This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Patrick Oliver Jones: Welcome to Closing Night, a theater history podcast celebrating famous and forgotten Broadway shows that close too soon.

[0:08] Patrick Oliver Jones: I'm your host, Patrick Oliver Jones, and in the previous episode, you learned about the 30-year journey of 9 to 5, from a movie to a big hit song to a TV show, and eventually a Broadway musical.

[0:22] Patrick Oliver Jones: Well, throughout this season and in between the main episodes, I'll take you further behind the scenes by sharing with you some of the interviews I've had with artists, creatives, and industry experts.

[0:33] Patrick Oliver Jones: And in this bonus interview episode, you'll hear from Lisa Howard, one of the ensemble members in 9 to 5, who played Franklin Hart's wife and was part of the show from its early days in Los Angeles until its closing night on Broadway.

[0:48] Patrick Oliver Jones: She gives us behind-the-scenes insights into the rehearsal process and some of the challenges this show faced just getting on stage and actually making it through a performance without stopping.

[0:59] Patrick Oliver Jones: But wait, there's more.

[1:02] Patrick Oliver Jones: You'll also get an extra conversation about another musical Lisa did at the Marquee Theater, Escape to Margaritaville.

[1:10] Patrick Oliver Jones: Now, this musical went through four out-of-town tryouts in 2017 before finally coming to Broadway the following year.

[1:18] Patrick Oliver Jones: But Margaritaville and its Jimmy Buffett score met with mixed reviews and just lasted three and a half months on Broadway.

[1:26] Patrick Oliver Jones: So after the break, you'll hear my full conversation with Lisa about these two shows and what it was like to work with iconic singer-songwriters Dolly Parton and Jimmy Buffett.

[1:43] Patrick Oliver Jones: Welcome, Lisa Howard.

[1:46] Lisa Howard: You're already laughing at me.

[1:47] Patrick Oliver Jones: I know.

[1:49] Lisa Howard: It's so good to see you.

[1:50] Patrick Oliver Jones: It's so good to have you on my podcast.

[1:52] Lisa Howard: I thank you for being here.

[1:54] Lisa Howard: My pleasure.

[1:55] Patrick Oliver Jones: Now, you and I, we just got through this was uh a few months ago. We just got through with 42nd Street, and I mean we we had a blast.

[2:03] Patrick Oliver Jones: And now we never actually got to share the stage together.

[2:06] Lisa Howard: We were never really in a scene that I don't think so.

[2:10] Lisa Howard: We crossed like ships in the night.

[2:12] Patrick Oliver Jones: Yes, yes.

[2:13] Lisa Howard: Backstage.

[2:14] Patrick Oliver Jones: But I mean, you had an absolute blast with that.

[2:17] Lisa Howard: I mean, you have a fun character with Maggie, who's just this no nonsense, fun loving gal.

[2:23] Patrick Oliver Jones: So in shows.

[2:25] Lisa Howard: Right? It seems to fit your personality, that kind of character.

[2:28] Lisa Howard: And I think because Randy took the show in a more, I want to say more grounded, real place.

[2:36] Lisa Howard: I definitely feel like that's a little more me.

[2:39] Lisa Howard: I mean, I can be the big walk walk out to the audience, you know, and there was a little bit of that just written into the character, but I really liked just playing her as a real person, just kind of having that freedom to be natural and not have to feel the pressure of like being shticky, you know.

[2:57] Patrick Oliver Jones: But I think it totally worked too, because a lot of productions of 42nd Street are very, you know, over the top in that way.

[3:06] Lisa Howard: Exactly.

[3:07] Patrick Oliver Jones: Well, that leads us into the first story that you wanted to talk about, which deals with 9 to 5.

[3:13] Patrick Oliver Jones: And you say that that rehearsal process was actually the most difficult of any show that you've ever done.

[3:19] Lisa Howard: And you say that the creatives were constantly disagreeing, and you would scrap a whole day's work, you would start over.

[3:25] Lisa Howard: Now, this is a musical based upon a popular movie, and so it had a script, it had a story.

[3:30] Lisa Howard: What exactly was being worked on or had to be figured out?

[3:33] Lisa Howard: I mean, we were working with amazing people.

[3:35] Lisa Howard: Joe Mantello directed, Andy Blankenbuhler was the choreographer.

[3:40] Lisa Howard: We had amazing people in the show, but I think maybe it was stylistically wise.

[3:47] Lisa Howard: Uh no one really knew, but we would do learn, take all day and learn a whole big group number.

[3:53] Lisa Howard: Andy would choreograph and everything, and then at the end of the day, Joe would come in and he'd be like that.

[4:00] Lisa Howard: And then it was scrapped.

[4:02] Lisa Howard: And then we would literally start over.

[4:05] Lisa Howard: And Anne Hirata was in this.

[4:07] Lisa Howard: And on numerous occasions, she was like, I'm done.

[4:10] Lisa Howard: I'm quitting.

[4:11] Lisa Howard: I'm quitting.

[4:12] Lisa Howard: Like she was about to quit so many times.

[4:14] Lisa Howard: It's because it was just so frustrating for everyone.

[4:18] Lisa Howard: So like I just think they just weren't agreeing on how it should look and how it should go.

[4:24] Lisa Howard: You know, and I mean, obviously, eventually they did, but it was it was a constant do and redo.

[4:30] Lisa Howard: Which sounds like a workshop, really.

[4:33] Lisa Howard: But it was during the rehearsal process.

[4:35] Lisa Howard: So when we were in um, it was that way when we were rehearsing for being at the Amundsen, which was our out of town run.

[4:44] Lisa Howard: I mean, during tech, they're doing lights, were in the lobby changing stuff, rehearsing in the lobby.

[4:52] Lisa Howard: There was one time when they couldn't agree on this one number, and so we had a show, couldn't do it.

[4:57] Lisa Howard: We went out, stood still and sang.

[5:00] Patrick Oliver Jones: What wait, wait.

[5:04] Lisa Howard: Oh my god, because they couldn't we didn't know what to do.

[5:08] Patrick Oliver Jones: Wait, wait, so during during the show, this happened.

[5:10] Lisa Howard: So you just like previews.

[5:12] Patrick Oliver Jones: Oh my god.

[5:13] Lisa Howard: Stood out there and sang and then left.

[5:15] Patrick Oliver Jones: That is crazy.

[5:17] Lisa Howard: It's like instead of doing something, do nothing, stand there, sing, and get off the stage.

[5:22] Lisa Howard: Uh-huh.

[5:23] Lisa Howard: For that particular number.

[5:25] Patrick Oliver Jones: Wow.

[5:25] Lisa Howard: Yeah.

[5:25] Lisa Howard: It was j it was challenging.

[5:27] Lisa Howard: I mean, we were having fun while we were doing it, but like eventually we everyone's, oh my god, you know.

[5:34] Lisa Howard: So finally come to Broadway.

[5:37] Lisa Howard: We, you know, more changes, more changes.

[5:39] Lisa Howard: We doing it.

[5:40] Lisa Howard: Then there was trouble with the I think the lighting designers.

[5:45] Lisa Howard: They weren't liking what they were doing.

[5:47] Lisa Howard: They ended up hiring a new set of lighting designers.

[5:51] Lisa Howard: The LED screen in the back, that was a problem and way over budget.

[5:57] Lisa Howard: Well, yeah, because this was at a time where that wasn't as common as it is now.

[6:01] Lisa Howard: Oh, it was like one of the first.

[6:03] Lisa Howard: And we were all like, you know, this is cool, but it was, you know, expensive.

[6:08] Lisa Howard: So I think there were a lot of hurdles in that way.

[6:11] Lisa Howard: You know, the set itself had this big ginormous hole in the middle of the stage that the desks would come up.

[6:18] Lisa Howard: You know, we had an accident during tech.

[6:20] Lisa Howard: Mark Kutish thought the crash pad was there, jumped.

[6:24] Lisa Howard: It wasn't.

[6:25] Lisa Howard: I mean, he killed himself.

[6:27] Lisa Howard: He didn't, but you know, and uh Mark was like, Well, I didn't die because I know how to fall.

[6:32] Lisa Howard: I mean, so you know, I mean, I mean it's true.

[6:36] Lisa Howard: He rolled and he was all bruised.

[6:38] Lisa Howard: I mean, it was a lot.

[6:40] Lisa Howard: Yeah.

[6:41] Lisa Howard: But once the show was finally up, it was really fun.

[6:45] Lisa Howard: It's a great show, you know.

[6:47] Patrick Oliver Jones: Did that only start on Broadway, or did you start to have fun even out of town?

[6:51] Lisa Howard: Oh, we had fun out of town too, except for the one number where we were like standing there.

[6:58] Patrick Oliver Jones: Now, I read in interviews that Dolly Parton, obviously this was her first musical, and so she was kind of trying her hand at this, but at the same time, she said it was a wonderful experience for her.

[7:08] Patrick Oliver Jones: Was she a part of that day-to-day rehearsal process?

[7:11] Lisa Howard: She wasn't there every day, but she was there a lot.

[7:14] Lisa Howard: And I don't want to paint such a negative picture.

[7:17] Lisa Howard: It was fun.

[7:18] Lisa Howard: I mean, and we were working with Dolly Parton.

[7:21] Lisa Howard: Like it was it was great, you know, but comparing rehearsal processes, that this process was the most difficult.

[7:29] Lisa Howard: It, you know, during tech, she would make us fudge and hand it and give us all like homemade fudge.

[7:35] Lisa Howard: And um, she would be backstage as we would come off, you know, you go to your gondola, you change into your robe, and you go up to your dressing room and she'd be there giving everybody high five.

[7:44] Lisa Howard: Great job, you know.

[7:45] Lisa Howard: I mean, I was like, Dolly Parton.

[7:48] Lisa Howard: Oh my gosh, how fun that must have been.

[7:50] Lisa Howard: Yeah, so it was great.

[7:52] Lisa Howard: And 9 to 5 is a movie that everybody knew, you know.

[7:57] Lisa Howard: Like, it's fun.

[7:58] Lisa Howard: We had Alice Ripley, Stephanie Block, Megan Hilty, Mark Kutish.

[8:03] Lisa Howard: I mean, that's fantastic cast.

[8:05] Patrick Oliver Jones: Now, each of those people, they're known for their voices, strong voices, except probably Alice Ripley.

[8:11] Lisa Howard: You know, she's from the TV world.

[8:12] Patrick Oliver Jones: So was that taken into consideration as they doled out songs and duets and working those numbers?

[8:19] Lisa Howard: I don't think any of the songs she had to sing were exceptionally difficult.

[8:25] Lisa Howard: No, like the big power ballad, of course, that went to Stephanie Block and um, you know, Megan had some really sweet songs.

[8:33] Lisa Howard: But Alice had her fair share of songs, but they weren't terribly rangy or anything like that, you know.

[8:40] Lisa Howard: And I think, you know, for being in not really a singer, I think she did, I think she did a great job.

[8:46] Patrick Oliver Jones: With this particular production, since you were in the ensemble, and there's obviously these big stars up front, was there that distinction, or did it really feel like an ensemble, everyone working together?

[8:57] Lisa Howard: If I recall, I I never felt, you know, I was in the lowly group or anything.

[9:01] Lisa Howard: It was definitely uh uh working together.

[9:04] Lisa Howard: Like I played, I was in the ensemble and I played Missy Hart, the boss's wife, you know, just a little bit part.

[9:12] Lisa Howard: So I had scenes with them.

[9:13] Lisa Howard: Uh there was never that atmosphere of us them, which some I know I've heard some shows can be like that, but no, I don't I don't remember ever feeling like that.

[9:22] Patrick Oliver Jones: Because by this point, you'd done Spelling Bee, you'd done South Pacific.

[9:26] Patrick Oliver Jones: In fact, you left South Pacific to come do 9 to 5, right?

[9:30] Lisa Howard: Was it a different process being uh for 9 to 5 being in the ensemble again?

[9:35] Lisa Howard: Whereas in Spelling Bee, you felt like you were a bit more part of things.

[9:38] Lisa Howard: Honestly, I was you, you always think, oh, in my first Broadway show, I'm I'm gonna be in the ensemble, I'll be second tree from the left or whatever.

[9:46] Lisa Howard: You know, having made my Broadway debut in a principal part, that was amazing.

[9:51] Lisa Howard: Um then going into South Pacific at Lincoln Center, it was such a prestigious production to be a part of.

[10:00] Lisa Howard: It wasn't like, well, uh now I can never do ensemble because I've been a lead, you know, because that's a thing.

[10:06] Lisa Howard: Once you get a certain number of credits, like you can't go back.

[10:11] Lisa Howard: But I wasn't at that place yet.

[10:13] Lisa Howard: It was my Broadway debut.

[10:14] Lisa Howard: So, because I was the head nurse in South Pacific, and that's definitely an ensemble part, but you know, it was such a prestigious show, and you know, we're get to work at Lincoln Center and work with Bart Sher, and you know, it was fine.

[10:28] Lisa Howard: And then moving from that ensemble to the next ensemble, you know, it did it just made sense.

[10:33] Lisa Howard: It was a parallel move.

[10:34] Lisa Howard: It wasn't necessarily stepping backwards, you know.

[10:37] Patrick Oliver Jones: What led to your decision to choose 9 to 5 over staying with South Pacific?

[10:42] Lisa Howard: For one, I wanted to work with Dolly Parton, because that's cool.

[10:47] Lisa Howard: And two, when I was in South Pacific, when I was originally cast, I thought that my role was simply head nurse.

[10:57] Lisa Howard: That was my ensemble track, and that's great.

[10:59] Lisa Howard: Two weeks into rehearsal, stage management comes up to me and they're like, Oh, and by the way, um, you're gonna be covering Bloody Mary.

[11:08] Lisa Howard: I laughed.

[11:10] Lisa Howard: I thought he was joking.

[11:12] Lisa Howard: And he was like, No, I'm I'm serious.

[11:15] Lisa Howard: And I was like, Agent, what's it?

[11:18] Lisa Howard: I'm what I'm I had to cover Bloody Mary, and I didn't want to go on.

[11:24] Lisa Howard: Yeah.

[11:25] Lisa Howard: Because this doesn't scream Bloody Mary.

[11:29] Lisa Howard: I was like, I had to have dialect coaching.

[11:32] Lisa Howard: I was like, I'm gonna offend someone.

[11:35] Lisa Howard: I mean, now we it wasn't as woke a period as it is now, but even back then.

[11:39] Lisa Howard: But even then, I was like, I was still like, wait a minute, that's not quite right.

[11:43] Lisa Howard: Not quite right, yeah.

[11:45] Lisa Howard: And this was, you know, back in 2008.

[11:49] Lisa Howard: And I was like, I don't want to do this.

[11:51] Lisa Howard: You know, I had rehearsals, I was ready if need be, and if the time had come, and the Did you ever go on?

[11:58] Lisa Howard: Nope.

[11:59] Lisa Howard: The person who replaced me, Liz McCartney, she looks just like me.

[12:04] Lisa Howard: She had to go on.

[12:06] Lisa Howard: Now, thank goodness I was a second cover, thank goodness.

[12:09] Lisa Howard: Um, no, I was like, Oh, I got another show.

[12:12] Lisa Howard: Great.

[12:13] Lisa Howard: I'm out, even though I would have loved to have stayed with South Pacific longer, but uh, you know, another show came along, another credit, work with Dolly Parton.

[12:20] Lisa Howard: I was like, this is a no-brainer.

[12:22] Patrick Oliver Jones: Yeah.

[12:24] Patrick Oliver Jones: This is no brainer.

[12:26] Patrick Oliver Jones: Now the reviews for 9 to 5 were were mixed, but not necessarily horrible.

[12:30] Patrick Oliver Jones: And of the ones that I read, they they would criticize some elements of this direction or set design, you know, whatever.

[12:35] Patrick Oliver Jones: And when I saw it, that was pretty much my experience.

[12:38] Patrick Oliver Jones: I could nitpick little things, but overall, I enjoyed the show.

[12:41] Patrick Oliver Jones: It's an enjoyable show because the music is great, the performances were great.

[12:45] Lisa Howard: Was there a sense that that enjoyment of the show was going to carry the day rather than these negative reviews?

[12:51] Lisa Howard: Totally.

[12:52] Lisa Howard: Well, we thought we have stars, we have a really fun show, we have a known entity in 9 to 5.

[13:00] Lisa Howard: It's, you know, like it, you know, people know it and love it.

[13:04] Lisa Howard: And, you know, it was very disappointing.

[13:07] Lisa Howard: And plus, we're also in the ginormous theater of the Marriott Marquee, which is notoriously difficult to fill those seats anyway.

[13:15] Lisa Howard: You know, you start seeing those sales decline.

[13:17] Lisa Howard: And knowing the producing team having been, I think, over on the set and lighting budget, and you know, ticket sales not being what they would have wanted.

[13:30] Lisa Howard: I think, you know, I think they pulled the plug.

[13:33] Patrick Oliver Jones: When did you find out?

[13:34] Patrick Oliver Jones: When did the cast find out that it was going to be closing?

[13:38] Lisa Howard: Well, I think, you know, we opened in the spring, and I think it was towards the end of the summer.

[13:43] Lisa Howard: So it lasted longer than some of my other shows.

[13:50] Patrick Oliver Jones: How did they present the closing?

[13:54] Patrick Oliver Jones: What was their reasoning behind it that they gave you?

[13:56] Lisa Howard: Oh, well, they don't give you a reason.

[13:58] Lisa Howard: You just get a company meeting and they tell you the show is closing.

[14:02] Lisa Howard: You don't get there's no explanation.

[14:04] Lisa Howard: No one sits you down and shows you the numbers, and here's our nut, here's what we're pulling in, we've got to play the embedded.

[14:10] Lisa Howard: They don't tell you any of that, you know. You just sit and pray every week, and you look at the numbers going down, and you're like, and then you get that meeting, and everyone's like, oh man, you know.

[14:20] Patrick Oliver Jones: So was there a sense of seeing it coming, or was it a surprise?

[14:24] Lisa Howard: Yes. I think people were seeing it coming, definitely. And so what was that closing night like?

[14:29] Lisa Howard: It's always bittersweet. I mean, we had a party, we went someplace afterwards. Uh, you know, like you do. Um, but it was fun. You obviously you always bond with a new cast, and everyone, you know, you get a miss each other, and but that's that thing. Everyone, you always kind of have a foot out the door anyway, looking for that next job. And so it was like, oh, sorry guys. Oh, this was, you know, we hope it was gonna last, but uh say lobby.

[15:16] Lisa Howard: Known for his laid-back island lifestyle. It opened March 15th, 2018 at the Marquee Theater, and only lasted until July 1st of that year, closing after 124 performances. The story is set on a fictional Caribbean island and follows Tully Mars, who is played by Paul Alexander Nolan. He is the charming and carefree bartender and singer at the Margaritaville Bar. And everything changes with the arrival of Rachel, played by Alison Luff, who is a career-oriented woman vacationing with her friends. Now, one of Rachel's friends, Tammy, is played by Lisa, and she adds plenty of comedic and dramatic moments to the story, and a voice to match, of course. And honestly, Lisa thought Escape to Margaritaville was going to be her golden ticket.

It had Jimmy Buffett music, a built-in audience, a fun story, and a rather lengthy run leading up to Broadway. It started at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. Then it went to New Orleans, Houston, and finally Chicago. And the show kept evolving and changing through each of those cities.

[16:29] Lisa Howard: Yeah, definitely. You know, little tweaks here and there, new jokes, new this, you know. It was a fun, silly show with music you know, and great choreography, you know, fun costumes. You're on an island and the volcano erupts. I mean, it's just fun. Now they had to make up the story. It's not like nine to five where they had an existing, they had to make up a story around his music.

[16:53] Patrick Oliver Jones: Did that story continue to change, or did it stay kind of set once?

[16:57] Lisa Howard: It definitely continued to change, like through the workshops, through the out-of-town runs. You know, we had these characters who were like island zombies, kind of. Um, and those definitely morphed over the time. You're like, what is this? Who are they? You know, sometimes songs were replaced, or you know, like you do in a rehearsal. But it was a really fun show. Just fun and funny, because um, our writers also were TV writers, too. And so the I thought the comedy was hilarious. It was just a lot of fun. You know, you thinking that is a built-in audience of years and years of fandom for Jimmy Buffett music. Now it wasn't the story of Jimmy Buffett. They took his songs and made a show like Mamma Mia.

How they took Abba songs, made a story about it, you know, because let's be real. Mamma Mia, fun show. Is it a great show? No offense to anyone who wrote it or was in it, but it's fun. And everybody loves the music. It is fun, it's silly. There's a romance story, and you sing everybody sings at the end in fun costumes, right?

[18:04] Patrick Oliver Jones: And was that kind of the template thinking this is another Mamma Mia in that vein?

[18:08] Lisa Howard: Right. I and the, I mean, the writers weren't thinking that it was its own thing, but you know, in my mind, it certainly is in that category. And I personally thought it's a better actual show than Mamma Mia. So I was like, this is great. I'm gonna ride this one, ride it on out. I mean, they're gonna have to kick me out of this sucker, right? You know, this is what I'm thinking. You know, I was like, I got my own dressing room. I'm here at the Marquee again. It's at the Marriott Marquee. I should have been wary. Because we obviously closed much sooner than I had anticipated.

[18:45] Lisa Howard: And I I think it was your first year in a show, success is based on the New York audience. And then the tourists pick it up once they've heard about it and heard good reviews, and then that's you know, your second year and beyond tourist, really. And the New York audiences were not about it. They were like, in any on tour, it did great. You know, I just don't think the New York audience was in love with that. And they, I think they went in kind of like not ready to not like it, you know.

[19:24] Patrick Oliver Jones: Well, it wasn't just Jimmy Buffett music. I was reading, it's a it's a list of songwriters and other songs that were included. Do you think that that helped, you know, bolster Jimmy Buffett's music or distracted from it?

[19:34] Lisa Howard: You know, I don't know. It was mostly his, and maybe he cool collaborated with somebody on a certain song, but it was, you know, like that was the feel of the show. That island vibe is five o'clock somewhere, you know. You got a beach ball, beach balls dropped from the ceiling at the end. Come on. That's fun. I mean, that reminds me of SpongeBob. They they had beach balls too. So maybe that's a clue. Like, if your show involves beach balls, think twice. Maybe. Maybe that's maybe that's it. But you say you had a fun time, and I've certainly had that too, where it can sometimes be funner on stage for the cast than it can be for the audience watching it. Do you think that that's what happened? Or maybe, maybe you had to know what it was. Like, am I saying this was a great piece of theater? No. It was escapism, literally.

[20:29] Lisa Howard: Exactly. And so if you go into it with an eye of, I want to be moved, well, you're not going to enjoy yourself. Go get a margarita and come and laugh and see great dancing in costumes and funny jokes and stuff like that. I just think, you know, sometimes it's at the wrong time for the audiences. Like, I bet if it had come after the pandemic, it might have done better because people are just like, I just need to escape, you know. Something, give me something.

[20:56] Patrick Oliver Jones: Yeah, right. Well, it reminds me a lot of like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It's just one fun song after another. It's not meant to change the world. It's not meant to, it's it's just fun, silly songs done in a kind of tongue-in-cheek way.

[21:10] Lisa Howard: Yeah, you know, and you're like, do you know your Bible history? Here we go.

[21:14] Patrick Oliver Jones: Right.

[21:15] Lisa Howard: And I mean, kinda. I mean, it's sort of kind of right. You recognize some names and maybe some stories.

[21:22] Patrick Oliver Jones: Right.

[21:22] Lisa Howard: Yeah. Um, so yeah, I just think it was the wrong timing. And we were all just like, what? I don't, I don't get it, you know.

[21:32] Patrick Oliver Jones: So comparing Margaritaville, that rehearsal process out of town to nine to five, you you would say that you enjoyed Margaritaville that process a lot more.

[21:42] Lisa Howard: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. It's totally fun. Now, even though it was still changing, what do you think was the difference between the two?

[21:49] Lisa Howard: Oh, probably just the energies in the room. It's just whoever's the mix of people, I think. You know, because it's always hard doing a new show because it's always changing. Yeah, like when you're in previews and stuff and the writers come to you, you know, you've got four new joke lines and a set of new lyrics, and you gotta do them that night. I mean, that's never easy. You know, it's for me, it's much easier to put in a new line than it is to put in a new lyric. If I get a new lyric, my brain wants to explode. It terrifies me. But a new line, I'm I don't know why. But my I'm like, okay, great, got it. You know, I don't know. Um, but it's a different way of processing. You just kind of have to go with your gut because sometimes when you're in a long run or something that's already established, and people say know the lines or know the material, it's a lot of different feeling, you know, when you're in a show and it's something that's already set and established, and you're going in and doing it as compared to like you're literally creating this now. It's a new thing, and you're just you're just kind of going for it.

[22:57] Patrick Oliver Jones: But that's exactly what you did with Spelling Bee. That was very new and you know, changing all the time. But that came more from you rather than these creatives giving you things.

[23:07] Lisa Howard: Yeah. Yeah. Well, and also you know the creatives too. But I have to say I am very blessed, very lucky to be in five out of my six Broadway credits are new shows. I've only had to go in and replace once. And that was in um Priscilla. You know, so that's just go in and look, here's the choreography. Here's here's your songs, go for it. It's really such a different experience when you are putting up a show for the first time.

[23:36] Patrick Oliver Jones: Yeah. Now you mentioned those New York audiences and kind of turned their nose up at it. Was that a surprise based upon your reaction audiences out of town?

[23:48] Lisa Howard: Totally. We got great reviews. And of course, there's some mix in there too, but for the most part, it was a hit. People liked it. It was funny, silly, great music, beach balls, margaritas.

[24:03] Patrick Oliver Jones: So when it comes to the closing of Margaritaville, did it kind of seem inevitable once the reviews came out, once audiences weren't really taking to it, did it.

[24:03] Lisa Howard: Yeah. Yeah. And writing was on the roll. You know, we're like, come on, Jimmy Buffett, can't you just float us for a while? I mean, you know, he just he probably has the money to do it, but of course he's not gonna do that, you know. But yeah, of course, especially when you've been in the business as long as I have, and you're like, Oh, oh here it comes. He could just see it.

[24:34] Patrick Oliver Jones: Was Jimmy Buffett a part of that process? Was he more involved?

[24:38] Lisa Howard: A lot. Yeah, he was there. He was there a lot. I mean, he wasn't there daily in the rehearsal room, but he was there a lot, and sometimes he would come and do the bows and finale with us, and he'd come out and sing a song, and we'd all sing with him, and it was a lot of fun. We got to hang out and go out, you know, really get to know him and his band. And he invited us when they go play at Jones Beach. And they oh every year it's a huge concert. We came and sang on stage with him. And it was awesome, you know. Like, so we really got to know him and his crew, and yeah, it's a lot of fun.

[25:12] Patrick Oliver Jones: And Hoyd is he's a smart businessman, right?

[25:16] Lisa Howard: Right, right. He's not just creative, he also has the business sparts.

[25:19] Patrick Oliver Jones: Yeah. And for this closing night, it actually wasn't your last time to perform it, right?

[25:24] Lisa Howard: A few days later, you got to do something in Washington, DC.

[25:27] Lisa Howard: Yeah. We had already been booked, I guess. We got to do the Fourth of July celebration in front of the Capitol. So that was really way to go out with a bang, you know.

[25:37] Patrick Oliver Jones: Right, right. So you had your closing night on the first, I believe, and then the fourth came, and you was like, Well, this is actually closing, I guess.

[25:45] Lisa Howard: Yeah, yeah. I mean, we just did a couple of numbers, but yeah, that was our really the way out. So that was kind of fun. Did the whole cast come back for that?

[25:54] Lisa Howard: Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, it was a couple days later. So we were like, sure. Why not? Why not? I could use the money.

[26:01] Patrick Oliver Jones: Now, for this closing night, was it just as enjoyable? You know, obviously bittersweet again.

[26:06] Lisa Howard: Yeah, you know, especially when you're like, I'm not gonna see these people every day again. You know, you make the best of it. And we had kind of all felt it coming for a little while. So, you know, you're you're geared up, you're ready to say your goodbyes, and plus, we knew we were gonna see each other in Washington and get to do, you know, get to do it again. So, yeah, we still have a text thread that people say, Happy birthday to everybody. People share stories. Oh, someone got engaged. You know, like we have a text thread and that we still keep in contact with everybody. We still have one for my Spelling Bee fam, too.

[26:44] Patrick Oliver Jones: Oh, wow. Okay.

[26:44] Lisa Howard: Yeah. And texting was relatively new back then. Yeah. So we've all kept in touch. And like Dan Fogler sent us the most hilarious, like New Year's or was it New Year's or Christmas? A video just to be just being goofy, you know, just sent it to everybody. Um, so there's a lot of connection in that way. You know, you get really close when you spend that much time, and you know, you get really close, and then you're like, okay, bye. It's not like people who have a regular job and they're at that job for 10 years and they see the same people, you know, like you're at a job, you're lucky if it's months, if it's years, whoa, you're really lucky, you know. So it's just a different thing. People come in and out of your life, and there's just a handful that you really still keep in touch with.

[27:39] Lisa Howard: Thanks for having me.

[27:41] Patrick Oliver Jones: Thank you for listening to this bonus interview with Lisa Howard. There will be plenty more of these bonus episodes throughout the season. And be sure to follow this podcast on Instagram at closing night podcast, all one word. You'll get pictures, histories, and more behind the scenes content all about these musicals at the Marquee. As always, thank you to my producer and editor, Dan Delgado, as well as co-producer Maria Clara Ribeiro. Join us next time as we explore the very first Broadway revival of Evita and its journey to closing night.

[27:55] Patrick Oliver Jones: Well, this has been wonderful to talk to you. I love just talking to you and laughing with you. So I really appreciate your coming on the podcast. This was very fun.