This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Steven Ferezy: Take one.

[0:06] Dana Craig: Steven and Dana and we're in the realm.

[0:23] Steven Ferezy: Welcome to In the Room Halloween Queen Edition.

[0:37] Dana Craig: Wait, my God.

[0:39] Steven Ferezy: I heard someone crying.

[0:41] Dana Craig: Who though could it be?

[0:44] Steven Ferezy: Mine was like a change.

[0:46] Dana Craig: Maybe it was Natalie.

[0:48] Steven Ferezy: Oh, yeah?

[0:49] Dana Craig: Yeah, maybe it was.

[0:52] Steven Ferezy: It probably was.

[0:53] Natalie Joy Johnson: Hi, you guys.

[0:54] Steven Ferezy: Hi, Natalie Joy Johnson.

[0:56] Dana Craig: Hi, Natalie.

[0:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: Hi, friends. Good morning. Welcome to the Zoom.

[1:01] Steven Ferezy: Honey, the Zoom is the room.

[1:03] Dana Craig: The squad cast is the podcast.

[1:05] Steven Ferezy: It's the reason for the season.

[1:07] Dana Craig: The motion in the ocean.

[1:09] Steven Ferezy: If new listeners do not know, you are a good, dare I say dearest friend of the pod.

[1:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: Ah, I mean you better.

[1:18] Steven Ferezy: Mario Cantone.

[1:20] Dana Craig: You are the Mario Cantone to our view.

[1:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: Okay, fair.

[1:23] Steven Ferezy: Fair.

[1:24] Natalie Joy Johnson: I will take that.

[1:25] Steven Ferezy: I will take it.

[1:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: Take a little time and enjoy the view.

[1:27] Dana Craig: Take it.

[1:28] Steven Ferezy: We haven't time and go.

[1:29] Natalie Joy Johnson: Love yourself.

[1:31] Dana Craig: I feel like our last pod with you was Jaunty Knit Cap.

[1:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: If anyone wants to go back and listen.

[1:37] Steven Ferezy: Sure, if you need to listen to the Natalie episodes in chronological.

[1:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: There it is. See? In the booth.

[1:43] Dana Craig: I'd like me to have one on top of this.

[1:46] Natalie Joy Johnson: On top of the headphones, the hat on top of the headphones.

[1:48] Steven Ferezy: Natalie is a little bit more.

[1:49] Natalie Joy Johnson: This is my favorite hat of kids.

[1:51] Dana Craig: Natalie is in her at-home recording studio, complete with green screen background.

[1:57] Natalie Joy Johnson: Honey, this is something that I crafted in the hallway space beneath my bathroom and my closet. It's, you know, greens, greens, nothing but greens.

[2:07] Steven Ferezy: Oh, it's nothing but athletic greens, by the way.

[2:10] Dana Craig: Are you drinking them?

[2:12] Natalie Joy Johnson: I am.

[2:12] Dana Craig: Okay, how long have you been on the athletic greens?

[2:15] Natalie Joy Johnson: Uh, maybe two years.

[2:17] Dana Craig: But very inconsistent.

[2:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: Very good.

[2:20] Dana Craig: Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Really? I need a character description of the athletic greens.

[2:26] Natalie Joy Johnson: I had a Dax Shepard talked to me about athletic greens, so then I was all in.

[2:31] Dana Craig: And that was a good one. How did you get there from here, Dax Shepard?

[2:35] Natalie Joy Johnson: I got them from the Poog podcast and also from Instagram. Because the thing is, as you look up one thing, you see something once, they're always listening, which I do not dig, y'all.

[2:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: I do not dig. I really need to like I got a new phone finally because, you know, as you know, my iPhone 8 turned into the Terminator because she got dropped like just 700 times too many, and that last fatal flaw, babe.

[3:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: When I tell you that I was gonna take off the cover because I wanted to change the cover. Which also helps when your phone is acting up. Sometimes the case is squeezing it too hard, and there could be something on the inside that fucks it up, and now it's like getting squosen and it's just too tight.

[3:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: It turns into like a Bernadette Peters. Or sometimes it's the only thing that is holding your phone together because I've got so many times, and it was crackled to like the crackleys cracked on the back.

[3:36] Natalie Joy Johnson: That once I took the case off, my phone was a terminator, and you could see the insides through the outsides. You know what I mean? You could see the metal inner workings.

[3:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: And I just fashioned that case right back on top and made sure everything lined up. And then, um, promptly went to the Apple store a few days later. But yes, my point was phone. They're listening.

[4:00] Natalie Joy Johnson: Athletic Greens, they're always listening. And I really was like, fuck Siri for forever. Because also, first of all, she's the absolute worst. She never understands anything that I'm saying.

[4:14] Natalie Joy Johnson: Do I have an accent? Do I have a strange accent? I probably do. If I'm probably like, what's gonna turn teen teen? Yeah, maybe she doesn't get that. But like honestly, like I'm like, what is happening? Why can't you understand me?

[4:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like, if I'm dictating, forget it. 8,000 words are wrong. All of them are wrong. But I did recently switch Siri to an Australian man.

[4:40] Dana Craig: Oh my god!

[4:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Which I have to say is hilarious because he will read you. And I don't think he is reading you per se. It's just in the Australian accent. So it'll literally be like I'll be like, hey, um, Siri, text Jason Patrick Sands. Um, what's up, sweetest? Hope all is well, LOL, and then it'll read it back and it'll be like, you know, LOL.

[5:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's like he reads you, like, do you really think that's funny? Like, it really is like it's that's the only thing I like about Siri is the Australian man, and that might say more about me than um artificial technology, but they're always listening, and Athletic Greens came to me, and Jacqueline Berlant, we know, is eating them on the poog.

[5:24] Dana Craig: Jack, uh yes, Jackie. I have been I have been waiting to get her follow-up, but you've been doing it for three years.

[5:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: I'm fully pooging for you this morning. Not to mention another podcast, by the way. But you are our queens.

[5:38] Dana Craig: Honey, our hags.

[5:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Our hags. Um, you are in full poog.

[5:43] Dana Craig: You are.

[5:44] Natalie Joy Johnson: Which is, you know, goop backwards. And they are comedians and they do with that what they will. But I was thinking, what would the Broadway poog be? Like if Broadway Poog? Like a Broadway body butter, like a...

[5:54] Dana Craig: Yeah, because Poog is all about like skincare and like wellness products and digestion, you know.

[6:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes.

[6:04] Dana Craig: Gut health. Natalie, I have a question for you going back to your accent work earlier. Oh, which dialects are on your resume?

[6:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, like Southern.

[6:12] Dana Craig: And can you demonstrate?

[6:14] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's a great question. Nope, not getting a pay enough on this podcast. And demonstrate my um accent work. Because guess what? I'm bad at them, so I don't like to do them.

[6:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: They're hard. Yeah, so they're just like, I can give you that real draw, and then I can give you, you know, like um by George. I think she's goat it. How about that?

[6:35] Dana Craig: You've always been partial to Pink.

[6:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Honey, I have. The Australian sentence to get me into Australian is uh bring out the point of the and the fluid, which is B. Bring me a pint of the amber fluid.

[6:56] Dana Craig: Yes.

[6:57] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, that's nice. Wow. If you could pick a dialect to wake up and just be proficient in, what would it be?

[7:04] Dana Craig: Ooh, that's good.

[7:07] Natalie Joy Johnson: Mine would be Irish.

[7:08] Dana Craig: I was gonna say that.

[7:09] Natalie Joy Johnson: I was gonna say that. I think it would be really fun to just walk around and pretend to be like Margaret O'Brien on Down Abbey.

[7:20] Dana Craig: Just pretend to be Rachel Tucker.

[7:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: I mean, how dare, how dare?

[7:24] Dana Craig: How dare everybody else that ha that is so good at American accents? Are you watching Six?

[7:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: Right, Jody Cromer?

[7:31] Dana Craig: Yes. By the way, Sarah Snook is your spirit animal.

[7:35] Natalie Joy Johnson: Correct. Correct. Sarah Snook is your spirit animal. I've been watching it. I meant meant to text you the other night while I was watching it.

[7:41] Dana Craig: But if we don't get that to me?

[7:43] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes.

[7:44] Dana Craig: If you don't get that bob immediately and start dressing in all monochromatic colors from head to toe, then I don't know what you're gonna be for HALLOWQUEEN, but I feel like just get cream Judith Light head to toe, and then get that fucking long bob and give me Sarah Snook shiv succession shivroy realness, Queen.

[8:05] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah. Speaking of HALLOWQUEEN, what are you guys being?

[8:09] Dana Craig: I'll give you an example. Cynical gay man, number three.

[8:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, okay.

[8:13] Dana Craig: Which is uh stretch because it's usually number one.

[8:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's the one.

[8:17] Dana Craig: I just feel like I just feel it's the third year in a row.

[8:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, there you go.

[8:21] Dana Craig: Wait, wait, wait, wait, first of all. Now wait a second, wait a second.

[8:24] Natalie Joy Johnson: Wait, wait, wait, wait.

[8:25] Dana Craig: Did I see a preview of this on your Instagram?

[8:29] Natalie Joy Johnson: You did. But that was a little janky version, and I'm going to be doing it for real.

[8:34] Dana Craig: It was a dry run.

[8:35] Natalie Joy Johnson: This weekend.

[8:36] Dana Craig: Well, sometimes you've got to give it a little what we like to call a run through a dress rehearsal.

[8:44] Natalie Joy Johnson: You gotta check it. You gotta check it, honey. We've got it.

[8:47] Dana Craig: That's what rehearsal. That's what we're hearts for.

[8:52] Natalie Joy Johnson: I mean, Saturday will be a sits probe.

[8:54] Dana Craig: What do you want? What's happening?

[8:56] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, fuck you.

[8:58] Dana Craig: Fuck you, Siri.

[8:59] Natalie Joy Johnson: She just interrupted me.

[9:01] Dana Craig: I didn't get that. What are you shy?

[9:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Fuck off, dude. I wasn't trying to talk to you, bitch.

[9:07] Dana Craig: That's what I say. I hate her so much. Slash him, slash them.

[9:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: I mean, really. Siri, the ubiquitous seer can truly go F herself.

[9:16] Dana Craig: So you're going, can we say it? Will this go up after HALLOWQUEEN?

[9:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's going up on HALLOWQUEEN.

[9:23] Dana Craig: Oh.

[9:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: There's no um secrets here.

[9:26] Dana Craig: Okay, so you're going full Elvi.

[9:29] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah, lesbian Elvira.

[9:30] Dana Craig: As you should be, which I love.

[9:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: Might tie a plaid shirt around me waist.

[9:35] Dana Craig: Oh my god.

[9:36] Natalie Joy Johnson: Or wear like a headset.

[9:38] Dana Craig: A headset.

[9:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Stage manager Elvira.

[9:40] Dana Craig: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[9:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: A headset and like a little fanny pack with like Home Depot tote as your trick or treat bag.

[9:47] Dana Craig: Stop, stop. I do need to bring a bag because the shoes are real, but go get a tote from Home Deep.

[9:51] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think make her Elvira the lesbian stage manager, and you can utilize a fanny pack as your bag and um have your headset plug into that.

[10:02] Dana Craig: You might want to cut this. It might be it might be too much.

[10:05] Natalie Joy Johnson: We might want to cut the um the lesbian.

[10:07] Dana Craig: Well, I am a lesbian, so I feel like I can, and like y'all are adjacent, so it's fine.

[10:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes.

[10:14] Dana Craig: Um, yes. Tell us about your HALLOWQUEEN.

[10:17] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think I identify more as lesbian adjacent than I do gay now that you mention it.

[10:22] Dana Craig: Yeah.

[10:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: That is absolutely hilarious. And you know I'm somewhere right there in the in the middle, y'all.

[10:28] Dana Craig: The wickedest queen in the middle.

[10:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um, I don't know what I'm gonna be at, honestly. We do have a hilarious HALLOWQUEEN show that we're going to be bringing to the people on Saturday night at the queue.

[10:40] Dana Craig: And that's right, even though you might miss it because this is going up after that show.

[10:45] Natalie Joy Johnson: You can catch us there every Saturday night, honey, at 7 p.m.

[10:49] Dana Craig: We can still share it on our Instagram.

[10:52] Natalie Joy Johnson: Instagram.

[10:53] Dana Craig: Yes, please. I don't know what I'm gonna be, but my for lack of time and honestly, like inspiration.

[11:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: I feel like I might just go to Capizio and go on a little spree and go to a wig shop up here on 125th Street and go as Erica Jane as Roxy Hart in Chicago.

[11:20] Dana Craig: It's a really good, really good idea.

[11:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: I'm thinking that might be something. Get a little bob, finger wave her out as best as I can, and like just maybe they probably have some kind of lacy leotard, and if not, leot.

[11:34] Dana Craig: Leotard.

[11:35] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um if not, then you just go around the corner to like one of the sex shops, and they certainly have a lace.

[11:35] Dana Craig: They certainly have.

[11:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um then, you know, you could wear just a bra underneath it, and you're in Chicago. Boom.

[11:46] Dana Craig: Boom.

[11:47] Natalie Joy Johnson: I mean, I truly have been talking about her in um, you know, week after week after week after week, so it would only make sense. Also, I did see her as Roxy Hart in Chicago.

[11:59] Dana Craig: So just...

[12:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: And loved it, if I recall.

[12:03] Dana Craig: Um, yeah, she was both, yeah, she was both um like amazing and fine.

[12:10] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know what I mean? It was it gave me the things that I yeah, it gave me all the things that I wanted, you know.

[12:16] Dana Craig: Um, your nails look great.

[12:18] Natalie Joy Johnson: Ugh well, that's so nice of you to say everybody is freaking out about these nails.

[12:22] Dana Craig: But let's look at that one.

[12:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's it's the gasoline effect.

[12:29] Dana Craig: I have a polish that color that I love.

[12:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: Well, here's the thing there's actually foils. They're foils. I got this done in Portland, Oregon, um during my vacation visiting Michael Hammerstrom.

[12:42] Dana Craig: Tell us everything.

[12:44] Natalie Joy Johnson: It was amazing. I had the best time. It was right also as like fall was just starting to like give us her spin.

[12:52] Natalie Joy Johnson: Her beauty, honey. I mean, it was cold. It was cold, but because I was also like just underdressed. Michael's like, make sure you pack a sweater. Like it's cold. And I'm like, okay. He's got a sweater he can lend you.

[13:05] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, and he told that. Well, that's what he said too. He was like, trust me, we have a whole thing of like sweaters and comfies and jackets. And I wore his boyfriend Eddie's coat. Like fully wore his coat because I was freezing.

[13:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: Because it was still nice here when I left, and I just had an internally shifted and I was so cold there, and I'm getting so cold now, like it's fall for real.

[13:25] Dana Craig: And um and Michael and I Michael Everyone.

[13:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: I'm still sweating.

[13:31] Dana Craig: I love it.

[13:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: Well, Michael asked Michael asked me this question.

[13:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: He was like, if you had to choose, which would you rather be?

[13:37] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like too cold or like too hot.

[13:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: And I really ever since then have been thinking about it.

[13:42] Natalie Joy Johnson: And I think the answer for me is too hot.

[13:45] Natalie Joy Johnson: I'd rather be.

[13:46] Natalie Joy Johnson: I can't take off my skin.

[13:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: I can always add another layer.

[13:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: I can always throw on a third scarf.

[13:52] Natalie Joy Johnson: I can always do something.

[13:54] Natalie Joy Johnson: I cannot peel my skin off.

[13:56] Dana Craig: Yes, but I can't handle when like my feet are frozen.

[14:00] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like, do you know what I'm saying?

[14:01] Dana Craig: Put on another pair of socks, Queen.

[14:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: No, I think I would rather be too hot.

[14:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think I would the chill, like the chill and the uncomfortableness that I feel when I am like too cold.

[14:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think I'd rather be a sweaty mess.

[14:15] Dana Craig: That's user error.

[14:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: Okay, okay.

[14:17] Natalie Joy Johnson: Thank you.

[14:18] Natalie Joy Johnson: Thank you.

[14:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: Weekly show at the Q, 730.

[14:20] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's free vibe.

[14:24] Dana Craig: Steven and Natalie aren't friends anymore.

[14:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: This is it.

[14:28] Natalie Joy Johnson: This is where we draw the line.

[14:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: This is the actual line.

[14:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: This is it.

[14:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: The only place we can hang out.

[14:36] Natalie Joy Johnson: Selene Dion's climate-controlled limo.

[14:39] Dana Craig: Oh my goodness.

[14:40] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's really the only middle ground we have.

[14:42] Natalie Joy Johnson: She has a climate and well, wait, aren't all limos climate controlled?

[14:46] Dana Craig: What am I thinking?

[14:47] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think hers is like insane.

[14:49] Natalie Joy Johnson: Because like the it's all for the instrument.

[14:51] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think it's humidity controlled, I think.

[14:53] Dana Craig: Isn't there I saw something?

[14:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: She was talking about her limos, like decked out with humidifiers, you know, humidifiers, all of the things.

[15:04] Dana Craig: Sure.

[15:05] Natalie Joy Johnson: She had like the air quality control machines before COVID.

[15:09] Dana Craig: Oh what I'm saying?

[15:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Right, right, right, right.

[15:12] Natalie Joy Johnson: Just like pure metal.

[15:13] Dana Craig: Selene Dion was the prototype for why we can go back into theaters now.

[15:17] Natalie Joy Johnson: I will actually kill you.

[15:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's amazing.

[15:20] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um that's amazing.

[15:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um so wait, you're not gonna dress up.

[15:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: You're going as cynical gay man.

[15:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: You're going to be lesbian Elvira.

[15:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: And I don't know.

[15:28] Natalie Joy Johnson: I maybe I'm going as Eric Adrian.

[15:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: What's your what's the best costume, best HALLOWQUEEN costume um in Natalie Joy Johnson past?

[15:37] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like adulthood?

[15:38] Natalie Joy Johnson: Okay.

[15:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um I have two.

[15:40] Natalie Joy Johnson: Or no, or childhood.

[15:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like what's your in if you look back at Natalie Joy Johnson's HALLOWQUEEN, which one do you remember?

[15:47] Natalie Joy Johnson: I mean, I have some insane ones because you know Pete Johnson would make me some HALLOWQUEEN costumes from scratch.

[15:53] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like one year I was a Statue of Liberty.

[15:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: Nope.

[15:56] Natalie Joy Johnson: So he fashioned that whole outfit.

[15:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: Of course, made me a torch with a flashlight.

[16:00] Dana Craig: Uh-huh.

[16:02] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes, she is.

[16:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: You actually are with that mask, honey, with your poog mask on.

[16:07] Natalie Joy Johnson: You are giving us Statue of Liberty just like marbley green.

[16:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Marbley Green Alpha Rusty the Popper.

[16:16] Dana Craig: Right.

[16:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: So um Dana, you look like a rusted penny.

[16:20] Dana Craig: You know, he took like a don't talk to me about your rusted penny.

[16:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um he took like a visor and turned that upside down and made the spokes.

[16:29] Dana Craig: Yes.

[16:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: Then one year we didn't, I know.

[16:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: One year we didn't have an idea, and it was literally, it was in like two days, three days.

[16:36] Natalie Joy Johnson: I was like, Dad, what am I gonna be for HALLOWQUEEN this year?

[16:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like, I don't have an idea.

[16:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Leave it to my freaking dad, leave it to Pete Johnson, good old Pete.

[16:46] Natalie Joy Johnson: He was like, I got it.

[16:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: Why don't you be an old fashioned stoplight?

[16:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: Not a regular light.

[16:56] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like with the Well, no, not a regular stoplight that just has one side.

[17:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: One that's in the center of the square that has four sides, right?

[17:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: So that you have red, white, or I'm sorry, red, yellow, and green on all four sides.

[17:12] Natalie Joy Johnson: So he got yeah, I know.

[17:14] Natalie Joy Johnson: Let's fashion you into an old fashioned stoplight.

[17:19] Dana Craig: You're like Electra and Gypsy.

[17:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh my god, once you got a gimmick, honey.

[17:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: I will tell you, I did win some HALLOWQUEEN costume contests that year because they were like, what the fuck is this?

[17:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: So he got like a box, like a uh a yellow, like rectangular box, and cut out the f the yet red.

[17:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: So of course I had red face paint on.

[17:43] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um that was my face, and then my arms came out of what would have been like the yellow holes or something.

[17:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know what I'm saying?

[17:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: On the other side.

[17:51] Natalie Joy Johnson: And then he also like put like a bird on the top.

[17:54] Natalie Joy Johnson: He got like a bird from Michaels or some shit.

[17:56] Natalie Joy Johnson: Joanne Fabrics, and like put that on the top.

[17:59] Natalie Joy Johnson: So yeah, I was an old fashioned stoplight.

[18:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: I was an angel one year.

[18:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um I was an angel one year as a child.

[18:07] Natalie Joy Johnson: And um But you know, I live in Maryland.

[18:10] Natalie Joy Johnson: I lived in Maryland growing up, and it's it's chilly on that mid-Atlantic reach in in the end of um of October, and so my mom made me wear like my winter coat underneath it.

[18:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: So I was just like the truly the chubbiest little like angel ever.

[18:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like it was like um the kid from Christmas story with an angel costume over top of him.

[18:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um but then in in adult life, my go-to, if I'm not gonna be slutty, if I'm not gonna be Eric Jane, then I will pr then my go-to is slutty Super Mario, because I saw that once in a store, and I truly have worn it now like five times because I'm like, this is the dumbest thing ever, and oh my god, slutty Super Mario.

[18:52] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um now there's a movie coming out, I guess, next year, so it would be It's a me Ned.

[18:59] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know, ahead of the curve.

[19:02] Natalie Joy Johnson: I am that can you fashion Can we fashion the M on the Mario suit to an N?

[19:08] Dana Craig: Oh, oh I bet we could.

[19:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: I bet we could.

[19:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: This newly employed person could.

[19:15] Natalie Joy Johnson: I bet you could.

[19:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: Well, you'd actually there's no M on it, so we can just create it because you know it's even easier.

[19:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's all about the slutty version of the costume.

[19:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: So um but just right here and here and and yes.

[19:28] Natalie Joy Johnson: As one of my grown-up though, and this is probably the most niche mocket.

[19:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um, thank you, Kinky Boots.

[19:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um God, it just will never great dialect work right there now.

[19:37] Natalie Joy Johnson: Thank you, thank you.

[19:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um Mr. Price, Mr. Price, come quick.

[19:43] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um the point the point is uh as an adult, and it's so niche.

[19:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um, one of my favorite HALLOWQUEEN costumes was Brigitte Nielsen in an uh season of the surreal life on like VH1 when she was with Foofy Foofy.

[20:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: When do you remember she was with um oh god, what's his name?

[20:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: What's his name?

[20:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: With the clock.

[20:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know who I've got flavor flavor, yes, flavor of flavor flav.

[20:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Flavor of love, honey.

[20:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes, and so she was like in a blanket.

[20:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: She was in a blanket and big white sunglasses and an F like NYPD or FDNY hat and like a shitload of tanner.

[20:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: So I put like so much self-tanner on for like two days, and um had dark hair at the time, so I got a short blonde wig and a hat and I and a you know ten dollar blanket from Kmart, and that was there were like five people at that party that knew who I was, but those people you keep around.

[20:44] Natalie Joy Johnson: We really all really loved it, so that would be that would be what about you, what a good time for reality TV that was, right?

[20:51] Dana Craig: Honey, my best HALLOWQUEEN, my best HALLOWQUEEN costume, I think, was well, as a very small child, there's a picture of me as Aladdin, and it was a suit.

[21:01] Dana Craig: Like I didn't just wear a vest, it was a vest with like a chest drawn into it.

[21:07] Dana Craig: So I looked like a cut Aladdin.

[21:11] Dana Craig: And I'm like holding a cat with one arm.

[21:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um so that's a good picture.

[21:16] Dana Craig: I can't say I remember that.

[21:18] Natalie Joy Johnson: You're gonna have to put that picture on the um on the Instagram for sure.

[21:22] Dana Craig: I will, and if you can find old fashioned stoplight, that would be great.

[21:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um that is title of that, by the way.

[21:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: There might be there might be a picture of me in the old fashioned stoplight next to Dale who is dressed up adorably as Peter Pan.

[21:39] Dana Craig: Nope.

[21:40] Natalie Joy Johnson: No.

[21:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah, yeah.

[21:42] Natalie Joy Johnson: Uh in high school, and I think this might have been the last HALLOWQUEEN costume I ever did.

[21:47] Dana Craig: I went as Jerry Springer.

[21:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh wow.

[21:51] Dana Craig: With like the note cards.

[21:52] Dana Craig: I made like Jerry Springer note cards, like with the logo on blue paper, and uh I sprayed my hair because my nobody would let me dye my hair as a child, but I sprayed my hair like the closest color we could find at CVS.

[22:05] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um wore a suit and just had like my Jerry Springer cards and was walking around high school asking people really um insensitive questions.

[22:15] Natalie Joy Johnson: Well, well, that was of the time.

[22:18] Dana Craig: I thought it was hilarious, and uh honey of the show.

[22:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: That show is uh that show was wild.

[22:25] Dana Craig: That show was absolutely insanity.

[22:29] Natalie Joy Johnson: Wild.

[22:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: Insanity.

[22:31] Dana Craig: Um Dana, what was some of your highlights of your HALLOWQUEEN costume?

[22:36] Dana Craig: Yes, my quarantine.

[22:37] Dana Craig: Um I'm sitting here trying to think.

[22:38] Dana Craig: I've done HALLOWQUEEN for 37 years now, so there's 37 options.

[22:44] Natalie Joy Johnson: Wow.

[22:44] Dana Craig: Um but I think my favorite and most like locked in person was Lil ED, and it might have been 2009 when I was here.

[22:55] Dana Craig: 2008, 2008.

[22:57] Natalie Joy Johnson: Lil ED.

[22:58] Dana Craig: Lil E D.

[22:59] Dana Craig: That absolutely traps.

[23:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: It was pretty fabulous.

[23:03] Dana Craig: Um I love it.

[23:09] Natalie Joy Johnson: I love it.

[23:09] Dana Craig: I love it.

[23:10] Dana Craig: Yeah, that's my favorite.

[23:12] Natalie Joy Johnson: Great.

[23:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: Also, your HALLOWQUEEN show at the Duplex will forever live in my brain.

[23:18] Dana Craig: Well, and it's a little bit more than a little bit of a couple of things.

[23:19] Dana Craig: That came up as a memory the other day.

[23:21] Dana Craig: It probably lives with the case.

[23:24] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, wait, which one?

[23:25] Dana Craig: Oh, the one at the duplex that we've got to do.

[23:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: At the duplex.

[23:29] Dana Craig: With Joel and Bryan.

[23:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: Dude, that should be a little bit more.

[23:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: That was an incredible.

[23:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: It was one of, yeah, I have to say.

[23:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: It was Halo Queen Hayride, wasn't it?

[23:37] Dana Craig: The haunted HALLOWQUEEN hayride.

[23:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Never forgot.

[23:42] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah, that was one of our that was that was that shit was lit.

[23:45] Dana Craig: The Christmas one that year was lit as well.

[23:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: But it is.

[23:49] Natalie Joy Johnson: What's your HALLOWQUEEN candy?

[23:50] Dana Craig: Oh.

[23:51] Dana Craig: Sorry, I didn't want to cut you off.

[23:52] Dana Craig: But like what's your what do you hope to get and what do you immediately trade?

[23:56] Natalie Joy Johnson: Candy corn candy corn.

[23:58] Dana Craig: Ugh, you want it?

[23:59] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah.

[24:00] Natalie Joy Johnson: Shovel it and shovel it.

[24:02] Natalie Joy Johnson: Take it all.

[24:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Are you all ready to lose your mind?

[24:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes.

[24:07] Natalie Joy Johnson: Last year around HALLOWQUEEN, I learned how to make DIY butterfingers.

[24:12] Dana Craig: Do you know how butterfingers are made at home?

[24:15] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, that sounds so good.

[24:16] Dana Craig: How?

[24:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's it.

[24:17] Natalie Joy Johnson: You melt down a shit ton of candy corn and some corn syrup.

[24:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: And then you put it in a tray and then you cover it with chocolate and that's it.

[24:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's literally melted down candy corn.

[24:30] Dana Craig: But how is that?

[24:30] Dana Craig: Because butterfinger is a little bit of a color.

[24:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: And peanut butter.

[24:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: And peanut butter.

[24:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: There's the peanut butter.

[24:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: There's the peanut butter.

[24:35] Natalie Joy Johnson: Peanut butter melts with some corn syrup and candy corn.

[24:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: You do the thing, you let it set, you cut it into bars, and then you put it on a wire rack and you cover with tempered chocolate.

[24:46] Dana Craig: Okay.

[24:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's all it is, and it tastes like it came out of the wrapper.

[24:54] Dana Craig: That's amazing.

[24:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: Now, d is that your go-to?

[24:57] Dana Craig: What's yours?

[24:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: Uh oh, I like um okay, so I like those Tootsie rolls, but the fruit kind.

[25:03] Dana Craig: Yeah.

[25:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like the lime tootsie roll.

[25:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: Vanilla one.

[25:07] Natalie Joy Johnson: Delicious.

[25:08] Dana Craig: They're so good.

[25:09] Natalie Joy Johnson: Underrated for sure.

[25:10] Natalie Joy Johnson: Very good.

[25:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Thank you.

[25:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Thank you.

[25:12] Natalie Joy Johnson: I agree.

[25:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: I agree.

[25:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: The lemon, the strawberry.

[25:15] Natalie Joy Johnson: They're so fun to me.

[25:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: And I love like the old wrapper.

[25:19] Dana Craig: Fab.

[25:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: Fab.

[25:20] Natalie Joy Johnson: I like those.

[25:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um I guess I love a sour patch kid, but I kind of love those year-round.

[25:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: The Tootsie rolls feel specific to HALLOWQUEEN for me.

[25:29] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um also love an almond joy.

[25:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: All candy.

[25:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um, I think if I I mean when you asked, my gut response was Snickers.

[25:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like they really satisfy.

[25:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like that's what I would love to see in if I, you know, was trick-or-treating.

[25:46] Natalie Joy Johnson: Also, obviously peanut butter cups.

[25:50] Dana Craig: Ah.

[25:51] Natalie Joy Johnson: Things that I could absolutely like do without that I'm just kind of like, whatovs?

[25:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: I mean, I don't care about a sour patch kid.

[26:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: I don't care about a sour.

[26:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: I don't care about a sour moment.

[26:05] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um I don't think I ever knew that about you.

[26:07] Dana Craig: Yeah, I just don't kind of care.

[26:08] Dana Craig: I'm not really into it.

[26:10] Natalie Joy Johnson: I like sweet, I like savory.

[26:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: The sour is like unpleasant.

[26:14] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's unpleasant to me.

[26:15] Dana Craig: I But your face, I'm sure, is very pleasant when you eat something sour.

[26:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, I bet.

[26:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: I bet it's the only time I can actually tongue pop for real is when it's actually for real.

[26:27] Natalie Joy Johnson: Exactly.

[26:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know what I don't understand in what candy I'm kind of like I will never grab it. Never ever will I grab it in a store as like a oh I haven't had one of those in a while. Is it Mike and Ike?

[26:43] Dana Craig: No, well, first of all, gross.

[26:45] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes. No thank you black licorice of any kind. No thank you. I love a Mike and Ike, no black licorice. But I love a Mike and Ike.

[26:52] Dana Craig: Well, Mike and Ike has the like cherry flavored ones and like, you know, but they also have those black and white ones.

[26:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: So no, the no wait. Pink and white. Those are different. And they're the black licorice disgusting bites. But you know what I just don't understand? They aren't disgusting to me, but I just don't understand, and I don't get why you would. I guess if you put them in the freezer, it changes the game. But like, I don't care about a Three Musketeer at all.

[27:19] Dana Craig: At all.

[27:20] Natalie Joy Johnson: At all. And like, what the fuck is a Milky Way, but a Three Musketeer with some caramel in it?

[27:24] Dana Craig: Really?

[27:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like a Milky Way is better than a Three Musketeer. I'm like, why am I wasting the cows on that?

[27:31] Dana Craig: Are you not into a nougat?

[27:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: I'd rather have a Payday.

[27:37] Dana Craig: Is that up with a nut?

[27:38] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's with a nut?

[27:39] Dana Craig: Yeah.

[27:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh I don't want a nut in my face. The Three Musketeers missing the crunch. Like the crunchiest part can't be the chocolate coating.

[27:47] Dana Craig: Correct.

[27:47] Natalie Joy Johnson: What is this pillow? There's a texture on the color. There's nothing happening. Then give me a mousse. If you're gonna give me mousse, give me mousse. Don't try and give me mousse and call it a candy bar.

[27:56] Dana Craig: Correct.

[27:56] Natalie Joy Johnson: It is a void of a mouth feel. How about that?

[28:01] Dana Craig: How about yes?

[28:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes! It is. It is whipped into shape and past its shape. Do you know what I mean? And tell me those are fun size.

[28:11] Dana Craig: Um, exactly.

[28:12] Natalie Joy Johnson: Hey, should I pause it? There's nothing fun about fun size. There I said you pause it.

[28:19] Dana Craig: Also, peanut M&Ms.

[28:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: Wow. Peanut M&Ms one million percent forever and always reign supreme over regular M&Ms.

[28:28] Dana Craig: Who needs a regular M&M?

[28:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: Never. I don't even. I don't fuck with those.

[28:32] Dana Craig: Never.

[28:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: M&Ms are the best. If they don't have a nut inside, I'm not interested. Same with like let me have a hot take here.

[28:42] Dana Craig: Okay, if I'm gonna get like a chocolate.

[28:43] Natalie Joy Johnson: You have the floor.

[28:44] Dana Craig: If I'm gonna get like a chocolate bar, like a big one, like we're talking about.

[28:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like a chocolate factory.

[28:49] Dana Craig: Square, you know, a 15 square kind of.

[28:51] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah, like by the checkout.

[28:52] Dana Craig: By the checkout. Well, it better be a Kit Kat bite.

[28:54] Natalie Joy Johnson: Well, first of all, exactly. And it better be milk, goddamn chocolate.

[28:59] Dana Craig: I don't fuck with dark chocolate.

[29:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's disgusting. I want it to be creamy and delicious.

[29:05] Dana Craig: I don't know.

[29:05] Natalie Joy Johnson: Like your coffee.

[29:06] Dana Craig: Like your fucking coffee, which is three drops of coffee, and the rest is like heavy cream and sweet and low.

[29:12] Natalie Joy Johnson: Exactly.

[29:13] Dana Craig: Natalie, I knew this, but I didn't know it for sure. When I bring you treats, you know, I have had the choice of dark chocolate or goddamn milk chocolate.

[29:26] Natalie Joy Johnson: Or a Crackle.

[29:28] Dana Craig: And I was like, she's not a dark chocolate.

[29:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: I'm not.

[29:30] Dana Craig: She's correct. She's just not, and I'm not gonna risk it.

[29:35] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know me so well. Um dark chocolate, yeah, I just can't. Again, I can't with a sour.

[29:43] Dana Craig: I want things I can't with a display.

[29:45] Natalie Joy Johnson: You don't like bitter.

[29:46] Dana Craig: I don't.

[29:46] Natalie Joy Johnson: No.

[29:47] Dana Craig: Fucking IPAs.

[29:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, fuck IPAs.

[29:50] Dana Craig: Fuck IPAs. IPAs are literally people's exercise in how disgusting can we make this beer taste?

[29:57] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes. Amen. You're just so gross to me to begin with, but like an IPA is literally like wretched.

[30:03] Dana Craig: So like cocktails for me are like marg.

[30:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um sweet, delicious.

[30:09] Dana Craig: Give me that blueberry lemonade.

[30:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Give me Tweachy tea. Give me, you know, the rum bunner. Give me my cowarddy with like a lot of agave or something.

[30:20] Dana Craig: It needs to taste good. I am not interested in disgusting things.

[30:24] Natalie Joy Johnson: Of which black licorice and really corn.

[30:29] Dana Craig: Yeah.

[30:29] Natalie Joy Johnson: Well, again, it's actually not when you turn it into a Butterfinger. Candy corn to me is kind of like a they rank, I guess, a little worse than like uh than a Three Musketeer.

[30:41] Dana Craig: Like, what's the point?

[30:42] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's it. But I feel like we let candy corn live because it's once a year.

[30:48] Dana Craig: It's not all the time.

[30:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: You are so fierce, and I love that. You know what I hate?

[30:53] Dana Craig: And you know what I hate?

[30:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: I hate Circus Peanuts. There. Who likes them? Go.

[31:01] Dana Craig: Who?

[31:02] Natalie Joy Johnson: Who does Circus Peanuts produce? They're disgusting. Don't ever eat one. They are absolute styrofoam trash.

[31:10] Dana Craig: If you want to feel what asbestos tastes like.

[31:13] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, you mean like the fake peanuts? Like not an actual peanut you get at the circus.

[31:18] Dana Craig: The orange, squishy, like the cheeseburgers.

[31:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: The packing peanuts.

[31:22] Dana Craig: Yes.

[31:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: They are what couches are made of. Do you know what I mean? That it like the circus.

[31:30] Dana Craig: Circus peanut is.

[31:31] Natalie Joy Johnson: Continue. The circus peanut is just uh it's it's an abomination and a front, and it is offensive.

[31:38] Dana Craig: It's a drug front.

[31:40] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's a government conspiracy. Because here's the problem. Why are they still being made?

[31:43] Dana Craig: I was in the grocery store the other day, um, the fine fair in my neighborhood, and right at, you know, kind of where you're standing in line, they have, you know, like the cheap candies where it's like um those little star lights or like little butterscotch that's like 99.

[32:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know what I mean? And like that's where you would find like a Circus Peanuts.

[32:08] Dana Craig: Clear wrapping.

[32:09] Natalie Joy Johnson: Totally. Exactly clear wrapping, yes. With like red um logos, zero branding.

[32:13] Dana Craig: Right.

[32:14] Natalie Joy Johnson: And I was just looking at some of that shit, and some of these old candies that I'm like, I honestly to this, I don't know who is still buying this, and I don't know why we're you're still selling it, and I don't know why there's real estate for a Circus Peanuts ever in any kind of store ever.

[32:30] Dana Craig: Not even a Circus Peanuts.

[32:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: Not even Circus Peanuts. Maybe there's like an old unwrapped episode with Mark Summers about them.

[32:39] Dana Craig: Maybe, but they are absolutely, they are absolutely like that's not a treat.

[32:45] Natalie Joy Johnson: They're a punishment.

[32:46] Dana Craig: That's a trick.

[32:47] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's a trick. Maybe that's where they're from. They were the trick-or-treat.

[32:51] Dana Craig: Like, do you mean they're the trick?

[32:53] Natalie Joy Johnson: Are you reaching in? Are you getting a trick or a treat?

[32:55] Dana Craig: Yeah, bitch. You're getting styrofoam.

[32:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: You're getting styrofoam. It's di uh it's the autumnal lump of coal.

[33:04] Dana Craig: Correct, correct, correct.

[33:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: What is that palette? It's like, can you feel them in your mouth right now?

[33:10] Dana Craig: It's like halfway between you feel them in your mouth.

[33:15] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's so gross. Here's some reviews.

[33:18] Dana Craig: Like a cow.

[33:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: My dad loves them. My dad love 'em.

[33:22] Dana Craig: Yeah, and he also From Sylvester, Georgia.

[33:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: He also enjoys a Werther's original. You know what I mean?

[33:27] Dana Craig: I love a Werther's not disgusting, but uh, you know, they are also of a certain era.

[33:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: You know, they're the demographic for those po folks also love.

[33:39] Dana Craig: They're timeless, they're caramels.

[33:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah. You know what I do love?

[33:44] Dana Craig: What about those like um these would also be in the clear red wrappers next to the old candy.

[33:53] Natalie Joy Johnson: The gushers.

[33:54] Dana Craig: Caramels with the caramels with the white center.

[33:57] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah.

[33:57] Dana Craig: That's like a cow tail, like a gigantic cow tail that's been cut up.

[34:01] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes, yes.

[34:02] Dana Craig: Oh delicious.

[34:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Mountie in your mouthy.

[34:06] Dana Craig: So again, mouthfeel that is good.

[34:09] Natalie Joy Johnson: Stephen, Elaine, when she used to live in Chicago when she was young, when she was a young lady, my grandma.

[34:16] Dana Craig: She was just the hottest thing on the planet.

[34:18] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes.

[34:18] Dana Craig: Rap caramels.

[34:20] Natalie Joy Johnson: She was a caramel rapper.

[34:22] Dana Craig: Professionally or for sport at home, and she would like to give them out.

[34:26] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's like how Bette used to work at a pineapple factory in Hawaii. Like it's part of the lore.

[34:31] Dana Craig: She's like, you know why I have so much arthritis?

[34:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's because I used to rap caramels.

[34:36] Dana Craig: Rap all the game.

[34:37] Natalie Joy Johnson: Millwork ain't easy.

[34:41] Dana Craig: I will actually punch you in the face the next time I see you.

[34:43] Natalie Joy Johnson: Which by the way, I sang the other night. I was we were looking through music, and Drew Wecke, who's playing at my show this week.

[34:51] Dana Craig: Love you, Drew.

[34:52] Natalie Joy Johnson: He um we were looking through music and we were looking through the M's, because I have actual sheet music, you know, and I was looking up something with M's, and I was like, oh my god, wait, I found this.

[35:02] Dana Craig: We have will you please just play it for me.

[35:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Please find a key that's good, which is very hard for the song.

[35:07] Dana Craig: But also from working, the song is so freaking good.

[35:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: Please go. Like if we are on a musical theater podcast, I suppose. Here's one little thing about musical theater since we've spoken of none of it.

[35:18] Dana Craig: Um in working the musical, there is this beautiful, beautiful, beautiful song by Craig Cornelia called The Mason.

[35:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah.

[35:26] Dana Craig: What a Mason does.

[35:28] Natalie Joy Johnson: Is that it?

[35:28] Dana Craig: He builds a house with music.

[35:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: Hundred years go by, it stands.

[35:37] Dana Craig: It stands where nothing stood.

[35:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: A house of stone.

[35:42] Dana Craig: The Mason sleeps real good.

[35:45] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes.

[35:46] Dana Craig: It's so good.

[35:47] Natalie Joy Johnson: Go listen to that.

[35:48] Dana Craig: So good. I love working. I've been thinking about working a lot lately.

[35:53] Natalie Joy Johnson: I don't know why, but you gotta go to work.

[35:56] Dana Craig: Work.

[35:57] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um uh Peggy Eliza, etc.

[36:01] Dana Craig: Um, what else you got?

[36:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: Wait, have you guys I know the answer from Dana. I don't know that I know the answer from you, Stephen.

[36:13] Dana Craig: Have you guys seen shows back in a theater?

[36:16] Natalie Joy Johnson: I mean, you're obvious like what did you see?

[36:19] Dana Craig: Yes, I saw Caroline was my first.

[36:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: Caroline or Change.

[36:23] Dana Craig: Caroline or Change.

[36:25] Natalie Joy Johnson: I have to go see you gotta go see it.

[36:25] Dana Craig: You gotta go see it.

[36:32] Natalie Joy Johnson: She's such a queen.

[36:33] Dana Craig: Um, it's real good.

[36:35] Natalie Joy Johnson: I've never seen it on a stage. It's one of those scores that I've known for the entirety of its release, but I have never seen it mounted.

[36:45] Dana Craig: I did see a bootleg of the original on an airplane once.

[36:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: But different experience.

[36:52] Dana Craig: Um, really, really cool.

[36:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: That piece is such a masterpiece, and I don't think it got its due the first go-around, even though Tanya Pinkins was so brilliant and totally snubbed for that Tony.

[37:05] Dana Craig: She's a quick one.

[37:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think now I think now the um the people are seeing how masterful just the writing is, and that alone is so exciting to see again.

[37:21] Dana Craig: Well, and can I tell you?

[37:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: So exciting to see again.

[37:24] Dana Craig: I love that. And the thing that has really just like uh we need good shows.

[37:30] Natalie Joy Johnson: We're good shows shows.

[37:33] Dana Craig: It breaks my heart that Dana H and this is a room is closing because Dana H, I didn't see this as a room, but Dana H was so good.

[37:41] Natalie Joy Johnson: I saw that it's closing and when it's soon, right?

[37:44] Dana Craig: I was wondering if I could go see it before it does, because I know you love Dana.

[37:47] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think they got like another week or so.

[37:50] Dana Craig: Yeah, oh remarkable.

[37:52] Natalie Joy Johnson: How is it closing when we just opened everything back up?

[37:55] Dana Craig: Well, wasn't it wasn't it a limited anyway?

[37:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: It was closing a bit.

[37:59] Dana Craig: It was, but they're closing like two weeks after opening.

[38:02] Natalie Joy Johnson: They were supposed to go to January.

[38:04] Dana Craig: Uh, I think it's a hard sell.

[38:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: I think well, I was just actually having a conversation about this with a friend of mine the other day because it's like in this current palette and climate, like what do people want to come see?

[38:19] Dana Craig: Right.

[38:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: They want to go see Jennifer Nettles, they want to go see that's when I said wicked. They want Chicago, they want like I was like, this is when we need like, you know, another Mamma Mia.

[38:30] Dana Craig: Honestly, you know what I mean? It's like after after 9/11, Mamma Mia was the was the palette cleanser that people needed.

[38:39] Natalie Joy Johnson: They wanted the escape. They wanted something fun.

[38:42] Dana Craig: They wanted to like lose their, you know, lose their own.

[38:46] Natalie Joy Johnson: Remember what fun feels like.

[38:48] Dana Craig: Exactly. Exactly.

[38:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: So it's like that's interesting.

[38:52] Dana Craig: But Deirdre O'Connell is giving a a performance I didn't know possible.

[38:58] Natalie Joy Johnson: Without giving any spoilers.

[39:00] Dana Craig: I just I didn't and I've always loved her.

[39:02] Natalie Joy Johnson: I just didn't know that you could do what she's doing.

[39:07] Dana Craig: That's I love when you're like, I didn't know you could do that.

[39:10] Natalie Joy Johnson: That was a good one. I didn't know that the that a human could do that.

[39:13] Dana Craig: I didn't know that that kind of performance could come out of uh what is required of her in that show.

[39:20] Natalie Joy Johnson: Well, now I have to go see you.

[39:22] Dana Craig: That's incredible.

[39:23] Natalie Joy Johnson: I really, really highly recommend if you can find the time.

[39:27] Dana Craig: I will do my best.

[39:29] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah. Find that slot, honey.

[39:30] Dana Craig: And it's only 75 minutes, so you'll still have the rest of your night.

[39:34] Natalie Joy Johnson: First of all, Abba just came out with a new song and it's been on loop for me forever. It's called Justin Ocean, and I just want to put that out there for the listeners.

[39:42] Dana Craig: Excellent.

[39:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: Okay, Natalie, I have a question. Like, do you have like a ghost story or like something spooky that happened to you once?

[39:59] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes, yes, actually I do. I have one that immediately comes to mind. We love a spooky moment. Um way, way back many centuries ago, back when we were doing the Legally Blonde tryout in San Francisco. Jason Patrick Sans and I smoked an insane amount of pot. We were laying on the Murphy bed in my apartment when the ceiling fan, which had been going one way, it all of a sudden stopped, and then it started turning in the other direction really fast and the lights went off and we were like, holy fuck. We were both like, oh my god, what's happening? What's happening? What's happening? We were laying on my bed. The Murphy bed was pulled out, the ceiling fan's right above us, and it had like a light above the fan, the blades, and then a light below the fan. So you could have light above.

[40:49] Dana Craig: Like a sandwich.

[40:51] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Sandwich of light. And so um, literally, it like one of the lights went off and the other one went on, and literally it had started spinning the opposite direction. It had been going like, you know, one, and then it started spinning the opposite, and we were both like what the fuck is going on? And it was the Steinhardt for those. The Steinhardt Hotel. And um, but it was like a really old hotel, like really old, and had like one of those old elevators with like the um the gates that you had to like push apart to get into. So with like an old-fashioned street light right outside. Um with an old side old fashioned stoplight, exactly. Um god, God bless him. God bless Pete Johnson and his ingenuity.

I'm tagging him in this episode. Yes, but yeah, you guys, that was that was wild as hell. And we both experienced it, and we both to this day like talk about it and know that it happened. So we know that that happened. And then I would like talk to the spirit because I still then had to live in that place for like another month or something. Hey, what's up? Like, hope all is well. I'm like not looking for trouble. You know, um, what about you guys? Spook stories?

[42:07] Dana Craig: I mean, things I don't have any I don't have a go-to story like that that stands out. Like that's something spooky that happened, and I still can't explain it. Things like that certainly have happened, like things falling off of shelves that have no business falling off of shelves. They've sat on that shelf for ten years and not moved. And now you choose to fall over. Like what gust of wind came through the bathroom there.

[42:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um, right, right, right, right. It's the hidden apartment on the other side of your spookiest. I've never found anything like in a wall. I've never I've left things in a wall for other people to find. Such as uh like so right now they're currently working on my bathroom ceiling again because it keeps leaking and keeps growing mushrooms out of it. Not ideal.

[43:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: Actual mushrooms? Not the ones you would want to eat recreationally or um put into your cuisine. But actually, but actual mushrooms like Alice in Wonderland realness. Toadstool vibes. Um so w for there were a couple days where there was a hole in the ceiling, and uh this was kind of peak pandemic. So I wrote a little note and I put it in a ziploc, like, hey, this is Steven and John and Thomas and Norman. We lived here during the COVID 19 pandemic. Love you. I don't know. Maybe no one'll find it, but why not? I love that. What about you?

[43:43] Dana Craig: Oh, you know why I did it? Because when you opened it up, when they opened up the ceiling, you could see the original floorboards of the building. There were still like slats of wood that are so clearly from when this building was built.

[43:56] Natalie Joy Johnson: Right. I was like, that's rad.

[43:58] Dana Craig: That's right. It's like you were signing underneath your station in the Broadway Theater.

[44:03] Natalie Joy Johnson: Exactly. I signed my bathroom station.

[44:06] Dana Craig: Yes. Um, so I don't have any ghost stories, but I am wondering if you need to be open to it to begin with. I am terrified of ghosts. I don't think that they don't exist, but I'm not looking to convince it.

[44:22] Natalie Joy Johnson: You're not trying to mess with them.

[44:23] Dana Craig: Well, I've really see I have, you know, like lost some people that are very close to me. And so I want, I'm like, please come visit. Please. Please, please. I want them to come visit. I'm like, please just let me know that you're there. Please just let me know that you're there. And I have had some instances where there is no doubt. Where there's absolutely no doubt to me at all, where I'm like, oh, okay, thank you. Like you, I there's this It's beyond coincidence, is what you're saying?

[44:53] Natalie Joy Johnson: Beyond. Absolutely 100% beyond.

[44:56] Dana Craig: Yeah. I love it. Oh my god. Okay, this is a good one. If you could have lunch with three ghosts, who would they be?

[45:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh, that's very interesting. Like famous ghosts? Like Casper.

[45:09] Dana Craig: Sure.

[45:10] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um just like dead people. Three dead people. You know, it's usually like living or dead. Let's focus on the dead. Who okay? Like what three people who like would you put on your offrenda just so that they could come visit even though they weren't like in your family? I love that.

[45:27] Dana Craig: Oh my god, that movie is so good. Just had dinner at a friend.

[45:33] Natalie Joy Johnson: Oh. Um, gosh, that's gosh, that is a really a hard question. I mean, the first is so dead. But like, my first answer is like, well, I guess Jesus, it would be interesting just to get to the bottom of him. You know what I mean? What is your story? What do you look like? And what is your fucking vibe, bro? Like, that would be interesting. I think just to kind of start.

[46:02] Dana Craig: Are you just a stranger on the bus?

[46:04] Natalie Joy Johnson: Right, right, right, right. You're getting punched immediately upon seeing you by me. And it will be with love and anger, both simultaneous. The yin and the yang. Um, the Andrew Yang. Um really how do I have any friends? It's really a problem. Um, I also want to put Marilyn Monroe on the list, and again, they're so basic. Jesus and Marilyn Monroe. Oh. Take your birth control. Um that I think it's those. I don't know. I don't know. There's too many people because then it's also like, what about like, you know, fucking, you know, one of those real smarties from the Renaissance, or I should have it's too big. There's a lot too big.

[46:48] Dana Craig: What about you guys?

[46:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: It's too big. I think I'd love to talk to Abraham Lincoln to get his thoughts on Our American Cousin. I want to know if he liked what he saw. I have to put uh Betty Davis, because I can't not. I there's nothing I wouldn't do to have 10 minutes with Betty Davis.

[47:11] Dana Craig: Okay.

[47:11] Natalie Joy Johnson: That's well, look, you know that in your bones.

[47:13] Dana Craig: We love that.

[47:14] Natalie Joy Johnson: I know that in my bones. And I think the third one, like someone from like the Arthurian or like some sort of medieval jewelry night person. Just because I love that time period so much. And I want answers. There's so much fiction that we just like presume to be true. What does it smell like? How hardly is that stench of the sewer in the streets?

[47:44] Dana Craig: Right.

[47:45] Natalie Joy Johnson: Right. I want somewhere in like that 13, late 1300s, early 1400s.

[47:55] Dana Craig: Alright. See, then you made me just want to be like, one of the girls from Harlots. Did you ever see that TV?

[48:00] Natalie Joy Johnson: I how I can't believe we've never talked about it. It's the best television I've ever watched. I have so much lady watching, first of all. There's lady watching happening in it, and it's so so good. Dana, if you've not watched it, honestly, we've talked about it on this podcast. Will love it.

[48:15] Dana Craig: You're saying Harlots, not Harlots.

[48:19] Natalie Joy Johnson: There's Harlett's.

[48:20] Dana Craig: Okay.

[48:21] Natalie Joy Johnson: Right. H A R L O T S. It's on Hulu, and it's like three seasons, I think. And you're sad when it's done. It's one of those where you're like, fuck, I want more. Like, you want more. And it's, you know, it's these uh like whores of the what is that? 1500, 1600, 1600, 1700. Like gritty, London, like big titties out and corsets and just painted white faces and wigs, and it smells and the Molly houses. And like it's dark. It's really, really, really dark. It's really, really dark, but it's so well done. And when I tell you, like the and it's mostly, you know, a female led cast, and when I tell you, these fucking actresses are so goddamn good. It's it's so good, and the story is like so arresting. So they would be cool to be a good one. Very.

[49:14] Dana Craig: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's so good. You you will just, it's one of those where I can't watch movies. Like I cannot watch I cannot watch a movie sitting in my apartment. It will not happen. I will pause literally 10 times, 20 times during the first like half an hour. Like I just can't do it. But I can sit and binge watch on occasion, like shows like Succession or like Harless. And that's one of them where you're just like, yep, let's press play. Let's keep going. I I can't get enough. Harlett's is so good.

[49:50] Natalie Joy Johnson: So good. Oh my god. I did not know you had ever seen it. So good.

[49:52] Dana Craig: Um, what about your three ghosts?

[49:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: Uh my three ghosts would be Joan Rivers, Shakespeare, and Harriet Tubman.

[50:01] Dana Craig: Oh good.

[50:02] Natalie Joy Johnson: I love that table.

[50:03] Dana Craig: So good. That's a good table, right? Red Table talk, honey. Joan Rivers died before Trump became president, and that is a travesty. Like that I needed to be a travesty.

[50:15] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yes, yes. Yes, yes.

[50:17] Dana Craig: Oh, that's a really good one. On that note, we we've reached our time. Um, you guys, thank you. I'm so glad we've had this time. I'm exhausted. I need a nap. It's a really nice way to start the morning, though. Right? Take a little nap at a little bit. Laughing with your best friends. It's it's real good. I'll take it. Happy Hello Warned. HAPPY HALLOWQUEEN. Have a safe HALLOWQUEEN. Uh, don't eat any unwrapped candy unless you're on prep.

[50:46] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um that uh uh terrible. Terrible.

[50:52] Dana Craig: In that note. If you are feeling wild and want to celebrate the spirit, uh, why don't you check out my Instagram? I guess it would be on the reels, but I do have a version of Dead Ass Pussy that if you're if you're not familiar with it. Thank you for that, though.

[51:06] Natalie Joy Johnson: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Amazing. And every Saturday night at the queue, Natalie has a show, 7 p.m. free. Honey, we've got a band. The most handsome band in all. It is a band that it's so no cover. Come on.

[51:24] Natalie Joy Johnson: Um thank you to the queue, and thank you to uh Brian Patrick Murphy for taking care of us today. Our engineer. Thank you so much. From the Broadway Podcast Natural Network. Um, Steven, Dana, I love you both.

[51:38] Dana Craig: We love you.

[51:38] Natalie Joy Johnson: Thanks for having me. Thank you for letting me complain this in the box. On that note. Bye.

[51:44] Dana Craig: Bye.

[51:48] Natalie Joy Johnson: Bye.

[51:50] Dana Craig: Boom.

[51:55] Natalie Joy Johnson: In the Room with Steven and Dana is produced by Steven Ferezy and Dana Craig. Special thanks to Joel Wagoner for tinkling the ivories on our theme song. Hit him up at Joel Wagoner.com. We apologize, and you're welcome. We'd also like to thank Jesse Wiener, W I-E-N-E-R, for our jazzy original music sprinkled throughout each episode. You can find him at jessewiener.com. Last but certainly not least, we'd like to thank Kevin Thomas Garcia for taking all of our ridiculous photos. You can find him online at KTGNYC.com. We are all over the internet on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Intherroom Pod. Follow us, like us, share us, pamp us out. And don't forget to subscribe to In the Room Podcast. We everywhere, so subscribe. And thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much.