This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi everyone, we're here with Kalen Allen at the Friki Tiki on 44th Street with Survival Jobs: A Podcast on the Broadway Podcast Network in Broadway World.

[0:16] Jason A. Coombs: We are so excited to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations on Elf.

[0:22] Kalen Allen: Well, thank you.

[0:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: How are you feeling today? You look amazing.

[0:24] Kalen Allen: Thank you.

[0:25] Jason A. Coombs: We're here for the coat.

[0:26] Kalen Allen: Thank you, darling. You know, I'm trying to give a little bit of fest. It's giving Christmas. It's giving Elf.

[0:34] Kalen Allen: I saw Elf this week, and my God, I am in the Christmas spirit. You are phenomenal. We feel your energy from the stage, so congratulations. We know that this has been a dream of yours, and we're gonna definitely chat about it as we get into this combo.

[0:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: And of course, we're huge fans of you since Ellen to now on your Christmas album on Broadway on your Netflix film. We have so much to talk about. But before we dive into that, can you tell us your least favorite survival job you had before you know you got to the big time?

[1:04] Kalen Allen: I know exactly what it was. I've had a lot of jobs.

[1:07] Kalen Allen: Oh, yes. I remember one year I was working with I'm from Kansas City, and there was a theater company called Starlight Theater in Kansas City. A lot of national tours will go by Starlight, whatever. And during the summer, they were doing a summer camp, but they hired me to be a teacher, basically a counselor. And it was called The Act Like an Animal Camp. And we had to first we would have the children at the theater, then we would take them over to the zoo. What I learned during that, I'm not good with a whole bunch of keys. That's not my forte. Acting like animals, number one. We went over to the zoo. Somebody wanted the kids left their water bottles. I went and tried to go find it in the Africa section. I lost the kids. It was a homemade. Why did they send you to the Africa section?

[1:52] Jason A. Coombs: Right!

[1:53] Kalen Allen: Wrong. Wrong! And it was hot down here, which didn't make sense. I was like, y'all got heaters down here? Because why is the whole zoo normal temperature until you get to Africa? That don't make sense.

[2:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh my goodness. Okay, so we don't like acting like animal camp for survival jobs. I don't need to be nobody's camp counselor.

[2:13] Jason A. Coombs: No, but do you have a survival job that maybe was like a good one along the way that sort of like brought you to where you are now?

[2:20] Kalen Allen: Oh. Um, okay. So speaking of survival jobs, something that I was very intentional about growing up was that I knew that if I ever needed a survival job, I wanted to be able to go in and be the boss. So I only took jobs that led me to be a supervisor or a manager. So I was a supervisor at AMC Theaters when I was in college.

[2:40] Kalen Allen: Shout out at Temple?

[2:41] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, uh-huh.

[2:42] Kalen Allen: Right across the street from campus, actually. It used to be called the Pearl, then the AMC bought it, and then they redid it. Yeah, because it used to be a little rough if you've been to Philly.

[2:49] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, uh, real quick commute.

[2:51] Kalen Allen: Um, and so I worked over there as a supervisor, but that would probably be one of the most fun jobs, and I think because I had access, I'd always been like a movie geek, but the fact that I could just watch every single movie, like I watched every single movie that came out. Free tickets, uh absolutely, and I ate a whole bunch of hot dogs.

[3:08] Jason A. Coombs: I was gonna say free snacks too.

[3:10] Kalen Allen: Yeah, no, they weren't free. You got a discount though.

[3:13] Jason A. Coombs: Oh yeah, I used to be down there tearing up that Coca-Cola.

[3:17] Kalen Allen: The slushies?

[3:18] Kalen Allen: Oh, yeah. I love a movie theater slushie, a blue one, the blue one.

[3:23] Jason A. Coombs: Oh no, I only do Coca-Cola.

[3:24] Kalen Allen: The Coca-Cola slushy. I don't like fruit flavored pop.

[3:29] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[3:30] Kalen Allen: Yeah, soda. If you don't live in the Midwest.

[3:34] Jason A. Coombs: For those of us in the U.S.

[3:35] Kalen Allen: For those East Coasters.

[3:36] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, correct, correct.

[3:36] Kalen Allen: But yeah, I don't believe like orange soda, nope, keep it, grape, nope, don't want it.

[3:40] Jason A. Coombs: Mm-mm.

[3:40] Kalen Allen: Nope. No, no pineapple.

[3:42] Jason A. Coombs: Oh no, absolutely not.

[3:43] Kalen Allen: So, so Kalen, I was watching some interviews with you. And speaking of being a boss, we all know you've been on the Ellen show, right? You were on there and whatnot. But what I discovered from your interview is that you wrote your own contract or yes. You made your own agreement for the first contract?

[3:58] Kalen Allen: Yes, indeed.

[3:59] Kalen Allen: And you had your own office. Can you just describe that a little bit for us?

[4:02] Kalen Allen: Okay. Boss man. So everybody knows mainly that I started at the Ellen DeGeneres Show after making food reaction videos.

[4:09] Kalen Allen: And so the original deal that was offered to me was that I was just going to make videos from college at that time, which was in Philadelphia. You're gonna send the videos in. And I knew in that moment that I was like, well, if I move to LA, they will use me more. And so then in the contract, I put in a relocation. Boom. And then that was how I then I moved to LA and I finished school in LA.

[4:36] Kalen Allen: And then once I got there, then I was just kind of just in this apartment. And because I was working at Ellen too, but also in school, I always tell people it was like a Hannah Montana life. Like I was like, during the day, I was like at Ellen and at night I was in class. But I but people know that yeah, people do because it was all on the news and stuff at that point.

[4:54] Kalen Allen: Um, but I knew that I was like, one, I'm a Capricorn, so I like to work. And I was bored. I was like, I'm just sitting in this apartment all day and there's nothing to do. And so then I was like, well, if I asked for an office at the studio and be like, yeah, I'm gonna come in and shadow and watch and stuff, I knew that they would also then be able to see me on a daily basis and use me for even more stuff.

[5:15] Kalen Allen: So then I asked for an office as well.

[5:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: That is so iconic, just like you know, setting the things that you need to set to move yourself forward. Because you have to advocate for yourself, and we talk about that a lot, that like nobody's gonna advocate for you the way you are.

[5:29] Kalen Allen: Well, I'll tell people all the time, and I know this because it doesn't matter what space that I go in, I am a visionary from the jump. Even when it came into Elf, like I was immediately like, like, okay, who's doing marketing? I'm like, who's working on the social stuff? That's my world, you know. I can assist, I can help, I can give guidance into what that looks like. You know what I mean? And I think it's just because anything that I'm involved in, I want it to be successful at any point.

[5:55] Kalen Allen: And I also believe in supporting each other and working as a community. I don't believe in, I'm very collaborative in that. So even at Ellen, like I was very much working with EPs and writers and producers and in every single sector, and I'm not a talent that just comes in and does the talent job and like waits for your roster. No, I don't have time for that.

[6:12] Samantha Tuozzolo: That's iconic. That is amazing.

[6:14] Jason A. Coombs: So, Elf, so let's talk about Elf.

[6:16] Samantha Tuozzolo: So, I did see on Instagram that you were saying, you know, being on Broadway feels like home.

[6:22] Kalen Allen: Um, so can you talk a little bit about how Elf came to be, how this project came to you?

[6:27] Kalen Allen: Yes. So the funny thing is a lot of people don't know this, but my degree is in theater. So it's like I've been doing shows my entire life, you know what I mean? So once I went and did Ellen and just moved to Hollywood, it felt like I had kind of almost given up that part of my life. You know what I mean? And I struggled with that, especially when it came to the food reaction videos, because I was very much in a space of being like, these are silly. Like I I'm in school getting this degree to be an actor. What do you mean that it's this one minute video of me talking about some food that is giving me my claim to fame, you know?

[6:58] Kalen Allen: And I think it's taken time for me to understand that that was the door to open. And so the way that Elf came about is that I actually learned about it the day before the audition. So my friend Brandon Michael Nase, who works in the Broadway community as well, he called me, he was like, Elf has auditions tomorrow. You should call your people and get them to get you an audition.

[7:16] Kalen Allen: And so then I said, absolutely. And I called and they reached out to production. They got me the audition. And when I went in, I didn't go in there in the space of being like, oh, here I am with I got this many followers, or like you should cast me. Like I literally, I went in, I did Don't Let Me Go from Shrek as my audition song, which I had done donkey in high school.

[7:37] Kalen Allen: So I had to really go into my musicnotes.com and pull that out. You know what I mean?

[7:42] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[7:42] Kalen Allen: I had to pull that sheet music. I was like, I was it was funny. I was calling friends, I was like, now it's 16 bars, right? That's what I gotta do. How am I gonna do this? And so really mapping it out.

[7:51] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm still stuck on music notes.

[7:52] Kalen Allen: I know, right? That's why I had the sheet music already bought. And so then I went in, I did the audition, I did the call back the next day, and then that's when they offered me the role.

[8:02] Jason A. Coombs: Amazing. Well, congratulations, you made it home.

[8:04] Kalen Allen: Yes, when I think of home.

[8:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes.

[8:08] Kalen Allen: Okay, I thought we were gonna get some more notes.

[8:10] Jason A. Coombs: I know.

[8:11] Kalen Allen: I thought we were gonna get some more notes. I thought you were gonna sing the Whitney version.

[8:14] Jason A. Coombs: I know you listened to them.

[8:16] Kalen Allen: I'm obsessed.

[8:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay, anyway. Can we talk about the rehearsal process for this? Is your first Broadway show?

[8:22] Kalen Allen: Correct.

[8:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: Was it what you expected it to be? Like, can you just give us the details? What like audition? Um rehearsing a Broadway show and then coming to life in front of an audience. Like, how beautiful was that?

[8:30] Kalen Allen: I think it was easier than I thought it was gonna be. Oh, okay. And I but I think that I also want to give a lot of credit. So growing up, I did a program called Music Theater Kansas City. At that time it was called MTYP, but it was essentially a Broadway training theater like an organization, basically. And we used to put up shows in a week, so like we would start Monday and we would go all day long. Each week New York City Center or something.

[8:54] Kalen Allen: Oh no, right, and put up a show. And I had done that from since I my first musical was 13 so I had done that since I was 14 up until I graduated high school so I was kind of used to that rigorous schedule and having to learn quickly and do stuff like that. I also did speech and debate growing up so I'm very good at memorizing. I have a photographic memory so that's not hard.

[9:15] Kalen Allen: Yeah um but also I just think the work ethic of who I am I always come into it prepared so like I came into rehearsals with the lines already memorized and already knowing the songs as well. So the only hard part was the tap.

[9:30] Kalen Allen: Oh because tap was not in the audition okay we were not aware of that and I remember we got in and Ricky was like okay so we need to learn the tap for the finale I said who's doing that I said I don't know about that honey that's not that's not in my repertoire okay um and it was funny and so but one thing about me is that I am not a quitter and immediately after like because I struggled with the tap at first and then I went on Amazon and I bought me a tap board.

[9:57] Kalen Allen: So I would go home every night after rehearsal and I would rehearse that tap thing. And if you come see the show baby I'm tapping.

[10:03] Jason A. Coombs: I will I will sign off he is tapping tap and tapping Saturday because I'm not sure those taps.

[10:09] Kalen Allen: Okay were your neighbors like excuse me what are you doing in there?

[10:12] Kalen Allen: Oh no they can't hear me uh uh I was on my terrace with the tap board iconic just looking at the New York City skyline activity tap tap baby oh my god Tippy tap tap to New York shout out I love that um let's talk let's talk to the audience and let them know why they need to go see Elf. Tell us, tell us why why.

[10:32] Kalen Allen: Why should people go buy tickets right now to go see the show? You know, I think a lot of that message is in the show itself. Um, there's a line that says, Um, it's never too late to grow. And I think when you grow up, it is very easy to lose that Christmas spirit or or the meaning of it. And I think what's beautiful about Elf is that you feel it as soon as you walk in. You know, I know before the show starts, they play Christmas music throughout the uh theater. It gets you into the mood, you get the Mariah's, you get the Selene's, you get the Michael Bubles, you know what I mean?

[11:05] Kalen Allen: Um, and it is, I will say this, and and not just because I'm in the show, it is entertaining from the moment it starts to the moment it ends. I sign off on that. It is there is not a moment that it drops off. There's not a moment where you're like, oh, can we get through this number? That doesn't happen. You know what I mean? It is absolutely just fun and energetic and full of so much Christmas spirit, and there's so many different surprises. Some of my favorite moments are at the end, you know, you know, in the movie, the sleigh flies over everybody, and I always say that is the moment where it doesn't matter how many times I watch that movie, I burst into tears every time.

[11:38] Kalen Allen: And I can promise you it happens in this show.

[11:41] Jason A. Coombs: It sure does.

[11:42] Kalen Allen: What what's the biggest reward for you so far for being in this production?

[11:47] Kalen Allen: Community. Boom. I think it is very what I have really enjoyed is the difference from working in TV and film where you're kind of almost always separated. There isn't much time to really work together because everybody is never want one called at the same time, and usually you just go in and like for instance, like I did this Netflix movie, Meet Me Next Christmas, and all my scenes were with like Christina and Devale and uh Christina Milian and Devale Elli, and um, and like but Pentatonics isn't a movie and I didn't have any scenes with Pentatonics, so I never saw them. You know what I mean?

[12:18] Kalen Allen: Scott? No, I never saw that.

[12:20] Jason A. Coombs: I know Scott, but I I never we never saw each other on set, you know.

[12:24] Kalen Allen: But here, the fact that we have spent so much time together and we've become so close. Um, and actually, so like I got so excited about doing like an opening night um gift and stuff like that. Like I'm treating the entire cast to a private screening of Wicked, actually.

[12:38] Kalen Allen: Opening night. So and but the fact that we're able to have these moments together and spend them together is like it's something that I don't really get to participate in.

[12:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: That's so beautiful.

[12:49] Kalen Allen: Also, speaking of wicked, you're giving alphabet.

[12:51] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[12:52] Kalen Allen: Define gravity, truly.

[12:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, I love that's what I love about the Broadway community because even Samantha and I were not on Broadway, but we've been going to these carpets and whatnot, and people were recognizing us and like Laura Benanti.

[13:03] Kalen Allen: Sorry, Laura, excuse me, girl.

[13:05] Kalen Allen: Call and like she was she just was so welcoming to us yesterday, you know, because she remembered us from another carpet, and I just feel like that's what it's so beautiful about this community. It's like everyone has a place, no matter if you're in wardrobe, or if you're an actor, or if you do the carpet, or if you're a reviewer, you know, everyone has a place in this part of the community.

[13:23] Jason A. Coombs: So anyway, uh, you talked about your Christmas movie, Meet Me Next Christmas, and you have a holiday album. You are the new Mariah. You have taken over Christmas. How do you have a Broadway show, a movie, and an album?

[13:34] Kalen Allen: You know, honestly, I think it was fate because first, so the album I've been working on for three years, and originally it was going to come out last year.

[13:41] Kalen Allen: But then the movie, when we shot the movie, they told me that the movie wouldn't come out until this year. So then I pushed the album to come out with the movie.

[13:49] Kalen Allen: Right, exactly. I was like, well, then let's not release the album until next year. And then I was not expecting the Elf to come along. So I always I branded it as a very Kalen's Christmas.

[13:55] Samantha Tuozzolo: A very Kalen's Christmas?

[14:00] Kalen Allen: Very Kalen Christmas.

[14:01] Jason A. Coombs: Obsessed about it.

[14:02] Kalen Allen: So you got to work with icons, Shoshana Bean.

[14:05] Kalen Allen: Oh, that's my girl. Right. How was it working in a studio with someone like that? And Michael? And what's your favorite track on the album?

[14:12] Kalen Allen: Oh, my favorite track on the album, it changes.

[14:16] Kalen Allen: Okay. Right now it's probably Go Santa Go, which is technically the first track on the album. That is one of my favorites. I wrote that song from just a voice note. Um, but it has been absolutely amazing. Shoshana, I actually met in LA. I was hosting a um a Gala for the Gay Men's Chorus of LA, and she was singing, and I sang as well.

[14:41] Kalen Allen: And she stood on the side and watched me, and then we spoke, and then we just became friends after that. So then when the Christmas album came along, I was like, you have to be on this song called "Yes Mary New." You have to be able to be on this song, you know. Um, and she has been so gracious. And now we neighbors because you know Hell's Kitchen is right across the street from Hell. So it is great. I adore Shoshana.

[15:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, I love that. And the album is you're so talented, Kalen. Like you're rapping on there, just like a little bit of musical theater-ish. There is some R&B, going low. Like I'm obsessed.

[15:08] Kalen Allen: Well, that was the goal of the album. So, you know, the album's called "Christmas Memories," and basically what it does is it is a time capsule of my experience of Christmas through the years. It starts at adult Kalen and it goes all the way back to a child Kalen. So we started like funk and pop, and then we go to R&B, and then we go into a power ballad, and then we end with a gospel, you know what I mean? Because that's where I first started. Um, and so it's truly a journey and an experience, and I wanted it to be theatrical. One thing that was I was very intentional about was that I wanted it to feel like me from start to finish.

[15:41] Samantha Tuozzolo: I love that. That's so amazing. And you there's so much intention behind that versus people who are just like, I'm gonna make an album because I can sing. It's just like so well thought out. Um, so you talked about working with Shoshana Bean. You've worked with so many icons and met so many amazing people like Oprah, Michelle Obama. Um, yeah, keep the list going.

[16:03] Kalen Allen: Uh can you share some advice that maybe you've learned from somebody along your path that was something that stuck out to you?

[16:10] Kalen Allen: I think it's more so what I've watched. Okay. Two. One, working at the Ellen DeGeneres show, I was able to watch people work at the top of their craft and the care that they put into it. I always say it was like having a master class. I think that's what I enjoyed about watching. It's like especially when it comes to creating content and developing content. Um and then second, I would going back to the Oprah, watching Oprah work. I tell people all the time, what I admire about Oprah is that she does it all. She'll do everything. She'll just shows up and she does it, and that's why she has been able to remain successful and have the stability. I would say the same about Beyoncé, you know what I mean?

Um, and I think for me, I've told people is that it has inspired me to never get to a point where I become lazy, where I stop caring. You know, um, I went to the Celine Dion premiere and I watched that documentary and to watch how much she cares about her fans and the craft and what she does. It's like I want to always have that same drive in myself that no matter how old, no matter how successful I get, no matter how many awards I get, and I kind of even do that now. You know, it can be very tiring. Like, for instance, like I am used to going to bed at 10:30. By the time I get home from the show now, I'm probably not in bed until uh midnight.

[17:25] Kalen Allen: Yeah, but every time I get to the theater, I'm usually pretty tired. Then right before the show, I always have this thing that I remind myself that I may be tired, but for the people that are sitting in that audience, this is their first time, and I have to give them the same amount of energy, the same amount of funny, the same amount of excitement that I gave the night before.

[17:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: The tap has to be tapping.

[17:47] Kalen Allen: Exactly. The show has to be exactly the same amount of energy. Because I remember going to shows and I've go to like a matinee, and I'll be like, they marking. You know what I mean? That will be there. You will never get that from me. I will always and forevermore, no matter how many shows it is, how many shows I've done that day, no matter how late I was up, I will always give 110%.

[18:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm excited. I have a matinee on Saturday, I'm coming.

[18:10] Kalen Allen: All right.

[18:11] Samantha Tuozzolo: 1 p.m. I love that so much because it's just like deep-rooted in your passion for what you do, that you'll never lose the drive. Like you said, no matter how successful, no matter how much money, how many awards? Like we come back to going back to your album, like little kid, the little kid us, little kid version of us.

[18:28] Kalen Allen: Yeah.

[18:29] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah. And you can't lose that because then if you lose that, then what's the point of all of it? Then what was the point of the hustle in the first place?

[18:36] Kalen Allen: Yeah.

[18:37] Samantha Tuozzolo: Final question before we go into our really fun game. Okay. You are getting your master's in journalism?

[18:42] Kalen Allen: Yes. Currently.

[18:43] Samantha Tuozzolo: Currently, yes. Doing a show and getting your master's.

[18:46] Kalen Allen: Yes, and the funny thing, so I've been doing it for a while. Because of my crazy schedule, I only do a class a semester. So I'll actually be done in May. So I actually took a leave of absence to do ELF. So I'm not in classes currently, but I go back in January and I'll finish in May, and then I will have my master's in journalism from NYU.

[19:02] Samantha Tuozzolo: Congratulations. I think it's just a testament because like you're doing this already. So like people may ask why do you need to get a degree? You know, but you're actually going, you're wanting to be the best of the best.

[19:11] Kalen Allen: Absolutely. And I saw an interview where you were talking about manifesting your own daytime talk show or variety show. So if you could have five guests, living or dead, to be on your variety show, who would you choose?

[19:22] Kalen Allen: Oh. Well, definitely I'm bringing my girl Ricky Lake.

[19:25] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh.

[19:25] Kalen Allen: Me and Ricky do a podcast called "Raised by Ricky." She's coming to see Elf. I adore her. She would definitely be one of my first guests.

[19:32] Samantha Tuozzolo: Icon.

[19:33] Kalen Allen: She is a next kind. I adore her. The original Tracy Turnblad, you know a baby.

[19:36] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, before it was a musical.

[19:38] Kalen Allen: Right. Uh-huh. Uh, yeah, so definitely um Whitney Houston. Uh Whitney. Definitely Oprah, definitely Ellen, definitely Beyoncé.

[19:47] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, wow.

[19:48] Kalen Allen: Yeah. That was good. Those are my sixty.

[19:50] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[19:53] Kalen Allen: I've already worked on her, but I would love to. I would want to do a more in-depth interview with Mariah Carey.

[19:58] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, yeah.

[19:59] Kalen Allen: Like I want to dive a little bit deeper.

[20:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Do the deep cuts?

[20:01] Kalen Allen: Yeah, I want to get like, let's get deep. Like, I don't want it to just be surface level. Like, I really want to talk about it. You know?

[20:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah. Since you are the new Mariah of Christmas, it makes sense.

[20:10] Kalen Allen: Don't let her hear that.

[20:11] Samantha Tuozzolo: I know. Next thing you know, I'll be dead.

[20:15] Kalen Allen: She's like, you're not coming for my Christmas throne.

[20:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, no, no, no.

[20:19] Kalen Allen: You're like, I can be the understudy.

[20:21] Samantha Tuozzolo: Usually every year I go see Mariah. Oh, yeah. For the since like 2015, I've always went to see Mariah's Christmas show, and I think this is probably the first year I won't go. Because of the show.

[20:30] Kalen Allen: I'm a little booked.

[20:33] Samantha Tuozzolo: She'll forgive you.

[20:34] Kalen Allen: Yeah.

[20:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: Maybe she'll come see your show.

[20:36] Kalen Allen: Maybe.

[20:37] Samantha Tuozzolo: Maybe the tie. I could see her bringing them babies.

[20:40] Kalen Allen: Yeah.

[20:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: She's gonna bring them babies.

[20:41] Kalen Allen: Morocco and the other one?

[20:43] Samantha Tuozzolo: I forgot the other one.

[20:43] Kalen Allen: Me or Marilyn.

[20:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: No.

[20:46] Kalen Allen: Mr. Kids' name.

[20:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, there's a lot of things. I have no idea. Um gosh. What is that? This should be the this should be the game. Celebrity kids.

[20:54] Kalen Allen: Um, thank you. I'm still trying to figure it out.

[20:58] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'll figure it out. Come to us like three o'clock in the morning.

[21:00] Kalen Allen: She didn't want to always sing, so I don't know why I can't remember her name. That's crazy. Well, thank you. You know, this has been so fun chatting with you.

[21:05] Kalen Allen: Thank you. So, like we said when we started, we're here at the Freaky Tiki on 44th Street, and we always end our interviews with a quick game.

[21:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: Love it.

[21:14] Kalen Allen: We thought we would incorporate your start of your food bits.

[21:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[21:18] Kalen Allen: With the food at the tiki.

[21:19] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh.

[21:20] Kalen Allen: Food at the tiki.

[21:22] Kalen Allen: Food at the tiki. We're gonna show you food photos on this computer.

[21:28] Kalen Allen: Okay. And we're gonna tell you the ingredients.

[21:30] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[21:30] Kalen Allen: So now the food at the Freaky Tiki have they all have like very interesting, like tropical names.

[21:37] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[21:38] Kalen Allen: So this, the ingredients in this are pineapple, mango salsa, scallions, cilantro, veggie bacos, and chips.

[21:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: What was that last one?

[21:49] Kalen Allen: And cheese.

[21:50] Samantha Tuozzolo: You said what?

[21:51] Kalen Allen: Veggie.

[21:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: Uh-huh.

[21:52] Kalen Allen: Bacon chips.

[21:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: What is that?

[21:55] Kalen Allen: That's it. Is that like fake bacon?

[21:57] Kalen Allen: Bacon bits. I think it might be like veggie chips mixed with bacon bits. I can't be sure. I took it directly from the website.

[22:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: I don't know. What's a nice picture?

[22:09] Kalen Allen: Nice stock image. Gorgeous hand model. What's the name on the menu for this?

[22:12] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm gonna tell you after.

[22:14] Kalen Allen: Oh.

[22:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: You're gonna tell you you're gonna give us what you would name this.

[22:17] Kalen Allen: Okay, and it's gotta be tropical, right? Or whatever your vibe is at the Freaky Tiki that would inspire you to name this item.

[22:26] Kalen Allen: I wanted I don't want to use something queso because I feel like that's Mexican. And this don't give Mexican. Um let me think. Okay, we got tricolor chips.

[22:38] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[22:39] Kalen Allen: Uh-huh. Uh Manqueso.

[22:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: There you go.

[22:46] Kalen Allen: Woo! Alright, freaky tiki. The name on the freaky tiki menu is Tropical Queso.

[22:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[22:56] Kalen Allen: Yeah. Maybe maybe we're doing a rebrand at the Freaky Tiki. No, no offense, Freaky Tiki T.

[22:59] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[23:01] Kalen Allen: We appreciate you. Now we have a video. Can we enter full screen?

[23:04] Samantha Tuozzolo: Are those potato tots?

[23:06] Kalen Allen: Here, Jason's gonna give you the ingredients.

[23:08] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, so the ingredients is beef or veggie chili, cheese sauce, tropical pico, avocado, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos with a little bit of lime.

[23:18] Kalen Allen: This is freaky. Jalapenos on the tater tots with the cheese and the baked bacon.

[23:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: That's not a real baking bitch.

[23:25] Kalen Allen: I don't think so.

[23:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: They don't like pork.

[23:27] Kalen Allen: That looks like a good hangover dish. If I were to say, not that I would know. You know it's got pineapple, right?

[23:33] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, uh, it does have no, it doesn't have pineapple.

[23:36] Kalen Allen: No pineapple on that.

[23:39] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, pickled jalapeno. Who knows what's in the tropical pico?

[23:45] Kalen Allen: Okay, uh, I would call it uh tropotati.

[23:55] Samantha Tuozzolo: Ooh, that's really good.

[24:00] Kalen Allen: It was they called it freaky tots, which is I like yours better again. I like that.

[24:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: They hate us now.

[24:06] Kalen Allen: Hello.

[24:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: They're like, you can never come back here again.

[24:10] Kalen Allen: You are no longer welcome.

[24:11] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, we love a choppitati.

[24:13] Kalen Allen: He's a marketing guy at the heart. Come on.

[24:18] Kalen Allen: I think that's where that comes from. See? Okay, next item.

[24:21] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, the ingredients on this this is battered shrimp with a sweet and spicy orange sauce.

[24:28] Kalen Allen: Okay.

[24:30] Jason A. Coombs: What is that over there?

[24:32] Kalen Allen: What is that? I believe that is still the battered shrimp.

[24:36] Jason A. Coombs: That's a big old shrimp.

[24:38] Kalen Allen: That is a jumbo shrimp, maybe.

[24:40] Jason A. Coombs: That don't like no shrimp.

[24:44] Kalen Allen: Okay. Are you eating this? Did you come over to this stuff?

[24:46] Kalen Allen: I have not eaten this menu item.

[24:49] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[24:50] Kalen Allen: I can't banana shrimp. But I have had the freaky choppatats.

[24:55] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[24:57] Kalen Allen: You know what I'm calling?

[24:59] Kalen Allen: Oh no, that he's a lobster. I was about to say, uh I was about to say Sebastian and France, but he's a crab.

[25:08] Jason A. Coombs: He's a crab.

[25:09] Kalen Allen: Not a lobster. He is, right?

[25:12] Jason A. Coombs: He is the crab.

[25:15] Kalen Allen: You're right about it. I love him. Okay. Um what's that new song they brought in the new little mermaid?

[25:22] Jason A. Coombs: Scuttle butt.

[25:23] Kalen Allen: Yeah. Shrimpy, shrimpy sweet.

[25:25] Jason A. Coombs: Shrimpy sweet.

[25:26] Kalen Allen: Yeah, that's what I'm gonna call it. Shrimpy sweet.

[25:27] Jason A. Coombs: I will say the real name on the menu at the freaky tiki is pretty normal. It's just the shrimp tempura.

[25:32] Kalen Allen: Not that fun.

[25:37] Jason A. Coombs: But I like again, three for three.

[25:40] Kalen Allen: Three for three. Okay. Here we go. They got sushi too.

[25:46] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[25:47] Kalen Allen: They got everything I mean.

[25:48] Jason A. Coombs: They got Mexican.

[25:49] Kalen Allen: They got Asian freaky.

[25:51] Kalen Allen: I clearly get it. The freaky tiki got a lot going on. What is in that?

[25:56] Jason A. Coombs: Teriyaki tofu?

[25:59] Kalen Allen: Yes.

[26:01] Jason A. Coombs: I can't say that.

[26:03] Kalen Allen: Yes. Oh, okay. I'm sorry, my handwriting is bad.

[26:06] Jason A. Coombs: You can't say hand roll.

[26:07] Kalen Allen: I thought that gives it a wave of name.

[26:10] Jason A. Coombs: No, no.

[26:11] Kalen Allen: Is it teriyaki tofu handroll?

[26:14] Jason A. Coombs: Okay. That's not the name though.

[26:16] Kalen Allen: Okay, good. Um that's just the I didn't come up with this game. Sorry.

[26:19] Jason A. Coombs: I did.

[26:20] Kalen Allen: It's a great game.

[26:21] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[26:22] Kalen Allen: Cheers.

[26:23] Jason A. Coombs: Cheers.

[26:25] Kalen Allen: Mmm. I like the flower right there.

[26:30] Kalen Allen: I will say the photography is excellent.

[26:33] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, it's given water.

[26:34] Kalen Allen: The food photography, we gotta give a shout out to whoever this food photographer was.

[26:39] Kalen Allen: Suiki. That's what I'm gonna call.

[26:42] Jason A. Coombs: Tofu musubi.

[26:46] Kalen Allen: Yeah, yeah. I give you four four.

[26:51] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, this is the pineapple upside down cake.

[26:54] Kalen Allen: It is. And so there's that there's no real like fun thing about this. This is what they call it on the menu. And we wanted to end the game saying if you could rename the pineapple upside down cake, what would you rename it?

[27:12] Kalen Allen: Topsy turvy pineapple.

[27:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: Topsy turby pineapple.

[27:16] Kalen Allen: That like you know that song at Halloween when they're like spooky, scary skeleton. Oh, yeah. I want to be like Topsie Turby Pineapple. You don't know it? Where did I sing that at? I find it on Instagram. Oh, it was like a TikTok town. It was like, hold on, I don't want that to fall. It was like, you know, when you uh put like a story up and you can say like spooky music.

[27:38] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, okay.

[27:38] Kalen Allen: It'd be like spooky, scary, skeleton, topsy, turby, pineapple. I'll have to redo it and then maybe insert that here.

[27:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah. Maybe we'll add it to it as a bonus to the Christmas track.

[27:49] Kalen Allen: Yeah, yeah. Christmas album. Yeah, you're gonna build more 100. Topsy turby pineapple.

[27:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh my gosh, thank you so much for engaging with us in that game.

[28:00] Kalen Allen: Cheers.

[28:01] Samantha Tuozzolo: We love to do the cheers. Let's cheers to the game.

[28:03] Kalen Allen: Yes, cheers.

[28:03] Samantha Tuozzolo: End of the interview. Boom boom. And to Elf.

[28:07] Kalen Allen: And to Elf.

[28:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: On the Broadway.

[28:09] Kalen Allen: Broadway.

[28:10] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes. Uh so please go see Elf through January 4th.

[28:13] Kalen Allen: Yes.

[28:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: At the Marquis Theater.

[28:15] Kalen Allen: Yes.

[28:15] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes. Get to the city. Tickets are available.

[28:17] Kalen Allen: Yes, please.

[28:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: And we are not lying to you people when we say it gets you in the Christmas spirit.

[28:21] Kalen Allen: It so does.

[28:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: Before we let you go, if you could you please drop your Instagram handle or anything on social media where the followers can follow you if they don't already, which they probably do.

[28:32] Kalen Allen: Well, that makes it very easy. You can find me at the Kalen Allen on all platforms. And if you don't follow us, follow us at Survival Jobs Pod on Instagram and TikTok. Survival Jobs a podcast on Facebook.

[28:43] Samantha Tuozzolo: And give us an email.

[28:44] Kalen Allen: Yeah, I don't know why we sell Facebook.

[28:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: Do you have a Facebook?

[28:47] Kalen Allen: Yeah.

[28:47] Samantha Tuozzolo: He has a Facebook.

[28:48] Kalen Allen: Brandon King, come on.

[28:50] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes. I got it all. We gotta follow.

[28:52] Kalen Allen: Okay.

[28:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: And go see Elf.

[28:56] Kalen Allen: Go see Elf.

[28:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Sparkle Twinkle Jingle Jolly, baby.

[28:59] Kalen Allen: Topsy turby pineapple.

[29:01] Samantha Tuozzolo: There you go. Jingle Jingle.

[29:03] Kalen Allen: Thank you so much.

[29:04] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you so much. This was so much fun.