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[0:00] Jayke Workman: Okay, okay, you guys, you guys, stop asking. I will tell you the truth. Yes, I did sing with Demi Lovato this week. Oh my god, did you hear? Did you hear? Did you hear? Oh my god, guys. Hi, Jake is a little bit. Oh my god, oh my god, you guys! What's up, everybody? My name is Jayke Workman, and this is Oh My Pod, you guys, a musical theater and pop culture podcast. Yes, you guys, the rumors are true. I got to sing with Demi Lovato. Well, not let me specify here. I was handed the microphone by Demi Lovato and got to sing one line of her song to her, and she said, and I quote, work. So, I've peaked, I guess. This week I had the absolute pleasure of joining my dear friend and friend of the pod, Miss Catherine McNamara, at the American Heart Association's red dress collection concert where Kat was actually walking in the fashion show, and the special guest was none other than freaking Demi Lovato.

And uh you guys, I shared the video of her coming up to me in the audience and singing. It is so wild. It was so so much fun. The event was beautiful and it benefited this incredible organization. So I was so, so pleased and grateful to get to go. And everyone looked fabulous. Catherine was walking in fucking six inch stilettos under a ball gown. It was insane. But anywho, let's dive right into this week's Broadway World recap, brought to you by my wonderful friends at Broadwayworld.com. First, you guys, we got a very exciting casting announcement. Wicked has two new witches in the house. Mary Kate Morrissey and Alexandra Sosha are going to take over the roles of Elphaba and Glinda respectively in the Broadway company of Wicked.

Mary Kate has actually been the standby in the Broadway company for Elphaba, and she did it on the national tour, but now she gets to step into the role full time, which is so exciting. And I can't wait to see how Alexandra does Glinda. I mean, if you know me, you know I'm obsessed with Wicked. I always have been, and I always will be. And um, I just love when there's new green girls and new bubble girls in the show. It's just so exciting. So congrats to those two wonderful ladies. And you guys, this is kooky crazy. Wicked is going to be joined by none other than Donna McKechney in the role of Madame Morable. W this is what the homosexuals need. This is gay rights. I truly thought I would never get to see Donna McKechney on stage.

But then uh in this show? Are you kidding? She's going to be incredible. Madame Morable is the best role in the show, frankly. So she already has a leg up on these ladies, but darling Diva dear Miss McKechney, I cannot wait to see you do this show. So you will be able to catch all of these new ladies in the show starting in March. Next, you guys, Broadway World shared some adorable photos from Joe Locke's first Broadway bow in Sweeney Todd. You may know Joe from starring as Charlie in Netflix's Heartstopper series, the cutest TV show to ever exist. My god, my little gay heart was pumping out of my chest. But Joe is now playing Tobias in the revival of Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and I cannot wait to see it.

He's so adorable. I think he's perfect for this role. I can't I mean, it's amazing that this is his Broadway debut in such an iconic show and role. But this is not his first turn on the stage. He actually won the Professional Debut Award at this year's What's on Stage Awards for doing the trials in 2022. So I cannot wait to see him in this show, and you can check out those photos of his Broadway debut Bow on Broadway World.com. Next, you guys, we got the announcement of the full Broadway cast set for the premiere of Mary Jane, starring Rachel McAdams. Joining her are April Mathis, Susan Porfar, Lily Santiago, and Brenda Wale. And I I'm so so excited about this. I think I already talked about it on the pod, but I am obsessed with Rachel McAdams and the fact that I'm gonna get to see her on Broadway.

Uh this is gonna be incredible. Mary Jane is a play written by Amy Herzog, and it's described as captivating, affecting, and compassionate. It's the story of a single mother and in an impossible family situation. And if anyone can do drama, it's Miss McAdams. So I I'm so excited about this, and congratulations to all of the people who get to join Rachel in this amazing show. And lastly, you guys, Broadway World shared the very exciting announcement that Sarah Bareilles and Sarah Ruhl are adapting Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings into a musical. The show is based on the original novel, which tells the story of six teenagers who meet at Summer Camp in the 1970s and form a lifelong bond over their shared dream of leading creative and inspiring lives.

Decades later in New York City, that bond remains powerful, but so much else has changed. I'm I'm so intrigued by this. I have never read the book, and I think I want to now. And uh I mean, Sarah Bareilles kind of can do no wrong, so I think that this is gonna be amazing. And who knows? Perhaps, I mean, she's gotten three Tony noms, but perhaps this will get her the win. So we shall see. I am excited to um update you guys on any updates with this. There they haven't released any info about the creative team or production details or anything else. So we will have that to look forward to in the coming weeks. And you guys, this has been the BroadwayWorld Recap. Oh my pod. You guys! I am so excited to introduce my next guest. We one of my dearest, nearest and dearest. I just freaking adore this man, and he is fresh off of his Broadway run as the standby to Andrew Rannels in Gutenberg. Please welcome Mr. Sam Hartley.

[6:28] Sam Hartley: Oh the stage! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage. Miss Samantha Hartley. Oh my god, I'm so excited you're here.

[6:38] Jayke Workman: Thank you for having me, my love.

[6:40] Sam Hartley: Of course. Ugh can you tell the listeners where where are you calling in from on this dreary morning?

[6:47] Sam Hartley: I am coming to you from exotic Hamilton Heights in Manhattan.

[6:52] Jayke Workman: I know her well.

[6:54] Sam Hartley: Mm-hmm. Love. It's been a minute, but I I was there. That was my first my first stomping ground of NYC.

[7:02] Jayke Workman: Oh my god, it's so good to see your gorgeous shining face. Well, let's get right to it because well, okay. Where do I even begin? We met doing the National Tour of Chicago, the musical.

[7:16] Sam Hartley: Yes, that's where I know you from.

[7:18] Jayke Workman: Yeah. I think you look familiar.

[7:21] Sam Hartley: Oh, I was gonna okay. Yes. Chicago. That's right. That's right, that's right.

[7:26] Jayke Workman: You were my very first Billy Flynn, and I have to say that I when I made my debut on Broadway, you wrote me a note. You sent me this beautiful gift, and then you wrote me a note, and you signed it. Billy's and I still have it, and I keep it in my makeup bag, and every time I go to do my makeup, I see your little reminder of where we started, and I just it brings a little tear to my eye. So I just think humble beginnings.

[8:00] Sam Hartley: Yeah.

[8:02] Jayke Workman: But it's true. It is true. That is, I I will never forget the first time I heard you sing in the hallway of Pearl Studios. You went in and I was waiting to go in. Final callback day. No one knew each other. And I just I'm like reviewing my sides, looking over lyrics, and I just stopped in my tracks. And like, my god, your voice.

[8:30] Sam Hartley: Oh Jake Workman, your voice is so special. And then I get to fall in love with the human behind the voice after the fact.

[8:40] Jayke Workman: So it is true. Merry Sunshine is yours, as far as I'm concerned.

[8:45] Sam Hartley: Should we kiss?

[8:47] Jayke Workman: That's right now.

[8:50] Sam Hartley: Oh my god, you are too sweet. I thank you so much. I remember us starting the rehearsal process, and I remember looking around and I was like, wow, okay, this is different than I expected because it we were all so young and you know, we were just like sort of thrown into the deep end because I think we had like two weeks of rehearsals before we were set to just fly out to wherever we're gonna start the tour. And you were so grounded and present and you were such a like calming presence in the rehearsal room because you knew your shit and you like I remember being like I don't know what I'm doing. I I don't know what I'm doing. And you were like darling it's gonna be fine. You've got to calm down. Can you make it baby? Thank God. But you were a well seasoned national tour darling because you had done Elf you had done Beauty and the Beast so you were like this is old hat for me bitch.

[9:46] Sam Hartley: I don't know why you're freaking out which we must talk about. So before we dive into the goot of it all I want to know about the experience doing national tours on a kind of a huge level the shows that you have done are all very iconic big shows and they were also on the non-union circuit.

[10:15] Jayke Workman: Yeah and I want to talk about the sort of Venn diagram of what that means because I don't think that a lot of people who are not in the musical theater realm really grasp what an equity tour versus a non-egg tour is and it honestly I think that just reflects the fact that the work is all the same the the production value is all the same we're doing the same show we're just not necessarily getting paid the same as the other right there's this little thing called money and it and it does make the world go round so tell me you rumors are what was your first national tour was it Beauty and the Beast?

[10:15] Sam Hartley: Beauty and the Beast yeah uh yeah it was the eighth year of Beauty and the Beast it was the final year of that round of that tour my first time ever traveling uh with a show and a big show a pretty big cast it was a bus and truck tour um you know first first go around you don't know any better so you're just sort of working this insane schedule a lot of one nighters a lot of great sit-downs some week sit downs two week sit downs uh we were on the road for 10 weeks we did 326 performances of Beauty and the Beast in 10 weeks that's ridiculous yeah I I met some of my best friends uh because you're we were playing um one small role the beast the beast uh the beast yes uh yeah so uh right it it taught me so much um it you know the beast uh really truly yes yes titular role, but isn't doesn't doesn't do that much in the show.

[12:20] Sam Hartley: So, truth be told, I did kind of have a chance to sit back while wearing a 12-pound costume and like and watch what this world was going to be like sort of unfold in front of my eyes. So it it truly taught me so much. Uh we had a great crew, we had a great cast, but we were all very young. That tends to be what happens with a non-union tour, because actors who are looking to make that break into this industry tend to be more willing to work for that lower price tag. Um it you also are just able to sort of survive the schedule at a younger age than you are otherwise. So yeah, it it was it was amazing. It was so hard, some of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, but um, but it taught me so much.

[13:14] Jayke Workman: Wow. So what was your what led you to that show? Was it just like regular, you were just in auditions and this opportunity came about and you booked it?

[13:27] Sam Hartley: My entire career, and I'll say that one more time, entire career has been about right place, right time, and saying yes. So I was teaching, uh I was teaching at a summer camp in Birmingham, Alabama, like you do. Uh, I was I had been doing a production of Into the Woods there, I was doing a production of Le Miz, and then I was about to start a production of Young Frankenstein, and this summer camp, which had just this magical group of instructors. One happened to be a casting associate of Bob Klein's, who at the time was casting the Beauty of the Beast tour.

[14:13] Sam Hartley: Um, at the end of our camp, we did a concert for the instructors, and I sang "She Loves Me" from *She Loves Me*. I got done, and this casting associate came up to me and was like, "Uh, have you ever been into the *Beauty and the Beast* Tour?" And I said, "No." And she goes, "Okay, okay, when we're back, when we're back in the city, you're coming in." And when I first came in, I had Beast, Gaston, and Lumiere sides. We started with Beast, and then they were like, "Uh, we're good. Let's not, we don't need to do those others. Let's stick with this." So I was in for a couple rounds of work calls, what do we call them? Work calls. Uh, and work sessions, work sessions is the word we like to use these.

Sessions, Broadway sessions, and yeah, and it just happened. I remember my final callback for it. I sang incorrect lyrics. Um, I'm working, working up to the end of "If I Can't Love Her," and I get done and I'm like, "I didn't do that right, right?" And they go, "Yeah, uh, let's do it one more time. Let's do one final round. You're good." Uh, so I did. And um, I at the time, well, I still kind of do, have a habit of walking the streets of New York post-callback to sort of unwind, sort of come down, come back down to Earth. So I walked home from Ripley Greer studios at the time I was living at 158th in Broadway. Right, and around the time I got to Columbia, I got a call from an unknown number, and they offered me the role of the Beast. Wow. It was crazy. It was absolutely crazy. And uh, it changed my life. Incredible. And you got to be the final Beast on that tour. Yeah, I know. That's that was very special.

[16:25] Jayke Workman: So then what was your sort of transition like post-*Beauty and the Beast* back into New York City like? Because I think that it's hard. I don't think we talk about it enough. How like, you know, we have these parallel lives of like everything is here. Our entire all of our stuff, like our physical things, our apartment is all here, but also all of the work is here. So when you're out of the city, you're like, "Yes, I booked it, I got the job," and then you're away from the city, and you already have to be thinking about what am I gonna do when I get back when this job ends, because every show closes. Like, were you sort of prepared to reenter the world of auditioning and living in New York City post-*Beauty and the Beast*?

[17:13] Sam Hartley: I was lucky after *Beauty* because I came back and almost immediately started *Elf*, my first season on *Elf*. Right. Um, I was a part of the *Elf* tour for three seasons, but our associate director of *Beauty and the Beast* is the director of *Elf*. Sam Scalamoni is his name, is the director of *Elf*. Um, and toward the end of the *Beauty* saga, he was like, "Uh, would you be interested in coming in for Buddy?" Uh, and I said, "Yes, of course." Um, and so that particular instance worked out that I got to take like a month off, basically, and then get busy with that. Uh, but to answer your question, um, once I was finally back from *Elf*, which and *Elf* is always a short tour, two and a half months, maybe.

So we were back in January. Um, and then yeah, you have to hit the ground running with I had been at a restaurant before *Beauty and the Beast*. Um, I did not go back to that restaurant, actually. I ended up starting at a new place. Um, but yeah, what sort of saved me in those early days really was catering. Um, there were a couple companies that I could just jump in and out of. Um, there were always events, there was always a need for people. So it was an easy thing to jump back into, but not very fun work, we'll just say.

[18:55] Jayke Workman: Well, it never is. I mean, that's like necessary.

[18:58] Sam Hartley: Right. I just I helped assist for the dance auditions at Unified's for my alma mater, Hart, this past weekend. And um, that was something there are a few info sessions that I get to sort of sit in on and they introduce me and I get to like answer questions from potential students, and that was something that I like sort of tried to emphasize in a like non-threatening way, but I was like, "Yeah, I can be introduced as a Broadway alum of this program." And I can still say that when I'm not on Broadway, which is more often than not, which is mostly my year.

[19:43] Jayke Workman: Yeah, yeah, I'm doing other things. And so it's just it's a um important reminder, and I think it's like a refreshing thing, you know, to highlight that like we are multifaceted people, not just in the world of musical theater, but we also like are able to do work outside of this and have like well-rounded lives because we have parallel jobs, as I have come to know. Um, but oh wait, okay. So *Elf*, you played Buddy for three seasons.

[20:19] Sam Hartley: Sure did. Sure did.

[20:22] Jayke Workman: Tell me what it's like, or maybe the difference between doing, you know, a solid, straight 10 weeks *Beauty and the Beast* style versus knowing that this is, you know, it's a holiday show, so it's a seasonal run of a show.

[20:37] Sam Hartley: Yeah. Did you know going in that you were gonna do it multiple times?

[20:43] Sam Hartley: No, but I had hoped. Uh, one of the things about the *Beauty and the Beast* tour that I was sort of jealous of and didn't get to experience because it was the final year, we had a handful of people who had done it before. So they had two years experience on a show, which, you know, if you can not be paying for things back in New York, if you can sublet your apartment, or you let go of a lease or whatever and go on the road, it was a decent way to save money to earn better money. Um, and so yeah, I had hoped that *Elf* would come back around. Um, and what was so great about getting to do it more than once is that first year was a total fever dream. I remember being in tech. I just couldn't get it.

Like I was forgetting where to be. I was forgetting I knew the show, I knew the lyrics, I knew most of the lines. I have an obnoxious, it is a I would argue it's a skill. I've been told by some directors it's not, but we'll see. I have my brain, my brain just fills in the blanks when something doesn't go right. So we'll call it improvising, ad-libbing, whatever. If I'm not exactly right, we'll work around it and we'll get there, we'll find our way there, and we'll pepper our way with some fancy whatever. So I was doing a lot of ad-libbing, unfortunately, which was very frustrating for our stage manager, for our director, for designers, because they're trying to set the show on the script that we're supposed to be doing every night.

So while in my brain, I was like, "Can't you just let me get through this show? Is it that enough?" Um, anyway, finally getting to do it that first season and then coming back the next year, I was like, "Oh, this is fun. I know the show now. I don't have to panic." And then the third year, which at the time was the sort of final round of that show, it has since come back, but um that third and final year was like, "Oh, this, oh, *Elf*. Oh, you guys want to do *Elf*? Yeah, let's do *Elf*. That's fun. Easy."

[23:09] Jayke Workman: Yeah, even though you're still motherfucking lead of the show.

[23:13] Sam Hartley: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Never leaving the stage for act one, except for a 19-second costume change. But that also then taught me so much. Like after doing that show, and um, there was this pandemic that started a couple years ago. I don't if you remember, this was pre-pandemic.

[23:36] Jayke Workman: I know.

[23:36] Sam Hartley: We'll get back, we'll get we'll circle back. Okay. This was pre-pandemic. It was before we were, it sounds so stupid, really. It was before we were able to be honest and say, like, "Oh, I don't feel well. I'm actually not gonna do the show tonight because I don't feel well. I respect myself, my own body, not to mention the bodies and lives of my coworkers." Uh-huh. "I don't feel well, so I'm not gonna do the show." So I did *Elf* in three seasons, uh, because it's in the winter and we're traveling, and because it's two and a half months, we were all over the country. So we were going from like beautiful California to like freezing Milwaukee. Our bodies aren't meant to do that. No, and I so I would get sick, and I just would perform the role sick.

I probably had the flu, I probably had stomach bugs, like you name it. Which is all to say now that we've survived and we live to tell the tale, that um you can do it. Our bodies are very strong. Uh, uh, athletes of the stage, we actors are. And uh yeah, now when I find something that feels like this insurmountable, like, "Oh, I can't do it. It's too much, it's too much." I'm like, "Well, whoa, well, wait. If you did that, you can do this." Right. "You've got this. You already ran the marathon. You can do this."

[25:03] Jayke Workman: Yeah. Wow. That's wild.

[25:04] Sam Hartley: Well, and that's something that you like so beautifully helped me understand in the like crazy whirlwind of our rehearsal process for *Chicago*, was that like you had already done it. So you were like, "It's going to be okay." You like everything that I was worried about, you know, in terms of being on the road and obviously not even knowing that we were entering into a situation where it was all gonna be over so quickly because of COVID.

[25:35] Jayke Workman: So yeah, I thank you for that wisdom and that perspective because

[25:35] Sam Hartley: Yeah, well, it's you know, and now you lived through that, and now you've played the role on Broadway. Like you, you know, it's like you and at the time, of course, we had all hoped and dreamed and believed that you would make it there, that you would do that. But that doesn't mean the same feel the same as the living reality of it.

[26:11] Jayke Workman: So and I've said it multiple times. It I would not have gone to Broadway if not for COVID. Everyone was sick, and that's why I ended up there. So, like, yeah, all things considered, like you said, it's just like right time, right place, and saying yes.

[26:25] Sam Hartley: Yeah. And you could do the job, and you do it very well.

[26:30] Jayke Workman: Oh, I thank you. Well, I must say, too, you were my first Billy, and no secret are my absolute fucking favorite dream boat, Billy Flynn, and I want to see you do it again.

[26:46] Sam Hartley: You're I mean, could you send them an email and tell them that, please?

[26:50] Jayke Workman: You know what? I should get them on the horn. Who do I need to call?

[26:57] Sam Hartley: Yes, what I would give to play Mary opposite you again. That was so cool. I think we did it a total of 17 times.

[27:04] Jayke Workman: I know.

[27:05] Sam Hartley: I know. It's a crime.

[27:06] Jayke Workman: It really was.

[27:08] Sam Hartley: So the time has come, Samuel, Samantha, Samicia. We must talk about your Broadway debut.

[27:20] Jayke Workman: *Gutenberg*, the musical.

[27:20] Sam Hartley: Crazy.

[27:23] Jayke Workman: Tell me.

[27:25] Sam Hartley: Crazy. What on earth? Sam, when you when we got drinks that day, and you were like, we were probably an hour in. We had just been chit-chatting, we're giggle gaggling. We're like, "Oh my gosh, it's so good to catch up," whatever. And then you dropped this motherfucking bomb. You were like, "Oh, and by the way, yeah, I um I booked Broadway, and I start tomorrow." I was like, "What? Excuse me? Let's back up. Okay, tell me the tea. How did you end up there?"

[28:01] Sam Hartley: Uh yeah. So in April of 2023, I got an email. I got an availability check. Uh, if I was free to do this little. I didn't know what it was. I uh it's funny, we sort of joke about like how did you get me to say yes to that?

[28:22] Sam Hartley: I don't know. But it was like, hey, are you do you have anything going on the next couple weeks? And I was like, uh no. Who is this? Who are you? What's going on? And what had happened was, uh, say yes if we want to go first full circle with it. Um, my associate choreographer from Elf, Nancy Renee Braun, who was our choreographer for Gutenberg, um, had said my name out loud in a room I wasn't in and changed my life. Uh, they were looking to do sort of a creative staging session, which is just, uh, Gutenberg has been around for many, many years. Uh, it started out at UCB about 15 years ago. It was an off-Broadway cult classic soon after that. Um, and they were looking to bring it to Broadway.

I didn't know Gutenberg. Uh, I had no idea which incredible superstars were going to be leading the production when I said yes. Um, I just knew I wanted to hang with Nancy for a couple days. Uh, so I end up getting a script. I see that Alex Timbers is attached. I knew Nancy. Uh, and we put the show out in, uh, in like nine days, nine or ten days. Um, I was doing the role of Doug, which is who Andrew ended up playing on Broadway. Um, and Ian Unterman, who was, uh, Alex's associate director on Broadway, was the role of Bud, who would later be played by Josh Gad. Uh, so like as the week went on, they were sort of dropping hints about like, uh, like they made a comment. Um, did they tap? I think that they tap in Mormon.

Did those boys tap? And I was like, Mormon, okay. Uh-uh, piecing it together, getting the clues. Like I didn't dare just come out and say, like, what's going on? Who's doing this? When is it happening? Um, and you know, the way this world, the way this industry works, um, there wasn't an official theater, there wasn't an official time period. They had sort of hoped that it would be end of 2023, but they didn't know. There's a lot of things that have to fall into place. Um, schedules, uh, you know, like we said, timing is everything. Everything has to fit together. So it, I had the time of my life, it was so much fun getting to do the show. There were some new saw, like new sort of rewrites of songs, um, new lyrics.

Uh, they were trying out new jokes to sort of expand the show. Uh, obviously, with a Broadway, the show is about two guys who wrote a show and are trying to pitch it to an audience to take it to Broadway. And so for that to sort of be on Broadway and do that, we had to sort of stretch that story and, uh, it was amazing. It was absolutely amazing. I ended that week, week and change, uh, not knowing that I had any attachment moving forward. Um, you know, there was no sort of promise or guarantee of anything. And then, uh, they found the space. We knew what dates it was gonna be, and they brought me in over the summer to sort of, uh, I'll say help remind them of the week. Um, but also, you know, it was, I had never done a Broadway show, was sort of like my chance to compete with these people who had these incredible resumes and right.

Um, it's very silly. There are so many incredibly talented people in this city, in the world, sure, sure, sure. In this city, in this special world of New York City. Right. And it really just takes one person to go, yeah. That, yeah, yeah, yeah, they have it. That person has it. You can do it. Yep. And then you get to do it. Uh, nothing changed from before making a Broadway big Broadway debut to after. Nothing in my talent changed, nothing in my person changed. It just takes these relationships that you, that do take time to cultivate that do, uh, you know, it, you do sort of gain confidence in your own skin over the years. That certainly helps, but, uh, yeah, they said yes, and it changed my life. Yeah, it was incredible.

[33:07] Jayke Workman: I will never forget that lunch that we had when you told me because that it was just like, not to like, uh, air any of your like personal experiences, but like it was in a time where you really, it was a really transformative time. You were going through a lot of changes in your life, and just like as a friend, I knew that. And so to get to see you in person for the first time in a long time just made my heart so happy, but then to hear that news was just, I mean, I was like, you deserve it. It just happens when it needs to happen, and I'm so, so happy that it did.

[33:42] Sam Hartley: Yes, yes, thank you. Yeah, I was, I was in a place where I wasn't sure New York was where I was supposed to be. Yeah, um, I was coming up on my 10-year anniversary of living here and I had done some really amazing things, met really incredible people, got to tour the country and perform regionally, you know, whatever, and I didn't even know, you know, the, I didn't know, I couldn't remember what the dream was, why did I move here in the first place? And, uh, yeah, the timing was very nice, it was good. Yeah, it was, it was, it was very appreciated, and it was a good reminder, uh, uh, to that I'm supposed to be here, that, uh, to be, to reinvest in myself and, um, uh, what started out as a pretty low 2023 was incredible. It was an amazing year.

[33:42] Jayke Workman: Hell yeah! Well, okay, so I have to ask, I mean, I want to know obviously about Sir Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad, um, but I have to first ask about your sort of partner in crime, Mr. Russell Daniels, because you guys were, okay. So standing by for a two-person show, you guys were the only covers.

[35:10] Sam Hartley: Yeah.

[35:11] Jayke Workman: So what, I mean, maybe like walk me through standing by in the rehearsal process versus then the show's open. If you're on, you're on, and if you're not, you're just chilling backstage waiting and running the show. Like what's the difference there in terms of like workload, like learning the show as a standby?

[35:34] Sam Hartley: Yeah. Um, we jumped in right away. So, so the boys actually had about, um, the boys, Andrew Rannels and Josh Gad, had a couple weeks of rehearsal over the summer to just sort of throw the show at them, see what sticks, but it was sort of a pre-rehearsal rehearsal. Um, so they knew a little bit, you know, it was very fast and furious just to sort of see like what they were comfortable with, uh, putting on their bodies and trying some of the songs and their rewrites, their little tweaks, whatever. Um, so we started, uh, we had a meet and greet. Um, I'm not sure we did anything else that day, Russell and I, but the next day we came in and we're like, okay, here's all the music, and we just sang through the show.

Uh, the next day we maybe watched a couple of days of rehearsal, and then we just got on our feet. So we rehearsed at Alvin Ailey Studios, which is just the prettiest, most gorgeous space. Um, we were, our rooms we shared a wall, um, and we would run it in one room while they were running it in another, and then at the end of the day, we would go watch them run a section and then eventually an act, and then eventually the show. Um, the team was very smart to bring in groups of people over the course of that final week so that we could hear it on an audience. Um, the show has so much direct, um, um, what's that called? Direct address to an audience.

[37:18] Jayke Workman: Oh, sure.

[37:18] Sam Hartley: Um, the show had so much direct address to the audience that we really needed to make sure like what's working here? What are people going to, uh, laugh at? Laugh at or not. Yeah, or you know, the little laughs, the bigger laughs, the payoff, all of that. Um, so yeah, so we, Russell and I learned and felt pretty comfortable with act one in the studio. We were starting to learn act two. We sort of finished piecing it together, but we had never run act two, and then it was time to start tech. We moved into the theater. Um, we were at the James Earl Jones, which was formerly the court. Um, it has been renovated, um, since its name changed. Gorgeous theater, beautiful lobbies, new bathrooms, but it also meant new dressing rooms.

There's a gorgeous, uh, studio space on the fourth floor. Um, it's, uh, they've really done a good job with it. So Russell and I had this space on the fourth floor with our own, uh, sort of set pieces, which is mostly hats and a couple boxes. Um, but yeah, so tech was very interesting. We sort of sat in the mezzanine at our little table and we would sort of run lines together while the boys were running stuff on stage. Eventually we start previews, and that's a really important process because we're getting to hear the show on such a wide variety of an audience. And we would run the show, you know, if there's eight shows a week, we were probably running it five or six times upstairs in the studio while the boys were running.

[39:02] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[39:03] Sam Hartley: Which is, I, it like we would literally, we'd have the monitor on and we would sort of say the things with them to sort of keep the pace. Right. Because the, um, the job of a standby understudy is that the show goes on seamlessly for everyone else. That includes the audience, but of course, that includes your fellow actors on stage. And in a two-person show, uh, it's all or nothing. It's, it's just, it's, I'm, I would never in my life, you know, as, uh, I wouldn't say anybody's ever called an actor egotistical, but as egotistical actors tend to be, uh, yeah, I had some ideas on some things that were different from Andrew and Russell had different ideas that were, uh, from Josh. But my job was to make sure that Josh could keep doing his show and vice versa.

Yeah. So that was important for us to, um, really get comfortable with that show. And then the magic of the theater is that the show will be inherently different because I am me and he is he, and they are they. It's just, that's just how it works.

[40:17] Sam Hartley: So, um, yeah, so we got comfortable with the show eventually. Again, it's like, it's the Elf syndrome. It's the, this is impossible. I can't get this. Okay, I can, I can only get some of it, but I'm never gonna get the rest. Oh, okay, wait, I got it. Like I have the whole thing. And then eventually we could sit in our dressing rooms and just sort of say the lines out loud to each other. Sometimes we'd run a couple numbers in the show that felt a little tricky. Uh, so you know, we went from doing it five or six times a week to three or four times a week, and then we finally felt comfortable to just sort of do it under ourselves in our dressing rooms on the second floor of the James Earl Jones, which became my home away from home for the better part of 2023. Of course, Russell's room, my room, our conductor and our drummer. We all showed, it was just the four of us on the second floor. Uh, immaculate vibes, if I can just say so. Shout out to the boys on floor two.

[41:17] Sam Hartley: Um, but yeah, obviously, um, they went down to do the show. So Russell and I just would sort of talk and walk through the show, um, as we needed on the second floor, and, um, getting to watch Josh and Andrew, who are true dear friends of one another, play these true dear friends on stage and just watch them develop the layers that they were able to add on to the show, and, uh, it was a, it was truly, please don't roll your eyes. It was a masterclass in comedy, it was a masterclass in performing, and then for Russell and I, uh, over the course of five months, the show starts to change. It's, they start to find different nuance in different spots, and, um, so it wasn't like Russell and I learned a show and then we stopped. That's the show, this is it forever. We're done, right? Yeah, we got to like, oh, this, this moment is kind of turning into this, and that's morphing into that.

[42:24] Sam Hartley: And so we got to watch the show grow, which then grew our own performances and informed so much, and yeah, it was amazing.

[42:36] Jayke Workman: So, did you feel comfortable and confident in just like knocking on Andrew's door and being like, hey, I have a question about this moment, or can we talk about okay, fierce?

[42:49] Sam Hartley: So there was that level of like if you need something, you will be able to get it from the direct source, not having to go through associates or some sort of, you know, because there are, like you mentioned, when there are egotistical actors in rehearsal space or in the theater, it can be hard, specifically in a standby position, to ask questions or to be confident enough in saying things a little differently or making a different choice.

[43:23] Jayke Workman: So that's wonderful.

[43:24] Sam Hartley: I mean, of course, everyone speaks so highly of both Josh and Andrew, but they're the nicest boys in show business, they really are, and they were so welcoming from the very beginning. They were so inclusive, they were like, yeah, the beginning process, Russell and I were both like, keep your head down, don't make eye contact, let them come to you.

[43:50] Jayke Workman: How could you not?

[43:51] Sam Hartley: But like day one, Josh Gad is giving me a big hug, and I just immediately you're just like, oh okay, yeah, okay. This is good. This is great. I think you really are Olaf.

[44:05] Jayke Workman: Right, truly.

[44:07] Sam Hartley: Truly. But like immediately they just make you feel welcome in the room, in the space.

[44:13] Sam Hartley: Um, and we had the end of our show. Uh hopefully, if Bud and Doug do their job, we have a producer who wants to take the show to Broadway.

[44:26] Jayke Workman: Yes.

[44:28] Sam Hartley: I know, I know, I know. We have to talk about it. So we have these guest celebrities for 125 shows and most previews.

[44:40] Sam Hartley: Um, so yeah, we had Broadway legends, comedy legends, icons of this industry who were coming in to do this 90-second bit at the end of the show.

[44:53] Sam Hartley: And we are, yeah, of course the first couple visits, Russell and I are probably, truth be told, awkward in the corner till the very end, but the boys helped us feel like by the end of the run that we could go up and say, like, hi, Patti LuPone, I'm Sam, I'm the Doug standby. What a thrill to have you, Kerry Washington. Thank you for joining us.

[45:21] Jayke Workman: Uh, insane, insane.

[45:26] Sam Hartley: And every time, honestly, that rings true in the fact that every time there was like a Gutenberg Instagram post or like press post or whatever, they were so conscious of including you and Russell in everything that they did, and I loved that because you know it's fun to see the little cameo and like them sharing like the video clips of like whoever, you know, just casually my queen Kelly O'Hara or like whoever, but like to then get to see you guys meet them after and you know take a photo, it's just amazing.

[46:06] Sam Hartley: I think it was they were very aware of the incredible following behind Josh and Andrew, and what a task it was to give two actors making their debut the job of filling in for Josh Gad and Andrew Rannels.

[46:26] Sam Hartley: Gutenberg the musical, I love with my whole heart. It is not well known on the tourist scale that is the Broadway, uh the way that Broadway works.

[46:39] Sam Hartley: So people were coming to see Josh and Andrew, they weren't necessarily coming to see Gutenberg the musical. So they were very aware that like we need to make people know who these boys are. We need to keep their faces in the zeitgeist of Gutenberg because they believed in us, and I will never forget I never got to go on for Andrew.

[47:07] Sam Hartley: Um because he is a true workhorse and like the Broadway leading man of our dreams, Broadway. Our dreams.

[47:17] Jayke Workman: Uh, but Russell got to go on for Josh only once.

[47:21] Sam Hartley: Uh, but he got to go on. And Alex Timbers, Tony-winning Alex Timbers, the genius director, shows up and makes a curtain speech announcing like, I know you guys are bummed that Josh isn't here, but you guys get to see the Broadway debut of Russell J. Daniels on this stage.

[47:42] Sam Hartley: The audience went crazy. They, you know, of course, Russell had friends that were able to make it there last minute.

[47:49] Sam Hartley: Um, but it was amazing. It was so, it was like that's a rarity, I think, in this business.

[47:56] Jayke Workman: Totally.

[47:57] Sam Hartley: Um, they were so supportive and so inclusive from start to finish.

[48:02] Sam Hartley: Um, and that was a real game changer for both of us in the imposter syndrome of it all.

[48:09] Sam Hartley: And yeah, us realizing that this was a place that we could belong, I guess.

[48:17] Jayke Workman: Totally.

[48:18] Sam Hartley: It's just incredible. I'm yeah, when you first told me too that it was sort of a limited run, or like how they say like a limited engagement or whatever, right, I wondered like sort of how you navigate that in terms of um not necessarily going on, you know, of like, okay, well, we have a set amount of shows, and if I don't go on by this time, like it's probably not gonna happen.

[48:46] Sam Hartley: But I think in talking to you sort of throughout your run, I got the sense that if you had to do it, it would have been wonderful, but there was no sense of like I missed out on an opportunity, or I didn't get to, you know, I didn't do it because you did.

[49:06] Sam Hartley: Like you did it many, many times on the second floor of the James Earl Jones.

[49:12] Jayke Workman: Right, right.

[49:13] Sam Hartley: And you know, we got in the five months, I think Russell and I did it five or six times on stage, you know, full tech elements with the band running the show.

[49:24] Sam Hartley: So yeah, and ultimately, as a standby, more specifically than an understudy, most understudies happen to be in the show in other ways.

[49:37] Sam Hartley: Um, we signed on the dotted line to never go on. That why we accepted the job of like I'm ready to do it, and I will give you a performance you'll remember, hopefully for the right reasons.

[49:51] Sam Hartley: Uh, but otherwise I'm just another cog in this machine.

[49:59] Jayke Workman: Totally.

[50:00] Sam Hartley: Um, and yeah, there was sort of a great relief in knowing that I was one ready to go on at any moment, but also I was so taken care of by Andrew and watching him stay healthy, stay ready, stay they had those boys had to sort of live and die on stage every day, sometimes twice.

[50:29] Sam Hartley: Uh, and it was amazing, it was absolutely amazing to watch them do.

[50:33] Jayke Workman: And I think it's also just so, um again, it's important to remember too that like how you mentioned earlier, even though you didn't do the show in front of an audience, the relationships that you created in that building will last forever, which is, yeah, I would say far more exciting and important than anything that you could have done on stage, you know?

[50:33] Sam Hartley: Absolutely, yeah. I think it's amazing. Can you tell me who you were most starstruck by as the guest producer?

[50:33] Sam Hartley: When I saw Patti LuPone I was like, well this is it there I don't understand how I was like how do you get a bigger and then of course the final performance Audra McDonald, are you kidding me?

[50:33] Jayke Workman: I know, what do you even, what would you say to them?

[50:33] Sam Hartley: Well what was really cool, right, uh hi and can we take a picture?

[50:33] Sam Hartley: Um, yeah, I mean basically, uh what was really cool the routine that we ended up finding is the show ends, um Russell and I, we had this lovely little lounge in the basement of the James Earl Jones that we would meet the celebrities, take photos with them.

[50:33] Sam Hartley: Um, we developed this great routine of like the show ended they would be brought downstairs where Russell and I would sort of meet them and have our moment to sort of have a little conversation.

[50:33] Sam Hartley: Uh, the show the boys would bow they would come down and have their little moment they would get out of costume as the band came down after they finished their playoff and have their little moment.

[50:33] Sam Hartley: Um, so we really did have this opportunity to meet these incredible people but at a level that wasn't fangirl yelling at them at the stage door and I'm so I can't believe they're standing in front of me, you know, we had to sort of pretend like, oh yes, I'm shaking Kelly O'Hara's hand.

[52:36] Sam Hartley: Yes, I'm hugging Shoshana Bean. Uh sure oh Audra, you wanna you want to pick? Absolutely, Patty, that's great. Yes.

[52:45] Sam Hartley: So it was, it was just this uh it was a great moment to see them as real human beings who are still the icons of this industry that they are.

[52:57] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[52:57] Sam Hartley: But um, but to get to meet them at that sort of real level was amazing.

[53:04] Sam Hartley: Um, we got Steve Martin and Martin Short on the same night.

[53:10] Jayke Workman: Unbelievable.

[53:10] Sam Hartley: I'm shaking Steve Martin's hand. I go to shake Martin Short's hand. He goes, call me Marty and gives me a hug and I melted into a puddle and I'm in fact still a puddle in the basement of the Jinko where I'm calling from right now.

[53:30] Sam Hartley: Yeah, we had the divas we got, I mean you know we've already said their names 11 times so far but Audra, Patti, Kelly, um Sarah Bareilles came, our very first preview was Cynthia Erivo.

[53:48] Sam Hartley: In San Francisco our first preview where I remember going and I was like wait what I thought it was like a one-off thing. She brought as a friend Adrian Warren. I'm sitting there I'm like be cool be cool be cool and she reaches her hand out and shakes my hand and says my name out loud Cynthia Erivo.

[54:12] Sam Hartley: And then you know these theater legends they know what it means to be a standby. They know we're never going on. They know what all the hard work you have to put in.

[54:22] Sam Hartley: And it's understudied standby work. It's mostly a thankless job. It just is, unfortunately.

[54:27] Sam Hartley: I'd love to see that change in our lifetime, but it's still mostly a thankless job.

[54:33] Sam Hartley: And so it was we were just, I've said this too many times. We were spoiled out of our mind getting to meet these people at this level in this way.

[54:45] Jayke Workman: So did Josh and Andrew know who was gonna be there before the performance started?

[54:53] Sam Hartley: They did. There was a handful of times that they didn't know exactly what might happen, and you know, most guests sort of put their own spin on things.

[55:03] Sam Hartley: But between Josh and Andrew, between our production team, our producers, like we had many a list of hopeful guests.

[55:14] Sam Hartley: And I mean, look at the humans we lucked out in getting.

[55:17] Sam Hartley: And I don't know the full lists. Um, but we asked everybody. There wasn't many humans that weren't asked to come do it.

[55:29] Jayke Workman: And um, well, I wasn't asked.

[55:32] Sam Hartley: Well, it's uh that email, I think I think it got sent back. We'll have to circle back, but uh it yeah, it so they knew because it was their friends that they were trying to convince to come join us for this silly little moment, and then eventually it took off.

[55:51] Sam Hartley: It became the people were coming to the Instagram to check.

[55:56] Sam Hartley: Uh, we started to drop hints here and there at visitors that might come.

[56:00] Sam Hartley: And it was wild, but uh yes, now that it's ended, spoiler, they did know. They knew.

[56:08] Jayke Workman: Okay fierce.

[56:10] Sam Hartley: Well, it is, you can't tell.

[56:12] Jayke Workman: In any video that I've watched it is like full, I mean I guess it's this little thing called acting, but they are, they had tried it so surprised.

[56:12] Sam Hartley: Right, well you know what it is, it is actually it, it is the yes they are performing but I think for them this moment of we are back on Broadway together as another duo and every night it's like I oh my god I can't believe oh my pod you guys we just got through that show yeah and Audra McDonald's on stage yeah we just got through that show and Nathan Lane is on stage right now uh Billy Crystal came twice because he like had better jokes to try out the next like it was just it was crazy so I think even for them as two, as two um you know we end the show with a song we eat dreams as two dreamers as two boys who love this industry and love this art uh they got to be reminded of the fans that they were at the end of every show totally um so yes they were acting but I think I do think there was a little bit of like oh my god look at that human on stage that we get then we're a part of this it it's it was wild it was incredible.

[56:12] Jayke Workman: That's so cool well my darling Samantha before I let you go I have a series of musical theater rapid fire.

[56:12] Sam Hartley: Oh you do? I do indeed.

[57:46] Jayke Workman: Are you ready?

[57:47] Sam Hartley: Let's do it.

[57:50] Jayke Workman: Sondheim or Andrew Lloyd Webber?

[57:53] Sam Hartley: Sondheim.

[57:55] Jayke Workman: Sweatpants or jeans.

[57:58] Sam Hartley: I'm gonna say jeans.

[58:01] Jayke Workman: Do you have a favorite musical?

[58:04] Sam Hartley: I do, and it's tired, unfortunately, but it is Into the Woods.

[58:10] Jayke Workman: And it's Into the Woods.

[58:11] Sam Hartley: Never tired in any iteration that it's ever existed, but it's Into the Woods in a closeted boy in Nebraska at 16, bringing his girlfriends home to watch the VHS of Bernadette Peters in Into the Woods in the basement of his Lincoln, Nebraska home. It's that.

[58:30] Sam Hartley: It is yes, I want to play The Baker one day. Yes, I played Cinderella's Prince, but I want to be the Baker's Wife. And when do I get to be the witch?

[58:41] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[58:43] Sam Hartley: Oh my god, incredible. Well, do you have a least favorite musical?

[58:48] Sam Hartley: Okay, as a friend of the pod, I have thought about this over and over and over again when I'm listening to people explain. And it's so funny. A couple of weeks ago, I don't remember who I was listening to, but a couple weeks ago I was thinking, and I stopped in my tracks, walking down the streets of Manhattan. It's 1776, baby. I don't need it. What did we think we were doing with that show? Now, that is not to say there aren't some musical moments in the show that I enjoy. We certainly have used that subject matter in better ways.

[59:24] Jayke Workman: Correct.

[59:28] Sam Hartley: I did not have a chance to see the revival. I do think the revival did some cool reimagining of the storytelling, but honey, you can't polish that turd.

[59:37] Jayke Workman: No.

[59:38] Sam Hartley: It's 1776 for me.

[59:42] Jayke Workman: Oh my god, that's incredible. Would you ever like to do a Broadway play?

[59:48] Sam Hartley: I am dying to do a play. Oh, it could be off-Broadway. It could be on Broadway. It could be regionally. I love musical theater. I love to sing. It is a true joy of mine. Um, but I went to school for theater performance in Lincoln at University of Nebraska, and we were it was a mostly classical program. So we did Shakespeare and Molière and like, and I miss it. I miss um I miss it. I could have just said the word yes, but yes.

[1:00:26] Sam Hartley: But why would we do that? I'd love. Um, are you a morning person or a night owl?

[1:00:32] Sam Hartley: Morning person, unfortunately, which is not to say I can't stay out and about, but most of the time grandma wants to be home. She's gotta be home, she's gotta be in bed. Uh because I can't help it. That's you know what it is actually. Eventually, I started working as a barista for many years in the city. Um, and I there's just something so quiet and still about this city in the morning before rush hour.

[1:00:56] Jayke Workman: Yes.

[1:00:57] Sam Hartley: Uh, that is really magical that I really love.

[1:01:01] Jayke Workman: That's true. It is kind of like a complete ghost town until 7 a.m.

[1:01:06] Sam Hartley: Yeah.

[1:01:07] Jayke Workman: Um, could you think of the craziest thing a director has ever asked you to do? And is it Tanya Nardini?

[1:01:14] Sam Hartley: Oh. In Chicago, the musical. Uh no, my god, I would follow Tanya Nardini into the depths of the world. Um the craziest thing a director has ever asked me to do. Um wow. Uh the craziest thing a director has ever asked me to do. What comes to mind is it wasn't specifically a director. Uh it was it was the theater itself. I worked for a short amount of time, uh, well, not too short, January to May in Pismo Beach, California, at the Great American Melodrama Theater, where I met some dear, dear, dear friends. At the Melodrama, Jake, you are doing a play.

[1:02:07] Sam Hartley: So we did, I did two while I was there. Uh, you do act one. Jake, let me stop you right there. Before act one, you are standing in a buffet line, giving the audience food and drink and whatever popcorn, merriment, nachos, merriment, beer, soda. They get they collect that, they go sit down, and we do act one. At intermission, Jake, don't think about resting in that dressing room, honey. You are back at that buffet line, and we are feeding them round two. Any refills? Anyone need some more? We finish the show, and you might think, okay, great, we're done. You're going home. No, no, no, Jake. You are back on that buffet line for dessert because then we're doing a 30-minute sort of like cabaret act after the fact. What in the world? And then, honey, we're gonna clean that theater for you when the show's done. We're gonna go ahead and clean it all up when we're done. And that talk about Sing for Your Supper. That was the craziest thing. Three square meals, honey.

[1:03:15] Jayke Workman: Oh my god. That is hilarious.

[1:03:17] Sam Hartley: And I've been there on a yeah. Girl. Uh Golden Age or Contemporary.

[1:03:28] Sam Hartley: I have to say Golden Age, and that is because that's just the voice I have. I I just like would I love to be able to sing a buggy? A G sharp voice of yours. Sure. I'd love it. Gavin Creel.

[1:03:44] Jayke Workman: I know.

[1:03:45] Sam Hartley: Well, God, if I could wake up with Gavin Creel's voice, it would be a whole different story. Oh, but please. Um, but uh Golden Age. And the other side of that coin is it's what made me fall in love with musical theater.

[1:03:59] Jayke Workman: Totally.

[1:04:00] Sam Hartley: Those are the shows we grew up on. And so, yeah, the brand new shows are great and the storytelling's incredible. Um, but uh that's what gave me my love for this industry. And then if we could just throw this into the world, we could put baritones in contemporary musical theater. They don't all have to be tenors.

[1:04:11] Jayke Workman: We could.

[1:04:19] Sam Hartley: Do would do you think baritones would wanna do it?

[1:04:22] Jayke Workman: Yeah, I do.

[1:04:23] Sam Hartley: Yeah, that's interesting. That's an interesting thought. I think they would. I think they'd give it a try. So maybe I'll interesting. I'll I'll like maybe like run it by the upper people when we can.

[1:04:36] Jayke Workman: Could you try it?

[1:04:37] Sam Hartley: Yeah.

[1:04:38] Jayke Workman: Thanks.

[1:04:38] Sam Hartley: Sure.

[1:04:39] Jayke Workman: Yeah, we'll circle back. Uh what is the favorite role that you've ever played?

[1:04:46] Sam Hartley: Oh man. My favorite role. Uh honestly truly is Billy. Billy Flynn. Um it's very silly that my three biggest tour credits are Beast, Buddy, Billy. I don't know why it's got to be a B, but it has. Uh I think Buddy is a close second because I got to spend so much time with it. But Billy was a real introduction into this sort of next chapter for me and what it means and what I offer this industry. Um that show is so good. It's so good. Sexy. It's funny, it's heartbreaking. I I love it. I love it so much.

[1:05:32] Jayke Workman: You were so sexy in it.

[1:05:36] Sam Hartley: Baby. In that full tuxedo with a car dealership pinky ring. Truly gross.

[1:05:45] Jayke Workman: Um coffee or tea.

[1:05:48] Sam Hartley: Tea. And you know why? Because I don't need I don't need the shakes. Been there, done that. I used to live and breathe cold brew. Uh give me green tea, give me matcha. Give me a little bit, but not too much. I wish I liked matcha. It just tastes like earth to me, and I can't.

[1:06:05] Jayke Workman: It does.

[1:06:09] Sam Hartley: You're right. There's no denying. Oh, I don't think it tastes good. Coffee also tastes like burnt water, so what am I saying?

[1:06:16] Jayke Workman: You're right.

[1:06:16] Sam Hartley: It's a bean.

[1:06:17] Jayke Workman: What's a bean?

[1:06:19] Sam Hartley: Uh what is the hardest show that you have ever done?

[1:06:25] Sam Hartley: Oh, Elf. Easily. Uh, that you were like dripping sweat.

[1:06:31] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[1:06:32] Sam Hartley: They I never wore one myself, and I'm I'm probably going to say this incorrectly now. Uh it's a part of the lure of uh the lure? The lore is the word I was looking for of Elf. Uh a buddy wore a Fitbit and he burned like twenty-seven hundred calories in a show or something. Like you just never leave the stage and you're jumping literally for two and a half hours.

[1:06:58] Jayke Workman: My god.

[1:07:00] Sam Hartley: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was the most challenging for sure.

[1:07:02] Jayke Workman: Wild. Uh, what about who is the silliest cast member of Gutenberg the musical?

[1:07:11] Sam Hartley: Uh their first name is Josh and their last name is Gad, and you could erase Gutenberg and just put silliest, and the question could just be who's the silliest? And it's Josh Gad.

[1:07:26] Sam Hartley: That brilliant brain of that insane human is just wild. He is so quick. I and and we're all operating at this level, and Josh is just miles above us all. It's he it's amazing. Silliest, goofiest of all time.

[1:07:50] Jayke Workman: Well, my last question for you, Miss Sam, is what is one thing that you would tell baby Samantha?

[1:08:01] Sam Hartley: Oh boy. Um to enjoy yourself more. I I have had an incredible 10 years in this city, and I've had an incredible life in this in this theater world since I was a child. But for the thirty-five years I've been on this planet, I have been waiting for what's next. Okay, this is happening. This is great. I love this. What am I gonna do next? And I I Gutenberg especially, um, because it was limited, because it was so incredible top to bottom. I like had to remind myself to sit back, relax, enjoy it, just be here. Just enjoy what you're doing right now. Um, Chicago was a great lesson in that as well, because we had no idea that we were only gonna have two months with each other. Not even a month and a half.

Um that was that group of humans that was such magic in a bottle. Uh, that's such a rarity. But we I remember even thinking then, like we were already thinking about the fall extension and would we resign to do another year and blah blah blah. What why did we not just and then it was taken away from us?

[1:09:23] Jayke Workman: Yep.

[1:09:23] Sam Hartley: It was uh the entire thing was taken away from us. Um so to just the secret of life is enjoying the passing of time, and I I wish I knew that a little sooner.

[1:09:38] Jayke Workman: I love that.

[1:09:40] Sam Hartley: So beautifully said. Well, Sam, I just freaking adore you. I'm so so proud of you, and I thank you so much for coming on the pod. Would you tell the listeners where they can find you on socials to keep your silliness?

[1:09:57] Sam Hartley: Right, right, right, right. I am not cool enough to be on TikTok, so you will find me on Instagram at SamFred88. Uh, and that's pretty much it. I am just an Instagram Instagrammer these days.

[1:10:15] Jayke Workman: The Instagram is.

[1:10:16] Sam Hartley: Oh, I just adore you. Thank you so much for watching.

[1:10:19] Jayke Workman: Likewise, my love. My pleasure. You guys, that's it for another episode of Oh My Pod U Guys. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe anywhere you listen to the pod. And you can follow the show on Instagram at ohmypoduguys. Thanks so much for listening. Talk soon. Bye!