This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Kevin Jaeger: Stay tuned after the episode for a special off Broadwaysted segment where I'm talking with the star of the song of Bernadette Jones that'll be appearing in the Fresh Fruit Festival here in New York City, Sam Spadifour. So listen up and enjoy.

[0:14] Kevin Jaeger: And now for your regularly scheduled Broadwaysted.

[0:17] Bryan Plopsky: Yay, it's us. We're all here.

[0:24] Kimberly Cooper: Did you bring wine?

[0:25] Kevin Jaeger: I got the glasses.

[0:26] Bryan Plopsky: You guys have made a quiz. And I didn't bring anything, but I hear it's a bunch.

[0:40] Bryan Plopsky: Hello, and welcome to the official Broadwaysted podcast where we're drunk on theater. I'm your host, Bryan Plopsky, and I'm not just a number, even though this is episode 106. We got swagger, and as the waters rise, we're not too good for this. We've got a new point of view, so we're gonna get up and have you follow me to the party. Como no?

[0:58] Bryan Plopsky: It's a time machine today for Dorothy Dottie, but who wants to see that? But you might want to hear that. Woohoo! Oh, I'm like literally the only person who knows what these are from right now.

[1:11] Kevin Jaeger: I heard it was Dottie, and I was like a league of their own.

[1:13] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, I know, right?

[1:14] Bryan Plopsky: Joining us today are the usual princesses. Can't Princess one, two, and three, including Kevin, the Prince of Swing, Jaeger.

[1:24] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, I loved that one. That was a good number.

[1:26] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, Andre de Shields, yes.

[1:27] Bryan Plopsky: Kimberly, our game master and unofficial babysitter for the hour.

[1:31] Kimberly Cooper: Am I not a prince?

[1:32] Kevin Jaeger: What?

[1:33] Kimberly Cooper: Didn't you say princes one, two, and three?

[1:35] Bryan Plopsky: Princesses one, two, and three.

[1:36] Kimberly Cooper: Am I not a princess?

[1:37] Bryan Plopsky: Did I say maybe I said princess.

[1:38] Kimberly Cooper: You said princesses.

[1:39] Bryan Plopsky: I meant princesses.

[1:40] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[1:41] Bryan Plopsky: One, two, and three. I'm just the prince of swing.

[1:44] Kevin Jaeger: Oh.

[1:44] Bryan Plopsky: Right. And you're all three of the other princesses. Amazing. Perfect. Great. Um, and with us today is a slew of amazing people. Kevin and I interviewed at the opening of Halftime at Paper Mill Playhouse's in Milburn, New Jersey.

[1:58] Bryan Plopsky: Let's give a big Broadwaysted welcome to Friends of the Show. Friends of the show. Opening night audio clips.

[2:06] Kevin Jaeger: I was like, where's going with this? But you can follow Paper Mill at paper underscore mill.

[2:12] Kimberly Cooper: Um, it is two words.

[2:14] Kevin Jaeger: Paper Mill is two words, yes.

[2:16] Bryan Plopsky: I always wonder what.

[2:17] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[2:17] Bryan Plopsky: Yes.

[2:18] Kevin Jaeger: But you also go to papermill.org, but it's just papermill.org.

[2:22] Kimberly Cooper: With no underscore.

[2:23] Kevin Jaeger: With no underscore. However.

[2:24] Bryan Plopsky: They just got fancy on their social media.

[2:26] Kevin Jaeger: I mean, that's their name too.

[2:28] Bryan Plopsky: Right.

[2:28] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[2:29] Bryan Plopsky: Yeah. Just underscore part.

[2:30] Kevin Jaeger: For sure.

[2:30] Bryan Plopsky: Right. Yeah. Um, you could follow us at Broadwaysted. That's us. No underscore needed.

[2:34] Kevin Jaeger: No, no underscore versus. We got there first.

[2:40] Bryan Plopsky: Um, but let's just start with what are you drinking? What are you drinking?

[2:42] Kimberly Cooper: We're all drinking something different.

[2:45] Kevin Jaeger: We are.

[2:46] Bryan Plopsky: What are you doing?

[2:47] Kimberly Cooper: It's a smart rose.

[2:49] Kevin Jaeger: What?

[2:49] Kimberly Cooper: Huh?

[2:50] Bryan Plopsky: Oh, never mind. I was doing the Schmorgersport.

[2:53] Kimberly Cooper: Charlotte's web.

[2:54] Kevin Jaeger: Yes, thank you.

[2:55] Kimberly Cooper: Templeton. Life is uh Schmogash part. Anyway.

[3:00] Bryan Plopsky: Um I'm drinking a uh diet coke and rum.

[3:03] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[3:06] Kevin Jaeger: Flor de Caña.

[3:07] Bryan Plopsky: Yeah, Flor de Caña.

[3:08] Kevin Jaeger: It's a Flor de Caña.

[3:09] Bryan Plopsky: It's a Flor de Caña.

[3:11] Kevin Jaeger: Um, it's like really good rum, too.

[3:14] Bryan Plopsky: Oh yeah, I'm enjoying it.

[3:15] Kimberly Cooper: Is it good? Would Jeremy like it?

[3:17] Bryan Plopsky: Um, yeah, I think Jeremy'd be all over it.

[3:19] Kimberly Cooper: Cool. I really bonk this one. I really wanted you when I saw the rum in there, and I was like, oh, maybe Kevin is gonna bring my Thai ingredients.

[3:29] Kevin Jaeger: I actually thought about bringing something tropical, but then I didn't.

[3:32] Kimberly Cooper: Sorry.

[3:33] Kevin Jaeger: That's fair. Yeah, I didn't think about bringing mixers at all, so it's a hot summer day, and I have rose.

[3:38] Bryan Plopsky: Amen. Hot summer day. What are you drinking for?

[3:40] Kimberly Cooper: Uh I am drinking uh Montelobos Mezcal.

[3:44] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, how is it?

[3:45] Kimberly Cooper: It's really good.

[3:47] Kevin Jaeger: I feel like it's clear.

[3:49] Kimberly Cooper: It's clear, and I feel like mezcal doesn't.

[3:52] Kevin Jaeger: So tequila and mezcal are different based on like it's kind of like champagne on where the agave plant is from.

[3:57] Kimberly Cooper: Correct.

[3:57] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, really?

[3:58] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[3:58] Kevin Jaeger: But is it mezcal like smoky?

[4:00] Kimberly Cooper: It's a little bit smokier, absolutely.

[4:01] Kevin Jaeger: That's why I don't like it.

[4:02] Kimberly Cooper: And this is super good, but it tastes it almost, it's smoky and has a mezcal feel, but it also like leans more towards the tequila. It's really good.

[4:10] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, I like that.

[4:12] Kimberly Cooper: Smell it.

[4:13] Kevin Jaeger: No, it does smell like tequila for sure.

[4:14] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, it's really good. It tastes like smoke.

[4:19] Kevin Jaeger: Yes, it has a smoky aftertaste for sure.

[4:21] Kimberly Cooper: Which you don't expect in a clear liquid.

[4:23] Kevin Jaeger: You don't, and it's really good. I might get some limeade to pair with that on another episode.

[4:27] Kimberly Cooper: Oh it's good. Anyway, that's where we are. As we all plant our cocktails. But today we're actually talking about uh the 2016 regional Tony Winner Paper Mill Playhouse.

[4:40] Kevin Jaeger: Yes, we are. Um Kevin and I got out there to see Halftime, uh new musical that they're producing.

[4:45] Kimberly Cooper: Um they didn't invite me.

[4:47] Kevin Jaeger: Well, you I had a ticket for you.

[4:49] Kimberly Cooper: That's not true. I was on vacation.

[4:51] Kevin Jaeger: I just wanted to make you feel bad.

[4:53] Kimberly Cooper: My seat was empty the whole show.

[4:54] Kevin Jaeger: Wait, wait, wait. Not my seat. I was there.

[4:56] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[4:56] Kevin Jaeger: The seat next to me.

[4:58] Kimberly Cooper: Uh uh.

[4:59] Kevin Jaeger: I was like, where were you sitting in? That seat was being filled on an inner tube on a lake. So I was fine.

[5:04] Kevin Jaeger: So um Paper Mill Playhouse's is in uh Milburn, New Jersey. Um they do a ton of new shows. So they were the premiere of Newsies, Bronxtail, Honey and Boo in Vegas, Bandstand.

[5:15] Kimberly Cooper: Honey Boo.

[5:16] Kevin Jaeger: Honey Boo Boo.

[5:17] Kimberly Cooper: Honey and Boo Boo baby.

[5:18] Kevin Jaeger: Yes. A Honey Boo Boo in Vegas coming to the Paper Mill.

[5:22] Kimberly Cooper: I would see that show.

[5:23] Kevin Jaeger: And then this they just did The Sting, and then uh a couple seasons ago they did the North American premiere of Hunchback there.

[5:28] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[5:29] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, right. That was supposed to be good.

[5:30] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, and this season they're doing.

[5:33] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[5:34] Kevin Jaeger: And this season or next season, they're doing Color Purple, Holiday Inn, My Very Own British Invasion, Benny in June, and Beauty and the Beast.

[5:42] Kimberly Cooper: So that's a super cool season.

[5:43] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, that's great. Um, but Kevin and I saw Halftime, which is a musical about 10 senior citizens.

[5:49] Kimberly Cooper: I have secret, I have questions about what it is.

[5:51] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, you do?

[5:52] Kimberly Cooper: Yes. Yes.

[5:53] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[5:53] Kimberly Cooper: So since I wasn't there, and I don't know anything about it. I'm gonna ask them questions about their time at the Paper Mill Playhouse's.

[5:59] Kevin Jaeger: Or Halftime.

[6:00] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[6:01] Kimberly Cooper: How do you get to Paper Mill?

[6:03] Kevin Jaeger: An air balloon?

[6:04] Bryan Plopsky: Yes.

[6:05] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[6:05] Bryan Plopsky: You have to click your heels.

[6:07] Kevin Jaeger: I wish it was an air balloon.

[6:08] Kimberly Cooper: How do you get that?

[6:09] Kevin Jaeger: And there's just a line of people going for the air balloon. Because I always want to see shows there, and then I'm just like, oh, but travel.

[6:14] Bryan Plopsky: So you go to Penn Station.

[6:15] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[6:15] Bryan Plopsky: You get on New Jersey Transit.

[6:17] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[6:18] Bryan Plopsky: Express train takes 35 minutes.

[6:20] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, a train.

[6:20] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, it's a chance.

[6:21] Kevin Jaeger: Now see, I was on a train on vacation because I was staying at Caboose Junction.

[6:24] Bryan Plopsky: This is me bringing it back to me.

[6:26] Kevin Jaeger: That's okay.

[6:27] Kimberly Cooper: Wait, what's Caboose Junction?

[6:29] Kevin Jaeger: You're in Branson, Missouri, right?

[6:32] Kimberly Cooper: Lampe?

[6:33] Kevin Jaeger: Lampy.

[6:33] Kimberly Cooper: I think that's how you say it. L A M P Y.

[6:35] Kevin Jaeger: L-A-M-P-E.

[6:37] Kimberly Cooper: But everyone called it Lampey.

[6:39] Kevin Jaeger: Oh.

[6:39] Kimberly Cooper: Lampu, Missouri, and I was staying in a reflection.

[6:41] Kevin Jaeger: Was that Lumiere's original name?

[6:43] Kimberly Cooper: Was that a Lumiere's original name? Lampy.

[6:46] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, all the lights in my caboose were out though, so he wasn't there that day.

[6:50] Bryan Plopsky: Um you take a NJ Transit train there.

[6:54] Kevin Jaeger: A train and not a caboose in Branson.

[6:56] Kimberly Cooper: I mean, if you're in the last train, maybe you're taking caboose.

[6:58] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, it might be the caboose of that train.

[7:00] Bryan Plopsky: But you get it at the Milburn train station and you walk five minutes to Paper Mill.

[7:04] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, you could walk?

[7:05] Kevin Jaeger: And there's this really cute little town that has all these like quaint like little shops, and like.

[7:11] Kimberly Cooper: If they're shopping, I'll go.

[7:12] Kevin Jaeger: It's so cute. So I grew up around there.

[7:14] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, literally my next question is is it pretty?

[7:16] Kevin Jaeger: It's very pretty. I grew up around there. I grew up five minutes from Paper Mill.

[7:20] Kimberly Cooper: So I was I worked in downtown Milburn for a long time. And I was nominated for Rising Star Award from Paper Mill Play.

[7:27] Kevin Jaeger: I did not.

[7:30] Kimberly Cooper: In an old refurbished paper mill.

[7:33] Kevin Jaeger: It is.

[7:33] Kimberly Cooper: It is.

[7:34] Kevin Jaeger: Wow.

[7:36] Kimberly Cooper: I didn't think that was true. That was a genuine thing.

[7:39] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[7:39] Kimberly Cooper: It is. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[7:40] Kevin Jaeger: Is there a cute little river with one of those wheelie things?

[7:44] Kimberly Cooper: There's not a wheelie thing anymore, but there is a little creek back there.

[7:47] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, there's a crick.

[7:48] Kimberly Cooper: A crick even.

[7:49] Kevin Jaeger: A crick?

[7:49] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[7:50] Kevin Jaeger: I don't think in Jersey we say crick.

[7:51] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, maybe not. I'm also from New Jersey, but I've never been to the Paper Mill.

[7:57] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah. You go.

[7:58] Kimberly Cooper: Um, okay, so now I have questions about the show.

[8:00] Kevin Jaeger: Sure.

[8:01] Kimberly Cooper: Does it take place at Lady Gaga's halftime show?

[8:04] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[8:04] Kimberly Cooper: Next question.

[8:05] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[8:06] Kimberly Cooper: My next question is why not? Because I knew that wasn't true.

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: So it's a musical about 10 senior citizens.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: I have secret, I have questions about what it is.

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: It's based on a documentary.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: By Dory.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: Who?

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: The documentary.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: No.

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: It's called Gotta Dance.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: Because this used to be called Gotta Dance.

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: When it was in Chicago, right.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: So the documentary is by Dory Bernstein, who helped who worked with Squiggs on the Lights of Broadway cards.

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: Okay, it's my next question.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: Sure.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: Even though you didn't finish your answer about it's 10 Senior Citizens.

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, 10 Senior Citizens.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, yeah. Does it have to do with the scientific principle of a half-life?

[8:50] Kevin Jaeger: It does not.

[8:50] Kimberly Cooper: Okay. That those are it. That's it. Now you can tell me what it's about.

[8:48] Kevin Jaeger: Okay. So it's a musical about 10 senior citizens who auditioned to dance at halftime for a major basketball team.

[8:55] Kimberly Cooper: So in real life, it was Which basketball team?

[8:57] Kevin Jaeger: In real life, it was the New Jersey Nets.

[8:59] Kimberly Cooper: Oh.

[8:59] Kevin Jaeger: But in the show I forget they exist.

[9:01] Kimberly Cooper: It's the new well then they don't exist.

[9:03] Kevin Jaeger: It's the Brooklyn Nets.

[9:04] Kimberly Cooper: Oh yeah. Did they switch colors too?

[9:06] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[9:07] Kimberly Cooper: Now they're.

[9:09] Kevin Jaeger: No, they were. They used to be like white. They had some blue jerseys too when they were in New Jersey.

[9:13] Kimberly Cooper: And I should know that I used to work by the Barclay Center.

[9:17] Kevin Jaeger: Oh yeah. Yeah, I used okay, great. So essentially they get the gig, these 10 seniors.

[9:22] Kimberly Cooper: Cute.

[9:22] Kevin Jaeger: So they need to learn hip hop and they're very uncomfortable.

[9:25] Kimberly Cooper: Wait, why do they have to learn hip hop?

[9:26] Kevin Jaeger: Because that's the dance routine. They decide they're gonna do like an actual, like what the normal dance team would do.

[9:31] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[9:32] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, so it's uh Jerry Mitchell directed and choreographed it. Um Bob Martin, Chad Beglin.

[9:38] Kimberly Cooper: Wait, Bob Martin.

[9:38] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[9:39] Kimberly Cooper: Does he sit in a chair?

[9:40] Kevin Jaeger: No, no. He wrote the book with Chad Beglin.

[9:44] Kimberly Cooper: I can't wait for in 20 years to watch him sit in a chair and tell the story of how he created this musical.

[9:49] Kevin Jaeger: It'll come to life.

[9:50] Kimberly Cooper: That'd be amazing. And then Matthew Sklar cool did the music, and then Nell Benjamin did the lyrics.

[9:56] Kevin Jaeger: I love Nell Benjamin.

[9:57] Kimberly Cooper: Legally Blonde.

[9:58] Kevin Jaeger: Oh yeah. Wait, is the poster pink?

[10:01] Kimberly Cooper: It is not.

[10:02] Kevin Jaeger: So it's a departure for her.

[10:03] Kimberly Cooper: It is a departure for her. That is a great observation.

[10:06] Bryan Plopsky: But on that note, um, we're gonna cut into uh Mark S. Hobee, who is the Tony Winning producing artistic director of Paper Mill. Um he was once a dancer on Broadway in Jerome Robbins Broadway. Um he was on Broadway and Nick and Nora as well, Victor Victoria and Beauty and the Beast. So here's Mark.

[10:23] Mark S Hobee: Hi, Mark.

[10:25] Bryan Plopsky: Oh hi Mark.

[10:28] Mark S Hobee: Well, we are here with Mark S. Hobee from Paper Mill. We just saw Halftime. Oh, it was so much fun. Congratulations on an incredible opening night.

[10:35] Mark S Hobee: Thank you very much. It was a thrilling, thrilling evening.

[10:38] Bryan Plopsky: Now, uh, when this came across your desk, what made this pop out and want you to put it in the season?

[10:44] Mark S Hobee: Well, um, I immediately was moved with the idea of telling the story of older dancers, being an older dancer myself, an ex-dancer. But no, the message of uh chasing your dreams no matter what age you are, and letting no obstacles stand in your way, really spoke to me. And um the music was incredible, the story was great, and it's just an A-list team, Jerry Mitchell. Um, my very first Broadway show, Jerry Mitchell was the dance captain. I was a swing in Jerome Robbins Broadway. So we have a history, and um I just I couldn't say no. It was incredible.

[11:17] Bryan Plopsky: Absolutely. Now, do you have a favorite dance number from a show?

[11:20] Mark S Hobee: From this show?

[11:20] Bryan Plopsky: From any show.

[11:21] Mark S Hobee: Oh, of course, the finale of A Chorus Line. Of course, it doesn't get better than that, right? I mean, come on.

[11:26] Bryan Plopsky: So, what can people expect from the like the rest of Paper Mill for the next rest of 2018?

[11:31] Mark S Hobee: Okay, well, our next season we're doing five musicals. Um we have two premieres. Um, we're premiering um Benny and June, which is based on the film, and also we're doing an another brand new Jerry Mitchell musical called My Very Own British Invasion, which is about the uh British invasion of pop music and the story of Herman's Hermits. It's Peter Noon's story. So that we're doing Holiday In, we're doing Color Purple, one of my favorite shows, and we're finishing up with Beauty and the Beast, uh, which is special to me because I played the Pepper Shaker in the Broadway Company at the Palace back in 19. We won't say the date.

[12:10] Bryan Plopsky: No, that's okay. We're gonna ask you a Broadwaysted staple question.

[12:14] Mark S Hobee: Broadway one.

[12:14] Bryan Plopsky: A Broadwaysted staple question. So if you were on Death Row and you could only see one show before instead of a meal, they gave you a show to see, and you could cast it with whoever you wanted, it could be like a dream cast, whatever it is. What show would you see?

[12:25] Mark S Hobee: Um oh my gosh, it's too hard. Um I would oh my god, so many favorites. Um I would say A Chorus Line again, because the show, seeing that show, uh I didn't I never wanted to be in show business until I went on in December 1975 and saw the original company. I have the playbill in my office. I showed it to Donna McKechnie. Um and uh literally that night I changed my whole course and I said I'm gonna be a dancer on Broadway. So yeah, so it would have to be that. But I cast it with the original cast, it doesn't get better than that, you know.

[13:04] Bryan Plopsky: Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for joining us. We'll let you get to the party. Uh but congratulations on a super fun night and an awesome show.

[13:12] Mark S Hobee: Thank you. See you uh in its next move, hopefully, you know, across the river.

[13:17] Bryan Plopsky: So we're back. Thanks, Mark.

[13:19] Kevin Jaeger: That was great.

[13:20] Bryan Plopsky: Thank you, Mark. It was really nice to meet you. Let's talk about oh, what have you seen this week?

[13:23] Kevin Jaeger: What have you seen this week?

[13:24] Kimberly Cooper: What have you seen this week?

[13:25] Kevin Jaeger: You guys saw Halftime.

[13:26] Kimberly Cooper: We did!

[13:27] Kevin Jaeger: We did I went to Branson, Missouri and didn't see a show.

[13:29] Kimberly Cooper: Why don't you tell us?

[13:30] Kevin Jaeger: Because we actually haven't really delved into this. Why don't you tell us about your experience in Lampy?

[13:35] Kimberly Cooper: Missouri.

[13:36] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, so I didn't see a show, but I did go to Silver Dollar City, which has a lot of shows.

[13:41] Kimberly Cooper: So I walked past some.

[13:43] Kevin Jaeger: Like a theme correctly.

[13:44] Kimberly Cooper: Like a theme park, yeah.

[13:45] Kevin Jaeger: Oh.

[13:45] Kimberly Cooper: Like I walked past um some sort of brothers, is what the poster said.

[13:51] Kevin Jaeger: And they were just but you don't remember the name, it was called some sort of brothers.

[13:51] Kimberly Cooper: Don't remember the name. Very cool.

[13:55] Kevin Jaeger: That's a cool title, some sort of brothers.

[13:57] Kimberly Cooper: Some sort of brothers.

[13:58] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[13:58] Kimberly Cooper: Ooh, who knows what that means?

[14:00] Kevin Jaeger: It's it's the prequel to Blood Brothers.

[14:02] Kimberly Cooper: Yes, that's true.

[14:03] Kevin Jaeger: Perfect. Before they qualify for kind of brother they were.

[14:06] Kimberly Cooper: Right, right, right, right. Um, so I watched them in like very shiny red, white, and blue cowboy outfits um sing Proud to Be an American.

[14:21] Kimberly Cooper: Lovely.

[14:19] Bryan Plopsky: Yeah.

[14:19] Kimberly Cooper: They sang other songs too, but they were all like kind of.

[14:22] Kevin Jaeger: No, they had acoustic guitars.

[14:25] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[14:25] Bryan Plopsky: Oh.

[14:25] Kevin Jaeger: These were these were singing Strumming Brothers.

[14:27] Kimberly Cooper: Singing them.

[14:29] Bryan Plopsky: That's the kind of brothers they were.

[14:30] Kimberly Cooper: Um, and then also um my husband, our enemy.

[14:37] Kevin Jaeger: Right.

[14:37] Kimberly Cooper: Jay.

[14:37] Kevin Jaeger: Enemy of the show.

[14:38] Kimberly Cooper: Right.

[14:38] Bryan Plopsky: Yeah.

[14:38] Kimberly Cooper: He used to go to Silver Dollar City as a youth.

[14:40] Kevin Jaeger: Um because it was like one of their family trips.

[14:43] Kimberly Cooper: And his brother Yeah, and his brother went to summer camp near casual enemy vacations movie.

[14:48] Kevin Jaeger: And so he made us all go to watch the glass blowing show.

[14:52] Kimberly Cooper: Is it a show or just you watch people blow glass?

[14:52] Kevin Jaeger: You watch people blow glass you watch people blow glass, but they there's three of them and they sort of take turns talking, like they each have a mic on.

[15:01] Kimberly Cooper: And they actually put it on.

[15:03] Kevin Jaeger: They teach you about glass blowing.

[15:04] Kimberly Cooper: Then they just like tell you what they're gonna do.

[15:06] Kevin Jaeger: Is it kind of like a SeaWorld show, but like with glass instead of SeaWorld animals?

[15:10] Kimberly Cooper: Except there's no splash zone, because that would be real hot.

[15:12] Kevin Jaeger: That would be very buried.

[15:14] Kimberly Cooper: That'd be terrible.

[15:15] Kevin Jaeger: Um looks like you just happened upon their workshop and there happened to be like barriers between them and the fire.

[15:24] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, yes.

[15:25] Kevin Jaeger: He sure did.

[15:26] Kimberly Cooper: Great follow-up question.

[15:27] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, he really like he stood there and watched amazed.

[15:30] Kimberly Cooper: As did I, because this man kept saying he was making a bowl, and then it just looked like a vase the whole time, and we were like, I don't think he knows what a bowl is.

[15:40] Kevin Jaeger: But is a vase a bowl?

[15:41] Kimberly Cooper: But then does it flatten into a bowl?

[15:42] Kevin Jaeger: So then part of me was just like, well, maybe I it's a very big serving bowl.

[15:48] Kimberly Cooper: And then he literally just like flipped the wand around and it flattened out into a bowl.

[15:53] Kevin Jaeger: So this was a matter of seconds.

[15:54] Kimberly Cooper: This was kind of like Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but in Missouri with glass.

[15:58] Kevin Jaeger: Correct.

[15:58] Kimberly Cooper: Great, yes, and no witches in sight.

[16:02] Kevin Jaeger: That you know.

[16:02] Kimberly Cooper: That I know of.

[16:03] Kevin Jaeger: There was also a cave.

[16:04] Kimberly Cooper: There are also some really old rides.

[16:07] Kevin Jaeger: So if there was a cave in old rides, there was definitely at least one witch.

[16:10] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, probably in the bottom of the cave where we didn't get to.

[16:13] Kevin Jaeger: The like room of the cave where they're like, we don't go in there anymore.

[16:16] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, that's exactly.

[16:18] Kevin Jaeger: Don't go in the West Wing.

[16:20] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[16:20] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, pretty much.

[16:21] Kimberly Cooper: So, Kevin, what did you think of halftime?

[16:23] Kevin Jaeger: I had so much fun. Um, I thought it was a very interesting premise. I think it's definitely a story that we haven't really seen before.

[16:31] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[16:31] Kevin Jaeger: But it had those themes that have been seen in stories before.

[16:35] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[16:35] Kevin Jaeger: Of like people finding who they are, finding out that you can change who you are, or like change the definition of what people think you are very easily and quickly if you just change your mind.

[16:46] Kimberly Cooper: Um it's step up.

[16:48] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah. And I actually loved the way that it was like it dealt with age, not in a way that was just dealing with old age, but there was also a character, tiny spoiler alert.

[16:59] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[16:59] Kevin Jaeger: The their coach for their who ends up being charged with coaching this team of seniors, is a girl who is on the dance team, the actual dance team for the basketball team.

[17:08] Kimberly Cooper: Cute.

[17:08] Kevin Jaeger: Who the cougars are the cougars in the show?

[17:08] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[17:08] Kevin Jaeger: The cougars.

[17:12] Kimberly Cooper: And she was fired because she aged out, which is when she aged past 26.

[17:19] Kevin Jaeger: Well, yeah, she turned 27.

[17:20] Kimberly Cooper: She turned 27, so she was no longer allowed to be a cougar.

[17:23] Kevin Jaeger: But she was allowed to coach with corner.

[17:25] Kimberly Cooper: That was the way she gave the case.

[17:25] Kevin Jaeger: Which is yeah.

[17:26] Kimberly Cooper: Also funny that the team name is Cougars.

[17:29] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[17:29] Kimberly Cooper: I never thought of that.

[17:32] Kevin Jaeger: So they put so it's an interesting conversation about age.

[17:35] Kimberly Cooper: Not just age is how it defines older people, but age how it defines women, and age how it defines like just the stereotypes and the rules that we have that are really unfair about age and what that means for people.

[17:46] Kevin Jaeger: I'm just realizing that I'm now too old to be on a dance team.

[17:50] Kimberly Cooper: So that made me feel really good on myself.

[17:52] Kevin Jaeger: It was or I'm too young to be on the next cool dance team.

[17:56] Kimberly Cooper: Fair.

[17:56] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[17:56] Kimberly Cooper: Also, you're right in between.

[17:59] Kevin Jaeger: I'm not right in between.

[18:01] Kimberly Cooper: I'm closer to one than the other.

[18:02] Kevin Jaeger: Fair, fair.

[18:03] Kimberly Cooper: With these kind of shows, I feel like it could be easy to go into like a joke realm where like the older person's like the butt of the joke.

[18:03] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[18:03] Kimberly Cooper: The butt of the joke and not the like talent that's driving the story.

[18:15] Kevin Jaeger: But I think it's a testament to the performers who they have in the show.

[18:19] Kimberly Cooper: So that those include Georgia Engel, Donna McKechnie.

[18:22] Kevin Jaeger: That's right.

[18:22] Kimberly Cooper: Stop it.

[18:23] Kevin Jaeger: I sat in her chair once.

[18:25] Kimberly Cooper: I was a seat filler at a gala and I got to seat fill for her.

[18:28] Kevin Jaeger: Um I sat next to Bob Avian was the best.

[18:28] Kimberly Cooper: Who?

[18:28] Kevin Jaeger: Bob Avian.

[18:32] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, cool.

[18:33] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[18:33] Kimberly Cooper: Um, we saw also uh Nancy Ticotin, Andre DeShields, Lori Tan Chinn, uh, Lilius White, and Haven Burton.

[18:40] Kevin Jaeger: And it was awesome.

[18:42] Kimberly Cooper: And those are not all dancers.

[18:44] Kevin Jaeger: Good.

[18:44] Kimberly Cooper: It was awesome.

[18:45] Kevin Jaeger: Did Donna just do the music in the mirror?

[18:48] Kimberly Cooper: She was there a mirror?

[18:51] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[18:51] Kimberly Cooper: Was she in red?

[18:52] Kevin Jaeger: There was no did she squeeze a roll of toilet paper.

[18:54] Kimberly Cooper: No, but there was an homage to there was an homage to what these people's careers had been at moments.

[19:00] Kevin Jaeger: It's really special.

[19:00] Kimberly Cooper: But I think I love it.

[19:01] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, it was, but it was never in a way that was like cheap.

[19:04] Kimberly Cooper: It was just very like tasteful to show like that idea of age and like getting past what society considers one's prime.

[19:13] Kevin Jaeger: I trust anything that Donna McKechnie has attached herself to.

[19:16] Kimberly Cooper: So on that note, we interviewed Donna.

[19:18] Kevin Jaeger: We did.

[19:19] Kimberly Cooper: Hi Donna.

[19:22] Donna McKechnie: We could talk about how to succeed or Promises, Promises or Company or On the Town or State Fair, but mostly A Chorus Line.

[19:27] Kimberly Cooper: Let's talk about A Chorus Line.

[19:28] Donna McKechnie: Why not?

[19:29] Donna McKechnie: Um, also Cheers.

[19:30] Kimberly Cooper: She plays Sam's ex-wife on Cheers.

[19:32] Donna McKechnie: However, I have never seen a full episode of Cheers.

[19:35] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, it's so good.

[19:36] Kimberly Cooper: But let's have Donna tell us about the show.

[19:38] Bryan Plopsky: Let's hear it.

[19:39] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, then I'm looking for Donna, dude.

[19:48] Donna McKechnie: Hi Brian.

[19:46] Bryan Plopsky: Hi Brian.

[19:46] Donna McKechnie: Nice to meet you.

[19:48] Kevin Jaeger: Yes, ma'am.

[19:49] Donna McKechnie: It's an honor to meet you.

[19:50] Kevin Jaeger: Oh thank you.

[19:50] Donna McKechnie: And congratulations, you did an incredible job.

[19:53] Kevin Jaeger: Thank you.

[19:54] Donna McKechnie: What a the crowd lifted us right upstage.

[19:57] Kevin Jaeger: And that was fabulous.

[19:58] Donna McKechnie: Yeah. I want everyone to see this.

[20:00] Kevin Jaeger: Absolutely.

[20:00] Donna McKechnie: Well when you first saw this script what what drew what what drew you to it what what it popped for you.

[20:06] Donna McKechnie: Well the the theme I mean it's a like a chorus line for seniors in a way but the homage is there.

[20:12] Kevin Jaeger: But I really it's in our popular culture ageism is still a you know it's a it's a terrible thing you know for people as they grow older you're dealing with all the change in your own life and then when you're it it feels like all the values that are brought out in the script are pertinent to today you know about how feeling pushed aside or like just because you have gray hair doesn't mean you lose your feelings you know your sensitivity and just a one it says wonderful things in a highly entertaining way and it's fun.

[20:43] Kevin Jaeger: Absolutely so what was it like in the rehearsal room doing all these different styles of dance together oh I loved it so much because I thought this is it's not just a hip hop you know musical it's it's about that that's the subject but it it's about the it's very eclectic.

[21:01] Donna McKechnie: The music, uh Matthew Splar did a great job of you know, the f uh the swing, the you know the the theater songs, um it was and also the writers were in the room every day.

[21:13] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, that was a very special thing.

[21:14] Donna McKechnie: And Nell Benjamin, the great lyricist, and and they would write, rewrite songs go in, songs go out.

[21:21] Kevin Jaeger: I mean, it reminded me of uh shows, original shows that I was very privileged to be a part of.

[21:27] Donna McKechnie: You know, like Company and Promises where you would be in the room with all these creative forces and they'd be fixing and changing, and that for a lot of actors is the most create wonderful time, you know, to putting it all together.

[21:42] Kevin Jaeger: And we're all a part of it.

[21:43] Donna McKechnie: It's a it's a group effort.

[21:45] Kevin Jaeger: And Jerry, our the leader, you know, there has to be a captain, and he's a great captain.

[21:51] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[21:52] Donna McKechnie: And uh and um we ask a staple question here on Broadway said, okay.

[21:56] Kevin Jaeger: If you were if you were um stranded on a desert island and you can only bring one original cast album with you, what cast album would you bring?

[22:04] Donna McKechnie: Uh uh I love chorus line, but I'd have to say uh company.

[22:09] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, okay.

[22:10] Donna McKechnie: I don't know, that's a hard ones.

[22:13] Kevin Jaeger: Well, I mean, I I uh c Marvin Marvin's score is magnificent, but the the the company uh I I never tire of listening to hearing that music and the other shows I've done uh and and and I love you know carousel to see that this season was gorgeous, but uh I I I'm a I'm a I love Sondheim, I guess.

[22:33] Kevin Jaeger: And if you're alone on a desert island, you're gonna need company.

[22:36] Donna McKechnie: That's right.

[22:37] Kevin Jaeger: Very smart.

[22:38] Donna McKechnie: Very smart.

[22:39] Kevin Jaeger: Well, congratulations on an incredible opening.

[22:44] Bryan Plopsky: Thanks, Donna.

[22:45] Kevin Jaeger: Thanks, Donna, it was so good to meet you.

[22:46] Kimberly Cooper: Thanks, Donna McKechnie.

[22:48] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[22:48] Kimberly Cooper: That was crazy.

[22:49] Bryan Plopsky: I did meet her when I was switching scenes.

[22:51] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, you did?

[22:51] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, okay.

[22:52] Bryan Plopsky: Yes.

[22:52] Kevin Jaeger: She did she remembered you when we interviewed you.

[22:54] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, did she?

[22:54] Bryan Plopsky: It was crazy.

[22:55] Kevin Jaeger: She brought it.

[22:56] Bryan Plopsky: She brought it up.

[22:56] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[22:57] Bryan Plopsky: I cut it from the interview just because I for time.

[23:01] Kevin Jaeger: She wanted to give it to you.

[23:03] Bryan Plopsky: It was really good. My first fan art is halftime closes July 1st at Paper Mill.

[23:10] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, okay.

[23:10] Kevin Jaeger: And it is June right now.

[23:11] Kimberly Cooper: Yes, so go see it.

[23:12] Kevin Jaeger: ASAP.

[23:13] Kimberly Cooper: It's really great.

[23:14] Kevin Jaeger: Definitely catch it.

[23:15] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, and then Kevin and I saw Three Tall Women.

[23:17] Kevin Jaeger: We did.

[23:18] Kimberly Cooper: Three Tall Women.

[23:19] Kevin Jaeger: Three Tall Women.

[23:20] Kimberly Cooper: Not the three tall women, the three tall women.

[23:22] Kevin Jaeger: Three Tall Women.

[23:25] Kimberly Cooper: It was it's one of the best things I saw all year.

[23:28] Kevin Jaeger: It was incredible.

[23:28] Kimberly Cooper: It was great.

[23:29] Kevin Jaeger: The performances were out of control.

[23:31] Kimberly Cooper: The direction was beautiful.

[23:33] Kevin Jaeger: Glenda Jackson a thousand percent deserved.

[23:35] Kimberly Cooper: Deserved her Tony and her speech was beautiful too.

[23:37] Kevin Jaeger: She's only Metcalf deserved a Tony, too.

[23:39] Kimberly Cooper: All of them.

[23:39] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, it was just the performances were so good that they were jarring.

[23:44] Kimberly Cooper: And I think that's so powerful in theater when somebody can make you feel uncomfortable and make you feel that like taken back by something they've said when you know that it's scripted.

[23:53] Kevin Jaeger: Like that's so powerful.

[23:55] Kimberly Cooper: And Glenda Jackson's ability to make you feel like there was a whole life lived underneath what she's going through is so extraordinary.

[24:05] Kevin Jaeger: And that, and if I'm not no spoilers, but the second half of the show, like that pays off in spades.

[24:10] Kimberly Cooper: Oh yeah.

[24:11] Kevin Jaeger: Kevin, you created a game for us, I hear?

[24:12] Kimberly Cooper: I did.

[24:13] Kevin Jaeger: That's the rumor.

[24:14] Kimberly Cooper: I was really excited about it.

[24:15] Kevin Jaeger: St. Petersburg told me that.

[24:18] Kimberly Cooper: I was really, really excited about Halftime.

[24:21] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[24:21] Kimberly Cooper: And so I asked Kimberly if I could take over the game master duties this year.

[24:24] Kevin Jaeger: And I was on vacation and I said, hell yeah.

[24:27] Kimberly Cooper: Okay. While Kevin's setting up the game, let's hear from Nancy Ticotin about Halftime.

[24:33] Kevin Jaeger: Okay. Nancy was in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, West Side Story, Damn Yankees, The View Upstairs, The Tour of On Your Feet, and then movies like Ransom and TV like Law and Order. She's also an original member of the Ballet Hispanico of New York.

[24:47] Nancy Ticotin: So wonderful job tonight. We had an awesome time. So much fun. Thank you. The audience was crazy too. I love it. Love it. Love it.

[24:54] Kevin Jaeger: So what has been your favorite part about this whole experience so far?

[24:58] Nancy Ticotin: Everything. There's nothing bad about it. I mean, we work hard, so we get tired. I mean, we're not spring chickens anymore. But we everything is fat. We love the comedy. We laugh at each other. I mean, every night is a new experience. It's just really exciting. Everything, the choreography, the music, the lyrics, the script. It's just this nonstop joy. And we love each other backstage. We're having so much fun, lots of support. It's really great.

[25:23] Kevin Jaeger: And what drew you specifically to this script? What jumped out at you?

[25:26] Donna McKechnie: That she plays castanets. You know, because the thing is, I had done several readings in workshop, workshop, you know, castanets, castanets, and then we were finally doing it on our feet. I said to the producer, I said, and you know, Dory, I play castanets. I really do play castanets. And she said, of course you do. Because I started with flamenco. I was an original member of Ballet Hispanico of New York. So my first dance technique was flamenco. So here I am playing castanets again. Who knew? Isn't that great?

[26:00] Kimberly Cooper: That's incredible.

[26:01] Donna McKechnie: That song for sure stood out in the show.

[26:05] Kimberly Cooper: I love everything.

[26:06] Donna McKechnie: Thank you. I love that number. I'm so lucky.

[26:09] Kimberly Cooper: So we're just gonna ask you one like staple Broadwaysted question. What is it?

[26:12] Donna McKechnie: So if you were on Death Row and instead of a meal, they were giving you like one last show to see. What show would that be?

[26:17] Donna McKechnie: Oh my god. That you mean something that's playing now?

[26:21] Kimberly Cooper: No, anything. You could like go back in time and see something.

[26:24] Donna McKechnie: West Side Story.

[26:25] Kimberly Cooper: Best Side Story?

[26:26] Donna McKechnie: Sorry.

[26:27] Donna McKechnie: Original cast.

[26:28] Kimberly Cooper: Any cast.

[26:29] Donna McKechnie: I don't care.

[26:29] Donna McKechnie: Yeah, original cast would be amazing.

[26:31] Kimberly Cooper: Right.

[26:31] Donna McKechnie: Oh yeah.

[26:32] Donna McKechnie: But yeah. Absolutely.

[26:33] Kimberly Cooper: Well, thank you so much for joining us. We'll let you enjoy the party and have an amazing run.

[26:38] Donna McKechnie: We will. Thank you so much.

[26:39] Kimberly Cooper: Of course, thanks to you too.

[26:42] Kevin Jaeger: Kevin, y'all set?

[26:43] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, I'm ready.

[26:44] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[26:45] Kevin Jaeger: Alright, try and show me up, game master.

[26:47] Kimberly Cooper: Here we go.

[26:47] Kevin Jaeger: Or gay master. I'm the gay master today.

[26:50] Kevin Jaeger: So, um the first game that I have brought for today's episode is a game I like to call Word to Your Lyricist.

[26:59] Kevin Jaeger: So, because Halftime has to do with uh word to your mama? So we'll get there.

[27:04] Kevin Jaeger: So, straight up, this new game is called Word to Your Lyricist. Since Halftime at Paper Mill follows the story of some unlikely characters into the world of hip hop, I thought, who more unlikely to join them on that venture than us?

[27:16] Kimberly Cooper: Oh no.

[27:17] Kevin Jaeger: So for round one of this game, when it's your turn, you'll select one slip of paper from the stack in the middle, marked one.

[27:24] Kimberly Cooper: Great.

[27:25] Kevin Jaeger: On that paper, you'll find classic musical theater lyrics.

[27:28] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, thank god.

[27:29] Kevin Jaeger: It's your job to take these lyrics and rap them the best you can.

[27:33] Kimberly Cooper: I hope it's just all from Into the Woods.

[27:35] Kevin Jaeger: The remaining players will then decide together if your reinterpretation was fly or whack.

[27:41] Kevin Jaeger: And then we'll get to round two in a minute.

[27:43] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[27:43] Kevin Jaeger: And then if it's not just the witch's route from Into the Woods, I'm gonna kill you.

[27:49] Kevin Jaeger: Okay, you ready?

[27:50] Kimberly Cooper: Yep.

[27:51] Kevin Jaeger: So the beat's gonna drop.

[27:53] Kevin Jaeger: Bhang.

[27:54] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[27:55] Kevin Jaeger: No extra credit.

[27:57] Kevin Jaeger: You're right.

[27:57] Kevin Jaeger: Uh kiss today goodbye, the sweetness and the sorrow.

[28:00] Kevin Jaeger: Wish we looked the same to you.

[28:02] Kevin Jaeger: But I can't regret what I did for love, what I did for love, what I did for love.

[28:07] Kevin Jaeger: No, look at my eyes a dry.

[28:09] Kevin Jaeger: The gift was ours to borrow.

[28:11] Kevin Jaeger: It's as if we always knew, and I won't forget what I did for love.

[28:11] Kevin Jaeger: What I did for love.

[28:16] Kevin Jaeger: What I did for love.

[28:18] Kevin Jaeger: Gone.

[28:18] Kevin Jaeger: Love is never gone.

[28:19] Kevin Jaeger: As we travel on, love's what we'll remember.

[28:22] Kevin Jaeger: Kiss today goodbye.

[28:23] Kevin Jaeger: And point me towards tomorrow.

[28:25] Kevin Jaeger: We did what we had to do, won't forget, can't forget what I did for love.

[28:29] ♪ Musical number: "What I Did for Love" — performed by Unknown performer ♪

[28:35] Kevin Jaeger: That sounded like high school musical.

[28:38] Kimberly Cooper: That's the whole point.

[28:40] Bryan Plopsky: I love it.

[28:40] Kimberly Cooper: All right, Kimberly, you're next.

[28:42] Kimberly Cooper: I'm so terrified and mad at you.

[28:44] Kevin Jaeger: That was so fun.

[28:48] Bryan Plopsky: Once you find the beat in your heart, it really comes out.

[28:51] Kevin Jaeger: Just go for it.

[28:54] ♪ Musical number: "No More Talk of Darkness" — performed by Unknown performer ♪

[29:18] Bryan Plopsky: Ready.

[29:19] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[29:41] Kimberly Cooper: I feel like that was like a voice to mention.

[29:43] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, right.

[29:44] Bryan Plopsky: Yes, a hundred percent.

[29:45] Kimberly Cooper: Here we go.

[29:46] Kevin Jaeger: Um.

[29:48] ♪ Musical number: "Cabaret" — performed by Unknown performer ♪

[30:21] Kevin Jaeger: Did we vote on any of these?

[30:23] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, we didn't.

[30:24] Bryan Plopsky: Those were your rules.

[30:25] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, right.

[30:25] Bryan Plopsky: We have to decide if they're fly or whack.

[30:28] Kimberly Cooper: So that was round one.

[30:29] Bryan Plopsky: So first we'll do Kimberly and Brian.

[30:32] Kimberly Cooper: Well, Brian's first.

[30:32] Kimberly Cooper: Kimberly, do we think Brian was fly or whack?

[30:35] Bryan Plopsky: Fly.

[30:35] Kimberly Cooper: I would say Brian was really fly.

[30:38] Bryan Plopsky: Was Kimberly fly or whack?

[30:40] Kimberly Cooper: I'm gonna go.

[30:40] Kimberly Cooper: I'm gonna fly.

[30:42] Kimberly Cooper: I think we helped, but it was fly.

[30:43] Bryan Plopsky: Yes.

[30:44] Kimberly Cooper: Thank you.

[30:44] Bryan Plopsky: Was I a little whack or do I was I fly?

[30:47] Kimberly Cooper: I think you s this is annoying because we all like each other.

[30:50] Kimberly Cooper: We're all gonna say we did a good job.

[30:52] Kimberly Cooper: You know what you were fly.

[30:53] Kimberly Cooper: I'm not gonna lie.

[30:54] Kimberly Cooper: That was fly.

[30:54] Bryan Plopsky: Okay, so this is created a game where no one can lose.

[30:57] Kimberly Cooper: So the second round of round one.

[30:59] Bryan Plopsky: Great.

[31:00] Kimberly Cooper: Um wait.

[31:02] Kimberly Cooper: So now we're gonna go just go to round two.

[31:04] Bryan Plopsky: Okay.

[31:04] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[31:05] Kimberly Cooper: I don't know why I called it the second round of round one.

[31:08] Kimberly Cooper: I'm a new game master, I'm sorry.

[31:10] Bryan Plopsky: Okay.

[31:11] Kimberly Cooper: See, it's hard.

[31:12] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, but for pride, I'm the game master.

[31:14] Kimberly Cooper: So, the second pile is lyrics of pop songs that are like pop hip hoppy.

[31:22] Kevin Jaeger: Um poppy.

[31:23] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[31:24] Kevin Jaeger: Pippi.

[31:24] Kimberly Cooper: Pipy.

[31:25] Kimberly Cooper: So that sounds like a children's book.

[31:27] Kevin Jaeger: Like Pi Poppy Walking.

[31:31] Kimberly Cooper: The fence, but the farmer wouldn't have Pipoppy.

[31:33] Kevin Jaeger: Pixar character, Pip Oppy.

[31:35] Kimberly Cooper: I would say it.

[31:36] Kevin Jaeger: I would too.

[31:37] Kimberly Cooper: So the second category, these are uh pop lyrics.

[31:41] Kimberly Cooper: And so you're gonna take these pop lyrics and perform them.

[31:45] Kevin Jaeger: First, you're gonna say, let me read.

[31:47] Kimberly Cooper: Actually, I wrote out.

[31:48] Kimberly Cooper: I should just take my notes.

[31:49] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, use it.

[31:50] Kimberly Cooper: For round two, select a slip of paper from the stack in the middle, mark two.

[31:54] Kimberly Cooper: This time they are lyrics to classic pop songs.

[31:57] Kimberly Cooper: You must reinterpret the song for an existing musical and identify the character who sings it, when they would sing it, and then give us a preview of the new arrangement using the lyrics provided.

[32:08] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, this is either gonna be better than the rapping, or so so much worse.

[32:12] Kimberly Cooper: Exactly.

[32:13] Kimberly Cooper: So now just pick up sheet, Brian, you go first.

[32:16] Bryan Plopsky: Sure.

[32:16] Bryan Plopsky: It's say what existing musical this song would go into, who would sing it, okay?

[32:21] Bryan Plopsky: Then give us the arrangement.

[32:22] Bryan Plopsky: For sure.

[32:22] Bryan Plopsky: This I have Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.

[32:25] Bryan Plopsky: Done.

[32:26] Bryan Plopsky: And this is 100% from Bells Are Ringing.

[32:33] Bryan Plopsky: And this is the Act One finale.

[32:36] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[32:36] Bryan Plopsky: Okay.

[32:37] Bryan Plopsky: And uh this is just a little uh a little preview.

[32:40] Bryan Plopsky: I threw a wish in the well.

[32:44] Bryan Plopsky: Don't ask me, I'll never tell.

[32:47] Bryan Plopsky: I looked to you as it fell, and now you're in my way.

[32:53] Bryan Plopsky: I trade my soul for a wish, pennies and dimes for a kiss.

[32:56] Bryan Plopsky: I wasn't looking for this, but now you're in my way.

[33:00] Bryan Plopsky: Your stare was holding Rip Jeans' skin, was showing.

[33:05] Bryan Plopsky: Hot night wind was blowing.

[33:07] Bryan Plopsky: Where do you think you're going, baby?

[33:13] Bryan Plopsky: Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy.

[33:19] Bryan Plopsky: But here's my number.

[33:22] Bryan Plopsky: So call me maybe.

[33:25] Bryan Plopsky: It's hard to look right at you, baby, but here's my number.

[33:31] Bryan Plopsky: So call me, maybe.

[33:33] Bryan Plopsky: Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy.

[33:39] Bryan Plopsky: But here's my number.

[33:41] Bryan Plopsky: So call me, maybe, and all the other boys try to chase me.

[33:45] Bryan Plopsky: But here's my number.

[33:47] Bryan Plopsky: So call me.

[33:54] Kimberly Cooper: This is the postmodern jukebox.

[33:56] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[33:57] Kimberly Cooper: And that is Call Me Maybe from Bells Are Ringing.

[34:00] Kevin Jaeger: I love that.

[34:01] Kimberly Cooper: All right, Kimberly.

[34:03] Kimberly Cooper: Orchestrations will make it a little bit bigger for an act one turn out.

[34:06] Kimberly Cooper: I love it.

[34:06] Kimberly Cooper: This is If You Seek Amy.

[34:09] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[34:09] Kimberly Cooper: By Britney Spears.

[34:10] Kevin Jaeger: Are you familiar?

[34:11] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[34:12] Kimberly Cooper: This was a pivotal moment in my 17-year-old year.

[34:15] Kevin Jaeger: So she thought you were saying dirty words.

[34:18] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[34:19] Kevin Jaeger: Oh.

[34:21] Kimberly Cooper: I don't know the song.

[34:23] Kevin Jaeger: Love me, hate me, do what you are.

[34:28] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, that's that song.

[34:30] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, I didn't realize that.

[34:32] Kimberly Cooper: Great.

[34:33] Kimberly Cooper: This is obviously the new opening number for Regina George.

[34:38] Kevin Jaeger: Oh great.

[34:40] Kimberly Cooper: I love that.

[34:41] Kimberly Cooper: Great.

[34:42] Kimberly Cooper: Where she is just pretending to be a girl named Amy.

[34:45] Kevin Jaeger: Right.

[34:45] Kimberly Cooper: Quick wink.

[34:46] Kimberly Cooper: That's the name of her Halloween character.

[34:50] Kimberly Cooper: This is what she enters for Halloween.

[34:52] Kimberly Cooper: I love that.

[35:10] ♪ Musical number ♪

[35:40] Kevin Jaeger: All right, Kev, pick one.

[35:43] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[35:43] Kevin Jaeger: So I have okay. So mine is My Love Don't Cost a Thing by J Lo.

[35:51] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, great. And this would go in a Bronx Tale.

[35:58] Kevin Jaeger: Okay. So it would be a song for Ariana Bose where she's trying to explain to me.

[36:05] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[36:05] Kevin Jaeger: To try to explain to Adam Kaplan that she doesn't need all his like flashy.

[36:10] Kimberly Cooper: So it's two different casts.

[36:11] Kevin Jaeger: The Bronx Tale.

[36:12] Kimberly Cooper: Right.

[36:12] Kevin Jaeger: Great. Okay.

[36:15] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, okay. Let him live it.

[36:18] Kevin Jaeger: And she would sing, uh. It would be like kind of like a slow jazzy. So she'd be like, it's like that, like when they're like using a brush on the drum.

[36:27] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[36:28] Kevin Jaeger: Kind of thing. So she'd be like, when you roll up in the escalade.

[36:34] Kimberly Cooper: Saw the truck you gave to the valet.

[36:38] Kevin Jaeger: Knew that it was game. When you looked at me, pull it up your sleeve so I can see the rollie blame.

[36:48] Kimberly Cooper: Uh all that matters is you treat me right. Give me all the things I need that money can't buy.

[36:57] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah. Think you gotta keep me iced? You don't. You think you're gonna spend your cash? I won't. Even if you were broke, my love don't cost a thing.

[37:08] Kimberly Cooper: I think I want to brave your bands. I don't. If I wanted floss, I've got my own. Even if you were broke, my love don't cost a thing.

[37:19] Kevin Jaeger: Thing, thing, thing. And that's where we're going off stage.

[37:22] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[37:24] Kevin Jaeger: So I think we were all fly.

[37:26] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[37:26] Kevin Jaeger: I would say those were all fly. Great, great. Wait, what else is in here? Ring on it?

[37:30] Kimberly Cooper: If you like it, then you should have put a ring on it. My Beyonce.

[37:33] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, this is this is Adelaide's new song in Guys and Dolls.

[37:39] Kimberly Cooper: Just broke up. I'm doing my own little thing. Swap, pop, pop. Just on a dip-tip, but now you want to trip, cause another brother knows me.

[37:47] Kevin Jaeger: That's perfect. Where would Fergalicious go?

[37:50] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god, that's totally like when Velma's trying to convince Roxy that they should instead of like simply cannot do it alone. She thinks, Fergalicious death.

[38:01] Kevin Jaeger: That's so good. Good job, Kevin.

[38:04] Kimberly Cooper: And that's word to your lyricist.

[38:05] Kevin Jaeger: Word to your lyricist. Good job. I would rate that game fly.

[38:09] Kimberly Cooper: Thanks. I would say it was pretty fly.

[38:10] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, yeah. For a white guy. It was okay.

[38:12] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[38:13] Kevin Jaeger: Oh my god. Don't cover my job. But before we move on, um, let's hear from Jerry Mitchell about Half Time.

[38:22] Kimberly Cooper: Never heard of him.

[38:23] Kevin Jaeger: Well, let me tell you, he's a Tony winning director choreographer of Kinky Boots, choreographer. Because I wrote choreo, but then my brain went to the whole word. Kinky Boots, La Cage, um, Broadway Bears, Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Full Monty, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, and the Upcoming Pretty Woman, Birdie Froder Bears. He's also the reason that your Instagram gets naked every June.

[38:43] Kimberly Cooper: Yay! Broadway Bears!

[38:45] Kevin Jaeger: Here he is.

[38:49] Jerry Mitchell: Alright, so we are here with Jerry Mitchell. First of all, congratulations on an incredible opening night.

[38:54] Jerry Mitchell: Thank you. We really, really enjoyed the show. So what about this show really like just grabbed you as soon as you first were introduced to it?

[39:01] Jerry Mitchell: Um, well, I had seen the documentary that Dory had um made in Los Angeles. And the night I was there, Carol Channing was there.

[39:12] Kimberly Cooper: Really?

[39:12] Jerry Mitchell: Yeah, really. And it was kind of like I came out and I said, Dory, you have to turn this into a musical. You have to turn this into a musical. It's the perfect, it's the perfect musical. And I said, We have so many people who are the perfect age to be in this side in this show, and it will be astounding to watch these people perform and do this number. I said, We gotta get on it. And so she took that to heart, and here we are. It's amazing.

[39:36] Kimberly Cooper: So, what was like the rehearsal process like for you?

[39:40] Jerry Mitchell: Uh, well, you know, we've been at it for a while. We wrote it, and you know, uh the trick is when you're taking a story and you're trying to make it a story that in all it was tricky. It was tricky. Was it were we gonna put a clock to it? Were we gonna put a plot to it?

[39:56] Kimberly Cooper: Right, right.

[39:56] Jerry Mitchell: You know, it's a documentary, which basically it's just about people learning to do hip hop, but we needed to give it a little bit more and get into the ideas behind these people and why dance still matters to them. So uh it was fun. We had a we did a lot of exploring. It was awesome.

[40:13] Kimberly Cooper: Is there a song or a number in this that really stood out to you and you like couldn't wait to put uh moves with it?

[40:20] Jerry Mitchell: Well, there are several. There are several that just sort of, you know, uh, you know, I I I thought Prince of Swing was just a beautiful, uh beautifully constructed number in the song. And uh my father, my my mother died about six, seven years ago now, right when I was just starting the process with this. So I could really relate to uh Andre's character because uh my father was going through the same things. And so it just made a lot of sense to me. And so it was a beautiful song. But they're all amazing numbers, amazing numbers. The finale's amazing, uh, Dorothy Dottie is amazing.

[40:58] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, yeah.

[40:58] Jerry Mitchell: Uh, you know, there are just so many wonderful numbers. Como no, Nancy. You know, I hired Nancy uh to be in Jerome Robbins Broadway uh when I was Jerry Robbins assistant. So I mean, I have a personal connection to every person who's in the show, too, all the seniors, you know, because we've all worked together, most of us.

[41:17] Kimberly Cooper: Well, we have a staple question. If you're on Death Row and instead of a last meal, you get a last show. What show are you seeing?

[41:25] Jerry Mitchell: A Chorus Line, A Chorus Line, A Chorus Line.

[41:27] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[41:27] Jerry Mitchell: Yeah. With Result Cast?

[41:29] Kimberly Cooper: With any cast.

[41:30] Jerry Mitchell: With me in the cast. We can make that up.

[41:33] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah. Thank you so much.

[41:34] Jerry Mitchell: Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

[41:38] Kimberly Cooper: Thanks, Jerry.

[41:40] Kevin Jaeger: Nice to meet you, Jared. Um, well, guys, I have an idea.

[41:43] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[41:43] Kevin Jaeger: If you never have those. Let's try a new segment.

[41:47] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[41:48] Kevin Jaeger: Called MailBel Baby.

[41:53] Kimberly Cooper: It's the mail that never fails.

[41:54] Kevin Jaeger: It makes me want to wake up.

[41:58] Kimberly Cooper: I don't know why, yeah, we all didn't want to say that right. But a lot of you wrote in to us um and let us know some of the questions you had for us.

[42:05] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah. I wrote some answers. So I'm gonna start with um uh one of our Facebook group users. Yep, um, Madeline Lodbell. I'm so uh sorry if I'm butchering that, but uh I think I got it right. L-O-D-B-E-L-L.

[42:18] Kimberly Cooper: Lid Bell.

[42:19] Kevin Jaeger: Lidbell. Um she asks us who was your first Broadway crush?

[42:24] Kimberly Cooper: Matthew Morrison.

[42:25] Kevin Jaeger: I knew you were gonna say that because you told the story about um My mom embarrassed me with that.

[42:30] Kimberly Cooper: Kevin? Do you have one?

[42:32] Kevin Jaeger: Um honestly because I grew up so far away from Broadway, I heard it mostly on cast recordings, so I didn't see people.

[42:45] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, the conductor is so hot.

[42:48] Kimberly Cooper: Oh was it?

[42:50] Kevin Jaeger: I'm gonna look it up.

[42:51] Kimberly Cooper: He's so hot.

[42:51] Kevin Jaeger: Is it Royal Royal Albert Hall?

[42:53] Kimberly Cooper: He's some London conductor, probably the London Philharmonic, but he's super hot.

[42:58] Bryan Plopsky: Anniversary Le Miz.

[43:00] Kevin Jaeger: So while Kimberly's looking that up, um who was yours?

[43:04] Kimberly Cooper: So it wasn't a Broadway person, but it was Ann Margaret from the Bye Bye Birdie movie.

[43:09] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, that counts.

[43:10] Kimberly Cooper: And it was also Roxanne from a Goofy movie.

[43:13] Kevin Jaeger: Oh Kevin, you are not wrong.

[43:16] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah David Charles Abel.

[43:18] Kevin Jaeger: Oh is an American orchestral conductor, active in symphonic music, opera, and musical theater, known for his television appearances worldwide as conductor of the Le Miz 10th and 25th anniversary concerts.

[43:32] Kimberly Cooper: And look at this chiseled jawline.

[43:34] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, he's real hot.

[43:36] Kimberly Cooper: From Twitter, Julia, you can follow her at Julie May Rosso.

[43:41] Kevin Jaeger: Not Julia Gulia.

[43:43] Kimberly Cooper: What's your fit speaking?

[43:44] Kevin Jaeger: Although this is one of my answers, um, favorite full ensemble number from any show?

[43:49] Kimberly Cooper: The Oklahoma Dream Ballet.

[43:51] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[43:52] Kimberly Cooper: Uh, one day more from Lay Miz.

[43:54] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[43:55] Kimberly Cooper: I also have uh You Can't Stop the Beat.

[43:58] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, okay, sure, yeah.

[44:00] Kimberly Cooper: Anything goes.

[44:01] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yeah.

[44:02] Kimberly Cooper: Even though some sometimes Moonface and Bonnie or whichever the girl character is that showed aren't in it, but Bonnie.

[44:08] Kevin Jaeger: Um and then um Toledo Surprise from Drowsy.

[44:14] Kimberly Cooper: Because when it starts to skip and they repeat the same dance step, and biggest blameful from Susical.

[44:19] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yeah.

[44:19] Kimberly Cooper: So it's a good one.

[44:20] Kevin Jaeger: Wedding Singer's not in there.

[44:21] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, and Wedding Singer, but I yeah, and Wedding Singer.

[44:24] Kevin Jaeger: Opening number for Money Sorry.

[44:25] Kimberly Cooper: 100%.

[44:26] Kevin Jaeger: The curtain goes up and they're all kicking their faces.

[44:29] Kimberly Cooper: Um Dream Ballet.

[44:32] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[44:32] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, you do.

[44:33] Kevin Jaeger: So much.

[44:34] Kimberly Cooper: The most.

[44:35] Kevin Jaeger: I know.

[44:35] Kimberly Cooper: More than anyone I've ever known.

[44:38] Kevin Jaeger: Because I used to like watch the Dream Ballet twice when I would watch the DVD.

[44:41] Kimberly Cooper: Oh.

[44:42] Kevin Jaeger: You would like to rewind it?

[44:43] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, I would start it again before I moved on to Act Two.

[44:45] Bryan Plopsky: And then from Facebook, our Facebook group again, we have Margaret McGuire who asks us what shows from the next season are you looking forward to seeing?

[44:52] Kimberly Cooper: Oh.

[44:53] Kevin Jaeger: Pretty Woman.

[44:54] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, Pretty Woman's definitely on my list.

[44:56] Kevin Jaeger: Uh Secret Garden.

[44:58] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, I forgot.

[44:59] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, and the share show.

[45:00] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[45:01] Kevin Jaeger: But also the prom.

[45:03] Kimberly Cooper: The Ferryman.

[45:04] Kevin Jaeger: That's what I have.

[45:04] Kimberly Cooper: I have prom Ferryman Share Show.

[45:06] Kevin Jaeger: I also have King Kong, because I have no idea what to expect.

[45:09] Kimberly Cooper: That's what I think about the prom.

[45:10] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, okay.

[45:11] Kimberly Cooper: Because it's new, so I don't actually know.

[45:13] Kevin Jaeger: Also by some of the people from Halftime.

[45:14] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[45:15] Kevin Jaeger: Well, then I'm gonna like it.

[45:16] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[45:16] Kevin Jaeger: I mean, I say having never seen Halftime.

[45:20] Kimberly Cooper: You've convinced me to like this show.

[45:22] Kevin Jaeger: Gotcha.

[45:23] Kimberly Cooper: Um, but thank you so much for everyone for sending in uh mailbag questions.

[45:27] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, that was awesome.

[45:28] Kimberly Cooper: But if you want to send us some questions, you can also email us at broadwaisted at gmail.com.

[45:33] Kevin Jaeger: We want all your silly, great, weird, wonderful, serious questions.

[45:38] Kimberly Cooper: We'll answer them with us, with guests.

[45:40] Kevin Jaeger: Uh, and um, we'd love for you to write to us and uh shoot us some of your uh mailbag questions.

[45:45] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[45:45] Kevin Jaeger: Usually after mailbag, because we've done it so many times.

[45:49] Kimberly Cooper: Clearly.

[45:49] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, um, it it feels like we should go somewhere.

[45:52] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, okay.

[45:53] Kevin Jaeger: A caboose?

[45:54] Kimberly Cooper: We should.

[45:56] Kevin Jaeger: Maybe we should go to Tuesdays in the corner with Kevin's Corner.

[46:05] Kimberly Cooper: That's my idea.

[46:07] Kevin Jaeger: It's so confusing that there's two titles.

[46:08] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[46:09] Kevin Jaeger: So um There's a title and a theme song.

[46:13] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[46:13] Kevin Jaeger: Correct.

[46:14] Kimberly Cooper: Totally.

[46:14] Kevin Jaeger: I love that.

[46:15] Kimberly Cooper: Thank you for clearing that.

[46:16] Kevin Jaeger: That's great.

[46:16] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, so today Kevin's Corner, I actually dragged a piece of furniture into this corner.

[46:21] Kevin Jaeger: It's um a casting couch.

[46:23] Kimberly Cooper: So this is a special casting couch edition of Tuesdays in the corner with Kevin.

[46:28] Kevin Jaeger: Love it.

[46:28] Kimberly Cooper: All right, number one.

[46:30] Kevin Jaeger: The musical Pretty Woman is the first Broadway outing for British sensation Samantha Barks, who will be playing the titular role, immortalized on screen by Julia Roberts.

[46:38] Kimberly Cooper: I love that word.

[46:39] Kevin Jaeger: Me too.

[46:40] Kevin Jaeger: Roberts wasn't the first offered the role in the movie.

[46:43] Kimberly Cooper: In fact, a slew of Hollywood Starlets turned down the role from Mitchell Pfeiffer and Molly Ringwald to Diane Lane and Meg Ryan.

[46:53] Kevin Jaeger: Meg Ryan, who starred in the movie when Harry met Sally, that I would love to turn into a musical, reportedly was insulted that they even sent her the script for such a dark, controversial role as a prostitute.

[47:04] Kimberly Cooper: And Hathaway did not feel the same way years later when she was offered her Oscar winning role in Les Miserables.

[47:10] Kevin Jaeger: Russell Crowe was fantastic in the non-singing titular role in the film The Gladiator.

[47:15] Kimberly Cooper: There we go.

[47:16] Kevin Jaeger: Which was like Rome's Braveheart.

[47:18] Kimberly Cooper: So sure.

[47:19] Kevin Jaeger: My question is: if the 80s band Heart wrote the music for an epic, over-dramatized four-hour sung through Broadway musical called Dark Mother, The Twisted Tales of Mother Goose.

[47:33] Kimberly Cooper: Who would you cast in these pivotal roles?

[47:36] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[47:36] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[47:37] Kevin Jaeger: Number one, Mother Goose.

[47:39] Kimberly Cooper: Patty Lapone.

[47:40] Kevin Jaeger: Carolee Carmelo.

[47:41] Kimberly Cooper: Number two, Humpty Dumpty.

[47:43] Kevin Jaeger: Kevin Chamberlain.

[47:44] Kimberly Cooper: Constantine Marulas.

[47:46] Kevin Jaeger: Yes.

[47:47] Kimberly Cooper: Number three, the It'sy Bitsy Spider.

[47:50] Kevin Jaeger: Wes Taylor.

[47:51] Kimberly Cooper: You know, that's what came to my mind too.

[47:54] Kevin Jaeger: That's so funny that you said that.

[47:55] Kimberly Cooper: I'm going with Wes Taylor.

[47:56] Kevin Jaeger: That's a good one.

[47:57] Kimberly Cooper: Because Plankton, tiny.

[47:58] Kevin Jaeger: Jack and Jill.

[48:01] Kimberly Cooper: Andrew Keenan and Bulger and Celia Keenan Bulger.

[48:03] Kevin Jaeger: Oh.

[48:04] Kimberly Cooper: That's perfect.

[48:04] Kevin Jaeger: Really good one.

[48:05] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[48:06] Kevin Jaeger: I'm gonna go with Sutton Foster and Hunter Foster.

[48:08] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, I like that.

[48:09] Kevin Jaeger: Uh Little Bo Peep.

[48:10] Kimberly Cooper: Taylor Loudeman.

[48:12] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, that's such a good one.

[48:14] Kimberly Cooper: Uh, I'm gonna go with uh Hannah Alice.

[48:17] Kevin Jaeger: Little Miss Muffet.

[48:18] Kimberly Cooper: T Boy itch.

[48:21] Kevin Jaeger: I just think she'd look cute in the hair.

[48:23] Kimberly Cooper: Yep.

[48:23] Kevin Jaeger: Um Little Miss Muffet is um Hailey Kilgore.

[48:28] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, good one.

[48:28] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yeah.

[48:29] Kimberly Cooper: And Old Mother Hubber Old Mother Hubbard.

[48:33] Kevin Jaeger: Lilius White.

[48:35] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, that's a good one.

[48:36] Kevin Jaeger: That's a really good one.

[48:37] Kimberly Cooper: Um, I'm gonna go with or Billy Porter and Drag.

[48:43] Kevin Jaeger: That's the perfect answer.

[48:45] Kimberly Cooper: That's pretty good.

[48:46] Kevin Jaeger: Because he loves shoes.

[48:47] Kimberly Cooper: Um, is she the one that lives in a shoe?

[48:50] Kevin Jaeger: No, she lives in the shoe.

[48:51] Kimberly Cooper: In the cupboard.

[48:52] Kevin Jaeger: You know, some cupboards have shoes in them.

[48:56] Kimberly Cooper: Um, for me, old Mother Hubbard is uh Christine Ebersoll.

[49:00] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, that's a really good one.

[49:02] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[49:02] Kevin Jaeger: Great.

[49:03] Kimberly Cooper: So that's that question.

[49:03] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, okay.

[49:04] Kimberly Cooper: Great.

[49:05] Kevin Jaeger: Did we do good?

[49:05] Kimberly Cooper: You did.

[49:06] Kevin Jaeger: I like I would say that musical.

[49:07] Kimberly Cooper: Great.

[49:08] Kevin Jaeger: Cool.

[49:08] Kimberly Cooper: Either or, because apparently we've decided to be against each other.

[49:11] Kevin Jaeger: No, they're just double casts.

[49:12] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[49:12] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, oh, right.

[49:13] Kimberly Cooper: They just each one performs four times a week.

[49:15] Kevin Jaeger: It's a great contract.

[49:16] Kimberly Cooper: He's a really good contract.

[49:18] Kevin Jaeger: Number two.

[49:19] Kevin Jaeger: Friend of the show, Patty Mirin seems to be handpicked by the gods of theater to play Anna in Disney's Frozen on Broadway because she's talented, charming, and her comic timing is everything.

[49:28] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[49:29] Kevin Jaeger: The Girl Who Has Everything from Grey Gardens is a beautiful old-timey song that is used in the story to sadly reflect the character's fall from society's loftiest heights to ruin and madness.

[49:40] Kimberly Cooper: The Madness of King George is a film adaptation of a play by Alan Bennett that earned an Oscar nod for the always incredible Helen Miren, who also appeared in the titular role.

[49:49] Kevin Jaeger: Are you gonna put titular in every classroom?

[49:51] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, I'm so excited.

[49:52] Kevin Jaeger: In the teen horror film Teaching Mrs. Tingle, alongside fellow groundbreaking, critically acclaimed actress Katie Holmes.

[49:59] Kimberly Cooper: Yes.

[50:00] Kevin Jaeger: Detective Sherlock Holmes, no relation to previously mentioned Katie, is a fictional genius investigator, violinist, and drug user, played at times by actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch.

[50:11] Kimberly Cooper: A batch of cookies always taste best right out of the oven when they're cool enough to taste, but warm enough to still be soft and perfect.

[50:19] Kevin Jaeger: So my question is who would play the main roles in the perfect cast of Rent if the cast was completely made up of cartoon characters?

[50:29] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, so first we'll do uh Mark.

[50:31] Kevin Jaeger: I can picture Max from a goofy movie.

[50:35] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, that's a really good one.

[50:36] Kevin Jaeger: I was gonna say uh Johnny Neutron.

[50:38] Kimberly Cooper: Jimmy Neutron?

[50:39] Kevin Jaeger: Jimmy Neutron.

[50:40] Kimberly Cooper: Also a good one.

[50:40] Kevin Jaeger: Okay, I made me grow him up a little bit to deal with the issues for the show.

[50:45] Kimberly Cooper: You might be like man genius at this point.

[50:47] Kevin Jaeger: Okay, okay, Roger.

[50:49] Kimberly Cooper: Um, grown up Sid from Toy Story.

[50:53] Kevin Jaeger: Oh.

[50:53] Kimberly Cooper: Interesting.

[50:55] Kevin Jaeger: I guess Roger's some weird backstory.

[50:57] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[50:58] Kevin Jaeger: I'm gonna go with a grown-up Johnny Quest.

[51:01] Kimberly Cooper: I don't know who that is.

[51:02] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yeah, I like that.

[51:03] Kimberly Cooper: He's on Cartoon Network.

[51:04] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, okay.

[51:05] Kimberly Cooper: This is gonna be hard for me.

[51:05] Kevin Jaeger: I don't watch cartoons.

[51:06] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, right.

[51:07] Kevin Jaeger: You hate cartoons.

[51:07] Kimberly Cooper: This is gonna be all children's shows.

[51:10] Kevin Jaeger: The next one would be uh Maureen.

[51:14] Kimberly Cooper: Judy Funny.

[51:16] Kevin Jaeger: Doug's sister.

[51:17] Kimberly Cooper: Boo-doo.

[51:18] Kevin Jaeger: Totally.

[51:18] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[51:19] Kevin Jaeger: Uh Joanne.

[51:21] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, it um Grown-Up Susie from Rugrat.

[51:26] Kevin Jaeger: That's exactly thinking.

[51:30] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god, I'm so happy.

[51:33] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[51:33] Kimberly Cooper: I was there with you.

[51:34] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[51:35] Kimberly Cooper: Um, and then uh Mimi.

[51:39] Kevin Jaeger: The sister from uh Rocket Power.

[51:42] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[51:43] Kevin Jaeger: I forget her name.

[51:44] Kimberly Cooper: Oh yeah.

[51:45] Kevin Jaeger: Uh Angel.

[51:47] Kimberly Cooper: I would say Andrew Randall's character on Big Mouth.

[51:50] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, so good.

[51:53] Kimberly Cooper: That's very funny.

[51:54] Kevin Jaeger: Um Pinocchio.

[51:56] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, Pinocchio could work.

[51:57] Kevin Jaeger: Or the gingerbread man.

[51:59] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, Gingerbreadman would be real.

[52:01] Kevin Jaeger: Sure.

[52:01] Kimberly Cooper: The gingerbread man.

[52:03] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[52:03] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[52:03] Kevin Jaeger: That's great.

[52:04] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[52:05] Kevin Jaeger: So that's that's the right cast.

[52:06] Kimberly Cooper: I also think the Grumble would be Benny.

[52:09] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, the Grumble would be Benny.

[52:11] Kimberly Cooper: And who would be Tom Collins?

[52:13] Kevin Jaeger: Can't we just have Jesse L. Martin with all the cartoons?

[52:16] Kimberly Cooper: Kind of like a Hooframe Roger Rabbit.

[52:19] Kevin Jaeger: I was gonna say like Space Jam.

[52:21] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[52:21] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, Space Jam.

[52:23] Kimberly Cooper: For sure.

[52:23] Kevin Jaeger: He's got a really good agent.

[52:25] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[52:25] Kevin Jaeger: Number three.

[52:27] Kevin Jaeger: This question was submitted by fan of the show Autumn Clark.

[52:30] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[52:30] Kevin Jaeger: She actually dove down a Kevin's corner rabbit hole.

[52:35] Kimberly Cooper: I hope you've recovered from that.

[52:36] Kevin Jaeger: I hope you came back.

[52:37] Kevin Jaeger: So here we go.

[52:38] Kevin Jaeger: Kevin has stated at least once before that he is from the state of Florida.

[52:42] Kimberly Cooper: I live in a tiny, tiny town only a couple miles from the Georgia, Florida border, and the accents here are interesting.

[52:48] Kevin Jaeger: My accent apparently confuses many people down here because I lived my whole life in the South, but I was raised by two New Jersey natives.

[52:56] Kimberly Cooper: Caroliner Change is a musical that takes place in the South, and the child Noah kind of annoys me at times.

[53:01] Kevin Jaeger: I hear that.

[53:02] Kimberly Cooper: I once spent a summer nannying two super annoying children, one of whom was named Sophia.

[53:08] Kevin Jaeger: The name Sophia can sometimes be shortened to Sophie.

[53:11] Kimberly Cooper: My friend Spencer has a longtime girlfriend, but he and his girlfriend like to joke that my boss's friend Sophie would be Spencer's free pass because they think that she's just that pretty.

[53:20] Kevin Jaeger: I feel pretty as a song from the musical West Side Story inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo's and Juliet.

[53:26] Kimberly Cooper: I recently saw a great production of Romeo and Juliet at Challahassey's version of Shakespeare in the park.

[53:33] Kevin Jaeger: Romeo has a buddy named Benvolio, who is supposed to be a mediator in the show, though he maybe wasn't all that successful in the end.

[53:40] Kimberly Cooper: He does survive though.

[53:41] Kevin Jaeger: I mean, he does that pretty well.

[53:43] Kimberly Cooper: Spoiler.

[53:46] Kevin Jaeger: The actor who played Benvolio just got cast in another local production of Barefoot in the Park as the telephone guy.

[53:51] Kimberly Cooper: Congrats.

[53:52] Kevin Jaeger: The telephone guy didn't have that many lines and was only in two scenes, but I thought his delivery was one of the best in the show.

[53:57] Kimberly Cooper: That's great.

[53:58] Kevin Jaeger: And his comedic timing was on point.

[53:59] Kimberly Cooper: He's a Shakespeare actor.

[54:00] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, he's great.

[54:01] Kimberly Cooper: So my question is I love his stuff.

[54:03] Kevin Jaeger: So my question is what minor role in any show would you love to play and why?

[54:09] Kimberly Cooper: I'll go first because I got to read Autumn's question in advance, so I have an answer ready to go.

[54:14] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[54:15] Kimberly Cooper: I would love to play Doatsy Mae in a production of uh Best Little Whore House in Texas.

[54:22] Kevin Jaeger: Which one's Dotsy Mae?

[54:24] Kimberly Cooper: Dotsie Mae is the diner waitress who has like six lines in the show until she has her own solo song in Act Two.

[54:32] Kevin Jaeger: Which song?

[54:33] Kimberly Cooper: Called Dotsey May, where she sings basically it's uh she sings this whole entire song about how she dreams to be beautiful and dreams to be the kind of girl like that men would look at the way that they look at all those women from the the whorehouse.

[54:49] Kevin Jaeger: But she basically says it like but she could never do that.

[54:52] Kimberly Cooper: And so the songs she goes, Doatsy May, one nobody thinks of having dreams.

[54:57] Kevin Jaeger: Ain't as simple as she seems.

[54:59] Kimberly Cooper: And this is like beautiful like song to show that everyone has their own struggle and story, and I just love it.

[55:05] Kevin Jaeger: And it's a good one.

[55:06] Kimberly Cooper: It's so jarring when she actually sings her entire solo because you're like, this woman has literally been like a one-liner kind of like intro into every scene, and then she just washes the counter while everyone talks.

[55:17] Kevin Jaeger: So like she's not a big deal, but then she has this like great song.

[55:21] Kimberly Cooper: And I think it'd be awesome to see me in drag.

[55:24] Kevin Jaeger: I'm always a fan.

[55:25] Kimberly Cooper: I mean, we've seen it.

[55:26] Kevin Jaeger: We've seen it.

[55:27] Kimberly Cooper: Beautiful.

[55:27] Kevin Jaeger: It's a delight.

[55:29] Kimberly Cooper: It is a toss-up.

[55:31] Kevin Jaeger: Okay.

[55:32] Kimberly Cooper: Between.

[55:33] Kevin Jaeger: Uh, the girl with the weird laugh in Oklahoma.

[55:37] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[55:37] Kevin Jaeger: Who's like laugh to make fun of?

[55:38] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[55:39] Kevin Jaeger: She's just in the background.

[55:40] Kimberly Cooper: Um, or Nancy in Groundhog Day, because she is just in the background the whole time, and then she opens act two.

[55:45] Kevin Jaeger: She fully opened up.

[55:46] Kimberly Cooper: What a way to live your life.

[55:47] Kevin Jaeger: I know, right?

[55:49] Kimberly Cooper: By playing Nancy.

[55:50] Kevin Jaeger: That by like 9 15, you're ready to go.

[55:53] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[55:55] Kevin Jaeger: I used the whole first act to warm up.

[55:58] Kimberly Cooper: Um, I know they cut it for the Broadway show, but I want to be the news that says, I gotta somehow papes.

[56:04] Kevin Jaeger: I just think it's so funny.

[56:05] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[56:05] Kevin Jaeger: What?

[56:06] Kimberly Cooper: That's a good one.

[56:07] Kevin Jaeger: I also don't know where that happened, where it would have been cut, because I feel like they say.

[56:11] Kimberly Cooper: They changed the line, I think.

[56:12] Kevin Jaeger: Oh.

[56:13] Kimberly Cooper: I love it.

[56:13] Kevin Jaeger: Cool.

[56:13] Kimberly Cooper: And that was Kevin's Corner.

[56:15] Kevin Jaeger: Thanks, Kevin, for sharing your corner.

[56:17] Kimberly Cooper: Thank you, Autumn.

[56:18] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, thanks, Autumn, for doing that.

[56:19] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[56:20] Kevin Jaeger: Um joined this entryway.

[56:22] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, I would also be the Ottoman from Beating the Beast.

[56:27] Kevin Jaeger: Because you have really cool tumbling skills.

[56:29] Kimberly Cooper: Right, don't we have somebody else that we talk to?

[56:31] Kevin Jaeger: Yes, we do.

[56:32] Kimberly Cooper: We talked to the legendary Georgia Engel from Halftime.

[56:36] Kevin Jaeger: Hey, Georgia, I have your card.

[56:37] Kimberly Cooper: You we do have your Liza Broadway card.

[56:39] Kevin Jaeger: Um you might know her from The Drowsy Chaperone, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, or Everybody Loves Raymond.

[56:46] Kimberly Cooper: So, uh, let's hear from Georgia.

[56:50] Kevin Jaeger: Wonderful.

[56:51] Kimberly Cooper: We had such a good time tonight.

[56:52] Kevin Jaeger: Fantastic job.

[56:53] Kimberly Cooper: So what drew you to this piece?

[56:56] Donna McKechnie: Well, my friend Bob Martin said he wrote the part with me in mind, so how could I turn that down?

[57:04] Jerry Mitchell: When Men in Chair says something, you do it.

[57:06] Donna McKechnie: Exactly.

[57:07] Jerry Mitchell: Exactly.

[57:08] Donna McKechnie: That's amazing.

[57:09] Jerry Mitchell: What's been your favorite part of this experience during the show?

[57:12] Donna McKechnie: The whole experience has been amazing.

[57:14] Donna McKechnie: I learned so much from Jerry Mitchell every day.

[57:17] Donna McKechnie: He's a wonderful leader.

[57:20] Donna McKechnie: His joy in the work, in good work is absolutely contagious, and it sparks us to be the best we can be.

[57:30] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, that's so incredible.

[57:31] Kevin Jaeger: And um, what do you want people to take away from this show specifically?

[57:34] Donna McKechnie: Oh, I want people to know that it's never too late for good things to appear in one's life.

[57:42] Kimberly Cooper: That's so beautiful.

[57:42] Kevin Jaeger: And do you have a favorite musical of all time?

[57:45] Donna McKechnie: I think this one might be.

[57:47] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, right, I'll take it.

[57:48] Kimberly Cooper: Thank you so much for joining us.

[57:51] Donna McKechnie: Thank you so much.

[57:52] Kimberly Cooper: Enjoy the rest of the run.

[57:53] Donna McKechnie: Thank you.

[57:54] Jerry Mitchell: Yeah.

[57:56] Kevin Jaeger: She was the sweetest.

[57:57] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, she really was.

[57:58] Jerry Mitchell: Yeah.

[58:00] Kevin Jaeger: Well, that kind of brings us to the end of our episode.

[58:03] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[58:04] Kevin Jaeger: We end every episode with a quote.

[58:05] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah, we do.

[58:06] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, yeah.

[58:07] Kimberly Cooper: So this is, and all those shoes you bought for when we go on the Alaskan cruise.

[58:11] Kevin Jaeger: My boat is sinking.

[58:12] Kimberly Cooper: I don't care.

[58:13] Kevin Jaeger: You're everything I want.

[58:14] Kimberly Cooper: You rule my world, my world.

[58:15] Kevin Jaeger: You're everything I need.

[58:16] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, you're everything I need.

[58:20] Kevin Jaeger: Full Monty.

[58:21] Kimberly Cooper: I thought halftime full Monty.

[58:23] Kevin Jaeger: I feel like that was a good show.

[58:25] Kimberly Cooper: But don't forget, try and check out Halftime at Paper Mill.

[58:29] Kevin Jaeger: It closes July 1st.

[58:31] Kimberly Cooper: Again, super easy to get to.

[58:32] Kevin Jaeger: You can go to PaperMill.org for tickets.

[58:35] Kimberly Cooper: You can follow us at Broadwaysted.

[58:37] Kevin Jaeger: That's us.

[58:38] Kimberly Cooper: On all social media.

[58:40] Kevin Jaeger: Subscribe to us and then rate and review us on iTunes.

[58:43] Kimberly Cooper: Five stars, please.

[58:43] Kevin Jaeger: Five stars, please.

[58:45] Kimberly Cooper: That helps people find us.

[58:47] Kevin Jaeger: And we'd love to hear your feedback there.

[58:49] Kimberly Cooper: And we will be found.

[58:50] Kevin Jaeger: We will be found.

[58:52] Kimberly Cooper: But more importantly, we're gonna try to incorporate Mailbag.

[58:55] Kevin Jaeger: I think that was really fun.

[58:56] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[58:56] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah.

[58:57] Kimberly Cooper: Um, so don't forget.

[58:58] Kevin Jaeger: It was like Malbec.

[58:59] Kimberly Cooper: I love Malbec.

[59:01] Kevin Jaeger: The Malbec mailbag.

[59:02] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[59:03] Kevin Jaeger: Oh, I love it.

[59:04] Kimberly Cooper: The Malbag.

[59:05] Kevin Jaeger: Whatever we're drinking, we have to stop and take a shot of Malbec while we do the mailbag.

[59:08] Kimberly Cooper: Because everyone likes a shot of Resign.

[59:11] Kevin Jaeger: So um, let's take it off.

[59:12] Kimberly Cooper: Broadwaysted at gmail.com.

[59:14] Kevin Jaeger: Send it over.

[59:15] Kimberly Cooper: Or you can tweet it at us, you can Instagram us, you can put it in our Facebook group, join our Facebook group.

[59:19] Kevin Jaeger: Yeah, we'll include it.

[59:20] Kimberly Cooper: Um, but again, uh, thank you, clips.

[59:20] Kevin Jaeger: Thank you, Paper Mill for inviting us next time, Kimberly.

[59:25] Kimberly Cooper: You'll join us.

[59:28] Kevin Jaeger: Um, but as we end up at Paper Mill all by myself, thank you.

[59:31] Kimberly Cooper: Yeah.

[59:31] Kevin Jaeger: Um, I'll bring my own caboose.

[59:33] Kimberly Cooper: But as we bunch of caboose in the chair next to me.

[59:35] Kevin Jaeger: Ooh.

[59:36] Kimberly Cooper: As we end every episode.

[59:38] Kevin Jaeger: Zoo do up.

[59:40] Kimberly Cooper: Cheers.

[59:40] Kevin Jaeger: Cheers.

[59:41] Kimberly Cooper: Cheers.

[59:41] Kevin Jaeger: That's so creamy.

[59:43] Kimberly Cooper: So creamy?

[59:44] Kevin Jaeger: I don't know.

[59:55] Kimberly Cooper: Hello, folks, and welcome to another episode of Off Broadwaysted, where we're celebrating all the amazing theater happening off the Great White Way here in New York City.

[1:00:03] Kimberly Cooper: And today I am here with two incredibly amazing people who are here from The Song of Bernadette Jones, a new play by Maura Campbell that will be playing at the Fresh Fruit Festival in July.

[1:00:13] Kimberly Cooper: I'm here with Sam Spadafour, the star of the show.

[1:00:16] Sam Spadafour: Hi Sam.

[1:00:17] Sam Spadafour: Hi, how's it going?

[1:00:18] Kimberly Cooper: And we're here with Liam Lonigan.

[1:00:20] Liam Lonigan: How's it going, sir?

[1:00:21] Liam Lonigan: Going well.

[1:00:21] Kimberly Cooper: Alrighty.

[1:00:22] Kimberly Cooper: So the first thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna turn it over to Sam, and I'm gonna have you tell our listeners what is The Song of Bernadette Jones?

[1:00:29] Sam Spadafour: Like what's the play about, and uh who is your character in the show?

[1:00:32] Sam Spadafour: I'm playing the character of Carolyn, and Carolyn is um a queer person who is kind of going through a bit of um questioning of her identity, um, sexuality, uh, gender, and um trying to move through um a tragic event that happened early in her life um with the help of some um spiritual guidance, I'll say.

[1:01:03] Kimberly Cooper: Okay.

[1:01:03] Sam Spadafour: Um yeah, it's a very interesting play, and it takes you on a really incredible journey about coming into your own.

[1:01:10] Kimberly Cooper: Oh, I love that.

[1:01:11] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, so uh my first question is this is a new play.

[1:01:14] Kimberly Cooper: Uh so what's that process been like for you bringing this story from page to stage with like the cast and creative team?

[1:01:20] Sam Spadafour: Um, it's been really interesting because uh reading this is so different than being on your feet, um, because it it was a little difficult to visualize what's going on because some of the way that Maura writes her stage directions is just it's just so poetic and beautiful.

[1:01:38] Sam Spadafour: And um, but that makes it kind of um interesting when you're just sitting there and trying to pick apart the script.

[1:01:49] Sam Spadafour: We sat for a while and sometimes went around in circles with trying to figure out what's going on, but then once we got on our feet, I was like, oh, I get this.

[1:01:57] Sam Spadafour: I know exactly what's going on.

[1:01:59] Sam Spadafour: And then now we can really start making connections between different scenes and start tracking where Carolyn is going as a character.

[1:02:06] Kimberly Cooper: That's so awesome.

[1:02:07] Kimberly Cooper: Okay, so what do you uh your character's through the story goes through a very emotional and fantastical journey to find out who they are?

[1:02:14] Kimberly Cooper: So, why do you think stories like this are so important in today's climate?

[1:02:18] Sam Spadafour: This is interesting with realism being the avenue for how we're viewing characters and trying to relate to them.

[1:02:27] Sam Spadafour: But this, because it's a much broader stroke, even though it's specific to Carolyn's story, you can absolutely connect to what's going on in her life because everybody kind of goes through a little bit of an identity crisis at one point.

[1:02:39] Kimberly Cooper: Totally.

[1:02:40] Sam Spadafour: I'm going through one right now.

[1:02:42] Kimberly Cooper: Exactly.

[1:02:43] Sam Spadafour: Honestly, I think it's always an identity crisis as we get older.

[1:02:47] Sam Spadafour: But um, for me personally, uh as a transgender actor and going through this just coming out of college and still trying to figure out who I am and then transitioning, I can relate to Carolyn's story on a very personal level, so it really is not only helpful for me as an actor, but I feel like if I was viewing this, I would absolutely get something out of this in trying to find who I am.

[1:03:11] Kimberly Cooper: That's so awesome.

[1:03:12] Kimberly Cooper: I'm gonna turn it to Liam for a second.

[1:03:14] Kimberly Cooper: Um, what do you think the audiences are gonna experience when they see this play?

[1:03:18] Liam Lonigan: So basically I'm directing the show.

[1:03:20] Liam Lonigan: When Maura brought the show to me, um, it was actually through someone that we both knew and actually had taught Sam at school named Bob Moss.

[1:03:28] Liam Lonigan: Um, and we didn't know what was going on.

[1:03:32] Liam Lonigan: Um, and loved everything about it, but it was was fairly confused.

[1:03:36] Sam Spadafour: You're like, I love this, what is this?

[1:03:38] Liam Lonigan: What is this?

[1:03:39] Sam Spadafour: Totally.

[1:03:40] Liam Lonigan: But when you're comfortable as you, you know, as you get more and more experienced with your artistry, with your skill set, you start to choose to work on shows that you're confused at, you know, about that if you read something and you go, Oh, I know exactly how this is gonna go, then it's boring to do and work on.

[1:03:55] Liam Lonigan: So as we're in the room figuring things out, there are questions galore, and thankfully we have Maura here stopping by every so often.

[1:04:03] Liam Lonigan: Um, and and who's also producing the show, so she's in and out, and we get to go on the phone and talk for hours, and um, but Sam will look at me and he'll say, What you know, what's this about?

[1:04:14] Liam Lonigan: And I'll say, I don't have no I don't know.

[1:04:17] Liam Lonigan: What do you think?

[1:04:18] Liam Lonigan: Or try this.

[1:04:19] Liam Lonigan: And then, oh wait, that's not clear enough, and then let's try this.

[1:04:22] Sam Spadafour: Yeah.

[1:04:23] Liam Lonigan: Um so yeah, it's a lot of trial and error until we find and we're starting to really smooth out some really beautiful moments that make a lot of.

[1:04:30] Sam Spadafour: Yeah.

[1:04:30] Liam Lonigan: Our first run through on Saturday is gonna be an eye-opening experience because we haven't done everything in sequence, and the way that the scenes are set up, it's not a sequential uh in the description of the show, it even says that time is fluid.

[1:04:45] Sam Spadafour: So doing it in an order is going to be a whole different experience because so far we've been chunking it out with different characters and trying to block it that way.

[1:04:54] Liam Lonigan: So it'll be really interesting.

[1:04:56] Kimberly Cooper: Was that what you like when you were looking at a piece like this that you were trying to figure out?

[1:04:59] Kimberly Cooper: Was it the easiest to put it together by like unpacking it into like chunks and figuring out what those chunks were?

[1:05:08] Liam Lonigan: Um I had an overarching overarching feeling of what the play was about and sort of knew certain little spotted events that had happened that it sort of tied together like a string of pearls.

[1:05:21] Liam Lonigan: Um, but absolutely it was absolutely breaking it up into chunks.

[1:05:24] Liam Lonigan: Like Nate the each scene has a title instead of a number, so I like had to put a number on it, had to type out a document that said this happens in this scene then, and like sent it to them, sent it to them.

[1:05:35] Sam Spadafour: Uh-huh.

[1:05:35] Liam Lonigan: Um, I'm gonna throw you an off the cuff question.

[1:05:38] Liam Lonigan: That is like because I hear from what you're saying from the show, a lot of it is like new and original ideas in the way of storytelling.

[1:05:44] Liam Lonigan: So uh one of the biggest things that was talked about after this Tony season that just happened was that Broadway is becoming more and more commercialized, with more and more like recognizable commodities being turned into packaged musicals for people.

[1:05:58] Liam Lonigan: And it was very interesting to see how The Band's Visit, which does come from a movie but a very kind of obscure independent movie, kind of swept the Tonys.

[1:06:06] Sam Spadafour: It seemed like that was maybe a message that was being sent from the Tony voters to people who are doing theater.

[1:06:11] Liam Lonigan: So, as things become more and more commercialized, why do you think it's so important for new and original works to continue to get out there?

[1:06:19] Sam Spadafour: Well, I think people are desperate for stories.

[1:06:22] Sam Spadafour: Um, there are people that are excited about fandom and and commercial theater intrics, and that's really wonderful and spec, you know, and spectacular.

[1:06:31] Sam Spadafour: Um, but we'll always, as humans, we will always be desperate and addicted to stories.

[1:06:36] Sam Spadafour: It's why the you know, quarterback on our football team in high school still watch Netflix.

[1:06:40] Sam Spadafour: Um, it's because you know, we'll always be desperate.

[1:06:43] Sam Spadafour: And if not if they weren't that, they were they were obsessive readers.

[1:06:46] Sam Spadafour: Um, so we'll always be desperate for stories, and how we tell stories will be continue to be challenged.

[1:06:51] Sam Spadafour: That form, that structure, those devices, and Maura is using all of that, all that new stuff.

[1:06:56] Liam Lonigan: So it's gonna come around.

[1:06:58] Liam Lonigan: Even though this is um there is some spectacle to it in a way, it's still very stripped down from what we can see.

[1:07:05] Sam Spadafour: 100%.

[1:07:06] Liam Lonigan: Yeah, there's no scene, like there's no scenery, there's no scene changes.

[1:07:09] Liam Lonigan: There's a little bit of stuff, but it's all chairs and it's all people putting on little pieces of costumes and just transforming themselves to tell the story.

[1:07:17] Sam Spadafour: And I think you both said it very well that there's a beautiful place for that spectacle of a musical, and I love them, all of us love them, but there's also a place for these quiet, beautiful stories, and I'm really glad that some of these are still sneaking in the cracks.

[1:07:29] Liam Lonigan: And it sounds like The Song of Bernadette Jones is definitely gonna be one of those.

[1:07:34] Kimberly Cooper: Um, we always ask fun questions as well in the show.

[1:07:36] Kimberly Cooper: So I have one fun question for both of you.

[1:07:38] Kimberly Cooper: So the question is uh first, what's your favorite movie or TV show?

[1:07:43] Kimberly Cooper: And then after you've decided that, I need you to create a character for yourself on that show, and tell me what your like important arc would be.

[1:07:51] Sam Spadafour: Well, my favorite movie is Napoleon Dynamite.

[1:07:56] Kimberly Cooper: I love where this is going already.

[1:07:58] Sam Spadafour: I have no idea.

[1:08:00] Sam Spadafour: I feel like um could you have been the third presidential candidate?

[1:08:05] Sam Spadafour: Yes, I absolutely would have been.

[1:08:09] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god.

[1:08:11] Sam Spadafour: For Sam, yes.

[1:08:12] Sam Spadafour: Yes.

[1:08:13] Sam Spadafour: I would totally do that.

[1:08:14] Kimberly Cooper: But what would you have done instead of like how he did that like ridiculous dance?

[1:08:18] Kimberly Cooper: What would your thing be that you would do to win people over?

[1:08:21] Sam Spadafour: Oh my god.

[1:08:22] Sam Spadafour: Probably sing a song because I'm a theater person, but um, it would have to be something absolutely ridiculous, you know, because that whole movie is so awkward.

[1:08:22] Sam Spadafour: So awkward.

[1:08:22] Sam Spadafour: It would have to be something like you're seeing like The Rose by like Bette Midler, but like really slow.

[1:08:38] Sam Spadafour: And with like a single candle that starts to burn your hand halfway through.

[1:08:42] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god.

[1:08:43] Sam Spadafour: Something deadly hard.

[1:08:46] Sam Spadafour: Or like recreate Fergie's national anthem or something.

[1:08:49] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my god, that would be so amazing.

[1:08:52] Sam Spadafour: Without the band in the back.

[1:08:53] Kimberly Cooper: Right, just like her, but without the music.

[1:08:58] Sam Spadafour: Something really bizarre.

[1:08:59] Sam Spadafour: That would I think that would fit in that movie.

[1:09:01] Kimberly Cooper: What about you?

[1:09:01] Liam Lonigan: Movie or fake TV show?

[1:09:03] Liam Lonigan: I'm so boring.

[1:09:04] Liam Lonigan: I'm like an 80-year-old man in a 12-year-old.

[1:09:07] Kimberly Cooper: So is it we're going to Downton Abbey?

[1:09:08] Liam Lonigan: No, no.

[1:09:11] Liam Lonigan: Yeah.

[1:09:13] Liam Lonigan: So West Wing absolutely changed my life.

[1:09:15] Liam Lonigan: It was like the first show that I had to stop because I was so excited watching it.

[1:09:19] Liam Lonigan: Like I had to pause it, can be like, yeah.

[1:09:22] Liam Lonigan: Okay, we can go back.

[1:09:23] Liam Lonigan: I guess at the storyline, I mean I can only probably see myself as like a young intern.

[1:09:28] Liam Lonigan: You know, is so excited to be there, feels so good, and it just gets destroyed or something.

[1:09:34] Liam Lonigan: I don't know.

[1:09:34] Liam Lonigan: And then and then leaves in a place like I can't like be here.

[1:09:37] Liam Lonigan: I don't want to be here.

[1:09:38] Liam Lonigan: I don't want this, this I don't want to be part of this.

[1:09:40] Kimberly Cooper: Oh my gosh, you're like that like bright-eyed bushy-tailed intern who gets like destroyed by the reality of politics.

[1:09:47] Liam Lonigan: That's a great storyline.

[1:09:48] Kimberly Cooper: You went to go into politics when I was under.

[1:09:50] Liam Lonigan: Did you?

[1:09:50] Liam Lonigan: Yeah.

[1:09:51] Liam Lonigan: And then you're like, I'll direct instead.

[1:09:56] Liam Lonigan: Right.

[1:09:57] Liam Lonigan: It's telling people what to do.

[1:09:59] Liam Lonigan: I mean it all works out.

[1:10:02] Liam Lonigan: Not telling other people to do.

[1:10:03] Liam Lonigan: No.

[1:10:04] Liam Lonigan: It's allowing people to be their best selves.

[1:10:06] Sam Spadafour: Absolutely.

[1:10:07] Liam Lonigan: Is that the political answer?

[1:10:08] Sam Spadafour: Maybe.

[1:10:09] Liam Lonigan: Yeah.

[1:10:09] Liam Lonigan: The Song of Bernadette Jones by Maura Campbell sounds like an incredibly new original play in a great way if you're coming to New York to see something different and unusual and a little off the beaten path.

[1:10:20] Kimberly Cooper: So, how can people see the show?

[1:10:22] Kimberly Cooper: What are the dates?

[1:10:23] Kimberly Cooper: What are the times, and what's happening with the Fresh Fruit Festival?

[1:10:25] Liam Lonigan: Um, so this will be at Wild Project Theater.

[1:10:30] Liam Lonigan: Um, okay, July 10th at 6 p.m., July 14th at 4:30, and July 15th at 5 p.m.

[1:10:37] Liam Lonigan: And I will be there in one of the weekend performances, so come say hi and see me.

[1:10:41] Kimberly Cooper: We'll be tweeting all about it because we're so excited to see it.

[1:10:44] Kimberly Cooper: So definitely check out The Song of Bernadette Jones.

[1:10:47] Kimberly Cooper: Thank you, Sam, and thank you, Liam, for coming and sitting down with me.

[1:10:50] Kimberly Cooper: This has been another episode of Off Broadwaysted.