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[0:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hi, everybody. It's me, Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo, your host of Odd Woman Out, a show where we talk to women, artists, and just women in general about what it is like to be a woman in the entertainment industry and a woman in the world. We're talking some crazy stories, some experiences, overcoming insecurities, but we're having a great time while we're doing it. So thank you guys so much for tuning in and continuing to show love and support. I love you, my odd squad. Stay odd and send a woman in your life a text today and tell her how fierce she is. Hi, Tess Marshall. Welcome to Odd Woman Out.

[0:45] Tess Marshall: Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.

[0:51] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: We're so happy to have you. Oh, my gosh, of course. Cheers. Cheers. Hi, Starbucks. If you're listening, this is the Odd Woman Out podcast. We're available for sponsorship.

[1:02] Tess Marshall: Sure are.

[1:03] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: You're basically the queen of the Broadway Podcast Network. Do you like to do podcasts? Or are you just like saying yes to be nice?

[1:06] Tess Marshall: I'm saying, you know, no, I love podcasts. Podcasts are what I listen to in my free time. I go on walks. I do my 10k steps a day. Oh, my god. I listen to podcasts constantly. Fierce. And I find them enriching in a lot of ways. You can learn so much about people, how people operate, what people are passionate about, and I find people so interesting. And also, I'm in an era of just saying yes.

[1:31] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I love that. I love that. You want to know why? Because why not?

[1:33] Tess Marshall: I had to come down a little.

[1:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Because why not? Okay, that's okay. I loved it when you were a little lower, and so I had to meet you. Which is funny, because I have to slouch to be anywhere near that, because my torso.

[1:40] Tess Marshall: Hey, it's good.

[1:41] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Is so long. I know, it's crazy. Do you want me to come up?

[1:44] Tess Marshall: No. I think. No, because here.

[1:45] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, because the mic. The mic comes up, though. But look, I'm so cute.

[1:49] Tess Marshall: Yeah, you are so cute. You're so cute. We have so much to talk about. Congratulations, you are currently in a Tony-nominated musical for Best Musical, Titanic.

[1:54] Tess Marshall: Wow. Wow. Wow.

[1:56] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So we have so much to talk about with that and all of the things, but the show is called Odd Woman Out, so I always love to start with the women of it all. I want to go back to little baby Tess. When you first discovered you wanted to be an artist, an actress, a singer, a dancer, a performer, was there a woman influence that really inspired you to do that, whether that was somebody in your personal life or somebody famous that you were looking at?

[2:18] Tess Marshall: Yeah. Oh, that's such a good question. Well, I was really lucky. We don't get to pick who we come into this world to, and I just got so lucky with my mom. She's a singer, and she always encouraged me to sing and be loud and not be shy and afraid of people hearing you or trying new things. So she was a huge encourager for me in that way. And then when I was in, I'm thinking about this for the first time in a while, but when I was in high school, maybe eighth grade, it might have been middle school still. I did every summer, the community did this huge production in the summer with kids from all different schools that was like this kind of big theater group. It was run by a mentor of mine called Jackie Engel.

And she absolutely single-handedly let me know that she believed that I could do this as a career. And no one had ever said it before just because I came from kind of a small area and not a lot of people were going to school to pursue these things. And I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to go to school and follow in my dad's footsteps. I really should have gone bleach blonde. And I was passionate about it. I'm passionate about human psychology and figuring out how people think. And I love to spar and debate. And that was also kind of congruent with a career in musical theater. I just didn't know. And Jackie Engel one day in rehearsal said, what are you going to school for? What do you want to go to school for?

I said, I'm going to go to law school. And she said, why? And I said, because I want to be a lawyer. And she was like, well, obviously let me just answer the question because I want to be a lawyer. And she said, why don't you, why don't you go to school for this? And I was like, oh, that's crazy. And I like let it sit for years. And then eventually I, I did, but she saw something in me before I saw it. And before anybody else, I think I was either in eighth or ninth grade. I should ask her cause she'll remember. Cause she's shout out to Jackie Engel.

[4:25] Tess Marshall: Shout out to Jackie Engel, truly. But having someone you admire and respect and just revere, believe in you verbally is so huge. And hearing it from another woman is so huge. Cause I think a lot of times we're conditioned to take men's word as kind of Bible, right? But to hear, especially as a young girl growing into herself and figuring out, you know, what I liked and what made me tick hearing another woman say, I believe in you and you could do this. And if you decide you want to do this, you should do it. Yeah. And looking back, it was a really, really formative moment in the moment. I was like, that's crazy. It just kind of moved on, but yeah. And I love that too, because you know, something we talk about on the show a lot is like women being pitted against each other, even in like, even in teacher positions to younger women being jealous or whatever. And like, it's not true. And it's just like this vibe that has been instilled in us as women. And so shout out to Jackie for being supportive. It's so important. It's so important.

[5:31] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So can you tell us about a time when you started working professionally and you were like new to the industry? Was there a situation of like a woman supporting women thing, going back to what I was just saying about like, women are here for each other to support each other? Was there a woman that you looked up to that sort of showed you the ropes? Maybe like when you like jumped into Titanic.

[5:45] Tess Marshall: Jumped. Jumped. Swam. Get it. Paddled. Um, sailed. True. Set sail. Um, yes, I think first and foremost, when I was new to the industry, new to New York City, I moved here right out of school. Cause I thought if I don't go right away, I won't ever go. Cause I, I, you know, I grew up in a, in a city, but it was like town adjacent. It was like a big city in a small town. It was like, you know, I was from a city, but the idea of moving to New York City was always kind of lingering in the back of my mind. Like I know when I pursue this, I'm going to have to do that. And I'm terrified of it. I don't want to do it. And right as soon as we graduated, all of us, there were six of us moved into an apartment together, five bedroom apartment, six people, one refrigerator.

Kill me now. It was really fun and really awesome. Washington Heights, baby. 165th and St. Nicholas. Did you make it a six bedroom flex? It was a five bedroom. Oh my God. Can you imagine we, I moved in with two people were in a relationship and then there were four of us. And my friend Kelsey Kimmel, who was a big Broadway star, shout out to Kelsey Kimmel. Best friend. We have lived together, did live together for ages. I mean, plus 10 plus years. But we came into the city non-union together, unrepresented. I mean, seriously waking up at four o'clock in the morning, five days a week to go sit in the rain, sleet, snow, waiting outside in lines, taking turns. Who would get out of line to go get coffee so we can have something hot to hold.

By the time you get into the room, you're haggard. You look terrible, exhausted. Your clothes are all wrinkled because they've been sitting in your bag. You brought one shoe instead of two. It was horrible. It was that. Washington Heights is far. Washington Heights is far. And we would literally take turns. Like someone would be Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and someone would be Tuesday, Thursday. And we would knock on the other door, get each other out of bed and go down and sit outside of the rehearsal studios. So she really inspired me. I really don't think I could have done it without her.

[7:50] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's really beautiful.

[7:51] Tess Marshall: We really, really did it together and kind of rose through the ranks. And now, and now we're both Broadway actors, which is really cool. Things kind of happen simultaneously to us in different lanes, but kind of at the same time, which is just really, really special. So I could not have done it without her. And I respect and admire her tenacity and her relentless nature so much. And she really, really kept me on my path. It would have been a lot easier to stay in bed all those mornings. For sure. Yes. So Kelsey Kimmel, truly shout out. She's, she's really the reason I'm still here. And I think she'd say the same about me. We were like each other's only lifeline for many, many years.

[8:33] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's really cool. And then when I finally did experience some success and joined Titanic Off-Broadway in 2023, Jackie Burns, shout out, shout out my good friend Jackie D. Rossioli, shout out my good friend D. Those women are, first of all, powerhouse vocalists, tanks, both of them just built different. Obviously Elphaba's just built different. Yeah. And also lead with such kindness and goodness and self-awareness that I think is so, and I think they came up in a time in this industry where women especially were really pitted against each other. There was so much, um, there's not enough room for both, for all of us at that time that I think they were responsible for kind of removing for the rest of us to come up after.

So thanks. And I can't imagine how hard that would be, but I think because of that, in turn, they just, they lead with such grace and care, especially for the younger women that are looking up to them. So shout out to them too. And I've just learned so much from, from every woman I've worked with in different ways.

[9:43] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: It's so important to have these people that you've like admired now being your peers and being supportive and teaching you lessons. And like that, it's like something I experienced too, with the show, like interviewing people that I went to go see when I was 13. I'm like, why are you, I can't believe you said yes to this, you know? But of course they did. And I think it's so cool.

[10:03] Tess Marshall: Yeah. It's like so cool to like be now existing in this world.

[10:06] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. I love that. Shout out to Jackie and Dee.

[10:09] Tess Marshall: Yeah. And all the supportive women.

[10:10] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yes. Yes. So many. Okay. So now tell us about a time in the industry or in your life where you have felt like the odd woman out.

[10:15] Tess Marshall: Well, I'm 5'10, so there's that. And I've been 5'10 since I was, I don't know, 16 years old. So that was always kind of, you know, the nature of trying to be demure and cute and shrinking and wearing flats to prom. Jesus.

[10:27] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Were they like cute flats?

[10:28] Tess Marshall: No. Are any flats cute flats? With a prom dress? Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely not. No. But I remember like, and I still, I still feel this way. And I like, I think this is probably about as comfortable as I can be with my height. I feel empowered. I feel beautiful. I feel like I'm not hiding anymore. And I still find myself like, I don't want to be closest to the camera if I'm standing with someone much shorter than me. Because not only am I already so much, I take up so much more space, I'm going to look insane standing closer to the camera than they are. So I'm constantly like shuffling to try to be further back and I'm aware of it in a way. So that was always kind of something that I contended with just as, especially as an adolescent growing up, trying to fit in and date.

[11:34] Tess Marshall: And then in the industry, I would say I definitely felt like the odd woman out in like going to college. I, my avenue toward musical theater was kind of unconventional in the way that I was never the kid who was obsessed with cast albums or like listening to musical theater. I loved to perform and I was given opportunities to perform in all types of different ways. I went to a music school and got my certificate in guitar and vocal performance and directing and would have the opportunity twice a year to perform these giant rock shows that were tribute to Queen and Fleetwood Mac and ACDC and Van Halen. And I mean, I'm a rock singer first. And yeah, I mean, it's a huge part of me and who I am and how I operate in this industry.

But for a long time, especially at the start of musical theater, my BFA program, I felt really kind of, ooh, one of these things is not like the other. I don't know that musical. I don't know that actor. Even still, I'm very much in the industry and my friends will be like, did you see so-and-so? And I'm like, who is that? Who is that? Is this a revival?

[12:44] Tess Marshall: But I think it's so healthy to also just focus on your craft and you don't need to know about all the other things happening because that kind of can fuck with you. It can totally mess you up. And I also think it has provided me with this childlike way of discovering things that many people have discovered very, very long ago. That's like, how exciting to know this now and to come to it later. And I will say most of my vocal influences don't live within the musical theater world at all. So when I was going through my BFA program, I always felt like I was kind of like this rock singer, but I was trying to fit into this leading lady type, but I put on a character shoe and I'm over six feet tall.

And I just felt like I was kind of a contradiction in a lot of ways. In my program, I went to Shenandoah Conservatory and they were really heavy on the pop rock training of it all, which was why I picked it. Because I thought, okay, well, if I'm going to code switch over here and go do musical theater, at least I can be in a program that feels like there's a touchstone. Well, there's so much space for that. And now there is for sure. But when I was coming up, it was like starting to change and switch into like more jukebox and pop rock focused. But it took many, many years. And honestly, just until recently where I realized that my kind of identity in this industry is not in trying to be less of one thing and more like the other.

It actually is the contradiction in the middle of my influences lie here, my passions lie here, and this thing that I love to do and I'm really passionate about and good at are over here. And the intersection of the two is I think kind of what makes me marketable. So I think I ran from one trying to fit and be like this other thing. And I think that's true for all of us in life. The more you embrace the things that make you different, the more peace you feel, right? And the more people know.

[14:41] Tess Marshall: Who you are and what to do with you, right? And then you're more comfortable and then that's when you start to work right and start to like have success.

[14:48] Absolutely an age and a more confident and comfortable in who you are. Outside of this industry you have to have other interests and other things that make you or else you'll cook. You go cook.

[14:59] This viral video you made about your journey to Broadway, you said something like, you know, you were struggling so much to get work because people would see you and see your exterior and when your interior didn't match it you weren't booking. So that's why Titaníque landed. So yeah, so deep for you. So, how did you deal with that? Like in auditions were like whatever expectation casting or agencies or whoever had because of the way you look versus like what you give off? How did you deal with that? And how did you like keep staying true to who you are? I know you just touched on it a little bit, but no, it's elaborate.

[15:36] Tess Marshall: Not well, I wouldn't say I handled it well. I think there was a lot of frustration and a lot of it felt like an identity. It's not a crisis because my identity doesn't come from the industry or what I do and that that is all my faith based and my identity comes from elsewhere. Thank God. Yeah, I cannot imagine the pressure I would feel if it was about booking and working. Oh my god, not for me, but um, I think I felt incredibly frustrated and it was I'm somebody who I played a lot of sports growing up. I was on, you know, I love being on a team and I really play well with a chip on my shoulder. Yeah, it definitely gave me a chip on my shoulder. I definitely felt like I'll show you I'll show you don't even know you don't even know what's coming and thank God I'm wired that way because I don't think I would have lasted in this industry if I hadn't been because there's so much rejection and there's so much heartbreak and disruption when you're asking for permission to do what you've paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to learn how to do that's complicated.

[16:43] That's complicated. There's one way to put it. Yeah, um, but I didn't handle it great. I just kept I kept doing the only thing I knew how to do which was show up, do what you say you're going to do and try to do it the best that you can and finally something was created that I could see myself in in a way that felt really different from anything else. It felt like these people, Connie and Ty and Marla who wrote this thing are actually creating something that feels like an extension of them. And I think I just identify with them as people, with them as comedians. Yeah, I love obviously the music of Celine Dion is such a cool intersection with my influences of the way that I sing and musical theater.

[17:28] But I think just like the relentless pursuit of what I decided I was going to do is truly the only thing that kept me in the game. I just refused to quit. There was never any plan B. There still is no plan B. And I think that that's really imperative to lasting because if you can do something else and you really want to do something else, why wouldn't you do that in the face of how difficult this is? Why wouldn't you do that? I never wanted to do anything else.

[17:58] Tess Marshall: That's amazing. And that's what will keep you separated from the others. Here's hoping, you know your mouth to cat ears, you know, that's like the longer you do it the more people drop off and then it's just, it's true. The pole gets smaller and smaller. A friend of mine, I won't drop his name in case he doesn't want this to be under his umbrella, but a good friend of mine once said when you get to the top he goes you can't quit if you can outlast everybody else because when you get to the top, it's just thinner up here and I thought, well, first of all, that's somebody who has walked through a lot of adversity and at the absolute pinnacle of his career and he's right. The longer you can just stay and continue doing good work and not be completely depleted by all of it, right, the less I don't want to say competition but you do this you outlast the other people who changed their dreams and there's no shame in that.

[18:57] There's no absolutely again if you want to do something else you should do it. Yeah, exactly, but it's true. Yeah, the longer you stay in it the more sparse it becomes.

[19:06] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I want to talk a little bit about your coaching business and your teaching business. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to want to do that? You know, we talked about like these women who inspired you. I already forgot your teacher's name.

[19:15] Tess Marshall: Jackie.

[19:23] So what made you want to take your knowledge and your skills and pass it on? COVID-19 really was the beginning of it because I had to go home to my parents in Pennsylvania. Yeah, there was obviously no work here. Yeah, and my roommate at the time his family lives really far away and he continued working remotely, but he decided not to go home to Colorado. So he stayed in our apartment. I couldn't get a sublet because I couldn't introduce anyone to him, you know, I had to keep him safe, right? I had to continue paying my rent, unemployed, no prospects from Pennsylvania, right? And my mom really encouraged me to teach. I've always loved sharing information and knowledge and I wanted to be a lawyer. So I love studying things and becoming an expert. I love vocal pedagogy. I love the science of the voice and so it was just kind of a passion of mine for a really long time.

[20:18] And then over the pandemic she was like, honey, you have to make money because you have to pay rent. So like you should start this teaching business. So begrudgingly I did because I had such imposter syndrome. I was like, I can't be a teacher. I can't teach people voice. She's like why you literally have a degree in it. So, yes, okay. So I reached out to a couple of people in my community who knew who I was because of that music school that I went to and I thought the thing that was missing in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, although there was so much artistically to be doing there was vocal technique. So we had lots of vocal coaching. We had lots of opportunities to perform. We had lessons that pertain to like stage presence and stuff at that school that I went to but the thing that I really missed was vocal technique and I had to take classical voice to get it and I was like there's got to be an intersection where we don't have to be singing arias because much love and respect to those who do not for me.

[21:13] And the only way to learn technique was on this music that I was never passionate about or wanted to sing. So I started with a few students who knew me from just the area. I came from, I have a rock band that's like kind of known in that area so people kind of knew who I was and I started with three students and then over the course of the last five years almost six now, which is crazy, I've got like 30 students in five countries and I have my own studio. I work for myself. I own my own business.

[21:44] It's amazing. It's incredibly rewarding. I love teaching vocal technique. I also teach like acting through song and I have a couple just acting students. We do scene study and text work and stuff and I think it's just really rewarding to be able to give back specifically to the community I came from in an area that I thought it was kind of missing and it really lights me up. I just love it.

[22:03] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Congratulations. And if you're listening hit her up.

[22:09] Tess Marshall: Thanks. Yeah, get a session on the book test Marshall studio. You can go to testmarshall.com under the teaching tab. Boom.

[22:16] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, tell us about your rock bands. How did it start? Tell us where we can listen to the music. What's your favorite song?

[22:24] Tess Marshall: Clyde Frog is my classic rock band. We've been playing together for 15 years, which is whoa wild. They are some of my closest friends. It's me and four guys, two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer and me and I'm rocking my little hand percussion and I would play guitar, but they all play so much better than me. There's no point.

[22:46] And we all met at this school that I was telling you about where I got my certificates for guitar and singing and performance and I have dated most of them. We're still together. The band is still together and we've released two albums of our original music. We just released one last summer. Thank you. It's self-titled so that the album is called Clyde Frog and my favorite track on there is called Say It Out Loud and it's like a true classic rock influence classic rock sound. Started as a garage band. Mm-hmm. Now we here.

[23:21] And I'm releasing a solo project this summer of my own for the first time which I'm really an icon.

[23:27] Tess Marshall: Well, thank you. Thank you. Yeah at all people. Well, I again it harkens back to embracing what makes you different and what excites you and I'm not gonna release an album of musical theater songs. It's just not that's not gonna be my journey and I went through kind of, you know, a bit of a renaissance this year of just learning about myself in new ways. I made a big life change. I ended up a long relationship and felt like I had things I wanted to put on paper.

[23:59] I've recorded the whole thing recorded it in Nashville at Starstruck Records and congratulations. Thank you so much. Hopefully it'll come out in July or August, but we're gonna release two singles before then. But I was just looking for it's like giving big Shoshana be invite.

[24:13] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh my gosh.

[24:20] Tess Marshall: She's amazing. Everything I see her do I know you've had her on here. She's amazing. A big fan. You're giving big Shoshana.

[24:23] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Well, thank you. I'm honored.

[24:30] Tess Marshall: But in an industry where you really do have to wait for permission and somebody's blessing to do something, I was really tired. I just got really tired of it and decided to make something of my own and it's mine, and it's exactly what I want it to be and I can't wait if I hope I hope literally anybody listens but I can't wait to just release it and let it go.

[24:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, and how empowering is it? You're like I made this, this whole my brain. I'm gonna move it forward because I can.

[24:51] Tess Marshall: Totally, I'm not waiting for anybody else to tell me it's okay. I love what you just said too, like it's my brain. It's my brain. I think that's a huge part of me and the way that I view art and musical theater and the world and I think I like the way that I think I feel very comfortable in my own head.

[25:08] I am very therapized. So I don't think you should ever spend too much time in your own head without a guide, but I feel really empowered when I'm able to express the way I feel in my own way and if I'm not gonna write a musical theater piece or I'm not, you know, how else am I gonna do that? And so I have this other thing that I this music career that I'm just obsessed with and love so much and I thought, okay, it's time.

[25:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So I'm excited for you. Congratulations.

[25:39] Tess Marshall: Yeah, of course. No, that's really cool. And I am so for like women entrepreneurs, women doing many things. Yes, because it's important and it's important to know that you can do it all.

[25:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, and to accept less is just a waste.

[25:52] Tess Marshall: It's a shame. We're all capable of so much more than we think we are.

[25:59] And sometimes you do just need to kind of throw yeah at the wall and see what sticks kind of just like time management, which is tough.

[26:04] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: It is really tough but like that is like it and then once you can figure that out if anybody ever does let me know how I haven't.

[26:10] Tess Marshall: Yeah, then you could just do it. Absolutely.

[26:16] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, let's talk about Titanic.

[26:21] Tess Marshall: Okay, you are in a Tony-nominated musical for best musical Titanic on Broadway. Yeah, what has been the most rewarding parts about being a part of this process?

[26:29] Tess Marshall: Personally, the most rewarding part has been feeling like I found a place for me to bring everything I am into a project unabashedly because it's welcome there because it's a weird place. It's welcome. It's welcome to show up how I feel most authentic, which is really I could cry if it's really it's been very, very, very, very special. So important and it's so rare yourself.

[27:02] Yeah, it's so rare. Yes, especially for women. And I don't think it's any coincidence that Marla and you know alongside Ty and Connie wrote something that she could lead in this way because she is a kook. She's an absolute. She's absolutely out of her mind and in the best way. She means she's brilliant. She's a genius but seeing that show really did kind of change my brain chemistry and I went there is a way for me to be able to do the things that I really feel in my heart of hearts I want to do without having to like try to fit the mold of something else, which is funny because they did create something that ultimately fit me.

[27:40] Yeah.

[27:44] Tess Marshall: But it really worked out. So that's been the most rewarding part personally and professionally. Getting to be with something in multiple iterations has been really, really, really cool and it has been an absolute dream come true. I mean being an original Broadway company member has been a dream come true and to be part of a Tony-nominated show is incredible and to be understudying a woman who is Tony nominated for a role that I get to play is, yeah, it just feels fake. Like I'm waiting for like, yeah, like this isn't real. Someone's gonna come and be like psych just kidding, jokes on you, but that like professionally like I'm I'm an OBC understudying Marla Mendel playing Celine Dion on Broadway.

[28:04] That's amazing.

[28:12] Tess Marshall: It's crazy. So you cover Celine?

[28:24] How has that been? So what's the most challenging part about covering Celine?

[28:29] Tess Marshall: I think it's dependent on how I feel that day because sometimes there's a mental challenge of leading a show like that. It can be really tough, especially when there's like an impersonation involved, right? Because you know when I'm singing as Tess there's a freedom that comes from just years of technique and practice and whatever when I'm singing as Celine Dion there are some things in there that can be really technical, yeah kind of require brain effort and energy that yeah can take me out of certain moments tangibly, yeah, that makes sense.

[29:09] Um, but I will say after having played it for first so long I've just had the opportunity to go on so many times now because I've been with it for so long. Yeah, all of that does fall away, but I haven't had the opportunity to do it on Broadway yet. So I'm sure the first couple.

[29:22] Tess Marshall: Yeah, that's a great question. I mostly looked at Celine Dion. I mean, there's the blueprint, right? I watched every interview she's ever done. I've seen every video she's ever done. She is such an entertaining, interesting, strange, off-the-cuff, loving woman, and she's totally unafraid to be herself. So that element, I was like, okay, well, I am going to have to bring parts of me to this that feel really authentic and dropped in because that's what makes it fun. And that's what called me to it in the first place. But then singing as her was really just the challenge, trying to kind of change the way my natural neutral baseline sits into the French vowel placement, which is simultaneously really far back in the mouth and very forward in the nasal cavity.

And then the mouth placement, because bonjour, when you're talking as Celine, there's almost a pull to the chin, and everything kind of comes out the left side of my mouth. You know what I mean? And so that creates some habits, to say the very least.

[30:44] Marie Forleo: Like you leave and you're just speaking.

[30:45] Tess Marshall: Shake off, shake off.

[30:45] Marie Forleo: Yeah, I do some laryngeal massage and just make sure everything feels like I kind of get back to my neutral baseline. I would say that's the biggest challenge. When I stopped playing Celine, so I mean, I cover Celine, Rose, Molly, and all of the background vocalists, and I'm the dance captain. So everyone, I like to say, cover everybody.

[31:06] Marie Forleo: Tess, I mean, like, damn, girl. It's a lot. It's a lot. It feels like a lot. If I'm totally honest, it feels like a lot. But I think leaving and trying to kind of get back to, okay, let all of that go, let all of that go. Because the reality is I could be playing Celine on Tuesday and Molly Brown on Wednesday and Rose on Thursday. So trying to quickly as possible come in and out of that has been, I think, the overarching biggest challenge of all.

[31:27] Marie Forleo: How do you navigate covering so many roles? Did you have like a process or did you just kind of figure it out as you went along?

[31:36] Tess Marshall: I totally figured it out as I went. I had never swung before. And it took me this show, I was after this show. I saw it and I thought, I have to do it. I have to figure out, I have to weasel my way in. And I finally got an audition for it. I was thrilled. I was doing a theater gig out of town. I won't tell you where. Got a final callback from my tape and they would not let me go. I had an understudy. She had been put in. She was wonderful. She was rehearsed.

[32:01] Marie Forleo: No, fuck them. I heard you talk about this and it made me so angry.

[32:05] Tess Marshall: Yeah, it was really, really uncool.

[32:07] Marie Forleo: Did you say like, oh, I have a callback. I have to go.

[32:09] Tess Marshall: Yeah. And they were like, we'll fire you, basically.

[32:11] Marie Forleo: And you know, unfortunately, this is why people have to lie.

[32:14] Tess Marshall: I know.

[32:14] Marie Forleo: Nobody wants to be a liar.

[32:16] Tess Marshall: I know. I thought I was doing the right thing.

[32:18] Marie Forleo: Yeah.

[32:18] Tess Marshall: By just, you know, being straightforward. Anyway, I ended up letting an agent—

[32:23] Marie Forleo: Joke's on them.

[32:23] Tess Marshall: Joke's on them.

[32:23] Marie Forleo: I hope they're listening.

[32:24] Tess Marshall: Well, yeah.

[32:25] Marie Forleo: Sorry, with all love and respect to these people.

[32:27] Tess Marshall: With all love and respect. And listen, like nothing against the people individually, but as an institution and as a general rule of thumb, I think blocking somebody from something to keep them is just never going to make for a good relationship no matter what.

[32:42] Tess Marshall: No. And it would have been one show, and I'd have been back. I seriously would have been out of the state for like 12 hours.

[32:47] Marie Forleo: And I imagine that that had a limited run.

[32:48] Tess Marshall: Absolutely.

[32:49] Marie Forleo: So—

[32:50] Tess Marshall: Absolutely. It was like two months long.

[32:51] Marie Forleo: Right.

[32:52] Tess Marshall: I ended up firing an agent over it. There were some miscommunications. There was some misleading going on that I found out about through friends that I had on the creative team because we are all friends, and everybody talks. You just can't lie. You just can't lie in this industry. You can't lie. Anyway, it took me like six more months to get another audition for the Celine Dion replacement. Did not get it. Jackie Burns did. Love her. Love you, bitch. And—

[33:17] Marie Forleo: Love you, bitch.

[33:18] Tess Marshall: Love you, bitch. And then several months later, finally got the same audition that they wouldn't let me go because the girl who got it was leaving. And then I booked it. And I was like, again, chip on my shoulder. It was like, I'm going to do this. I'm going to show you that this was meant for me the whole time. And I play well that way. A lot of people, that's not their MO. And that's okay. But it was really helpful because I was like, now I'm going to double down. I'm going to get this freaking job.

[33:44] Marie Forleo: Well, good for you.

[33:45] Tess Marshall: I don't remember what your question was.

[33:46] Marie Forleo: I don't either.

[33:47] Tess Marshall: Oh, sorry.

[33:49] Marie Forleo: I don't remember either. I said, how did you swing? How did you figure out what worked for you to be a swing and learn all of these tracks?

[33:58] Tess Marshall: So I didn't answer your question at all.

[34:00] Marie Forleo: We needed that story. It actually makes me angry.

[34:03] Tess Marshall: I know. It made me really angry too.

[34:05] Marie Forleo: It makes me really angry.

[34:06] Tess Marshall: The only silver lining I think about it is that the timing of our lives, I don't think can be messed up. So whatever I was supposed to get from that period of waiting and pursuit, maybe it was really important to my longevity with it or my ability to appreciate it or show up the way that I did. So I don't think it was for naught, but it was really frustrating.

[34:27] Marie Forleo: I have to have ADD for a minute. I'm dealing with people in the events industry, and I don't want to ever say this because it gives ego vibes, but I feel energies of jealousy is not the right word, but envy. Then things are happening that are pushing me down from people who have the power. So I feel like that's ultimately what it was. Jealousy is not the word. I can't find the word that it is. Control, fear that you're going to come out on top when they have control over you in this moment, and it's just such a bad look because just like you said, when you are therapized and you have these tools to know what is going on, don't try to play me. Also, it's not helpful for anyone.

[35:16] Tess Marshall: Correct.

[35:21] Marie Forleo: Jealousy, the illusion of control, because let's be honest, none of us are in control of anything. The illusion of control creates so much angst and anxiety because you have to be three steps ahead of everything all the time. It actually robs you of being able to be present while also making someone else miserable. I truly think kindness is free. It is currency. Why can't we all try our very best to be kind? It is not the same thing as being nice. Kindness is an inward thing. Nicety is outward.

[35:42] Tess Marshall: Thank you, Into the Woods. What's the lyric? You're just nice. You're not good. You're not bad. You're just nice. I'm not good. I'm not bad. I'm just right.

[35:54] Tess Marshall: Absolutely.

[35:54] Marie Forleo: That's a good lyric.

[35:58] Tess Marshall: Thank you. Thank you, like I wrote it. That's a good lyric. I said, thank you. I am Stephen Sondheim.

[36:05] Marie Forleo: I mean, I wish I was Stephen Sondheim.

[36:09] Tess Marshall: Yes, there we go. Back. How did you?

[36:10] Marie Forleo: How did I swing?

[36:14] Tess Marshall: I simply took us on a wild goose chase.

[36:18] Marie Forleo: I did too, though.

[36:19] Tess Marshall: Oh, I'm with you. Wait, here's how we got there. I was saying it took me such a long time to book.

[36:25] Marie Forleo: Yes.

[36:26] Tess Marshall: And I think the booking process of it actually helped me identify where my strengths lie because I'm like a dog with a bone. If you give me a task, I have to run it to ground. I have to know everything about it and learn everything about it and know it so well that I don't actually have to think about it anymore. And when I finally booked this job, they said, will you be the swing? And I truly was so terrified because I had never swung before. My only experience with swings was being part of a principal cast, looking at the swings, memorizing a show from the house, and then going on with no rehearsal on a Friday night. And I was just like, these people are insane. How does your brain work that way?

This is crazy. It's such a skill. That's not me. I don't have that ability. And I think most people think that because it seems impossible. But when you just get down to the seeds of things and you do one thing at a time, everything becomes more manageable. It's an ADHD tool tactic too. And I know I'm undiagnosed. I never do this right. Which finger is it? It's your middle finger. I already learned this on this show and I quickly forgot. But the key is to keep like, it's like your fingers have to be straight. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The left hand was your magic. Yeah, that's your sauce. That's good. She's got it. She's got it. So I learned on the fly because I had never done it before.

It was a terrifying experience. I learned five tracks in five weeks and debuted them all in the same five weeks, which was insane. I felt out of my mind. I've never been more stressed in my life. It was kind of horrible and really beautiful because I didn't know I could do it. And I learned that I could.

[38:03] Marie Forleo: That's amazing. And like now here you are on Broadway, just ready to go.

[38:08] Tess Marshall: Yeah.

[38:08] Marie Forleo: Incredible. Do you have a favorite part of Titanic? Let me rephrase it. What is the part of Titanic that makes you laugh the most?

[38:15] Tess Marshall: John Riddle does this thing in Seduces Me. He presents Rose with a piece of jewelry and then he quotes Britney Spears and leaves the stage. And as he leaves the stage, he jumps up and touches the doorframe. Yeah. Exiting and it every single time I see it, there's something about that piece of physicality, John, that I'm obsessed with. Shout out to John Riddle. It's just so unexpected and funny and boyish.

[38:39] Tess Marshall: Yeah, yeah. And I did watch my brother do that my entire life. He would go through every doorframe and like, boom, boom, like touch it as he'd walk through. Yeah. Can you stop jumping? And like there's like finger smudges on it. Yeah. Because it's dirty fingers. I love it. But also just the joy, like the experience of joy that the show brings is like if I had to really get to the bottom of it, I would say the joy that everyone leaves with is my favorite part of the show. Yeah. It's just a reprieve. It's so. Oh my God. We just need it. People just need to laugh.

[39:12] Marie Forleo: 100%. When I went, I just like you literally forget about everything for the time you're in that theater and you're just laughing. It's just, it's medicine.

[39:21] Tess Marshall: Hey, can you teach me right now? Ha ha ha ha clink. Can we do it with our Starbucks? Okay. Oh my God. Cute. Ah, okay. Should I take out my straw?

[39:27] Marie Forleo: Yeah. Take out your straw. So here's, here's the motion. Hold on. Wait, I'm. Okay. Okay. We have a ha ha ha clink. Okay. Okay. Ready? Okay. Up, down and you're here. Hold on. Okay. Ready? Five, six, seven, eight. I want to do it one more time. Okay.

[39:57] Tess Marshall: Ah, ha ha ha. Clink. Was my tone right?

[40:06] Marie Forleo: You're doing like a ha ha ha. Yes. Ah, ha ha ha. Up, ha ha ha. Down, down, down. Okay. Okay. I'm ready. I'm ready now. Okay. Ah, ha ha ha. Yep. Okay. Thank you. Ah, ha ha ha. Clink. Nailed it. Thank you so much. Um, I'm available. My equity is on pause, but I can unpause it. I am toned up though. Equity is on pause and I am toned up. That is my, uh, that is my audition tape. Dead. I'm dead. Um, if you could tell your cast of Titanic some words of inspiration or anything you want to say to them as we're in the thick of Tony season, what do you want to tell them?

[40:38] Tess Marshall: You've already done it. You've done it. There's nothing to prove only to share. As my friend Brandon Contreras always says, nothing to prove only to share. Oh, I love that. I love that. Shout out to Brandon and Callum Francis. They both got me with that one. Do you have any tea on what your Tony performance is going to be?

[41:00] Tess Marshall: No girl, but I wish I did. Damn. You wouldn't tell us anyway. I also want, I wouldn't cause I couldn't, but I do wonder in the season of award shows and, and press appearances and things, if doing the same is good for like recognition and, and you know, to permeate the senses of like, Oh, I know what this show is. I've seen it before. Or if it's, or if we really want to switch it up. So I'd be really curious to see, especially for Tony is what I can't wait. What the, I can't, what the vision is. This has been so much fun. You are so inspiring from all that you do. And just with such ease. Congratulations on everything. Truly.

[41:41] Tess Marshall: Thank you. You are an odd woman.

[41:41] Marie Forleo: I sure am proudly. Can you give any advice to anybody listening who feels like the odd woman out who feels maybe insecure in their height or their vibe and they're trying to pursue a career in the arts or just existing in this world as a woman who feels odd. What is your advice to them?

[42:00] Tess Marshall: Find other odd women. First and foremost, number one, you do, you need, you need a community of girls who are girls, girls. Say we need the girls, girls. We do like you just, you need to find people who believe in you when you don't believe in yourself because we all ebb and flow and there will be seasons where you're on top of the world and there will be seasons where you really need somebody to remind you who the F you are and finding other odd women. I think is, is just so important as a woman and as a performer and as a woman performer in this industry. That's really important. And then also finding your identity outside of this business, because if you are relying on anyone to give you the golden ticket, you're going to feel like you're at home in your body or yourself or your, your business, or you're going to die waiting.

You got to find other things that, that make you happy and light you up. And those things will become what make you, you and marketable in this industry, but you don't want to do it because you want to be marketable. You want to do it because you want to love yourself and it, it will, it will ultimately elevate you in this business.

[43:05] Marie Forleo: Fierce. Thank you. You're a rock star.

[43:11] Tess Marshall: You're a rock star.

[43:11] Marie Forleo: It's so nice to meet you. Thanks for my pink drink.

[43:15] Tess Marshall: Oh my God. Thanks for being on our show. Happy Tony season.

[43:21] Marie Forleo: Oh my gosh. Thanks. Congrats on everything.

[43:27] Tess Marshall: Thank you. Thank you. Bye odd woman.

[43:27] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hello, my odd squad. It's me again, Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo. Thank you guys so much for tuning into this episode, this literal iconic episode. Don't forget to like, subscribe and follow to the show. Tell somebody else to take a listen. Uh, we are odd woman show on Instagram and TikTok, and you can follow me also, if you want at Sammy Tutz. I love you, my odd squad.