This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:09] Bryan Plofsky: Hello and welcome to the official Broadwaysted Podcast where we're drunk on theater.

[0:14] Bryan Plofsky: I'm your host, Bryan Plofsky, and today's show is a little naughty and by no means pathetic. So turn off the tell, because you're in my house now, and we're loud, revolting children.

[0:25] Kevin Jaeger: Nice.

[0:26] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, there's more.

[0:29] Bryan Plofsky: When I grew up, this little girl knows the smell of rebellion, so it won't be a miracle when we drop the hammer.

[0:35] Kevin Jaeger: He made a whole sentence out of that.

[0:38] Kimberly Cooper: Amazing.

[0:39] Bryan Plofsky: Thank you.

[0:40] Kimberly Cooper: That's amazing.

[0:41] Kevin Jaeger: No one's ever done that.

[0:42] Bryan Plofsky: No, no one?

[0:43] Kimberly Cooper: No.

[0:43] Bryan Plofsky: Oh my gosh.

[0:44] Kimberly Cooper: So you're blushing.

[0:47] Bryan Plofsky: Um so joining us today are the usual chokey trapped prisoners.

[0:51] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, okay, I like that.

[0:52] Bryan Plofsky: Including Kimberly, our game master and unofficial babysitter for the hour.

[0:57] Kimberly Cooper: Hello.

[0:58] Bryan Plofsky: Don't put me in the joking.

[0:59] Kimberly Cooper: No.

[1:00] Bryan Plofsky: Kevin Bruce Jaeger.

[1:05] Kevin Jaeger: Well played.

[1:06] Bryan Plofsky: You can do it, Bruce.

[1:09] Bryan Plofsky: And of course, with us today is an Olivier Award-winning actress for her work in Zorro on the West End across the pond.

[1:16] Kimberly Cooper: Fancy.

[1:17] Kevin Jaeger: Yo, super fancy.

[1:19] Bryan Plofsky: And you may have seen her in that Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Sacramento Music Circus.

[1:25] Kimberly Cooper: So pretty.

[1:26] Bryan Plofsky: Or in uh uh last Broadway season's outrageously fun Dames at Sea.

[1:30] Kevin Jaeger: They probably didn't say that.

[1:31] Bryan Plofsky: We did.

[1:31] Kevin Jaeger: We did.

[1:32] Bryan Plofsky: Yeah.

[1:33] Kimberly Cooper: We loved it.

[1:34] Bryan Plofsky: Not many people saw it.

[1:35] Kimberly Cooper: She made her Broadway debut uh yeah, Broadway debut originating the role of Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda and is currently back in that same role.

[1:42] Kevin Jaeger: If you couldn't tell from the opening.

[1:45] Bryan Plofsky: So get your tickets before it closes January 1st. It's great. See it.

[1:50] Bryan Plofsky: But let's give a big Broadway's welcome to Friend of the Show.

[1:50] Kevin Jaeger: Friend of the show.

[1:55] Kimberly Cooper: Friend of the show.

[1:55] Bryan Plofsky: Love the show.

[1:57] Bryan Plofsky: Lesli Margherita.

[2:00] Lesli Margherita: Welcome.

[2:01] Lesli Margherita: I'm so excited to be here. I love this podcast.

[2:04] Lesli Margherita: And I love drinking.

[2:06] Lesli Margherita: It's a perfect combination.

[2:07] Bryan Plofsky: Perfect.

[2:08] Kimberly Cooper: Oh yes.

[2:09] Bryan Plofsky: But follow her on at Queen Lesli.

[2:12] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[2:12] Bryan Plofsky: On Twitter and Instagram.

[2:13] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[2:14] Lesli Margherita: And Snapchat at Queen Lesli Rules.

[2:16] Lesli Margherita: Because somebody took my name on Snapchat.

[2:19] Bryan Plofsky: Oh, really?

[2:20] Lesli Margherita: For real.

[2:20] Bryan Plofsky: You should follow them and like troll them.

[2:22] Lesli Margherita: I I tried. And I don't know who it is. And I even like put it on my Twitter. I was like, please, if you have my name, can I just have it back?

[2:28] Lesli Margherita: And it's somebody who doesn't use the account.

[2:31] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, that's the worst.

[2:32] Lesli Margherita: That's the worst, right?

[2:33] Kevin Jaeger: Jinx.

[2:34] Lesli Margherita: Jinx, give me a curve.

[2:36] Lesli Margherita: Just give him a name.

[2:37] Lesli Margherita: Ugh, whatever.

[2:39] Lesli Margherita: But it's fine. We'll start a rebellion.

[2:41] Bryan Plofsky: We could let's start a Twitter rebellion.

[2:42] Lesli Margherita: Oh my gosh, let's do it.

[2:43] Kevin Jaeger: Someone tried to.

[2:44] Lesli Margherita: Oh, really?

[2:45] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[2:45] Lesli Margherita: Like they threatened whoever had it.

[2:47] Lesli Margherita: I felt bad for a second. But then I was like, no, give me my name.

[2:49] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[2:55] Bryan Plofsky: Speaking of handles, what are we drinking?

[2:58] Lesli Margherita: Oh, that was clever.

[2:59] Bryan Plofsky: Thank you.

[3:00] Lesli Margherita: That's one for me. Maybe two, because the opening was fantastic.

[3:03] Bryan Plofsky: Oh, thank you.

[3:04] Lesli Margherita: You're in a roll today.

[3:05] Kevin Jaeger: Bryan never complimented me.

[3:07] Lesli Margherita: That was clever.

[3:09] Lesli Margherita: Think you're clever.

[3:10] Lesli Margherita: Whatever is a line from Matilda.

[3:13] Bryan Plofsky: It is.

[3:13] Lesli Margherita: That didn't really go, but that's a good one.

[3:15] Bryan Plofsky: No, I liked it.

[3:15] Lesli Margherita: I tried.

[3:16] Lesli Margherita: I tried.

[3:16] Bryan Plofsky: No, I thought it was a good thing. You were in it till the end, though. You really committed it.

[3:20] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, you're very welcome.

[3:21] Bryan Plofsky: But what are you drinking?

[3:24] Lesli Margherita: I'm I'm I'm drinking Maker's Mark this evening.

[3:27] Bryan Plofsky: Great, out of the Kinky Boots.

[3:28] Lesli Margherita: Out of a Kinky Boots, do Jamson Theater glass.

[3:32] Bryan Plofsky: Love it.

[3:32] Lesli Margherita: Because I love both Kinky Boots and to Ju Jamson. I think that's a great combination of love. And Maker's Mark.

[3:38] Kevin Jaeger: So that's the triumvirate.

[3:39] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[3:40] Bryan Plofsky: The greatest free thing of all time.

[3:42] Lesli Margherita: You're on fire.

[3:44] Kevin Jaeger: He's good today.

[3:45] Lesli Margherita: And uh Kevin and I are also partaking in the makers.

[3:48] Kevin Jaeger: We are.

[3:48] Lesli Margherita: It was a good choice.

[3:49] Kevin Jaeger: Good choice.

[3:49] Kimberly Cooper: And Kimberly.

[3:51] Kimberly Cooper: I have tequila and some lemonade.

[3:54] Lesli Margherita: Ooh.

[3:54] Kimberly Cooper: I've never heard of it.

[3:55] Lesli Margherita: Refreshing.

[3:55] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, it's a little bit. It's like a tequila. That's like half a margarita.

[3:58] Kevin Jaeger: Um I thought we were supposed to have margaritas.

[4:00] Kimberly Cooper: So we are gonna get margaritas.

[4:04] Kimberly Cooper: And then I thought it would be really funny to get limeeritas.

[4:08] Bryan Plofsky: What are they?

[4:09] Kimberly Cooper: They're they're like Bud Light, like beer-esque lime-esque.

[4:17] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, and we didn't think you would drink it, Kimberly, because we had wine for Kimberly in case of the city.

[4:20] Kevin Jaeger: Did you think that Lesli was gonna drink it?

[4:22] Kimberly Cooper: No, no, Bryan and I were gonna drink it. We when we asked Lesli what she wanted, she just emailed back hi bourbon.

[4:29] Lesli Margherita: Normally I'm a total wino, like I love wine. However, I thought if I had wine, it would the entire bottle would be gone during this podcast. And I feel like Maker's Mark is like a nice, like kind of a sipper.

[4:43] Lesli Margherita: Because our very first episode with Miss Lacrita, we had Maker's Mark.

[4:46] Kevin Jaeger: No, we polished off a bottle of Woodford Reserve.

[4:48] Lesli Margherita: Oh, Woodford Reserve.

[4:48] Kevin Jaeger: And a bottle of shampoo.

[4:50] Lesli Margherita: We got really fancy and we drank so much.

[4:52] Bryan Plofsky: That's excellent.

[4:53] Lesli Margherita: And then we went out.

[4:54] Bryan Plofsky: You really made a journey for us.

[4:56] Lesli Margherita: You have no idea. I kept like emailing you guys going, I don't know where this place is. I don't know where. And like I told you, I said I had heard of the alphabet streets from Rent, and that was it. But I came from LA and then moved like right to the area I live in, and that's all the area that I stay in. And so coming down here was frightening.

[5:15] Lesli Margherita: And I told you, I saw someone with a banjo on the street, and I It was not Steve Martin.

[5:20] Bryan Plofsky: No, no, a rando with a banjo, and I wanted to just go in the fetal position on the ground, but then the ground was gross, and it was a whole bunch of things.

[5:27] Lesli Margherita: Now I think Steve Martin needs to write a song called A Rando with a Banjo.

[5:29] Bryan Plofsky: Rando with a banjo.

[5:30] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, that's a whole new opening number for the couple.

[5:32] Bryan Plofsky: So now this is her new show.

[5:34] Lesli Margherita: Well, thank you for dealing with the random with the banjo and coming to the code.

[5:37] Bryan Plofsky: It is a lot, it was a lot.

[5:38] Lesli Margherita: You're welcome.

[5:39] Bryan Plofsky: We appreciate it.

[5:41] Lesli Margherita: Oh, that's our show.

[5:42] Bryan Plofsky: No.

[5:45] Lesli Margherita: Um so the first thing we usually do with our guests is what have you seen recently?

[5:45] Lesli Margherita: What have you seen in this reason?

[5:51] Lesli Margherita: Uh well, so I just went back in the show last week. This is my first day off.

[5:56] Bryan Plofsky: And then uh spending with us.

[5:58] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, no problem. And then I was gone doing stuff. So what did I see before I left New York?

[6:04] Lesli Margherita: I saw what did I see? Oh, I saw Cats.

[6:06] Lesli Margherita: I went to the opening.

[6:07] Bryan Plofsky: Oh my god, tell us about it.

[6:08] Lesli Margherita: I went to the opening of Cats, which was awesome because when I was a kid, that was the was like I had the shirt with the glowing eyes.

[6:17] Lesli Margherita: Still have one.

[6:18] Bryan Plofsky: Um I'm wearing it right now.

[6:21] Lesli Margherita: I I wish I was.

[6:23] Lesli Margherita: She's wearing Han Chewy right now.

[6:24] Bryan Plofsky: I'm wearing Han and Chewy, of course.

[6:25] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[6:26] Lesli Margherita: Um, but I had so many friends that were in Cats, and so I was so excited to see it, and I left it. If I was um Eloise.

[6:32] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, Eloise is in it. Totally, who's like one of my close. Uh she was rad. This is the custom. I love the cutest cat.

[6:39] Lesli Margherita: So here's a here's a funny story. Eloise Cropp, she'll come me for telling this. When they were auditioning for Cats, she texted me, she goes, Don't get mad at me. I really think that you should be Jennani Dots. And I texted back with the fat old cat. And I may or may not have auditioned for the you know, the other cat. And I was like, Eloise, um, if I'm gonna do any cat, it's gonna be the one that sits and sings. And I'm so not ready for the old fat cat. And she's like, again, don't get mad at me. Come on, the bitch, because who that's who she is. And I laughed when she got it.

[7:17] Lesli Margherita: But the they they redid it, and she's not like the fat old cat. She's like fierce. I can't wait to see that. She's just like the lazy cat who then takes off her coat and she's fish and she's amazing. Um, but I laughed so hard because I was like, yeah, that's karma for you.

[7:31] Bryan Plofsky: That's amazing.

[7:32] Lesli Margherita: So you give Cats two paws up.

[7:34] Lesli Margherita: I gave Cats two paws up.

[7:37] Lesli Margherita: Don't pause and go see it. I really loved it. And the thing is, like, you know, like, yes, everyone's like, well, it's Cats. I'm like, but it's Cats, it's so good. And I loved it, I mean, I loved it my whole life, and it's really great. And they're amazing. Like I kind of heard. I love the new stuff that they did, and it was super fun.

[7:54] Kevin Jaeger: Cool.

[7:54] Lesli Margherita: Super fun.

[7:54] Bryan Plofsky: Yeah, so that was the last thing I saw.

[7:56] Kimberly Cooper: Awesome.

[7:57] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, I'm so excited to see Cats.

[7:58] Bryan Plofsky: I know.

[7:59] Lesli Margherita: Sorry, I know that you guys hate it, but I'm so it's my baby.

[8:01] Kevin Jaeger: No, I've I've only seen the movie, the like recording.

[8:04] Lesli Margherita: Oh no, yeah, you guys have a lot of people.

[8:06] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[8:06] Lesli Margherita: It's also different when you're a five-year-old girl and you've worn cat ears to the theater.

[8:09] Bryan Plofsky: Totally, totally.

[8:10] Lesli Margherita: You know, no, see, it is super cool.

[8:12] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, see, I've only seen the tour, so I feel like I need to see it like in a home space.

[8:16] Lesli Margherita: Oh, yeah. We'll go. The set's really cool. The only thing is they they strung like lights all over the orchestra seats.

[8:23] Lesli Margherita: And so they twinkle lights, but then they started flickering. And if you've seen The Stranger Things, I started like, oh god, I'm going, I'm going to the upside down every time it happened. So that was the only thing that took me out.

[8:34] Bryan Plofsky: Show no.

[8:34] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, I literally, but otherwise.

[8:36] Kevin Jaeger: But the show only has Cats and no demogorgons, correct?

[8:38] Lesli Margherita: No demogorgons.

[8:39] Bryan Plofsky: Okay.

[8:40] Lesli Margherita: No, that's right.

[8:40] Kevin Jaeger: I don't know.

[8:41] Lesli Margherita: I mean, I'm just saying from your dungeons and Cats.

[8:44] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, yeah.

[8:45] Bryan Plofsky: Great.

[8:46] Lesli Margherita: Um, what else? What have we also seen at this table recently?

[8:48] Kimberly Cooper: Well, I was at Miss America last night.

[8:50] Lesli Margherita: Oh, what?

[8:51] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, I was.

[8:53] Lesli Margherita: A girl named Savvy once.

[8:55] Kimberly Cooper: Savvy Shields.

[8:56] Lesli Margherita: Miss Arkansas.

[8:57] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[8:58] Kimberly Cooper: Headlines are like S Miss America 2017 gives a savvy answer to her question.

[9:03] Lesli Margherita: I didn't watch it, but somebody said she did like a smash number.

[9:03] Kimberly Cooper: She did.

[9:07] Kimberly Cooper: She did a jazz dance number as it was introduced.

[9:11] Lesli Margherita: I see two.

[9:12] Kimberly Cooper: What was it called?

[9:13] Lesli Margherita: Was it Hilty?

[9:14] Kimberly Cooper: They just keep moving the line.

[9:16] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[9:17] Kimberly Cooper: So I was excited immediately. If I was Meghan Hilty, I'd be so freaking excited that a Miss America danced to my voice.

[9:24] Lesli Margherita: Come on.

[9:25] Kimberly Cooper: Oh yeah. And she had on this like fierce little, like like a teensy tiny Marilyn Monroe dress, but sequence.

[9:31] Lesli Margherita: Oh, amazed.

[9:31] Kimberly Cooper: So as soon as they had an American.

[9:35] Lesli Margherita: I was like, oh, the dress makes sense.

[9:36] Kimberly Cooper: You have to.

[9:37] Lesli Margherita: Some of the other dresses amazing.

[9:38] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, well, that's awesome.

[9:40] Lesli Margherita: What a week.

[9:41] Kimberly Cooper: That's awesome.

[9:42] Lesli Margherita: Well, but wait, but the best thing.

[9:43] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, there's a best thing.

[9:45] Lesli Margherita: Okay, so we went to Miss America because my future in-laws were staying with my parents at their beach house in Atlantic City.

[9:51] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[9:52] Lesli Margherita: So my fiance and I went down to spend the weekend with them. But when they booked this weekend, little did we know that my future mother-in-law is obsessed with Miss America.

[10:00] Kimberly Cooper: Stop.

[10:01] Lesli Margherita: Because her sorority sister in the 80s was third runner up.

[10:05] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, really?

[10:05] Lesli Margherita: They all so that's how she got obsessed.

[10:09] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, there's a picture of her.

[10:10] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[10:10] Lesli Margherita: But it's like they're putting the crown on.

[10:12] Kimberly Cooper: Crown on you.

[10:13] Lesli Margherita: It's so fun.

[10:15] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[10:16] Lesli Margherita: Do you like crowns?

[10:18] Lesli Margherita: I love crowns, but I've only been to Atlantic City.

[10:23] Lesli Margherita: And I and as soon as I got off the bus, like I had to actually work, like do a press event, and I was like, I I'm sorry. I need to go find this crown thing.

[10:30] Kimberly Cooper: And then found it.

[10:31] Lesli Margherita: It's pretty central.

[10:32] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[10:32] Lesli Margherita: It's great.

[10:32] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[10:33] Lesli Margherita: Um, so she's obsessed. Kevin and I are you gonna leave the room. We'll be back.

[10:36] Kimberly Cooper: No, because I have to tell you about what the gentleman actually enjoyed about the Miss America weekend.

[10:42] Lesli Margherita: Because on Saturday, what they don't tell you is this long-standing Atlantic City tradition is called the Show Us Your Shoes Parade.

[10:49] Kimberly Cooper: What?

[10:50] Lesli Margherita: What?

[10:50] Kimberly Cooper: I'm gonna explain it now.

[10:52] Lesli Margherita: So each of the 52 Miss America contestants get to sit down.

[10:59] Kimberly Cooper: You notice my question.

[11:01] Lesli Margherita: No, it's a District of Columbia.

[11:02] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, oh right, right.

[11:03] Lesli Margherita: Who won swimsuit and did not make the top 15? Big scandal.

[11:06] Kimberly Cooper: I don't know what that means, but I think it's I think it's terrible.

[11:12] Lesli Margherita: So basically, we my mom had explained it to me because she went and like just happened to see it last year. And she was like, Oh, well, the girls are in the back of these cool old cars, and they like hold up these cool shoes and they show you your shoes.

[11:26] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, show us your shoes.

[11:28] Lesli Margherita: Show us your shoes.

[11:28] Kimberly Cooper: I thought like it was called sh the show is your shoes.

[11:32] Lesli Margherita: I mean, it is.

[11:38] Kimberly Cooper: They do numbers from Kinky Boots.

[11:40] Lesli Margherita: I was like, I literally was like, is it like the sex is in the heel? Like the show is in your shoes. My dad kept yelling Kinky Boots at any of the contestants that had boots on because he has seen it twice.

[11:50] Lesli Margherita: Um each of the 52 contestants, they sit on the back of a convertible and they wear a themed outfit.

[11:56] Kimberly Cooper: We were calling it the opening of the Hunger Games, like where they have we're like they're introducing the district.

[12:02] Lesli Margherita: They're introducing their states with a themed outfit and a themed shoe. For instance, Miss Nebraska was an ear of corn.

[12:09] Kimberly Cooper: Stop it.

[12:10] Lesli Margherita: Did she have corn on her feet?

[12:11] Kimberly Cooper: She yeah, like her shoe, it was like stilettos. Like her whole outfit was the ear of corn.

[12:16] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, so she was in a yellow dress, and then the back of it was like green stalk.

[12:21] Kimberly Cooper: She'd had corns.

[12:26] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, there's also marching bands and like dance troops.

[12:30] Kimberly Cooper: Like the bee squad of the Eagles cheerleaders were there.

[12:35] Lesli Margherita: I assume.

[12:35] Kimberly Cooper: The Beagle Cheerleaders.

[12:39] Lesli Margherita: But it was like it was like a two-hour parade down the boardwalk.

[12:43] Lesli Margherita: And Miss Minnesota dressed as Prince.

[12:45] Kimberly Cooper: Oh maybe too soon.

[12:48] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, my Elite.

[12:50] Kimberly Cooper: No, it was a tribute.

[12:52] Lesli Margherita: Is it?

[12:53] Kimberly Cooper: Is it though?

[12:54] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[12:55] Kimberly Cooper: I don't know.

[12:56] Lesli Margherita: She looks great.

[12:56] Kimberly Cooper: She also did.

[12:57] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[12:57] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[12:58] Lesli Margherita: He's from Minnesota.

[13:00] Kimberly Cooper: So like there are state committees on like what they're turning his estate into a museum.

[13:06] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[13:06] Kimberly Cooper: Wow.

[13:07] Lesli Margherita: Bro, wait a trip to Minnesota.

[13:10] Kimberly Cooper: Who else?

[13:11] Lesli Margherita: I don't remember what state she was from, but one of the girls was all in pink and had a sash that said Miss Piggy.

[13:17] Kimberly Cooper: That was me.

[13:19] Lesli Margherita: Her shoes were leather. One shoe was Kermit the Frog and one shoe was Miss Piggy.

[13:23] Kimberly Cooper: That would have been me.

[13:24] Lesli Margherita: I'll show you the picture later. Literally, that would have been me.

[13:27] Lesli Margherita: It was adorable.

[13:28] Kimberly Cooper: The best.

[13:28] Lesli Margherita: That's amazing.

[13:29] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[13:29] Lesli Margherita: So if you want to go look at the pictures, you can just search hashtag show us your shoes on Instagram.

[13:34] Lesli Margherita: I feel like we should do it right now.

[13:36] Lesli Margherita: But me and James decided like this is what our family does now. Like we go to the show us your shoes parade.

[13:39] Kimberly Cooper: Because you bring a chair, sit on the boardwalk, bring up the shoes.

[13:52] Lesli Margherita: Well, then like all the marching bands and stuff, like by the end, because we had had some to drink. Me and Jay were just like, show us your shoes to like anyone who walked by. Like the marching band, like the little kid baton twirlers. We were like, but the shoes! I feel like as a gay man, I definitely should have heard of a thing called show us your shoes.

[14:09] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[14:10] Lesli Margherita: I feel like I should. Oh my god, shoes. Um, so I'm proposing this now. Live Broadwaysted from showing your shoes.

[14:18] Kevin Jaeger: Okay, okay.

[14:19] Lesli Margherita: Yes. I highly recommend doing a Miss America weekend. That was a real that was a that was a twist on what have you seen this week.

[14:25] Kimberly Cooper: I know.

[14:27] Lesli Margherita: Oh, it was supposed to be this week?

[14:28] Kimberly Cooper: Oh.

[14:29] Lesli Margherita: No. It used to be, and then we stopped seeing shows regularly enough. So it's now what have you seen recently?

[14:36] Kevin Jaeger: Recently.

[14:36] Lesli Margherita: Yeah. And or what are you looking forward to next season? You know what I did see this week?

[14:40] Kimberly Cooper: No, what?

[14:40] Lesli Margherita: You guys, I can't believe I didn't say this. Matilda.

[14:43] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, you you saw before you went in?

[14:46] Lesli Margherita: I have never seen it as an audience member.

[14:49] Kimberly Cooper: Right, right, right.

[14:50] Lesli Margherita: In the entire time because you don't get swung out as a principal. And I have never seen it. I never obviously went to see it on my vacations.

[14:58] Kimberly Cooper: Right.

[14:59] Lesli Margherita: So when I was going back in, I um texted the stage manager. I was like, Can I see it? And he goes, Really? You want to see it? I said, absolutely, because I've never seen it.

[15:07] Kimberly Cooper: There are things that I had no idea.

[15:08] Lesli Margherita: You saw it before Amy Spangler left, so you saw Amy.

[15:10] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[15:11] Lesli Margherita: And it was rad to see like somebody else, you know, like you saw somebody else do and and make it your own. And I love the show. I wept the whole time.

[15:21] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, that's so cool.

[15:22] Lesli Margherita: And Tim Mansion actually called me the day that I went in, just to be like, Welcome home. And he saw on Twitter that I said I had seen it. And he was like, it's a whole other thing, isn't it? I was like, absolutely. It's a whole other thing seeing it.

[15:33] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[15:34] Lesli Margherita: And you really get an appreciation. Not that I didn't before, but to be able to see your little cog in this big machine and how beautiful it is. It was uh it was stunning. So that's what I saw this time.

[15:45] Kimberly Cooper: That's awesome.

[15:46] Kevin Jaeger: That's awesome. I'd just say, so I've I saw Matilda for the first time a couple of years after it debuted.

[15:50] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[15:51] Kevin Jaeger: And it and I've seen a lot of shows po like years after it debuted. Matilda has stayed so sharp.

[15:56] Lesli Margherita: It is immaculate, I'm telling you.

[15:59] Kevin Jaeger: It's tough.

[16:00] Lesli Margherita: It the production is so you really feel like you're there for like the first couple months or because the shows I don't mean to generalize.

[16:10] Kimberly Cooper: No, I get it.

[16:11] Lesli Margherita: Things start to get looser as shows. And to have people like Tim and Matthew Wartress, like they are constantly checking in.

[16:19] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[16:19] Lesli Margherita: They see tapes from London. We get notes from London. And the associate team. And the associate team here I mean, look, we're in rehearsal a lot because there's always kids coming in.

[16:31] Kimberly Cooper: However, true, that's right.

[16:33] Lesli Margherita: They keep this show so tight, and it you really see it. I felt the same way when I watched it. I was like, this is like just like when we opened.

[16:41] Kevin Jaeger: Well, you posted some of your rehearsal videos and and like it just goes to show that like they don't just throw you in.

[16:48] Lesli Margherita: Obviously, your numbers like takes a little bit more to kind of re get back into muscle memory, but um I I'm they're very careful about what's on that stage.

[16:57] Kimberly Cooper: As as an audience member, it's and I love when you share stuff like that because it's so appreciative of like it's not just like, oh, I remember it, I'm going back in.

[17:04] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, not at all. Yeah, there's a lot of things. And it was awesome because I'm going off on a tangent.

[17:08] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, we don't know.

[17:10] Lesli Margherita: But what was amazing was I had been a uh away for an entire year. So you don't totally remember everything that you do. And having done it for a thousand shows, you there are things that you become like rote muscle memory.

[17:23] Kimberly Cooper: Right.

[17:23] Lesli Margherita: Um, so it was rad to go back and like kind of revisit it and almost reinvent. And they were so amazing about letting me find new things.

[17:32] Kimberly Cooper: And um that show is all is any show is living and breathing, and depending on who's in with you, um, it has to grow.

[17:40] Lesli Margherita: So it was really cool to come back to it and feel like it was totally fresh. It doesn't feel like it was a year ago at all.

[17:47] Kimberly Cooper: So you're so you're constantly finding new things about Mrs. Wormwood, I assume and it's because of the kids, honestly.

[17:54] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, what's it like to kind of go back in something you had been a part of, but everything's just like almost like skewed as to what you remembered in a good way.

[18:03] Kevin Jaeger: I mean, like there are a ton of people that are still there because the show is beautiful and people stay in it, but there are so many different things, different kids and different principles, so it has to change.

[18:13] Lesli Margherita: You can't you can't do the same thing twice every night. Um and for me, like I'm a massive theater geek and a theater fan. And so I always think about if somebody's seeing this for the first time, and maybe I'm having a it's a long day, but my job is two and a half hours long.

[18:29] Kevin Jaeger: Like I can find new things, and you know what I mean?

[18:31] Lesli Margherita: Like yeah, I'm always bummed. Not that that happens a lot, but sometimes you like you said, you see something, you're like, well, I've seen it a lot.

[18:39] Kimberly Cooper: And for me, somebody like I tried to be on Broadway for so long, and then it finally happened and and I don't call out unless I'm literally dying.

[18:47] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, yeah.

[18:47] Kimberly Cooper: Um, it just means a lot too. Hillary Clinton can have pneumonia and do it, and that was awesome.

[18:53] Lesli Margherita: But I feel the same way. I'm like, it took so long to get there, and why not give a hundred percent?

[18:57] Kevin Jaeger: And again, it's totally you know, two and a half hours out of a day. Joe DiMaggio was like, I play every baseball game, like there's one kid seeing baseball for the first time.

[19:09] Lesli Margherita: It should be that, and obviously it really should be.

[19:11] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, it should be that.

[19:12] Lesli Margherita: I stage door every night, like oh you do it.

[19:14] Kimberly Cooper: Oh god.

[19:15] Lesli Margherita: That's so awesome. It's so important. Unless they're unless I have to go to a concert, it's so important to me.

[19:19] Kimberly Cooper: Like, it just was me as a kid.

[19:21] Lesli Margherita: Like, like it meant so much to me. I wanted to be this, and then when you get to do what you want to do, and then you're like, Well, I don't feel like doing it, and I'm gonna call out. I'm like, what is wrong with it?

[19:31] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[19:32] Lesli Margherita: But that's you know, that I'm a little old school that way.

[19:34] Kimberly Cooper: But yeah, getting to like go back and do it again is awesome.

[19:38] Lesli Margherita: And even to describe it as old school is like kind of sad because it's a little sad.

[19:42] Kimberly Cooper: You know what I mean?

[19:42] Lesli Margherita: Like, yeah.

[19:43] Kimberly Cooper: It just should just, that's the job.

[19:45] Lesli Margherita: It should be the job. I mean, you look back at those, like I watched a documentary about Carol Channing. She had done like 10,000 shows of Hello Dolly.

[19:49] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[19:53] Lesli Margherita: She doesn't call out, she had like a colostomy bag. And was like, I'm still doing the show. And my husband, we watched this documentary together.

[20:00] Kimberly Cooper: That's so gonna be you.

[20:03] Lesli Margherita: I'm like, you didn't write it in the I will put my hands on the stage. But like I saw I saw Wicked when Kristen Chenrith had a neck brace on.

[20:12] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[20:12] Lesli Margherita: I saw Oh, I saw Gypsy when Patty LePone was in her isotoner.

[20:16] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, for doing it.

[20:18] Lesli Margherita: Yes. You make do.

[20:21] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[20:21] Lesli Margherita: That people have people came to see you. But not even people come to see you, people come to see, yes, they obviously do. But people also come to see the substance of the show.

[20:28] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[20:28] Lesli Margherita: And and if you're that if you if you earned the job and you're the conveying that to the audience, like you better be there telling that story, in my opinion.

[20:38] Kimberly Cooper: And because I feel terrible when I'm not there.

[20:40] Lesli Margherita: And and honestly, if I'm not there, it's because I'm on a vacation or I'm like really ill.

[20:45] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, or something, you know, like I feel bad when people be like, I drove eight hours and you weren't there.

[20:51] Lesli Margherita: I'm like, so here's a here's a question for you.

[20:54] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[20:54] Lesli Margherita: What's your what's your favorite musical? And what's the musical experience that kind of made you be like, yep, this is I'm gonna do this.

[21:02] Lesli Margherita: Uh my favorite musical ever is a toss up between Dream Girls and Evita.

[21:08] Kimberly Cooper: Ooh.

[21:09] Lesli Margherita: New ones to the show.

[21:11] Kimberly Cooper: I have them.

[21:11] Lesli Margherita: Like my dream is to put to do Evita, but I love the show, but I love Dream Girls. There's something about that that just I don't know.

[21:20] Kimberly Cooper: The music, everything, I love it.

[21:21] Lesli Margherita: I'll see it whenever I can. Um it's gonna come into London, the West End.

[21:26] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[21:26] Lesli Margherita: Totally. Joe Reed and um The Girl from Glee who would be great, right?

[21:30] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[21:31] Lesli Margherita: Oh yeah. That's gonna be a cool production.

[21:34] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, I love it.

[21:35] Lesli Margherita: Yeah. Um but I love tons of shows. I don't know. I what made me want to do this is I was always a dancer as a kid and Annie was coming was touring through San Francisco.

[21:47] Kimberly Cooper: Do you know this?

[21:47] Lesli Margherita: Always Annie's always Annie right? That's the number one answer. Annie was coming through San Francisco and they were looking for kids to do like that part of the the run the little dancing part?

[21:57] Kimberly Cooper: They were just looking for orphans for the sit down part of San Francisco.

[22:02] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[22:02] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah and um there was the dancing part in like the one spot where they all do the little dancing thing.

[22:07] Lesli Margherita: Oh well they I mean I guess I'll do that. That means they're in the show.

[22:10] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah and I remember asking my dad to go down and get the application but and he was like my whole family was like you don't sing you never sung I was like I got this it's fine.

[22:22] Lesli Margherita: How old are you at this time I was eight eight and my mom took me down and was like you're not gonna get this we're just doing this for fun and I was like whatever and I ended up getting it and that like made me just want to do it.

[22:38] Kimberly Cooper: But I I loved it because I had seen it in San Francisco when it came on tour and I remember a little girl messed up a step and I was, I think, seven at the time, and I turned to my mom and I was like, I wouldn't have messed up.

[22:51] Lesli Margherita: I've messed up.

[22:51] Kimberly Cooper: And so I knew I wanted to do it.

[22:53] Lesli Margherita: And then I just did.

[22:54] Kimberly Cooper: I I just and did you mess up?

[22:56] Lesli Margherita: I never did.

[22:58] Kimberly Cooper: I never didn't know.

[22:59] Lesli Margherita: I'm sure I did as a kid. But you know, when you're seven or eight, you're like, I'm amazing.

[23:04] Kimberly Cooper: But it was super fun.

[23:05] Lesli Margherita: And then I just kept kept doing it.

[23:07] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[23:08] Lesli Margherita: Um what is the worst advice you've ever gotten?

[23:13] Kimberly Cooper: Huh.

[23:15] Lesli Margherita: I mean the worst advice is to give up. The worst advice is I think anything that I got early on in my career to conform, to lose weight, to get a boo reduction, to uh not be who I was, I think was the worst advice.

[23:38] Kimberly Cooper: And I think when you're a teenager or even in college, sometimes you get that advice because you don't know exactly what you are, and you are, you know, when I was I went to UCLA and worked at Disneyland because that was I wanted to work at Disneyland and do the shows there, and I loved it.

[23:56] Lesli Margherita: But I wanted to be Belle. I wanted to be Little Mermaid, you know, and when you're 18, you feel like you can do that.

[24:04] Kimberly Cooper: But when you have double D's and you look maybe not as like Disney-esque as a girl should be.

[24:11] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, but you still got a Disney show girl.

[24:13] Kimberly Cooper: I know, I know.

[24:14] Lesli Margherita: I still like I still like those princesses, you know.

[24:18] Kimberly Cooper: I think it's hard like when you don't know.

[24:21] Lesli Margherita: I mean, I I felt like I I probably should have been playing Mama Rose when I was 16.

[24:26] Kimberly Cooper: You know, it's just like those Kevin too.

[24:29] Lesli Margherita: I did, right?

[24:29] Kevin Jaeger: See, but I feel like people people that um tell you to We're just picturing Kevin and his ice and donors.

[24:38] Lesli Margherita: I would do Mama Rose and my ice donors.

[24:40] Kevin Jaeger: I would no my Mama Rose would be in like f seals.

[24:45] Lesli Margherita: So you'd be like matched and like like a real housewife.

[24:49] Kevin Jaeger: I would totally steal all the I would steal all of Patty Lepone's vowel changes.

[24:55] Lesli Margherita: Oh my god. I want to see a real housewives of Broadway, but with characters.

[25:00] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god.

[25:00] Lesli Margherita: Oh wow, that would be super.

[25:02] Kimberly Cooper: Mama Rose in a room.

[25:03] Lesli Margherita: Totally.

[25:04] Kimberly Cooper: And um now I can't think of anyone else.

[25:07] Lesli Margherita: There are no more housewives.

[25:10] Kimberly Cooper: Absolutely.

[25:11] Lesli Margherita: Oh, that's a good one.

[25:12] Kimberly Cooper: They described her as a real housewife.

[25:14] Lesli Margherita: Like she's So who's this cast?

[25:15] Kimberly Cooper: We have we have Wyrmwood, we have Mama Rose.

[25:20] Lesli Margherita: Stepmother from Cinderella.

[25:21] Kimberly Cooper: Stepmother from Cinderella.

[25:23] Lesli Margherita: Potentially we have plus as a wife.

[25:26] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[25:26] Lesli Margherita: You need like Stephanie Block, Falsettos like the crazy.

[25:30] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, Trina.

[25:32] Lesli Margherita: Potentially uh Sharon A Scott.

[25:35] Kevin Jaeger: Um you can either do last five years or you can do um her good one.

[25:40] Lesli Margherita: Something rotten.

[25:41] Kevin Jaeger: But that'd be a good one.

[25:42] Lesli Margherita: Some rotten uh dirty rocks.

[25:44] Kimberly Cooper: But the last five years would be great because like marriage falling apart.

[25:47] Lesli Margherita: Like just like a mess all the time.

[25:49] Kevin Jaeger: The young one.

[25:50] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, and she's like, yeah.

[25:51] Kimberly Cooper: She's just like going the other way than everyone else is.

[25:57] Lesli Margherita: We've written you some. You're welcome.

[25:59] Kimberly Cooper: You're welcome, SNL.

[26:02] Lesli Margherita: Um just really niche comedy is what SNL likes.

[26:05] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god.

[26:07] Lesli Margherita: What's your favorite movie?

[26:08] Kevin Jaeger: Well, Star Wars.

[26:09] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[26:10] Kevin Jaeger: Easy.

[26:10] Lesli Margherita: I mean how would you rank them?

[26:12] Kevin Jaeger: Uh the original trilogy.

[26:14] Lesli Margherita: Oh no, I want all seven.

[26:16] Kevin Jaeger: Okay, so I do four, five, six.

[26:19] Lesli Margherita: In order.

[26:20] Kevin Jaeger: In order.

[26:21] Lesli Margherita: However, Empire's my favorite.

[26:24] Kevin Jaeger: But I mean, it's technically a better film, but uh just nostalgia.

[26:29] Lesli Margherita: Why is it?

[26:29] Kevin Jaeger: No, that'm not sure.

[26:31] Lesli Margherita: Honestly, I'd do four, five, six, then I would do seven.

[26:36] Kevin Jaeger: Me too.

[26:36] Lesli Margherita: I'm in my own.

[26:37] Kevin Jaeger: I would do seven and then and then.

[26:41] Lesli Margherita: How would you rate one, two, three?

[26:42] Kevin Jaeger: You know.

[26:45] Lesli Margherita: Three was okay for me.

[26:47] Kevin Jaeger: Three kind of redeemed itself.

[26:49] Lesli Margherita: One and two, I'm not huge fans of, but because I love Star Wars so much.

[26:54] Kevin Jaeger: Right.

[26:55] Lesli Margherita: It's, you know, it's probably like a three, two, one.

[26:58] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, it's probably a three, two, one.

[27:00] Lesli Margherita: One was just so out of the way.

[27:01] Kevin Jaeger: I would do, I would actually do I would do five, four, six, yeah, seven, three, one, two.

[27:09] Lesli Margherita: I I just think that Liam Neeson and that and Darth Maul.

[27:13] Kevin Jaeger: You're true.

[27:13] Lesli Margherita: That that is amazing.

[27:15] Kevin Jaeger: Kind of save that one in the second place.

[27:17] Lesli Margherita: I like that.

[27:17] Kevin Jaeger: That's a good order.

[27:18] Lesli Margherita: And it's never tried to watch those again.

[27:20] Kevin Jaeger: Literally, I go, my husband and I go to the Star Wars celebration.

[27:24] Lesli Margherita: Oh, you do?

[27:24] Kevin Jaeger: Like, oh yeah, we go to the conventions and when they're here.

[27:27] Lesli Margherita: We haven't been to the ones, the European ones, but every other year it's in the States.

[27:31] Kevin Jaeger: So we're mad.

[27:32] Lesli Margherita: We had Stormtroopers at our wedding.

[27:34] Kevin Jaeger: Really?

[27:35] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[27:35] Kevin Jaeger: That's amazing.

[27:35] Lesli Margherita: And we cut our cakes with lightsaber.

[27:37] Kevin Jaeger: Oh my god.

[27:38] Lesli Margherita: I'm so happy.

[27:39] Kevin Jaeger: I saw it planning.

[27:39] Lesli Margherita: And it was well, so I had this giant formal, beautiful black tie Italian wedding.

[27:46] Lesli Margherita: And my husband and I were like, we really want stormtroopers. We knew my mother would that would not fly with my mother. That's kind of black tie. So they were black ties. So we had them walk us in. I mean, he walked down the aisle to the Imperial March by like a string quartet, which was beautiful. It was amazing. And then so we had we hired the stormtroopers actually from Lucasfilm. If you make a donation to the Make a Wish Foundation, my husband is part of um the 501st because he has Stormtrooper armor. Yeah, great. It's hot. And so if you make a donation to make a wish, uh, they'll send members from the 501st to your event. And so we had them walk us into the uh uh reception, and my mother, I looked over and she goes, My wedding is ruined, my beautiful wedding.

But then she's like, then she came around, she took pictures of them. And my dad was like, Well, I don't know what the hell this is, but whatever. But yeah, it's a huge part of like why we met. Yeah, literally. My dad was like, How much does this cost me? No. Um, but it's a huge part of my life, and obviously, you know, I I I love it, and that's uh we we bonded over that. So interesting. Sorry, we'll get back to musical theater now.

[28:51] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[28:54] Lesli Margherita: That's my theory, but okay. Anyway, back to musical theater.

[28:57] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yes.

[28:59] Lesli Margherita: Um, what's your dream role?

[29:01] Kimberly Cooper: Evita.

[29:02] Lesli Margherita: Oh, it is, okay. For real. Yeah, duh. Uh absolutely. Right. You really want to do it. And what's your craziest moment on stage? Whether it be something an audience member did, something that happened that went wrong on stage, and you guys had to work around it.

[29:13] Lesli Margherita: Well, there were two. In London, uh, I had this my role was funny-ish, but very dramatic. And I had this dramatic death, spoiler alert. Um, and I die, of course, center stage. Yeah. Um, and the theaters are so old. And I I've told this story before, but theater were you in over there? The Garrick, which is Randleester Square, which is beautiful. Yeah. Um, the theaters are incredibly old, and so I'm laying dead on the stage, and I'm I have to lay there for a good 10 minutes. Okay. Um, and I hear people behind me going talking. I'm like, what is going on?

[29:45] Kimberly Cooper: Behind you in the audience behind you?

[29:46] Lesli Margherita: No, in in in the cast. Oh. And we had a lot of people from Spain. We had flamenco dancers from Spain, and so they didn't completely speak English. So I heard like raton. I was like, Oh, it's happening. No. So then I'm laying dead center stage and I feel and hear like a rat ran across my body and I screamed on BAAAA Screamed, sat up, and go, Oh God, I'm supposed to be dead, and then died again. Audiences scream laughing, but because you could see it. And you know, the theaters are small. You could see a raton. That was and then the Zorro. It was it was the word. And then my Zoro was like, Oh, I should have stabbed the raton. I I was gone. And then the other crazy thing that happened was in Matilda, I do this thing that's called a kuda slam.

It's a jump split. Yep, yeah. And for some some reason the drag queen turf. The drag queen turf. Have you seen that one drag queen? Oh yes, I've seen that. Yes. I mean, I forgot her name, but she's stunning and she falls from the sky and cooter slams. But the um something happened that show where a piece of set ran over the stage in a weird way, and so they the stage had splintered a little bit. Oh no. I literally did the cooter slam and got a giant piece of wood in my leg, finished my numba because old school. Yeah. And then went off stage and pulled it out, and it was it was probably about four or five inches long. No. Yeah, and then I couldn't finish a show, obviously it had to go to the emergency room.

Right. But but I've never had something like that happen where I've been hurt, or you know, where you just have to like keep going. Yeah. So those are weird things. But I mean, there's tons, I mean, there's tons of stuff. So that's why I love theater. There's always something happening. Oh. Yeah. Always. And now someone has a story of like, this one time I went to the theater and the rat ran over this girl. Like but I'm terrible about laughing. There's also in London this like very serious hanging scene. And the men are about to get hanged, and I'm like, justice, justice for them. And someone's phone went off, and it was big booty hoes, big booty hose. And I'm so professional. I was crying. Crying.

I just it's it's really hard for me to not laugh. So if something like funny happens with you and you see me turn up stage, that then you know that it's not you're losing it. So turn your phones off. Big booty hoes. I'll never forget.

[32:12] Kimberly Cooper: What was the and then before we play the games?

[32:15] Kimberly Cooper: What was putting the Olivier Award like?

[32:19] Lesli Margherita: Uh huh.

[32:19] Lesli Margherita: Dude, it was crazy. That's awesome. It's so amazing. And when I was there, it was uh men and women were in the same category for supporting. Yeah, uh huh. Um, and it wasn't on my radar. We were opening the show, and it's not quite like here where there's such a run up to like people campaigning and shows campaigning. Yeah, it's not really like that there. Like a thousand awards before the Tonies, whereas totally, where they are they really that's kind of it. Yeah, yeah. Um, they're like little ones, you know, like for websites and and and papers and stuff, but but nothing like this. And and the pressure isn't as much. I feel like people making lists of who's gonna get nominated and blah blah blah.

It's right. Crazy stuff. In all fairness to New York and Broadway, over there it's about the substance in the theater, and they subsidize that they subsidize the theater, so it's very much about like what are you absorbing tonight? Correct. As opposed to like, what's this season? What's gonna win? How's it gonna make money? Correct. And there's no kind of campaigning over there, which is a you know part of it awards over here. So it wasn't really on my radar. I didn't even know that the nominations were coming out. Yeah, and um, when it happened, I was like, Oh my god, this is amazing. This is so rad. And I remember he's one of my best friends, but the the Matt that was a Zoro, and he was nominated as well.

He goes, I just need you to know that like Americans don't win, so I don't want you to get your hopes up. And I was like, I my hopes are not up because it's me and and dudes, right? Um, and I was thrilled just to get nominated. Yeah, and it is um kind of like the Golden Globes where you have dinner and you drink, and and my husband um came over and he said, just write a few names down. I was like, babe, I'm not winning. Like I'm an American, it's just not happening. So I thankfully to him, I wrote a few things down, and when I won, I just remember him screaming in my ear, like his football team had just won. And I there's a video of me winning, and I look like they just announced my name to be on the prices right.

I am a Muppet. I'm like, I am crazy, and and my speech is insane because I had had a few drinks. Yeah, and you had no idea. And Jersey Boys is winning everything that year, which is so strange because that was an American show. Right. Um, but it was you know, we we were kind of like at the table, we're like, Well, we're not winning anything. Well, there are tables at Olivia's? Yes, literally. So fun. Um, and I didn't perform that night. It was great, it was like so I got to see my cats perform. Um, and it was nuts. And when that happened, I was like, I don't know how that happened. But what I tell aspiring actors is nobody knew who I was in New York. I I won this, you know, the London's equivalent of the Tony.

Yeah. And I was like, Finally, I'll get you to do a Broadway show. And I remember coming back and I still didn't get a Broadway show. I mean I lived in LA, but was always flying out here for audition. Always. Always. And you had that calling card if you will. Totally. And I was here doing workshops and things, but it just had never happened. Yeah. And you think that that's gonna be the thing that like, oh finally, people will appreciate me or whatever. It just doesn't happen. And it took an it took a British team to like give me a chance. Yeah. Um which is crazy. But winning that was like nuts. And since then they now have like male and female awards and more Americans have won and it's it's a little easier to get Americans over there.

Yeah, but I think it's easier to get Americans over there now. Yeah. I was a nobody and equity would not exchange me. So my my production company like hired lawyers. They really believed in me and so it meant so much for me. It meant so much for me to win that for them. Yeah yeah um because they they tried so hard to get me over there and um they're still trying to bring that show here. I know I was reading that. I I really really hope that that that happens because it's really beautiful and it's really fun. You know and so I I it's you know here it's so it's so much money to put on a show. That's why when things fail I'm like please don't hurrah something failing online. Don't don't write about it.

We loved not just but we loved Dames at sea I did too. Oh yeah we did a great time but it's really hard I think you know like and and I get message boards and I under I totally understand that because I have a very strong opinions as well. But it's really hard when people go and trash things. Sucks. Because it just like it takes so much money and so many people to make something work in America in this economy. Against Hamilton. Against Hamilton. Anything. And it's so heartbreaking when it doesn't happen. Yeah. It's hard like nerds when that happened. It was value. No matter what you thought. And and you know, I just don't understand why do you have to go online and write like, well, I knew it was gonna fail.

Like, why do you have to do that? Like it just people are heartbroken. And it just it takes so much to put a show on here. That's why Zoro's taking so long. It takes so much money. Yeah, yeah to insane. A lot of money, a lot of convincing, a lot of pitches, a lot of persuasion, a lot of lunches, a lot of insanity and fencing matches, fencing matches. You know, and I think like Hamilton, like it's kind of an anomaly, like it's phenomenal, and absolutely I was like weeping through the whole thing. Right. It lives up to its height, but what about you, Kevin? But like one of one of those every 20 years, and for everything else, it's very difficult. Yeah, but Hamilton still was in workshops for three or four years before.

I mean, he did his freaking winners seven or eight years ago, and they laughed at him. Yeah, yes, I've seen that tape. They literally started laughing. Yeah, ha ha! Oh, he's not. Oh wow, this is real. This is serious, yeah. And and it just, you know, that's why I workshop so many things that don't go, and things that you're like, this is gonna be the next blah blah blah. Yeah, and then you don't convince the people with the money that that's what everyone's gonna want to see, and that's what's marketable, and like people turn to their marketing people at this point. They're like, Can you sell this show? No, no. And it takes years and it's devastating. Like uh, you know, I I've workshopped things for years and then you age out, and it's devastating.

You know, it just takes so long for things to happen. But um, that's why I'm always I'm always a little hesitant when um people are posting things that are a little negative, and I get it. Everyone, yeah, I get it. You know, you want to we need critics as well, but it's it's so hard to put get anything produced these days. On that note, let's play a game.

[38:59] Kimberly Cooper: Yay!

[39:00] Lesli Margherita: Yay, I have a game.

[39:01] Kimberly Cooper: Great.

[39:02] Lesli Margherita: Because that's what I do here. Game time. I have yeah, you good?

[39:06] Kimberly Cooper: You good?

[39:06] Lesli Margherita: I just spilled my maker's mark. Unacceptable on myself. Our engineer freaked out. I will never spill anything on a mic. I did put a mic in a toilet once, but that's another story. Anyway.

[39:23] Kimberly Cooper: All right, what are we playing, Kimberly?

[39:24] Kimberly Cooper: We're gonna play show cards. Heads up!

[39:27] Lesli Margherita: Yay!

[39:28] Kimberly Cooper: So I've decided it's the Ellen show today.

[39:30] Lesli Margherita: Awesome.

[39:31] Kimberly Cooper: Sure. Do you know the you know?

[39:33] Lesli Margherita: Do you know the show cards?

[39:35] Kimberly Cooper: The squigs?

[39:36] Lesli Margherita: Yeah. Oh god, I love them.

[39:37] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, awesome.

[39:38] Lesli Margherita: So true story, I cried when I got one.

[39:40] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, well, you might be in here somewhere.

[39:42] Lesli Margherita: Well, and Squigs, like uh kind of fought for me to have one.

[39:45] Kimberly Cooper: Good.

[39:45] Lesli Margherita: Squiggs is a good guy. We did Man of La Mancha together in Los Angeles.

[39:48] Kimberly Cooper: That's true.

[39:49] Lesli Margherita: I only knew him as an actor. That's my favorite show of all time. That's one of mine. And I would love to do that again on the Broadway. Um I was Al Danza and he was Sancho. Oh my gosh. He's amazing, and that's one of my favorite roles. And so I cried like when he made my card, I cried. And I carry it in my bag. Yes. Just to like when I'm having it down there. Somebody thinks I belong here. Yeah. Anyway. Anyway, I have four stacks of show cards. So basically, what you can't see because you're listening to this, is we're gonna put a card against our forehead and not look at it. And everyone else is gonna try to make us guess who's on our forehead. Okay. She won a Tony Brambleton. Uh uh I need more than that.

She is she was the last Maureen in rent on Broadway. Oh, that's a true statement. How nice. Was she Maureen? She was. No, not she was a Mr. No, she was Mimi. She's Mimi. It was the M1. She's amazing. Anyway, so I'm gonna give everyone a stack of cards. Okay. The only thing about these cards is they do say the name on the other side as well. Okay. Try not to look. Okay. But you're gonna get a minute. Okay. And then you're gonna count up how many you got. So we're gonna go one at a time. Kevin. Kevin, wanna go? I'll go first. Okay. Ready? I'm gonna put a timer on. Renee's not on top, is she? No, I I put her away. Okay. Here we go. Are you ready? Go. Go. My favorite. Oh my god. The best performance.

Laura Venante. Spelling bee. And Peter and the Starcatcher. Family Dynasty. She has a brother. Yeah, Keen Bulger. Correct. Oh, good one. Family Dynasty go one. Yeah. Oh. Oh. Oh, I want it. Oh. Pregnancy. Oh, has uh serious like the radio. Sash Retsky. Yeah. We always get this card. It's coming to Broadway again. Coming this fall. Yeah. They're tweeting pictures of rehearsals. Seven Asian block. Oh, falsettos.

[41:37] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[41:37] Kimberly Cooper: Our favorite card.

[41:39] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, just closed.

[41:41] Lesli Margherita: Uh oh.

[41:41] Kimberly Cooper: We're going out.

[41:42] Bryan Plofsky: Find me Neverland.

[41:43] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[41:43] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, good one.

[41:46] Lesli Margherita: Married to Danny Berson.

[41:47] Kevin Jaeger: Uh-huh.

[41:48] Lesli Margherita: Oh yes.

[41:48] Kimberly Cooper: Rebecca Lucas.

[41:49] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, good.

[41:51] Lesli Margherita: Oh.

[41:52] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, handsome.

[41:53] Kevin Jaeger: Bridges of masculine.

[41:55] Lesli Margherita: Used to be married to someone else.

[41:56] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[41:57] Kevin Jaeger: Steven Pasqual.

[41:59] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[42:00] Kimberly Cooper: More.

[42:02] Lesli Margherita: Oh, um handsome.

[42:03] Kevin Jaeger: So handsome.

[42:05] Lesli Margherita: We're done.

[42:05] Kimberly Cooper: We're done.

[42:06] Kevin Jaeger: We're done.

[42:07] Bryan Plofsky: How many did you get, Kevin?

[42:08] Kevin Jaeger: Justin Daniele.

[42:09] Lesli Margherita: Oh, good call.

[42:10] Kevin Jaeger: Um, I got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

[42:16] Lesli Margherita: Eight.

[42:16] Kimberly Cooper: Eight is the one to beat Brian.

[42:18] Bryan Plofsky: All right.

[42:18] Lesli Margherita: Eight is great.

[42:20] Kimberly Cooper: This is hard.

[42:21] Kevin Jaeger: We ready?

[42:23] Lesli Margherita: Go.

[42:25] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, we got his car.

[42:26] Kevin Jaeger: You loved him and waitress.

[42:27] Lesli Margherita: Christopher Sterling.

[42:28] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[42:30] Lesli Margherita: Oh, I will never leave you.

[42:32] Kimberly Cooper: Attached to the hip.

[42:34] Lesli Margherita: Oh, Alistair Friday.

[42:35] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[42:36] Lesli Margherita: And um Emily's going to be a little bit of a sort of thing.

[42:37] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[42:37] Kevin Jaeger: The show.

[42:38] Lesli Margherita: Side show.

[42:38] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[42:39] Kevin Jaeger: Why did you knock it out?

[42:41] Lesli Margherita: Amazing costume designer, stunning.

[42:43] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, Willie Mighty Long.

[42:44] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[42:45] Lesli Margherita: Well, I just know he's in the pack.

[42:47] Kimberly Cooper: A chorus line.

[42:50] Kevin Jaeger: Not a rare card.

[42:50] Lesli Margherita: Not a rare card.

[42:52] Kimberly Cooper: It's not.

[42:53] Kevin Jaeger: Original Book of Mormon.

[42:55] Lesli Margherita: Uh Dad Reynolds.

[42:56] Kimberly Cooper: No, yeah.

[42:57] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[42:58] Lesli Margherita: Oh, again.

[42:59] Kimberly Cooper: Broadway this fall.

[43:00] Kevin Jaeger: Full stuff.

[43:02] Lesli Margherita: Not a rare card.

[43:03] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god.

[43:04] Lesli Margherita: One of my favorites from our life.

[43:06] Kimberly Cooper: Fun LA.

[43:07] Lesli Margherita: Fun home.

[43:09] Kevin Jaeger: Allison.

[43:09] Lesli Margherita: Older Alison.

[43:10] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, Bethone.

[43:12] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[43:13] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, but we get Monty.

[43:16] Lesli Margherita: Force.

[43:17] Kevin Jaeger: Andre.

[43:18] Lesli Margherita: Yes, yes, yes.

[43:22] Kimberly Cooper: One second left, and we're done.

[43:24] Lesli Margherita: Oh.

[43:25] Kevin Jaeger: I got I got eight as well.

[43:26] Lesli Margherita: You got eight as well.

[43:27] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, here we go.

[43:27] Kevin Jaeger: Kevin and I've got to go.

[43:28] Lesli Margherita: Okay, okay, okay.

[43:29] Kimberly Cooper: Well, I saw that one.

[43:30] Lesli Margherita: Okay, move it.

[43:30] Kevin Jaeger: I can't.

[43:31] Lesli Margherita: I can't.

[43:31] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[43:31] Bryan Plofsky: Ready?

[43:32] Lesli Margherita: Okay.

[43:32] Kimberly Cooper: So that end.

[43:33] Kevin Jaeger: Go.

[43:35] Lesli Margherita: Oh, I can't see it.

[43:37] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, she um Oh, director?

[43:39] Kevin Jaeger: Is she a director?

[43:40] Lesli Margherita: Oh, no.

[43:42] Kimberly Cooper: Why did I get these?

[43:43] Lesli Margherita: Okay.

[43:43] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, he's from Rent.

[43:45] Lesli Margherita: And disaster.

[43:46] Kevin Jaeger: Uh Adam Pascal.

[43:48] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[43:48] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[43:48] Lesli Margherita: Oh, Pass.

[43:49] Kevin Jaeger: We hate this one.

[43:50] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, I don't know.

[43:50] Kevin Jaeger: Oh my god, why did I get these people?

[43:53] Lesli Margherita: You'll never get this one.

[43:54] Kevin Jaeger: Keep going.

[43:54] Lesli Margherita: Keep going.

[43:55] Kevin Jaeger: Oh my god.

[43:59] Lesli Margherita: You lied.

[43:59] Kevin Jaeger: So I can't even take that.

[44:02] Lesli Margherita: Oh, uh, she's the best.

[44:03] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, Chicago.

[44:06] Lesli Margherita: Oh, my cheetah!

[44:07] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[44:07] Lesli Margherita: That's another role I want to do.

[44:09] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, yes.

[44:10] Lesli Margherita: Um it's not a dog, but a cat.

[44:13] Kevin Jaeger: It has two of these.

[44:14] Lesli Margherita: It's it's a play in in the dose.

[44:16] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, Henry.

[44:18] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, the curious incident of the dog.

[44:19] Kevin Jaeger: No, no, no, no.

[44:21] Lesli Margherita: Old one about Henry.

[44:22] Kimberly Cooper: What?

[44:26] Lesli Margherita: Oh.

[44:27] Kevin Jaeger: This is terrible.

[44:28] Lesli Margherita: Oh God.

[44:28] Kimberly Cooper: Um, you saw it.

[44:30] Lesli Margherita: Oh, it just won everything.

[44:31] Kimberly Cooper: Just won everything.

[44:31] Lesli Margherita: Hamilton, yes.

[44:34] Kimberly Cooper: Um, he's core for her.

[44:36] Lesli Margherita: Oh, Michael Bennett.

[44:37] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[44:38] Lesli Margherita: She's so stressed out.

[44:40] Kimberly Cooper: What is oh, it's um the British one when like he keeps trying to get ahead by getting rid of his uh Tony for Best Musical.

[44:47] Lesli Margherita: Um I think I went to marry you.

[44:51] Kevin Jaeger: I want to marry you.

[44:52] Lesli Margherita: Mary you.

[44:53] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, gentlemen's guy, yes.

[44:55] Lesli Margherita: Oh, Lauren Garsham.

[44:56] Kevin Jaeger: Okay, okay.

[44:56] Lesli Margherita: Three.

[44:57] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, they wrote Cabaret.

[44:58] Lesli Margherita: They wrote cabaret.

[44:59] Kevin Jaeger: Candornets.

[45:00] Lesli Margherita: Okay.

[45:01] Kimberly Cooper: Can we please go back and see who we passed on?

[45:04] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[45:04] Kevin Jaeger: Ted Sperling, yeah, sure.

[45:05] Lesli Margherita: Stage store canteen.

[45:06] Kimberly Cooper: What the hell is that?

[45:08] Lesli Margherita: It was like a literal canteen that they had in the phone.

[45:11] Kimberly Cooper: Oh.

[45:11] Lesli Margherita: It's a stage door canteen.

[45:13] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, sorry.

[45:13] Lesli Margherita: Oh, god.

[45:13] Kimberly Cooper: No, it's a game.

[45:15] Lesli Margherita: Is she gonna be in it?

[45:17] Kevin Jaeger: Michael McGraw.

[45:18] Lesli Margherita: Uh no, should she cursed Mary Mitchell?

[45:21] Kimberly Cooper: Um we just didn't know how to say it.

[45:26] Lesli Margherita: I got my idol, though.

[45:27] Kevin Jaeger: Cheetah.

[45:29] Lesli Margherita: I really wanted to kiss the spider-woman, but I think it's being redone with someone else.

[45:32] Kimberly Cooper: Whatever.

[45:33] Lesli Margherita: Oh, I love that show.

[45:34] Kevin Jaeger: Me.

[45:34] Lesli Margherita: Are they really redoing it?

[45:36] Kimberly Cooper: I think so.

[45:36] Lesli Margherita: So you got seven.

[45:38] Kevin Jaeger: I did?

[45:39] Lesli Margherita: With that many passes, a seven is phenomenal.

[45:40] Kimberly Cooper: That was actually very impressive.

[45:42] Lesli Margherita: You lied.

[45:43] Kevin Jaeger: No, I did.

[45:43] Lesli Margherita: You got Pascal, Candor and Ebb, um Hamilton, gentleman's guide, Michael Bennett Cheetah.

[45:49] Kevin Jaeger: That's seven.

[45:51] Lesli Margherita: Oh wow.

[45:52] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[45:52] Lesli Margherita: All right.

[45:53] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[45:54] Lesli Margherita: Do you want me to try?

[45:54] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, yeah.

[45:55] Lesli Margherita: Yep.

[45:55] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[45:56] Lesli Margherita: Will you hit start for me?

[45:57] Kimberly Cooper: Ready?

[45:57] Lesli Margherita: Here we go.

[45:58] Kimberly Cooper: Ready?

[45:59] Lesli Margherita: I saw this one too.

[46:01] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yeah.

[46:04] Lesli Margherita: Tommy Tune.

[46:05] Kevin Jaeger: No.

[46:05] Lesli Margherita: No, shuffle shuffle along.

[46:06] Kevin Jaeger: Savion Glover.

[46:07] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[46:08] Kevin Jaeger: Played horse.

[46:10] Lesli Margherita: Phil Monty.

[46:10] Kevin Jaeger: Again.

[46:11] Lesli Margherita: Very popular.

[46:11] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, Andre the Shield.

[46:12] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[46:14] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, directed Wicked.

[46:15] Lesli Margherita: He's also an actor.

[46:16] Kevin Jaeger: He directs everything.

[46:17] Lesli Margherita: He's a normal heart.

[46:19] Kevin Jaeger: Um, that name that I know.

[46:21] Lesli Margherita: Shoeless blank from Hannibal Moe.

[46:24] Kevin Jaeger: Joe?

[46:24] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[46:25] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[46:25] Lesli Margherita: Not a wolf.

[46:26] Kevin Jaeger: Mantello.

[46:27] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[46:27] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[46:29] Lesli Margherita: Kevin hasn't seen it.

[46:30] Kevin Jaeger: One everything.

[46:33] Lesli Margherita: Ah, the Queen.

[46:34] Kevin Jaeger: Uh.

[46:36] Lesli Margherita: A million.

[46:36] Kevin Jaeger: Six Time Tony.

[46:38] Lesli Margherita: Tony's six times.

[46:39] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[46:40] Lesli Margherita: Audio.

[46:42] Kevin Jaeger: Oh god.

[46:43] Lesli Margherita: Another queen.

[46:43] Kevin Jaeger: Uh she's doing the prom right now.

[46:45] Lesli Margherita: Um draws the chaperon.

[46:47] Kevin Jaeger: Beth Malone?

[46:48] Lesli Margherita: Uh, other one.

[46:48] Kevin Jaeger: No, the other one.

[46:49] Lesli Margherita: Sun Foster?

[46:50] Kevin Jaeger: No, the other Beth.

[46:50] Lesli Margherita: The other Beth.

[46:52] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, sorry, sorry.

[46:53] Lesli Margherita: You're right.

[46:55] Kevin Jaeger: If something is not straight, you need to.

[46:57] Lesli Margherita: Oh my god, a laddie.

[46:58] Kevin Jaeger: The Genie.

[46:59] Lesli Margherita: Adorable.

[46:59] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, Eagle Heart.

[47:00] Lesli Margherita: James Michael Egg of Heart.

[47:02] Kevin Jaeger: That's it, you're done.

[47:03] Lesli Margherita: Do I get James Monroe Gahard?

[47:05] Kevin Jaeger: Even though I said Michael.

[47:06] Lesli Margherita: Wow, these are there's some randoms in here.

[47:10] Kevin Jaeger: That's seven.

[47:11] Lesli Margherita: So Kevin, I tied with the tiebreaker.

[47:16] Kimberly Cooper: Oh.

[47:16] Lesli Margherita: Can you ask us a Miss America question?

[47:19] Kevin Jaeger: Wait, yeah, tiebreaker.

[47:20] Lesli Margherita: Do you want to answer like I'm a random question?

[47:21] Kimberly Cooper: You're a random?

[47:22] Lesli Margherita: I don't know.

[47:22] Kevin Jaeger: What are some randos that you're seeing in there?

[47:24] Lesli Margherita: Well, I can't say that.

[47:25] Kevin Jaeger: For the tiebreaker.

[47:26] Lesli Margherita: Who won the talent competition of Miss America?

[47:30] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, I don't know the answer to that.

[47:31] Lesli Margherita: Just guess a state.

[47:32] Kevin Jaeger: Oklahoma.

[47:33] Lesli Margherita: She sang Desperado by the Eagles.

[47:36] Kevin Jaeger: Seriously?

[47:37] Lesli Margherita: Yep.

[47:37] Kevin Jaeger: She won talent.

[47:39] Lesli Margherita: Um I'm gonna say Minnesota.

[47:42] Kevin Jaeger: Oklahoma.

[47:43] Lesli Margherita: No.

[47:44] Kevin Jaeger: California.

[47:46] Lesli Margherita: Vermont.

[47:47] Kevin Jaeger: Tennessee.

[47:48] Lesli Margherita: Miss Tennessee.

[47:50] Kevin Jaeger: Saying desperata.

[47:51] Lesli Margherita: Because I love Nashville.

[47:53] Lesli Margherita: And then Miss, like, it wasn't South Carolina.

[47:57] Kevin Jaeger: It wasn't Oklahoma, but she sang a piece of sky from Yentl.

[48:00] Lesli Margherita: Love it.

[48:01] Kevin Jaeger: Love it.

[48:01] Lesli Margherita: Great.

[48:01] Kimberly Cooper: In this like Elsa dress.

[48:03] Lesli Margherita: So like she walked out and I was like, she's singing let it go.

[48:05] Kevin Jaeger: And she sang a piece of sky.

[48:07] Lesli Margherita: I'm so excited for Frozen, by the way.

[48:08] Kevin Jaeger: Oh right.

[48:09] Lesli Margherita: I'm so excited.

[48:11] Kimberly Cooper: Only if it's Betsy.

[48:13] Lesli Margherita: Wolf.

[48:14] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[48:14] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[48:15] Kimberly Cooper: If they kick her out, then I'm gonna die.

[48:16] Lesli Margherita: There's nobody more perfect.

[48:18] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, she's literally perfect.

[48:20] Lesli Margherita: Literally perfect.

[48:21] Kimberly Cooper: Like you can't have anybody else do that.

[48:22] Lesli Margherita: Did we all see her in the last five years?

[48:24] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[48:25] Lesli Margherita: I did not.

[48:25] Kevin Jaeger: It was me and Jay's third date, and we were just puddles.

[48:28] Lesli Margherita: You went on a third date to see the last five years.

[48:30] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, it wasn't a good choice.

[48:31] Lesli Margherita: And then they came to see Iron Man Three.

[48:33] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, that's the first day I met Brian.

[48:35] Lesli Margherita: You went and saw last five years on stage and then went to see the movie Iron Man 3.

[48:35] Kevin Jaeger: Iron Man?

[48:41] Lesli Margherita: So can we?

[48:42] Kimberly Cooper: I'm engaged to his best friend.

[48:46] Lesli Margherita: Yes.

[48:47] Kevin Jaeger: And then you found out you had this like I have the I mean I'm a Marvel fan as well.

[48:55] Lesli Margherita: But then you found out you had this like mutual theater live.

[48:58] Kevin Jaeger: Whoa.

[48:58] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, well, I mean, it was three and a half years ago, so we've now known each other.

[49:01] Kevin Jaeger: But yeah, we're all musical theater majors in school.

[49:04] Lesli Margherita: And then do you guys miss performing?

[49:07] Kevin Jaeger: I mean still do it?

[49:08] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[49:09] Kevin Jaeger: Like here and there.

[49:10] Lesli Margherita: Kevin and I write.

[49:11] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[49:11] Lesli Margherita: Which we do.

[49:12] Kimberly Cooper: Amazing.

[49:13] Lesli Margherita: Um talk about it.

[49:15] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yeah, they do.

[49:16] Lesli Margherita: And I produce now.

[49:17] Kevin Jaeger: And so it's just like you miss like but that's what I asked asking people like what no.

[49:22] Lesli Margherita: It's a real thing.

[49:23] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[49:23] Lesli Margherita: I miss it.

[49:24] Kevin Jaeger: Because it is a real thing, because most of the time you're unemployed.

[49:27] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[49:27] Kevin Jaeger: Well, who do they say?

[49:28] Lesli Margherita: For most of the time you're not doing what you think you want right what you thought you would do.

[49:32] Kevin Jaeger: And so it's fascinating to me what else you could do, because there's a million things too.

[49:37] Lesli Margherita: And it is it's it's a whole other thing.

[49:39] Kevin Jaeger: So I'm I'm fascinated by people who do other things because they're I also think that like doing something else makes you a better performer.

[49:47] Lesli Margherita: I think that like having something else that is your having something like this or having a different interest makes you way better.

[49:54] Kevin Jaeger: I will also say that having been a performer made me a better salesperson.

[49:59] Lesli Margherita: For me, if I could do anything else as as well as what I do, I would do it.

[50:04] Kevin Jaeger: And people are like, I would never do anything else.

[50:05] Lesli Margherita: I'm like, it's a tough job.

[50:07] Kevin Jaeger: It's all jobs are tough, but it it's a tough business and and it's a constant struggle and a constant like mind if.

[50:16] Lesli Margherita: Yeah, and it's like an intense lifestyle decision.

[50:19] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, yeah.

[50:21] Lesli Margherita: And that's why I love like the Twitter.

[50:23] Kevin Jaeger: I love the social media when kids are like, I don't know if I can do this.

[50:27] Lesli Margherita: I just got told no, and I'm like, I have been told no so many times, and I'm the first one to be like easier.

[50:32] Kevin Jaeger: No, it doesn't get easier, it just doesn't.

[50:34] Lesli Margherita: And you have to like find something within yourself or find something else like this that you have a creative outlet.

[50:39] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, no part of the reason I stopped doing the performing is because I fell in love with writing.

[50:47] Lesli Margherita: And like I I could write for my friends.

[50:49] Kevin Jaeger: And writing for my friends was even better than performing.

[50:53] Lesli Margherita: Put knowing that I put something on the page that my friend could do something was so much more for me fulfilling than like and then I like putting our friends in your shows.

[51:02] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[51:02] Lesli Margherita: I like being the one that was like, I'll find you a room.

[51:04] Kevin Jaeger: I'll do this.

[51:05] Lesli Margherita: Oh my God, that's amazing.

[51:06] Kevin Jaeger: Like, I don't have that.

[51:07] Lesli Margherita: I don't have a write, but I can't write like a musical.

[51:11] Kevin Jaeger: And that's huge.

[51:12] Lesli Margherita: Like, I to be able to do that and then take yourself out of it to be like you could do whatever I couldn't do is huge.

[51:20] Kevin Jaeger: Like I, as an actress, I feel like it's so selfish.

[51:23] Lesli Margherita: Like, I feel like writers are so not selfish about it.

[51:26] Kevin Jaeger: But it's also why for writers, I'm so respectful of what they do and don't take liberties.

[51:34] Lesli Margherita: I drive myself crazy.

[51:36] Kevin Jaeger: Like, if I mess up a word in an audition of something, if a writer is in the room and I mess up a lyric or a word, I beat myself up because I'm like, somebody slaved over this to write the exact thing that they wanted to write.

[51:49] Lesli Margherita: It is not my job.

[51:50] Kevin Jaeger: It is not my job to interpret the material.

[51:53] Lesli Margherita: It's my job to do it.

[51:55] Kevin Jaeger: So I mean, I can't interpret it, but it's not my job to judge it or change it.

[51:59] Lesli Margherita: Yeah.

[52:00] Kevin Jaeger: Um, and it's so important to be able to do that.

[52:01] Lesli Margherita: That is the story you get to tell it.

[52:03] Kevin Jaeger: Absolutely.

[52:04] Lesli Margherita: And and I feel like that's also lost.

[52:06] Kevin Jaeger: Like, people slave over what you guys do to write something, is ours going, should it be this word or this word?

[52:12] Lesli Margherita: And so if I mess it up on audition, I beat myself.

[52:15] Kevin Jaeger: See, to me, to me though, it's an interesting like play on everything because when you have like the the actors who bring their own unique and make it like a human thing and a real thing.

[52:25] Lesli Margherita: To me, as like a writer, all you can really do is kind of like create the foundation and like all the walls of a house, and then the actors bring in all the like knick knickknacks and furniture that make it like this like beautiful show piece.

[52:37] Kevin Jaeger: There's also a difference when you're workshopping.

[52:39] Lesli Margherita: Exactly.

[52:39] Kevin Jaeger: When something is like in stone, here we go.

[52:42] Lesli Margherita: Totally.

[52:45] Kevin Jaeger: I feel like the writer has to like those knickknacks.

[52:53] Lesli Margherita: Did we even like talk about anything?

[52:54] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[52:55] Lesli Margherita: Probably.

[52:56] Kevin Jaeger: We got there.

[52:57] Lesli Margherita: We talked about it a lot.

[52:58] Kevin Jaeger: A big shiny, mighty fine, glitter, glitch, and chorus liney.

[53:02] Lesli Margherita: Bob your head and shake your hiney musical.

[53:05] Kevin Jaeger: Is that from Rock Some Rocks?

[53:08] Lesli Margherita: Oh, that's very nice.

[53:10] Kevin Jaeger: Who said that?

[53:11] Lesli Margherita: That's so great.

[53:12] Kevin Jaeger: That's in the Mules.

[53:16] Lesli Margherita: So, um, don't forget to follow Lesli on in Twitter Twitter and Instagram at Queen Leslie.

[53:22] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[53:22] Lesli Margherita: Snapchat on Queen Leslie Rules.

[53:24] Kevin Jaeger: I hate you who ever took it.

[53:28] Lesli Margherita: Seriously, we we we are so thankful you came and hang hung out with us.

[53:31] Kimberly Cooper: I love this podcast, you guys.

[53:33] Lesli Margherita: Thank you.

[53:34] Bryan Plofsky: So cheers, and as we end every podcast, it's from Greece.

[53:41] Lesli Margherita: It's the end of Greece.

[53:43] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, the end of that is the end of the magic changes.

[53:47] Lesli Margherita: The last time I did Greece with with Beth Malone, and we did ancient Greece because we were so much like the