This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hey Odd Squad, it's me, Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo, your host of Odd Woman Out, a podcast where we talk to women artists about what it is like to be a woman in the entertainment industry, how to embrace our odd, and how we can hold space to lift one another up. Please enjoy this episode, tell your friends to tune in, like, subscribe, and follow, and reach out to a woman in your life today, and give her some love. Enjoy this episode. Hi, Kelsie Watts, welcome to Odd Woman Out.

[0:32] Kelsie Watts: Hey, thank you for having me. Number one, let's just talk about, I tried to match your vibe today after my YouTube dive, and then we're like pretty identical twins.

[0:37] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: She did, she matched the vibe. I walked in and she had a leather jacket on, and I was like, guys, she's way cooler than me, but I'm trying. Her jacket's way cooler, but we're just doing the best we can. We're thriving.

[0:52] Kelsie Watts: You even have a black shirt on. I mean, really, we are twinning.

[0:57] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Shit, I would have worn black pants if I knew. I mean, it's overrated. Nobody can see the pants anyway. Well, they might for our special TikTok. Anyway, we're so happy to have you. We have so much to talk about. First of all, your vocals, I've been down such a rabbit hole. I'm like, hello? Sorry, am I in trouble for just knocking on that mic?

[1:16] Kelsie Watts: We're not speaking.

[1:19] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, I'm in trouble for knocking on the mic, but let's start. I start every episode with the same first three questions about women, because we're odd women. We're an odd woman out, and we love to talk about the things. So I want to take it back to baby Kelsie. When you first discovered you wanted to be an artist, was there a woman influence, either somebody who was a professional artist or somebody in your life that influenced you to pursue a career in the arts?

[1:39] Kelsie Watts: Oh my word, I love that question. Thank you. Yes, it's such a good one. I've actually had quite a few. So my first memory of really being moved by something musical was, I think I was four, and we were on a road trip with the fam, and we were listening to, it was the 10th anniversary of Les Mis, and Fontaine, I Dreamed a Dream. For whatever reason, that came on, and I realized she was going to be dying, and I was in the back seat of the car just weeping. How old were you?

[2:12] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I was like four.

[2:18] Kelsie Watts: My mom goes, Kelsie, it's okay. It's just a musical. I was like, no, she's dying, was not okay. So that was the first time I remember being really moved by something musical like that. And so Fontaine, and then Kelly Clarkson was a really, really big one. I just had such love for her voice and her music, and grew up on Celine and Whitney. All the icons. Truly. My parents brought me up on really awesome music. And then my mom was a voice teacher.

[2:53] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh my god, amazing. So you had it at your fingertips.

[2:58] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I grew up in a musical family. So it really was having somebody, a woman like my mom, who was so supportive. Dad was also supportive, but we're talking about women right now. And you know, I mean, just helped me learn my voice from day one. I don't remember learning how to sing really.

[3:09] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, you just did.

[3:14] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I just kind of always was there. Yeah, but was always really inspired by massively iconic women. Cool. And I mean, we'll talk about the Kelly of it all later, because wow, how fun. Full circle. So think about like one of your first professional gigs, whatever one sticks that sticks out to you. Was there a woman who sort of like took you under her wing and showed you the ropes like a woman supporting woman situation in the arts?

[3:34] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, my first like professional gig. I mean, I guess it was. It's so funny, because whenever you say professional, my brain immediately goes to like, okay, well, what did I get paid for first? Right? You know, you know, I'm like, it doesn't necessarily have to be that could be just like the first time you were like, really learning and a woman was like, here, Kelsie, here's how you do it. Let me support you instead of treat you as my competition. Right? Honestly, I think as crazy as it sounds, Roberta Ducek, who's the musical supervisor of Six.

[4:11] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, yeah.

[4:11] Kelsie Watts: She found me doing a gig on a showboat. And this was back in 20 end of 2019. So we just became friends. And throughout the entire process of the voice of auditioning for Six doing anything in the musical theater world at all. She was like, hey, let me help you here. Let me do a lesson with you. Hey, you know, how can I help you with she really did like, that's so hold my hand through the whole process. So I would say that's probably the first time I really had someone be like, no, I got you. Yeah, walk with me.

[4:43] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's so cool, too. Because I heard you say an interview weren't you didn't know who she was.

[4:48] Kelsie Watts: I had no idea.

[4:52] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So isn't that cool? You're like, hey, nice to meet and then you're like, oh shit, you can really like help me and teach me.

[4:56] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, and I didn't expect her to do that. Yeah. I mean, once I found out that she was like, a Broadway person, like a real Broadway, like legend. Um, I didn't know. Yeah, no, I'm just texting her back like, oh my gosh, this song sounds so cool. And then I was like, oh wow, she's like a big deal. Yeah. Um, you know, so somebody of her caliber, right to really be so kind and be like, oh yeah, yeah, I got you. I want this for you.

[5:18] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And isn't it cool when those things happen? And you're like, oh, we're all just people. Yeah. Who have passions. Yep. We don't have to be assholes about it. And we can help others.

[5:27] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, there's room for everybody at the top. Yes. Like honest to God. No, there really is room for everybody. And it's so beautiful when you actually can like see it for yourself instead of just hear about that. So shout out to Roberta. Thanks, Roberta. You da bomb, girl. Okay, think about a time in your life or in the industry where you have felt like the odd woman out. Does my whole life count? Could I mean, same, same. Um, you know, growing up, I really didn't think that I would ever be able to do something like Broadway. Like truly, I was never like the cool girl.

[6:03] Kelsie Watts: Yeah. Um, I left choir and theater, but I wasn't. I just I wasn't invited to the parties. You know, I was a little different. Um, you know, I just always felt kind of separated. Yeah, not necessarily in a really bad way. But, you know, I was always like a little overweight, you know, and I was I remember growing up being told, well, in order to be on Broadway, you have to be this size, this costume and do this. And I was like, well, that's never going to be me. Yeah. So, oh, well, and I think consistently growing up, just as a woman in this industry, you know, even doing wedding gigs, I was told at one point by a guy who was in charge of this wedding band. He was like, you know, like once you lose some weight, like you'll be really great.

[6:50] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: What? Awesome.

[6:58] Kelsie Watts: You know, and what's from a man I know. And what's crazy is that I know. And I was like, bro, now I look at it and I'm like, oh my gosh, this Kelsie would have said, go fuck yourself. That that I was like, am I allowed to say that on the podcast? But that's what I would have said. But back then it was like, okay, well, so I still need to alter myself. Yeah. In order to be successful in this industry, because whatever I look like is what is going to sell me. Right. You know, and so it really was like I always felt like I wasn't good enough, you know, because people told you about your looks.

[7:23] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. That's why I started this podcast, really. And then we explore a lot of other things. But it was really based off of like the way I felt about my looks doing interviews. Yeah. And like the pressure I put on myself based off of bullshit surrounding literally. Yes. I mean, yeah, just my entire my entire childhood. Like and I even had a great family. Like I had great parents. Yeah. You know, I mean, it wasn't even like, oh, I had this terrible upbringing and that's what caused it. Yeah. No, they were incredibly supportive. It was the people in the industry that already had a preconceived notion that I needed to look a certain way. And that it's so, so it is. It's so dumb. But that stuck with me for years and years and years and years.

And so it wasn't until I mean, my gosh, maybe three or four years ago. Wow. I mean, truly that I was like, screw this. Yeah. I can look however I want. You can judge me for my tattoos if you want. You can judge me for my hair changing colors if you want or for my weight and being too big or too small or whatever. Like, I don't I don't care because I'm I'm me and I think I'm pretty awesome.

[8:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, you are.

[8:39] Kelsie Watts: I was like, I was like, I'm going to live into this confidence. But it really did take a very long time. And do you feel like once you were free with just being who you are, looks wise, personality wise is when you really started taking off?

[8:52] Kelsie Watts: Yes. One thousand percent. I started doing social media intentionally in twenty twenty three. And if twenty twenty three is whenever I was like, all right, I need to just try to do this. Yeah. And what ended up working was me putting forth the least amount of effort. Yeah. Like literally my husband putting his phone up with a karaoke track and me putting my phone up in the kitchen and just being like, I'm just going to sing while I make something. Yeah. And that's what because people loved the realness, the realness and the vulnerability. And, you know, I can put on stage makeup and have like all of the glitz and glam or I can walk out of the gym with my head like my hair on top of my head and do a video like that.

And I think that's what people need because it's relatable. Yeah. Because it's real. Right. And so then people feel seen. And so then it helps, you know, other women and other young girls who want to be artists to be like, look, she's real. She just left the gym. Her hair looks like a normal person. So I can do it, too.

[9:49] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Exactly. Versus like the perfect, perfect in quotes, because it's not. Thank you for sharing that. I love that so much. And like it just brings it back to like this show and and and what I hope it does for women. Yeah. I love that. I love that's why you started it. Thank you. Okay, let's talk about The Voice. Hey, I watched your voice interview and was interview audition, blind audition and was sweating. I'm like, hello, there's nobody listening to this. Why did it take everybody so long to turn around? I was having massive anxiety.

[10:23] Kelsie Watts: Yeah. So did you always know you were going to do a Kelly Clarkson song? And was that really scary for you? Are you were you like, fuck it, I'm this is what I want to sing.

[10:34] Kelsie Watts: I mean, to be fully transparent, I so much of that show is not my choice. Like I I'm I'm like not under an NDA or anything like that. So like, no, it's, you know, like whatever. Tell us. But I so much of it is chosen for the contestants. So I actually didn't know I was going to sing a Kelly Clarkson song for Kelly Clarkson. There was like this massive list I was able to choose from and like pick songs that I knew off of it. Yeah. And so where my brain went, this was my business brain going into The Voice. Okay, so I saw that on that list was Kelly Clarkson's most recent single, I Dare You. All right. And I knew The Voice was not going to make me famous. I was like, this is a TV show. People love the show. Yeah, but they're not going to just inherently love me. Right. So I need to figure out how to get the most amount of airtime possible. So I saw that show business, baby. You have to be business minded as an artist.

[11:32] Kelsie Watts: You got to be you and um I was like all right how can I make sure I get on TV because you're not guaranteed to be put on, right? You know, and um I saw that that was her most recent single, it was on there and I said okay if I put that on my list I guarantee you the producers are going to choose that song and they did because it'll be dramatic for TV to sing it for Kelly Clarkson, it'll give her more publicity and like eyes on her newest single and I'll get put on TV and they're gonna be like she's doing it and they're gonna be like oh my gosh she's doing a Kelly, what they did, that's exactly what happened.

[12:10] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So wait, so how long before the audition did you know that that was your song?

[12:16] Kelsie Watts: Like two weeks.

[12:16] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay.

[12:19] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, it's not like you showed up, they're like okay out of this selection you're doing this one, like you're in time to prep. Yeah, so they actually we lived in a hotel in Burbank for like a month and so all of the people going in for blind auditions they actually put you up like with a vocal coach, you do like a voice lesson like once every few days and like work with a stylist and the team is actually really awesome, like real talk they're really really great.

[12:41] Kelsie Watts: Um, I still, yeah, yeah shout out Tralani, like she literally came to see us in Six, so yeah I know she's awesome, she's one of the like the main like voice coach there and um yeah so I was able to be prepared thank God because had I gone in and just like good luck that would have sucked a lot.

[12:57] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So you're singing to the gods with some of the best vocals I've ever fucking heard, you guys, and nobody's turning around for a long time, like are you feeling that? Are you just like trying to not pay attention to it at all?

[13:09] Kelsie Watts: I mean, well so I was during the COVID season so like you have no audience either, like so there's no, so it's literally like an audition, like it's like going into an audition but they're not even looking at you so like good luck getting their attention kind of thing and I was like well this is awkward.

[13:25] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, so you really can't like perform, you're supposed to but you have all these things going through your head like okay I'm supposed to look like I really feel this song but my whole brain is like none of these people are turning around, this is gonna be really bad until like the last second, until the very, yeah until like the very end.

[13:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I know, were you late in the, were you like late in the auditions? Do they only have x amount of spots?

[13:50] Kelsie Watts: No, I was actually on the first day.

[13:50] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Mm-hmm.

[13:51] Kelsie Watts: I know it was on the first day, uh yeah so it was, it was crazy and very stressful.

[13:57] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, but then whenever they did turn around I was like okay I'm not terrible at this, this is thank God opposite of terrible at it.

[14:07] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, um what was your biggest lesson you learned from that experience and maybe from Kelly?

[14:14] Kelsie Watts: Yeah honestly, um I think to just make the most out of every situation that you possibly can. Yeah, truly, I mean I went on to a reality television show in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and made the most of it, you know like whenever I got cut I was like all right I'm releasing a song immediately, you know how can I capitalize on this? So it taught me to take control of the moment while it's there for sure.

[14:38] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I love that. And did you, we talked about how Kelly Clarkson was like an influence for you growing up, so was there ever any doubt that you weren't going to choose her?

[14:43] Kelsie Watts: Not necessarily, I mean I thought about it and I was like no I should definitely go with her, that would be really weird and I would just love to work with her, yeah you know like just to work with her in general.

[14:59] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, she seems like so cool and yeah for real like oh she's from Texas.

[15:06] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I know, oh fun, the Texas girlie, we Texans find each other.

[15:06] Kelsie Watts: We do, yeah.

[15:06] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, so you talked a lot um publicly about your journey to go to Six, how many years was it?

[15:13] Kelsie Watts: Let's see, from when I started auditioning it's 2021, I mean three, three years, three and a half years.

[15:22] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: What kept you going during that process? Because you got told no so many times or go take an acting class, right? You got told to go take an acting class and no, no, no, so what made you say okay I'll try again, I'll try again, I'll try again?

[15:39] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I mean honestly I was like I don't think you say no to Broadway. Yeah, I mean I was like if they keep calling I'm just gonna keep saying yes, yeah you know I mean as like the worst that can happen is they say no and I'm already used to them saying no so I was like what's the big deal, what's the point, you know?

[15:58] Kelsie Watts: And I will say I was doing my own music, you know I'm doing my own thing in Nashville like trying to figure things out and um working and doing other gigs and so I had a lot more going on than just that audition process, you know like everything was weighing on this.

[16:17] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Exactly.

[16:17] Kelsie Watts: Now, yeah, so I think it was honestly a blessing in disguise that I wasn't in the musical theater world because I was able to just be like okay, okay cool, no big, no that's fine.

[16:28] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah.

[16:28] Kelsie Watts: Which I think is such an important lesson to all the artists like you don't have to have your eggs in one basket, you are able to expand and have many projects going on at once which makes it, oh yeah, yeah so which makes it, I didn't finish the sentence, I don't know, fill in the blank, which makes it more real.

[16:44] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I mean it's just like, I mean I'm not gonna lie, the very first time that they said no I thought the world had ended.

[16:53] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Really?

[16:53] Kelsie Watts: Yes, because I was like in my brain I was like all right this is gonna be it, they found me, I'm gonna get to go for real.

[17:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: They found you.

[17:00] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, so I was like this is gonna be it and whenever it didn't work out, oh my gosh I was so sad.

[17:04] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, are you kidding? I was devastated, you know, but once I learned more about how really you just get told no more so than yes in this industry I was like oh it's just part of it, like they'll call again.

[17:17] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, and they did, and they did, and she, but now I'm here.

[17:22] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So you moved from Nashville to New York, had you ever lived in New York before?

[17:28] Kelsie Watts: No, no I visited a like a handful of times, okay primarily just for this audition, right? Um, so I'd never seen really outside of like Times Square.

[17:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, so what was the biggest shock about moving to New York?

[17:41] Kelsie Watts: You walk everywhere, you just have to walk everywhere now.

[17:49] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Now I love it, now I'm like okay, okay this is really great. But can I tell you moving from Nashville where obviously you have a car, you don't walk anywhere, it's a walking city.

[17:54] Kelsie Watts: Yep.

[17:59] Kelsie Watts: Um, and I'm also from Texas, it's not a walking city, right? And um I got here, I was in eight hour rehearsals six days a week on top of just like my own stuff, right? And then life and then just life and then walking everywhere on top of trying to find a place to live, I was like okay this is ridiculous, why do I have to walk like 20 minutes to go get this?

[18:18] Kelsie Watts: It was just to get a grocery, to get groceries, but you know now I love it, yeah and now I'm used to it.

[18:23] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah.

[18:23] Kelsie Watts: So it took me like a couple months to really get into the groove but I think the reason it was so exhausting is because I was in rehearsals.

[18:33] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, those rehearsals were brutal, like go to rehearsal and then go on the subway and go up and down the stairs, like no, yes, but yes, yeah like but yes, that's just what people do. I was like wow this is their life.

[18:42] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So I want to share with you, I've lived in New York for almost 15 years.

[18:48] Kelsie Watts: Wow.

[18:48] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And I just started taking the bus and I'm obsessed.

[18:53] Kelsie Watts: So if you don't really?

[18:53] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, and I said I was like so turned off by the bus for a long time.

[18:58] Kelsie Watts: Yeah.

[18:58] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I don't know why, right? Like for absolutely no reason and then I started taking the bus in the summer because I was like I am so done with the hot subway and now I take the bus, honestly I'm gonna have to look into that.

[19:04] Kelsie Watts: I recommend it.

[19:09] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Just put it in the map.

[19:09] Kelsie Watts: I think it's the fear of figuring out how to do it.

[19:13] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I'm like I just read the sign, just make sure you read the sign because I have gotten on the bus going the wrong way.

[19:17] Kelsie Watts: Fair.

[19:17] Kelsie Watts: Hello New Yorkers, if you don't take the bus, yeah I recommend start to start.

[19:23] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, so you've been in Six, what has been the most joyous thing from the experience of being in a Broadway show and what is the most, like what's the hardest?

[19:32] Kelsie Watts: I would say the best is hands down my cast.

[19:40] Kelsie Watts: I walked into this experience fully expecting to not make friends, really like yeah, like I mean truly cast of women.

[19:46] Kelsie Watts: Women get a bad rap.

[19:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I've heard horror stories.

[19:53] Kelsie Watts: And man, women do better, we got to do better, like the fact that we have reputations just as women of being bitches, competitive, bitchy, like I mean because everything's so competitive like we just like why, like we can't do that.

[20:05] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, and so I walked in not knowing any of these girls, like not knowing what the heck I was coming into just knowing it was a whole building just of women.

[20:14] Kelsie Watts: I was never in a sorority, like I didn't, right, you know, so I was like oh man this is okay here we go.

[20:21] Kelsie Watts: But we all clicked like day one before rehearsals even started and I just kind of looked around and was like oh no this is gonna be cool.

[20:27] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, this is, no this is gonna be really great.

[20:32] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's the way it should be.

[20:32] Kelsie Watts: And that's how, yes, and I think that's the way it is, yeah from everything that I hear like and truly we have like we're all besties.

[20:36] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I mean like had I not gotten Moulin Rouge, like I would be going with them to the Dominican Republic, like they all like they're taking a trip together, like we take trips together.

[20:45] Kelsie Watts: Oh, and have dinners, I thought maybe they were taking Six to the DNA, I didn't know about it.

[20:50] Kelsie Watts: It's like we just love each other so much that they're like you want to take a trip? I was like yeah, so since I can't go now they're taking my head on a stick like so I can be like oh my god that is so fun.

[21:01] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, they're awesome, so I would say for sure that is by far the best part, yeah, was getting to have just more best friends, yeah, that understand this industry that are just so uplifting and supportive and like true girls' girls and it's such a fun show but if it wasn't like that how miserable.

[21:18] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, I know, you know, I mean there's only six of you on stage so I feel like you guys are jamming.

[21:24] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, it would be very obvious, yeah, if something like didn't click.

[21:29] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, I love that.

[21:34] Kelsie Watts: That was by far the best part.

[21:34] Kelsie Watts: Um, and then the hardest, the hardest part I think is the schedule truly, it's, you know, two things can be true at one time, you can fully love your job and love the, and know that I'm so blessed to be on Broadway and you can also be exhausted at the same time, yeah, you know, and I think the hardest part is going and doing a Sunday matinee after you've done Tuesday, Wednesday, or what, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday double Saturday, now a double on Sunday and you have a Monday and you're like I'm about to scrub my face off at 2 p.m. which sounds late because it's in the afternoon but when you're coming off of doubles and you're not getting home until midnight and you're not like really winding down until two, you're like okay you wake up and you're like I'm about to sing and do cardio for an hour and a half.

[22:30] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, not just sing, like really sing and this show is deceivingly difficult, you know, because it's only an hour and a half long, I think it's easy to think oh it's such an easy show, like no problem, it's not because nobody really leaves the stage.

[22:39] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I haven't seen it.

[22:39] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, no, yeah, yeah, you never leave the stage, you're like going non-stop dancing, singing.

[22:45] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Do you guys have water like hidden on the stage?

[22:50] Kelsie Watts: Yes, okay, oh thank God, I would not make it, yeah, I would not make it.

[22:54] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: What if you have to pee?

[22:54] Kelsie Watts: You just can't, you can't.

[22:58] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, you just can't, I know and I'm the first one to get dressed so I really had to time that out to be like because you drink water, you know, and you're not gonna say I do like okay wait a second let me like work this out.

[23:02] Kelsie Watts: Um, but yeah I would say.

[23:06] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, yeah shout out to all the Broadway performers. I'm telling you crazy schedule shows a week, especially during the holidays, baby.

[23:13] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Mm-hmm. There was one stretch. We did no girl. You're good. We did what?

[23:17] Kelsie Watts: 13, 14 shows in a week like or like a straight like in a stretch like twice in June. I was like, yo, we who do I talk to you for me like me. We can't do this anymore. I'm tired.

[23:30] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I know it was crazy. Holy crap crazy.

[23:34] Kelsie Watts: Okay, you're gonna to make a hard transition after Six you're going to be the closing Satine in Moulin Rouge.

[23:42] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Freaking insane. That's amazing. Thank you. How did it? How did that? How did this come to you?

[23:48] Kelsie Watts: So I was planning on like being with Six like just just continuing on and out of the blue my agent called and was like, hey, can you learn this material in like two days? I was like, that's hard material for two days.

[24:06] Kelsie Watts: I know I was like, yeah, I think so. I got the call on a Tuesday and I went in on a Friday and yeah, they were like what they just want to move on Ridge wants to call you in for a work session I said, okay.

[24:19] Kelsie Watts: You said I'm totally free. I'm free. Um, but to be completely honest, I didn't expect it to be like an immediate like what are they called replacement? I didn't expect to be an immediate replacement.

[24:36] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I thought they just wanted to see me because they probably already had somebody else. They wanted to see how I would work and then probably tell me to do some things and then bring it back.

[24:44] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Right because you had all the experience with Six of like come back and do this come back in there.

[24:48] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, so you were like no way brother. Is that easy? Yeah. Yeah.

[24:52] Kelsie Watts: Easy, I was like, so yeah, I mean in I learned the material. I already I'd seen the show and loved it so I mean and it's all pop music, which is literally my world so I knew the music already for the most part and I went out on Friday and I was hanging out with the creative team for an hour.

[25:11] Kelsie Watts: Had a blast so fun and left it and was like, well, I mean that was super fun but didn't expect anything I honestly didn't expect anything to come from it. Yeah, like honest to God I did it and got a call on Tuesday and they were like, hey booked it you booked it. I just said that's incredible.

[25:32] Kelsie Watts: I was like wait what I was like, look at God. Well, won't he do it? Won't he do it and I was so grateful. That's I actually posted one of my on my social media of me finding out whenever my agent my manager called and I literally was like speechless, I'm truly speechless.

[25:53] Kelsie Watts: But going through like learning that material I called my friend Dan shout-out Dan magic a we all the love call him if you need a coaching because look she booked it. I'm telling you.

[26:04] Kelsie Watts: He yeah, I called him and you know, dude's busy. He's a busy man. He musically directs Wicked every day, you know like for real on top of coaching. He's a busy guy and I called him and I said hey, are you free like now?

[26:19] Kelsie Watts: Hey, SOS, I need you like this moment because because the reality is I know I can sing the show. Yeah, that's not my issue I know I can sing the show, but I'm not I mean, I guess I'm a musical theater person now but there are girl.

[26:36] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, but there's so many things that I'm like can you help me be able to translate this into what works in an audition room, right? You know because I I don't know right and so he was literally like, yep worked with him for like two hours and like start working on material and then um had a session with my friend as Marette for the acting stuff and it was great booked it and booked.

[26:59] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, what the heck I booked it. So fun. I love Moulin Rouge. Okay, what is what song are you looking forward to singing the most in that show? I think come what may I mean, I really think that the duets like your song and come what may are just so powerful. They're so powerful.

[27:16] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, they really are. And then crazy enough only girl in the world. It's a very it's so short. Yeah, it's such a short song and I barely sing in it. But whenever I saw the show I was like, whoa, that's powerful.

[27:28] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, it just it was so powerful in the moment. So I'm also very excited for that scene. Had you seen the show before you got all of this or you just want I saw it in November. Oh, great. Yes.

[27:39] Kelsie Watts: My cousin came in and was like hey, I really want to see like a dance heavy show and it was like, well, let's go see Moulin Rouge.

[27:45] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: This is so funny. My cousins came in as well and they requested Moulin Rouge as well. No way fan favorite guys I love it.

[27:50] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I mean and what's crazy is a year ago almost a year ago like in May one of our associate choreographers Liz Liz Racinelli was one of the people that taught us the show in Six. Yeah, and I loved working with her so much I pulled her aside and was like do you give private dance lessons and I started taking from her privately and I said and she will back me up on this I said Liz I need to learn how to be more graceful how to do more ballet things just in case something like Satine comes along is literally what I said.

[28:23] Kelsie Watts: And because I knew like you give me a hip-hop routine. That's cool like yeah, you asked me to dance like Britney. Okay, great. That's that's fun. You can do that but I'm not like the most graceful human. Yeah, like I've fallen down some boy stairs multiple times living here like whoops, so.

[28:39] Kelsie Watts: So I was like, oh my gosh, this is crazy like full circle. But yeah had been working on that style of dance and movement since May just because I wanted to improve that side of my facets, you know and alas here we are. She booked it.

[29:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Tell us tell us your dates tell us your Satine date so everyone can run and get their ticket. Oh my gosh I start March 24th.

[29:07] Kelsie Watts: That's really soon. Yeah, it's it's so soon. I start rehearsals tomorrow. Oh my god.

[29:14] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's so fun, I know I'm so excited so I get to rehearse for about a month, which is great.

[29:19] Kelsie Watts: That is a long time. It's a very yes. It's a very long time and now that I've gone through the script for a few weeks I understand why Satine also barely leaves. She barely leaves. I mean truly like oh wow and the amount of she's like flying through the sky.

[29:31] Kelsie Watts: No, I know I get to come down on a swing. That's so funny about diamonds. I was like, this is gonna be amazing. Yeah, it's gonna be great. Well, congratulations.

[29:43] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Thank you. We all are gonna run to see you as yes. Oh my gosh, please come truly. I'm so excited. Can't wait.

[29:49] Kelsie Watts: This has been so much fun. I know we should hang out more often and leather coats in yeah in the leather check it.

[29:55] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Well, I'll come see me on original hit you up. I'll be like girl. I'm here. You're like head up to odd woman tick-tocks.

[30:01] Kelsie Watts: Oh, yes. Oh on just FYI the 25th and 26th of March. I may be at the iHeart Awards in LA.

[30:13] Kelsie Watts: Cuz I had you all get well, I was like before you go get a ticket for those two days it isn't we're figuring out schedules and stuff but that was nominated for an iHeartRadio Award for a favorite Broadway debut. Oh, yeah, I know insane like guys Kelsie is the girl of the moment. Hello. She's the odd woman of the moment. We're trying. We're trying.

[30:36] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's amazing. Congratulations.

[30:43] Kelsie Watts: Thank you. So the actual awards for March 25th and 26th so fine, I debut the 24th gotta go ending on scheduling. I may be gone the 25th 26th. So if you for sure want to see me don't take a beat those two days. Yeah, just in case just in case that I'm out.

[30:56] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: We'll see you April we'll see you in April. Yeah. Do you have any advice for any of our odd woman listening who have things getting in their way like somebody telling them they're too fat or too loud or their face is too round or whatever bullshit that they've heard from people who are insecure with their own selves literally and who want a career in the arts or maybe are just feeling in their own lives doesn't have to necessarily be the arts whatever they're feeling what is your advice to all of the odd women and to our odd squad?

[31:34] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, I would say my advice is to it sounds so cliche but to love yourself and to figure out how to love yourself. It's hard to do it hard. It's it sounds like oh, that's easy let me just like go do that but let me tell you I had to find a really good therapist to be able to do that shout out to therapy like really because I had so much trauma from what people had put on to me what I felt like I needed to be that it wasn't something that I was able to just like get over.

[32:00] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, you don't just like wake up and you're like, I'm confident and I do anything. This is great. I mean like I still have moments where I'm like, oh no, is that gonna look okay? Oh my god. I mean every time I edit this podcast, I'm like, oh god because we look at ourselves all day and like top performers, especially we are in we're on camera we're in the mirror we're in different costumes like, you know, it's just part of our lives.

[32:26] Kelsie Watts: And so I would encourage anyone listening to find somebody to talk to. Mm-hmm to help you process how to do that? Yeah.

[32:35] Kelsie Watts: Because it's really really important and once you figure out how to do it and you have the tools to be able to remind yourself of truth life gets so much easier.

[32:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Shout out. I love that. Can you let everybody know where they can keep up with you on social media and all the things that they already are not?

[32:54] Kelsie Watts: Yes, so you can find me Kelsie Watts music ke LSI e and what's like a light bulb on Instagram tik-tok Spotify album music YouTube and I mean really like we could just go down the list but I do still run all of my accounts and so I do love to yeah.

[33:11] Kelsie Watts: So I love to be able to actually connect with people like last night I literally just did a kid's night for a Broadway night. Oh yeah.

[33:18] Kelsie Watts: Yeah, and um got to meet her name was Maya so sweet. It's a shout out Maya and she messaged me. I was like, hey message me like I'll say hey and if you're ever in the area, you know let me know and I really do connect with people like that. That's cool. Yeah.

[33:34] Kelsie Watts: And I think it's important especially to the women it is women it is so yeah, so follow me shoot me a message we'll be friends and she's like, yeah of tik-tok star we're also we do sing a lot on tik-tok among a star in general among among other things we do sing in the kitchen a whole lot. That's fun. Tick-tock. It's so fun.

[33:54] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, thank you so much for coming on this show. It's been so fun chatting with you.

[33:59] Kelsie Watts: Oh my word thank you for having me. That was so fun.

[34:00] Kelsie Watts: I know literally I could just hang out for like another hour be like, well should we? Double episode double whammy.

[34:10] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hey odd squad, it's me again, Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo. Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode. Please like subscribe and follow we will be releasing new episodes on most Fridays so follow us on social media to keep up at odd woman show on Instagram and tik-tok and you can follow me at Sammy Tutz.