like a ton to do. And at that age, I wasn't as into like nature and hiking as I am now. Like now when I'm in Arizona, I'm like, there's stuff to do the entire time. But as a kid, it was like the mall or baseball. And so I just loved baseball and my whole family did. So it was just such a big part of my growing up.

[4:05] Al Malafronte: So wait, what's the best game you ever went to? Did you go to any of those 01 playoff games or 02, like those early 2000s years?

[4:13] Krystina Alabado: No playoff games, but I mean, I've been to God, I have no idea how many Diamondbacks games just in my life because the seats also at some points were like six bucks. So we would just go like and sit up in the top and have a hot dog or whatever. But you know, as I got older, my favorite game that I've ever been to is Bob was doing a show in Baltimore and it was raining. And I was like, my goal in life is to go to every stadium. I think I've been to like 18. I'll pull up the list for you. But because when I'm on tour, I go to games. I'm like, I have to go to a game in every city. But I hadn't been to the Baltimore Stadium. What's the stadium called? I don't remember.

[4:52] Al Malafronte: Camden Yards.

[4:52] Krystina Alabado: Cannon, yeah. And it was raining and it was freezing. And I looked at Bob and I was like, dude, we gotta go. We already bought tickets. So we bought tickets, no one was there. We sat right behind home plate and we were on camera the entire time. I don't know if you follow me on Instagram, but if you scroll a little, like to a couple years ago, we just sat there and made faces the whole time because no one was at the game, no one was playing while it was raining and freezing. And it's one of the highlights of my life, that game. I'll send you a photo of that. It's real funny.

[5:21] Al Malafronte: I absolutely love that. You mentioned trying to get to all the major league stadiums. What's been your favorite so far?

[5:27] Krystina Alabado: Oh, I mean, I'll always love Chase Stadium because it's my stadium. But I think the ones that always come to mind for me that are my favorites, I love, it's not this is where my brain is frozen in baseball time. Pack Bell Park, which is not Pac Bell Park anymore. It's whatever it's like I think okay. So it was ATT. It's changed a bunch, and now it's something else. I think it has it might be like some sort of might be some other cell phone service. Oh, I'm drawing a blank myself. They change them all the time now.

[5:57] Al Malafronte: So it's audience, cut me a break here.

[6:00] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, right. I love that stadium. And then I, you know, surprisingly, the rain I didn't expect like the Rangers stadium to be so. I loved going to the Rangers game. And then I love the Astros because of that cool weird hump in at the back of the stadium. And it's just cool because it's the middle of the city. So I like, yeah, I like the Texas stadiums.

[6:22] Al Malafronte: It's funny you mentioned the Texas stadiums, the ballpark in Arlington, the old one, the Rangers have a new one now, but that's one of my favorite stadiums that I've gotten to watch on TV, especially for like playoff games and World Series games, when the Cardinals and the Rangers faced off in the 2011 World Series, even though the Yankees had nothing to do with it. That was one of the most exciting experiences, just getting to watch it on TV, like during my senior year of college. And I don't know if you remember Albert Pujols hit three home runs in game three. That was so, so epic. And yeah, there was something about it. It had like that classic feel, but yeah, it was also classy at the same time.

[7:01] Krystina Alabado: Totally, totally. Oh, I absolutely love that. And um, so let me ask you this. If you had to pick, I know you're a National League fan by trade. Do you have a preference for the Yankees or the Mets?

[7:10] Krystina Alabado: I always have a, you know, I am a New Yorker truly like through and through now. I've been in New York for 10 years. I'm in LA right now just because we decided to, it's pandemic. Let's go to LA. We drove we literally drove across the country to be in Phoenix with my dad, and then we ended up in LA since January. But um, I don't know. I think Yankees, I think, but I like them both, and I think I love that I don't have allegiance because I kind of like both teams. And I know that would probably make both Mets fans and Yankees fans so mad. But like I kind of love them both. Though my husband hates the Mets, right? Because he's a Phillies fan.

[7:46] Al Malafronte: That would make sense. I think he hates the Mets then.

[7:49] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, that's a rivalry. You're absolutely right about that. So I you think he'd prefer we were Yankees fans. Now, growing up where you did, was it cool to like sports and theater?

[8:00] Krystina Alabado: Um, they had no correlation for me personally, though I'm sure you could talk about that with my husband at some point. My yeah, I didn't really like have friends that overlapped. I mean, also baseball is the one and only sport that I know everything about and understand. I just for some reason that's the sport I liked loved. I love the pace of it. I still do. And so I'm not like a sporty person. I don't play any sports, I never played any sports, I don't watch any other sports besides baseball. So yeah, it's just like theater and the Diamondbacks, basically.

[8:34] Al Malafronte: That's very similar to me though. I could totally relate to that because you know, it's a game that you can hook your wagon to, so to speak, that it's just like, you know, all the history behind it and everything, it's just, you know, you only have room for so much, you know, for so much passion for a certain sports. So I, you know, I know people who love baseball, football, and hockey equally, for example, but I don't know. For me, there's just something so American about baseball, and it's just, yeah, nothing compares for me either. So I totally get what I'm saying.

[9:03] Krystina Alabado: I love it.

[9:04] Al Malafronte: Yeah. So let me ask you, you know, growing up where you did, you know, I've always been curious, you know, because you've had quite an interesting career trajectory. And that's part of why I was so excited to have you on the show. I've always been curious, you know, because you've, you know, here on Broadway, you've done a number of different types of roles and different types of shows. Did you ever envision yourself being a Broadway performer growing up, you know, where you did in Phoenix?

[9:30] Krystina Alabado: Yeah. So my dad is a musician in Arizona. So I started like performing at a very young age. Probably when I was like eight, I would sit in with his band and like just be a special guest. It was really sweet. And I think back to that time so fondly. And growing up in Phoenix, I would continually sit in with his band. And then I found theater through junior high. You know, when I got to junior high, I learned what a musical was. And I think as time went and I realized, oh, I actually am good at this and I'm starting to love this and I'm loving musicals, it became my like ultimate all like I'm gonna be on Broadway. So it wasn't even a question for me at that age, which is so sweet to me now thinking back, like, and now that I'm 31, I'm like, uh, like, but I really didn't, I was like, I will be on Broadway.

That was like so my personality. Not in a bitchy way, but in a like, I know I'm gonna do this one day. Like in a like the most dreamer sense of that kind of like an adolescent, like adolescence that doesn't like really know how hard it would be and how hard it is. But I mean, maybe that was one of the reasons that I made it and I did it. So, you know, if you look at the way that a lot of different people's careers start, like I did it quicker than I sort of thought. I did not think that I would get a big Broadway tour my first semester of college. Like I was like, I figured I would go through the college program, figure out how to transfer to a more theater centric school halfway through. Like I had all these plans.

So I think I just was really set on working really hard and getting better and learning. And I think having Spring Awakening as my first job was the best job for me because I learned while doing. And I did not have the attitude that I knew what I was doing. So I think it was a nice balance of both. I wanted to do Broadway, but I absolutely knew that I had no idea what I was doing. So it came with no ego.

[11:18] Al Malafronte: Yeah, no, that's important to enter the industry that way. Now, you mentioned that your father was a musician, and I know that you got the Spring Awakening tour while you were in college. How did they react to you wanting to leave school when you did, you know, you had you were a freshman at the time, if memory serves.

[11:33] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, yeah. I was a freshman. You know, both my parents are they were so supportive. I mean, obviously the first thing they asked because they know nothing about Broadway and theater, they were like, does this pay?

[11:44] Krystina Alabado: Is this a job? I was like, you guys, this is it. I made it. Like, this is for real. Um, but they've always been the most supportive. I come from two parents that immigrated to this country from other countries. And so they believe in the American dream. They believed in, you know, they wanted a better life for me. That's the reason that they came here in the first place. Um, my dad got here when he was younger, but my mom didn't come to this country until she was 30. So, you know, I think that I got a really great experience of like my parents coming for the American dream and knowing that all of my dreams and hopes were available to me in this country. And so they never once tried to squash that or give me the like.

And I'm lucky because some people do not have that experience. They were so like, go, go, go, do it. You can do it, you can do it. Um, and they didn't really question me when I was like, this is this is what's happening. They were so with me on that. So I got really lucky. I just have had the most supportive parents in the entire world.

[12:40] Al Malafronte: Did the confidence come quickly, or is that something you kind of had to develop? Because I could see it in your performance on stage. You're a very confident performer. And I don't throw that term around much. When did that start to transpire?

[12:54] Krystina Alabado: I don't know. Like, it's funny. I'm so glad you say that because God, we all I it's good that it feels that way, but my God, the amount of doubting that I have done in my career, I still do even like a self-tape I sent yesterday being like, cool, I'm never working again. Like that, I think part of like the feeling that I have on stage that makes me feel, I guess, how you see as confident me see as maybe grounded or trusting it. Like, I think that's sort of when I feel the happiest on stage and in any role that I'm doing. Um, I don't know when you saw did you see mean girls? Did you see me in Mean Girls?

[13:26] Al Malafronte: I did see you in Mean Girls.

[13:28] Krystina Alabado: Okay, cool. Um at the beginning, I'm not sure when you saw it, but at the beginning of my run, um, I that's why I always tell young theater fans like if you see a replacement at the beginning, come back because the process for replacement is so crazy and fast. And um, I think that it takes a couple, it takes like a couple weeks or months, even to really feel like you own it and that you like have, you know, that it's yours and that you can really confidently say, like, I feel good about this now. Um, and so yeah, I don't know. I feel like the confidence came from trusting myself, trusting that I'm enough in the way that I am as myself. So not trying to replicate things or other people and then just time and age and being like, you got this, like it's all gonna be good, and also knowing that if I make a mistake, the world is not going to end.

I think that is what allows me to be on stage and audition with when and on a good day with no with nothing holding me back, is that I'm like, it's okay. I have a show tomorrow. There will always be another audition, there will always be another this. So it allows me the freedom to play and feel like an artist and not like I'm getting tested.

[14:36] Al Malafronte: Now, Christina, you talk about a show like Mean Girls, and you got Lauren Michaels involved. You've got Tina Fey involved, NBC Universal is loosely involved in the production. How intimidating is it to walk into that casting room and what do you remember about that audition?

[14:52] Krystina Alabado: Yeah. Um, yes, the involvement of Tina and Lauren was definitely a different layer on the already intense, this is a huge Broadway team. I had never worked with this team before. So these were new people to me, other than the casting director. This was a brand new team of people for me that I had not worked with. Um, so it was partly that that was really intimidating already, and then add on Tina Fey, like one of my idols and Lauren Michaels, who's like, I the fact that I even get to say I'm associated with Lauren Michaels, I'm still like, what? Um so it was really cool to be able to like meet these people. And I think throughout my career, um, I have gotten to work, and so I'm so grateful for it with people not as Broadway-y as maybe others on their trajectory of musicals.

I got to work with David Bowie in his musical. I got to work with Duncan Sheik, obviously, who wrote, you know, um American Psycho and Spring Awakening and Green Day, and like, so I've sort of always like been in this weird sphere of like Broadway, but then all these other people that like aren't necessarily Broadway people and like crazy famous musicians. So it wasn't totally like a a different thing in the sense that like that's sort of somehow how if you would have asked me when I was a teenager that if I would have worked with a bunch of rock stars and Tina Fey, I would have been like, but you're doing Broadway, Christina. What do you mean? Like But you know, upon meeting Tina and being in the room when she was in my my audition and um she worked with me in, you know, as I was rehearsing and going in as Gretchen.

Um, it was just amazing because she loves the show. And that's what I love about working with celebrity, like non-Broadway celebrities on Broadway. They love Broadway. They love musicals. I mean, Tina cares for a woman that has 45 billion projects all the time. Um she would still be in the wings and watch the last number on a random Thursday. Like it, she just cares. She cares that you are happy at work. She cares that you are um hitting all your jokes. Like she'll give me notes like, hey, hold one beat on that, you're gonna get the laugh. Like, I just love that because what we do, you know, we do what we do because we love it, right? And you think people like that, you're like, well, they're they're like, it's Tina Fey. Like, she has so many things to worry about. Um, so it's just cool. The best, it's just the best experience from start to finish.

[17:14] Krystina Alabado: What was Bowie like?

[17:17] Krystina Alabado: Ugh, he was so awesome. He was so awesome and kind and generous. And the fact that I even got to cross paths with him in my life is some strange miracle that, and that he that he wanted to work with me, and that he it's just I it it's weird. Like thinking about David Bowie and my experience with him, like almost clouds my mind like David Bowie. Like, it's just all this amazing experience with this guy that I mean, what he did for music and culture, and uh it's just mind-blowing. And he was just the kindest person and um very giving of his time and his energy, which was amazing.

[18:02] Al Malafronte: I totally would have geeked out and started talking about Labyrinth. I don't know if you did that at any point.

[18:11] Krystina Alabado: I did not, but actually I haven't even seen Labyrinth.

[18:15] Al Malafronte: Oh, it's great. It's the last feature film that Jim Henson directed, actually.

[18:19] Krystina Alabado: Oh my gosh. Wow. I mean, I've obviously heard of it, but some great music in there. It's like you remind me, have you heard it like, you know, you remind me of the babe.

[18:27] Al Malafronte: What, babe?

[18:28] Krystina Alabado: The babe with the power.

[18:28] Al Malafronte: I don't know if you've heard the music, but it's so good.

[18:31] Krystina Alabado: Oh, outstanding. And I love I love all of Bowie's stuff, but God, that's that's so cool to hear that he was so down to earth. Cause, you know, on the surface, yes, obviously a very artistic and creative guy, but I always wondered, you know, how he viewed the medium of Broadway and, you know, you being a performer in a show, more or less. That is that is so cool to hear.

[18:49] Krystina Alabado: I mean, he loved Broadway. One of my favorite things he did. So we recorded the cast album for Lazarus on the day that he died, which is still mind-blowing to me. We didn't know he was sick. Uh, he didn't share that with anyone associated with the production except maybe the director. Um, and we recorded, literally were in the studio. We were supposed to be in with him recording the album for him. And I remember uh a story was told to us from his music director, Henry, who directed the album, that Bowie loved musicals. He loved Broadway. And one of the things that he said affected him more than any other piece of music was the original off-Broadway uh album of Hair. So he, and that is why it was so important to him for us to record the off-Broadway cast of Lazarus, in case, you know, because I was always like, well, what if we were always like, what if it goes to Broadway or the West End or like all these other things?

Like, you know, off-Broadway so specific, like it could move. And he said he wanted to capture it in that moment because that was the that was what was the original concept of it all. And that hair recording was pivotal for him. So I think that was amazing. I was like, I didn't even know you knew we liked Broadway. That's so cool.

[20:03] Al Malafronte: God, I love stories like that. You know, you mentioned that cast album. You've accomplished so much on stage, Christina. But uh this is a little segment here that might get a little tough for you. And I know that you've accomplished, you know, so many things, both as you know, a fan of baseball and as a performer. We call this the seventh inning stretch where we kind of throw the worlds of baseball and Broadway together. Um, are you familiar with this segment?

[20:27] Krystina Alabado: Yes, and I'm nervous.

[20:29] Al Malafronte: Well, I'm gonna put it to you this way it's a chance for you to join what we call the winner's circle here on Break A Bat, where I'll ask you a few questions about baseball and Broadway and maybe baseball and Broadway together. And if you get enough of them right, you win a prize. And um, to my understanding, uh, there might be a pretty credible lifeline in Los Angeles for you right now. Uh, who might that be for the folks at home, Christina?

[20:54] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, I'm gonna call in uh not to DH, but really just to be with me. If only we could be up there together, um, which we will. Um, my husband, Robert Lenzi, who is a Broadway actor. He was Miles Tuck in Tuck Everlasting. And he's currently doing Tina Turner, once the world starts again on Broadway. Um, and he's a baseball aficionado and also a really good person at Broadway trivia. And I'm really not good at either, so I'm so excited I get a helper.

[21:21] Al Malafronte: Um, and here he is.

[21:24] Krystina Alabado: There he is the great Bob Lenzi is joining the batter's box here. Welcome to the show, Bob. I appreciate you taking some time to serve as uh Christina's lifeline here in the seventh inning stretch.

[21:34] Robert Lenzi: Yeah, thank you. Thanks for uh sending a call to the bullpen.

[21:37] Al Malafronte: Yeah, you're my lifelong. Brilliant terminology. Fantastic.

[21:40] Al Malafronte: Now uh let's see how you do here. So I'm gonna pull up a few questions that we had prepared. And you know, again, the key is uh get enough of them right. You join the winner circle, and you can actually win a little prize. And I probably should have prepared two prizes because I feel like uh there's a good chance that we this, you know, we're gonna have dual contributors here.

[22:01] Robert Lenzi: So uh deal.

[22:04] Al Malafronte: That sounds good. Okay. Uh let's start with this one. You mentioned your love of Luis Gonzalez. Uh, he had 57 home runs in 2001 for the Diamondbacks, an amazing number of home runs, but in the steroid era, that was only good for third in that season's home run race. The man who finished in second place hit an amazing 64 home runs, which gave him the major league record for most 60 home run seasons. Who was that player?

[22:35] Krystina Alabado: Did I jump in? I d well, wait, can I guess before you? I I would literally, this is where my 2001 knowledge stops. Barry Bonds.

[22:45] Al Malafronte: He finished first with 73. So we're gonna we're gonna take that back to Bob to see if he knows uh who finished second with 64.

[22:54] Robert Lenzi: Uh 2001, 60 home run seasons. Let's go with Mark McGuire.

[23:00] Al Malafronte: Mark McGuire had two 60 home run seasons. He had 29 in 2001. Hitting 64 that year, however, was Sammy Sosa, who had his third 60 home run season that year.

[23:15] Krystina Alabado: What year? What year was the their battle?

[23:18] Robert Lenzi: Was that 98?

[23:20] Al Malafronte: Yes, it was. It was 1998.

[23:30] Al Malafronte: Okay, let's see how you do on this one. This is kind of an interesting question. Um, a certain member of the New York Yankees co-starred in a performance of Rock of Ages alongside your former castmate Kate Rockwell. Was that New York Yankee? Andy Pettitte, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira or Alex Rodriguez?

[23:54] Krystina Alabado: Ah, Curtis Granderson's so cute. Um take it, Bob.

[24:02] Robert Lenzi: Uh I think it was Teixeira.

[24:04] Al Malafronte: Ding ding ding. You're one for two. You're back in 500. That is correct. It is Mark Teixeira. He shared the stage alongside the great Kate Rockwell who was playing Sherry, and Mark Teixeira was a bar patron at the bourbon room that night.

[24:17] Krystina Alabado: I didn't know that.

[24:19] Al Malafronte: That is correct. Yep. That is Mark. You're on the mark to Teixeira, is what we used to say as Yankee fans. And uh yes, that is the answer. Let's uh let's go to a pure Broadway question. Um, how about this? Which of the following Smash hits is the only show among the four choices to actually win the Tony Award for Best Musical? Is it A, Wicked? B, Mamma Mia, C, Newsies, or D, the Book of Mormon?

[24:52] Krystina Alabado: Uh, the correct answer is D, the Book of Mormon.

[24:56] Al Malafronte: Wow. Ding ding ding. Wow. So we're doing the Bob. This is very impressive here. You're just taking the bat away from Krystina and just you're pinch hitting home runs left and right. You know, that this is now becoming a battle between who can answer it fastest, which also is a funny game. But Bob's really good at Broadway Andrew. Did you know that one?

[25:13] Robert Lenzi: Um, yes, I think. I don't know. I thought Wicked at first, which is just a good one.

[25:17] Al Malafronte: No, I think it was Avenue Q was a good one.

[25:18] Krystina Alabado: It was Avenue Q, yes.

[25:21] Al Malafronte: I think it was a big upset. Yeah, there that was that was like the I in my opinion, the introduction of the power of social media, even though there wasn't any Instagram or Facebook, like the marketing campaign that they put together was like absolutely brilliant. And it caught on the won the award. Um Wicked didn't need it. It's fine.

[25:42] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, all right. So you're two for three right now. Um, this is a fun question. Now, Bob, I know you're a Phillies fan. I I uh I know you didn't have too much experience with you know the subject of this question, although you had a little bit of experience. If if you know the answer, let's hold off and see if Krystina can get it. But if she needs to bring in as a lifeline, I'm curious uh if you might know this one. So, you know, we were talking about Luis Gonzalez earlier, and of course he had a uh very big hit in the 2001 World Series that helped clinch the Arizona Diamondbacks first World championship. He did so off of New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, who has a very special nickname. Is that nickname? A, the Bird, B, the Sandman, C, the Cuban Missile, or D, the Iron Horse?

[26:37] Krystina Alabado: What was the first one?

[26:39] Al Malafronte: The Bird.

[26:42] Krystina Alabado: The Bird? Is that your final answer?

[26:47] Al Malafronte: The Sandman.

[26:49] Krystina Alabado: Wow, you and I see I see Bob here not even giving any clues. The answer is the Sandman. That is the answer.

[26:56] Krystina Alabado: That was my impulse. And this is how flighty I am. A bird chirped, and I said the Bird, but I was thinking the Sandman. You know, I guess I guess the Bird would work because you'd have uh for a walk-up song, you'd have Freebird or something. I don't know. It's not quite the same effect, but I guess it would work.

[27:13] Robert Lenzi: Yeah, I agree.

[27:13] Al Malafronte: Yeah, they used to have Metallica do an Enter Sandman when he would come out from the bullpen.

[27:18] Krystina Alabado: Exactly.

[27:19] Al Malafronte: Very classic. Wow. I am very impressed with the job that you did here. And I I am very proud to present you with um now, Bob. If you know who the subject of the shirt is, feel free to, you know, tell Krystina all about him. Uh this is a Chapman on Broadway, long-sleeve t-shirt. Is it you know it celebrates both baseball and Broadway? You've got drama mode breaking a baseball bat right here. Aroldis Chapman is uh the current Yankee closer, and he throws really fast. Have you seen his fastball, by the way, Bob?

[27:49] Robert Lenzi: Oh, of course I've seen it.

[27:50] Al Malafronte: Of course I've seen it. Holds the record for fastest fastball, and I thought it was very appropriate. Go ahead.

[27:55] Robert Lenzi: I'm sorry.

[27:56] Al Malafronte: No, I just remember him coming up. I always wanted to see him start, but I know they thought about I think Hughes came up with Cincinnati and they were trying to maybe stretch him out, but which would have been neat, but it's it's pretty fun to watch somebody throw 102, you know, 12 times.

[28:13] Krystina Alabado: I know. It really would have been cool if they let him pitch seven innings a game instead of one inning. Baseball would just be so much better, really.

[28:20] Al Malafronte: Like honestly, I'm in your camp there, and he still wants to start. I will protest till the day I die until he gets the...

[28:23] Krystina Alabado: I love that shirt.

[28:32] Al Malafronte: Well, yes, congratulations. You actually won it fair and square. A little bit of help, obviously, but you know what? It's uh yeah, I'm very happy to give it to you. You joined a very elite Winner's Circle. Some of your former Kate's won this, John O'Hurley won this, so I'm glad that you could join their company.

[28:45] Krystina Alabado: But I didn't really win, they won on their own.

[28:48] Al Malafronte: You did when Kate played, it was all basically Chapman trivia. So yeah, this is I I you did well with the Broadway and the baseball here. So that was fun.

[29:01] Robert Lenzi: Thanks, Bob.

[29:02] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, anytime.

[29:03] Al Malafronte: Bob, this was epic. I I honestly we might have to have you back on uh Break A Bat to be like the designated lifeline for all of our...

[29:04] Robert Lenzi: Yeah, there you go. Okay, awesome. Call me in. Uh, you know, uh I'll work on my 2001 home run trivia, but other than that, I feel pretty strong.

[29:17] Al Malafronte: Yeah, you're a great relief pitcher on Broadway.

[29:20] Robert Lenzi: Cops, brother.

[29:21] Al Malafronte: All right, thanks, man. Thanks, Bob. Nice to meet you.

[29:24] Krystina Alabado: All right, go close it out.

[29:25] Al Malafronte: Can I have another?

[29:26] Krystina Alabado: Yes.

[29:26] Al Malafronte: I love that terminal.

[29:27] Krystina Alabado: There we go.

[29:28] Al Malafronte: Go close it out.

[29:29] Krystina Alabado: Like chat.

[29:29] Al Malafronte: Excellent. Oh my goodness. Well, that's Bob. Bob did a great job there, and so did you, Krystina. Um, wow, that was really fun. And uh, you know, I I just want to get back to Mean Girls for a moment because you know, one thing I don't know if you've really talked about too much was during this pandemic. Obviously, we got the unfortunate news that the show is closing. Um, have you gone back and you know, sort of looked back at it, you know, from a nostalgia standpoint, from a this is what I accomplished, and I'm really proud of its standpoint. Um, where were you when you got the news? And you know, what's what's been coming to mind when you sort of look back on the amazing run that you had?

[30:09] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, you know, it's hard to be forced to say goodbye to something before you are ready and before I got to make my goodbyes. Like it's just it sucks. There's like really no way around how much that blows. Um, but I I'm one of those people that like I really do believe everything happens for a reason, even the stuff that like really sucks. And I just think when this first happened, when the pandemic first happened, I definitely thought about the fact that this could happen. You know, Mean Girls is an incredibly successful, uh commercially successful show. It's amazing. But it also was on Broadway for a while already. Like it was having a great life. And I think that I didn't know what was gonna happen, but I was like, God, I wonder if shows in our position are going to make it, not because we shouldn't, but because it it might just be time.

Like, I don't know. So I'm a realist in that way, and I've learned a lot about the business to like know that obviously that was could have always been a possibility for any show, really. Um, so I think part of me, I wasn't that surprised, but I was so disappointed because I really feel like our show would have just been so exciting for people to come back and see. I assume when people come back to Broadway, obviously they're gonna want to see any show, but to laugh and to I just think it would have been so wonderful. And thank goodness Mean Girls on Tour will still be going. So people will still get to experience Mean Girls and how wonderful and awesome it is. But it's hard reflecting on it.

I I miss it still, and I can't believe I don't get to go back in it, and I can't believe I don't get to say goodbye. Um, but as I like reflected on it, you know, I've said this a couple of times before, but we were putting in new changes to the show that were from the tour. So pre-pandemic, I was in rehearsals from 12 to 5, um, rehearsing the new Mean Girls, like Mean Girls 2.0, we called it, dinner, and then going and doing Mean Girls 1.0, which was so crazy for my brain. Cause I was doing different lines, different songs at night from the day, which was insane. So we had just put in the new Mean Girls show on March 8th, I think was our first show with all the changes. It was about probably 30 pages of changes.

Um I had said goodbye to the old show. I had lines that were cut, I had verses that were changed, I had things that were just different. So it felt like a new show. It was a new show. And we had a new cast because Kate left and Erica left and Gray left and Barrett left. Um so upon really sitting with it, I'm like, I guess I said goodbye. I said goodbye to the show I did for a year. I was getting ready to do a new show that I was super uncomfortable doing because I didn't know we have a new fearless. There was a new fearless. If you see the tour, you'll see all these changes. So I think in a way, like the universe sort of let me say goodbye, but I didn't even know. Kind of.

[32:55] Al Malafronte: So you gave it a proper send-off. That is something else.

[32:58] Krystina Alabado: I did.

[32:59] Al Malafronte: Wow. And no one's brought that up here that, you know, the fact that there were changes. Wow, that is something, that is something to hear. Um, is there, you know, when Broadway does come back, is there a certain type of show or certain type of role that you see yourself really thriving in? Because obviously your comedic timing in Mean Girls was absolutely fantastic. Do you want to stick to that, you know, comedic type role, or is there something else in your head that that uh, you know, that is really calling to you?

[33:27] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, I, you know, I think obviously I'll miss Mean Girls forever. I still kind of can't believe I'm not going back to Mean Girls. Like literally, it's still crazy. Um, but I don't know, it's been cool. One of my favorite things about doing Mean Girls was as we kind of talked about my body of work, it's all been like really punky, like broody dark dramas. Like they've just I've lived in that world. So doing Mean Girls was the first comedy. And like the first time I wore a color other than black in literally my entire career. Um, so and like singing something that was actually maybe more of a Broadway song. Like, um, so it was really cool to just do a different style and genre and um remember that I could do comedy, even though my career just didn't take me down that path for a while.

Um at the beginning. So I don't know, I could see myself in so many things. I love so many of the shows on Broadway. And um I can't wait to see the new stuff that's coming up. And I, you know, always working on so many new musicals and development. That's been such a big part of my career for the last, you know, eight years, but also even in the pandemic, I've worked on a lot of new shows. Theater is still cooking, it's still being made. It's like, and there's so much cool stuff coming up. And um, I just kind of can't wait to see like what's I'm excited to see the next crop of shows, as we're always used to. We see all the amazing shows that are running and on Broadway, and then you see the ones that are coming up. And I don't know, I could see myself in a lot of different shows. I don't know. I'm excited though to see what happens next for me.

[34:37] Al Malafronte: Yeah, no, I'm excited to see it as well. Have you been doing anything cool out in LA on the workfront?

[35:01] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, you know, I um I'm very lucky that uh over the last like five years, I've been building my like voiceover career.

[35:10] Krystina Alabado: Um, so I do a lot of animation. So during the pandemic, I've voiced and gotten through almost three seasons within three characters of things on different shows, which is really cool. Um, most exciting, this show on AMC coming out called Pantheon, which is a new hour-long animated drama um starring, uh oh my god, it's so funny. In the animation world, I meet nobody. So it's just me in the booth by myself. Um, Paul Dano. I can remember his name. I was like Paul Dana, he played Brian Wilson in the Love and Mercy film.

[35:42] Al Malafronte: We've talked about that film a lot on the show because we love the Beach Boys. But go on.

[35:47] Krystina Alabado: Um, so yeah, so we finished up season one. We just started season two of that. That was all through the pandemic. Um, I'm two characters on a really sweet show that I can't say the name of that will come out on HBO Max at some point. Um, and uh so that's been really I've been really grateful for my animation career. Um, it took a long time for me to build that. So um that's been a wonderful thing. And I also have a full setup here. So I've been recording both in my home studio and in studio studio. Um so that and like cast albums. I've recorded a ton of cast albums, like musicals are like trying to throw their stuff on albums so people can hear it since we're kind of waiting. Um, and then I'm very excited to be heading back to New York to start filming a really exciting project that I can't talk about, but I'll be back in New York very soon, beginning of May.

Um, so making things happen, you know, miss the stage, but I've been working on my career to be on both stage and screen and in the booth. So I'm sort of doing all the things that aren't stage right now. And that's okay. I can't wait to be back on stage though.

[36:51] Al Malafronte: Yeah, we can't wait as well. This all sounds so awesome. And uh yeah, obviously, May is right around the corner here. So you're giving us a glimmer of hope here, Christina. Very excited.

[37:01] Al Malafronte: So this is a uh little segment that we use to wrap every show here on Break A Bat. I want you to imagine that guy we were talking about, Aroldis Chapman. Uh Bob mentioned that he throws 102. He's actually been known to hit 105. So I want you to imagine yourself in the batter's box here. Chapman's on the mound pitching. Um, he throws a lot of fastballs. So you gotta think quick. We call it fastball derby. I'm gonna ask you a question. Uh, you tell me the first thing that comes to mind. How does that sound?

[37:26] Krystina Alabado: Okay, I don't like these, but let's do it.

[37:29] Al Malafronte: Don't worry, it's not trivia. Uh, let's see how you do here. Uh, your very first question. Okay. Favorite New York City meal.

[37:37] Krystina Alabado: Hmm. Oh God. Fresco is the pizza place by my house.

[37:41] Al Malafronte: Person in the audience you were most nervous or intimidated to perform in front of.

[37:49] Krystina Alabado: Tina Fey.

[37:53] Al Malafronte: America's Band, the Beach Boys or the Eagles.

[37:53] Krystina Alabado: Oh. Oh God, neither. I don't know. Who are you gonna say? InSync or the Backstreet Boys? Or like that's a those are the only acceptable substitutes for the biggest.

[38:08] Krystina Alabado: I was gonna say, I was gonna say Earth Wind and Fire, but you know what? I'll say the Eagles.

[38:08] Al Malafronte: Earth Wind and Fire is not a bad choice either. I'm a big fan of that as well.

[38:15] Krystina Alabado: Okay. I didn't grow up with either of those bands in my house. So I just don't know them very well, other than like the cheesiest Beach Boy songs I can think of and the cheesiest Eagle song I can think of.

[38:25] Al Malafronte: I'm very sorry to hear that because you unfortunately fall into the trap of uh of thinking of what they're sometimes pigeonholed for. And all I'm gonna tell you is just listen to Pet Sounds later. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[38:36] Krystina Alabado: Uh Pet Sounds? Okay, I will.

[38:38] Al Malafronte: Absolutely. Team Jeter or Team A-Rod.

[38:44] Krystina Alabado: Oh God. A-Rod.

[38:47] Al Malafronte: All-time favorite film.

[38:50] Krystina Alabado: Jurassic Park.

[38:52] Al Malafronte: Actor or actress you learn the most from?

[38:55] Krystina Alabado: Henry Stram.

[38:57] Al Malafronte: What'd he teach you?

[39:00] Krystina Alabado: Balance. He was the adult man on Spring Awakening. Um, and when we were we were all kids, and then there were four adults that were in the show with us. And he yeah, he taught me about balance and trusting myself. He I think maybe he's the one that gave me my first out um bit of confidence. He told me I could do it, you know. He really told me I was in the right place, which was really nice.

[39:24] Al Malafronte: Your favorite Muppet.

[39:27] Krystina Alabado: I don't know the Muppets.

[39:30] Al Malafronte: Wow.

[39:31] Krystina Alabado: Oh my goodness. Well, I mean, this I literally have a Fozzie Bear.

[39:35] Al Malafronte: I know. I thought that immediately. I was like, oh, he must like the Muppets because his tray, his cup had a Muppet on it.

[39:41] Krystina Alabado: I think it's a Muppet.

[39:42] Al Malafronte: Yeah, Jim Henson already.

[39:43] Krystina Alabado: Yeah. So if you want to say Fozzie Bear, that's always a good choice.

[39:43] Krystina Alabado: Fozzie Bear.

[39:48] Al Malafronte: There we go. Um, fact about Krystina Alabado that would surprise people the most.

[39:56] Krystina Alabado: I love to socially swing dance.

[40:00] Al Malafronte: And how do you socially swing dance?

[40:03] Krystina Alabado: You just kind of, it's what I did growing up. Like you go, like I would go to swing, like swing dancing little clubs, um, and you just dance all night. And you know how to like I know how to Lindy Hop and Balboa and Shag and East Coast, and you know, a partner starts dancing, and if you know the style, you go for it, and it's really fun.

[40:25] Al Malafronte: It does sound fun. Wow. Of all the new hobbies that I picked up during the pandemic, I did not consider doing swing dancing, but I kind of wish I did. Thanks for that.

[40:35] Krystina Alabado: The music is so infectious. It's so fun. You had me at Balboa.

[40:39] Al Malafronte: Um, most embarrassing on stage moment.

[40:45] Krystina Alabado: Oh my God, so many. Um, most at the forefront of my mind, because I keep getting tagged on it at um on Instagram, is when it's actually not my most embarrassing moment, it's Erica's, and it's probably not her most embarrassing. Um in Katie Heron and Mean Girls, she dropped a verse in Whose House. It's all over the internet, and it makes everyone laugh, including me. But my inability to stay in character, that is embarrassing, though, still makes me laugh.

[41:18] Al Malafronte: All right, you have to narrow it down. Pick your all-time favorite baseball player.

[41:27] Krystina Alabado: Oh, that's so hard. I mean, it's cheesy, but it's what made me love baseball. It's gotta be Luis Gonzalez. Like he's and especially with his, you were talking about that hit that he had in the bottom of the ninth. Oh my god, I still have that. I have that on a beer opener. Like if you open a beer, it plays the last play.

[41:49] Al Malafronte: Oh my Diamondbacks. Why not there on the world show? Is that is that the noise that I still remember?

[41:54] Krystina Alabado: Yes, exactly. Entrenched in my mind forever as a Yankee fan, but that is so funny.

[41:59] Al Malafronte: Oh, right. I totally didn't even think about that. That was a sucky day for you. I'm so sorry.

[42:04] Krystina Alabado: And it was the school night too. You imagine, and that was like a Sunday night game. You imagine trying to go to school on a Monday following that. I mean, as he in my shoes, that was uh far. It was it must have been a real high for you, though. I can imagine.

[42:17] Krystina Alabado: That was. I thought we were gonna lose.

[42:18] Al Malafronte: So I did. I thought you were gonna lose too. But anyway, now uh how about this proudest moment of your career?

[42:31] Krystina Alabado: Oh my gosh, there's so many good, so many good moments. I think the proudest moments I have on stage are when I it's it's always like opening night or the first show because so much goes into it and just the pride and happiness I feel not only for me having not messed up the show and also my entire community and all of us doing this together, and we created something amazing. I feel like every show that's what like I feel like keeps me going with this is that it's this huge community of people doing what we love, and we have to work so hard, and it's amazing to accomplish what we do. Um, and to have a show like make it to Broadway. I mean, it's just so magical. It really is. And it I just respect it so much.

That's why I like you'll never hear me say I don't like a show because so much goes into it. I I it it's like it's beyond if you like it or you don't like it. It's just a freaking little miracle that it exists in the first place. So that's those are my proudest moments that I get to do this at all.

[43:31] Al Malafronte: That is so epic. And you know, we use this one to wrap every fastball derby. I know you talked about learning balance before, but um, if you want to apply it to life in general, what's the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?

[43:45] Krystina Alabado: Uh probably, I mean, so much. I have a lot of people that I look up to in my career, and I respect so many people around me. And I feel like I learn from everyone that I work with, even still. Um, and I think probably the best piece of advice is that, and I know it's just what everyone says, but the reality of if you want to be in this business, you have to actually be yourself. And I think it's so easy to be like, be yourself, like you're enough, like all that stuff, which I totally believe. But the reality of walking into a room and just being you is what can push you past other people because the casting directors and the directors and the people and Tina Fey and all those people, they're just people and they want to work with people that are people and people that are kind and good.

And um, that takes you a long way. And it has taken me a long way to um, you know, approach everything with grace and respect and kindness. So I think the people that told me that when I was younger, I took that to heart and I live by it very, very, very deeply.

[44:48] Al Malafronte: Well, you're a great ambassador for Broadway, Christina, and for that we're really grateful.

[44:53] Krystina Alabado: Oh, thanks.

[44:55] Al Malafronte: It's good to know that that's the uh the secret recipe, you know, virtues like that. So we're we're certainly looking forward to seeing you back on stage soon. And uh this was so much fun. I'm so glad you were able to come join us on the show.

[45:07] Krystina Alabado: Oh my gosh. Me too. I'm so happy I got to be here. Thank you for having me.

[45:11] Al Malafronte: Oh, you're very welcome. And if all the folks at home want to find you on social media and connect with all the cool stuff that you're doing, you know, to continue to create art, where can they find you?

[45:21] Krystina Alabado: Yeah, I'm on Instagram. That's the platform I use most, Krystina Alabado. Um, and I'm actually on YouTube. I have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things Broadway that I started during the pandemic. So if you can go listen to me talk really fast about things that might bore you or might fascinate you. Don't know, but go check it out either way.

[45:40] Al Malafronte: Well, we'll link that up in the uh episode description all for all the folks at home. And uh, Christina, thank you so much again. And thank you to all of the folks listening at home to this episode tonight. Really hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to follow and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen, whether it's iTunes or Spotify or Google. Um, this is Al Malafronte signing off for the Broadway Podcast Network. We'll see you next time.

[46:08] 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 breakabat. You can find me online at break underscore a underscore bat underscore podcast. 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.