This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Dan Tracy: So an actor is saying his lines and then out of nowhere he just starts singing.

[0:07] Joe Carroll: Five, six, seven, eight.

[0:08] Dan Tracy: And he's alive with the sound of Ginny.

[0:15] Joe Carroll: Don't cry for me, honey.

[0:22] Dan Tracy: Dun, da, da, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun.

[0:26] Joe Carroll: I was certain that you were singing the beginning of Hamilton.

[0:30] Dan Tracy: Dun, da, da, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. Dun, da, da, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun.

[0:32] Joe Carroll: Doo, doo, doo.

[0:33] Dan Tracy: Wait, did you see that performance on John Krasinski's show?

[0:37] Joe Carroll: Yes, that was so cool.

[0:39] Dan Tracy: Wow. I think we might be behind in talking about that. I think that was technically last week.

[0:43] Joe Carroll: It technically was. But one, check out John Krasinski's Good News Show.

[0:47] Dan Tracy: Yeah, super awesome.

[0:48] Joe Carroll: And two, the entire original cast of Hamilton got back together to do a Zoom recording of the original number. That was so stupid. And like, Leslie Odom Jr. is giving you the greatest performance you've ever seen in front of a Zoom camera.

[1:00] Dan Tracy: Just like smoldering, like with his fancy AirPods.

[1:02] Joe Carroll: With his AirPods in. It was so sick.

[1:10] Dan Tracy: I know.

[1:11] Joe Carroll: Oh my God. Welcome to Guys Who Like Musicals.

[1:13] Dan Tracy: Welcome to Guys Who Like Musicals. I'm Dan Tracy.

[1:16] Joe Carroll: We are, this week we're talking to Robyn Hurder, star of Moulin Rouge. This was one of the funniest episodes I think we've ever done.

[1:23] Dan Tracy: This was like a Guys Who Like Musicals pregame.

[1:27] Joe Carroll: This was a Guys Who Like Musicals pregame. This was Guys Who Like Musicals at the bar.

[1:34] Dan Tracy: Yeah, for sure. Happy hour with the guys.

[1:36] Joe Carroll: I asked Robyn what time we should do the interview and she said sometime around three or four o'clock because that's when I stop being a homeschooling parent and I start drinking.

[1:45] Dan Tracy: Right.

[1:46] Joe Carroll: And so we called her at 4 p.m. and she got on the call with her version of a Long Island iced tea with like pineapple juice or something. It led for a really, really funny conversation.

[1:58] Dan Tracy: I was wondering if it was going to fall off the rails at some point.

[2:02] Joe Carroll: But it stayed on the rails.

[2:04] Dan Tracy: No, she's the best. She's a total party animal and such a talent. Holy cow.

[2:11] Joe Carroll: And some of the things, if you don't know Robyn, she is an absolute gem of an Instagram follow. Her kid is so cute. Her husband is super handsome and super talented and she is so funny.

[2:24] Dan Tracy: She does all sorts of cooking stuff and dance videos and she's a maniac. Some of her credits include Chicago, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Wedding Singer, Grease, Nice Work If You Can Get It and Moulin Rouge.

[2:35] Joe Carroll: As we mentioned, we talk about her starring in Chorus Line at City Center as Cassie. We talk about the national tour of Chorus Line. We talk about a million things that she did.

[2:48] Dan Tracy: God damn it, did we laugh a lot. And when we get to the episode, we'll talk about how she got, why she's no longer allowed at Fenway Park.

[2:58] Joe Carroll: So it was just, it was just such a 10 and we're so grateful that she took the time to talk to us.

[3:05] Dan Tracy: One thing we're trying this week, Dan, do you want to talk about this new thing we're trying?

[3:09] Joe Carroll: So yeah, of course, as you know, we still don't have any official sponsorship for the show.

[3:15] Dan Tracy: No ads.

[3:16] Joe Carroll: Which actually I think has been great because we haven't had to stop the flow of the show for any reason or to bring in any outside influence.

[3:26] Dan Tracy: We can kind of just tell the stories we want to tell and be the people we want to be, which makes for a nice like casual environment for you guys and for us.

[3:34] Joe Carroll: And so if you want to support us, if you have the means to support us, if you can find it in your heart to support us in this difficult time, we'd appreciate it.

[3:46] Dan Tracy: We totally understand if you can't, but we'd appreciate it. And we've recently set up a Patreon page. You can go on there, you can see the different tiers of opportunities for you to support the show and we'd totally appreciate it.

[3:58] Joe Carroll: And it would help us keep things going and keep growing the show.

[4:03] Dan Tracy: Exactly. And we just wanted to provide like even more access, even more stuff. And so, you know, on there, you know, for small fees, access to us, access to merch, access to, you know, special, you know, special access to our guests and various things.

[4:19] Joe Carroll: It's all there. But it just would support us to continue to make the show and not have to give you a bunch of Squarespace ads in between us talking and our guests talking.

[4:29] Dan Tracy: So it's something we're trying. If it doesn't work out, then we'll stop it. But we thought that this could be a cool way for us to continue to keep the show going.

[4:38] Joe Carroll: And, you know, we'll see. But there's some cool stuff on there from coaching, you know, coaching with Dan and I to sitting in on interviews.

[4:46] Dan Tracy: If you wanted to be a guest and be live with us as we interview people, we're just kind of giving away some stuff like that.

[4:51] Joe Carroll: Yeah. And just a little plug here. I am going to be going live next week on the Facebook group, No Marking, doing a masterclass on self taping and creating content and answering questions and stuff there.

[5:07] Dan Tracy: For those of you who don't know, No Marking is a community of artists and performers. This was set up by our guest, Kate Lumpkin. And there's about 5000 people on there. And she's got two or three classes every single day running for free to help provide services for artists during this time.

[5:27] Joe Carroll: So I think it's super awesome. It moved really fast. And it's I was just watching Vishal Vadia teach me how to riff, which, you know, it's going to take a little longer than an hour. But he was trying.

[5:40] Dan Tracy: You need more help with that.

[5:41] Joe Carroll: But I think you're starting somewhere.

[5:44] Dan Tracy: That's amazing.

[5:45] Joe Carroll: Yeah. So I'm going to be going live there next week. And so you can check on my personal pages to get more info on that.

[5:52] Dan Tracy: That's awesome.

[5:53] Joe Carroll: One final plug for the Bandstand movie. It is still streaming. So you can check that out. I got a chance to watch it again last weekend. It was really fun. And it was really fun to see Corey and everybody.

[6:06] Dan Tracy: So that's still on Playbill through the weekend. Check it out if you haven't.

[6:10] Joe Carroll: Can you only watch it on Playbill or can you somehow get it on your TV?

[6:15] Dan Tracy: You can you can like cast it to your TV. If you have an Apple TV, you got an HDMI cord or something. But it is only on Playbill's online platform.

[6:24] Joe Carroll: So but we were able to cast it to our TV in my house, my wife's house. We're quarantining. Mom, you got to use Airplay.

[6:32] Dan Tracy: It's called Airplay. This is me officially answering your text message.

[6:39] Joe Carroll: Yeah, so that's kind of what we what we got. And again, Robyn is such such a light. We laughed so much through this episode.

[6:44] Dan Tracy: It's really fun.

[6:49] Joe Carroll: It's really silly. And we hope you enjoy the ultra fierce hashtag triple threat.

[6:56] Dan Tracy: Robyn Hurder. Here we go.

[7:12] Joe Carroll: Well, Robyn, thank you for joining us. This is amazing. What is that? What's the drink? What is the yellow drink that we see?

[7:18] Robyn Hurder: No, it looks abnormally yellow right now. But it's literally just pineapple juice with tequila, vodka, gin, rum, triple sec.

[7:36] Joe Carroll: Just pineapple juice.

[7:41] Robyn Hurder: And the good part is I made I did. I did a cup of vodka, a cup of gin, a cup of tequila, rum, triple sec, cup of simple syrup and a cup of pineapple juice. And you have a really well mixed drink.

[7:55] Joe Carroll: Balance.

[7:59] Robyn Hurder: Yes, yes. So it's just balance.

[8:02] Joe Carroll: Totally. How are you? So it sounds like you're making it through the quarantine okay.

[8:05] Robyn Hurder: Yeah, my quarantine is great. No, I'm pretty fortunate. I'm pretty fortunate right now to be up where I live with the mountains and nature and land. And I'm able to, you know, actually step outside and feel free.

[8:25] Joe Carroll: Where do you live?

[8:26] Robyn Hurder: I live in Woodbury. If you know where the Woodbury Commons are, you know, it's like an hour north of the city. If you just go straight up the Palisades, then once you go into the Bear Mountain area, you head west. I'm like 10 minutes that way.

[8:42] Dan Tracy: It's like to midtown. It's like with no traffic. It's an hour and five minutes.

[8:48] Robyn Hurder: Yeah. See, like hot take the best place to live in New York is not totally in Manhattan or Brooklyn because it's you have the same commute as somebody who lives far out in Brooklyn.

[8:57] Dan Tracy: That's the thing. I mean, you have like a real life.

[9:00] Robyn Hurder: It is a real life. And I mean, when I lived, we lived in Washington Heights for years and years and years. And there are days with that a train that it was door to door, like 55 minutes of.

[9:14] Dan Tracy: Right, right.

[9:14] Robyn Hurder: I'm like, I would much rather be driving in my car and add an extra if there is traffic, an extra 20 minutes to be in the comfort of my own car where I could listen to my own music, not be near anybody else.

[9:27] Dan Tracy: Right.

[9:27] Robyn Hurder: And live on, you know, almost two acres of land and a really big house and have deer and bunny and birds.

[9:34] Dan Tracy: I love.

[9:35] Robyn Hurder: Yeah, you're speaking to Dan's like this is what Dan's heaven is like he's he right now him and his girlfriend are quarantining in their apartment and he's looking up house listings near you every day.

[9:46] Dan Tracy: A lot of people are right now. I was like, wow, we need to get out.

[9:50] Robyn Hurder: But you're healthy and you're doing all right. And your juice is getting you through.

[9:55] Dan Tracy: I mean, I was I was pretty shy about it at first. I didn't I didn't want to mention it because in the beginning, because I don't know why maybe I have this like I'm a superhero and I won't be taken down. But I was I am talking about now. But I did. I was tested positive for COVID-19.

[10:15] Robyn Hurder: And it was our whole our whole cast got pretty. I mean, it's we were supposed to kind of be a little, you know, hush hush. And I'll, you know, save the details about it. But our cast was pretty was pretty hit with it. Some cases a lot worse than others.

[10:30] Dan Tracy: For me, I'm a bad source of judgment for myself because I'm like, yeah, I'm fine. I'm always I'm always like, oh, yeah, I'm not sick. I'm not sick. And now that now looking back at it, I was like, whoa, there were a couple of scary days just with the breathing.

[10:49] Robyn Hurder: But yeah, now that I'm fully recovered, I'm like, wow, that was that was not OK. But yeah, it's a weird it's a weird virus. And I just hope it I hope everybody stays smart and stays home.

[11:05] Joe Carroll: Well, I think that someone like you is that you're actually kind of the worst person to get this disease because of that. Like like when we were in rehearsal for, you know, watching you rehearse, Roxanne, and your pain tolerance is kind of unbelievable.

[11:20] Robyn Hurder: You're like, you're like, so my toes are on fire because Ricky just dragged me across the floor forty five times. You're working on this this number. And so and you're like, I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. So I can imagine you're like you're like, I can't really breathe, but I'm fine.

[11:36] Robyn Hurder: But I'm fine. It's fine. My client had to my husband had to tell at say to me on the third day of me because it was up to a point like I couldn't if you could hear me breathe now, like I couldn't do that without having a spasm, like an immediate reaction. Now, it was that bad.

[11:53] Dan Tracy: It's and it's nothing I've ever had no other kind of flu or respiratory thing. It was just this restriction that you weren't it wasn't allowing you to breathe properly, which was the scary part.

[12:03] Robyn Hurder: And for like three days, it kept getting worse and worse. And Clyde said, if it's any worse or it stays the same tomorrow, we're going to the hospital. And I was like, I'm fine. I'm going to be OK.

[12:14] Robyn Hurder: And fortunately, the next day I had this testing for about six days. And then the next day was when I was like, oh my God, I can actually go a little bit before I went into a spasm. And it kept getting better and better. But yeah, basically, I've been good for like eight days now, eight, nine days, I think. And yeah, grateful for my lungs, grateful for my health and constantly sending out good energy to people that I know, people I don't know that are suffering with this like much worse than I did.

[12:42] Dan Tracy: So, yeah, it's totally scary.

[12:46] Joe Carroll: Yeah, such a such a thing. I mean, and we've seen now more and more shows that I mean, there's no way that it wasn't going to kind of run rampant through shows. I mean, everybody's just on top of each other all the time.

[12:56] Robyn Hurder: Yeah. You know, but, you know, usually it's just like the seasonal flu or, you know, one person gets a sinus infection and then 30 people get sinus infections.

[13:04] Dan Tracy: Right.

[13:05] Robyn Hurder: This is very different.

[13:06] Joe Carroll: It's very different.

[13:07] Robyn Hurder: And also it comes and goes and it lasts a span. I mean, my first symptoms were March 10th and I was tested positive on the 16th and I wasn't fully feeling okay until March 27th.

[13:20] Dan Tracy: Wow.

[13:21] Robyn Hurder: Yeah. And it's like a phantom. It like comes and I'm like, I mean, to be honest, I was like, I don't know. This is so bad, but I don't care. I was like, babe, I don't know if it's Corona or if I'm hungover.

[13:38] Dan Tracy: It's so awful, but I'm like, all we do is just sit and drink. And I'm like, I'm fine. I had a lot of wine last night. I'm like, I don't know. But I'm like, my hips feel like there are two sledgehammers like hammering at it. And then it wasn't until I, you know, took my temperature and it was like 100 for like seven days. Like at 100, I was like, oh, I think it's the Corona. And then I got this positive result. So anyway, but I'm good now.

[14:06] Robyn Hurder: Cheers.

[14:07] Dan Tracy: Yeah, you're good now.

[14:08] Joe Carroll: Cheers.

[14:15] Robyn Hurder: But we were texting about that like the morning when you wake up because really all that we're doing really a lot of us are sitting around drinking trying to pass the time because what do you just do? It's like it really helps and to just get to happy hour which can be, it's like when that sun starts to tip towards the west. I'm not kidding, I'm literally like where's that change in the lights? Yes, can I switch from my coffee now? Okay, here we go. It's so true, there's a couple hours but there's a couple in a couple days where you just, you switch and you wake up in the morning and you're like oh my god, I'm dead, this is it, this is corona. And it's like no, no, you just drank a bottle of wine, Joe, that's what that looks like.

Anyway, so we're all just doing the best that we can. I have a thing, I have a mug, this, um, we'll start drinking at the end of the interview. I thought I could at least get some questions out and then we can start. I'm good, I'm just drinking water. I'm not, I started drinking two hours ago, but it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. Joe and I were actually productive for the first time in five years today, so that was, we actually got a little bit, we got a little work done, that's good. But I also have a six-year-old that I also, by the way, yes, FYI, I am a homeschool teacher now.

[15:38] Joe Carroll: God bless. How is that going?

[15:40] Robyn Hurder: Yes, it's terrible. Like, it's terrible. Like, I'm not supposed to be a school teacher. I could be a dance teacher, like I totally, I've taught, that was my only job growing up as a teenager. But like giving him, also he does common core for math, so is that the new math? What the hell? Literally, why? Yeah, my genius 46-year-old brother sending him pictures being like this is my kindergartner's math. What is it? Like, what's not mad? I don't, I took calculus in high school and I'm like looking at this, I'm like wait, huh? What do you mean they changed math?

[16:21] Joe Carroll: Yeah, you know what, that's incredible too. That's what he says in Incredibles 2, when did they change math? It's like two plus two is four and it just is because it is, you know what I mean? It's like don't tell me, it's like they're turning this math into English, like you've got to write an essay about it. And that's why I always, I always aced English because I could bullshit my way through everything. I hated math because I'm like I hate that there's one answer and now they're like explain why two and two is four and how many ways can you have four? Three plus one is four or three and one? I'm just like guys, two plus two is four.

[17:02] Robyn Hurder: Yeah, so exactly. But yeah, it's difficult because my son's very energetic and sassy and we're very connected and in tune with each other's energies and we are literally like two goats just butting heads at all times and it's a challenge. It just, it blows, I don't like it. Yeah, I love my son. I think it was Shonda Rhimes who was the first one to tweet like, you know, I've homeschooled my kids for one hour and I think that all teachers should make a billion dollars a year.

[17:35] Joe Carroll: Yeah, I don't know how they, I don't know how they do it with 19, like there's 19 kids in his class. I'm like how?

[17:42] Robyn Hurder: Yeah, how do they handle you alone, right? Plus 18, I'm just, anyway, but it's a challenge. But I just try to get that over with as quickly as I can and bribe him, bribe him in so many ways. Just sit down and just do it, just get it over because he is, he's brilliant. He's actually really smart, which I'm like where did you get that? Because Clive and I are fine, like we're like we're fine. Like I was, I am not like a genius, okay? I'm real, real artist, we're fine. I'm like totally average as a smarty.

[18:13] Joe Carroll: Um, but he is, he's brilliant, he's top of his class, but he's a hot, he's a mess. Like his behavior is atrocious because he has so much energy and he's bouncing off the walls, but he's brilliant. So he just gets this stuff done so fast and I'm like okay, so you finished all your work in an hour and now what do we do? You know what I mean? It's like, and we all don't get a break because we can't, I can't give them to anybody. It's like really rough and I don't have a job that I'm just, I'm here all the time. And I mean it's amazing, I've always wanted this time with my family because when you're in a show schedule it's like you just are, especially where I live, there's so much time dedicated to commuting, like literally basically four hours a day and or three hours a day.

And I, this is what I wanted, but it's just like, you know, the balance gets off and same for my husband. We all need an outlet to like get out and do something for us and then come back and yeah, I mean totally, totally.

[19:14] Joe Carroll: Well, and I, it's kind of a nice, I love hearing about the family stuff because I remember when we were closing in Boston, you were like I'm so excited to go home and to be a mom and to be a wife and to be part of like, you know, because you, we missed our families for that whole experience obviously, you know. And so it was great to, I'm sure get back, but now it's like okay, well now the balance is all strange.

[19:37] Robyn Hurder: It's literally like these scales that you just want to keep even and it's like, and I've been asking for it. I'm like God, I just want to spend more time with my son, spend more time with my family. And now it's just completely shifted and it's, you know, I'm sure everybody's feeling this way. But it is, it is really, really nice. The one thing I do love, waking up, having my mornings with my family, spending these gorgeous days. We've been hiking so much in our mountains and also like I finally get to really cook again, which I love, love cooking. So I've been cooking and eating so much and when I'm cooking and eating, I'm thinking about what am I going to cook and eat next and it's just a, it's just a hamster wheel of just what am I gonna eat next because this is exciting. I mean, it's my day.

[20:29] Joe Carroll: That's amazing.

[20:30] Robyn Hurder: But that's, that's that. I just love that everybody leans on what they really love during this time, you know? And so I find that, you know, people are, I'm trying to cook, people I love to cook and people are trying to cook and you know, so it's eating a ton and drinking a ton and we're just, they're just going to roll us out of quarantine and back onto Broadway stages.

[20:49] Joe Carroll: Well, in a couple of weeks and months.

[20:55] Robyn Hurder: Today I woke up and I felt my belly jiggle as I walked and I said to myself, you officially can't zip up that corset. Like that's what I thought and I said reel it in, Hurder, reel it in. So I went for a three and a half mile run, did some crunches. I went downstairs, I have a basement like a dance studio in my basement so I can dance. So I was doing some choreography, but I have to like reel it in because that corset, she's not zipping at this point. Not, I'm not, it's bad. She's bad.

[21:31] Joe Carroll: That's all right, that's all right, that's all right. Everybody gets a free pass in the quarantine, you know?

[21:36] Robyn Hurder: And actually, we'll talk to the costume designer and we'll get some new, we'll get some baggy shirts and some sweatpants for the first two weeks of Moulin Rouge when you guys are back.

[21:47] Joe Carroll: Seriously, I'm a little nervous.

[21:51] Robyn Hurder: Whatever, whatever. Have you stayed in touch with people? How's the show? How are the people in the show?

[21:57] Joe Carroll: I mean, I've kept in touch with some. Everybody seems to be on the mend. The people who, you know, were tested positive, everybody seems to be good and happy. Obviously, I think everyone's enjoying their time, but I think like me, I, of course I love seeing people's faces on the screen. Like I love seeing your face, Joe, like I'm seeing a while. I love, you know, Max, Max and I, we try to FaceTime as much as we can, but I'm like what I'm missing is an actual, like a real energy of a human being, like a human body in front of me or around me except for my son and my husband. It's like I think that's probably what everyone's really missing is that we're just, it's like it's literally Groundhog Day and the days are flying by.

Like I cannot believe we're almost half a month. Like it seems like yesterday I had a full beat on and they called a meeting at one o'clock on a Thursday afternoon on March 12th and they were like okay, so we've decided to cancel both shows today. And I was like okay, and I'm walking out of the theater and I'm calling Clive and I'm like well shows are canceled today so I'm coming home. And he was like yay, but what's going on? And I'm like I don't know, but I don't think it's good. And now we're literally in what, this Sunday is a month? I mean it's nuts how fast the time is going by and it's just day in, day out. You wake up, you make the most of your day and with your family and then you go to bed and you wake up and do it again, you know what I mean?

So I think everyone, everyone that I've talked to from the cast, that everyone's trying to find a way to whether they're working on a project, doing stuff online, you know, putting it out there for the socials. But after a while, you know, the novelty of this new change wears off. Also, it's really freaking scary what's happening.

[24:01] Joe Carroll: Right, of course.

[24:02] Robyn Hurder: Like we want to go back to the normal. This isn't necessarily fun, this new norm. So I think everybody is, it's probably now getting a little like okay, we need to go back, like we need to get back to work and you know.

[24:08] Joe Carroll: Yeah, well let's go back. That's actually, that's a great way, you know, segue to just like let's talk about it. Let's talk about Robyn and Broadway and how the hell you got here and the Moulin Rouge in general. I think we could save some of that till the end, Dan, just remind me because I could talk about Moulin Rouge kind of forever with all the insanity that we went through creating it downtown and in Boston.

[24:37] Robyn Hurder: Also, Robyn Hurder is not allowed inside Fenway Park anymore and we, and I'm not gonna tell you why, but so we'll save that for the end. But I want to know how you got started. How did you, you said you were teaching dance and you know, in high school and things, but what, what how did you come up through the ranks and everything?

[25:00] Robyn Hurder: Well, I started, I started, okay, I saw the show Cats when I was six. Let's go, that classic, that classic B. That's just like she sees the white kitty and says I want to dance. So my mom put me in a dance class because she also said all I would do was just run around like a crazy person dancing all the time. She had, you know, she brought me into this dance school. She's like she's nuts, just, she's got all this dancing energy, just do something with it to organize it. And I'm like huh, sounds familiar. Yeah, nothing has changed. And so yeah, she, I started dancing when I was seven and I really loved it. And then I knew I always wanted to be on Broadway after I saw the revival of Damn Yankees when I was 11.

[25:54] Joe Carroll: I love that.

[25:55] Robyn Hurder: Yep, that's me. I need to do it one day. But that's what made me like, I was like oh my god, that's my calling. Like literally I saw Baby Doris and I'm like that's what I need to do when I grow up. When I'm 11, that's normal. I'm like oh my god.

[26:11] Joe Carroll: And thunder belts.

[26:12] Robyn Hurder: Yeah, playing the devil. And I haven't changed, I never looked back. Yeah, so I started, I, you know, taught dance through high school and I obviously was taking dance all the time. I really focused on ballet because that's what I knew I needed to be, you know, because I was mainly like dancer forward. And then when I was 17, I started to sing. So I'm like oh, I realized I need to like sing in order to do this. And then I just kind of like, you know, I never really took voice lessons. I just kind of like taught myself through listening to music, all different kinds of music. I wanted to go to college for a second and I knew I didn't want to go to a conservatory just because it was too much of one focus on musical theater. I wanted to be around like all kinds of people. So I went to University of New Hampshire and, great hockey school.

[27:13] Joe Carroll: Yeah, it's a great hockey school, great drinking school. I think when I was there it was like ranked number 11 party schools in the nation and definitely took advantage of that.

[27:18] Robyn Hurder: Michigan was way low on that list, so we don't know what you're talking about. Exactly.

[27:25] Robyn Hurder: So, oh my god, my son's gonna come, so please.

[27:32] Joe Carroll: Oh, that'd be fun if he wants to come.

[27:39] Robyn Hurder: No, no, I'm just gonna, only if he's in his Power Ranger costume.

[27:43] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[27:44] Robyn Hurder: Anyway, so I knew I did my first year and I thought I wanted to go back to my sophomore year and the minute I went back to my sophomore year, I realized that I made a mistake. And the beginning of my second semester of my sophomore year, I saw all these auditions online and I asked my mom if I could go and just audition in New York for a week. And she goes, yeah, sure, go ahead, do it. This is what you want. I said, okay. So when I went, I auditioned, I had like this string of beginners luck and I got like five jobs. Never happened again, but I really, I just, I knocked him out. I was like cool. And I said, mom, can I take one? And she goes, yes, this is easy. I was like, this is amazing because I didn't know any better. I was just like I'm so sick, I'm so sick of hearing people.

[28:30] Robyn Hurder: Tell me how to audition. I would rather just do it. I'm a doer. I learn by doing.

[28:34] Joe Carroll: Right.

[28:35] Robyn Hurder: And so I took a cruise ship that went to Europe. And at 19 years old, I got to see the Baltic, Mediterranean, Scandinavia. It was really, really amazing. I came back. That's when I decided to move to New York. And then I got the national tour, Starlight Express.

[28:54] Joe Carroll: Yes. Oh, my gosh.

[28:58] Robyn Hurder: And I was on a road escape for 18 months. That's when I got my equity card. After Starlight Express, that's when I went back to Main Street Music Theater, which I grew up doing summer stock at. And that's where I met, re-met my now husband. And then after that, I went back to New York and I got Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, my first Broadway show. And I just kind of kept going.

[29:25] Joe Carroll: Kept stringing it together.

[29:27] Robyn Hurder: Just because I wish I could have it again, but it's impossible, right? As you grow up in this business and you develop all these insecurities and these fears and worries. I really had such an open mind and I didn't know any better that I just had such a pure love for musical theater and the business. The business back when I was 21. And I was like, Oh, my God, the business. And I'm like, these fucking people.

[29:56] Joe Carroll: I know.

[29:57] Robyn Hurder: So I think that's why I did so well. I was just overlapping jobs, right? I mean, I did Chitty, then I did Spam Lot Tour, then I did Wedding Singer, and then Chicago, and then Grease. And then I got a Chorus Line tour. And then I didn't work for three years.

[30:15] Joe Carroll: Nice.

[30:16] Robyn Hurder: Oh, yeah.

[30:17] Joe Carroll: Then I went crazy.

[30:20] Robyn Hurder: I wanted to just, because I want to know about that. Because we always talk about what it's, the unemployment is real and really difficult.

[30:28] Joe Carroll: Very real.

[30:29] Robyn Hurder: You worked at Main State. Were you working at Main State in high school?

[30:32] Robyn Hurder: I was, yeah. I did my very first musical, Grease, there in '99.

[30:41] Joe Carroll: Nice. Because that seems like it would be a great place to cut your teeth and to really you probably learned very early that the business aspect of the business.

[30:50] Robyn Hurder: I did because I was considered a local because I was from Maine. I live 45 minutes from the theater. So I wasn't considered an intern, which I did. I was an intern like three years later. But I wasn't considered an intern. So I didn't have to go by the intern roles, which is like, that's a lot. So they kind of treated me as equity. So I would have my lunch breaks and my breaks with equity, with the equity folk. And I literally just asked them all the questions and learned, literally learned about the business through the principals who were playing in groups.

[31:29] Joe Carroll: Yeah, the leads.

[31:29] Robyn Hurder: Yeah. So and that's how I learned. And then the next year I went back and I did Victoria as a local. And then the next year I volunteered. I'm like, I want to be an intern. I want to figure out how this whole thing works. I want to do the grunt work. I want to paint sets. I want to do all this. I mean, I slightly regretted it once I got myself into it. I'm like, you want me to do what? You want me to rip things out? I was like, I just want to kick my leg and sing. And that was the year actually I was 19. I was an intern. That was the year I met Clyde. And I didn't really talk to him. I was just obsessed with him. But he was there as an equity actor. And I was 19. And I was just like, God, it's Clyde Owls. I'm a music man.

[32:14] Joe Carroll: Oh my God.

[32:15] Robyn Hurder: And then how did you reconnect?

[32:17] Robyn Hurder: So I literally... It was like a joke. When we were doing shows, I was like, I'd go into the girls' dressing room and be like, guys, Clyde just put a hand on me. Or Clyde just said hi to me today. But we never, ever talked. He leaves. I finish out the season doing Footloose or something. And three years go by, no contact whatsoever. And then I end up... That's after Starlight. When I got my equity card, I called up Main State and said, hey, I'm an equity member now. Do you need a dancer? And they said, yeah, of course. Come do Follies and Brigadoon and Kiss Me Kate. I was like, great. And that's when Clyde came back.

[32:55] Joe Carroll: And I was older.

[33:02] Robyn Hurder: And I was like, oh, this is mine now.

[33:03] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[33:03] Robyn Hurder: Oh, I actually really... I think I'm actually in love with him. And after three years of not having any contact with him, and that was it. And I literally forced him. I was like, no, no, you're mine. And he submitted.

[33:22] Joe Carroll: Anyway.

[33:23] Robyn Hurder: But all these years later.

[33:24] Joe Carroll: And now we've been together... This summer will be 16 years. Married 11.

[33:30] Robyn Hurder: Oh my God.

[33:31] Joe Carroll: Child. It's good. It's all good. And we still really, really, really like each other, which is important. You obviously love your person, but you have to still really like them. That's very important.

[33:43] Robyn Hurder: I just love that. I love that so much. I mean, you guys are... It's stupid in the age of social media, but it's like the goals, you know, when you're like... Because also my wife is obsessed with you, which is really fun. And I told you that when we started working together. Alex is completely obsessed with Robin Hurter because she would stalk her in the early days of YouTube. It was like there were videos of you out there. And she was like... So when we started working together, Alex was like, oh my God, you're working with Robin Hurter? I saw her in The Wedding Singer. It was my first Broadway show. And I'm obsessed with her.

[34:12] Robyn Hurder: Oh my God.

[34:13] Joe Carroll: That's so crazy.

[34:15] Robyn Hurder: Yeah. And I was like, wait, what? Robin?

[34:20] Joe Carroll: She's a mess.

[34:21] Robyn Hurder: I don't know, man. She had 14 beers at The Magician on the Lower East Side last night. So I don't know what you're talking about.

[34:30] Joe Carroll: Oh, man. Yeah. I'm keeping it real at all times.

[34:37] Robyn Hurder: I just love that. And I just... I mean, we can jump right a little bit because now you're in New York and we sort of cut away from the unemployment phase. You strung together a bunch of jobs and then... Was it really three years?

[34:51] Robyn Hurder: Yeah. So basically, I am what you would call a typecast, let's say, for a dumb, blonde floozy in those 1920s to 50s shows. I always had a blonde wig on my head and being a little slut. Like Marty. I'm very, very typecast. And once I got Cassie in A Chorus Line and I did the tour for a year, I came back to New York and I was like, okay, I am more than these character floozy chorus girls from Brooklyn, that whole thing. But me saying that, I really messed myself up with thinking what I was right for. I came back. Also, I was doing Cassie when I shouldn't have been doing Cassie. I should have been doing Val. That's exactly what I should have been doing. And I was offered it. I was up for Cassie.

I didn't get it. Then they were like, well, do you want to do Val? And I was like, duh. Because my husband, Clyde, was cast as Mike already. And then I couldn't get out of my Grease contract because I had two months left and I had signed a year. So I lost out. Clyde went off on the first six months of the tour. And then they came back and they said, hey, let's do Cassie. Or do you want to do Cassie? And I said, okay. But I never felt like that's what I should be doing. Because I've just been very privileged as an actor so far. I just jumped from one job to another job to another job. And I really care about the show. And I care about this woman, Cassie. And I'm like, I have no idea. I feel like I need to live it.

And I don't know. I am just saying things that I feel like should have actually happened to me as Robin. And so I did a good faker for a year. That's how I say. I'm like, I can sing it. I can dance it. And I can act it. I said words with a certain tone and a certain emotion on my face to me. But I don't think I was right at 27 years old doing a role. And I come back to New York and I felt like crap after the tour because I was so worn down. But I was like, oh, I'm going to do Cassie now. Or I'm going to do roles like Cassie. I'm going to be like I'm a real woman. And I just like Zoom crash failed on every audition. I couldn't get a call back. I would walk into rooms like the desperation was getting so bad.

I could look down at my legs and my dress and the material on my dress was tremoring, like it was shivering because I was so nervous and insecure and I had no idea. And it was literally from the end of 2009 to 2012 when I started... Nice work. You can get it. Where I did not. I did not work at all. Nothing. I just I mean, thank God Clyde. He just like hit the pavement. He did. You know, anything goes. He was he was working like he was making sure that we had some sort of money coming because we were newlyweds. We got married on the Coruscant tour. So it wasn't until nice work came around and I went back to playing a floozy. But you know what? I realized that that at my age, I was what, 30. I really realized I know how to make a floozy smart as an actress. And that's when I started to really figure out that I'm an actress. You're not just like a dumb blonde who sings and acts. You know what I mean? Trying to get laughs.

[38:49] Joe Carroll: Yeah, exactly. So that kind of boosted up my confidence a little bit.

[38:54] Robyn Hurder: But then my uterus started kicking and I was like, I need to have a baby. And then I got all excited. I was like, I need more than this. And then I had a baby.

[39:06] Joe Carroll: Well, and but then you got to play Cassie again.

[39:12] Robyn Hurder: And this was the real blessing is that when and I will never forget. It's one of the best days, you know, when you get a call that you're gonna be on Broadway. Like that call that you're like, I'm going to make it's it's it's the best day. It's the best feeling. It is the best day. It's the best feeling. I was going apple picking. This was in 2018 September of 2000. Yeah, end of September 2018. And I get a call from my agent being like, I'm hesitant to tell you this. But basically, if this person who they've wanted for this Cassie in city center, if she's going to pull out, it's in the next two hours, and they're just going to offer it to you. And I remember going out, I was in the car on our on our way to apple picking in Warwick.

And I literally like went numb. And I knew it was going to happen. Like I had this feeling. I was like, I think this is going to happen for me. As the only time I always wanted to do the role again, only in New York. And I was like, well, my chances are none because they're not revived, reviving it when I'm of age. When I get through it. I was like, I'm like getting a little long in the tooth. I was like, let me. But yeah, he he said that. And I was just like, okay. And that night, you know, we went apple picking. I was thinking about it, but I kind of put it away. And that night I was making an apple pie. And I got an email saying, here's your offer. And I immediately started crying. I couldn't even speak.

I just took the phone and put it in Clyde space. And I'm on my knees crying. And I'm like, I'm going to do it in New York City. Like I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it at 30 pounds, like 36 years old. Like I'm going to do it when I should be doing it. I know who this woman is now. Like I I've I've gone through it. I've gone crazy, nuts, insecure, throwing myself on my bed screaming. I've become a wife since last time I've done. I've become a mother. I've not worked for three years. I understand this business so much more that it was such such a gift to go back and do these what five performances. And it was I I actually don't know if anything will touch it. Like that week of performing this role at City Center was my always be like the ultimate of my career.

Like it was it was magical. And I'm so, so, so grateful to be able to get that gift again of playing the ultimate role for a female who is like, you've got to be a dancer, dancer, dancer, play your your vote, your vote. And you got to you have to really know how to say those words. And I got to do it on New York City audiences. And it was amazing. It was amazing. And there was a full blown stop the show standing ovation after music in the mirror on the closing night performance. I didn't even know. I sat in the front row, cried like a little child because it was one of the coolest things. I have like my top five. And like that was absolutely in my top five theatrical moments of my whole life because I knew that most of that story. I didn't realize that you had had like you guys got married on the tour. Like I mean, this is a this is just so basically grew up. But like, yeah, through life in the.

[42:46] Robyn Hurder: How long was it? 10 years? 10 years. It was a decade. And yeah, that moment, I didn't even realize that people stood up when at the end of the show. He's like, Hey, Tony Yazbeck comes up and he goes, Hey, standing ovation, he gave me a hug. And I go, What? He goes, you know, they all stood up for you. And I go, and I broke down crying. I'm like, I didn't know. I just knew. I'm trained to hold that pose by arc says you do not break it until you start to hear the applause die. You stay there. And I just held it and I held it. And then it's funny because I'm in so much pain and I'm so fatigued from holding it, right? That I didn't, I was also emotional because everyone just kept like clapping. So I was crying because I broke down because I'm like, Oh my gosh, this is so emotional, but I'm actually in so much pain as well because I used it so hard because it was my last time and I'm like, this is the last time I'm doing this fucking dance. I'm like, I'm going to get it. So anyway, but it was the best. It was just the best moment. Best.

[43:58] Joe Carroll: So can I want to go back just a second? What do you think it was in that coming out of that three-year process that led you to have more confidence to have better auditions and turn the corner out of that period of unemployment? Is there something you can point to aside from just feeling more confident?

[44:09] Robyn Hurder: I mean, the reason, okay, so there's, I always feel like you, I mean, you guys might know that or experience this when you have a job, you automatically feel a little bit like the pressure is lifted a little bit. Like when you're going in for stuff, when you already have a Broadway gig or, you know, a long-standing gig, you already have that confidence behind you. And I'm like, oh, it's okay. So that alone, that takes so much pressure off. And it's amazing that that type of energy that's taken away from you across the table or behind the table, they don't sense that anymore. So they're like, oh, great. They're immediately already more intrigued because they're not sensing your desperation, all of your insecurities.

So basically from Nice Work, well, I mean, for me really, which is kind of an interesting thing, I had a baby and I was out of work. I mean, I was, you know, basically I was really fat for a long time. Like I breastfed for a year and all those cute girls are like, oh my God, breastfeeding just takes the weight right off. I was not that gal. And I was a fluffy muffin for a long, long, long time. And it wasn't until I, it was basically two years that I auditioned for a couple of things. And but I was really like staying at home. But I will say having a baby changed the game for me because you really don't give a fuck anymore. You're like, I have a human. So that automatically lifts so much off your shoulders.

Also, I knew that like I had my husband that was providing at the time, like he was working and I was like, it's okay, it's okay. But also like you walk into that room being like, I don't have time for this shit. Like I have to go, like I have to go. Yeah, right. Right. Like I have, you know what I mean? And that literally was the best thing that could have happened to me because I'm doing better. I'm doing way better now at Post Baby than I was beforehand. And my whole outlook on life now is and the business is better because I'm like, you know, I kind of have that edge like I don't have time for the shit. You know what I mean? Right. But also you have this fire in you that you want to work harder because you look at the space and you're like, I want to give you the best goddamn life I can possibly give you.

And that automatically fuels this desire and this determination and this drive even more. So for me, and I think a lot of moms like I've seen so many moms who are my age that, you know, had a baby when they like turned 30, 31, and then they're coming back and they're better than ever. And I swear to God, it's because you have that child and you're like, you're doing this not for yourself anymore. You are because you love it, but you're doing it because you're like, I have this purpose. I need to work.

[47:32] Joe Carroll: Oh my God. Sorry, I'm going on a tantrum. Does that answer your question?

[47:36] Robyn Hurder: No, that was beautiful. Absolutely. No, that was like 16 times over. I know. That was like the most amazing thing. I will just keep talking and go and go off.

[47:40] Joe Carroll: No, no, no, no. I'm gonna go ask Alex if she wants to have a baby.

[47:46] Robyn Hurder: You guys, you guys should have a baby.

[47:52] Joe Carroll: No, we want to.

[47:57] Robyn Hurder: Yeah. You heard it here first. Yes. No, we definitely do. But that's like the world. But that's the world's greatest like, like, you know, there's an old ad is that children bring wealth like that's the, you know, and that there's a focus to that that is just so amazing to hear because yeah, like we go on auditions and we're like, but then you have this thing that's looking at you like, you know, I want a new Hot Wheels set. You're like, I want to buy you the Hot Wheels set. You know, it's so yeah.

[48:17] Robyn Hurder: And I will say I'm speaking to Hudson in particular, I will say because this was the best advice and I give it to every single friend, colleague that is ever thinking of having a child and they're worried because of this business. Kelly O'Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It when I was really like, I was, I was, the clock was ticking and Kelly, I was telling her about all my fears. I'm like, oh my God, but I just, I'm originating a Broadway role and I've got this momentum, but I not necessarily, I feel empty inside and she goes, Robin, you're never going to have enough money. It's never going to be the right time and there's always going to be a job you're going to miss out on. And if you just go by that, you're never going to, if you're stuck on that, you're never going to have a baby.

Just do it. It always works out. And that's why I tell anybody, I'm like, it's never going to be the right time. You always going to have more money and there will always be a job. But guess what? Look at me now. Look at me now. I'm Mimi on Broadway. It takes a little time, but it's like, look, I'm doing, I can't believe it. I can't believe it. The gift I have now, and I was so worried as a 30-year-old, I was just like, oh my God, what about the business? Well, I'm going to lose all my momentum and just crash and burn and never work again. And now I'm like, look at what I just accomplished after a baby and look what I'm doing to my body. Damn.

[49:42] Joe Carroll: Yeah. It seems like the more I talk to people, the more it's like the business will always be there.

[49:48] Robyn Hurder: Mm hmm.

[49:48] Joe Carroll: Yeah. Like you need to go and just like do what you need to do for your life. Like, even if it's not having a baby, even if it's like, I'm just going to move home to be with my parents in Arkansas, like go do what you got to do. It's all good. And then you can come back. It's not going anywhere.

[50:03] Robyn Hurder: You're so right. It is because it's like, yeah, you're going to miss out on a role. But guess what? Then in whatever, five years, there's your role. They are supposed to do. That's what you're actually meant to do. It's the universe, man. The universe has its timing, this law of attraction and this energy that's like orbiting around us, man. It's all about timing.

[50:24] Joe Carroll: That's for sure. And so with you are motherfucking Nene on Broadway, which is just like the greatest thing I've ever heard. I know a bit of this, obviously, but what did the Moulin Rouge film mean to you? What was that property for you before you got involved with the musical?

[50:47] Robyn Hurder: I tell this story a lot, but I never get tired of telling it because it's so exciting to me still. I was 19 when the movie came out. I saw the movie on opening weekend when I was an intern at Main State Music Theater. I went with my boyfriend. Remember, I was obsessed with Clyde Alves, but I had a boyfriend for three years. He was a high school boyfriend. Anyway, I went with my boyfriend and we sat in this tiny little theater on Main Street in Brunswick, Maine, and I watched it and I obviously was obsessed with it. But it wasn't until Roxanne happened and Caroline O'Connor, she started... I literally still get chills thinking about it. She starts spreading out in that Roxanne scene with the Argentinian, and I started shaking.

Shaking like when I was 11 years old. No, when I was like 10 years old and I saw A Chorus Line in a regional theater in Maine or community theater in Maine, and I started shaking, trembling at the kick line at the end and I started crying. But I'm like, I'm 10 years old. Why am I crying? Why am I crying? Why am I being so emotional right now? And I didn't know what that feeling was. It was inspiration and this deep, deep love. Well, that's what happened when I was watching Roxanne and watching this bitch just tell a story with her body. She told... She didn't say a word and she just told it with her body and her eyes and her arms. Oh God. And the music, I started shaking. And of course, at the end of the movie, I couldn't leave the theater for like 10 minutes because I was like convulsing, snot, everything, crying, sobbing.

I was so obsessed with the movie. And as I'm walking out of the theater with my boyfriend, I said, this needs to be a Broadway show and I need to be her. I need to be Nini. I need to be the girl in Roxanne. I was 19 and I just kept waiting and waiting. I'm like, when the fuck is anybody going to make that thing a musical? I kept talking about it. And then when Playbill, when you see something that you really, really want, and then all of a sudden something like theater mania pops up and you're like, Moulin Rouge being adapted to... My face went numb and I got really angry, jealous, nervous, insecure. I'm like, but wait a minute, but wait a minute, I need to be Nini. When's my appointment? When's my appointment? I started tweaking out and already getting very territorial that I'm like, I need to go in. They need to see me. They need to see me. And then that's the beginning of my journey.

[53:35] Joe Carroll: When was that? Because we did the lab in the fall of 17.

[53:41] Robyn Hurder: 5,000 years ago.

[53:42] Joe Carroll: It was 5,000 years ago.

[53:44] Robyn Hurder: I miss you so much, Joe. God, did we laugh so much during that lab at the Clemente Center.

[53:52] Joe Carroll: Yeah, it was unbelievable. Was it a long audition process? Do you remember?

[53:57] Robyn Hurder: Yeah, it was. Well, it wasn't. Yeah. I read a few sides. I sang a song. And then it really was like, there was like three callbacks for it. I mean, one of the best auditions of my life was actually doing the one-on-one audition with Sonia. And we were just... It wasn't what I do in the show now, like the Roxanne thing. But we were doing all this funky partnering. It was just me and Joelle at the time. And I just remember living my dreams and literally like a lace bra and panty and a garter belt. I was like, I just didn't care. And I was like, yep, I'm in lingerie doing a tango, rolling around on the ground. And I was living my goddamn dreams. I was like, this is right. And so I got the... We thought we were all auditioning for the lab at Clemente Center.

But then they decided that there was going to be a reading because this audition was in May or something. I can't remember. But they said they were going to do a one-week reading in August. And then they were going to do the lab in October through December. And I remember getting the call saying, they're going to offer you the reading but not the lab. And I kind of like sunk. I said, okay. So I did the reading, thought it went well. And then they called me two days later like, they're not offering you the lab. And my whole world battered. I remember being at our local pool and Clyde, I made Clyde go back to make more roadies. Because we live two minutes away from the pool. And I was like, I need another margarita.

Can you just go home and make more? And so that's what my agent called. They're like, they want to exhaust all other options before offering you the lab. And I died. Literally died. And I cried. And I cried. And I got angry. I was so upset. I was doing Chicago at the time, the show. And I couldn't even go to work. I was so distraught. I called out because I was like, I can't do this. I can't even function as a human right now. Because I'm like, this isn't right. This is incorrect. This is incorrect. So anyway, a few weeks go by, they end up offering it to me, which was great. It was bittersweet. But I was like, okay, I guess they didn't find anything better. So they gave it to me. This business, man.

[56:23] Joe Carroll: Yeah. And the thing is, I don't know, people hearing this, I've talked about this in interviews, and I don't know if the creatives get upset that I explained this, but I really think it's important for people to hear that I was like, this shit is not given to me on a fucking platter. Sorry, can I swear?

[56:38] Robyn Hurder: Right.

[56:38] Joe Carroll: Yeah, of course. Also, it's good for all of us. This just happened to me to a show that probably is now on halt, is now not happening because of the COVID-19. But just happened to me as well. I did an out of town and then they went, they're going to a lab and I was replaced. And so it's just like one of those.

[57:01] Robyn Hurder: Unless I sign an NDA, we can talk about this because everybody in the business needs to know that this happens. This happens to talented people. It happens every day. It has, most of the time, nothing to do with you. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[57:13] Robyn Hurder: Well, yeah. I had this fire lit under my... It was hard. The lab was really, really hard for me. And the people who saved me were Max Clayton and Joe Carroll. I mean, it was really... Coming into this show that we knew... We walked in knowing this is going to be a massive hit. And it was going to be very large. And we put so much work into the six-week lab. And I also... Meaning the role was not as developed as it was now. So I was also very confused as to what I was... Back then, there was no tango. There was no Roxanne back then in the lab. And I... That would be a crime if that song was in it. And they realized that. And they realized that. Yeah, exactly. They figured it out eventually. I mean, they put out a census of people being like, what are your favorite things? And it's like, Come What May... Oh, sorry. Are you guys still there? Uh-oh. Yep. Okay. Come What May and Roxanne. Like the tango.

[58:19] Robyn Hurder: Totally. So I... Yeah, it was... The lab was difficult for me. And it also was like another six-week audition because we all knew that the next offer coming up was Boston and Broadway. And because we knew that the tryout was going to be in Boston. And so I did not get... I mean, I felt very much so that I was auditioning for six weeks to try to get an offer. Not even for both of them. But it wasn't until our last presentation at intermission that I got a call from my agent being like, they're offering you Boston. And I said, and Broadway. And he said, just Boston. I said, you make sure it's Broadway as well. I'm like, I can't do this anymore. Like, I can't. I'm working so hard. And then I feel like I didn't even... I felt like I actually proved my worth on opening night in Boston, where people were like, Oh, yeah, you're good. That's it. You're an actor. Good job.

[59:25] Robyn Hurder: To be honest, I'm just saying, and I'm talking... It's brutal. Because this is... I worked my fucking ass off to make this role what it was. And I keep... And every show, as tired as I am, I keep working harder and harder to try to prove a point. I still feel like I'm still working to prove that I am worthy of this role, which sucks. But it's been what? This summer will be four years. We did the reading in... Wait, was it August of 2017? Wait, did we do the lab in...

[59:59] Joe Carroll: Yeah. The lab was in the fall of 17.

[1:00:02] Robyn Hurder: So, okay. So it'll be three years total. Yeah. That I've been working on this. And I still always feel like I need to be working harder and harder to prove something. But I guess, I don't know, that's what makes me stronger or better. I don't know. It's messed up.

[1:00:22] Robyn Hurder: The business is messed up, but it's here. And I mean, just after talking to you guys, it felt like... You never want a global pandemic to happen, obviously. But it did seem like you guys could use a month of ice baths and recovery from what you... I mean, you don't know how to... You said this to me a million times about a million different things, including cocktails that you don't know how to mark.

[1:00:48] Joe Carroll: Nope.

[1:00:49] Robyn Hurder: So you don't know how to... You don't know a way to... When you strap on the shoes and get in rehearsal, it's 110. I haven't seen anything like it before or since, watching you rehearse.

[1:01:04] Joe Carroll: Yeah, I just need...

[1:01:04] Robyn Hurder: It's 110% all the time.

[1:01:06] Joe Carroll: I know. Well, because I also... I mean, it's that it's... And I think that's good that it's like my hardcore ballet training, like dancer mentality. But you never... You always... I always think they're always watching you. Not that they're always judging, but they might always be.

[1:01:25] Joe Carroll: Yeah, right, right.

[1:01:26] Robyn Hurder: And I just always... But I also... It's a mechanism in me that I'm like, just like full tilt, go get it, hardcore. And also, it's a safety thing. Like, I can't... With anything that I do in the show, if I try to mark it, because I'm always... I have hands on me at all times, except for the opening, when I'm a Lady M, like Mimi. But any other time when I'm working with Ricky, who plays Santiago, or my four guys in Roxanne, or Bad Romance, you can't mark, because that's when... If you want to take it easy, and you've got other hands on you, that's when things will get dangerous, and you could get hurt. And all I'm trying to do is stay in the show. Like, I hate missing so much. I hate it so much. I always want to be on stage, because I worked my ass off for it. And it's mine.

[1:02:18] Robyn Hurder: I'm not afraid to say it. I'm like, yeah, of course, it's territorial over. It's mine. I created it with Sonia. It's mine. And I want to be on stage and do it. And I love it. Of course. As hard as it is, I love it so much. And I just want to fucking rip it to shreds, and just be this foaming at the mouth beast every night, and then close the cage, and go back home, and then be a mom, and cook food.

[1:02:43] Joe Carroll: Yeah, exactly. Put it out there.

[1:02:45] Robyn Hurder: Damn.

[1:02:49] Joe Carroll: God, I'm obsessed with you. And we'll let you go in a second. I'm having so much fun. I'm having so much fun. But I want you to... We'll keep talking afterwards. We'll just stop recording so people can get on with another podcast. But what... We have a couple of questions we always ask. And I'm going to ask too, because Dan knows one of them. But what does Max Clayton mean to you?

[1:03:20] Robyn Hurder: That's my first question. We had him on the show a couple of weeks ago.

[1:03:23] Joe Carroll: I know. He told me. Max Clayton, to me, is my... There's so many things I could say right now. When I first think about it, he's my happiness. He's my savior. I'm like about... Probably because I've had two drinks and I miss him so much. I will probably get emotional. But I just miss him so much. He is pure happiness, joy, my spirit, my soul. I don't know how to explain it, except we are a certain kind of soulmate. A soulmate doesn't need to be like your spouse or your lover. It can be a person that your souls are literally supposed to be mated. And he's one of them. And this out of... It's hard. And with this whole social distancing quarantine thing, one of the hardest things for me is not being near him every day.

Because I need a dose of him. That's why we try to FaceTime or whatever. But he... That's the thing. There's another part of this. We're not going to do Moulin Rouge together for the rest of our lives. There's going to be a time where we're going to be separated for that. So I guess this is a good training. My training wheels to not have... Trial separation.

[1:04:44] Robyn Hurder: Max Clayton in my life all the time. But he is literally... He is such a huge part of my joy and youthful spirit. We keep each other. He's just a little bit younger than me. But he keeps me... He brings out... We're both from New England. He's from New Hampshire. I'm from Maine. And he brings out my true kid self. My 12-year-old, 14-year-old self. And if he says, Robin, we're going to do this. I'm like, okay. The shit he does to me, and I just let him do it. I'm like Max's dog where it's like, he's just going to do shit to me. And I'm like, God, do it. Like just spraying silly string inside my mouth and I'll laugh and just be like, do it again. And if you don't know what we're talking about, it's all over Instagram, everyone. Go to his page, go to my page. Exactly. He has a whole section of his highlights that's just Robin. You know that he had to make another highlight because he maxed out.

[1:05:48] Joe Carroll: Austin maxed it out. Yeah, Robin 2.0.

[1:05:53] Robyn Hurder: That's where you can see Fenway.

[1:05:56] Joe Carroll: Yeah. And that's where you can see bits from Fenway, which is one of the absolute best nights. One of the best days ever. One of the best days ever.

[1:06:04] Robyn Hurder: From what I remember through my phone. Looking at my phone is what I remember.

[1:06:09] Joe Carroll: Exactly. Exactly. But yeah, Robin did get kicked out of a bar at Fenway. And it was just...

[1:06:15] Robyn Hurder: Until I was kicked out, I was just denied entry.

[1:06:22] Joe Carroll: God, I was so mad. I was so mad.

[1:06:25] Robyn Hurder: It was so great. Well, if any of you... Yeah, I just I'm obsessed. All right. So we'll wrap it up. Dan, you want to do your little... It's actually, I think, an excellent question, given the circumstances.

[1:06:36] Joe Carroll: Yes.

[1:06:36] Joe Carroll: Yeah. What would your advice be to 16 year old Robin?

[1:06:40] Robyn Hurder: Oh, don't change.

[1:06:46] Joe Carroll: Yeah. Yeah. I love that.

[1:06:49] Robyn Hurder: I don't change. Seriously. I am no different than I was when I was 16. So I'm very happy. I've kept true. I know I'm older and maybe a little bit more tired, but I would say, keep exactly what you're doing because it's the right thing. Honestly.

[1:07:12] Joe Carroll: Oh, man. That's the best. Last week we talked...

[1:07:16] Robyn Hurder: I mean, it's so true. I would not change a thing. When I was 16, I had just come back the summer. I had done Broadway Theatre Project. It was 98. And I learned so much. But it was my first introduction to real Broadway music theater. I had Anne Reinking teaching me and Di-Liz Croman teaching me and all these amazing... Gregory Hines. I had a tap dance with Gregory Hines. I had all these people. What?

[1:07:44] Joe Carroll: Yeah. Yeah. It was an amazing summer for me. I only did one year of Broadway Theatre Project, but it was so influential, the most influential. And I came back to my ballet school and I taught everybody everything I learned. And I was still nuts. I was still myself. I was still breaking the borders. I was like the rogue ballerina in my ballet company. But I was just like, I want to do Broadway, Broadway, Broadway, Broadway, Broadway. And I wanted to be friends with everybody. I mean, literally, I'm still who I am. I'm still a 16-year-old, just with a little bit more experience. And I'm a little bit more tired because of my son. But I...

[1:08:26] Robyn Hurder: I love that.

[1:08:27] Robyn Hurder: I literally would definitely say, don't change. You're on the right path. Don't change.

[1:08:32] Joe Carroll: Genius.

[1:08:33] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[1:08:33] Joe Carroll: I'm obsessed with that. And then my question that we end with is, what's your kind of unreachable star? What's your like end of the horizon now you've accomplished so much? You know, your life is so full. And what do you see, you know, down the road? Three, five, ten? Is there something that you're looking at now that you really want to do?

[1:08:52] Robyn Hurder: I want a handsome, I want a Tony. I wish when I...

[1:08:55] Joe Carroll: Let's go!

[1:08:56] Robyn Hurder: Yep. Every 11-11. I would put 11-11 on the clock. I always catch them. One-ones, ones everywhere. Anytime I get to make a wish is I just... I want to win a Tony.

[1:09:08] Joe Carroll: Yes, let's go.

[1:09:13] Joe Carroll: Yes, let's go.

[1:09:14] Robyn Hurder: I'd like to be nominated. That's great. But I want to fucking win one.

[1:09:14] Robyn Hurder: I do. Call it. Let's put it to the damn universe. I realized what Tonys were when I was like 11 or 12. And I would watch speeches and I always think about Michael Bennett when he won and he goes, I really wanted this. And I'm like, yeah, I get it. I really want it. I don't know. I just, it's being recognized for everything that you've worked for. And people recognize like how hard you've worked, how much love and effort and sacrifice and crying. And of course, you know, whatever, blood, sweat and tears, all that bullshit. But really, you've poured your life into this. And especially me at my age, being in my late 30s with a family. And I sacrificed so much for the love of this art form that I'm like, I want to stand up there in a fucking gown, win a Tony and like, bop my leg and kick my head and like, leave.

[1:10:19] Joe Carroll: Yes.

[1:10:20] Joe Carroll: Yes.

[1:10:21] Joe Carroll: I expect nothing else.

[1:10:23] Robyn Hurder: I'm going to Europe.

[1:10:27] Robyn Hurder: Literally going to go to fucking Capri and just like pop a squat, drink some limoncello and like call it a day and let my son be like a famous soccer player in Italy. That's literally my goal. I got all set up.

[1:10:40] Joe Carroll: Yeah, that's it. That's it. Robin, I love you.

[1:10:44] Robyn Hurder: I love you.

[1:10:45] Robyn Hurder: I miss you. Thank you for talking to us.

[1:10:49] Joe Carroll: Of course.

[1:10:49] Joe Carroll: Thank you for talking to us. This was so fun.

[1:10:51] Robyn Hurder: Oh, this was a treat to my, what is it? Wednesday? Tuesday?

[1:10:55] Joe Carroll: What day is it?

[1:10:56] Robyn Hurder: Tuesday. It's a Shmoody wheels day.

[1:11:00] Joe Carroll: It's a Shmoody wheels day.