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[0:03] Drew Gasparini: Hey guys, Drew Gasparini here from Now We're Talking with Drew Gasparini.

[0:07] Drew Gasparini: Just letting you know that you can now support our podcast by becoming a patron of our show on Patreon.

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[0:25] Drew Gasparini: From booking our star-studded guest list to research, writing, hosting, recording, editing, and beyond.

[0:31] Drew Gasparini: This particular podcast is a one-man operation through and through.

[0:36] Drew Gasparini: I'll give you one guess who that one man is.

[0:38] Drew Gasparini: Me!

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[0:52] Drew Gasparini: Thanks to our newest patrons, Katie, Elizabeth, Becca, Thomas, and Sheena.

[0:57] Drew Gasparini: I can't tell you how much I love you.

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[1:00] Drew Gasparini: And now, what you've all been waiting for, the motherfucking show.

[1:08] Drew Gasparini: Hey, hey, hey, you sexy buttheads.

[1:10] Drew Gasparini: It's everyone's favorite competitive breakdancer, Drew Gasparini here with another episode of Now We're Talking, the podcast that thinks Texas governor George Abbott should be punched in the dick repeatedly.

[1:21] Drew Gasparini: Gosh, today I feel lucky, and so should you, because our guest today is a damn unicorn.

[1:26] Drew Gasparini: He's been seen on stage and screen and known for his work on Broadway in shows like Mamma Mia, Anything Goes, Aladdin, Groundhog Day, and beyond.

[1:35] Drew Gasparini: I met this Uber talent while working on Skittle's commercial, the Broadway musical, and you can hear his beautiful singing voice on my album We Aren't Kids Anymore.

[1:43] Drew Gasparini: Hang on to your hats and glasses, 'cause this here's the wildest route in the wilderness.

[1:48] Drew Gasparini: Ladies and gentlemen, now we're talking with Raymond J. Lee.

[1:55] Raymond J Lee: What does the J stand for?

[1:56] Raymond J Lee: Jay stands for my Korean name, Chang Ook, which means he who studies well.

[2:01] Raymond J Lee: Clearly, my parents wanted me to be a doctor and not an actor.

[2:04] Raymond J Lee: And my brother is Chang Ho, which apparently means he who takes tests well.

[2:07] Raymond J Lee: So clearly.

[2:08] Drew Gasparini: No way.

[2:09] Raymond J Lee: Yeah.

[2:10] Raymond J Lee: It's a very Asian, like passive aggressive.

[2:14] Drew Gasparini: I love it.

[2:15] Drew Gasparini: Is that what your parents expected of you? Was it to like go be a doctor or lawyer or something in the high education realm of things?

[2:23] Raymond J Lee: Oh, yeah. I was supposed to be a doctor, and my brother was supposed to be a dentist, and we both were like, hell to the no.

[2:29] Raymond J Lee: And he's a financy guy, and I'm an actor.

[2:32] Drew Gasparini: So.

[2:32] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[2:33] Drew Gasparini: Wow, he still went and did finance, though.

[2:35] Drew Gasparini: Uh, so you're an actor and he's a finance guy. Who would you say your parents are more proud of?

[2:40] Raymond J Lee: Him.

[2:43] Raymond J Lee: He is straight. He has the son to carry on the Lee name.

[2:47] Drew Gasparini: Oh my goodness.

[2:49] Drew Gasparini: It's so old school.

[2:50] Raymond J Lee: It's so traditional.

[2:51] Raymond J Lee: So traditional.

[2:53] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god.

[2:54] Drew Gasparini: Can you tell us a little bit, actually? That's a great place to start.

[2:56] Drew Gasparini: First of all, Ray, I love you.

[2:59] Drew Gasparini: I'm so happy you're here.

[3:01] Drew Gasparini: I'm thrilled you're doing this podcast with me because I've always enjoyed your company as well as just working with you and like seeing you excel in a room.

[3:10] Drew Gasparini: Um, but I really I want to know, just because I know very little about this.

[3:15] Drew Gasparini: I know you're Korean, I know you're an actor, and that's all I know.

[3:19] Drew Gasparini: I would love to, and I know you're a dad, and I know all these other amazing things about you, but I want to know like where you get the bravery to try show business, because I feel like, you know, especially based on what we just said, it seems like a more of a traditional household where show business is probably not the biggest pairs of thumbs up you would get.

[3:44] Raymond J Lee: Oh, totally.

[3:45] Raymond J Lee: I mean, I guess from the beginning I had always loved television, I'd love theater.

[3:51] Raymond J Lee: Um, my parents had actually this is how Korean I am.

[3:54] Raymond J Lee: I played violin from age kindergarten to like in college, I continued.

[3:59] Raymond J Lee: It was orchestra and shit.

[4:01] Drew Gasparini: Wait, what do you like? Could you still play now if I like handed you a fiddle? Could you pick it up and go for it?

[4:04] Raymond J Lee: I think I could.

[4:07] Raymond J Lee: I think I could.

[4:08] Raymond J Lee: My violin is so rusty, and I think I still have my vibrato.

[4:11] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[4:12] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[4:12] Raymond J Lee: But yeah, it was like that's how I learned how to read music and do all that fun stuff.

[4:19] Raymond J Lee: And pit orchestra that I love theater, so that's how I got into it all.

[4:23] Drew Gasparini: Wow, that is actually amazing.

[4:25] Drew Gasparini: Because I was gonna ask you, just like we all kind of find our thing that gets us into musical theater.

[4:31] Drew Gasparini: I think my thing was like when it comes that you you have a book, a movie, a TV show, an album.

[4:39] Drew Gasparini: I think the book that changed my life was like Fox and Socks by Dr. Seuss.

[4:43] Drew Gasparini: And I think you know what I mean?

[4:45] Drew Gasparini: Like all that all those rhymey couplets and made up words and all that kind of stuff, and I think the musical that changed my life was the Who's Tommy.

[4:54] Drew Gasparini: I saw that and I was like, this is a game changer right here.

[4:58] Drew Gasparini: What was the musical that like made you go, I want to do that?

[5:02] Raymond J Lee: Oh, I totally know.

[5:04] Raymond J Lee: It is it was totally Rent for me.

[5:06] Raymond J Lee: Because I mean, growing up it was like Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, and I was like, I can't sound like that.

[5:11] Raymond J Lee: There's no way in hell I could do music theater.

[5:14] Raymond J Lee: Rent came out, people are like, and built and yes.

[5:18] Drew Gasparini: I just had Adam Pascal on the show. Did you know that?

[5:20] Raymond J Lee: Oh, yes, that's so cool.

[5:22] Raymond J Lee: It was amazing, and I asked him all these crazy Rent questions, including, well, like, you know, now that you're a little older, aren't you annoyed that they don't just pay their fucking rent?

[5:31] Drew Gasparini: Like, just pay your rent.

[5:33] Raymond J Lee: Well, and also I remember watching the movie being like, damn, that's a really awesome apartment.

[5:38] Raymond J Lee: Like, my first apartment was a shithole compared to what you have for free.

[5:43] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, exactly.

[5:43] Drew Gasparini: These big loft artist loft commune things that just don't exist in New York anymore.

[5:48] Raymond J Lee: It's so so crazy.

[5:49] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god.

[5:50] Drew Gasparini: I'm like, wait.

[5:51] Drew Gasparini: Everyone's singing in the stairwell.

[5:52] Drew Gasparini: I'm like, this is not my first experience in New York.

[5:55] Raymond J Lee: But like it's an image like that that makes you go, I want to go to New York, right?

[5:58] Drew Gasparini: I mean, like, when I watched Friends and I saw the size of that apartment, I was like, oh wow, and you're best friends with all your neighbors, and it feels like such a community.

[6:06] Drew Gasparini: I was like, I really sought after that when I came to New York.

[6:09] Drew Gasparini: I was like, how do I have that exact life?

[6:12] Drew Gasparini: It doesn't exist necessarily.

[6:13] Drew Gasparini: You don't just get an apartment in the West Village for that cheap, but it was but I wanted that that New York thing.

[6:21] Drew Gasparini: You know what I mean?

[6:21] Drew Gasparini: What was like the New York inspiration for you?

[6:24] Raymond J Lee: Oh my gosh.

[6:25] Raymond J Lee: You know, believe it or not.

[6:26] Raymond J Lee: So what happened was um I was a film major in school.

[6:30] Drew Gasparini: Where'd you go to school?

[6:31] Raymond J Lee: And I went to school at Northwestern University.

[6:33] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[6:34] Raymond J Lee: No, I started off pre-med chemistry.

[6:37] Raymond J Lee: Um, trying to follow the parents, and then after a year and a half, I was like, I can't do this.

[6:41] Raymond J Lee: I do not care.

[6:42] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[6:43] Drew Gasparini: You were literally on your way to be a doctor.

[6:47] Raymond J Lee: Fully on my way.

[6:48] Raymond J Lee: That's that's the only reason they agreed for me to go to Northwestern.

[6:51] Raymond J Lee: After I didn't make it into any Ivy Leagues, I was a huge disappointment.

[6:54] Raymond J Lee: But I got into Northwestern.

[6:55] Raymond J Lee: They were like, okay, fine, whatever you should go.

[6:59] Drew Gasparini: Whatever.

[6:59] Raymond J Lee: I love that.

[7:00] Raymond J Lee: Northwestern is such a it's like a mega school.

[7:03] Drew Gasparini: Yes.

[7:04] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, and they go, whatever.

[7:06] Drew Gasparini: They're like, it's not Ivy League, you are a disappointment.

[7:09] Drew Gasparini: I'm like, I'm so sorry.

[7:10] Drew Gasparini: Oh, oh, oh, oh, but crazy story, too.

[7:13] Raymond J Lee: Yes, tell it.

[7:13] Raymond J Lee: I found out I was waitlisted from Columbia.

[7:16] Drew Gasparini: Uh-huh.

[7:17] Raymond J Lee: And a year later, after my first year at Northwestern, the following summer, my dad comes to me.

[7:21] Raymond J Lee: He's like, I have confession.

[7:23] Drew Gasparini: I'm like, what?

[7:24] Raymond J Lee: You actually got in, but we didn't think Columbia was good enough, so we didn't tell you.

[7:29] Drew Gasparini: No way.

[7:30] Raymond J Lee: It was like, I had to get into Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, like Yale.

[7:34] Drew Gasparini: Those are like...

[7:36] Raymond J Lee: Wait a minute.

[7:37] Raymond J Lee: Is that true?

[7:37] Raymond J Lee: Your dad didn't think Columbia was good enough, so he didn't tell you.

[7:43] Raymond J Lee: He said you got waitlisted?

[7:43] Raymond J Lee: I got waitlisted and I sent like more essays.

[7:45] Raymond J Lee: I sent them like all this other crap.

[7:48] Raymond J Lee: And then I never heard.

[7:49] Drew Gasparini: And like now they know.

[7:50] Drew Gasparini: Now they know, like, oh, like Northwestern is an amazing school.

[7:53] Drew Gasparini: Columbia was an amazing school.

[7:54] Drew Gasparini: Like, oh, American education is hard.

[7:56] Raymond J Lee: Yes.

[7:56] Raymond J Lee: Oh my god, is it ever?

[7:58] Drew Gasparini: And like, but like Columbia, and the fact that like you kind of still gave it the extra effort.

[8:03] Drew Gasparini: You're sending in more essays.

[8:04] Drew Gasparini: Columbia's probably like, what's his kid's deal?

[8:06] Drew Gasparini: Like, he's in.

[8:07] Drew Gasparini: He's already in.

[8:08] Drew Gasparini: He's sending us essay after essay.

[8:10] Raymond J Lee: You passed, man.

[8:11] Raymond J Lee: You got the part.

[8:12] Drew Gasparini: I was like, why did Columbia ghost me?

[8:15] Drew Gasparini: I sent them everything.

[8:15] Raymond J Lee: I sent them a blood sample.

[8:17] Drew Gasparini: I sent them everything.

[8:18] Raymond J Lee: A blood sample, a cup full of urine.

[8:21] Drew Gasparini: They got everything from you.

[8:23] Raymond J Lee: You got my body.

[8:25] Raymond J Lee: You get Columbia your body.

[8:27] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god.

[8:28] Drew Gasparini: And that's how you get into college, kids.

[8:30] Raymond J Lee: Um just send them your body.

[8:33] Drew Gasparini: Okay, so what it has there been?

[8:35] Drew Gasparini: I mean, like, I don't know your parents at all, but they just sound like they live in that strict world, and that is a pretty typical traditional Asian household, if I'm not mistaken, correct?

[8:47] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, I mean, they've evolved so much.

[8:49] Raymond J Lee: Like the growth they've made from now to like when I was a kid is like astronomical.

[8:54] Drew Gasparini: And that's all you can really ask for when it comes to your parents, right?

[8:57] Drew Gasparini: I mean, any growth is amazing when you see that in your parents, of course.

[9:01] Raymond J Lee: Oh, especially when you don't think there's any room to grow as a college kid.

[9:04] Raymond J Lee: You're like, they're stuck in their ways, but not to see how they've evolved is really cool.

[9:08] Raymond J Lee: But back then it was like strict, Christian, conservative, Korean family.

[9:13] Raymond J Lee: Like Wow, you really literally just don't check one of those boxes as an individual.

[9:19] Raymond J Lee: I remember like at the moment when I found out I was gay.

[9:21] Raymond J Lee: I remember like looking up at the sky and being like, really?

[9:25] Raymond J Lee: I want to be a musician and I'm gay?

[9:28] Drew Gasparini: Well really, so okay, I have so many questions just hearing all this, just because I'm learning so much about you.

[9:33] Drew Gasparini: This is thrilling for me.

[9:34] Drew Gasparini: I love this.

[9:35] Drew Gasparini: Because I've known you for a little while, but like I'm picking up all these things.

[9:38] Drew Gasparini: Two things.

[9:39] Drew Gasparini: What was, if you don't mind, like this could be you could just say no and slap me on the wrist, and that's that.

[9:44] Drew Gasparini: But I'm so curious, because of your upbringing, what was the identifying thing that made you go, oh shoot, you know what?

[9:50] Drew Gasparini: I'm gay.

[9:51] Drew Gasparini: Like, what was oh, oh, oh, Dag Nabit, I'm gay.

[9:54] Raymond J Lee: How like what was the thing that made it click?

[9:58] Raymond J Lee: Oh, I remember so fondly.

[10:00] Raymond J Lee: Um I mean, I'd always had inklings of like when I was younger, like I like to be around guys, and there's something different, there's an energy there.

[10:07] Raymond J Lee: Yeah.

[10:07] Raymond J Lee: And then in middle school, when that magical stage of puberty hits, I remember like looking at a picture in a magazine of just a guy, just shirtless guy.

[10:15] Drew Gasparini: Yeah.

[10:18] Raymond J Lee: Especially the pectoral area.

[10:19] Drew Gasparini: Uh huh.

[10:20] Raymond J Lee: And then it was like light bulb, like no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[10:26] Raymond J Lee: This can't happen.

[10:27] Drew Gasparini: Did you think it was something that you could like it would did you think it was like reversible or something?

[10:31] Raymond J Lee: It like weirdly made sense.

[10:33] Raymond J Lee: It was like, oh, that explains all these other feelings, but no, I like shut the magazines.

[10:38] Raymond J Lee: I was like, I can't go down that road.

[10:40] Raymond J Lee: There's no way.

[10:41] Raymond J Lee: My parents will kill me, I'll be disowned and dishonor.

[10:46] Raymond J Lee: Um I like put it in a box, shut it off, and then which you know, which is very healthy.

[10:52] Raymond J Lee: Not yeah, no, no.

[10:53] Raymond J Lee: No therapy needed at all.

[10:55] Drew Gasparini: No.

[10:55] Drew Gasparini: It's easy to just put it in a box.

[10:57] Raymond J Lee: But then it that started the road of like m the road of me being gay and accepting being gay.

[11:04] Raymond J Lee: It was a long road, but I'm I'm proud and glad of where I am now 'cause I'm fully open and I mean good God that makes me happy.

[11:11] Drew Gasparini: Just 'cause, you know, you're just the most lovable guy in the entire world.

[11:14] Drew Gasparini: You should be as wide open and out in the universe as possible.

[11:17] Drew Gasparini: So I'm glad that you're in a place that makes you happy.

[11:19] Drew Gasparini: What was it like coming out to your parents?

[11:22] Raymond J Lee: Oh my gosh.

[11:23] Raymond J Lee: Um they found out through a Google search.

[11:26] Drew Gasparini: No.

[11:27] Raymond J Lee: Are you serious?

[11:29] Raymond J Lee: You know, it was I there was an interview about um that is so that's like the modern day like Paul story from a chorus line.

[11:37] Drew Gasparini: You know what I mean?

[11:38] Raymond J Lee: Like when his dad sees him in drag and this is like that the modern day version of that.

[11:43] Raymond J Lee: Your parents find out on Google, oh my God.

[11:46] Raymond J Lee: Can you imagine like chorus line part two? I'll just be like Ray and be like had my hold my head shut be like my parents did a Google search and found out I was a homosexual.

[11:55] Drew Gasparini: That's insane.

[11:57] Raymond J Lee: Wow, how crazy. I mean that's dedication to your life though. Good for your parents for being that heavily involved.

[12:02] Drew Gasparini: Well it was funny because it was an interview. It wasn't like the words I'm gay. I talked about prop eight and how I was against it and how evil it was and um and my parents were like they found that interview and said, Oh only gay people are against prop eight. Are you gay? And and it was like I had been living with my boyfriend who is now my husband for like two years, and they thought he was a roommate. It was very the wedding banquet, if anyone has seen that film. Um Wow. And that's just I thought I just can't hide it anymore. And so I I told them, and then it was a couple years of like, you know, drama and them thinking I should get like psychiatric help and me telling them this is me.

[12:41] Raymond J Lee: Yeah. But now we are evolved and they um they awkwardly ask about my husband. They're always like, Oh's Robbie. Uh-huh. Okay, okay, okay, good, good, good. How's your friend? You know what I mean? How's your friend? Totally. Oh, you mean the guy I've been living with, my life partner forever? My friend here? Yeah. My pal. It's so there's always a pause too. There's always like, How's your the little ellipsis before they get the last word out?

[13:07] Drew Gasparini: Totally. Totally. Oh my god, that is so so funny. Um, Ray, you and I have a lot to discuss today. You don't know this. I have it all written in front of me. This is all awesome. Um, but I want to talk about your Broadway career. I uh the whole conceit of this podcast was like, let's talk about anything but show business, and the more I just have people on, it how can we avoid it? We just love it so much. We love being we love being a part of it, we get frustrated with it, we get uh but when it's going well, it's going really well, and we we all celebrate each other, and I I just kinda love that aspect of of show business and and Broadway in specific, but uh you, I have always said, is you're like Broadway's secret weapon.

I really strongly think that. And it's because I feel like you haven't had many like Stephen Pasqual-esque leading male roles, but you've had these significant parts in such significant shows that it makes you such a fixture in the community, and I and I just love everything that you uh contributed.

[14:09] Drew Gasparini: Can you do me a favor and just what are the Broadway shows you've done? Just list them right now.

[14:14] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, um, I did I my debut was Mamma Mia. Oh yeah. Um and then I did the revival of anything goes with Sutton Foster and Joel Gray. Yes, indeed. And then it then it was uh Honeymoon in Vegas with Tony Danza. Oh my god. Oh my god, so many stories, um, fun stories. And then um it was supposed to be nerds on Broadway.

[14:35] Drew Gasparini: You were a part of that!

[14:36] Raymond J Lee: I was a part of it, Drew.

[14:38] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god. What a day when they came in and told us it was cancelled.

[14:41] Raymond J Lee: I never experienced you guys were about to be on like you guys had like a marquee, I feel like.

[14:47] Drew Gasparini: Oh, yeah, the marquee was up or something like that, and then they were like they were teching, they were putting in sound systems that day that we found out. Um Josh Marquette, who was in charge of our wigs, like was dri was in a cab on the way to the theater with the wigs when he got the call.

[15:03] Raymond J Lee: Oh my god. Like it was it was drama, but and then after nerds it was Groundhog Day.

[15:04] Drew Gasparini: Groundhog Day.

[15:08] Raymond J Lee: Um so much fun. I mean, that's that's that was Pinnacle right there.

[15:13] Drew Gasparini: Yeah. And then Aladdin, you know, and then Aladdin, where you you joined and you were uh Yago for a minute.

[15:19] Raymond J Lee: Yeah. Yeah!

[15:20] Drew Gasparini: I can't believe you do the voice, I can't do the voice.

[15:23] Raymond J Lee: Uh alright, so there's a big breakdown. There's a big breakdown of your uh Broadway credits, and you've done all like a ma like Soft Power and a bunch of other amazing off-Broadway things as well, which I just you know, it your your resume is so kick-ass. What was the show you did that seeing as seeing as there was a bit of a a slower reaction to your your, I guess, interest in show business? What was the show your parents came to that felt like, oh, they finally are on board with this?

[15:54] Raymond J Lee: Oh, you know what? I think it was actually Mamma Mia. Because I was in that show for about four and a half years.

[16:01] Drew Gasparini: Jesus.

[16:01] Raymond J Lee: And which was literally that's how I afforded my child.

[16:05] Drew Gasparini: Yes. Thank you. Yes, thank you, Mamma Mia.

[16:08] Raymond J Lee: Well, what I love is now Mamma Mia 2, the film is her favorite film.

[16:12] Drew Gasparini: Really?

[16:13] Raymond J Lee: It plays all the time, which I think is hilarious and amazing.

[16:16] Drew Gasparini: Amazing.

[16:17] Raymond J Lee: Yeah. Wow. Um. But yeah, that was that was a show. And it was funny because um they were still not comfortable with me being an actor. So after like three years into the show, I had a moment where I was like, Mom, Dad, you have to come see me.

[16:29] Drew Gasparini: Yeah.

[16:30] Raymond J Lee: It's been three years. Jesus Christ. Oh my god. Yeah. I would like you to see what I have been doing.

[16:39] Drew Gasparini: But like when they saw you, were they was your mind just blown? Because it's so mega, it's so big scale, and like, oh my god, it's it's a Broadway show.

[16:41] Raymond J Lee: It's a Broadway show. Yeah, um, it took them like I think once they saw it, they realized, oh wow, like this is like a real career, and you're doing it, and yeah, on stage, and you're just as good, hopefully, as everybody else. And then they ended up bringing all their friends again. So it was really a good idea. So much to be proud of, so much to be proud of.

[17:05] Drew Gasparini: And uh, there's a couple things I want to discuss right coming off of this list. Just so people can, like, in case they don't know what your resume is, blam. There it is. You just listed, like, I don't know, I'm gonna ballpark here like 400 shows.

[17:18] Raymond J Lee: Oh, we forgot Skittles, the musical too.

[17:21] Drew Gasparini: Just gonna get right into Skittles the Musical.

[17:23] Raymond J Lee: Okay, good. Uh, because that's where you and I met was on this. I really want to know from your perspective what it felt like because I was the composer of the piece. So I I had a very different life with the show, and I was kind of jealous of all you guys in the cast because it looked like you come to work, you have no idea what you're doing, and then you get to play around for like five hours, and then at some point it magically just congealed into a show. Like I just don't remember anybody learning anything, I just remember it all of a sudden being there.

[17:57] Raymond J Lee: But I was in the middle of so many rewrites and sleepless nights trying to create this fucking thing. What was it like being a part of the Skittles commercial?

[18:05] Raymond J Lee: It was exactly that, as you said, Drew. It was this like hodgepodge amazing blast of a time where we had no idea what was gonna happen next. I mean, even the day of the presentation didn't get rewrites like 10 minutes before. Yes, I the the curtain call music also hadn't been written until that morning. Like that's how sleepless we were, is like we were working into the morning all the time, and we gave you guys like curtain call music that that day before the show. Uh so wild. But you y'all were the best though, because what helped the whole process was that was that y'all let us play, and you know, we come up to you and be like, hey Drew, can we try this moment? Or can we sing it like this? You're like, yeah, have fun. The whole team was like that, so it ended up being a huge blast.

[18:49] Drew Gasparini: That makes me happy. Yeah. That makes me you know, for all the fun that you guys were having, I feel like we were just having none of it. So I feel like we're the that's where we found a bit of that balance was like you guys came in and I got to watch you enjoy all of it, and I was having like hemorrhoid after hemorrhoid after hemorrhoid pop-up with the stresses of all this, and I just actually uh with my girlfriend, I have a vinyl of the soundtrack.

[19:16] Raymond J Lee: Awesome, and you're so featured in it. You have like all these little solo bits, and like it's you know, it's Michael C. Hall's whole thing, he's in it, he's like the star of the show. But your voice comes out in every song. There's like a little featured solo that you're on.

[19:31] Raymond J Lee: Because your stuff is so awesome to sing, Drew. Like I love singing your your your songs. They just they just click with me. And so I remember being in the studio, A, eating all those Skittles. Yeah, getting script, getting very sick getting Sittles. So many Skittles. But then we just had a great time playing. So many Skittles. We had a great time just playing with your stuff too. It was really cool.

[19:49] Drew Gasparini: No, that makes me happy. And you know what? It's because of that show that I we have cultivated a friendship and a collaborative relationship. Because you you've come to sing on uh my my musical We Aren't Kids Anymore. If you haven't checked that out, everybody listening, go listen to We Aren't Kids Anymore, not just because I wrote it and I'm a genius, but because Raymond is exceptional on it. And you sing like some of the hardest songs. You sing a song called Snow, which is about my real autobiographical uh addiction issue that I I was battling throughout my twenties. And uh you just you break my heart when you sing that song. I just think you're so tremendous.

[20:25] Raymond J Lee: Um that song was that song was like for me one of the most favorite songs I've ever sang because it it's just so honest and so like you feel the emotion behind it, you know. As a singer, it helps when you just you feel it, and that song I do. So I appreciate you saying that.

[20:41] Drew Gasparini: No, kudos to kudos to both of us, how about we really that thing came to life because of the two heads coming together. Um, so from Skittles, I want to talk about something that you and I can relate to. And you brought it up earlier, and it's uh you know, the announcement for karate kid went out today.

[20:57] Raymond J Lee: Yeah.

[20:57] Drew Gasparini: And it's uh it's saying, you know, here's our out of town, and there's like a handful of people that are like really like this is gonna be so exciting. The karate kid coming to Broadway. Oh my god, oh my god. And then there's a much larger handful of people saying, Stop this, why this? This doesn't need to happen. And it's really kind of fun to navigate through Twitter and see all the hatred. And I love that theater quote unquote fans will go so far out of their way to hate something before they even see it for themselves.

[21:26] Raymond J Lee: So I want to talk about Groundhog Day in that respect. Because I'm sure, by the way, if y'all don't know this, Raymond Raymond J. Lee was the fucking groundhog. Weren't you the groundhog?

[21:37] Raymond J Lee: Yes.

[21:39] Drew Gasparini: So blind in that costume.

[21:41] Raymond J Lee: So blind. Couldn't see, even in the Tony Awards. They were like, Ray, yeah, just step in that turntable and then step on the other turntable with a shovel. And I was like, You guys have no idea. Okay, sure. Okay, okay. Me being a me being a people pleaser. I'm like, oh I you got you. Yes, oh my god, I can't see you. I can't see you at all in any circumstance with that big fucking head on your that costume you had on, saying anything that would be like, you know what, this is actually too difficult. I can only see you saying, of course, whatever you need, I've got it, I'm gonna do what you want.

[22:32] Raymond J Lee: Um, but let's talk a little bit about because being a part of a show like that, obviously it's one thing when you're in it, and it's one thing when you're writing it, but I think the the feeling is the same when you just start seeing people hate on something, they have no idea what it is yet. That was such a beautiful adaptation, by the way. Groundhog day. Tim Minchin did such a great job with that score. It was so beautifully told. Y'all were you and Andrew Call in that scene, just one of the greatest scenes in the last 10 years. So funny, and it lasted. Like it's a long you know what I mean? Like, but in a way that you're like, thank God, this is like my favorite part. Uh so what did you feel? Like, what was part of the reactions that you got? What were some of the things you heard before it opened? Were you getting really sick of the hatred out there, or were you just rolling your eyes at a point?

[23:20] Raymond J Lee: Oh, totally. I mean, to start it all off, too. I feel like my entire life I've had to prove people wrong based on just like who I am, my skin color, what the type of stuff I sing. Sure. Um, so I was kind of used to it too. And so with Groundhog Day, we got that same like poo-pooingness, I'm sure that you're getting where it's like, oh, it's another film musical.

[23:39] Raymond J Lee: Do we really need this? Can't they write original stuff? Rahra. Yeah. And we were like, oh, it took like a moment to be like to not let that energy affect you. Because it does. We're such emotional connected people. Yes. That it sometimes does have an effect. So we decided, I personally decided to disconnect, work on the show, because I believed in it so much. I believed in the message, the material. Yeah. And we just we hunkered down, we worked on the show, um, we made it better, we played, and um, even despite all the drama with Andy tearing his AC out.

[24:12] Drew Gasparini: Oh no, like right around opening, right? Wasn't it like, or first preview or something like that?

[24:18] Raymond J Lee: Three days before opening, or something like that.

[24:20] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god.

[24:21] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, because Andrew Call had to do the shows, like two shows, and then Andy came back and we'd rehearsal opening day.

[24:27] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god.

[24:28] Raymond J Lee: And he was in his brace, and he was a trooper. I mean, you really have so much against you right out of the gate. You know, there's just so much energy saying this shouldn't work, and then when you guys opened, I feel like that must have felt so celebratory and like, oh my god, we did it, Jesus Christ. Look at this, it's on its feet.

[24:44] Drew Gasparini: We did it.

[24:45] Raymond J Lee: Oh my god. And we still had we still had the haters, but then we had a lot of people that changed their tune. And that for me is like the best compliment when people are like, you know, I popooed it, but when I saw it, wow, I didn't give it a chance.

[24:56] Drew Gasparini: Yes.

[24:57] Raymond J Lee: I remember hearing that a lot.

[24:58] Drew Gasparini: No, that's great. I just talked to I had Lily Cooper and Ethan Slater on a couple days ago. They were on the podcast and I was talking to them, and they were talking about SpongeBob. And they would say some of the things that people came to them at the stage door, they're so honest. They were like, I was basically dragged here thinking I was gonna hate this, but I ended up really enjoying myself, you know what I mean?

[25:20] Raymond J Lee: But the fact that they have to preface it with I was ready to hate this is insane. People feel so open in this respect. I don't get it.

[25:28] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, we got a lot of like I was comp and I had nothing else better to do tonight.

[25:32] Raymond J Lee: Okay.

[25:34] Drew Gasparini: I was comp, so you didn't get my money and I still enjoyed the show. Man, way to support theater, everybody. Jesus Christ.

[25:41] Raymond J Lee: Well, I just love that you went through that experience because even though the show didn't last forever and ever, it the praise that it did get was so warranted and so I thought it was pretty well received all in all.

[25:52] Drew Gasparini: And it was certainly one of my favorite musicals that year by a lot.

[25:55] Raymond J Lee: Oh, thanks for and it was a hard season. It was like Evan Hansen, Come From Away, Tasha Peter.

[26:00] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, there's just this like mega super like competition of shows.

[26:05] Raymond J Lee: So uh, you know, that was also probably why we didn't run long, but we were always proud of what we did. There's something else too that, you know, maybe we can say something to this here, but sometimes I get unwarranted or unasked for DMs on Twitter or Instagram or something like that, where someone just says, now why are you doing Karate Kid? I'm so sick of these adaptations. Why can we get original content?

[26:29] Drew Gasparini: First of all, I the the thing that drives me crazy about that is I have written eight original musicals. And it's not like you just take them and go to Broadway producers and say, Can you make this, please? Sometimes it's a lot of you gotta play the game. There's a little bit of that. So if a Karate Kid or a Groundhog Day comes your way, you say, Fuck yeah, I'm gonna make this the best thing I can make it.

[26:53] Raymond J Lee: The other thing is it's not like we're all highlighting the script from the screenplay and copy pasting it onto the stage. It is a huge rewriting and restructuring. And you know, when it comes to a musical, there are no songs in these movies. That's all from the ground up. It's just as hard writing an adaptation as it is or creating an adaptation or creating an original piece.

[27:16] Drew Gasparini: I mean, when you're going into Groundhog Day, where you're like, I know exactly what I'm doing because I've seen the movie.

[27:23] Raymond J Lee: No.

[27:24] Drew Gasparini: Exactly.

[27:25] Raymond J Lee: Yeah. Exactly. And and people that came to see our show were like, wow, it's it's it's so different.

[27:31] Drew Gasparini: It's its own entity from the movie, right?

[27:33] Raymond J Lee: I think was a huge compliment. It was its own thing. Just a good Karate Kid will with y'all with that creative team. It's gonna be epic. And because it's you it when it's on stage, you don't get these close-ups on people's faces, you don't get those intimate moments, you have to make everything so big.

[27:48] Drew Gasparini: It has to reach people in the back row.

[27:50] Raymond J Lee: You have to rethink the entire identity of this story. So I'm glad that you could corroborate my frustration here because I really want people to have more of an open mind, you know.

[28:04] Drew Gasparini: You know, yeah, go ahead.

[28:06] Raymond J Lee: We don't know. I was like, we have the same thing with the Britney musical. We have so many haters that are like, oh, another jukebox musical, Brittany Spears.

[28:12] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, it's the same thing.

[28:13] Raymond J Lee: And you and I are sure we share a bit of the same creative team. Our choreographers for Karate Kid are your director choreographers for the Britney Spears musical, which is called what?

[28:22] Drew Gasparini: Once Upon a One More Time, is that what it's called?

[28:24] Raymond J Lee: Once Upon One More, yeah.

[28:29] Drew Gasparini: Like, and it's they are so unique to Broadway. Broadway, like it's it's hard to find people to do their stuff because they have such a unique style.

[28:38] Raymond J Lee: So if you incorporate just the style alone on stage, it's like Fosse. Fosse reinvented how things looked and moved on stage. That's what's happening right now with this jukebox musical with these adaptations. It doesn't matter. It's it's new when it gets to a stage.

[28:52] Drew Gasparini: Can we talk about the Britney Spears musical for one second?

[28:55] Raymond J Lee: Totally. And I just want to add to it, like with Karate Kid before we move on to the fact that it's about Asian characters with um Asian creatives. And it's just like, yes, what we need to celebrate that. Hugely.

[29:13] Drew Gasparini: Now, speaking of cross pollinations of culture, drag queens, I don't know. I'm just assuming what's in what's in the Britney Spears musical. I don't know why, but because it's Britney Spears, I assume it's drag queens.

[29:23] Raymond J Lee: Oh my god, if I could be in drag, I'll I'll have to ask Kiony Mario be like, do you think what I could be a princess?

[29:30] Drew Gasparini: No. Because it's not the Britney Spears story, and I think a lot of people think that's what it is. Like Tina or the Jersey Boards or something like that.

[29:37] Raymond J Lee: It's not. It's like a totally made up story, right?

[29:40] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, it's it's that's the one myth that I always have to tell people. They think it's a biopic. I'm like, it is not. It's about storybook fairy tale princesses taking their stories back.

[29:49] Raymond J Lee: Right.

[29:49] Drew Gasparini: So you have Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, you know, Beauty and the Beast. Like, they are all stuck in these stories and they want to fight against this evil male narrator who wants to put them in boxes. It's awesome.

[30:01] Raymond J Lee: Come on. What? That is exactly the Broadway I want to see.

[30:04] Drew Gasparini: And are they re like the songs are being kind of repurposed? They're not going to sound just like a Britney Spears, you know, like karaoke night. It's gonna be Broadwayfied, I'm assuming.

[30:14] Raymond J Lee: I I don't know.

[30:15] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, it's gonna be like it's it's enough that it's it maintains its like original like vibe, but they're going to make sure that it melds well with the story and uh and the theatrical show. So it's gonna be cool.

[30:28] Raymond J Lee: That's amazing.

[30:29] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god. Uh Ray, that is I'm so excited for you to do that. I'm so excited you're gonna be working. We're both working with Kioni and Mari. That's extra exciting. And you guys have an out of town that's been announced, yeah.

[30:39] Raymond J Lee: Yes, um, we're supposed to go um to DC later this year at the Shakespeare Theater.

[30:44] Drew Gasparini: That's right.

[30:45] Raymond J Lee: That's right. And I'm back in the gym because I have to keep up with these 25-year-old dancers and do they think you're also a 25-year-old dancer, by the way? Because your age actually blows my mind because of how young you look.

[30:58] Raymond J Lee: Well, yellow don't mellow, honey, as they say. Asian don't raisin, as the kids say.

[31:05] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god. And you know what they say about whites? You turn into a pumpkin by the time you're 30.

[31:11] Raymond J Lee: That's and you just rot in the sun. That's what you do.

[31:14] Drew Gasparini: Uh no, my husband's secret is bacon fat. I'm just putting it out there.

[31:18] Raymond J Lee: Wait, what the fuck are you talking? Like he eats it or he like puts it on his face?

[31:22] Drew Gasparini: He's he eats a lot of it. We we have our bacon fat jars, but he is turning 54 this year, and he still looks like like decades younger. I'm so proud of him.

[31:29] Raymond J Lee: I can't believe that either.

[31:33] Drew Gasparini: He's turning 54.

[31:35] Raymond J Lee: Yes. Did I hear that right?

[31:37] Drew Gasparini: Totally. We met when I was like, I was 25, he was 40. It was supposed to be a booty call, and then ugh, love happened, and all the fun stuff.

[31:44] Raymond J Lee: Oh my god, love really does happen sometimes. And that is beautiful. I'm so happy. But my god, you both look tremendous, I gotta say.

[31:50] Drew Gasparini: Ah. Really?

[31:50] Raymond J Lee: Thanks, Drew. Gotta put bacon fat under the armpits, a little behind the neck, you know.

[31:55] Drew Gasparini: Yes, uh like a face mask and I just mask of bacon fat.

[32:00] Raymond J Lee: Oh my god. I hope we influence some people here today.

[32:04] Drew Gasparini: Um I want to ask a couple silly questions. Do you mind, Ray?

[32:07] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, go ahead, dude.

[32:09] Drew Gasparini: Uh all right, these are pretty, these are lobs. These are across the plate. These should be no no big deal. Can you give me uh we talked about it earlier, a book, a movie, a musical. What is a book that changed your life? What is a movie that changed your life? And what is an album that changed your life?

[32:28] Raymond J Lee: Oh my goodness. Um, I mean, the movie that changed my life was probably The Sound of Music.

[32:32] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[32:37] Raymond J Lee: And story, and I mean, Koreans love The Sound of Music. It was on repeat when I was young.

[32:42] Drew Gasparini: Yeah.

[32:43] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um gosh, an ow. Was it the album? Was that that was the film?

[32:48] Drew Gasparini: That's the film.

[32:48] Raymond J Lee: You know something? I played Friedrich in The Sound of Music when I was 14 years old and wildly obese. And me and me and Lederhosen at that age, I looked like Humpty Dumpty.

[33:03] Drew Gasparini: And my favorite line, I don't know if you remember this line from Sound of Music, but it is the funniest line to me. He goes, I'm Friedrich, I'm 14, and I'm a boy.

[33:13] Raymond J Lee: And he's like, really proud of I'm a boy. And I think that I just think that's a very adorable and funny line. Just if there's any confusion with my Lederhosen. In case you couldn't tell with this Lederhosen.

[33:25] Drew Gasparini: But back, you with me and my Lederhosen and my big set of tits at 14, I should have. It's a good thing I announced I was a boy.

[33:32] Raymond J Lee: So she knew. Alright, so that's that's the movie that changed your life. What is a book that changed your life?

[33:38] Raymond J Lee: Oh my gosh, a book that changed my life. Oh my goodness. Do you not read?

[33:44] Drew Gasparini: I read. It's been so long because I'm so besides, you know, like pop and hop, or any like kids' books that I read my daughter these days.

[33:51] Raymond J Lee: Yeah.

[33:52] Drew Gasparini: Do you have any of those memorized? My mom used to memorize that kind of shit. She'd read it to us so much.

[33:57] Raymond J Lee: There's some now that I just like I tune out. I I think I'm reading it, but then my brain goes to like other lands of like, I don't know, getting ready for the Housewives of Beverly Hills.

[34:09] Drew Gasparini: Reading like Dr. Seuss being like, ooh, what's Erica Jane gonna what's gonna happen to her tonight?

[34:16] Raymond J Lee: Why is like, I don't know why like 1984 sticks in my head.

[34:21] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[34:22] Raymond J Lee: Because that I mean, did you have to read that in high school?

[34:25] Drew Gasparini: What year did you read 1984?

[34:26] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, we read it in high school, but there was something, it was almost like don't believe everything you see.

[34:33] Drew Gasparini: How relevant is that shit? Like that that prepared you for this last year by a lot, I'm sure.

[34:40] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, it was like it was like I think that's why I can be so rebellious and so like um I don't want to follow the rules, you know.

[34:49] Drew Gasparini: I don't want people to box me in.

[34:50] Raymond J Lee: So I feel like 1984 was like, you gotta listen to your gut, you gotta fight the authorities and power.

[34:56] Drew Gasparini: Oh, I love it. Feels like it's wrong.

[34:58] Raymond J Lee: So that one always sticks with me. I don't want to be as dark sided, but yeah, that's the one.

[35:01] Drew Gasparini: No, no, that's great. I love that. And I also think that's kind of a surprise. Like for anybody who like catches you and knows your personality, like that's that's a surprise to me.

[35:09] Raymond J Lee: 1984, that's so gritty.

[35:11] Drew Gasparini: Uh, and what's an album that changed your life?

[35:14] Raymond J Lee: The Mariah Carey Music Box album changed my life.

[35:18] Drew Gasparini: I knew it was gonna be a Riffy D.Va.

[35:22] Drew Gasparini: I knew it was gonna be some RB Riffy D.Va.

[35:26] Raymond J Lee: I'm so happy you just said that.

[35:28] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, it's that or the Bodyguard soundtrack.

[35:30] Raymond J Lee: And I was like, wow, how do I go?

[35:32] Drew Gasparini: Wow, but you can hear it in your voice that that's kind of where your influence comes from.

[35:36] Raymond J Lee: Is like that era and that style of music and vocally, especially.

[35:41] Drew Gasparini: Hell yes.

[35:42] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, it was me as like again, like a tubby kid, um, with the cassette tape, just listening to like "Dream Lover" and "Hero" and trying to emulate Mariah.

[35:50] Drew Gasparini: Wow. So that that changed.

[35:52] Raymond J Lee: I love that so much.

[35:53] Drew Gasparini: Um, ready? We're now we're gonna dive in some real stupid, stupid questions.

[35:57] Raymond J Lee: Ooh, bring it up.

[35:59] Drew Gasparini: I love stupid questions. It's my favorite thing to ask people. Like, if I'm just sitting down at a bar and like some random person starts talking to me just because they're bored or whatever, I will keep the conversation going by asking them the most insane questions. Uh here's here's an example of one of those. So let's just say hypothetical, okay? Raymond, you're cursed to become furniture. What type of furniture do you become and why? Because it's not really, you know, when I think of Beauty and the Beast, it's not really explained why Lumiere is a luminary. Or you know what I mean? Or why Cogsworth is a clock, other than their names sound like those things. Is that why? He's not like the like the fireplace keeper.

Right, like the you know, the maid became the duster, the feather duster, and all that kind of shit. Why did why is he a candlestick? It's never explained to me. Why is he a clock? Uh so what piece of furniture would you become? And why do you think?

[36:56] Raymond J Lee: A lazy boy recliner. That's what I would be.

[37:01] Drew Gasparini: Wow.

[37:02] Raymond J Lee: You know why? Because even it's it's like the same as people sitting on it. You just get to lay back and be a lazy boy. I'd lay back, there'd be like a cold beer in my little pocket. I'd always be facing a television.

[37:14] Drew Gasparini: My little pocket. Maybe there's a charger in the other pocket because it's 2021.

[37:21] Raymond J Lee: You know it!

[37:22] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god, absolutely. You want to hear an adorable story? Here's an adorable story. When my uh when all the kids in my parents' house all kind of went off to college and they were like figuring out they had four kids. How do we be people without our kids? They were going through that sort of uh crisis in their lives, and they both started doing community theater. They both started doing like community theater, and it was really kind of adorable. My dad played Harry the Horse in Guys and Dolls, and uh my mom played Princess Winifred, and my dad played Prince Dauntless in an adult production of uh Once Upon a Mattress, which is really, really cute. But then there was a production of Beauty of the Beast in my dad's costume, he was in the ensemble. He was a potato masher.

[38:06] Raymond J Lee: I I don't remember that in the yeah, like one of those like with the yeah, exactly. Like with the big wiry head, and it was insane. There's pictures of it somewhere. I gotta find it. Uh, but isn't that funny?

[38:19] Drew Gasparini: Yeah. Did he choose it? Like, were they all like, what would you like to be? And he was like a potato masher.

[38:24] Raymond J Lee: I honestly think it was more like a George, you're giving us potato masher vibes. You're gonna be a potato masher.

[38:32] Drew Gasparini: That's that better happen in the revival. I want to see a potato masher tap dancing and be our guest.

[38:38] Raymond J Lee: I agree. Why wasn't that in the original Broadway production?

[38:40] Drew Gasparini: I don't know, missed opportunity. Uh Ray, another silly question for you. This is kind of a great one, and I love asking New Yorkers this. You've been in New York for a good long time. Now you're right now you're upstate at your house, uh, upstate.

[38:51] Raymond J Lee: Yeah.

[38:52] Drew Gasparini: But you've lived in Queens, and I assume you've done the Manhattan thing for a moment in your life.

[38:57] Raymond J Lee: Oh yeah, Battery Park City, baby.

[38:59] Drew Gasparini: That's what's up. And you've been working on Broadway for a number of years, so I'm sure you've seen some shit. What is the strangest thing you've seen in New York City?

[39:08] Raymond J Lee: Oh my gosh, the strangest thing. Oh, well, I don't know if this is strange, but this just shows you what a New Yorker I am. I was on the subway on the R train from Queens, and um I was like listening to my music, like tuning everybody out, and our train stopped at the Fifth Avenue stop for like 10 minutes. And me being in New York was like, ugh, why are we stopped? This is so inconveniencing me. Ugh. And I like looked down, played Candy Crush. Another five minutes, oh, looked over. Paramedics with a paddle on a person on the ground. They survived. But I was like, oh, that's why there's somebody having like a heart attack.

[39:44] Drew Gasparini: On your car?

[39:45] Raymond J Lee: Five, like five four feet from me.

[39:48] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god.

[39:48] Raymond J Lee: Like in the car. And I was sitting there. I said a prayer.

[39:52] Drew Gasparini: Oh yeah.

[39:52] Raymond J Lee: I also felt like an asshole being like, oh, I'm inconvenienced that yet, this person is like fighting for their life. But you know, that's the most New York thing.

[40:00] Drew Gasparini: I'm glad that you were getting frustrated. That's that's New York just traveling through your blood steam stream. There's there's been moments where like the the announcer, the conductor makes an announcement like there was somebody jumped in front of a train. And you overhear an entire subway car going, Great! Now I'm fucking late because that guy decided to, you know, it's like, whoa, there's no heart. How selfish of him. I don't have time to get my double venti latte from Starbucks before it works.

[40:26] Raymond J Lee: Exactly. Fuck that guy. That guy, that guy went and killed himself, and now it's created an issue for this guy. He can't get his ventilatte.

[40:33] Drew Gasparini: That's insane. Yeah. Well, there are people that are like, oh, he couldn't have just jumped off a bridge. I'm like, that is horrible. I know, and that's not the point. New Yorkers immediately go there because if it's not your own personal situation, it just sincerely doesn't matter, right? It's just like everybody is so in their own bubble, it's crazy. One thing that I saw in New York that really cracked me up once was I was down, you know, Wall Street, down in Wall Street area, I was getting off the one train. I think I was doing some teaching at Pace University. And on my walk there, I saw this guy in a in a suit and tie walk by this homeless man, and the homeless man yells, hey, get a fucking job.

[41:11] Raymond J Lee: That is a perfect New York thing to have witnessed.

[41:14] Drew Gasparini: Um I love that. Isn't that great? I love that too. All right. Just a couple, a couple more dumb questions for you, Ray. Um, bring them on. Two, and the last one is my favorite question. I think I've asked anybody because it's nuts, but here we go. What is a non-domestic pet that you wish you could own? Like, what is a pet that's not a typical pet that you wish you could have as a pet?

[41:37] Raymond J Lee: I mean, if it's mythical, I would love a dragon.

[41:40] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[41:41] Raymond J Lee: Because I mean, they're really, really cool. I know they're like all magical and mythical, but I'm such like a big Harry Potter nerd, and I just would love a pet dragon. I'd love to fly in it. I'd love it to like, you know, like light our barbecues.

[41:54] Drew Gasparini: It would be so we got this dragon to light our grill.

[41:59] Raymond J Lee: That is an excellent idea. Yeah. Why don't we propane? So it's like green, it's like organic.

[42:05] Drew Gasparini: Ah!

[42:07] Raymond J Lee: If it's a rainbow sequined dragon, my daughter would love that.

[42:10] Drew Gasparini: Wow, I love that. I'm gonna get you uh a crocodile and put wings on it, and I'm just gonna say, I found this dragon for you. Uh your daughter will love it. We have a pool, so it's great. We could yeah, we can swim with uh with the crowd.

[42:23] Raymond J Lee: Nice.

[42:23] Drew Gasparini: There's nothing dangerous about that, too. I hear they're very cuddly. Um this is the last question I have for you before I say farewell and thank you for your time. Uh, Raymond, and it's an important one. Would you rather have no eyelids or no lips?

[42:40] Raymond J Lee: Oh man.

[42:42] Drew Gasparini: I know.

[42:43] Raymond J Lee: No eyelids, because I could still sing with the lips. I could still enunciate my vowels.

[42:49] Drew Gasparini: Wow. See, I think, yeah, you're right. I think no eyelids. How long would it take you to like discover that the person you're talking to doesn't have any eyelids? Do you know what I mean? Like, I feel like you don't notice that right away. Would you would your eyeballs like dry out, or could you get like a shark tank product to like help like keep your eyes moving?

[43:08] Raymond J Lee: Yeah, I don't know. Like a pair of goggles that have like a lubricant on the inside or something like that. Or you know, I'm sure there's a way around it.

[43:16] Drew Gasparini: Yeah. Like well, like shaded goggles, so like people don't have to know that you might be zoning out out of a conversation or actually asleep during like a lecture. So maybe I'm gonna give you, I'm gonna give you a scenario here, okay?

[43:26] Raymond J Lee: Okay.

[43:27] Drew Gasparini: You're do you're doing an old fashioned like couch makeout. Okay, you're making out on the couch. Now it's that it's been years. I honestly I feel that. But like yeah, yeah, you're making out on the couch. You're either making out with somebody who has no lips, but their eyes are closed, so if you open your eyes, you see that they're, you know, impassioned and their eyes are closed and they're not staring right back at you. Or you're making out with a pair of lips, but when you open your eyes, you just see these like wide open peepers just staring at you because they can't close because there's no eyelids.

[43:59] Raymond J Lee: That's crazy.

[44:00] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, it couldn't you really gotta weigh out the options. I feel like you're right in your what your gut said, but I think you could sleep on it and come back with uh another answer to what I'm saying. What would you do? Like what would what would you do in that situation?

[44:12] Raymond J Lee: Uh in that situation, I think I'd go no lips because I think I already have thin lips.

[44:17] Drew Gasparini: So it wouldn't be.

[44:18] Raymond J Lee: Beautiful lips, Drew. They're beautiful lips.

[44:21] Drew Gasparini: Thanks. Uh yeah, I think I'd go no lips, though. I think I I need my eyelids for you know, sleeping and things like that.

[44:29] Raymond J Lee: So I know that's tricky because the part of me is like, well, I guess I could put like a face mask while we're like making out.

[44:34] Drew Gasparini: That's true. And possibly for other like you know, R-rated activities, lips would be very, very important.

[44:40] Raymond J Lee: That is true. I mean, that is that's another good point. See, this is a great question. I might ask this to every guest going forward because I think it says a lot about the person.

[44:49] Drew Gasparini: Because you don't want teeth. I'm sorry, I'm just gonna put it out there. You do not want teeth.

[44:54] Raymond J Lee: Unless you're real kinky.

[44:56] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, you do not believe me, you don't want teeth. Yeah, listen, kids. Uh, my goodness.

[45:01] Raymond J Lee: Oh god, hey kids, sorry.

[45:04] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, exactly. This is for kids, after all. Um, Ray, I love you so much, and I'm just glad that I got to steal 45 minutes of your time. And and I'm first of all, I want to say, uh, you and I got sick when COVID happened. And we got sick basically right around the same time. And you, I just want to thank you for being such a support for me. And I I tried to be that for you because we were texting back and forth. And uh I think we're both experiencing some long-haul effects of this. So uh I wish you all the health going forward. I'm so happy you got the Britney show coming right up, literally coming right up, and uh, we can get back to life and and continue to fight this COVID mess together. And uh you are Broadway's best kept secret, but you're not really a secret, man. You're just the secret weapon. And I I just I I I love you to death and and thanks so much for doing this, man.

[45:56] Raymond J Lee: I love you too. I'm so excited for you for the next projects that are gonna be out there. The world is gonna be so like pumped. I can't wait to do that. Let's just uh you and I will have a bunch of drinks when we're at the Tony's together. How's that sound?

[46:07] Drew Gasparini: Done.

[46:09] Raymond J Lee: Done.

[46:10] Drew Gasparini: Done. All right, buddy. Uh have a good rest of your day, and we will talk soon.

[46:14] Raymond J Lee: Sounds good.

[46:14] Drew Gasparini: Thanks, Drew. Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Now we're talking as a proud member of the Broadway Podcast Network. You can find out more about me and this podcast at BPN.fm slash now we're talking. We're also on Instagram at NWT Podcast or on Twitter at NWT underscore pod. Special thanks to our guest, Raymond J. Lee. How excited are we for the Britney Spears musical? Good God, I'm excited. Hey, make sure to subscribe and rate this podcast wherever you stream your lovely podcast. But if you go to Apple Podcasts, make sure to leave a comment and give us a like, would you? Subscribe, bitches, subscribe! And if you feel like supporting, be sure to check out our Patreon at Patreon.com slash NWT Podcast. Keep tuning in. We'll see you next week.