This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] Jayke Workman: It's an automatic rainy day when I see you.

[0:07] Jayke Workman: But actually, it's freaking pouring rain.

[0:15] Jayke Workman: Oh my God, did you hear?

[0:17] Jayke Workman: Did you hear? Did you hear?

[0:18] Jayke Workman: Oh my God, guys.

[0:19] Jayke Workman: Jayke got hot.

[0:20] Jayke Workman: I can't believe Jayke has a project.

[0:21] Jayke Workman: Oh my God. Oh my God.

[0:22] Jayke Workman: Jayke Workman.

[0:23] Jayke Workman: Jayke Workman.

[0:24] Jayke Workman: Oh my God.

[0:26] Jayke Workman: Oh my Pod. Oh my Pod U Guys.

[0:30] Jayke Workman: What's up, everybody?

[0:31] Jayke Workman: My name is Jayke Workman, and this is...

[0:34] Jayke Workman: Did you just hear that?

[0:36] Jayke Workman: What the hell?

[0:38] Jayke Workman: This is Oh My Pod U Guys, a musical theater and pop culture podcast.

[0:42] Jayke Workman: You guys, the weather in New York City right now could not be worse.

[0:46] Jayke Workman: I would describe it with the word abysmal, but I think that's too generous.

[0:52] Jayke Workman: I'm over it. I'm over it.

[0:55] Jayke Workman: I need spring and summer.

[0:58] Jayke Workman: Spring and summer.

[1:01] Jayke Workman: I've had it.

[1:02] Jayke Workman: I have had it officially.

[1:03] Jayke Workman: Oh my God.

[1:04] Jayke Workman: Put me on the...

[1:05] Jayke Workman: Do you hear that?

[1:07] Jayke Workman: What the...

[1:09] Jayke Workman: What is going on on Oh My Pod U Guys?

[1:11] Jayke Workman: All right.

[1:12] Jayke Workman: New York City is on one, apparently.

[1:15] Jayke Workman: But you guys, hi.

[1:16] Jayke Workman: Welcome.

[1:17] Jayke Workman: Welcome back.

[1:18] Jayke Workman: I've missed you.

[1:19] Jayke Workman: We have to dive right into this week's Broadway World Recap because, mama,

[1:22] Jayke Workman: there is so much happening in the world of New York theater and beyond.

[1:26] Jayke Workman: Let's talk about it.

[1:28] Jayke Workman: First of all, we had yet another assault on a Broadway performer.

[1:35] Jayke Workman: This time, it was Broadway's favorite, Mr. Ryan Steele,

[1:39] Jayke Workman: who just was walking his dog along the streets of New York and was assaulted.

[1:44] Jayke Workman: What is going on?

[1:46] Jayke Workman: You guys, we have to do something about this.

[1:53] Jayke Workman: Ryan did share on his socials that he is okay and that his dog is okay and

[1:57] Jayke Workman: everything is fine, but this is getting...

[1:59] Jayke Workman: It's just getting out of hand.

[2:01] Jayke Workman: I'm so tired of hearing about people just going about their lives and then

[2:04] Jayke Workman: being physically accosted.

[2:07] Jayke Workman: It's just ridiculous.

[2:09] Jayke Workman: I don't understand why we don't have the social services in place to help

[2:14] Jayke Workman: the people who are unwell get the help that they need so that they don't end

[2:19] Jayke Workman: up on the streets doing these things to other people.

[2:22] Jayke Workman: We have got to allocate funds and, I don't know,

[2:27] Jayke Workman: time and energy into helping people seek help and treatment.

[2:33] Jayke Workman: Anywho, I'm rambling and I'm on my soapbox, per usual,

[2:38] Jayke Workman: and there are people who have far more intellectual things to say about this,

[2:42] Jayke Workman: so I will let them be the ones to do it.

[2:44] Jayke Workman: Next up, you guys, we have to talk about the return of one

[2:50] Jayke Workman: Patti LuPone to the Broadway stage.

[2:54] Jayke Workman: You guys, I mean, come on.

[2:57] Jayke Workman: We knew, we knew Miss LuPone was not going to stay away forever.

[3:02] Jayke Workman: But you guys, Broadway World shared the incredible announcement that Patti

[3:07] Jayke Workman: LuPone is going to be returning to Broadway in a play called The Roommate

[3:11] Jayke Workman: opposite the iconic Mia Farrow.

[3:16] Jayke Workman: Y'all, what did we do to deserve this?

[3:20] Jayke Workman: I don't know, but I am so ready.

[3:23] Jayke Workman: This new play by Jen Silverman is going to be directed by Jack O'Brien,

[3:27] Jayke Workman: and it is being described as a dark comedy about what it takes to reroute

[3:31] Jayke Workman: your life and what happens when the wheels come off.

[3:34] Jayke Workman: And if anyone can do dark comedy, number one, it's Mia Farrow.

[3:39] Jayke Workman: But opposite Patti LuPone, like, this is going to be so,

[3:44] Jayke Workman: forgive me for lack of a better word, cunty.

[3:48] Jayke Workman: I cannot wait for this.

[3:51] Jayke Workman: The show is set to begin previews at the Booth Theatre on Broadway in August

[3:55] Jayke Workman: ahead of a September opening.

[3:57] Jayke Workman: So, you guys, I cannot wait to keep you updated on all things The Roommate.

[4:02] Jayke Workman: Next, you guys, we have to offer a very oh-my-pod congratulations to the cast

[4:07] Jayke Workman: of The Outsiders on Broadway for their opening night and these incredible

[4:12] Jayke Workman: reviews that have been pouring in.

[4:13] Jayke Workman: You guys, people are loving The Outsiders musical.

[4:17] Jayke Workman: I cannot wait to see it.

[4:19] Jayke Workman: My dear friend and friend of the pod, Miss Emma Pittman,

[4:22] Jayke Workman: is starring as Cherry in the show.

[4:24] Jayke Workman: And you guys, people are raving about it.

[4:28] Jayke Workman: Also, we got a Broadway World exclusive look at, you know,

[4:31] Jayke Workman: the red carpet on the opening night,

[4:33] Jayke Workman: and everybody looked absolutely gorgina.

[4:38] Jayke Workman: Miss Pittman, you have done it again.

[4:41] Jayke Workman: Girl, that red hair, that gold gown, it's, I mean, iconic.

[4:48] Jayke Workman: But, of course, it's Emma Pittman.

[4:50] Jayke Workman: Are you kidding me?

[4:51] Jayke Workman: Jesus.

[4:52] Jayke Workman: You guys, I cannot wait to see the show.

[4:54] Jayke Workman: I have never, truth be told, truth be told, I've never read the book,

[4:59] Jayke Workman: so I should probably do that before I see the musical.

[5:01] Jayke Workman: However, when I saw the notebook, I had never read the book or seen the movie,

[5:05] Jayke Workman: and it was a very refreshing take, I guess I would say.

[5:09] Jayke Workman: So maybe I should see the musical without knowing anything about The Outsiders.

[5:14] Jayke Workman: Who's to say?

[5:15] Jayke Workman: Who's to say?

[5:16] Jayke Workman: You can't stop me.

[5:17] Jayke Workman: I'm doing it.

[5:19] Jayke Workman: But sending a sincere congratulations to Miss Emma and the entire company

[5:23] Jayke Workman: of The Outsiders on Broadway on a fabulous opening.

[5:26] Jayke Workman: I cannot wait to come and see you shine.

[5:31] Jayke Workman: And lastly, you guys, we have to talk about Emmy winner Peter Dinklage

[5:38] Jayke Workman: being announced as Dr. Dillamond in the Wicked film.

[5:42] Jayke Workman: You guys, I mean, come on.

[5:44] Jayke Workman: We were waiting.

[5:45] Jayke Workman: We were like, okay, what are they going to do?

[5:47] Jayke Workman: Who is this going to be?

[5:48] Jayke Workman: It's kind of an essential character in this story, but it could be played by anyone.

[5:52] Jayke Workman: Peter Dinklage?

[5:54] Jayke Workman: It's genius.

[5:55] Jayke Workman: This is genius casting.

[5:57] Jayke Workman: Peter Dinklage is one of the best screen actors of our time.

[6:02] Jayke Workman: He is so brilliant, and he also is going to bring such a warmth

[6:08] Jayke Workman: and a melancholy feeling to the role of Dr. Dillamond

[6:12] Jayke Workman: because of what the character goes through.

[6:15] Jayke Workman: He's also a goat, so that's something.

[6:20] Jayke Workman: It's going to be genius.

[6:22] Jayke Workman: You guys, I have to be honest.

[6:24] Jayke Workman: When I heard that they were making this movie,

[6:26] Jayke Workman: I think I've talked about it on the pod,

[6:28] Jayke Workman: but I am just such a wicked purist when it comes to the stage show

[6:32] Jayke Workman: that I was like, just stay away.

[6:34] Jayke Workman: Just keep out of here, okay?

[6:37] Jayke Workman: But from every single thing that I am seeing,

[6:40] Jayke Workman: from the casting to the costuming to the promo materials,

[6:44] Jayke Workman: everything looks so beautiful,

[6:47] Jayke Workman: and this is kind of the icing on the cake

[6:49] Jayke Workman: that we get Peter Dinklage playing a goat man.

[6:52] Jayke Workman: So fierce.

[6:54] Jayke Workman: You know what, John Chu, hats off to you.

[6:57] Jayke Workman: Pointy hats off to you.

[7:00] Jayke Workman: And you guys, this has been the Broadway World Recap.

[7:04] Jayke Workman: Oh, my pod, you guys.

[7:06] Jayke Workman: I am so excited to welcome my next guest to the show.

[7:09] Jayke Workman: She is a Grammy-nominated performer of the Broadway stage,

[7:14] Jayke Workman: currently playing the role of Jordan Baker

[7:16] Jayke Workman: in the new musical The Great Gatsby on Broadway.

[7:20] Jayke Workman: Please welcome Sam Pauly.

[7:23] Sam Pauly: Hello, hello.

[7:25] Sam Pauly: Oh, my pod.

[7:26] Sam Pauly: Thank you so much for being here.

[7:28] Sam Pauly: I'm so excited to chat with you.

[7:30] Jayke Workman: Thank you for having me.

[7:31] Sam Pauly: Of course.

[7:32] Jayke Workman: Can you tell the listeners where you happen to be calling in from?

[7:36] Sam Pauly: I am calling in from my dressing room, baby.

[7:39] Sam Pauly: So I might do a little wig prep,

[7:42] Sam Pauly: a little makeup while we're sitting here.

[7:44] Jayke Workman: Love.

[7:45] Sam Pauly: If that's okay.

[7:46] Jayke Workman: We're getting the full B-Way experience in real time.

[7:50] Jayke Workman: Well, we have so much to talk about, but I guess, I mean,

[7:52] Jayke Workman: we might as well dive right in and talk about your current project

[7:56] Jayke Workman: that you are working on, which is The Great Gatsby.

[7:59] Jayke Workman: Tell me, so where are you guys right now in the production process?

[8:05] Sam Pauly: Yeah, we are in the middle of tech.

[8:09] Sam Pauly: We have our invited dress rehearsal on Thursday.

[8:13] Sam Pauly: We have our first preview on Friday.

[8:16] Sam Pauly: Huh?

[8:17] Sam Pauly: I can't believe it.

[8:20] Sam Pauly: So we've completely finished teching the show,

[8:24] Sam Pauly: and now we're just kind of, last night we just went back to the top,

[8:27] Sam Pauly: and now we're just pushing through.

[8:30] Sam Pauly: So we got, I think, up through just a little bit past my number

[8:36] Sam Pauly: in act one last night.

[8:38] Sam Pauly: So I assume that's where we're going to pick up from today,

[8:41] Sam Pauly: and then we'll keep going.

[8:42] Sam Pauly: But we also have the orchestra today, finally, which is really exciting.

[8:46] Sam Pauly: I'm so pumped.

[8:47] Jayke Workman: Yay.

[8:48] Sam Pauly: Oh my God.

[8:49] Sam Pauly: That's always the best day ever when you finally get to do the Vondel

[8:51] Sam Pauly: and everyone's, like, giggling and excited.

[8:54] Sam Pauly: Yeah, we got to do a proper SIDS probe last week off-site,

[8:59] Sam Pauly: which was so nice.

[9:00] Sam Pauly: We could just, like, stand and listen and sing,

[9:02] Sam Pauly: but we really need them here with us now.

[9:07] Sam Pauly: We're, like, in that point of the process where, like,

[9:10] Sam Pauly: I think we spent maybe, like, three hours re-teching my number last night,

[9:13] Sam Pauly: and I was, like, I just need something.

[9:16] Sam Pauly: I need a string section.

[9:19] Sam Pauly: Please.

[9:20] Sam Pauly: Please give me a string section.

[9:22] Sam Pauly: Give me some horns.

[9:23] Sam Pauly: Give me something.

[9:24] Sam Pauly: When we've got 19 pieces, it's going to be wild.

[9:28] Jayke Workman: Wow.

[9:29] Jayke Workman: Oh my God.

[9:30] Jayke Workman: A 19-piece orchestra.

[9:31] Jayke Workman: Well, I cannot wait to see the show.

[9:33] Jayke Workman: I mean, it's been so buzzed about,

[9:35] Jayke Workman: and it's, like, a really special new thing coming to the Broadway theater,

[9:40] Jayke Workman: which was, you know, kind of up in the air.

[9:43] Jayke Workman: We didn't know what was going to happen with that specific building even

[9:46] Jayke Workman: because after Here Lies Love and everything, you know,

[9:49] Jayke Workman: it's been completely renovated and redone.

[9:52] Jayke Workman: But I would love to hear about the process of starting with this show

[9:57] Jayke Workman: at a place like Paper Mill Playhouse and getting to really make it yours.

[10:03] Jayke Workman: I mean, you are originating the role of Jordan Baker,

[10:05] Jayke Workman: which is kind of incredible because, you know,

[10:08] Jayke Workman: this is such an iconic piece of literature that you get to bring to life.

[10:11] Jayke Workman: Like, what was that like getting the call that, like, okay, you're it.

[10:15] Jayke Workman: You're the one who's going to do this.

[10:17] Sam Pauly: I think that I'm so – I did another podcast this morning,

[10:22] Sam Pauly: and I said this earlier that, like, I think sometimes things like this,

[10:30] Sam Pauly: they don't get lost on me, but I sometimes forget, I think,

[10:34] Sam Pauly: because I get, like, hyper-focused on just, like, memorizing my lines

[10:39] Sam Pauly: and standing where I need to stand and making sure I remember the notes

[10:41] Sam Pauly: that I got yesterday to implement, you know, all of that stuff,

[10:45] Sam Pauly: that sometimes I really do forget to stop and realize that I am getting

[10:52] Sam Pauly: to just originate another principal role, period, on Broadway,

[10:57] Sam Pauly: which is so far outside the scope of anything I thought I would do in my life.

[11:03] Sam Pauly: But to be doing it in this show, which, like you said,

[11:10] Sam Pauly: is one of the most iconic pieces of literature, I think, of all time,

[11:17] Sam Pauly: that we collectively are getting to bring these characters to life,

[11:20] Sam Pauly: but our book writer, Kate Kerrigan, has given more life to the female characters

[11:28] Sam Pauly: in this production than there really is in the book, which is very exciting.

[11:36] Sam Pauly: So I find myself bringing a lot of myself to the character, getting to kind of –

[11:45] Sam Pauly: I'm truly just making a fully realized version of her, and she gets to sing,

[11:54] Sam Pauly: which is –

[11:55] Jayke Workman: On top of everything else.

[11:56] Sam Pauly: Yes, on top of everything else, which is so crazy.

[12:00] Sam Pauly: I just – I feel like I'm not very good at articulating how wild it is

[12:07] Sam Pauly: because I still have so many moments of like, holy shit, this is the thing that I'm doing.

[12:13] Sam Pauly: All right, I'm not supposed to –

[12:15] Jayke Workman: Oh girl, please.

[12:16] Sam Pauly: But it's really special.

[12:22] Sam Pauly: I haven't really had a moment yet in this process where I have cried,

[12:29] Sam Pauly: which is weird because it doesn't really take much to make me cry in situations like this.

[12:35] Sam Pauly: I think it's because I've been very overwhelmed with changes and just being at work.

[12:42] Sam Pauly: I'm sure I'll have a moment, maybe on Friday when we have our first audience.

[12:49] Sam Pauly: It was very cool going to callbacks for this show in general,

[12:55] Sam Pauly: and I always ask if I'm – even if it's a show that already exists,

[13:01] Sam Pauly: I always ask when I get into a room is, is there anything I need to know? If, you know, if it's about what they're looking for from the character or whatever. And for this particular show, we had been given some music from the show and I got a little section of one of Jordan's songs and I asked Jason Howland, I said, do you want me to sing exactly what's on the page? And he said, no, I know you can do more than that. So do, do whatever you do. And I said, great. And so I said, say less. I got it. I have stuff in my head already and you said I can do it. So I'm going to do it. But you know, I tried not to go like too overboard. Just give a little like, she could do this. And now that the, the song is New Money.

It's in act one. It's, it's completely different now from what it was at Paper Mill. It's a brand new song. It's like six and a half minutes long. But even when we were first in rehearsals at Paper Mill, we had, I had gone into the studio with Jason before that to record a version of, of the first New Money. And when we started rehearsal, when we got all of our sheet music, he was like, Oh, I just wrote out what you did in the studio. Sure. Which is crazy. And like, and now that's what, even with this, with this new one, you know, we have like our bare bones sheet music that we had in rehearsal, but whenever something for this comes out, whenever, you know, sheet music is available, it's going to be whatever.

I'm just like pulled out of my butt that we did in the rehearsal hall that I was like, I think I'm just going to do this at the end. And there was finally a day where I was like, I'm going to throw in a couple new things today. You tell me if you hate it. And he was like, yeah, okay, totally. And I did it. And now that's just, that's what is in the show. So it's just, this is a lot of word vomit, but no, I love it.

[15:03] Jayke Workman: That is so cool. It's like, that, that is always like the shit that we think of, you know, with like, just the icons of musical theater of like, we wouldn't have the ladies who lunch if we didn't have Elaine's version of it. It's like, there are these like tiny little microcosms that just exist within themselves. And then we zoom out 40 years from now and you will have put your vocals into this show. And that's what we know it as now. It's just, that's so cool.

[15:31] Sam Pauly: Yeah. I love it. And you can't have Sam Pauly in your show and not expect her to wail. Like, sorry, that's what it's going to be. Yeah. I'm up there. I, in, in the old version, I was doing some crazies. I'm still doing some crazy stuff, but, um, before we started rehearsals for Broadway, um, there was like this big publicity event that we did at the Plaza that all the principals were at. And then there was like a cocktail hour afterwards with an open bar. So everyone's like hanging out and, you know, having fun. And, and Mark Bruni, our director was like, new money is different. Have you heard it? I said, yeah, Jason sent me a, you know, a, a voice note a couple of weeks ago. And, and he's like, okay.

Um, but you know, as long as you still, uh, still do a whistle tone in the end. What? I said, what? He was like, yeah, remember what you did, what you did in the old one. You still have to put that in there somewhere. It's like, all right, I'll, I'll figure it out. So it's in there. The back handspring, I think can go before the whistle tone. And like any other requests, what do you, um,

[16:40] Jayke Workman: Well, this is obviously not the first time that you have originated a role and sort of done the entire pre-Broadway experience. I of course have to ask about your star turn as originating Miss Catherine Howard in Six on Broadway. Girl, tell me everything. I, it is no secret that I am a slut for Six the musical. I was, I was in for it. I'm, I'm about it. I love it. Tell me everything. I mean, first we have to talk about Toby Marlowe and Lucy Moss, the, the creators. I love them so much. They are gems of humans. Truly. So when you were given the opportunity to originate Catherine Howard, what was your initial, I mean, did you even think that this was going to become the phenomenon that it has become?

[17:40] Sam Pauly: Um, no, I mean, not initially. I, when it first got announced that, um, it was like premiering in the U.S. I had never heard of it. I didn't know anything about it, but it got announced. And then a couple friends, I lived in Chicago at the time and a couple friends that had heard of it were texting me and saying, Oh my God, have you heard of the show? Have you listened to it? This show is perfect for you. Blah, blah, blah. Um, and I'm not really like a theater girly. I don't listen to musical theater. I don't, I'll see, I'll see shows that they're free, but like, I'm not, you know, I'm not, I'm not like it's my, I do it cause it's my job and I'm good at it. But outside of that, I'm like, please give me a break.

Um, but so I hadn't listened to it. I had just like seen a couple of photos and sort of read what it was about. And when they started having auditions, I was contracted to do a different show, another show in Chicago. But I was also like at a time in my life where I was going to do this. It was a production of Footloose at a theater I had done like 10 shows at. And, uh, that was going to be my last thing for awhile. I was done with theater. It wasn't making me happy anymore. I wasn't excited about it. It was like, I was depressed and had a lot of anxiety. And I, I was like, I'm going to do something else. I'm going to work at a dog rescue. Like I don't want to, I can't work. Um, so they started having auditions and they reached out to my agents like four times.

And I kept saying, no, I said, no, no, thank you. No, I can't do it. No, I'm not doing it. No, I'm not going in. Um, and then the music director, Roberta Ducek, who was my voice teacher in Chicago at the time, um, called me one night and she left me a voicemail that I'd still have on my phone. I will never delete it. Um, but she was like, you know, I, I know you're contracted to do another show, but, um, we've started having auditions for six and, um, I know you're booked, but I, I just think this is your show. I, I keep thinking we've, we got to get Sam Pauly. There's one role. We're not really seeing what, what we're looking for. And I, I think this is your show. I think it's going to go to Broadway.

Um, I think you should just make a tape and they can see you. And you know, if, if it transfers to Broadway, then, then we'll go from there. So I made a tape in my living room at like 10:30 at night and I texted it to her. And five minutes later, she was like, great. They want you to come to final callbacks. And I said, okay. Um, knowing that like other people that were going to be in this other show with me, we're going to be there. I felt, uh, you know, it's, sometimes it's hard in this business from the actor side and from creative side or producer sides or whoever to not take things personally. So I was very worried. I was like, someone is going to see me there. They're going to tell this other theater that I was there.

I literally just signed my contract to do footloose and they're going to be so upset. Um, but, uh, I went and I had like missed the first couple rounds of callbacks. Everyone had learned the dance combinations. I didn't know them. We did three different dance combinations and, uh, I was in for a K Howard and Bolin and Jane Seymour, but Catherine Howard was the one that like listening to the music and doing my research, I was like, I think this is, this is the one that I would, I would probably get cast as. And the day of final callbacks, there were like 30 of us there from Chicago, New York, LA, kind of all over the place. And I, I remember, I think there were maybe like five or six of us that were in for K Howard and they went in queen order.

So that was like the last thing I did for the day. They gave us a cut of all you want to do, like first verse and chorus and then the final chorus. And I had like four different riffs in my head that I was like, I'm just going to do something different. Um, but I'm not going to decide what I'm going to do. I'll just do it in the moment. And what I did in the show and what's on the cast recording is the one that I did in the room. And I remember, uh, in, in the six of us, I went last and it's not often, actually, it's like never often that I go and audition for things and I leave thinking, I think I'm going to book it. Uh-huh. And Chicago shakes, the walls are paper thin so you can hear everybody in the room.

And so I'm standing, I'm listening to everybody else that went in. Everybody was great. But right before I went in, I was like, I think I'm going to book this. I think I'm an, I think I'm about to go in there and I think I'm going to book it. Damn. And, um, went in and sang and did my thing. And I was there until the end of the day. Cause then they had us doing the lit, like the roast that Kay Howard does where she like goes down the line of the Queens. And I had done it once, but they had me stick around and it was like an eight hour day. And so I like, I changed out of my heels. I put my jeans on, I put my glasses on cause it was like eight 30 at night and I was tired. And, um, and they were like, Sam, can you come back in one more time and do the Kay Howard monologue again?

And I was like, yeah, totally not realizing that I had changed. And I looked a little busted and I walked in and I was like, Oh my God, I'm sorry. I like, I changed and I should have put my clothes back on. They're like, no, no, no, it's fine. We just want you to do whatever. And left the room. And I've, Roberta, music director told me later, she was like, it's great that you came back in just like as yourself, glasses on jeans, whatever, because you came back in and you did the monologue. And as soon as you walked out of the room, we all looked at each other and we said, that's our Kay Howard. Wow. I put my glasses on cause I'm blind as shit. What do you mean? And she was like, no, cause you just like, you came in and you were just yourself.

You were, you were tired, but we still like, you know, we got to see you. And I was like, okay, great. Fine. But it was, I didn't realize, I don't think any of us did how big it was going to be until we had our first preview at Chicago shakes. And if you've, if anyone has ever been there, it's a part of Navy pier. So there's no like walk out of the stage door. You leave the theater and you're still inside of Navy pier. And you have to walk through this huge pier to get to the parking garage to then like leave. So you have to walk out of the theater, back out through the lobby, then back out into Navy pier. So there's no stage door. There's no nothing. And we finished our first preview and we all went to leave through the lobby.

And there were, it was like at least 200 people standing there waiting. So then the next day or the artistic director was like, okay, I think we need to figure out some kind of like barricade set up ropes or something, because this is crazy. And I think that was when we were all like, Oh, this is, people are excited for this. Yeah. It just, it, and then I was doing theater again, all of a sudden I was like, okay, I like it.

[25:01] Jayke Workman: Okay. It's fine. Well, it's a different, it's a completely different experience. I would say doing something like Six because you, well, number one, you know, starting from the very beginning, you, you have a hand in the creation of your own queen and the show as a whole, but then you're, you're doing something that's sort of redefining the standard of, of singing on Broadway, of acting on Broadway, of dance and what it means to be a sexy, sexual woman on a Broadway stage. It's just, it was so new. It's so refreshing and exciting. And I mean, obviously the pop vocals beach are, you guys are singing down the whole time. It's just, it's amazing. So then cut to when they say, okay, we did a cast recording and it's really awesome, but, um, we're also going to do a full live show recording. Yes, girl. What is the, I mean,

[26:02] Sam Pauly: I would be like, um, okay. That is, that's honestly kind of, um, how we all reacted. I think, you know, we were hoping everyone just wants to be in the studio and like, just standing, like giving our best, Ariana, like close to the mic, not, you know, sweating balls and like out of breath and whatever, we were, we were like, oh, we're going to do a cast recording. And, you know, and so there was a day right before show, they brought us out onto the stage to have like a company meeting. And they told us, they're like, we're going to do an album, but it's going to be a live cast recording and we're going to record it on opening night. And it was like crickets, it was kind of, it was kind of what you did that we were all like, oh, okay.

And then, and then they were like, oh, but you know, like we're not just going to take it for what it is. Like if things need to be fixed, like, then we'll come in, we'll come in, we won't go to a studio. We'll come into the theater. We'll have headsets, we'll have microphones on stage so that we're in space. And you'll just have your actual handheld microphones on a stand and we'll clean stuff up. And we're like, oh, okay, fine. That's great. And I was very thankful for that because when we opened, I was so ill. I didn't have a voice the day before. I called out of our matinee the day before we opened and then sort of got pressured a little bit into coming in that evening, you know, partially for myself.

Cause I'm like, before we open and people coming and you know, whatever. And so I went and it was, I can't believe there's not some kind of bootleg recording of it out there somewhere because never in my life have I been singing on stage and look down into the audience and people have been like, oh no. Like looking at this, I had nothing. I had nothing. And I was trying so hard and I had like full breakdown, full breakdown. And then the day that we opened, I went to, there's a woman here in the city. She's an ENT. Her name's Dr. Dahl. She's like, oh my God, I love her so much. And it was, I think she has an office again now, but it was like post pandemic. She was just working from her apartment.

So I texted her. I said, I don't know what's going on, but I'm concerned. We opened today. I need help. I'm in her gorgeous apartment. She did a scope. She was like, your cords are perfect. There's nothing going on. You just have, you're sick. You have a lot of phlegm and cords can't fight through it. I'm gonna give you one steroid shot, a steroid IV with a couple other things in it. You need to go to the store and buy Mucinex because that's gonna clear everything out. She gave me like some cocktail IV, gave me a shot in my arm. I went and had brunch with my family and I was, my sister told me after opening, she was like, I was so nervous for you the whole time because I was afraid that you weren't gonna have voice.

So some of what is on the cast recording is me so incredibly sick. Wow. I was able to, all of us did a day on stage where we did cleanups for certain things and all of our songs and group numbers and stuff. But, oh my God. Girl, that is crazy. It's really my worst nightmare. I don't, I really don't know how I did it. And you know, what's great is that for this, for this, I'm gonna text Jason Howland right now. We will be going into the studio. Like, I just want to see it. We're not dancing. Yeah, yes. Very that. Oh my God. Well, you truly never would have known because I mean, obviously it points to the fact that you are a professional, but also your vocals are like truly unmatched, girl. It's crazy. So did you always know, switching gears a little bit because I have to ask, did you always know growing up that you had this talent?

[30:40] Sam Pauly: No. I didn't start doing theater until the end of my junior year of high school. And I, my parents are not theatrical. They are not artistic. They do not sing. They do not, they don't do anything. So anytime people ask them, they're like, we have no idea where she gets it from. No clue. And I did choir in high school, but I didn't like, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't know if I was going to go to college. I had no clue. I was like, I'm not good at anything. Like, I don't know. I don't know what to do. And the spring musical was always, you know, the end of the year, obviously in the spring. And my choir teacher was like, you know, maybe you should audition for the musical.

Like, I think you would have fun. And I was so nervous. Cause like I said, I was not like a theater girly. It was all these theater kids that like, that's all they did. And they loved it so much. And I was like, I have no business being here. I don't know what I'm doing. And they were doing the pajama game. And I have no, I could not tell you what I sang. I have no idea, but I sang something and the head of the drama department, I remember him saying, he was like at the back of the theater for these auditions. And I like saying my thing. And he was like, who are you? Like, where did you come from? Like, I always liked singing, but I just, because I didn't grow up doing theater, I had no experience.

I was like, this is not something that I could do. I had a career. Yeah, I have no meaning. And I think he saw that I liked it and that I was pretty okay at it. So he kind of helped me figure out like what colleges, what programs weren't full yet and who I could reach out to and who I could audition for. But the summer before my senior year, the choir and drama departments took a trip to New York. And I had been here before, but I'd never seen a Broadway show. And the first show we saw on the trip was Wicked. So that was my first ever Broadway show I saw. And Julia Murney was playing Elphaba. Yes. And I had never heard a voice like that before. Like her voice and her vibrato was so iconic. And I had never heard anything like that.

And I remember I was so stupid. I thought Defying Gravity, I thought that was the end of the show. I was like, whoa, what a way to go out. That's incredible. Let's get out of here. But I remember watching Defying Gravity and thinking, oh, I wanna do that. Like if that's what it can be, I wanna do that. So then college was really kind of the, I ended up majoring in music theater and college was really the time that I really kind of figured out like, oh yeah, I think I actually might be good at this and I could do this for a job. So I feel like that four years is when I really kind of like got my ass in gear.

[34:02] Sam Pauly: Yeah. And is that where you sort of figure out too, like how to have the stamina to maintain eight shows a week on Broadway? I mean, I just think of Six and your incredible run with that show, pre-Broadway even, doing the Chicago and then however long, what was it a year at least on Broadway that you guys did it? Yes. Yeah, probably close to, probably in total close to two years with like when we first started before the shutdown. Sure. Came back, did it for a year and then some of us had an extension to our contracts. But I honestly, I don't think that I learned anything about true stamina until, definitely not in college because you're not, you do your musical and it's like for a weekend. Yeah, yes.

Even some of my first professional gigs or like summer stock things that I did still weren't eight shows a week. Sometimes they were five or four and then you are in rehearsals for the next show, whatever. I don't think it was, it was probably when I was living in Chicago. I didn't move to New York right away. I lived in Chicago for six years and worked there. And there's like three major music theater houses in Chicago that I just kind of would hop around to and I was very lucky. I worked contract to contract there. And that's all, eight shows a week. But in Chicago, they do two days off a week. So they do two shows on Wednesdays, two shows on Saturdays and two shows on Sundays. And then one Thursday, one Friday night, you're two days off.

Wow. So still doing eight shows, but in a shorter amount of time. So I felt like when I got here and got on a Broadway schedule, I was like, this is so much better. I do wish we had more than one day off, but having it spread out a little bit more is nice. But I don't know, the stamina is something wild. I think Six is the hardest thing I've ever done, stamina wise. When we were in Chicago, I left that production early to go do Evita on the West End. Yes. And that, Evita, do you like this? Put this on that. I love it. She's got full, we have the powder, we have the contour coming. She's baking. We're in that place where they're like, okay, costumes and wigs. And if I don't put anything on my face, I look like a potato.

Like a just corpse, sure. So like, yes, I gotta do something. But that production of Evita, I was doing all eight shows a week. I was originally told I was gonna do seven. And then I got there and Jamie Lloyd was like, I'd really love for you to do all eight. I really want everyone to see you. I want everyone to see you. And I was like, okay, let me, I'll try. I said, can I try a week and see if I can do, if I can do rehearsal previews and then do the first eight show week after we open, we're good. If I can make it through that, then I can do all eight shows a week. Yeah. And I did. I think that in comparison to Six was easy. Work. There's something about Evita that like, my body goes on autopilot and I just know how to do it.

Yeah. Six was something else and it's shorter. It's like half the time. I think it's kind of dancing. I don't know. And like the costumes are, but it, when we were first rehearsing in Chicago, we each had like our own individual day of having a breakdown. Like we would do a run and then someone would go into the bathroom and they would come back from break and just have, you know, swollen, teary eyes. And we're like, it's Andrea's day today. She's the one. It's your turn. Because I think we were all truly panicking a little being like, I don't, I don't think I can do this. Right. I really don't know if I can do this, but that I think is really where I learned what my, what my stamina limits were.

Now I think I can do anything. So, so tell me about that experience doing Evita in London alongside, you know, just a little known composer named Andrew Lloyd freaking Weber. Like what, what is going through your mind when you're like, okay, I've made my triumphant return to the stage. And now you're playing one of the most iconic roles in the most iconic Andrew Lloyd Weber show.

[39:04] Sam Pauly: I was very excited to do this production. I had done the show three times already at different theaters in Chicago and once in Connecticut. And I got the email about it and the description said like, one, I had never been to London. So I was like, that'd be fun. And then the description of the show said, forget everything you know about Evita, think Beyonce at Coachella. And I was like, oh, okay. So I, the day of my final callbacks for Six, I finished that. I got on a plane that night and flew to New York and then the next day had my first, just with casting, appointment for this production of Evita.

[39:52] Jayke Workman: Sam Pauly, a jet setter.

[39:52] Sam Pauly: It was like a three-week span of time where like I booked Six and then I found out I was going to leave early. And so I did that and then I did a Zoom callback with Jamie and Alan, the music director and Fabian, the choreographer, who all three of them are also doing this Sunset Boulevard that's coming. Yes. So I had a Zoom with them and I remember Jamie being like, you've done this show so many times before, like why, why do you want to do it again? And I said, well, I've never been to London and you just described like kind of what your vision for the show is. And I have done it in the very typical, this, you know, same, same thing every time. And that's very beautiful, but this sounds very cool.

[40:41] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[40:41] Sam Pauly: And he was like, okay, well, you know, we'd really love to meet you in person, whether that's like you coming to London or maybe we meet you in New York. And so, so we'll, we'll be in touch. And I said, okay. And I called my agent. I said, I don't want to go to London. I don't want to go to, cause it would be for 24 hours. I don't want to do that. I'll, I'll meet them in New York that I can do. Um, he said, okay, we'll, you know, we'll, we'll figure it out. And then I heard from him a couple of days later and my agent called me and he was like, Hey, so, um, they're going to come to Chicago. And I said, okay. Um, how many, what's, what's the list look like in terms of like how, how many people they're seeing? Right. He was like, there is no list. They're coming to you on a, it's just as a formality. They're bringing, uh, guys for the other principals, uh, from LA and New York. I said, okay.

[41:37] Sam Pauly: So I met them in person and I just like sang everything for them. And Jamie kind of told me like, okay, now think, you know, for Rainbow High, this is what it's going to be. We're going to, uh, I wore like a white slip dress for the whole show. White tennis shoes. My hair was like down and crazy. I didn't really wear any makeup. Um, and for Rainbow High, there were like six like dressers and they came out and spray painted me with like paint. So they would like spray paint my dress. So he would like talk me through, you know, all these songs and what he was envisioning for each one. And, and he was like, okay, great. So, you know, we've already talked to the people at Six and, you know, they said that if, if you book this, they'll let you go early and then you'll come to us. And so we're, we're taping everything today so we can, um, send it to the composer.

[42:27] Jayke Workman: Cause he gets final say.

[42:27] Sam Pauly: And I said, what? They were like, the composer gets the final sign off. I was like, you can say his name. I know. I was like, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Great. And then I didn't hear anything for a week. And I was like, well, he hated it. It's over. He hated me. He had, it's over. It's over. And eventually my agent called and he's like that, you know, everything's good to go. You're going to go to London. And, um, wow. It was, it's my, it's my favorite thing I've ever done in my life.

[43:02] Sam Pauly: That incredible Jamie Lloyd. I don't know how he does what he does. He like pulled something out of me that I did not know I was capable of or like had access to. Like he just, he, and he is just like the kindest, like softest, which like you look at him and he's, when I say covered head to toe in tattoos, this man has like a giant tiger tattooed, like on his bald head, but he is just like, oh, so what do you need? Oh, don't forget your fucking star. Like just so soft and just like so simple. And I'm like, okay, yeah. I'm a star. I don't. But he's just, you know, all of his productions are just so bare bones and so minimal, but it's because he's focused on the text and the story that's beautiful. And it's, and it's always so beautiful. It was one of the, one of the best experiences of my life.

[44:10] Jayke Workman: And now we will do a deep dive of every bootleg possible of Sam Pauly as Eva Peron.

[44:17] Sam Pauly: It's somewhere. It's probably somewhere out there, baby. Well, Sam, you are such a delight. I, before I let you go, I have a series of musical theater rapid fire questions that I ask every guest. These are not, not trivia. These are specific to you, your, your opinions. This first question might be a dangerous one for you. Are you ready?

[44:41] Sam Pauly: I'm ready.

[44:42] Jayke Workman: Sondheim or Andrew Lloyd Webber?

[44:46] Sam Pauly: You know what? I think Sondheim.

[44:48] Jayke Workman: Work.

[44:51] Sam Pauly: Sorry.

[44:59] Jayke Workman: Sweatpants or jeans?

[45:01] Sam Pauly: Oh, sweatpants. My God.

[45:03] Jayke Workman: Do you have a favorite musical?

[45:06] Sam Pauly: I do. Andrew Lippa is The Wild Party.

[45:08] Jayke Workman: Oh, yeah. I knew she was a Lippa girl.

[45:11] Sam Pauly: Do you have a least favorite musical?

[45:16] Sam Pauly: Oh, um, yeah, it's probably a tie between Cats and Pippin.

[45:29] Jayke Workman: Work.

[45:30] Sam Pauly: Like relax. We get it. Relax. You know what I mean? And I also think there's something it I think it's just like a visceral response to having seen so many terribly sung versions of Corner of the Sky.

[45:43] Jayke Workman: Oh.

[45:44] Sam Pauly: That makes me that I've seen Pippin one time. That's enough. One. One's enough. I said, okay and Cats, calm down.

[45:53] Jayke Workman: Claws in.

[45:55] Sam Pauly: Let's retract. Calm down. Please. This. No.

[46:01] Jayke Workman: No.

[46:01] Sam Pauly: Paws down.

[46:03] Jayke Workman: Would you ever like to do a Broadway play?

[46:08] Sam Pauly: Sure.

[46:09] Jayke Workman: Great. Why not?

[46:12] Sam Pauly: Well, you heard it here first, I guess. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

[46:18] Sam Pauly: A night owl.

[46:19] Jayke Workman: Same. Can you think of the craziest thing a director has ever asked you to do?

[46:28] Sam Pauly: Yes. And are you allowed to say it on the podcast?

[46:32] Sam Pauly: Yes, I won't say I won't say the show or the theater, but I went and auditioned for something and like I had to sing two songs. One of the songs could be from the show. So I was like, great. I'll sing this song from the show and then this other song and I sang both my cuts and the director's sitting there like this and he goes, you know, I gave you some notes and you keep saying, yeah, sure. Okay. But do you actually get it? Samantha? These people, he said, these people are fighting for their fucking lives. So take a walk and do it again. Huh?

[47:13] Jayke Workman: And I, you're auditioning for Seussical.

[47:17] Sam Pauly: Oh my God. Can you imagine? Do you understand that Maisie is fighting for her life? And I didn't know the, the music director is a friend of mine. So I, he's the director said this to me and I looked to my friend, the MD and I, because I was like, yeah, I'm like, you want me to take a walk outside and come back or like, just like, well, just do it again. I was like, okay.

[47:44] Jayke Workman: Oh my word.

[47:46] Sam Pauly: That's like, that's my least favorite thing though. You know, like calm down. It's we're playing dress up down. We're playing pretend for two hours. It's not that easy.

[48:00] Jayke Workman: Golden Age or Contemporary?

[48:01] Sam Pauly: I do. I love, I love Golden Age, but I probably would say Contemporary because I just think I sing it better.

[48:08] Jayke Workman: Work. Do you have a favorite role that you've ever played?

[48:14] Sam Pauly: Probably when I did Eva on the West End, I felt very powerful.

[48:20] Jayke Workman: Coffee or tea?

[48:23] Sam Pauly: I don't drink either one.

[48:25] Jayke Workman: Oh, do you have any like pre-show rituals that you always do?

[48:30] Sam Pauly: No, just Wawa.

[48:33] Jayke Workman: Yeah, just water.

[48:34] Sam Pauly: Just Wawa. And sometimes my dresser, I asked her to always have Listerine breath strips in her little pocket.

[48:44] Jayke Workman: Her little kangaroo pouch.

[48:47] Sam Pauly: They kind of like open my sinuses a little bit.

[48:49] Jayke Workman: Oh, yeah.

[48:54] Sam Pauly: What is the hardest show you've ever done?

[48:57] Sam Pauly: Six. For sure. Do you have a favorite costume that you've ever worn?

[49:04] Sam Pauly: Oh, so one of the productions of Aveda I did in Chicago, they were, they didn't make anything. They were pulling a lot of things from stock and I was having a fitting one day and there was like a white pinstripe like skirt suit that was hanging up that I hadn't tried on and I asked the designer. I said, Nancy, what is that? And she said, oh, it's like a vintage Dior suit, but I don't think it'll fit you. I said, do you want to bet? When I, I tried it on and it fit. It was a little, couldn't really breathe, but I ended up wearing it for Rainbow High. It was stunning.

[49:45] Jayke Workman: J'adore Dior.

[49:48] Sam Pauly: Who would you say is the silliest cast member in The Great Gatsby?

[49:55] Sam Pauly: Probably Eva. She's a little unhinged sometimes. Like sometimes she does stuff and I'm like, are you okay? Like what are you doing? But, Noah loves to pull pranks on people.

[50:10] Jayke Workman: I'm already, I'm scared.

[50:11] Sam Pauly: Right? Hiding in the dressing room. Truly. Well, Sam, my last question for you is a question that I ask every guest, which is what is one thing that you would tell baby Sam?

[50:27] Sam Pauly: I think I would just tell her you're going to end up exactly where you want to be. And just leave it at that. Cause like the things that I have wanted in life have changed so many times. And I can say in the last two years, I am the happiest and most content and confident that I've ever been in my life. And I probably, you know, baby Sam would not have in a million years wanted any of these things or thought about any of these things. But, what I'm doing and where I am is everything that I want.

[51:07] Jayke Workman: Period. I love that. Sam, thank you so, so much for coming on the pod. Would you tell the listeners where they can?

[51:15] Sam Pauly: Oh my God. Of course. Can you tell us where we can find you on all of your socials and keep up with your fabulous show?

[51:20] Sam Pauly: Ooh, yes. On Instagram and TikTok. I am at Sam Pauly. Period. Simple and easy.

[51:29] Jayke Workman: We love it. You're such a treat. Thank you so, so much. This is so fun. I can't wait to see the show.

[51:36] Sam Pauly: You have to let me know when you're here.

[51:38] Jayke Workman: Of course. You guys, that's it for another episode of Oh My Pod, you guys. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe anywhere you listen to the pod. Truly. It means so much if you like and subscribe and also leave a little review and you can follow the show on Instagram at Oh My Pod, you guys. Thank you so, so much for listening. Talk soon. Bye.