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[0:20] Elliott Mattox: This is Equity One, Broadway's Happy Hour. For yourself a drink, enjoy us as we chat about life, theater, and everything in between. I'm Elliott Mattox.

[0:31] Caleb Dicke: And I'm Caleb Dicke. Join us for your Equity One. Cheers.

[0:41] Elliott Mattox: Welcome to this week's episode of Equity One. We're continuing our spooky Beetlejuice haunting with our special guest this week, Leslie Kritzer.

[0:54] Leslie Kritzer: Yes.

[0:55] Caleb Dicke: Hi.

[0:55] Leslie Kritzer: Hey Leslie.

[0:57] Leslie Kritzer: I'm so excited.

[0:58] Caleb Dicke: Leslie, you have all the caffeine.

[1:00] Leslie Kritzer: All of it.

[1:01] Caleb Dicke: You have your lo what is your what is your caffeine of choice?

[1:04] Leslie Kritzer: Listen, I was running late, so I didn't. I would beggars cannot be choosers. I went with a Pratt coffee. It was probably old, but I needed to stay awake. I have some um spindripts sparkling seltzer if you want to sponsor anyone. And uh and some Sahala. Uh honey on. We ate a lot of gummy bears. Gummy bears are the official, I would say the official of this break more apples. I am like, I know we need we need some more.

[1:31] Elliott Mattox: Um so Leslie, just with the Pratt coffee. So if anyone who doesn't know, like living in New York, Pratt Coffee is just sitting out. Uh the cups are there. The guy gave me the shit for free. Well, he's like on me. I'm like, first of all, I've I've seen this before. It's on me means the shit is old. So go for it, girl.

[1:54] Leslie Kritzer: My question was gonna be has anyone here ever stolen a coffee from Pratt? Because it is just like sitting out, the cups are there, you're on a you're in a rush going to wherever.

[2:07] Leslie Kritzer: I have never done it, but I've heard hell of people doing it.

[2:11] Caleb Dicke: Well, I think they've they have been aware just because now they hand you the cup from behind the camera.

[2:17] Leslie Kritzer: Oh that's what he did.

[2:19] Leslie Kritzer: So he handed me that cup with pride, and he was like, It's on me. He said the empty cup, you know, so that I go and fill it with the nasty.

[2:27] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, just the cup though. You were supposed to pay for the coffee number stage.

[2:30] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, but then he was like, it's on me. I'm like, the coffee's old. Thank you, hun.

[2:35] Caleb Dicke: Thank you. Caleb, what about you?

[2:37] Caleb Dicke: Uh I don't think I've ever seen it. I had a really bad uh bacon, mac and cheese from their once in.

[2:43] Leslie Kritzer: Ooh.

[2:44] Caleb Dicke: Nope.

[2:45] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, that's tricky.

[2:46] Elliott Mattox: Yeah.

[2:47] Caleb Dicke: Alan made such a face when we talked about it.

[2:49] Elliott Mattox: You've never you've never stolen a coffee from Pret.

[2:51] Caleb Dicke: I don't think I've ever stolen a coffee in my life. I mean, it's hard to do if it's not from Pret.

[2:57] Leslie Kritzer: When I worked at Barry's, they had um this bear coffee, ice coffee, and it was really good.

[3:03] Caleb Dicke: Wandering bear.

[3:04] Leslie Kritzer: Okay.

[3:04] Leslie Kritzer: So I would just pour myself a free.

[3:07] Caleb Dicke: Well, that's not the same.

[3:08] Leslie Kritzer: I worked at Alice's teacup, and I mean, I would take so much tea. It just constant.

[3:14] Caleb Dicke: Oh my god.

[3:15] Leslie Kritzer: If I didn't leave there with a beverage in my hand, then you know I wasn't I wasn't doing my job.

[3:21] Caleb Dicke: If you worked at a restaurant and you didn't eat half the food there, like like roll I mean so many rolls, so many desserts. We were gross.

[3:29] Leslie Kritzer: Like I used to work at this um fancy restaurant on Central Park South that's no longer there. This is back back back in the day. And this was like phaseancy. They would send back, we were so freaking disgusting. They would send back full on like two bites of like this gorgeous banana pie with like a caramelized monkey on top of it. And we would eat it.

[3:50] Caleb Dicke: Eating it for sure.

[3:51] Leslie Kritzer: We would eat everything.

[3:54] Caleb Dicke: Absolutely. Scavenger actors.

[3:56] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. I would do the same thing with with food from Alice's. If people didn't eat their food, I would absolutely just eat it off their plate.

[4:02] Caleb Dicke: I know you would.

[4:04] Leslie Kritzer: Yes.

[4:04] Leslie Kritzer: When you bring it back to the kitchen before you put it in the like dishes, grab the fries, always grabbing fries. But like if there was like a good half of sandwich that hadn't been touched, I would I would wrap it up. Or just eat it right then.

[4:17] Caleb Dicke: Yes, absolutely.

[4:20] Leslie Kritzer: When I'm at I know where it came from. Japan's society, I eat the sushi because that's like small and quick.

[4:24] Caleb Dicke: Right, when you were catering the small bites is the same.

[4:28] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. Yeah, like rolls. I was like, why can't I fit in my clothes? We were eating all of them.

[4:34] Caleb Dicke: All of the rolls.

[4:34] Leslie Kritzer: All of them. I mean with like salted fancy butter.

[4:37] Caleb Dicke: Oh my god.

[4:38] Leslie Kritzer: Well, working at Alice's is like forget it. It's like scones all the time. They're just there. You grab them.

[4:44] Caleb Dicke: That's my dream.

[4:44] Leslie Kritzer: Oh, the best was like a an easy lunch. You just like grab a cup of soup. You just grab a mug and you'd be like, hey Chef, can you get give me a cup of the soup? Just do a cup of soup and a ham and cheese scone. Just like it's so good. Living my dreams.

[4:58] Leslie Kritzer: I do, I don't miss working there, but I do miss eating the food all the time. Every day. Multiple meals. So good. Delicious.

[5:06] Elliott Mattox: Yeah. Well, we like to start every interview by asking our guests what um first got them interested in the arts when they were younger.

[5:16] Leslie Kritzer: Oh, okay. Well, um, I just did a deal yet. I was like, oh, okay. I'm trying to think. Well, oops, sorry. Um well, I I started playing classical piano when I was seven. So my my parents started that early. I mean, I did the dance classes and the tap a little dolly-dingle. But I think that was like my first as far as like really getting into it. My dad was a musician, and he was like, Well, you know, she seems musical, let's do that. So I started studying, like really studying piano in an early age, and that's kinda how it started.

[5:55] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. What what instruments did your dad play?

[5:57] Leslie Kritzer: Saxophone and clarinet.

[5:59] Caleb Dicke: Oh word. I played the sex, but it was too heavy for me to carry up our lane. So I quit. And my and my reads broke.

[6:06] Leslie Kritzer: The reads would always break.

[6:07] Leslie Kritzer: Well, that my dad was obsessed with reads. Obsess, obsess. So that was like the first, like, and then from there it kind of all blossomed because I took it really, I mean, we kind of took it real seriously, and then it became like a thing.

[6:19] Caleb Dicke: And then so when you started taking it seriously, so you're taking classical piano, what was your kind of first interactions with musical theater?

[6:27] Leslie Kritzer: Okay, so I was doing that, and then like about 13, 14, I was like, mm, I'm not meant to be just like behind a piano. That's not my thing. I mean, I learned so much from doing that, but that's like not my thing, and then I'm funny. Like I knew it was funny naturally. You know, you you're that, you know, the hands. I started one like we did like the school plays and elementary school, but really, like I would say middle school. We did instead of doing a whole show, we would do like versions of shows. We would do like a scene from the Golden girls, not even joking. Mrs. Washak would like truncated a scene from the Golden girls, and then she'd put like um um join us, leave it. Oh my god. And then we do the big number from Hello Dolly.

So I was Dolly in that little segment. I was in seventh grade. And it was literally like boom. It was like that is when I got on that stage with that boa, and I was already obsessed. Like, where's my microphone? Like, I remember me, and I just knew like I've watched that video, like it was years ago I watched it, but I was like, oh my god, I totally had the bug.

[7:34] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[7:36] Leslie Kritzer: And that was the beginning. And it was like that performance you remember when you're a kid where you're like the shoe drop. Like, I got this, and I'm in seventh grade. And that was the first introduction to it. And then from then on, you know, going to high school and starting doing musicals. I was not the star of my high school at all, but like just wanting to be around it all the time and then obsessed with CDs.

[7:57] Elliott Mattox: Well, tell us about that. What were the what were the like couple that you were like fully obsessed with listening to every day?

[8:03] Leslie Kritzer: Okay, everyone laughs at me, but I didn't know any better. Um, and I grew up in New Jersey, so I come to the CD to see shows. I mean it's so weird walking up the street. You used to go to Broadway dance on fifty s on 52nd. We take the bus into the city, take dance, we'd see shows. My first Broadway show that my first Broadway show was 42nd Street. Okay. The original company, but my first Broadway show, and I was like, I was in high school. I saw the original, I saw Crazy for You.

[8:27] Leslie Kritzer: Oh wow, wow. So, you know, and then collecting playbills. But cast recordings, Tyne Dailies, Gypsy. Gypsy Okay. Not the original Time Daily's Gypsy, obsessed, acting it out, West Side. Hadily points of Eda, obsessed saw a community theater production in high school. My life was changed forever. I love that. Like in Montclair, like some community theater. I was like, this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life. After seeing like 14 Broadway shows, you're like this production of a production of a Vita is the best thing in the world.

[8:58] Leslie Kritzer: Is amazing. I'm trying to think. So those West Side, that you guys, if I look back from high school and college, I have still have the booklet of all my musical theater CDs. I would buy Christian Knowles albums. Yeah. Like I think about the fans now buying like all of like musical theater people's like personal albums. That was me. Like I I have Betty Buckley's albums. I have Manny Petinkin, but I'm trying to think of the other ones. Like, oh my god, Crazy for You. I'm trying to think of others. Like there are so many. So many. That's trying to see and West Side were big ones for me.

[9:33] Caleb Dicke: Oh yeah.

[9:33] Leslie Kritzer: Funny Girl, of course. Um, you know, so so just obsessed, and then was at the library, just like listening to all of this, and then That's what I would do. I would get like 15, because that's how much you could get. Put them all on my computer, and then I had them. Yep. And then in college, yeah, not high school, college. When I when I discovered the library for the performing arts, I mean hours, and this was back, I'm older than you guys. This was back when they had record players still, and you like have the cast albums. I mean, they had CDs, but they still had the record players. So you could sit, it was like the craziest thing. I remember you put like headphones like this, and you'd put the record on the thing, and you'd just like listen, and I listen to like every cast album.

[10:17] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[10:17] Leslie Kritzer: And I'd go and I'd watch the videos in the in the archive, and like I just, you know, once you go to college and you're majoring in it, you're obsessed. I mean, I started the obsession in high school with college, it was like all the love.

[10:27] Caleb Dicke: You're listening to 247.

[10:29] Leslie Kritzer: Yes.

[10:29] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. Can you believe I've never been to the library?

[10:31] Leslie Kritzer: I I'm really, I'm taking you.

[10:33] Leslie Kritzer: I please do. I use it for a bit. I've never I have a list of things I want to watch, but I've never been.

[10:40] Caleb Dicke: I know Patrick who runs it.

[10:41] Leslie Kritzer: Okay, work.

[10:42] Leslie Kritzer: Work I need to he is he needs to be my best friend. If you have a hard time finding, like if you know, there's certain things that you can go watch my production of Funny Girl Paper Mill there. Or Paper Mill in the Art. It's at it's at the Library of Performing Arts. But they didn't record Trailer Park, which I'm so sad. Anyway, off Robbie Dreams. Um it happens. You will die.

[11:07] Leslie Kritzer: Oh, I know. Every sort of thing, like you can't bring snacks and food in the world. You're like, I'm here for a while because I want to like watch it all. So you just it's just you and like you're gonna have a piece of paper write notes on, but no food. No ph no phone either, right? They confiscate everything, but you are in like a world by yourself. You can rewind, fast forward, like it's you can watch anything. It is the most magical thing.

[11:29] Caleb Dicke: It's cool.

[11:30] Leslie Kritzer: They have so many things because like my one of my favorite like questions is like if you have comps in a time machine, like where are you going? Like a Susan Blackwell question. Like, I just think it's brilliant. But like that is comps in a time machine. Because you can go to the library and watch it.

[11:41] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[11:44] Leslie Kritzer: I mean, anything is there. I mean, there's old school things that I've watched there when I'm doing research about stuff. I mean, there's uh it's in the mo the bath you will die. Go have a cocktail and then literally go see yourself, have an equity one. Have a equity one or two, then go. And you'll literally be crying in one of those little booths, you'll be like, Oh my god, work.

[12:05] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, it's brilliant.

[12:06] Leslie Kritzer: If you it's dark in there too, so you can like actually like go through it. And there's no talking, like they're serious.

[12:11] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, oh good. I don't want to talk to anyone.

[12:13] Leslie Kritzer: Um if you have to tell me which one like one thing to go watch there. What's what's something you watched there that like fully rocked your world?

[12:23] Leslie Kritzer: I'm trying to think. Oh my god. It's been a while. I really have to think about it. I have to think about it. It was e I think it was a play. It was either Death, it was is it Death of a Salesman. Like I'd love to go and just like rewatch August Sage County later.

[12:38] Caleb Dicke: Oh yeah.

[12:38] Leslie Kritzer: Don't even get me started. Because that's the best thing I've ever seen. So it's just like I saw some incredible things I cannot remember. It's blessing of being over 40.

[12:46] Caleb Dicke: Well, think on it and send me a list.

[12:48] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, I mean, they literally have everything. Everything. I mean, you we probably could I would not be surprised if the rink is there.

[12:56] Caleb Dicke: Wow.

[12:57] Leslie Kritzer: Lit.

[12:59] Leslie Kritzer: I mean, oh, I did. I watched some really, really cool stuff. Like two or three different versions of things. Yeah. I think it was some Sondheim songs. Yeah. I mean, it's just, uh, it's unbelievable. And you know what? It's still funny because the TV Academy, it's a motion picture, they have their version, but for television. So it's actually by MoMA. You can go and watch old episodes of things way, way, way back. Like, yeah. And it's crazy. That's really good. It's huge. Yeah. And it's really nice. It's great. I'm gonna think about that. I'm gonna try to remember what I went. Because I went to do a lot of research a lot of times. Yeah. And then I went and then I saw stuff that I was in. Like, you know, you can go.

I saw I watched A Catered Affair, which I was in. Yeah. Fully weeping. I was like, oh my god, little did I know when they recorded this, we were gonna close two months later because we were gonna go up my boyfriend and gain 15 pounds. You just never know. You just never know. It's so cool to have those like kind of like moments like archived. It's really, it's special. And they don't do it with all of them.

[14:02] Caleb Dicke: You're so funny. I'm not used to these spit guards.

[14:06] Leslie Kritzer: Again. Again, this is us getting fancy.

[14:08] Caleb Dicke: I know, Alan. Look, this is us getting used to a fancy operation, okay? It's good. You just gotta watch your fingers.

[14:13] Leslie Kritzer: I know, but I'm very expressive. I like to use my hands.

[14:16] Caleb Dicke: No, we have to talk out here.

[14:17] Leslie Kritzer: That's right. Get them out.

[14:20] Caleb Dicke: Okay. Thank you. Not forward, not out. Out to the stage to the audience.

[14:25] Leslie Kritzer: Just like feel really intimate. Just like going right here. Oh my god. Anyway. What was your, um, what was your college experience like?

[14:33] Leslie Kritzer: Um, well, I went to Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. And I got my BFA in musical theater. Um, you know, it was hard. It was hard, because again, I didn't come from a high school. I didn't come from a performing arts high school, and I didn't come from a high school where I was like the star of every show. But and then I was thrust into a class of 24. Mo a lot of people, yeah, who were the stars of their high school and or went to performing arts high school. I was like really talented Jersey girl that like was like could belt and was very funny and got it, and I'm like, whoa, this is real. Yeah. Um and you know, musical because I had been a musician too. So it was like, and then you're thrust into it, and it was amazing.

It was amazing, but it was also hard. Like my second day, they were like, sorry, CCM, I'm outing you, but they're like, You're fat, you need to lose weight. I was like, oh my god, I just spent the entire summer losing weight and I'm still fat. Oh my god. Complex is born. Sure. But listen, if they're they were they were brutally honest about things. I mean, it was like me and Christy Cates. Hi, Christy. Hey girl, who now teaches downtown at the New York Film Academy. We were best friends. Um still all these years, good friends. And um, her and I would like run in the snow and like make steam broccoli in a room. Anyway, but that's part of look, it's part of what you know. They're trying to tell you this business is hard, you have to be competitive.

Okay. And this is what it is. Like take it or leave it. Um I learned everything in school. I mean, I feel like I I'll never forget going to my professor and being like, so um, I don't know, like the Muni. I got I got hired at the Muni sophomore year, and they want to give my equity card, but I don't know if I should get my equity card right now. And he was like, Are you retarded? You're not gonna take your equity card. And I was like, I don't know, like whatever. And he was like, You're dumb. Of course you're gonna get your equity card, dumbass. I was a sophomore. I can't imagine if I was like, no, I want to do it on equity forever. I mean, I just literally handed my equity card in one summer.

Yeah. Um, and I mean, I had an amazing class. My class that I graduated with was just unbelievable, so talented. And also we were in the thick of it. I mean, we just were immersed 24-7. I needed that structure. Yeah. For me. I needed to be in it, like one focus. I don't I could have never double majored. I could have never seen myself coming to New York and just doing it. I think I would have like crashed and burned. At like 18, 17, yeah, I needed I needed structure. I needed someone to tell me where to be, what do I need to do? How do I do this? And then like I felt like I really like blossomed, and then I became a musical theater person. Yeah. I needed I I know for myself I needed that time.

Yeah, like for I needed that time just for myself as like a like a like a like an adult person. Like I needed to figure out how to do your laundry and like myself and the Yeah, and like be independent, yeah, and figure out how I want to fit into things. And I think it's important too, you know.

[17:45] Leslie Kritzer: Caleb and I went to the same university, Oklahoma City University. It's also very intense. Uh-huh. Reputation for being a little intense. But um, same kind of mentality. If you can survive there, you'll be just fine out here. And but it was also a liberal arts school. So, you know, Caleb has a uh history minor. Amazing. We took normal class, like we had to take it because it was within the university sometimes. We had to do that too. Yeah, so it was it was that was helpful for me too, to have that kind of like balance that balance. Um then I hung out with like, you know, guys not in the pro, you know. We hung out, Christy and I we go like frat parties, yeah, yeah. Love that. We did have a good balance.

Cincinnati's interesting because it's a weird campus. You're like downtown. Well, no, we we're we're like it's it it felt like no, it feels more residential, and then you go down Vine Street and then you're in downtown. Yeah. But it's it feels like its own world a little bit. But I guess like looking back, it it's more urban than a lot of campuses. Yeah, like Michigan or something like that. Sure, yeah, it's definitely like a different vibe. But you you do still stuff that like state school vibe. Yes, it is state school vibe. It's sure state school vibe. Yes. Caleb Caleb and I my experience was very not that, just not a state state school. OCU is like a little nice little bubble. Yeah, our mascot is the stars.

Oh my god. Or the stars. So we'll teach everyone the very game. So you go like I love you. Go, I love you, I love you. This is a sign that we can. And now cross your pinkies and then hook. And hook these. And you make a star with your hands. And I'll put it over your head, and it's a star. Oh, close. Cross your pinkies. So close, cross your pinkies. What is happening? Wait, hook your pinkies. Pinkies. Pinkies on the cross. Cross. Hook your pinkies. And thumbs down. And grab your hand with this. Grab your hand. There you have it. And then and then pinky's up. Oh, like this. A star. He did it. It's very it's very complicated. Wow. That was like one of those brain games that like middle-aged people need to play. Yeah. Yeah. So that I can not, you know, become dumb because of my phone. We're gonna start an app that uses.

[19:56] Leslie Kritzer: I mean, that made me very sad. I really had a focus. I love that. You're like that. You should trademark that. You're like, you're like, I'm out. My I used all my brain power trying to trying to figure out this. Fingers and hand signal. I literally had to really concentrate. Oh my god. Oh my god. So what I mean, what was it like moving moving to the city after being in Cincinnati? Especially, you know, growing up in Jersey, coming to the city a lot. You kind of have an advantage in that sense of kind of knowing being familiar with the with the city itself.

[20:31] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, I mean I grew up here, so I've been coming into the city. You know, my parents are both from here. Um, so it was second nature, always in the city, always in the city. So it's coming back home really. But I didn't move back home at all. I came right over right into the city. There wasn't, you know, my parents got divorced, so there wasn't really that option in order for me to like start working. Sure. Um and I was working right away, attempting, you know, all over the place. Yeah. I had those skills, which was college also, like computer skills, typing skills, excuse me. Um so I moved here, and it felt like automatically I was like, okay, I get it. Um, but living here the first year was tough.

I mean, it was like I probably had like six different sublets. Yep. Um, you know, I was temping and trying to find my way, and you know, it's just like you're wide-eyed, but you're also like, oh my god, you know? And so it didn't have that like I'm from somewhere far away coming to a brand new city. It's like I'm coming back, but it's a whole different ball experience.

[21:36] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. Where were some of those, like, where were some of those like rough sublets? Like, what was your what was your least favorite neighborhood to live in?

[21:43] Leslie Kritzer: Um at that time. Let me see, hold on, hold on. Well, my first apartment, I had to say, because Hell's Kitchen was very different. 45th and Tenth was my first apartment. In Tenth was empty back then probably. Yeah, it was the hes station was there. Uh-huh. And I lit the tire place that I lived above is still there of all the things that have closed. There used to be a cabaret space called Rosie 2. That is way, way, way, way, way gone. It was like a if there was Rosie and then Rosie 2, those are way gone. Oh wow. But like right across the street, so I go and like sing like and that was hard. My roommate. I've I think this is back in the day when you go to like equity and they'd have like a callboard and they had like index cards and people looking for roommates, and that's like how I found my roommate, this guy who wound up bringing, I think, cross dressers home in the middle of the night.

Like all I remember is like oh I had a closet and it was very expensive and it overlooked like the railroad tracks where it looked like dead bodies could be. Like that was my little tiny, tiny room with a sliding door. I mean, it barely fit a futon. And he'd like bring home all these people. Meanwhile, he had the entire apartment and he was charging me so much money. Oh wow. And it was just like it was I mean, he's he was very nice, but I was like, am I allowed to go in the kitchen? They're like everyone's sex in the lived I l I lived there. 45th and Tenth was I mean I lived in Stivest Town, which was gorgeous. It was that was through a work friend. Like I basically got in there and the I had a huge apartment to myself.

I don't remember how I got hooked up with that. Astoria was like one second, and that's back when no one lived there. Now everyone lives there. Everyone lives there. But 45th and Tenth was rough because it was like it was it was just different. It's not like it is now. Like Hell's Kitchen is like cosmopolitan now. Yeah, totally. Yeah. And it's really nice.

[23:32] Leslie Kritzer: Um but then and then I wound up living in Hoboken for a while. Like I had a couple two different apartments in Hoboken, and Christy and I wound up living together there. That was during 9-11. I was there during 9-11. So that was only two years after um I moved here that I did the Hoboken thing, which was so fun. And then I moved back. So it's like, you know, I've been I've been all over. Um I think Upper Eastside too with my sister a tiny bit up there. Upper East Side is so interesting to me. Yeah. I've never lived there. Randomly affordable. Randomly. Well, it's because it's because there's no trains. Right. But that cue is pretty sweet. Well, now the cue goes up to like 96. It's like second half.

So it's like all the apartments are gonna be expensive. Yeah, the yellow line goes up now. Um which is really nice. But that definitely didn't happen. Because I used to work on the the Alice's I worked at were all on the Upper East Side. On the upper east side. Mainly. And so I'd have to take like either the crosstown bus or the um the F to like Lexington and Third. It's so weird. The things also I used to do when I was younger, like I rollerbladed to 59th and Lex for 45th and Tenth, thinking that was cool a good idea but I just was like so young just like rollerblading rollerblading I don't remember it's just so crazy.

[24:51] Leslie Kritzer: I make sure you with headphones on totally I think did you wear a helmet? No absolutely no why would I wear a helmet? Like why would Kritzer do something that's normal? I mean it's just it's so crazy when I think about I when I go by there now I'm like wow I used to come here and I used to work here every day. I worked for an investment banker um I was so crazy. I worked all over law firms, Maybelline like crazy crazy places. And but like doing a show I did a show called uh Godspell off Broadway this is my first off Broadway show and I had a day job. So I worked at a gaming company um near what was it? It's midtown and during the day I'd have this thing and then at night I'd go do the shows and they'd let me take time off for rehearsal period and once we opened I would have my day job.

So during the day I was with Hard and Curtis that was my agency and this is back also when you would pick up your sides from the agent's office in a box because we didn't have email. Yeah. Like it's crazy.

[25:58] Leslie Kritzer: So and then at night after my show I would sneak back into my office and my agent Nancy Curtis, who's a genius, she was like, you put together your quotes or any mentions that you got with your headshot and we're gonna give you a list of casting agents and you're gonna fax them all. And that's what I would do. I would go in the middle of the night after my show and I would fax, fax, fax, fax, like come see me in this, here's my agent. That's when we used to do, like back in the day. It's amazing.

[26:24] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[26:24] Leslie Kritzer: And I used to do that on the book.

[26:25] Caleb Dicke: So resourceful.

[26:26] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, and Nancy was like, yeah, do it. Whatever. I mean, it was her idea. So it's so crazy. Like faxes. It's like we didn't have an email.

[26:35] Elliott Mattox: I know.

[26:35] Leslie Kritzer: But like I feel like people kind of do that now. Like, isn't that what Instagram is for now?

[26:39] Caleb Dicke: Like, yeah, kind of.

[26:41] Leslie Kritzer: I mean, we did have email, but it wasn't like it wasn't the same thing.

[26:45] Caleb Dicke: Accessible, like couldn't I?

[26:46] Leslie Kritzer: Well, I feel like they're like attaching like sending in a packet of sides. The email is like not a that was like not an option.

[26:53] Caleb Dicke: No, it was not.

[26:54] Leslie Kritzer: It was not. It's like text, you know, like text messaging was like a thing, but it wasn't a thing until like the iPhones when you could like text.

[27:02] Elliott Mattox: Right.

[27:04] Leslie Kritzer: And like easily or the Blackberry.

[27:07] Caleb Dicke: You're too young to remember Nokia's.

[27:08] Leslie Kritzer: Bit doo doo do I mean do you remember that?

[27:11] Caleb Dicke: That was my first time.

[27:12] Leslie Kritzer: I did I had a track phone. My track phone was my first time. We absolutely remember Nokia screen.

[27:16] Caleb Dicke: Well, I remember green screen.

[27:17] Leslie Kritzer: We I remember not no internet.

[27:20] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[27:21] Leslie Kritzer: So I like remember getting internet. Like no like figuring out what that was and like having a desktop.

[27:27] Caleb Dicke: Learning AOL.

[27:29] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. Playing with playing with like my dad playing snake on my dad's Nokia. Oh my god. Like all of that. I remember all of that.

[27:35] Caleb Dicke: My first phone was like a Nextel. Like oh my god.

[27:39] Leslie Kritzer: The walkie-talkie kind.

[27:41] Caleb Dicke: Oh my god. And remember that like the then you had the flip phones, which were cool.

[27:46] Leslie Kritzer: The razor.

[27:47] Caleb Dicke: Blackberry and then what's the one that was the T Mode?

[27:50] Leslie Kritzer: Sidekick.

[27:51] Caleb Dicke: Sidekick. That lasted two seconds.

[27:53] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, well, because they the iPhones, you know.

[27:55] Caleb Dicke: Well it was wait, T9 word. That's what I was trying to think of. Like when you like when you would be like typing something and it would correct do it automatically.

[28:03] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah.

[28:04] Caleb Dicke: And now I'm like, get that off my iPhone.

[28:07] Leslie Kritzer: Like I hate that like predictive text thing.

[28:08] Caleb Dicke: I hate it too. Can you actually take it off?

[28:10] Leslie Kritzer: You can do so.

[28:11] Caleb Dicke: I have to, because it also making me dumb. Like I'm like, I need to learn to spell.

[28:16] Leslie Kritzer: I just send voice memos. I like hold the mic and I say how's it going? Can you just call me right? Or like it gets the message across quicker.

[28:24] Caleb Dicke: Quicker for you.

[28:27] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. Caleb is notorious for sending voice memos, and I'm like in a show, and I'm just like, it's like turning out my headphones and like putting in my headphones and pressing play. And then I just respond like a normal text.

[28:41] Caleb Dicke: But it's quicker for me to go like.

[28:42] Leslie Kritzer: I know, but it's not quicker for me. I can't see what you're saying. I can't like glance at a text message.

[28:47] Elliott Mattox: You guys are cute.

[28:48] Leslie Kritzer: Anyway, it's like it's like, you know, a matter of preference. I'm enjoying this.

[28:56] Caleb Dicke: When you were when you were like pounding the pavement, sending out faxes, doing your thing. What are what what was one of your like earliest jobs that you got that you were like super super like proud of, stoked by?

[29:09] Leslie Kritzer: I mean, I had a big break when I got Funny Girl.

[29:12] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[29:12] Leslie Kritzer: I think it's candid. Don't pose crits like I think that was the big that was a big break for me because I had just been out of school, I think, I don't know, it was 2001. And but but that was like, you know, maybe two years out of school, a little less. And that was a big break because I literally booked a job that I was up against people, like re like bigger people, and they went with a complete unknown person. Um so that was really the start of everything. And then that was like that sent me through the roof. I was like a little Sophia. Basically in the sense of Sophia who's starring in Beetlejuice. In the sense of like so young, not as young as her, but so young, so new, but also like not to my own horn, but kind of like wow, this girl's like taking I mean it's tailor-made for someone like that.

[30:04] Caleb Dicke: I was about to say it couldn't be a more like perfect fit.

[30:06] Leslie Kritzer: It's just kind of like a right place, right time kind of the perfect moment. It was the perfect perfect moment. Everyone came to see it. It were raves. We were moving to Broadway. I'll never forget going to my temp job after it closed. You're going to Broadway. This is gonna star, this sweat theater, this is your directing, da da da it was like oh my God, holy shit, this is happening. And then 9/11 happened. This literally that was the summer. I turned 24 during the show. May 24th, I turned 24. We closed in June, July, August, I get the call, we're getting ready, it's gonna happen. September 11th happens and then it was over. And I mean the whole world changed. Yeah. But that was like I went through the roof like I can't believe this is happening.

Right. And then September 11th happened. So that really put everything in different focus. I was unemployed for six months after that. I didn't work. And um then I had already actually I'd already done Godspell before that. That was in 2000 when I was sending faxes and Funny Girl happened after that. So this was like my first oh my god, right? And that was hard because what happened just to like truncate the story is then once and it's so funny when I think of 2000 like 2001 when that happened that was when Millie was up and you're in time was up and um then everything changed. They postponed it then by the time it came around to it, I wasn't a choice anymore. And then years later, then you know, they were gonna do it again, and then it fell apart.

[31:38] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, I mean they've been talking about reviving it for years, so it's never seems to catch.

[31:42] Leslie Kritzer: No. So that was like that was like oh, and it took me a long time to get over that. Of course. It took me a long time because it's just like they don't like write roles like that. Um so and then I just like started over, you know, you start and then I started like again, it was like one thing after another, and then I got my first Broadway show, which was Hairspray, but that was what when I was 26, so I was then it was f like five years later, and then I would I replaced Shoshana Bean in Hairspray, and then kind of like but before that worked all over regional theater here, regional theater there, best production. I one of my favorite productions ever, Evita, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. Yes. One of the best summers of my life ever doing that show.

I mean, the show was like, you know, you know those experiences you have where you're like, this show, this production, this cast, I don't care if we're in bumblefuck, we are having a the best time, and B, we're killing it.

[32:35] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah.

[32:37] Leslie Kritzer: B, this is really good. This is really good. And two people are gonna see it that we know, but who cares? Like, this is what we love doing. Because when we come back to the city, we're gonna be like, wow, that production really turned it, so sorry you didn't get to see it. Right. Yeah, and there wasn't social media back then, so we couldn't see pictures of it. But you're like, I know this codec developed pictures from backstage.

[32:54] Caleb Dicke: Oh you wanted from opening night from hanging out.

[32:57] Leslie Kritzer: I mean you get your little like your like envelope of press photos and um I I went back to Merry-Go-Round for the like uh an alumni thing to raise money for their new program, whatever, and I think we broke into the theater, I got drunk, and I stole one of the pictures from Evita off the wall because I wanted it. I think that happened once again, had a couple of things. I didn't realize it. Um but yeah, that was like it took me years to get over the fact that that and then like it was dangled, and then it was like, sorry, literally when it was happening on Broadway again. This is what this was I was I was a uh what was it? They were gonna revive it with Bart Sher and uh Lauren Ambrose.

[33:45] Caleb Dicke: And Lauren Ambrose.

[33:45] Leslie Kritzer: And I went in to audition for Bart, who's a great director, I have a lot of respect for him. Um it didn't go my way, and basically the feedback to my agents was uh it we just think it's past her time. And that that like also I'll n that almost killed me. It's like past my time. Now this is like what? This was 2009. Not that long ago nine, two thousand and ten, maybe maybe because I something like that. Like I wasn't even early two thousand ten era. Because I got engaged that year. That's the that that winter I was in DC. My my now husband um proposed. So and and it was funny because when we were in rehearsal, all of a sudden we were getting text messages during notes section, everyone notes, and we were like, oh my god. And that's when rehearsal was canceled for Funny Girl, like they just the whole production just fell apart. They were supposed to start rehearsal and then it fell apart.

[34:39] Caleb Dicke: Oh god.

[34:39] Leslie Kritzer: My dad called me, he was like, that's what it right. I'm so glad he was like, yeah. I was like, okay, done. First of all, like eight million of our friends just lost their jobs with no notice. But you know, it's just one of those shows that's never come around. Anyway, that was a very long answer, but shit happens, you know.

[34:58] Caleb Dicke: Shit happens.

[34:59] Leslie Kritzer: I mean, it does. And I mean, I think that's like, you know, stories like that happen all the time.

[35:00] Caleb Dicke: All the time.

[35:06] Leslie Kritzer: When someone is, you know, you're scheduled to go to Broadway, you're told it's gonna happen, it's all in place, and then things just fall through. This is what we do is like a risky business.

[35:13] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, you can never, you get until I'm like, Jill Abramitz always says this. I'm like, Jill, Jill, we're gonna brought me. She's like, I don't believe it, yeah. She always goes back to your in the theater. I don't wanna Jill, it looks like we're gonna stay open till no no no. It looks like we gotta no, no, no. It's like, and that's we've learned that you can never count on anything.

[35:36] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. So save your money if you're in a show. Always save your money. Try to save the money. Walk out of the Nordstrom rack like I did the others.

[35:44] Caleb Dicke: Well, the trick is you can't even walk into it, Leslie.

[35:44] Leslie Kritzer: You can't even walk into it. You can be tempted.

[35:49] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, but when you see that line, there's like two people working, and there's like a snake down line. I'm like, no pair of shoes are gonna make me wait on this one. Thank you, God.

[35:58] Leslie Kritzer: Well, you just go upstairs, and there's usually someone in the back on a register and you go to them.

[36:03] Caleb Dicke: Yes, see.

[36:04] Leslie Kritzer: If you really want the shoes.

[36:05] Caleb Dicke: See, there you go.

[36:06] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. You just you just aided my shopping problem.

[36:10] Caleb Dicke: There's always another register.

[36:11] Leslie Kritzer: That's what I say.

[36:12] Caleb Dicke: There's always another.

[36:13] Leslie Kritzer: Caleb, no. We're supposed to be saving money.

[36:18] Caleb Dicke: Because we're in a show.

[36:19] Leslie Kritzer: We are in Beetlejuice.

[36:21] Elliott Mattox: I just need to say something, because I know you asked me all the questions. But I want to ask you a question because I was actually thinking about this.

[36:27] Leslie Kritzer: Okay.

[36:27] Elliott Mattox: So do you find that like when you're on stage, you're on stage, and then like we're not on stage with each other that much. Like the principals, a lot of times, like our group, uh we're I'm on stage with these, and then like if you're a skeleton, yeah, like half the time I'm like, who is it?

[36:45] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, and I'm like, oh, that's Elliot. Like, I'll see him. But that one moment, first of all, we have two moments in the show. The first where I come over to Elliot on the couch. But like the end of act one, yeah. Do you like do you find the show do you get bored during the show a lot? Do you like have you know because sometimes when you don't have something to say, do you find that it's like, I know for me it gets hard. But do you do you get like over it? Are you like I want to interact with people more?

[37:10] Elliott Mattox: I try to interact with people as much as I can.

[37:12] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, I mean, I haven't had that experience with Beetlejuice. I felt really like fresh and fun, and like, you know, there's little moments where it's like our interactions are always different, and you know, even even in like I just try to like find different stuff all the time. It's a fun challenge too to like how can I make this different and like make a fun choice without having any words?

[37:36] Elliott Mattox: Right.

[37:36] Leslie Kritzer: It's kind of fun for me. Like I get a kick between you and Ryan.

[37:40] Elliott Mattox: Oh, full idiot.

[37:42] Leslie Kritzer: Like Ryan with his wig, Ryan Breslin.

[37:44] Elliott Mattox: Oh, idiot.

[37:45] Leslie Kritzer: And you on the thing with the tongs. And I mean, when the dinner scene. But see, these are the things I appreciate when people exactly that. I like get obsessed. I get obsessed with moments like when I see people having their moments. They might know not know that I see them, but I fully appreciate it.

[38:02] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, it's fun. I mean, Beetlejuice is like a special animal, I think, because we're all I think it's just a it's kind of a troop of comedians. Just we're all just like idiots, and we all love getting each other.

[38:18] Leslie Kritzer: So like we're but we're hard to get.

[38:21] Elliott Mattox: We are.

[38:21] Leslie Kritzer: We won't give you that we don't.

[38:23] Elliott Mattox: We don't really break.

[38:25] Leslie Kritzer: We don't really like, but we do mess around.

[38:28] Elliott Mattox: Oh, for sure.

[38:29] Leslie Kritzer: And it's really fun. We've fully done scene work from Big Little Lies on stage.

[38:35] Elliott Mattox: Fully.

[38:36] Leslie Kritzer: That broke me.

[38:37] Elliott Mattox: That that did get me.

[38:39] Leslie Kritzer: I had to turn away. Wait, what was the thing that I said to you? What was the thing that I said? It's like you don't think you you don't believe that push down the street.

[38:58] Leslie Kritzer: I was like here's my Instagram character of the detective that just like stares at everyone for too long. Just like incredulously like not believing them. And so we tried for a few shows to do it but it was too much. That was that was too much. It was too funny because then I'm worried that like someone will see because you know the eye is always watching.

[39:17] Caleb Dicke: Oh always we're supposed to stay together.

[39:19] Leslie Kritzer: Although I have full conversations with Chris Kugel our conductor during the show like he'll look at me and I'm like I'm fat. He'll know that I'm saying that like after a line he's like uh when when when Alex sorry Alex if you're hearing this but when Alex says to me when he comes over at the end and says goodbye and he goes uh I go Delia and he goes uh we didn't hang out much and the audience laughs I look right at Chris and I go and he knows I just go and it just but no one sees it it's so small no one see it but it does happen a lot sorry but they it keeps it fun it's yeah it does it's anyway fun it's like the thrill keeps you going you're like yeah and it just like no no one is like phoning in in at that point in the sense of like we're all game to like be doing different things with each other.

[40:06] Caleb Dicke: Well and it's full we have a kind of company that's full out like we I feel like from my full out hashtag full out like obviously when you're you probably know better than me because you're in all the numbers, but like for me, when I'm on stage with with our entire cast, everyone seems to be uh full out, you know.

[40:24] Leslie Kritzer: It's for sure. It's it's in sp I love it. I just love it. And then I'm like, oh my god, everyone's so young, so am I.

[40:32] Caleb Dicke: Yes.

[40:33] Caleb Dicke: Well, wait, tell I wanna um have you tell the listeners about kind of your journey with Beetlejuice, like from a long for for a long while you've been with the show.

[40:43] Leslie Kritzer: Yes. It's always interesting for people to hear. Now, I don't remember, did you come in the be like I did the first the first lab I did a Beetlejuice, you weren't there.

[40:53] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[40:53] Leslie Kritzer: So Baruch, I did do because my first party winners. So I did a show called The Robert Bridegroom with Alex Timbers off Broadway. And we had a great time doing that. With Connor Gallagher as well.

[41:07] Leslie Kritzer: Connor Gallagher as well, and Nancy.

[41:09] Caleb Dicke: Yes.

[41:09] Leslie Kritzer: And I've seen Nancy through two babies. It's crazy. I was there when she was first pregnant and the second. It's like nuts. That girl just pops out. Children and her body looks like she had had a child. I had no idea she was pregnant the second time because I hadn't seen her in a while. Can you believe that? And um and she was sitting behind the table like it was for like a de first day of rehearsal for DC or something. And and she or some I don't remember what it was, but anyway, she was sitting behind a table, whatever, and then she like got up to demonstrate something and I was like, Oh my god, you're pregnant. Like she looked the same from like from like her chest up, and like then she was like almost fully having a big if I got pregnant, it would be Pillsbury Doughboy head to toe.

There's no there's zero to a hundred. There ain't no so Alex said, Yeah, I'm doing I mean I think it was announced he was doing Beetlejuice. Then he mentioned to me, he's like, I'd love for you to play Delia. It was like, Great. I loved a we're doing this reading, okay, and then it's fine.

[42:11] Leslie Kritzer: So then I did the first uh it was like a stage reading and it was not Sophia, it was uh forgetting her name right now. I'm sorry, she's so talented. Um then we did that and it was uh Chris Fitzgerald in that.

[42:28] Caleb Dicke: Yes.

[42:28] Leslie Kritzer: It was he was the first Beetlejuice.

[42:30] Caleb Dicke: I've heard tell of that time.

[42:32] Leslie Kritzer: Yes, and then um oh my god, Lydia's mother was actually real, like they had flashbacks of Lydia's mom back in that version. It was crazy. It was crazy. It was like the ghost of Lydia's mother like appeared. Um then um can't remember characters from my own show. And then so we had a couple of uh staged like readings. And then I'm trying to remember if we did one like fully like a first lab.

[43:03] Leslie Kritzer: I don't I don't we no we did because Carol Shelley was in it playing Mrs. Shogith at the time now as Juno. So we did two of those, I believe.

[43:11] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[43:12] Leslie Kritzer: Um and then Carol Shelley, who's no longer with us, she passed away, and that was terrible. Um but you guys did Baruch. I wasn't a part of that because I was doing another show, and then the next time you did the one in the spring.

[43:22] Caleb Dicke: We did the one in the spring.

[43:23] Leslie Kritzer: And then I've been so I've been a part of it through the the beginning, which is uh kind of amazing and not and and does not happen very often.

[43:33] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, I mean how first of all, I think it's always illuminating to give a timeline to these things. So how long from first reading to opening night had you been working on Beetlejuice?

[43:44] Leslie Kritzer: Three years.

[43:44] Caleb Dicke: Three years.

[43:46] Leslie Kritzer: So it takes a long time for those things to be seen to fruition.

[43:51] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, and then that's and that's on the shorter end.

[43:55] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, that's very no Hamilton was seven, I think from the time he wrote it, I think to now but on you know, honeymooners was like that which was probably four or f five, at least five years, and I wasn't with it since the beginning, maybe even longer than that. But yeah, it takes a long time.

[44:10] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[44:12] Leslie Kritzer: And then you realize when you're in shows, you realize why it takes a long time. And one of the biggest things, not only writing it, but scheduling, because people have multiple projects, and to schedule these things to happen has to happen so far in advance.

[44:28] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[44:29] Leslie Kritzer: Because the process is long. Um and and the writing and everyone's like our teams, like everyone's all over the place.

[44:36] Caleb Dicke: So everywhere.

[44:38] Leslie Kritzer: But three years, yeah. And then, you know, here we are.

[44:41] Caleb Dicke: Yes, it's crazy.

[44:43] Leslie Kritzer: No, you've been really passionate about the um the recent like lab negotiations and um getting uh having equity you've been fought with equity on kind of like working on what development does for actors and um I think you should talk about that.

[45:01] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, I I've done a lot on mostly all new shows. I've been fortunate and I've done all I did legally blonde was a workshop.

[45:13] Leslie Kritzer: Wow. Everything after that I had never done a workshop. I mean that was the one and only one that I did. Um so after that was all labs or readings, sure or whatever.

[45:23] Leslie Kritzer: Um workshop so everyone knows is like the original agreement where actors are allowed to like participate, they participate financially in the thing. You get a percentage after the show. You get a point. You get a point. Um and so you're you're you're involved, you have a financial stake in the show because of your input in the development.

[45:43] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, and and as they went on, I've done so many developmental labs, developments are over and over and over and over. After a while, you're like, um, not to mention the fact that like you may or may not be asked to do them again, and your work has been whatever. I have no friends who developed things for years. I had a friend I think who did Chaplin, developed it for years, and then they fired him before I went to Broadway. It's like, and he'll never see anything. Like not a buyout, not a nothing, not a And they might still be using their stuff.

[46:16] Caleb Dicke: Like what they created on anything.

[46:18] Leslie Kritzer: And the the one that I personally got upset about was School of Rock. Sorry, Andrew. Um, because I was involved with the original company. I did the original School of Rock at the Grammar C. It's so funny because Alex played one of the kids initially, and then when they auditioned to find the Dewey, like officially he auditioned and they fell in love with him. But all of those children in the first table read, it was me, Sierra Bogas, the Dewey, I'm forgetting his name, I'm sorry. Also funny. Um, and Andrew Durand, and then all of the uh the kids were played by adults at the time because it was easier to hire.

[46:57] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[46:57] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. And it was the craziest thing. And literally, like the third day of the reading, they announced that we had the that that the Winter Garden was a theater. It was like the create because it's Android Weber.

[47:07] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[47:07] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. So it was like, where is there a show though? You're like, we haven't finished the show. But unprecedented, what happened with that show? They said, well, we want to do a tryout, but we don't want to go out of town. And we don't want to do a a workshop. So we're gonna stage it on an off-Broadway contract, like or a special presentation contract at the Grammarcy Theater downtown.

[47:30] Leslie Kritzer: It was Natalie, Natalie and I did it also, Alex. They did the entire show at the Grammarcy Theater and paid tickets, like they were as an audience. It's a small place for them to try the show. Uh huh. Knowing that it had a Broadway theater. I called a union and I was like, guys, this is a show that has a production contract ready to go. And why are we going downtown to develop a show when we should be on a workshop or some kind of contract right now? Because we're literally writing our lines because the writer, you know, I'm I'm not talking shit. This is true. The writer who is very, very talented, was off doing his show in London, and they would look to me and Andrew and they'd say, Hey, what do you guys think you should say here? And I'm like, why am I writing these lines to the show? I'm getting I'm not gonna get anything for this. And also these children are never gonna see any money.

[48:24] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[48:24] Leslie Kritzer: You know, you're you're honored to be there. You know, Andrew Lade Weber wrote me, you know, wrote a song, and I you know, it's like, oh Andrew, I need you to write me a bridge. He's like, Oh I don't like you know, it's very cool. Yeah. But at the end of the day, we you're doing an off this crazy thing, and I'd called the union I was like, I even said to Bonnie, our stage manager, I was like, What is this? What are we doing?

[48:46] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[48:48] Leslie Kritzer: Um and it was a way for them to get around it. And so I call like I called Equity, I was like, this is gonna if Andrew Lloyd Weber and these people can do this, that means that pe other people are gonna start doing it because this is a cheap way to put up the show. I mean, it was like Dolly Dinkle. There was like barely any sets, like it was crazy.

[49:09] Caleb Dicke: And get and getting t tickets sold.

[49:11] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. So full on extra revenue. Tickets sold, small place, but tickets sold. It was like very exclusive. But we were in dressing rooms with like dirty curtains. Natalie will tell you. I mean, and again, utmost respect for them. The show went on to be very successful. I did not continue on with it. I was for very particular circumstances. I was doing a TV show at the time. I miss it so much. They couldn't work out the schedule. Regardless, everything happens for a reason. La la la. The show is very successful, launched Alex's career in a major way. Everybody, and I mean, if Andrew Lloyd Webber wants me to do a show, of course I would do a show with Andrew. It's just that is an example of something that should not have happened.

[49:50] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[49:51] Leslie Kritzer: Yes. It just should not have happened. But you can't say no to someone like Andrew Lloyd Webber. Like, how do you do that?

[49:56] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[49:57] Leslie Kritzer: When also many, many, many jobs are at stake. So that is really, and we sat in front of the Braway League. I s it's so funny. I sat in front of the Brawe League with some very, very famous people, and and it's all of the producers that I know. And literally, I'm there and I talked about this particular thing right in front. I mean, right in front of the league. I said, Hey, you producer, you and I have worked together. You and I have done legally blind together. You see how we write in the room. You know, and in School of Rock, you're building this show on these kids' backs, and we're seeing no compensation for it. Nothing.

[50:34] Leslie Kritzer: These kids are never gonna get and they grow out of their parts like in four months. So this should have been in a workshop contract. There's no and because of the money alone that these this pr production has, this producer has. The funniest part of that, and then I'll shut up, is as I was walking into that Brahway League meeting with the union, I got a phone call from my agent that I had an offer to do this Braway show, which I've not well I will tell you later. Uh the producer of that Brady show is sitting at that table that I just and um a meeting ended and I walked with this producer who is lovely. He's like so you got your offer right and I'm like yeah I'm so excited to do it. So it was so funny that I'm literally meeting them in the room.

I get an offer to replace in this Broadway show. But it's because here's the thing the same there's a there is a very select group of people in New York that get the same jobs over and over. And I'm not saying I'm one of them. I'm saying there is a and some of those people were in the room behind the table saying guys, you know, this has to stop. This has to stop. We have to figure this out you know because after a while when big people start saying I'm not gonna do your show then they go oh we can't get this person or this person this person. Again I'm not one of those I'm not saying I'm one of those people but the talent pool, you know, you're in a crew of people right Elliot you've done several shows like you know there's it's hard to come to New York and get put in a Braway show.

[52:07] Leslie Kritzer: It doesn't happen all the time unless you're maybe from a fancy school or you're just like very lucky. It's kind of the same sort of it's very hard to break into those very hard. So they know that and they know what are they gonna do? They're gonna they can hire non-union people and they so anyway I'm talking a lot a lot but thank God our union did such a great job. I didn't do as much as I could have done, but I so I'm not giving myself any credit at all. But I will say we they really came through, I feel like, and and we're better for it now. And and I think the work that they did, it was it was great, and now we're in such a better position. You know, and they listened. So that was a very long rant.

[52:49] Caleb Dicke: No, I mean it's like needed for people to like see this this other side of what we do and what it shows.

[52:56] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, yeah, what it takes to put up a show. No, because I and look, you see in Beetlejuice. I mean, we yes, our writers wrote the show, sure. But without the collective group of people, it's not the same show. Right. It's not. It's it's not even close to the same show. We you know, there's bits and there's things in the show that were not their idea, that were our idea, that were your idea. Like and they know that, and it's a thing that hopefully as I mean, I mean, now we have more, we have more things now, but a show is created, that's why it's called a collaboration. Yeah, they can't do it in a room full of no one. Right, exactly. So I'm I'm so happy. The union really came through, and and um Andrew, if you're listening to this, um don't be mad. We did, yeah, he's a big fan of the podcast I've heard. So uh totally listening in my show.

[53:52] Caleb Dicke: Um I want to ask you what is your favorite what are your some of your favorite parts about doing Beetlejuice specifically, and then what's the biggest challenge you face doing the show eight times a week?

[54:06] Leslie Kritzer: Um I you know, I'm I think actually my favorite thing about doing Beetlejuice is like I love coming to work with this group of people. I was just saying this to Jill Abramovitz the other day and Dana Steingold. I mean, I hang out in their room all the time, and that started in DC, and I love that. I mean, it's like I really I love I'll come up to the boys' room, I'll come like I love this group of people. You know, I mean, we all have our days, but like A, that's the big thing. Coming to work and being like, I love the people in my show. Like I really, really do.

[54:40] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[54:41] Leslie Kritzer: You know, and A, B, I get to play like two great parts. I get to make people laugh, and that's really I will say it's my specialty. It's not the only thing I do, but it's with the thing I love. I love creating and figuring out comedy, and and it's just it's fun. And Delia is like a very positive person. I'm not saying I'm not a positive person, but um I'll say I'm not positive all the time. I can I can go into like you know, Debbie Downer in 2.5 seconds. So if anything, it's kind of like I have to force myself to be that way in the show no matter how I'm feeling, and it kind of does change you a little bit. It makes you be I don't know, a little more grateful. And it my job is just it's just so fun. It's it's really, really fun.

[55:24] Leslie Kritzer: And I guess the challenge is for me, um sometimes it's just a a lot of energy, and you know, as I've gotten older, the energy that I that I need to do the job for me is a lot, and I I get very hard on myself if I'm tired outside the show. Sure. I'm like, wait, wait, wait, it's not that hard. It's not like I'm playing alphabet, it's not like I'm I start to compare with my own energy, like wait, I should be doing this, this, this, this, and this outside the show, which Elliot knows I I always am doing something, right?

[55:57] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[55:57] Leslie Kritzer: But but I think that is hard. I think the age thing with this show has come into play in the sense of like really rewriting the script of what age is, and as you get older, going, okay, it is okay to be tired 'cause you are older now. Uh-huh. But like allow yourself to not do anything today. Allow yourself to rest. Rest is okay. I'm like old school, no, push through, push through, push through. And I've had to really learn to go, you know, I called out of the show not too long ago, first time. And I I knew mentally and physically I was like on the brink. I was like, I need a show off and take my vacation. And um you know, I've gotten vocally injured in the past and I felt it. I was felt right on the edge of something and I was like, you know what? I don't feel well and I'm not gonna be in the show tonight.

[56:48] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[56:49] Leslie Kritzer: I have done six months of shows and I need this night off. I do not feel right. And you know, I've just had to come to terms with the fact that I have to say no to a lot of things outside of work. Yeah. Um, and not to compare myself, my performance, my voice, my anything to anybody else, because uh it it's silly, it's a waste of time. And that's been a big lesson on this. It's just go, yeah, I'm fucking tired. Like I paint myself, you know, we all all of us paint and take it off and then put it back on it in and flips and this and that and craziness and break stage and you know, so just to go, hey, you know what? I get to do eight shows a week. Always full out for most part, you know, and and that's okay if that's enough.

[57:33] Mm-hmm.

[57:34] Leslie Kritzer: That's enough to feel like gr to say, Yeah, I'm tired and I don't feel like doing this, this, this and outside of work like I used to, you know.

[57:44] Caleb Dicke: Sure.

[57:44] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. And so it's just coming to terms with that and f and just saying, It's okay, girl, like chill. Yeah. Just chill. Just relax. Relax. It's okay. It's hard to relax, but it's it's important. It's hard. We're in a city of go, go, go, and so you have to be like, gotta protect myself and take a note off.

[58:00] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[58:01] Leslie Kritzer: Well, I mean there's and there's things I just I used to say yes to everything, and I just can't anymore. If if my first job and my first priority is coming to the show, you know, I don't like to lose that paycheck either. And also it's it's you know, uh it's it's part of longevity.

[58:19] Caleb Dicke: Exactly.

[58:20] Leslie Kritzer: And also your your mental space. Like I came into work that next day, I felt like a different person.

[58:26] Caleb Dicke: Mm-hmm.

[58:27] Leslie Kritzer: And now I'm like good to go. And I have my vacation. Elliot, I need I remember when Elliot took his vacation, I was like, yeah. He knew he was like, girl, I'm booking this vacation. And I have mine in a month and I can't wait. I'm excited.

[58:38] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, I booked that vacation real fast. I said post Tony's post all that. Post bears. I was like, get me get me out of here. I need a week.

[58:48] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah. You gotta you gotta do that, it's important.

[58:50] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[58:51] Leslie Kritzer: And you know, the classic the classic thing being in a show, the hot one of the hard things is like never knowing how long it's gonna last. Never knowing how many more paychecks you have left until you have to go back to the grind. And that also is like, well, you gotta like just that's why I can't go into those Nordstrom racks too much on the other pair of shoes. But you know, yeah.

[59:17] Leslie Kritzer: It's it's one of the b it's honestly I'm not even saying it, like it's honestly one of the best jobs I've ever had. Completely agree. It's really fun. Yeah, you know. It's really fun. We don't take ourselves too seriously too. No. At not at all. There's no room for that. No.

[59:33] Leslie Kritzer: So that's my long, long answer.

[59:35] Caleb Dicke: It's not long. Alright, we're gonna move into some more Beetlejuice. It's time for merch madness.

[59:52] Caleb Dicke: Okay, so as you know, right now I am wearing the shirt that won one of its heats in our last week's episode. So Leslie, to keep you up to date, I want to know. The um out of the four pieces of merch that I that I put up against each other, which was the logo tea and the names tea, the mug and the hoodie.

[1:00:14] Leslie Kritzer: Okay.

[1:00:14] Caleb Dicke: The two that prevailed were the names tea, which I'm wearing right now.

[1:00:19] Leslie Kritzer: I voted as well for that.

[1:00:20] Caleb Dicke: And the mug. The mug was the winner of the heat against the hoodie.

[1:00:25] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, the mug pulled out. I thought the hoodie would pull out your mug.

[1:00:29] Caleb Dicke: But the mug, the mug, I love the mug.

[1:00:30] Leslie Kritzer: It's a good thing.

[1:00:31] Caleb Dicke: No, the hoodie was not the winner. It was the mug.

[1:00:33] Leslie Kritzer: I use it all the time. Eddie thinks it's a conspiracy, and he thinks that the mug is gonna go all the way. So he's on the heat coming up next.

[1:00:44] Caleb Dicke: We got two more heats for you. Now we have kind of like an like an alternative merch section right now. This was paired together randomly. So we've got our socks versus our pins. Now I put together the enamel pin and then like the pin set. The socks are so cute. They're black and white striped, of course, with lime green, classic beetle juice, uh beetles crawling all over the feet. And then on one side of the foot, it says beetle on the bottom, and on the other side it says juice on the bottom. Very cute.

[1:01:16] Leslie Kritzer: Now I love a merch sock. I actually I only have one other pair of merch socks, but they're the wicked socks, and one side is Elva Bun, one side is Glinda, and they have like wicked on the on the bottom. They're very clue, yeah.

[1:01:28] Caleb Dicke: Love that.

[1:01:28] Leslie Kritzer: I know. The socks are really, really cute. I do love them.

[1:01:31] Caleb Dicke: But pins are like a thing right now. Pins are huge.

[1:01:35] Leslie Kritzer: Are they always a thing?

[1:01:36] Caleb Dicke: They come in and out of the phone.

[1:01:37] Leslie Kritzer: I know, but like enamel pins right now are like a big.

[1:01:41] Caleb Dicke: They're a thing. I did, I got what's his name? Um anyway. I got a pin.

[1:01:45] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah.

[1:01:46] Caleb Dicke: That you get pins. Like it's just it's just something that what's an enamel pin is that.

[1:01:50] Leslie Kritzer: Enamel pin is like the is like the silver like metal pins with like the paint on it.

[1:01:56] Caleb Dicke: Oh, okay.

[1:01:56] Leslie Kritzer: Oh, sure, sure, sure.

[1:01:57] Caleb Dicke: So like they're flat, they're not like a round button. And there can be figure, like they have the actual figure of the thing.

[1:02:05] Leslie Kritzer: Okay, yeah, yeah.

[1:02:05] Caleb Dicke: A round pin.

[1:02:06] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah.

[1:02:07] Caleb Dicke: Speaking of which, you can get um specialty swag every Tuesday at Beetlejuice this month. We got our first pin.

[1:02:12] Leslie Kritzer: Got our pins.

[1:02:15] Caleb Dicke: I love the new playbill. It's so cute.

[1:02:16] Leslie Kritzer: The new play bill is very cute. It's fun. Genius.

[1:02:19] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. Sandworms, it's green. You gotta come check us out this month in October. Come on. To see them.

[1:02:23] Leslie Kritzer: But okay. So on my personal Instagram, the socks pulled at 61%. So they they bested the pins there. And it was a little closer on Equity One podcast on Instagram, but the socks still won at 53% of the vote.

[1:02:42] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[1:02:43] Leslie Kritzer: Now I have made the final decision.

[1:02:45] Caleb Dicke: Where are we going?

[1:02:47] Leslie Kritzer: And I do agree with the audience on this one. The socks are the winner of this heat.

[1:02:52] Caleb Dicke: I don't fully get the pin thing, but they're really cute. Socks are just always all the time.

[1:02:58] Leslie Kritzer: Like I need always a pair of socks.

[1:03:00] Caleb Dicke: I always love like anything. I always need a pair of socks.

[1:03:02] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah, and it's a fun pair of socks. And also you can wear it like to work. Like it's a black and white stripe, so it still looks professional, but like there's a secret.

[1:03:09] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:03:10] Leslie Kritzer: Right. You know what I mean? I love it.

[1:03:11] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. I love that.

[1:03:13] Leslie Kritzer: The after.

[1:03:14] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. So the socks won. And um, I love the pins, but the socks won. So the next pairing is like our kind of like sporty pairing. We have like our hat, our logo hat that has Beetlejuice logo on um on the front here, and then a little beetle on the side.

[1:03:31] Leslie Kritzer: And then we have the Netherworld baseball tee. Now, I will say, in DC, there's a there was a boy band that was in the show that is now cut um R.I.P., but we had like band shirts.

[1:03:44] Caleb Dicke: So that was the And I loved I'm so glad I have mine.

[1:03:44] Leslie Kritzer: So glad I have mine too. I I almost put it in this. It is a collector's item.

[1:03:53] Caleb Dicke: Um, so this is our the new version of that shirt, which is a really cute, like kind of old postcard greetings from the nether world. It's green and has some red in it with like little bats flying. It's really, really cute. And they're they're a good fit. I like the fit. Three-quarter sleeves.

[1:04:08] Leslie Kritzer: Three-quarter sleeve, not too tight, but like still like gives you like a good like oh like it's going to be changed. You know what I mean?

[1:04:18] Caleb Dicke: So you know it's a so on my Instagram, the hat one with 55%.

[1:04:27] Leslie Kritzer: Wow, I'm shocked.

[1:04:29] Caleb Dicke: The vote.

[1:04:29] Leslie Kritzer: I know I was too.

[1:04:30] Caleb Dicke: Well, you'll I am shocked. You'll be even more shocked to hear that on Equity One podcast, the hat won with 65% of the vote.

[1:04:38] Leslie Kritzer: Are you joking?

[1:04:39] Caleb Dicke: People love a hat.

[1:04:40] Leslie Kritzer: People love hats. I have to say though, for me, the clear winner is the baseball tee.

[1:04:48] Caleb Dicke: I voted for the baseball tee.

[1:04:49] Leslie Kritzer: I think I voted for the hat.

[1:04:50] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, it's gonna be the baseball tee for me. It's such a cute design.

[1:04:54] Leslie Kritzer: It's really fun. I always like when show shirts are like look like they could also be purchased at Urban Outfitters. But I see I think, and I haven't said this to Bridish producers or anything, because it just popped in my head right now. Why don't we have a Beetlejuice sort of trucker hat? Those sort of hats. Like you have like the sandworm, like the sandworm logo with that the black trucker hat, like something cool like that. You know, like the um those those weird hats that I wear with the animals on. No, I love I love the trucker hats.

[1:05:28] Caleb Dicke: So, what's up?

[1:05:29] Leslie Kritzer: Well, maybe we could do a collaboration with Gorn and Bros, and maybe they could do a style of their hat. Maybe you can set up your own merchandise across from the other merchandise. Warren Brothers should do a Beetlejuice. Like limited edition, and it's not gonna be cheap, folks, but it's gonna be cute. Maybe a portion of the proceeds go to Broadway carries go to Braway curse. Okay, maybe maybe pop by this fall and we'll see what we've can cost. Exactly. Why wouldn't they do that? They might. Maybe that too is cool for school. Look at the it might be in the works right now. They're very cool.

[1:05:58] Caleb Dicke: Anyway.

[1:05:58] Leslie Kritzer: Anyway, so. So, two heats down, you know, in a on a different day and a different heat. It could have turned out differently. But the two pieces of merch moving forward are the socks and the Netherworld baseball tee. Did your favorite advance forward? Let us know. Email us, send us DMs on Instagram. If you haven't filled out your bracket, fill it out, post it, we'll share it. Um, yeah, that's merch madness.

[1:06:24] Caleb Dicke: Merch madness.

[1:06:26] Caleb Dicke: Okay, are you ready for some quick questions?

[1:06:28] Leslie Kritzer: Yes.

[1:06:28] Caleb Dicke: This takes very little skill. So like rapid fire game.

[1:06:33] Leslie Kritzer: Okay. Got it.

[1:06:34] Caleb Dicke: Bagel locks or rice and beans.

[1:06:37] Leslie Kritzer: Rice and beans.

[1:06:38] Caleb Dicke: Ooh, okay. Favorite Halloween costume of all time.

[1:06:42] Leslie Kritzer: Of mine?

[1:06:43] Caleb Dicke: Yes.

[1:06:44] Leslie Kritzer: Um Scarlet O'Hara in the gone with the wind.

[1:06:51] Caleb Dicke: Okay, but which outfit which one?

[1:06:52] Leslie Kritzer: I no, my my neighbor gave me some crazy, crazy ass costume that looked like it, not the green one. It's not like I recreated it. So it was similar.

[1:07:00] Caleb Dicke: Was it a hoopskirt?

[1:07:01] Leslie Kritzer: It was huge, yes. It was humongous. Did you wear the big sun hat? Because I had that hat in coffee.

[1:07:05] Leslie Kritzer: I think I had a basket. I couldn't find the hat. But that's what I modeled it out there. Jersey style. Gone with the Wind is Kayla's favorite movie. He does a viewing of it every single year.

[1:07:13] Caleb Dicke: Once a year.

[1:07:14] Leslie Kritzer: You have to watch it once a year.

[1:07:15] Caleb Dicke: It's a day.

[1:07:15] Leslie Kritzer: It's a thing.

[1:07:16] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:07:16] Leslie Kritzer: That's like a Christmas thing. You have a really nice box set.

[1:07:19] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, someone got me a really nice box set. It was a collector's item. It's gorgeous red.

[1:07:25] Leslie Kritzer: I love boxes. I also love seeing the the takes, the outtakes from it, the screen description.

[1:07:30] Caleb Dicke: Oh, yeah, when they're like turn. You ever watch Judy Garland screen test from Anna Get Your Gone?

[1:07:33] Leslie Kritzer: That's sad.

[1:07:34] Caleb Dicke: Oh.

[1:07:35] Leslie Kritzer: Alan, did you have something to say?

[1:07:37] Caleb Dicke: I just thought it was funny.

[1:07:40] Leslie Kritzer: You have a really nice box.

[1:07:43] Caleb Dicke: Alan!

[1:07:44] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah.

[1:07:46] Caleb Dicke: Such a dad joke.

[1:07:47] Leslie Kritzer: Okay, this is the one. We love it. This is like a three-parter.

[1:07:49] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[1:07:50] Leslie Kritzer: When shopping at home goods, which aisle do you gravitate towards?

[1:07:56] Caleb Dicke: Candles.

[1:07:57] Leslie Kritzer: Okay, me too. Okay, it's fall. What?

[1:08:01] Caleb Dicke: Okay, what's yeah, so what's the smell? What's your candle?

[1:08:04] Leslie Kritzer: Okay. But wait, just say the smell, because in the third part, this is where it's gonna. Okay, like my f like if I'm into going into the season. I'm I'm I want to go for a pine situation already. I'm going towards there. I know it's a little early. I want a cinnamon stick, but in the back of my mind, I'm always looking for a perfect pine wintery.

[1:08:26] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[1:08:27] Leslie Kritzer: So now, as Liza Minelli, will you sell us this candle? You know, it it's not a cinnamon stick, and it's not a pine. It's kind of like if it's a cinnamon stick and a pine tree got torched in the forest. And everyone's house is burnt down. And then a little bit of uh candy corn got mixed in there with it from some childhood home. That's this candle. It kind of gives you a a childhood feeling with a little bit of like a gay Christmas vibe and uh a martini on top.

[1:09:04] Caleb Dicke: Now, Liza, uh just a quick question while you're here.

[1:09:08] Leslie Kritzer: Whenever you want it.

[1:09:10] Caleb Dicke: I don't agree with the blur. I I didn't I never like those songs.

[1:09:18] Leslie Kritzer: Oh don't know what you said. That was my mother telling me her songs.

[1:09:22] Caleb Dicke: Ah!

[1:09:23] Leslie Kritzer: Come back from the death.

[1:09:25] Caleb Dicke: Yes.

[1:09:26] Leslie Kritzer: Um, okay, so how do you feel about the the biopic about your mother?

[1:09:31] Caleb Dicke: It's terrible.

[1:09:33] Leslie Kritzer: Renee Zelwicker is just I mean, look at her. She doesn't even she can't even do the mannerisms. She's terrible, and she's way thinner than I thought she was in person. You know, I don't know. I just don't think the whole thing's very good. And they should have had me play my mind.

[1:09:53] Caleb Dicke: I agree.

[1:09:53] Leslie Kritzer: I agree with Liza. Don't even get me started. The popcorn was terrible. And it put me in a bad mood when I went to that AMC.

[1:10:01] Caleb Dicke: Oh, no, okay.

[1:10:02] Leslie Kritzer: Oh, she oh, Liza, she's got very upset about the movie, so she she left, but um Leslie's back. She went to the restaurant. I mean, she just she like just bumped into me. Yeah, it's crazy. I didn't I didn't even know she was nearby. I didn't know. I'm so sorry. Bye.

[1:10:18] Caleb Dicke: Alan, we gotta lock the door.

[1:10:20] Elliott Mattox: I know we have to lock through. You know, Liz is gonna come in.

[1:10:23] Leslie Kritzer: Sorry, it's New York. People come in all the time.

[1:10:25] Caleb Dicke: Fair enough.

[1:10:26] Elliott Mattox: Rotating doors. I mean 54.

[1:10:30] Leslie Kritzer: Studio 54. We're right here.

[1:10:32] Caleb Dicke: Exactly. Okay, would you rather bend and snap, or you can't stop the beat one more time?

[1:10:33] Leslie Kritzer: Bend and snap.

[1:10:39] Caleb Dicke: You can stop the beat with so hard.

[1:10:42] Leslie Kritzer: And it snaps like one and two. You can stop the beat lasted forever.

[1:10:47] Caleb Dicke: It's a long one.

[1:10:48] Leslie Kritzer: It's a long one. How do you keep yourself entertained on your commute from New Jersey?

[1:10:52] Leslie Kritzer: Podcasts and texting friends.

[1:10:57] Caleb Dicke: And that's it.

[1:11:00] Leslie Kritzer: What are some of your favorite podcasts right now?

[1:11:03] Leslie Kritzer: I like to listen to uh Oprah Super Soul. Sure. Um I like to listen to the New York Times briefing. Um I listened to uh this girl that I can't remember her name right now. I don't have my phone in front of me. Her name's Andrea. She is an actress in LA, and she's all about helping other actors become do better in their self tapes and do better auditions, and I really love her. I mean, she's a really good actress, and she's like a character actress like me. And she's so I've been listening to a lot of her stuff. It's very informative. Um then yes, and then obviously all the podcasts on the Broadway Network.

[1:11:42] Caleb Dicke: I'm loving on the Broadway Podcast Network.

[1:11:45] Leslie Kritzer: I have to say, you have my favorite logo. Like I love Josh's, but this logo's pretty rad.

[1:11:51] Elliott Mattox: It's really fun.

[1:11:52] Leslie Kritzer: Thanks to uh thanks to Alex Enterline for designing that logo. It's beautiful. Friend of the pot. Thank you.

[1:11:59] Caleb Dicke: Okay, so you have a lot of people come see the show.

[1:12:01] Leslie Kritzer: Yes.

[1:12:02] Caleb Dicke: Um, so give me a review that you've received either from um Riftina or um Madge from Front of House. I know they like probably tell you how you're doing in the show. Which one would you have which review have you got from them?

[1:12:16] Leslie Kritzer: Um like just what they said.

[1:12:19] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah.

[1:12:19] Leslie Kritzer: Just like Ratina, um, she kind of schooled me on the accent of Argentina. She felt a little offended. Um she felt like I was kind of dissing Cardi B, which is one of her personal heroes. Yeah. Um, but also thought that my dancing could have been better. She was really harsh. I think I don't know.

[1:12:39] Caleb Dicke: Well, we have we have one clip of just the the harshest burn that she um gave to you. So I'll just play that now, Alan, if you wouldn't mind playing that clip for us.

[1:12:48] Elliott Mattox: Thank you.

[1:12:52] Riftina: Well, personally, I thought that she danced like a rhinoceros, like she was in that green outfit, and I was like, what the fuck is she doing up there with that hair? Like whoever's in her hair, that's really messed up. But um, yeah, because she could have punched that pigeon in the face, and by that I mean like the whole performance, not like an actual pigeon, but that's like you know, she could have, but just she didn't. She just like kicked it.

[1:13:20] Leslie Kritzer: Right. Wow, that's really that was a quaint review from Riftina.

[1:13:25] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, I mean, you know, she's she's her accents also changed. She um she she goes back and forth between different accents. It's very strange. I don't know.

[1:13:33] Leslie Kritzer: It's a medication.

[1:13:34] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, and you know, but Madge's a big fan of the show. So she's yeah Madge loved the show.

[1:13:39] Leslie Kritzer: Well, let's hear her review of the show.

[1:13:41] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, I mean, I yeah, she's gonna be a little bit more. We have a clip too.

[1:13:43] Madge: I thought Alan has uh um has that cued up well you know I love Leslie and uh I've watched every show she's done every show and um she's always you know always given a full heart and and everything and you know Fran and I my my my other best friend at at the show who's also in USH we we she never messes up. I don't know how she does it. I mean she's just the best and the whole the whole cast is wonderful but I have to say you know she's my favorite and I think she's a real role model for all like you know short sort of curvy girls um who are funny and I I appreciate that so go Leslie I love you.

[1:14:26] Leslie Kritzer: Aw that's such a sweet review that is very sweet.

[1:14:29] Caleb Dicke: It was a is a good it's a good uh you gotta feel good hearing.

[1:14:29] Leslie Kritzer: Yeah no she she's she's a big big fan of the show.

[1:14:36] Caleb Dicke: Yeah big heart we need those people me too okay yeah last question got it um I can't believe this is my job moment um in the show in your entire life whenever it's happened it's a really hit you're like I can't believe this is my job I can't believe I'm doing this um well the fur I mean the one right now that comes to mind is is definitely like in like a like a moment in a show right the f I think one performance or I don't remember which one but where I did Argentina got the number down we were all together I've never really danced by my like danced on a Broadway show my that whatever dance that like it's not a high level, but the dancing and then belting my face off and being able to like embody this thing um at the winter garden belting there center stage it's a pretty amazing moment and it does not I it has not worn off on me.

I I still especially during the part we all swell together and we come back and then you know it's it's really cool because I don't you know I can say I'm I'm like doing everything I've always wanted to do in one moment and that's like you know happens literally my one of my voice teachers in college said it a moment like that happens once every ten years and for me that's been true like the big big ones like they they don't happen very often I mean Robert Braggroom is also a big one too but this is special the winter garden is a special special and some of my biggest idols have performed right there where I'm standing and belting and making people laugh and that's the dream that's the dream so yeah that's that's one yeah and then being in the show with Elliot being cool

[1:15:35] Leslie Kritzer: Thank you so much thanks guys I really appreciate it I really really I love doing this it's really funny uh where can people follow you on social media if they want to follow your adventures Leslie Critser uh I'm on Instagram which is at Leslie Critzer I I do Twitter too I'm trying to be better at it and then I'm also like for I am into going into TikTok but I'm not as good as Presley Ryan but I kinda want to figure it out because it's really fun but for right now yeah Instagram's amazing um you can find the podcast at equity one podcast on um Instagram and Facebook and on Twitter at equity one underscore and don't forget to send us your audition horror stories to equity one podcast at gmail.com.

[1:17:04] Elliott Mattox: Elliot, where can we find you at the end?

[1:17:05] Elliott Mattox: I'm at Elliot Maddox on everything, Caleb.

[1:17:07] Caleb Dicke: Uh Caleb Dicky on everything.

[1:17:09] Elliott Mattox: And until next time.

[1:17:10] Caleb Dicke: Cheers.

[1:17:11] Leslie Kritzer: Cheers, guys.

[1:17:17] Leslie Kritzer: Everything, everything happens for a reason. Put some more fun in the world. A little I have still in the world. Be prepared to take your eggs and freeze them.

[1:17:31] Leslie Kritzer: Is this still about me? Cause everything, everything happens. Sounds like several things can happen, but the universe is random.

[1:17:39] Leslie Kritzer: Yes, but random for a reason.