This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Quincy Brown: Did you think when you did Elphaba on Broadway that you would be sitting here in 2023 talking to two wicked gays about wicked? No, no, no, no. I thought, well, the last time I'll work. No.

[0:17] Kevin Bianchi: Two wicked gays.

[0:18] Quincy Brown: My name's Quincy.

[0:19] Kevin Bianchi: And my name's Kevin. And this is Sentimental Men from Theaterly.

[0:30] Quincy Brown: We are here to talk and maybe scream about our favorite women in musical theater.

[0:38] Kevin Bianchi: So this is me swallowing my pride standing in front of you saying I'm sorry for that night. Kevin, have you listened to Speak Now, Taylor's version?

[0:46] Kevin Bianchi: No.

[0:47] Quincy Brown: Kevin, have you listened to Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo?

[0:53] Kevin Bianchi: That I did because I told you I would and I'm a man of my word.

[1:00] Quincy Brown: Okay. And we didn't get to talk about it because Here Lies Love. We went right in. Kevin and I went to see Here Lies Love. Run to go see it. We already want to go back. I want to see it 12,000 more times.

[1:13] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, and I need to go next time ready for the world of the show. I need to be dressed in a way where I'm like feeling my nightclub karaoke oats.

[1:21] Quincy Brown: Right, like I wasn't feeling hot and it was a Sunday 2pm matinee. Nobody was. People were afraid to like participate. I feel like. We were like standing on the floor. For anyone who doesn't know Here Lies Love, they like totally ripped apart the Broadway theater and turned it into this nightclub and they have this floor seating where you're standing the whole time and moving around and they have these cute ushers and pink jumpsuits with glow sticks.

[1:50] Kevin Bianchi: I told Kevin that would be a perfect job for him.

[1:56] Quincy Brown: Yeah, it's my new dream job. That like usher you around the dance floor as they're dancing with you. It's like really an experience.

[2:00] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, I had such a good time. I want to go back at least at least twice, if not three, four or five times.

[2:07] Quincy Brown: We are here today for a double episode, which are my favorite types of episodes to record.

[2:13] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, me too. And especially when it is two people who already have a good shtick between them, because then it feels like they bring a dynamic, we bring a dynamic.

[2:21] Quincy Brown: Yeah, it's great. I love a double episode with three-time now guest Lindsay Heather Pierce and two-time guest Nicole Parker.

[2:35] Kevin Bianchi: Yes, I feel like Lindsay Heather Pierce, not like a pipeline, but I feel like she has officially started like the triple crown club or like the three timers club. I mean, Lindsay Heather Pierce is an honorary sentimental man. I think we can say that.

[2:48] Quincy Brown: Yeah, she's the biggest champion and supporter.

[2:51] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, since day one, since day one, since before day one, since yeah, day, day negative.

[3:07] Quincy Brown: I think we said last, yeah, last episode with Olivia, we were like, like this podcast always does. It all comes back to Lindsay Heather Pierce. Do you want to give us a quick refresher on what these two ladies have been up to in their lives and careers?

[3:18] Kevin Bianchi: I would love to, you know, Miss Lindsay Heather Pierce from the Glee Project and subsequently from Glee. You know her from Wicked on Broadway, Mean Girls on Tour, most recently the Frozen concert in Taiwan and Coming Up from Rent at the Muni. Cannot wait for those videos. I can't even with her. She's so booked.

[3:44] Quincy Brown: I'm obsessed. Good for her. We love, I love when the girls are busy. You know, Miss Nicole Parker from Martin Short, Fame's Become Me, Wicked on Broadway, Wicked on Tour, The People in the Picture, her work on MADtv, or from her podcast, The Neighborhood Listen. And these two ladies have two things in common. Number one, they are both straight to Broadway Elphabas. Nicole Parker, famously the first, Lindsay Pierce, famously the most recent.

[4:14] Kevin Bianchi: And perhaps more importantly, they are currently starring together in Titanic Off-Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre. And I, for one, am very excited to have them both back on the pod.

[4:27] Quincy Brown: Yeah, I think this is going to be really, really fun. I went back. Okay, so I went back in preparation for this and re-listened to the most recent episode we did with Lindsay. I didn't want to go back to the first episode we did with Lindsay because I felt like it might be tough for me to listen to because it might be early days. But I went back and listened to the most recent one we did with Lindsay and our episode with Nicole. And I have to say, those are probably two of my favorite episodes that we've ever done.

[4:50] Kevin Bianchi: And going back to the Nicole one is like the earliest episode I've listened to that we've done in a long time. And it kind of, it warmed my heart. I was like, wow, we're really doing something here in cataloging just like the legacy of this very specific group of women. And to go back and listen to it, I felt very proud. And I feel like I don't get very sentimental about this podcast endeavor that we do very often. But it was-

[5:16] Quincy Brown: You don't.

[5:16] Kevin Bianchi: Very nice to look at where we were, what we were talking about, where we are now, the fact that we're still doing it. It was a heartwarming moment.

[5:24] Quincy Brown: I agree. It was like that meme that was going around recently that was like, did we make it?

[5:28] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, we did. I was trying to find a cute way to do that for the two of us, but-

[5:33] Quincy Brown: Oh, keep thinking on it. It could be fun.

[5:35] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, a month later.

[5:37] Quincy Brown: We did our spiel about Titanic and how great these two ladies are in Titanic in last week's episode. But just to reiterate, they really are giving phenomenal performances at the time. By the time you guys hear this, Nicole, I think we'll have like two performances left in Titanic. And then Jackie Burns is coming in.

[5:57] Kevin Bianchi: Which I would just like to say, let's see, God bless the power of the titanic.

[6:05] Quincy Brown: God bless the power that is about to rage through this city in the form of an Elphaba to Selene.

[6:13] Kevin Bianchi: Elphaba to Selene. Well, that's the thing, I hope whoever's casting this is lazy.

[6:17] Quincy Brown: It would have to be like Elphaba, but with the little accent over the E. Elphaba.

[6:24] Kevin Bianchi: I hope whoever casts Titanic is lazy in the sense that they're like, oh yeah, former Elphaba is just how we do this. And then they just keep putting them in.

[6:33] Quincy Brown: Yeah, that's what I want too.

[6:34] Kevin Bianchi: Before we get into the episode, we are also currently running a ticket giveaway for the OzDust Ballroom Extravaganza at BroadwayCon happening on July 22nd at what time, Kevin?

[6:51] Kevin Bianchi: At 7 p.m.

[6:52] Quincy Brown: At 7 p.m. That's great. I was imagining this taking place at like 10 p.m. and I was like, wow, it's going to be a late night.

[6:57] Kevin Bianchi: You think I would have agreed to this if it started at 10 p.m., Quincy?

[7:02] Quincy Brown: So if you go to our Instagram, we're running a giveaway on Instagram for a pair of tickets. We're going to be there. So come play with us at the OzDust Ballroom. We are also running the giveaway on Threads. Ever heard of it? I don't know. Why not? Just see what's going on there.

[7:16] Kevin Bianchi: Let me read you the spiel about this OzDust Ballroom because it does sound very, very fun. Make the most out of BroadwayCon with an amazing after party. Dance the night away to your favorite Broadway show tunes presented in collaboration with Wicked. Proceeds from the OzDust Ballroom benefit Wicked for Good Partners, Broadway Green Alliance, Equal Justice Initiative, V-Day and Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS.

[7:38] Quincy Brown: That's actually not what I meant to read. I meant to read this. Join Wicked and BroadwayCon for a night of dancing along to Broadway show tunes, including your favorites from Wicked. The evening will include surprise appearances and live performances, giveaways for all attendees, a complimentary drink, the chance to win additional prizes, including tickets to Wicked Day to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary on Broadway in October and the most swankified photo ops around.

[8:05] Kevin Bianchi: So which way to the party?

[8:06] Quincy Brown: It sounds thrillifying. It sounds perfect. It's all so osmopolitan. Let's go down to the I. I hope the music is just dancing through life on a loop.

[8:20] Kevin Bianchi: So I'm a little stressed about this because I know that knowing the BroadwayCon audience and knowing the Wicked audience, I feel like everyone is going to be dressed up in Wicked regalia. And I'm not feeling creatively inspired right now for like a look.

[8:32] Quincy Brown: Yeah. I feel like we could do, we'll talk about it. I feel like we can solve this problem together.

[8:38] Kevin Bianchi: Okay. I would love to do a couple's outfit because I am envisioning you in like the shiz. Like, I think you'd be such a good bully in what is this feeling look.

[8:49] Quincy Brown: You know what I mean?

[8:51] Kevin Bianchi: I could have a very easy time picturing you in that ensemble.

[8:57] Quincy Brown: Thank you.

[9:00] Kevin Bianchi: Um, so yeah, so that our giveaways on social are going to end on the 16th. So at the time of listening to this, if you're listening to this on the day of release, you have two more days to enter. It's going to be a lot of fun to see you guys there.

[9:09] Quincy Brown: Yeah. And then if you don't win, buy tickets. The more the merrier.

[9:14] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Maybe we'll still see you there. All right. Let's get into it with Lindsay and Nicole. I am so excited.

[9:27] Quincy Brown: Nicole Parker and Lindsay Heather Pierce. Thank you so much for joining us again on Sentimental Men.

[9:32] Nicole Parker: Thanks for having us.

[9:35] Lindsay Heather Pierce: Thank you for coming back.

[9:37] Nicole Parker: Thanks for having us. Now we're together, Linds.

[9:41] Lindsay Heather Pierce: No, this is Lindsay's third time. There's no place like home.

[9:45] Quincy Brown: There's no place like home. Do you get a jacket? Do you get like a jacket?

[9:51] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, we should start merch.

[9:55] Quincy Brown: I think so. We were talking about in the intro, we went back and re-listened to our previous episodes that we've done with you guys. Truly some of our favorite ones. And we did, I listened to the most recent one Lindsay did. I didn't listen to the first ever episode we did with Lindsay.

[10:04] Nicole Parker: So listening back to Nicole's episode was like the earliest episode that I've listened to that we've done in a while. And it was such a throwback because Nicole, we were talking to you in the dead of the pandemic.

[10:11] Nicole Parker: The dead. I mean, I had bangs.

[10:17] Lindsay Heather Pierce: I had a kid and then like hair grows out of your head and bangs. And when I took those pictures or like the videos that you guys posted.

[10:25] Nicole Parker: Oh yeah.

[10:27] Lindsay Heather Pierce: What? I was in another time realm. I was another person. I was another human.

[10:35] Nicole Parker: I think we all were. It was special to revisit.

[10:37] Lindsay Heather Pierce: It was nice.

[10:41] Quincy Brown: And it's a nice boost for us to be like, look at us now.

[10:49] Kevin Bianchi: Look at us now. We've really come a long way. And we're still not in the same room.

[10:53] Quincy Brown: But at least the theater is back and you two are back on stage.

[10:58] Kevin Bianchi: So to start, we start our Wicked episodes. How did Wicked come into your life? How did you two come into each other's lives?

[11:02] Nicole Parker: Well, I mean, already I knew who that one was because I saw her episode of Glee. I wasn't, I wasn't as clued into the Glee project. I was older, but, uh, I remember seeing her episode and I was just like, holy shit. That is exactly the girl who would be Rachel Berry's nemesis.

[11:17] Lindsay Heather Pierce: Like look at her. Everything musical. Everything musical. Look at her eyes.

[11:22] Nicole Parker: Look at her voice. Look at her dance. Like it was, I was like, who did they find?

[11:26] Lindsay Heather Pierce: Look at her dance.

[11:27] Nicole Parker: Yeah. It's like they built her in a factory of like, well, if we had to like create a 3D version scientifically of like a musical theater machine, musical theater nemesis, musical theater like prototype, like weird style, it would be Lindsay. It would be Lindsay in that. And I was just like, I got so excited. I was like, good for her.

[11:44] Lindsay Heather Pierce: And then yes, we were doing Rockwell. So that's where obviously so many people who created Titanic met. And I came to see a show cause I was living just up the Hill from where Rockwell was in Los Feliz. And my husband and I went, and it was like the Scorsese show where I was like, can you just say what Rockwell is for?

[12:03] Nicole Parker: Oh yeah, sure. So Rockwell was a table and stage theater, that theater table and stage restaurant rather with a bar, um, that basically started doing these immersive cabaret shows.

[12:11] Lindsay Heather Pierce: And it started in a very tiny skinny bar. Then they bought out like the space next to it. So now it was this opened up really cool restaurant. And back then they used to have like any touring company of wicked or, you know, would do like cabarets like that.

[12:28] Nicole Parker: And then when they started doing the for the record series, which was basically taking the work of a director, like Scorsese, Tarantino, or was Zemeckis or Baz, which is where how Lindsay and I met, they would just do scenes from those movies and then songs from the soundtrack.

[12:46] Lindsay Heather Pierce: Gotcha. And this venue, isn't the same venue. LA theater is very foreign to me, but I feel like I see like Emma Hunton is always doing like Cruel Intentions at some cabaret.

[12:59] Nicole Parker: With Connie, with Connie and Molly McCook, who's John Krause's wife, we did Cruel Intentions there. Emma and I met when she finished her time with the first national tour. I met her like three days when she was done with that. And then I brought her into Cruel Intentions because they needed a Cecile. And so we did Cruel Intentions there. And it was the same place that we did Baz Luhrmann, all the for the record stuff and all of the unauthorized musical parody stuff, Scream, which is the first show I ever did with Marla, Troop Beverly Hills, Connie and Marla, and Connie was in Scream as well. And Connie had done for the record with us. And it was just like kind of that it was like guerrilla theater in Los Angeles, or as Marla would call it, ratchet dinner theater, which was exactly what it was.

[13:42] Lindsay Heather Pierce: Yes, that is a proper way to say it. I remember for the Zemeckis one, which is the first one I did, which sounds random, but it was like Forrest Gump. Connie was Forrest Gump. That's how I met him. Back to the future.

[13:53] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Like changing into Betty Boop for like the Who Framed Roger Rabbit part and just like being in a janitor's closet like who I used to be on Broadway. And then the next thing they did was Baz and I was a funny girl at the time so I couldn't be like a part of the original group but then I just joined and that thing ran for so so long. Yeah we were. And at this time I remember coming in just to learn Lindsay was on stage and she was she kind of was like helping me learn how to do the Fran track which was strictly ballroom and I you know it was classic it was like I had like a day to learn it or.

[14:32] Nicole Parker: Which was also the same for me because I had the Daisy track so there was like all the women had these every every principal every single performer was a principal character and then they would play like Fran you if you played Fran you were also the nurse in Romeo and Juliet and like if you were Daisy you were also like Tina Sparkle like it from it's like a repertory company yes kind of so you were so you would like change your hat or you'd put a shirt on and you'd become another character and have to speak in a different voice and I was originally the Daisy track and then there was a it was like Thanksgiving weekend they were like we don't have anybody for Fran and so I had to learn Fran in a day and like Tango you were the Roxanne you were Roxanne so you had to do Tango de Roxanne yet again pretending like I could fucking dance baby that dance is a lot and you're like on a little runway in the middle on a little runway stage and you're like and like doing the sort of like tango yes it was crazy and then Nicole Fran was like the super nerd but then also like the the like S&M like leather bound like like I know and then and then Nicole came in because we had lost one of our friends I think Thomasina had left for a second one of our other friends had left for a while and then Nicole came in to fill in that slot and then there was a week I think it was in January where one of our daisies Joanna got sick then I got sick and they were like Nicole learn it and she learned Daisy which is like Daisy is one of the bigger tracks in the show because she just sings all of the hard songs and she learned Ruby wasn't in it Ruby was in only Ruby was out of town so I remember I was like it was Super Bowl Sunday I actually remember because I don't know right um right and uh and I'm just sitting there in the kitchen like wait it just hit me I was like wait I'm on the show tonight but who's playing Daisy because I knew Lindsay was out and I knew that Joanna was out and they thought I was they thought Joanna was on and Joanna hadn't fully called out oh my god she'd had like a death in the family or something and that's right it was like why she told one person but that person didn't tell you it was like it was like a mess and then it was you probably got to text it like 2 p.m. I texted him I literally just randomly I don't know why but at this point you know we were at texting I guess level but I was like who's playing Daisy today he was just like oh my god and then it was like a dot dot dot and I was like here it comes what are you doing which is the most that was the most Rockwell thing the amount of times that someone would call from Rockwell and be like we don't can you come learn this like right now and just come in I mean it really was like swing understudy brain and I genuinely think that have being able to do for the stuff like for the record or the unauthorized musical parody series and stuff they're like prepared me to be able to have things thrown at me personally and like because because they had such pros come in and working alongside people like I had worked a little but I hadn't worked the way Nicole had or Ruby or all of the Constantine all of these other people that had been Marla even that had been doing Broadway and tour and all these different things I got to learn so much from them because they were like oh the shit that happened to us on this on this day in this city and here and here and and I was 22 when I met her and I'm 32 now so it's been over over 10 years that's the age difference so you know I I was definitely more suited for Fran because you know singing like will you still love me when I'm no longer young which is this is Nicole's gag is that Nicole likes to make fun no Nicole likes to make fun of quote-unquote how old she is and it's not a thing it's not a thing she made those jokes 10 years ago and she was wrong then right because I will always be older than you know that you're wrong you're just wrong and she was and what was amazing was I on when she had to go on that day Shane texted me and said can you go stand in the sound booth because the sound booth was like there was a it was like a big thing in the back of the house and the sound booth I was able to stand there and I had like the daisy bible and if Nicole needed me she could stand next to me be like where do I go and I'm like you're gonna go right over there so I would be able and I had I had like bronca it was a whole mess and that actually led to one of the most profound moments I've ever had in theater ever ever ever so I stood on the side and she would just kind of stand there and I remember one time just like reaching down and grabbing her shoulder and giving her a squeeze and I was like she and she barely needed any help she was amazing she had Karen she had all these amazing people that were just shutting everybody was just like we got you like you know.

[20:00] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Yeah well and and in a space that small the rule is if there's an empty spot that's probably where the fuck you're supposed to stand there so it was and she she also already knew the show just from a different side like a different viewpoint so it wasn't like she was being thrown right into dark water but she had there were different harmonies that she had to sing and she had to think they're a completely different kind of character and the one of my favorite memories was standing in that sound booth quote-unquote helping her as if she needed any fucking help from me and she's up there singing young and beautiful and I looked over because daisy and juliette sing that together in that show and they're by themselves nobody else is in the scene and she's singing it the her the first verse which is just nicole and I look over and every single cast member is by the sound booth just watching her and they were and then I remember kieran our gatsby at the time looking up at me and we were like she's amazing she's such a pro like we're all just like oh my god she's so good and then you did over the love and I was just like this the whole time I was like I'm watching this is my super this is my super bowl sunday is watching nicole parker would just be like fuck it singing her tits off it was fantastic melting her tits off it was amazing oh that's a nice memory and it led i'll tell this story later but it led to her learning that track led to and i and kevin kind of knows the story a little bit led to one of the most profound moments i've ever had in theater and i'll cry if i even start talking about it but i learned oh stop it i learned something from nicole in this specific thing that happened that was so I was so humbled and I was so I I grew up a little bit like there was a moment like I got over I got over a big ego thing that day I got over a big like hump that I didn't realize that I had as a performer a big insecurity and it and it is now the time to tell this story I don't know what to think now I want sure so so I think we're about to tell the same story so because I had been sick and joanna had been sick these are every single possible daisy was like unable to do the show but I hadn't gone to a doctor I just thought I had like a cold chest infection something or other and so I'd been out for a week and we only performed I think it was like wednesday to sunday or like thursday to sunday and we very rarely did double shows it was usually just an evening show unless there was like an added performance so the and it was like I would be on for two days and someone else would be on so there was plenty of time to rest so if I was out or someone else was out there was always someone else to fill in the gap and so I'd been out for a week I hadn't performed it for a week and I remember coming back and everyone was like how are you feeling and I said I feel good and I was in the bathroom going through all these scales I had the show I had it and daisy starts the top of the show with a little party never killed nobody and I put the lyrics there I ain't got time for you baby yeah you're mine oh you're not and I literally went I ain't got time for you baby gone nothing in the middle spotlight on me standing on the bar on a bar so hot only person visible like no voice and I was like this is this is my nightmare this is my nightmare and I and I had the entire rest and when I tell you that the daisy sing is a big sing I was like I she sings everybody's free she sings florence of the machines over the left she sings young and beautiful and it's not lana del rey's young and beautiful it's like the belty version of young and beautiful and it's and she's on every top note thank god nicole was on as fran and we got through a little party and I was like I don't know what to do and after a little party we do like the diamond dogs that we introduced moulin rouge we introduced we were getting changed into corsets on the fucking street of los angeles on on vermont avenue and we're changing and I'm having a panic and nicole goes I can sing it do you need me to sing it and I was like I'm not going to be able to do it you have like somebody has to sing it so nicole begins to sing everything I think the only thing that I had to basically army crawl my way through and croak through was young and beautiful because she couldn't be there she had to be another character in the scene and so I croaked through it and I took everything down like I was singing it like a bass baritone and then the the penultimate song in act two like the the 11 o'clock the final number is over the love and it's after gatsby's been shot and he says daisy and then the song begins and I have my back up against a pillar to one side of the audience and then I pivot so the rest of the audience can see the rest of the song so I have my back to this pillar and across from me the fran daisy will always be singing towards the fran and the friend will always be singing towards the daisy because you can find this on youtube you can put the visual and match it up with the oh yes yes yes this the switch is not but no no no but I mean the moment is yes and I actually do have one I actually have a recording on my phone of you and I doing it together as me as daisy and you as fran I'll send everything to you I have I have stuff of her as daisy and me as fran like it's amazing it's really amazing and like photos of us it's really fun and um and we and we um she's singing and we sing come come let the screen light in my eyes and and I got through the beginning little part and all she did without even talking about it she stepped down she walked past me she took my hand and squeezed it and walked into my position and sang that sang the rest of the song and and all of our all of our writers all of the like oh my god and the the the people that like created the show with us were in the audience and they all were like like it was just such a theater magic moment where she was like I got you it's fine and she walked past me and she stood and literally I didn't sing the rest of that song I stood up against that pillar and just watched her do it and it was so unbelievable and it was so I've never been shown such love or had yet to be shown such love on stage and I remember texting her and talking to her after because I was so embarrassed because it's like it sucks it's a horrible feeling and every performer has had that experience where they're like like and you feel there's there's you really do feel like you're caged you feel like you're chained and there's nothing you can do and it's really scary and it wasn't like a situation where we had an off-stage swing or we had somebody that could just like we didn't have a standby we didn't have we didn't have an ensemble understudy it was there it was the cast and that was it if you were called that day you were called and if you happened to be in the neighborhood because someone broke their leg the show was going to go on but that was that was literally it and then i remember i'm 22 so this was 2013 no i think it i think this had been 2014 now so i was about to turn 23 and the exit was around that super bowl time and i was about to turn 23 and i remember texting her and talking to her about it and she literally went girl i played elphaba you do not need to explain yourself and she didn't say it in that way of like i played elphaba yeah she was like girl i played elphaba the stories that i have like people have had to save my ass before i know what it feels like you're nothing is wrong with you she was like you're fine go get better turns out i had a double ear infection and bronchitis oh my god and i had no idea oh my god and i had no idea well nicole give us your pov on that situation.

[27:14] Nicole Parker: Oh well I mean I was yeah so to me it's just like oh yeah you just again because I come from like a improv background and a sketch background like where you know I worked at a place that called boom chicago which I think we talked about where all all those guys ted lasso and jordan peele on them did where you were you you had no idea what you were going to walk into every night because you had audience members yelling at you or you had to get people up on stage and then there's all there's like a maybe unwell part of me that is slightly um excited when things change I'm like okay let's go.

[27:45] Lindsay Heather Pearce: I like run towards. But it's just like I'm like, okay, yeah like this is like we're alive let's do this, you know. So for me, it was just I think especially app but I will say, you know, it does all come back to Wicked after doing Wicked you really do it does and like it does give you a certain new awareness of just like okay. I just want to help. How do I make things easier for people or how because you know, yes, I had girls who came in and helped for me like my story with Jenny Noy and whatnot, but we're just like this is live theater. I've seen now like I feel like I've seen so not everything because there's always something that you aren't expecting and it's like yeah, this is this is this is easy.

This is good, you know. And I remember and also I remember feet and I've been where she has been and I felt like that and you're right we were just each other backstage this the other night right before the show started I was like, yeah, you remember feeling like right before we get like, especially if like you weren't feeling differently. We're gonna die. Yes. I was like the amount of time get done with Defying Gravity and look at the green to me be like it felt that intense. Go through that like then after that you're like no one's gonna die that nothing's as hard as this and like we can handle this show and I've got her and I used to love that part too is that cuz France it's on the bar the same bar that Daisy starts on in the beginning of the show and she is on a pillar and you just it was just this beautiful.

Could you remember the harmony? Yeah, it's mine. And then you'd go. Yeah. Oh my god, I loved it so much. And so then I remember getting down and I was like, yeah, I'm just gonna I'm just gonna get right past her. It's gonna be she just took my hand and the reason and it was and that's the thing nobody would be none the wiser but the people that were there and our cast members like everybody knew and the reason why that was such a profound moment for me is because I'd never had something like that happened to me before. And what a blessing it was to have that happen with someone like you who wasn't going to berate me who wasn't going to make me feel small who wasn't gonna be like why didn't you just fucking call out?

No, but like here's the thing. Here's the thing is that there were plenty of people involved in that show that would have been that way or would not have given me comfort or not coddling but would not have like give squeezed my hand been like I got you. It's okay. There's nothing you're a human being. There's nothing wrong with you. You don't feel well like you are not the sum of your talent and she made me feel like a human being and I'm not kidding from I always thought that I was a supportive cast member as a person already, but because I had experienced something like that I was like well that's the way that I will always be operating and I'm not kidding Nicole like I went home and I wrote about it I could if I if I had access to the journals from that time I literally was like I will always always always conduct myself in this way in the theater moving forward in my life and I have and you can see it. It's from that day forward, I love you and I'm gonna hug you extra when I see you tonight. But here's the thing and you leave me next week you fucking asshole. I know we'll get to it.

[31:09] Nicole Parker: Now I have to tell this story, which is not soon after that. You did do that. She got my back right back. Maybe you don't remember this but it was it was a time now people were starting to get jobs from this show casting directors would come and it was kind of like like whoo, you know, was this a big deal when it was happening? Extended and yeah. The bad show particularly was just really fun. I remember um Adam Shankman came to see it and even people like like Adam who might have a little bit of like a predisposed thought of like what this immersive theater's like, you know, at first he said I mean everyone's really committed and they're in your face and it's like but and so at first you're like whoa and then it just always won everybody over because it was just the music was so good.

Everyone was incredible. Everyone was beautiful. You know, it was like these all these people just like just being everything, you know. And so drew a lot of casting people and there was one week during the pilot season gross in a place where I was just like all of us were in a lot of us. We were very tired right, but like I was going to been like it like a searching place like I really need a job it didn't really you know, I thought everything was such high stakes. So when I look back, I'm like I probably didn't need to do this but everyone was so supportive that I was you know up for this stupid sitcom doesn't even matter and the casting director of that sitcom was there that night and I was supposed to go on for Fran no, I was supposed to go on for Daisy because I went on for Daisy a couple more times and Lindsay was gonna go on as Fran and I show up and we find out that this casting directors here and I'm like shiny Fran instead. Oh no, because that's more like funny. I don't know. What should I do? If you want to do Fran listen, she's like, here are the keys to my car. Her cute little cream Mini Cooper.

[33:06] Lindsay Heather Pearce: It was a white Mini Cooper with black. But I had to run home and I think I had to run home and get like a my friend dress. That's what I you had to get your shit. Yeah, I was like here take the link. You're on my keys. My car's parked on the court drive back to your house. It's great. And I guess I walked or I don't know that wasn't very close. Right after that we just and we just switched I was like, I'll play Daisy you do Fran. Yeah, and then it's just Jackie's and it's another friend of ours who was in the shows and and again she used to play the Fran track and she like then somehow caught wind of the story because there's always like, you know, drama and afterwards. She was like that was so smart.

That was great that you did Fran for I think that was a really good choice. Lindsay was so flexible do one part and then literally just switch to the other gave me the keys to her car. So, I don't know if you remember that but like I remember I do remember that I was like I don't know what this story could be. The point is no one got that job because it didn't even happen, but the point was this support for that we have for each other.

[34:04] Nicole Parker: Well, and thank you for that Rockwell context because I feel like that's what Titanic is exactly like that that energy is now in Titanic. Well, we've had a lot of people come that have done Rockwell with us and they're like it's a Rockwell show because the way that Ty and Marla and Connie and Nicholas who was also a Rockwell guy he he played with for the record for years and did on both shows and it was birthed there. Titanic was was the thought and the idea of Titanic was birthed in the Rockwell and so it really does kind of feel like you know, we're we're coming back ten years later. Yeah, were you guys involved with any of the earlier iterations of Titanic because I know it was happening out on the west coast?

No, but I saw I saw a lot of the versions. Yeah. And and then there were times where you know, kind of, you know, they wouldn't like one they would have you look at the script or maybe I would you know, but also I also just kind of felt like no this is their thing and made some suggestions, but I think it was more just like I think what they realize is they're like we've got we've got what we need.

[35:05] Lindsay Heather Pearce: And I would just keep going to see it when you were going to see it. Was there anything in your head that was like well, okay I could probably be funny at this or I could probably do a good job as Selene because we are all friends? They have been very even from the beginning. There would always be joke. You're like, well, you know someday like from the very beginning they were very tailor-made for you the role. We always hope that it would work out and I'm I feel just very lucky that they you know just kept being in support of that. My favorite thing that that all of us said I remember Ty and I texting when he let me know that I was gonna join the show because we knew that I knew that Jackie was gonna come in but we didn't know if Nicole was able to be confirmed or not they were kind of waiting on some things and we were both kind of waxing poetic about how if there was going to be a changeover from Marla it had to be someone like Nicole but specifically Nicole because it just makes sense to bridge that gap because then it kind of gives way because Jackie's going to be unfucking believable roll but like it would like a tie just kept going.

Yeah, it just makes it makes sense to keep it the like not keep it what's the word I'm looking for. He was like it just I was it just makes sense like it's Marla and then Nicole it and and it's still kind of like keeping it in the family and then like giving it away and kind of it's like yeah and like opening up the doors for new people to come in and be a part of the magic.

[36:29] Nicole Parker: And it was that I had the same experience where it would it would be like, you know, if we need a rose, you know or like whenever like you're top of our list, you know, and I'd be like I was like oh guys, thank you. It's so sweet like whatever and they're like yeah, but because we'd done the Rockwell if you've done shows like that before you understand the formula of a show like right and it was actually the same with Michael because Michael had done Cruel Intentions at La Plata Rouge. And so Cruel Intentions had that thing and so Connie knew Michael as the swing from Cruel Intentions and he was like Michael actually would be really good in this like he'd be it makes sense. That's and that's exactly it's a sensibility you know, it's not that other people then can't step in it's that the the Rockwell mentality and sensibility was a specific thing and so I do think that's why it feels like you know what you're saying is that in terms of like who's next right but just because we all were in those in just we were all in though that Rockwell trench together, you know and it's ratchet it did create a certain sensibility and sort of adaptability to and also definitely a certain type of humor which kind of did start on screen because that was the first movie parody that they did.

[37:39] Lindsay Heather Pearce: And that's how I really got to know Marla because we were sharing the it sounds so silly to say the Gale Weathers track you know and then and we that was kind of when it's true because we had really great in front we have like Peter vote who's it who is the twin brother of Paul vote who was on Matt TV? Who's an improviser and then this other guy John Flynn was an improviser we had we had some and like as Drew Droege came in so we had some like sketch groundling improv UCB people which is I also honestly think that cross-pollination is what created still why you're seeing what you see in Titanic which was oh, we're gonna bring in. So there's this other crew that like also but now we're gonna start to like improvise and now we might call out the audience and now we might acknowledge some things and now we might update it every night with like a pop culture reference and that is what you know and that's what Marla was like. Oh yeah wrote a good show you know we were like we'll be able to mess with people and so it really did all that kind of sensibility.

[38:44] Nicole Parker: I think the comedy scene is so fascinating and just the different like sensibilities that different groups have.

[38:49] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Yeah, yeah, but really and that's perfect about I do feel like this sometimes a lot of comedy groups or comedy people you know write spoof musicals and I'm like, you know, they got this so right because I think it really does take people with a lot of musical theater background to even though you do need the good comedy writing, but like that's what's great about Marley Marla and Connie they just have both, you know, yes, or did you both audition for Titanic or was it just an offer?

[39:17] Nicole Parker: Um go. Oh tape just because I said to take someday. We'll tell the story the very funny story of how it's all came together I had a very chaotic what time it was? No way. But the bottom line is I did make a tape mostly because I think I always like to know that like even though oh I know the director. I know the people I know there's other people involved. You do not know me who might be like you know, and I'm I'm just don't have mean maybe someday again I'll be like I'm all for only but never but no I like that cuz then I'm just like oh what I can do is out there and I'm aware word with what I might need someone can refer to me like well, this is what she has to offer and so yeah, I did do that. It was very last-minute and I was like in full Celine drag in my kitchen this because he doesn't like when I sing my kid not my husband.

[40:16] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Just to lean drag for the whole year because I started Tom Link is he's kind of he also did all these rock and we were doing lots of different versions of the snatch game either at like a gay Disney it was somebody was the first time I saw him in years since the pandemic and there we are huddled in like a banquet room at like the Iwani in like California adventure just like putting tights and I was like, well here we are I'm in Celine and it's like what what did we think was gonna happen?

[41:02] Nicole Parker: And we did it a couple other times but he let me a great Celine but he's like you just have this one I was like oh my god. Thank you. So it's like it was like still in whatever garbage bag from a few months ago so I just grabbed grabbed her her on. And was it a hard decision because you came back to New York from LA to do this? That was not a hard decision that the logistics are what were you know tricky together and not necessary to get into at this yeah because it all worked out but.

[42:07] Nicole Parker: I mean, there's nothing like being on stage. And then, of course, a job like this combines everything I like to do, which is what you rarely get, which is what a Martin Short show is. So, no, I mean, if there was a way to do it, I was going to do it. We were going to get it done. It was going to take a lot of family and friends. And, you know, that's when I'll start crying, is I talk about how many people were like, I think after these three years, like, this is what she needs. You know, when you have a pandemic and you lose a lot of work, and then you have a baby and then you're in isolation on top of isolation, something like this definitely when I spoke to you last time was not possible in my head, you know, like, there's no way that would happen. So the fact that it happened at all, even though it's short-lived was like, well, yeah, gave me my life back for sure. Healing. Oh, my God, in every way, in every way.

[42:54] Nicole Parker: Something that a lot of your Elphaba sisters have talked about is like Elphaba is so much of like pushing people away the whole show. And like this Titanic, you're in the exact opposite. It's like everybody on stage and everybody in the room. And you know, just being able to see the audience and man, I just get like, I just get a kick. I just I get life from watching people like laid out in their chair, dying, laughing, screaming. And not just me, you know, I mean, it just means they're enjoying themselves. Yes. Knowing how unhappy we've all been. And just, you know, there's, it's just fun to watch the audience sometimes forget like, them watching me or them laughing at what we're doing or me watching my friends also, but I can't even handle watching this one.

She's here in my Brady Bunch square. So I'm like, gorgeousness, the singing, the acting, the perfect dancing, tricky, like, like, because Rose is kind of the only character who kind of has to be in the movie rather, right? Like, she needs to have, yes, hold all of the reality. But then like, still, but then just she, Lindsay perfectly balances that, if I may, you know, of like this moment where she gets to be silly, or where she is the end of the punchline, sort of like, oh, silly Rose, but to be that's hard to do to be able to balance both the drama of that and like the sincerity of that, you know, without going over the edge too much. And at the same time, be so incredibly funny, like, when she's doing, you know, if I, if you asked me to, and she starts and it's so beautiful, and then does that. I can't do it. I've been doing it offstage. Every time I'm like, she's fucking great. It's my favorite.

[44:48] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Well, we were talking about after the show with you guys about how Rose is the Elphaba track of Titanic.

[44:56] Nicole Parker: Yeah, and I said, this might be fighting words, but I have not worked this hard on and off stage since Elphaba. And I'm not saying that, like, they're comparable, but I just don't leave. Like, I actually do not have time.

[45:10] Lindsay Heather Pearce: It's a rollercoaster effort from watching that. I totally agree with you. Like, I would feel exactly like I was doing it. At one point, like last night, I went back, I was like, getting done with the scene. It was, oh, I know what it was. It was when Ruth is like having her meltdown. When the mom, when Rose's mom is having her meltdown, I was like, I run backstage and I was like, I'm going to take a drink of water and then go back on and then be berated again. And I took a drink and Nicole was sitting there and like, you can always see her because coming off stage into like total darkness is always really hard for me. But you can see her, she's in this like super sparkly dress. And she's sitting there by the, she's sitting there by the stairs and I took a drink of my water and I looked at her and I went, and I was like, I just don't, I was like, I just never leave stage.

And she went, you do have the hardest track in the show. And I was like, thanks. But like, you know, that's it. That's one of the gifts of Elphaba, I can't even say it anymore. That's one of the gifts of Elphaba is that it's like, she knows she's got it. You know what I mean? Like, yes, it's like you've got that in your body of like, to be fair, even, and I mean, I know we've talked about this before about being two of the green girls who had to go in it doing, never have, never, never done another.

[46:25] Nicole Parker: Well, and that's on our agenda. So let's talk about it.

[46:27] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Oh God.

[46:28] Nicole Parker: Let's get into it. And I will say the discourse I think was similar for both of you where it's like, oh, is Wicked stunt casting now and bringing in television actresses? And that's so funny because again, I was like, I'm not a television. No one watches our show. You don't get to say that to me when I listen to my mom's final recording of Mame instead of playing outside. And I danced the whole night, you know, every word to bosom buddies. And you know what? Like, do you know all the words to bosom buddies? That's the original fit. That's the original and Angela Lansbury. So when I had no friends and I was singing.

[47:16] Nicole Parker: When you post the video clip of this, it's going to be her. And then it's going to be cut to our Brady Bunch and it's just going to have a bracket saying gay excitement, gay joy.

[47:32] Lindsay Heather Pearce: I just was so shocked by that. Even like certain crew members were like, oh, we're so like, I'm impressed. You learned all the lines and came here and you're professional. This is crazy to me. And, um, and so I think that was right off the bat. And I, and I did, there was someone on mad that, um, who was it? Someone sent me like a screenshot and they shouldn't have, because it was like from one of the, which forums, but it was funny because I was telling the story the other day in the dressing room where someone actually like ran to my defense, but like, not the way you want them to. It's not stunt. She is not a celebrity.

[48:18] Nicole Parker: So I think I was now that I have so many more years and even more after we talked last time, the perspective of like, Oh, I mean, it is such a, um, especially because I've talked like a few more people, a few more girls who, who kind of did New York first to like, or like, didn't get to spend as much time on the road and just how healing the tour was because I realized that it is, I think it is a good system, you know, to sort of like start from the beginning, you know, start as an under, start, as you know, get, get your feet wet. There is absolutely no known way to just step out there after like two weeks of rehearsal and just nail it. But I also understand why people expected that because it was still the show people waited a year to go see.

I mean, the pressure of that was too much and it definitely broke my brain and I just wasn't expecting it. I was like, well, I have to worry about my voice and I have to worry about, you know, being, you know, being able to show up and do my job. And I was not at all prepared for the psychological aspect of it or the, you know, the fan aspect of it and, and just not even aware of how much it meant to people yet, right? Because I was not living in that world and the ownership people have of it. Like, Nicole, did you think when you did Elphaba on Broadway that you would be sitting here in 2023 talking to two wicked gays about Wicked?

[49:33] Nicole Parker: No, no, no, no, no. I thought, well, I'll, the last time I'll work. No.

[49:39] Lindsay Heather Pearce: No, no, because it's two kind of guys, two wicked gays.

[49:52] Nicole Parker: It's another good moment for us. No, I definitely didn't. And I also think that like we, people have grown, we're able to have perspective. I think we, we give a lot of grace to each other, more so than at the time. I think that things have changed and I think that, you know, um, I mean, yes and no, I think it's still, we still expect a lot of this high octane, like singing that is just still a thing. And, and the pressure that builds that I worry about young girls' voices trying to match these things, because I think we're still communicating that this is what we love and we always need. And the thing is, yes, it's exciting. We love a high note. We love a riff, you know, it's just that with, with that comes pressure or feeling like you need to sound like someone.

And when I teach voice, like all I can do or do a masterclass, I'm just like, please, please, please just use your authentic voice. And like, let's build that. If you're trying to sound like whoever you're listening to, like that won't even work because all those people you're trying to sound like, they actually were their own voice, you know, to one point, you know, at one point they were thinking to sound like someone else. But it's really hard. It's hard to remind myself of that, you know?

[51:01] Nicole Parker: And weirdly, I feel so free singing someone else's mixed notes actually makes a lot of sense. Like, I might be more in my head about belting once again on a New York stage as me as yourself. But it's like, it's Celine. So it's not me. I can do anything because I'm Celine, you know, you can do anything. And so I think that is a little bit freeing. But yes, it is interesting how there's only a few girls who did do it that way.

[51:30] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Nicole, do you feel like you came in with that TV similar TV buzz that Nicole had?

[51:34] Lindsay Heather Pearce: No, because I, I was pretty much other than Glee, really, I was completely known for musical theater. Because of Glee Project, and I had been doing theater in LA for 11 years. So I, it didn't, I was never told that there was it was a stunt cast. I, everything that I'd ever heard was, of course, this makes sense. That's not how I felt. Well, I, as I was quaking in my boots, I never had a moment where I was like, of course, of course, this is the next trajectory for me. Of course, the natural next step after coming off of a nine month cruise contract and doing it in Los Angeles is to play fucking Elphaba on Broadway. No, no, not at all. Not just my debut, it's how I joined Equity. Like, no, I never, I got my Equity card.

Like I got, we talked about this in the last one. I was like, how do you ever top the show in which you made your Broadway debut? You got your Equity card. What did I say? Like, nevertheless, she persisted. Like the massive injuries, the massive injuries to my body that I sustained and still managed to show up as often as I could and, and be kind and, and operate the way that 22 year old Lindsay wrote in her journal that she would. I stayed true to myself the entire time. And there is only, I think it's what you, me, Nicole, Hannah, Hannah Corneau, and Lindsay Mendez.

[53:01] Nicole Parker: Yeah, I think it's only those couple. And I don't, the thing is, is I don't.

[53:06] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Yeah. I was like, not too fucking shabby, babe. Really, really epic people. And, and I think, you know, let people think what they want to think. But at the end of the day, I think the overall theme that every single woman that has ever put that green on doesn't matter if they've done it once because they're the pink beret, doesn't matter if they've done it a thousand times because they're a standby or the principal performer, doesn't matter. You do not know what the hell it's going to be until you do it. And you feel like you've been punched in the face, hit by a train, T-boned every single time, because it's just a hard thing to do. It's a hard thing to do. Even when you get used to it and you feel less like you're dying, your body, it's not a linear experience.

You guys asked, I think it was the last time I was on. You guys were like, was there ever a moment where you were like, I am in my zone? I was like, yeah, it was like the end of March or something like that. I was like, this is what it feels like to be, to feel like I can show up at work and eight to nine times out of 10, I know what I'm going to be able to do. And it was a sense of confidence. It was a sense of self-awareness. It was a sense of self-preparedness, chipping my teeth on the part. And then two weeks later, I was like, why is it so hard? And then it would change and it would be easy again. One of the easiest eight I've ever had was when I was rehearsing for Mean Girls during the day.

How does that make sense? And it was my last week. How does that make sense? How many girls talk about their audition and they're like, yeah, I had something else to do after I was totally not focused on it. It's a mental game.

[54:41] Nicole Parker: And I nailed the audition and they called me the next day. It's like, if you have something else to focus on.

[54:46] Lindsay Heather Pearce: There's need for psychologists to help all of us. I honestly really think so because it is so mental. It is so psychological. And all of the other women can message you or email you or text you and be like, hey, and all of them do. And it's an incredible, incredible fellowship to be a part of. But every single one of them is like, I can talk at you all day long, but until you put those goddamn shoes on and you're on that rake or you're scooping yourself out of that well, and like if you're on tour, you know, whatever it is.

[55:04] Nicole Parker: Has anyone talked about that?

[55:17] Lindsay Heather Pearce: No, talk about it.

[55:18] Nicole Parker: Well, because there's no, there's no, there's no trap door for the tour.

[55:22] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[55:22] Nicole Parker: So you're just, you're in a well and you have to like serpentine yourself out.

[55:30] Nicole Parker: I just remembered that you would really have to go like, when I watched Talia had told me time and time again that that was happening. And when I took Jenny to Texas to see the tour when it reopened because we wanted to have like bonding time. Yeah, Jenny and I went to Texas to see the tour reopening in Dallas and she came out of the well and I heard Jenny go, I thought I saw what Talia had been talking about. I was like, oh, yeah, yeah.

[55:55] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Are you serious? This is what you do? That's and that's what's wild too is, you know, they'll talk about, well, at least the tour doesn't have a rake and I'm like, doesn't fucking matter, babes. They've got that green girl working up until the last fucking second of the show. If you're on Broadway, you're like monkeying waiting to know that yourself up. Oh, wait, where do you come out if there's no trap door? Where do you come out at the end? That's we're saying that is what it is. You literally come out. It's a well. Yeah, it's like a little.

[56:36] Nicole Parker: Oh, not before no good. You're talking about yes. No good. Now that is one thing. That's one fantastic thing that you don't have to do some crazy run before no good deed or to find gravity points. It was, I mean honestly the torrents of me is it is it great tell me it was so more. Sorry, tell me more about it.

[56:58] Lindsay Heather Pearce: It was so healing in so many ways and also just lovely and like Lindsay was saying, we're like you have an eight-show week that you know, it was like it took to like Salt Lake City right dead of August, you know, and it's like I finished an eight-show week and I just leave going like I did that, you know? No, no one knows no one cares. It's fine. No one cares.

[57:19] Quincy Brown: Well, Nicole, you said in your last episode with us that when you finish your Broadway contract, you knew in your head that you wanted another crack at it and that's why you did the tour. Where did you stand or even now? Where do you stand with your wicked journey?

[57:33] Nicole Parker: Well, I think I think because I was jumping right into the Mean Girls tour and I knew that I was gonna close that tour, like I was doing my best to compartmentalize how quick the turnover was gonna be because I had four days in New York learning the show and then I had my one and done Sunday. We had like a double Wednesday double Saturday week and so, and it wasn't just me leaving it was me, it was Sam as Millie, it was basically almost all of the principals were leaving and we got done with that show around like 5:30 and I went to the rooftop and said bye to everyone and then friends came over to my apartment to take things to store and to take things that I didn't want or need and then I got on a plane at like 10 a.m. the next day or something like that.

So it was and I still had green all over me. I had green because all of my my like products were in my tour trunk that I'd sent ahead of me. I was green for like two days. Couldn't get it all off. So I walked into my first rehearsal with green all over me and I was like, this is so embarrassing like I was like, I was like they're thinking they're gonna think.

[58:40] Lindsay Heather Pearce: That I had but oh.

[58:43] Nicole Parker: Yeah, I remember going into that rehearsal thing like this is so like what how fucking annoying is it that I'm like, okay, before we wrap I do want to ask one more Titanic question. I would love to talk about the improv scene. What are the logistics of that like Nicole? Are you prepping like little bits before you go on?

[59:02] Nicole Parker: How there's not really a lot of time, but sometimes I can at least think about okay. Yes. Here's a subject matter. Like what I'd say the I'd say the thing that's the most prepped is like not the main body but after look to the left look to the right, right?

[59:18] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Yeah.

[59:18] Nicole Parker: I will try to have something in my head for that because sometimes it's just like a an object or like a person and so that you can of course have in your head beforehand, you know, but it's still like are they gonna laugh at that? Is that gonna work? When you guys thought I wasn't doing this yet, but now I've been improvising a song because.

[59:38] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Insane.

[59:39] Nicole Parker: It's insane that you're doing piano play because Nicholas was like I would love to do any, you know music and I was like, well, should we just improvise a song and he was just like I'm on board. So what we started you I wasn't sure it would work so it was a big experiment because you know, I did let Lindsay know and she was a champ the first time we did it because like at first it wasn't sure that guy was gonna say his name so Lindsay you're like lip singing now.

[1:00:01] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Yes, so but she was like she was like I need you to talk to someone in the audience. Are you okay with doing that? I said you just tell me what to do and I'll do it.

[1:00:08] Nicole Parker: Yeah.

[1:00:08] Lindsay Heather Pearce: So she was like I think I can I think the most I could try to get out of someone is their name other than that it gets really complicated people get freaked out. When she debuted this content I had to go down and ask someone and she tells me who to go to say like the girl with the flowery dress and the hoop earrings. So which was the first girl that this happened to?

[1:00:32] Nicole Parker: Yes, I can she went down and and she asked her name and I went down this girl thought that she had to come up with the song that's right down and I went what's your name? And she was like.

[1:00:53] Lindsay Heather Pearce: She was like.

[1:01:03] Nicole Parker: And now it's much cleaner since we.

[1:01:09] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Cuz the bid is that old Victorian songs are so, you know, they have such quaint titles and they're always about like a person and name so I find my new parasol he was wearing, you know, whatever a flowery blouse or the white stripes and then the song will be Mike and the purple plaid. Yeah. So then I so but it takes me the whole first 20 minutes of the show to find that person and then in that sometimes I'm like, what could I sing about him? What are some rhymes and then I have to enter so it's like I will miss entrances if I'm trying to write much prior, you know, it's mostly happening in the in the moment and then I have them do a little soft shoe in between in the song.

[1:01:50] Nicole Parker: And that's when I am thinking of more rhymes I kind of like.

[1:01:55] Lindsay Heather Pearce: My favorite thing. I don't know if you're doing this on purpose and I pray that you are cuz it's so genius Nicole. So she talks about you know, she goes like the late 1800s like you know the songs of the songs of our time and she's going on and on and then and then she as Jack is talking after she's done with the song she goes it was the biggest hit in 1905, but the Titanic sunk in 1901.

[1:02:22] Nicole Parker: 12 oh, that's right. Oh my god. I'm fucking idiot. But I was like I was like, this is no, oh my god, I was like that is so funny that we're like in the future like it survived. I thought it was genius. Well, I was like, oh my god, that is so.

[1:02:30] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Areas.

[1:02:42] Nicole Parker: So funny. Okay. Well now, you know, you're welcome do it today. I'm just a fucking idiot. I don't know anything about the actual Titanic, but I thought I genuinely was like that is such a comedy.

[1:02:54] Quincy Brown: Like that is it's a huge hit from 1905. I was like.

[1:03:02] Nicole Parker: Well, I'm sad your New York era has come to a close for now.

[1:03:09] Lindsay Heather Pearce: For now.

[1:03:09] Nicole Parker: For now, it's not gonna leave me forever. No, so anyone listening this has two more days to see Nicole, Jackie and Lindsay, honestly, I mean, yeah, well, I'll be everyone listening to this podcast. We'll be back to see Jackie Byrne.

[1:03:47] Quincy Brown: What a delightful interview that was a thrill not even interview conversation discussion Kiki a kiki. That's exactly what it was. Yeah. I mean I stand by what I said in the intro it was nice because like I feel like we have a dynamic you and I and I feel like they have a dynamic because they have a long friendship behind them. I'm glad we talked so much about their history together and the Rockwell and all that because I find that very fascinating and I don't think that's the same a lot of people really know about.

[1:04:16] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Same I didn't know anything about like the mechanics of that like I had heard of it from them working there and like from people working there, but it's I don't know it sounds really special.

[1:04:26] Quincy Brown: It sounds very much like a mecca for like theater kids who grew up and and like still want to like play and have a practice and I thought it was interesting how both of them were saying like like how they don't consider themselves TV actors, which is interesting because it's like well, yeah, I guess like looking back at their careers like that's a relatively small part for each of them. But in the context of going into a Broadway show, it's like oh, well, she's from TV, right? Like I think the press message could very easily be these TV actresses are coming to the stage but I think what I've been learning through talking to so many of these wonderful ladies is that careers are very long and like I don't know because I feel like I almost look at things as like yeah, you can totally have a job that defines the rest of your career as an actor actress and while that is true, there's like obviously still needs to be other jobs after that and it's cool I think now to like see women who did Wicked early on in their career and that has defined their career in some ways but then they go on and do other things and hit other marks that become career defining and whatnot.

[1:05:42] Lindsay Heather Pearce: Yeah, I love to what Nicole was saying about how like when she left Wicked it was like well that was the experience I had and you know there was like X Y & Z about it and now you know she as she has gotten distance that perspective has changed and I was like like you were just saying thinking about some of the girlies who go in so early in their career then it's like when something goes wrong that's the biggest mistake in your whole career because you only have a couple years, but then you know ten years later it's like that's what I was upset about that day like I was upset about my voice going out in the middle of a three-hour show which I guess is just how life works as you live more of it.

[1:06:26] Quincy Brown: Yeah, the things that seem big get smaller. I did it was nice hearing from both of them that they've been able to mentally parse out like digest their time in Wicked. Yeah, and I mean it's also refreshing to hear I mean we had talked to about like going on and having such different personal experiences in the future jobs like not even just their profession, but like now being in Titanic and getting to like goof around and and you know check that box or working at the Rockwell and it's like yeah I just played Alpha but and now I'm getting changed in a janitor's closet it's like it almost is I think it was Lindsay actually who said it's like nothing else is gonna be that and so it's like you can't compare everything else that comes after it because it's just it's never gonna be that no matter how wonderful it is nothing else is Alpha Bob.

[1:07:21] Quincy Brown: All right guys, leave us a rating review. Tell a friend share this episode with a friend comment do all that fun stuff for us enter our giveaway.

[1:07:32] Kevin Bianchi: Yes, enter the giveaway and if you lose the giveaway buy a ticket to the Ozdust ballroom at Broadway con we'll be there. It'll be fun.

[1:07:39] Quincy Brown: I'm so curious who the live performances are gonna be it's gonna be us. I.

[1:07:44] Kevin Bianchi: Why did I immediately think we could sing? Let me be your star not really related. It would fit.

[1:07:50] Quincy Brown: What's a Wicked song we could do at on?

[1:07:53] Kevin Bianchi: Sentimental man famously for good.

[1:07:55] Quincy Brown: Well is the duet but that feels a little on the nose. I want us to have a fun angle.

[1:08:01] Kevin Bianchi: We could not do at a sentimental man.

[1:08:05] Quincy Brown: Wonderful. We each get four measures. Wonderful. What is this feeling would be a fun shtick for us? Yeah.

[1:08:12] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, anyways suffice to say we are not performing at the Ozdust.

[1:08:18] Quincy Brown: But we'll be there.

[1:08:19] Kevin Bianchi: Dance here and on whoever does.

[1:08:23] Quincy Brown: Bye guys.

[1:08:25] Kevin Bianchi: Bye all.

[1:08:27] Quincy Brown: You've been listening to Sentimental Men from Theater League. This episode was produced by Quincy Brown, Kevin Bianchi and the team at Theater League. Thanks to Anthony Abitangelo, the most swankified podcast editor in town and another thanks to Michaela Reynolds for making us look downright Osmopolitan in our new key art and to Julia de Marzo for our logo design. If you want to get in touch, send us an email. We love to hear from you all you can reach us at sentmenpod@theaterleague.com that's T H E A T R E. You can also connect with us across social media on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok at sentmenpod. Thanks for tuning in till next time. I'm Quincy and I'm Kevin.