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[0:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi everybody, welcome to Survival Jobs, a podcast in collaboration with Broadway World and the Broadway Podcast Network.

[0:14] Jason A. Coombs: We're here at the Welcome to Times Square Studio, kicking off 2026 with a literal iconic guest.

[0:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi Jason, happy new year.

[0:23] Jason A. Coombs: Happy New Year, happy 2026.

[0:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: Can you believe I like living in the Twilight Zone?

[0:28] Jason A. Coombs: Like what, how is it the new year?

[0:31] Samantha Tuozzolo: Girl, oh no, it's wild.

[0:33] Jason A. Coombs: I can't believe it's 2026.

[0:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: Big wild, and we started this podcast in 2021.

[0:41] Jason A. Coombs: So on season three.

[0:42] Samantha Tuozzolo: That's so funny, I know.

[0:44] Jason A. Coombs: Well, we move slow, and our seasons are long, and you know what? That's why we're unique, baby.

[0:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: Right, right.

[0:49] Jason A. Coombs: How are you? What's going on? How are we feeling? How are we doing? What's your temperature check?

[0:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: Well, you know, the world's just a dumpster fire, you know.

[0:57] Jason A. Coombs: We don't have to get into it, but we do know that.

[1:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: You know, it's not getting better, so I do know that.

[1:04] Jason A. Coombs: You know, hopefully the year will take a turn.

[1:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: Just like in Kimberly Akimbo, they say it always takes a turn.

[1:06] Jason A. Coombs: Oh.

[1:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: It always takes a turn.

[1:11] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[1:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: You're so optimistic. I love that.

[1:14] Jason A. Coombs: What are you looking forward to the most this year?

[1:19] Samantha Tuozzolo: That's a really good question.

[1:20] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[1:21] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, not dying.

[1:24] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[1:24] Samantha Tuozzolo: I love that.

[1:26] Jason A. Coombs: Because as we know, you could die, like at a pin drop.

[1:31] Samantha Tuozzolo: So I'm looking forward to that for you as well.

[1:33] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[1:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm looking forward for that to you as well. What about you? What are you looking forward to?

[1:36] Jason A. Coombs: Well, a lot of things. You know, I'm feeling good. I started off the new year. Uh, as we know for our faithful listeners, I did launch my own events company called Toots and Cops.

[1:47] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes.

[1:47] Jason A. Coombs: And I started off the new year with my first event.

[1:51] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh.

[1:52] Jason A. Coombs: And not my first event, but like my first event where I was lead.

[1:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Lead on, and I worked with a very close friend of mine, Jacob Stuckelman.

[2:02] Jason A. Coombs: Shout out.

[2:02] Samantha Tuozzolo: And shout out to his new company, Regular People. Um, they are working in the Broadway community, producing, helping with content, doing a lot of wonderful things.

[2:11] Jason A. Coombs: So shout out to Regular People.

[2:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: I was so honored to be your planner. We had a really iconic party at the Rosevale Cocktail Room on the second floor of the Civilian Hotel.

[2:22] Jason A. Coombs: If you guys have never been to this space and you love Broadway, you've got to go to this room, this cocktail bar.

[2:28] Samantha Tuozzolo: They have Broadway memorabilia spread throughout. The drinks are good, the space is beautiful.

[2:34] Jason A. Coombs: It's like a perfect space for the winter as well, because like very cozy.

[2:38] Samantha Tuozzolo: I love that.

[2:39] Jason A. Coombs: And intimate, and the staff is great. And I just, we had a really good event, and so I just wanted to shout out Jacob and Regular People and Andrew, his partner, and the Rosevale Cocktail Room for being so wonderful, and it was such a great venue.

[2:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: And I guess that's what I'm looking forward to. I'm looking forward to my company and seeing if I can make it happen, you know?

[3:01] Jason A. Coombs: You are making it happen.

[3:02] Samantha Tuozzolo: But we're off to a good start, so that's pretty fun.

[3:04] Jason A. Coombs: That's pretty fun. Um, how about our guest today, Jay?

[3:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: I can't even. I'm so excited.

[3:11] Jason A. Coombs: Did we say who it is? Did we say who it is?

[3:12] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, guys, we're talking to Wayne Brady today, which is so iconic. He's currently in the Broadway production of All Out, directed by Alex Timbers.

[3:20] Jason A. Coombs: So it's a rotating cast. So Wayne's only performing until January 18th.

[3:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: So if you guys are listening to this, you have about a week, hurry up. Get your tickets and go see it.

[3:32] Jason A. Coombs: And so I was there on opening night. Wayne was not in the cast yet.

[3:36] Samantha Tuozzolo: And it's just such a fun night at the theater. You know, these are brilliant comedians reading hysterical, hysterical stories.

[3:44] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[3:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: That are just so out of the box that you're saying the world's dumpster fire, and this is like the perfect escape because you're going and you're talking about talking horses.

[3:53] Jason A. Coombs: I think that was one of the stories.

[3:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, so it's just like a really nice escape, and it's super, super fun and funny.

[3:58] Jason A. Coombs: I love that. I can't wait to see it.

[4:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, Jay, you gotta get over there.

[4:02] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[4:02] Samantha Tuozzolo: What theater is it at?

[4:03] Jason A. Coombs: Great question. Alan?

[4:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: I know. It's at the Nederlander Theatre.

[4:08] Jason A. Coombs: Oh.

[4:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: Shout out to where I saw Rent.

[4:10] Jason A. Coombs: That is where you saw Rent and also where we saw Redwood.

[4:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, see Redwood.

[4:16] Jason A. Coombs: But it is at the Nederlander.

[4:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: So if you're commuting from Grand Central, it's a super quick walk. You guys just have to like hop, skip, and jump over to the Nederlander until January 18th to see our boy Wayne Brady.

[4:26] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah. Cheers to that, babe.

[4:27] Samantha Tuozzolo: Cheers to that.

[4:29] Jason A. Coombs: Why?

[4:30] Samantha Tuozzolo: I think it's bad luck.

[4:31] Jason A. Coombs: Who said that?

[4:32] Samantha Tuozzolo: Isn't that a thing, Alan?

[4:33] Jason A. Coombs: No.

[4:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: Alan says he doesn't know.

[4:34] Jason A. Coombs: I'm cheered.

[4:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: I don't think it's bad luck. I think it's good luck because we're making our own roles. Welcome to Times Square.com, baby.

[4:40] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[4:41] Samantha Tuozzolo: All right. Anything else you want to chat about before we slide into our episode?

[4:45] Jason A. Coombs: Maybe just say how like special Wayne Brady is. Like he's really like an iconic, just like a monumental person, especially like all the barriers he broke as like a Black man in entertainment.

[4:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Like I just think it's just so exciting. And usually we do the mic check after. I'm not sure if y'all know that. We usually do mic check after we interview, but today we're doing it before.

[5:04] Jason A. Coombs: So I'm like still like a little nervous and excited and like I don't know. It's gonna be a good one.

[5:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah. I um, I have some family members that are definitely gonna be gagged.

[5:13] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, about this one because they were like big fans of, you know, Whose Line Is It Anyway? I think that was like our family show.

[5:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: I think we used to sit and watch Whose Line Is It Anyway.

[5:21] Jason A. Coombs: Can you believe that's like almost 30 years ago?

[5:24] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, it's not.

[5:24] Jason A. Coombs: That's insane.

[5:25] Samantha Tuozzolo: Three zero?

[5:26] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, I think it was like 1999.

[5:27] Samantha Tuozzolo: It worked 2026. I guess 27 years ago.

[5:31] Jason A. Coombs: That's crazy.

[5:31] Samantha Tuozzolo: To the point that like I took my aunt who is not a, she doesn't travel.

[5:35] Jason A. Coombs: Rosie?

[5:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, thank you. Shout out to Aunt Rosie, though.

[5:37] Jason A. Coombs: That's sweet.

[5:38] Samantha Tuozzolo: My Aunt Sissy, who isn't, she doesn't like to travel out of Connecticut, you know. But she had to see Wayne Brady in Kinky Boots.

[5:45] Jason A. Coombs: So I took her to Kinky Boots and she kept being like, my boy, my boy.

[5:49] Samantha Tuozzolo: So she's gonna be super gagged.

[5:51] Jason A. Coombs: Yes. Aunt Sissy.

[5:55] Samantha Tuozzolo: All right, guys. Well, wish us luck and enjoy this episode.

[5:58] Jason A. Coombs: Happy New Year.

[5:59] Samantha Tuozzolo: Happy New Year, bitches.

[6:06] Jason A. Coombs: Great.

[6:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: But we rolling.

[6:08] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[6:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: I love to be rolling.

[6:10] Jason A. Coombs: They see me rolling.

[6:12] Samantha Tuozzolo: No hated.

[6:13] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[6:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: So we have to make up a song for you. And I thought, I thought it was one of yours. And I was like.

[6:16] Jason A. Coombs: We don't know if you've done it, and I'm just, it's in my head. But I was going, I'm Wayne Brady, yes, I'm the real Brady.

[6:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: All you other Wayne Brady's are just stimulating.

[6:25] Jason A. Coombs: So won't the real Wayne Brady please stand up? Won't the real Wayne Brady please stand up? Please stand up. Please stand up.

[6:32] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes, I'm Wayne Brady.

[6:33] Jason A. Coombs: And I was like, I was like, I've done that.

[6:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[6:36] Jason A. Coombs: Okay. Because it did hit me that my name did rhyme with Shady.

[6:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[6:40] Jason A. Coombs: And I was like, how can I miss this book?

[6:43] Samantha Tuozzolo: So I must have just in 2005. I must have just heard it in 2005.

[6:47] Jason A. Coombs: Yep, and it came back.

[6:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: But it's a good one. And I thought I made it up.

[6:50] Jason A. Coombs: Hey, hey. Here we go.

[6:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: Ready?

[6:53] Jason A. Coombs: What?

[6:53] Samantha Tuozzolo: What?

[6:53] Jason A. Coombs: Is that Wayne Brady?

[6:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Just in my taking.

[7:00] Jason A. Coombs: Please stand up. Please stand up. I'm Wayne Brady, as I'm the real Brady. I don't know Wayne Brady's I don't wanna stand on a painting.

[7:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: I won't thought we are Wayne Brady, stand up. What? Stand up. Hey, please stand up.

[7:12] Jason A. Coombs: Now, right now, this is for all the people sitting home, you slobs. Here I am talking about survival jobs.

[7:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes, I got a mic in my hand, and I'm going to spit words that you don't understand. We're gonna talk about my career, things that are done. Maybe even laugh a little, have some fun, giggle a bit, maybe have a gaffal, it'd be the best podcast y'all saw. Cause I'm the real brain.

[7:31] Jason A. Coombs: Hey!

[7:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hey, hey, hey, hey, all right, that's a wrap.

[7:39] Jason A. Coombs: Thanks for the game.

[7:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you so much for joining us.

[7:50] Wayne Brady: Thank you so much for the first time. We're so, so thrilled to have you on.

[7:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: I was telling Jason. I'll change that.

[7:56] Wayne Brady: Okay.

[7:56] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you. I'll be waiting. I was telling everybody before I have a couple of family members who are going to be gagged, especially my Aunt Sissy, so shout-out.

[8:03] Wayne Brady: Gagged and gooped.

[8:04] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes. Um, before we get started in the interview, I have a gift. We have a gift for you. I attended the opening night of All Out, and they were giving some cookies, and I don't know if you got one.

[8:14] Wayne Brady: No, but I collected two of your face.

[8:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh my god.

[8:18] Wayne Brady: One for you, one for Will.

[8:19] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh yes. I don't know if you want to eat it.

[8:23] Wayne Brady: You know what? I will keep it. Because this is the first time that I've spoken about this in public. Now, I am not a, I'd be lying because we're actors. Right. So of course there's a certain measure of vanity, right? Oh, you hate the photo.

[8:41] Wayne Brady: But, but, but I also do comedy and one rule in comedy, there is no vanity in comedy. Right. So I'm constantly at war between the guy that always strives to be a leading man, but then like, oh, I'm funny and I can make him laugh. When I saw this picture, this is the first time I've spoken about this publicly, and maybe it'll get back to the artist. I think caricature, it is a beautiful, it is meant to emphasize the fun parts of you, what not, why is my head so goddamn big? And not just my head. If you look at the entirety of the picture that they use on at the theater, I'm like what's the care, what's the gentleman? There's Laurel and Hardy. So Oliver, who was the bigger one? Hardy. You know how his whole thing was he would do this, and he wore the suit that was tied together with a button.

He's like, whoo! That's what my body looks like on top of that big head. So whomever drew this wonderful caricature artist. Love the art. Yeah. But to them, you emphasize I got a great smile, but I have a big ass head, and my suits were so tight that my hands are like, hello, welcome to the comedy show. I would gladly pay you tomorrow for the burger today. So I do take umbrage with that because, well, I, you know what? I don't look like that. No, but I do love the fact that my name is on that, my face is on a cookie, because that is something that not everyone gets, and I'm in a kick-ass show on Broadway. So it's a win. Shout out to All Out.

[10:25] Samantha Tuozzolo: I have a confession.

[10:26] Wayne Brady: Yes.

[10:27] Samantha Tuozzolo: I did get three for you. I did eat one.

[10:29] Wayne Brady: Oh, that's okay.

[10:31] Samantha Tuozzolo: I ate your face.

[10:33] Wayne Brady: No.

[10:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, we're closer.

[10:35] Wayne Brady: Thank you.

[10:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: It was really good. Did you have a piece of my face?

[10:37] Wayne Brady: No diseases.

[10:38] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, she didn't share with me.

[10:39] Wayne Brady: No diseases.

[10:41] Samantha Tuozzolo: I have no diseases and I did eat your face. Um, we have so much to talk about with All Out and your amazing Broadway career and survival jobs, of course.

[10:50] Wayne Brady: Oh, I love first. I just want to congratulate you all on it's so hard in the podcast world. I've got a podcast, everybody in their mama's got a podcast. That's true. It's about finding a thing that people like. And I like what you've done. I've listened to past episodes now, what once I knew I was coming on. Oh my gosh. This is such a unique piece. And even if you're not an actor, I think listening to people talk about where they've been is always such a good thing, especially in this hard town that when someone's like, oh no, I'm gonna be stuck here as a barista forever. It's like, no, you know what? Just stick it out.

[11:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: Right.

[11:26] Wayne Brady: So, so thank you for this.

[11:27] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you. I really appreciate that.

[11:29] Wayne Brady: Yeah, we've been doing this. We were just talking before we hit record that we've been doing this for since 2021. It was our little pandemic project.

[11:36] Samantha Tuozzolo: And now we're here in Times Square Studios.

[11:38] Wayne Brady: Welcome to TimesSquareStudios.com.

[11:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: Come on now. With a cookie of my face.

[11:43] Wayne Brady: Yes. And I was just saying, like, it's such an honor to sit with you because you are such a groundbreaking human being. Like all the ceilings you broke as a Black man and as someone who's admired you for 30, 30 years.

[11:56] Wayne Brady: 30?

[11:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Have I been on TV 30 years?

[11:59] Wayne Brady: Don't age me now.

[12:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah. No, I haven't been on TV for 30 years.

[12:02] Wayne Brady: Close.

[12:02] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm 30, three decades. I started Who's Line, the British version in '98 the last season, and then we were on ABC in '99.

[12:12] Wayne Brady: So it's almost what this is 20. So 27 years on TV, but I've been in show business like an overnight success. I was, I started Who's Line when I was 26. I started acting at 16.

[12:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: Wow.

[12:27] Wayne Brady: So I've got lots of the survival jobs to talk to, to talk about. So it was 10 years and overnight success of busted my butt and feeling just like the people that we talk about. It's like what's happening, God? What's up? Please.

[12:42] Samantha Tuozzolo: So let's go back to that. Let's, we have a memorable survival job that when you think back, just like either gets you excited or makes you cringe. Any embarrassing moments you want to share with us?

[12:50] Wayne Brady: I've got a bit of both, but I will say that my journey, I'm a little, I love my survival jobs more, I think, than other people did.

[13:02] Samantha Tuozzolo: That's important.

[13:03] Wayne Brady: Yeah. Because I was very blessed. I grew up in Orlando, Florida, and uh, home of Disney World and strip malls, right?

[13:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes.

[13:09] Wayne Brady: Um, but growing up in Orlando in the same incubator that gave us Backstreet, um, InSync.

[13:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes, LFO, um, and O-Town.

[13:21] Wayne Brady: Um, which I've known Joey Fatone and Howie Dorough since they were in junior high.

[13:31] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh my god.

[13:32] Wayne Brady: And I was in, and I just graduated high school. So growing up in there, it was such an amazing time to grow up because my survival jobs there were theme parks to work at, uh, dinner theaters, um, uh, tourist attractions.

[13:47] Samantha Tuozzolo: So my, so my first real job was, was, uh, I was 14 and I was selling, I was a door-to-door salesperson for summer, selling car wash kits door to door in the back of this. Now in hindsight, my mother should have never let me get in the back the back area of the truck of this guy who came to my neighborhood, a predominantly Black neighborhood.

[14:13] Wayne Brady: So in his mind, he's like, Oh, let me go take advantage of the disadvantaged kids and pile us in the back of a beat-up truck, take us to nice neighborhoods.

[14:23] Jason A. Coombs: Any seat belts in that truck?

[14:25] Wayne Brady: Nope.

[14:25] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[14:26] Wayne Brady: It was gravity and how well you can fight it.

[14:30] Jason A. Coombs: Got it.

[14:31] Wayne Brady: And I went to neighborhoods like Bahill in Orlando and go door to door. Hi, my name is Wayne, and I'm raising money for a rec center in downtown Orlando for disadvantaged kids that look like me. Would you like to buy this box of chocolates and a car wash kit or maybe a Barbie doll? And nine times out of ten, they didn't want the stuff, but I have to admit I was very charming. Yeah, so they would give me the stuff, and then I would give him my paycheck, and in return, he would take us to Burger King.

[14:59] Jason A. Coombs: That's America.

[15:00] Wayne Brady: Oh no, so you didn't even get a cut.

[15:03] Wayne Brady: Oh, yeah, we got a cut. He's like, I'm giving you guys a dollar. We sold that stuff for $15.

[15:09] Jason A. Coombs: Oh my god. Did you at least get a real meal at Burger King and not a kid's meal?

[15:13] Wayne Brady: No, we got a kid's meal. We got a kid's meal. But then I was lucky because every job past that was always in entertainment. Always. My first real fun job was I got hired as a character at Walt Disney World to do the Christmas parade. I was a toy soldier. I still remember the choreography. And I was a friend of Tigger and Goofy. Oh my god. And Baloo the Bear. And it was some of my earliest experience doing improvisation, being able to tell stories without speaking. And it was wonderful training. My whole dream was I grew up in the Shadow of Disney. I wanted nothing more in this world than to be a kid of the kingdom. Which, if you know what a kid of the kingdom is, it's one of the singer dancers at the park.

They dance in front of a forecourt in front of the castle. I was like, I want to dress in that white outfit, I want to do pot of berets all day. And I want to sing because that's all that it the Disney choreography back then was pot of beret, arm, arm, arm. And then when they were like, oh, now it's hip hop, they would spin their arms. Oh, still do a pot of it. I'm gonna do that. So that was my whole goal. And I was a character. I did the electric light parade. I did the Easter parade, I did special events for them. I was a singer in a show called Memory Lane that was on property. Oh wow, and then I got cast for a show called Rap and Roll, which was that was my dream. And I got fired one day before rehearsal.

[16:49] Jason A. Coombs: No. Why?

[16:51] Wayne Brady: It's a sordid tale. Okay, you're only gonna hear my side of it, of course. But I blame it all on Chris Judd, who if you know the name Chris Judd.

[17:01] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, I love him.

[17:02] Wayne Brady: He's J Lo's, he's one of J Lo's ex-husbands. But that's just what his real job was brilliant at amazing choreographer. Chris Judd and I were best friends when we were at Disney for two years, we hung out day and night. That was my dude. Yeah, we used to come up with choreography, hip hop choreography. We would do our shifts during the day, then go to Pleasure Island, the Disney nightclub, and we would dance, and we would do two man kid and play things. We were great. Then Chris, who had amazing hair, never wanted to be in character outfits because he just wanted to have his face shown. Because he's like, Look at this face. This face deserves to be shown. I was like, I agree with you, Chris. You're a very good looking dude.

He's like, hey, I've got this shift that's goofy. I really don't want to go in. Do you want to take it? And a brother always wanted extra shifts. I live that Disney. Pay me. Yeah. So it's like, sure, I'll take it. So, but I swapped out to do a Tigger set instead. As I'm in line, and let me stress to you the joy that being a character at the park brought me. It was my first taste of I wasn't famous, or no one knew my name, but they knew Tigger, and the kids loved him in that love. My face would hurt at the end of the day because I'm making the face that Tigger made it. I'm smiling and dancing and just doing the whole thing. I loved it. I love it. That's sweet. Hey kids, I'm doing the whole thing, and there's a line.

Of course, because it's Tigger. Yeah. It's a whole line. I'm hugging kids. We're taking the photos. And then now, as a character, which I still feel some of this to this day, because there are some people that because they love you so much, you are a Disney character to them, so they don't care about you as the person that will just grab you, slap you, pinch you, punch you. So it's like so I have to turn because the mouth's here. Like so I'm signaling to get to the back of the line. Yeah. Which actually my handler should have been doing. But this person, then it's like really laying in to me. So I say to kid, and I turn, like, and she, the mom, is holding a child's career. She goes, Tigger. Tigger, I need you to take a picture with my son.

And I'm like, I rub his head because it's not your fault. And I look at her, I'm like it's to it's time to go to the back time. These people, they've been waiting. Yeah. So you get in line. Need to go to the back of the line and wait. Right. Turn back around.

[19:58] Jason A. Coombs: Huh?

[19:58] Wayne Brady: Oh my god, so then this was an early stage carry.

[20:07] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[20:05] Wayne Brady: This was Karen and the like the original, yeah.

[20:07] Jason A. Coombs: This is the OG.

[20:09] Wayne Brady: The kid doesn't even care.

[20:10] Jason A. Coombs: No, this kid is a kid.

[20:13] Wayne Brady: I made it up. He's like, hi Tigger. He's speaking words. It's like Tigger. Hi Tigger. Clearly went to a good school. So now, then she hits me with you're gonna be sorry, Tigger.

[20:27] Jason A. Coombs: Oh my god, okay.

[20:30] Wayne Brady: Woohoo! And I go back to and I go back to Tigger and Tigger. When I get offset, I'm walking to because that's what it's offset backstage. Yeah, yeah. I'm walking to the character step, step down. I'm taking my stuff off back there. They want you in the supervisor's office.

[20:56] Jason A. Coombs: Oh no.

[20:57] Wayne Brady: Now mind you, Wayne Brady, never in trouble. Right. Because when I got hired, which, if any of my Disney friends that still work, work there after all these years, or folks from Orlando know me. They knew that my whole goal once I was hired there was A, I was gonna be a kid of the kingdom or be in a show, or I wanted to be known because there were rankings. I was like, I'm going to be either the number one goofy or the number one tigger. I know some of you may be laughing at me right now, but you know what? Goals is gold. Goals is goals. You gotta be the best at whatever you want. You have to be the best at whatever. Goals is goals. So I said, oh no, I'm gonna be number one. I made that promise the first day that I got hired at the character university, that the little training that they put you through.

I was like, oh, is it possible to be number? Okay, cool. Right. That'll be and I was like three. In six months, I was three. Wow. So almost to one. So you want me to go to sure, I'll go to supervisor's office. What and long story made short, I sit down and basically I'm hit with we have a report that you were unruly towards a guest and you pinched a child. Now, if any of you, my friends in the audience have ever worked at the park. You got yeah, Tigger's hands are mittens. It's not that you can't pinch with mittens, but they were like, oh yeah, there's a we have pictures. How'd you get pictures as fast? Right. Keep in mind this is to what what nine this is 90? Oh no, this is this is 89. So we didn't have the camera phones, you're like, right here.

No, so how'd you get a picture? And develop it? Tell me immediately that I pinched a kid. So, first off, I was already very dubious about the whole thing. Yeah, I was like, how did I do that? I have padded mittens, so if I did pinch him, I would I would have had to grab him and you would see marks here, not a pinch. So I said, so what kind of pinch? Well, in the pictures, it's a pinch. I said, Oh, okay, well, I didn't. I absolutely did not. Well, besides that, you were unruly. And who well, who was I unruly to? I'd be glad it turns out the person that I was unruly to, the Tigger you'll see, was a character supervisor that I'd never met. She brought her child into the park that day. And she wanted to use her powers to have the picture taken.

Right. So I stood, I was like, well, you know what? I don't apologize. She was cutting the line. She was cutting the line. I wasn't trying. And she said that you were trying to get out of there fast because you showed her you mimed a watch. I said, oh no, no, no, no, no. I mimed the watch and pointed to her getting to the back of the line because she was jumping. Right. Now I'm talking calmly about this right now, but put yourself in the shoes of 18-year-old Wayne who wants to be a kid of the kingdom. And you're accusing me of this thing. I've never been in trouble in my life, and you're telling me that I'm the Oh my god, it was a whole thing. And they said, Well, we have to put you on a mandatory suspension until this is reviewed.

[24:14] Jason A. Coombs: What?

[24:15] Wayne Brady: And at that time, whenever you were on a mandatory suspension, you were gonna be fired. I knew it was gonna be fired. And the one pitiful thing that I This is bullshit. As I'm leaving the office, I turn Q strings. I turn like still be able to rehearse for rap and roll. I start rehearsals on Mondays. And they just get back to writing. No. Okay, I was angry and hated everybody there. And B, I wanted to kick Chris Judd's. Did you want to choke? Okay. I wanted to choke a bitch. I want to choke a bitch. But everything happens for a reason. Which is why I want you all to know that your survival job, it all happens for a reason, and there's a season. So keep on believing. So I was fired because of that.

I was really comfortable at Disney. I loved it. I saw a whole life where I was gonna become number one ticker, and then I'd be in the rap and roll show, and then I could be a kid of the kingdom. Ooh, and then I could do special events for them. Then maybe I'd do that. But so but the whole thing was limited in scope. Right. Once I was fired, it forced me to go, well, well, well, what do you really want? I was like, well, I do want to be on stage, and I really want to perform, perform. I just don't want to be at the park. And then I got hired at the Mark II dinner theater there. I was Richie in course line. Yeah, and I started doing a couple of the shows, and I was like, okay, this is what I really want to do.

I got my equity card, and then I got hired at Universal Studios in 1990, and I opened the park. I was a Ghostbuster. I was Winston Zedmore, the Black Ghostbuster. Surprise! Shout out to Ernie. The shout out to Ernie Hudson. I love Ernie Hudson. Great. I was a break dancer at the park because your boy was a B-boy and dancer back in the day. Um, and I did gosh, I did so many shows at Universal. It was kind of my college in terms of that. And at the same time, I was working at a theater called Sack Theater, which is where I got involved in improvisation and sketch, learning that muscle. And I wouldn't have done those things if I would have still been deeply immersed in the Disney culture because it was all I wanted.

So I needed that to take me out. Right. And just a little bit of a preaching for anybody listening. This next generation, I feel like I'm the old man waving my fist. It's not just about social media, it helps. Social media is amazing, and I need to up my presence. So shout out to y'all doing that. But there is no experience like real life experience. And I tell this to my daughter, who is a performer as well. Get on a cruise ship, do a dinner theater, do sing at a quincene era, sing at kids' parties, do stand-up at Dave and Buster's, go to the Chuckle Hut in Indiana for 20 people. Do whatever you do, do it in front of people. It's the only way that you're going to become good at it. Don't be precious at first.

Well, that's not cool enough. Bitch, nobody knows you. No one knows you. This is the best time to do it all. No one knows you, and all you're gonna get is experience. Right. So I did everything. I'm not saying it's by some grand design, I just wanted to be on stage. It was all I wanted to do. Right. So I said, if you give me a shot, I'm gonna do it. So I did the theme park, I did the cruise ships, I was a cruise ship singer and dancer out of Port Everglades in Florida. My first cruise ship job. I was dance captain in this other ship, and I did a bunch of musical reviews and industrial stuff until I had my SAG card, my equity card, my agva card, and a little bit of money in the bank.

[28:26] Wayne Brady: That's when I left Orlando. And then I went to go work at Six Flags over Mid America in uh in Missouri in Eureka, Missouri, moved out to Las Vegas, worked at the MGM Grand when there was a theme park there back in the day when they were trying to make Vegas Disney friendly, but they realized that they liked uh boobies more than Mickey Mouse. Um I was a singer dancer there in a show produced by Legends in Concert. That's where I learned to do impressions. Wow. And uh then I moved to LA and I worked at Universal Studios there in the Beetlejuice show. I was also I worked for a company called Characters Kids Love, where I dressed up for 50 bucks to play kids' parties. I was Tigger? No. Did Tigger make a reprise?

No, because they didn't own the rights. Okay. So but they did let me be the Black Power Ranger. Yeah. So I was the Black Space Frontiersman. And one time I showed up at a kids' party in my Toyota Corolla with a boom box, set it up with the thing, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom. Had a whole little thing. I don't do any martial arts, but I got out there like kicking and dancing, doing the wave and whatnot, doing this whole show. And then these kids, it was in this neighborhood by LAX. So any of you that are from California. This I just remember that the guy, um, the dad, big dude, um in a tank top, they're enjoying all of the kids are there. And then I go up to him and I say before we even start, it's like sir, uh, as soon as we as I finish and we do the cake, that's when I'm gonna come to you for payment.

So don't worry about it now. I just wanted to tell you now that's how it goes out right. And he's like, uh, okay, cool. All right, dude. That's cool, dude. Right. So I go out, ding, ding, dude, do my little punch, yeah, break dancing thing. I jump up, I'm like, ha, never use martial arts for evil. Remember, we're all heroes. One of the kids is like, you don't know no martial arts fool. Like that's that's not true. And before I got that's not true, little son of a gun kicked me, and another one, one of his friends did like a superman jump like and tried to hit me. Like these 12-year-olds trying to take a look at the city. Because they were big Power Rangers fans. They're like, well, if you're really a party.

I just I was 23. Okay. I was like, what is happening? So I'm trying to fend off these kids trying to fight me with us. Like, ah, okay, great. It's time for the cake. So I go to the dad. Like, um, yeah, so it's cake time. Uh, how about we settle up now? He's like, nah, bro, you suck. No way. I'm a black belt, and you don't know no martial arts, bro. No. I was like, well, knowing martial arts is not a prerequisite. I mean, I just did the show. I did the whole thing. It's like, nah. Oh no. And it was just one of those days that we all get as actors when it had been building that week. Yeah. I'd been building. I was behind on my rent. I had just tanked three auditions in a row. I felt bad because my girlfriend was moving out to be with me in Los Angeles, and I promised her dad, I'll take care of your little girl.

And this son of a gun is gonna look me in my visored face and tell me that he's not going to pay me. I went, okay. Thank you so much, sir. Is there a place that I can change? Yeah, go around back. Yes, thanks, sir. Went around back. The back, they had the picnic table, and there was the cake. I was like, you know what? Wayne deserves a cake. Wayne. Wayne deserves a cake. I think Wayne deserves a cake. Wayne about to cut a cake. No, Wayne about to take a cake. I took their multi-tiered birthday cake and ran to my Corolla in the clutching my boom box in the costume with a cake with the dad and his boys yelling at me. I hopped in my car and sped off and hopped on the 405. So somewhere there is a young man now of 30 with a memory.

No birthday cake. With no birthday cake. It was me. And it's oh little Juanito. So don't blame me. And trauma for blame to papa. Yes. That's on your daddy. Trauma for the Power Ranger or whatever he was called, not knowing any martial arts either. I'm sitting in my car driving in a spandex outfit, scooping cake as a cake never tasted so good. I hate Los Angeles. You're like, this cake can't pay the rent. This cake can't pay the rent, but it makes me feel so good right now. Can you make that into a movie? I am going to make all my survival stories into a sitcom. You need to add to the I was just gonna say, I don't think we've ever we've never had that descriptive of survival job. Yes. Survival jobs passed, so thank you.

I feel like I'm in that yard. I'll like visualize this dad. Juanito. Yeah, fuck that dad. Fuck that dad. Juanito. Juanito. One day I'm just hoping that at one of my live live shows, because I let the audience give me suggestions and they write it down. And I also say, write down whatever question you want. So I promise I'll answer it with 100% honesty. And I'm just waiting for why'd you take my kid's cake, bro? That's amazing. He knows why his bitch ass is so good. Thank you so much for the wide range of survival jobs. It's so amazing. But also, like it's very important for our listeners to hear. Like, look at all this shit you had to do to get to where you are. And that's, you know, also why we started this to remember the importance of trusting where you are in your journey.

Um, you said a couple of times, like it was always the stage, it was always the stage. You know, you've had such an amazing career from you know whose line and multiple hosting gigs to now your amazing Broadway resume. Was it always was Broadway always the goal? And then all these other things happened along the way. Absolutely. Talk about how it all happened. Broadway was always the goal. You know, growing up in my neighborhood of Tangelo Park in Orlando, um, it's not Oh, that's shout out to uh to Andy Sandberg and Lonely Island. Yes! Like a boss. Like a boss. This is my family. Wait, what a second. Pick it up. Pick it up. Hey, Sonny. You're live. I need chopping chips. Oh, are you doing chips?

Um Uncle is doing a podcast right now. See? Look. Hey! And that's my best friend and my ex-wife, Mandy. Oh my business partner. Yeah. You're live. And that's her son, Sonny. Sonny! This is this is the girlfriend that I was crying about being able to take care of when that guy screwed me on my Power Ranger stuff. And he stole the cake. And she has been my loyal best friend and just my rock since we moved to Los Angeles 30 years ago. This is my family right here. Shout out. This is a podcast called Survival Jobs. And so we're talking about jobs that we did pre pre-TV. Oh, you have many. We just heard them all. We'll break the leg. I can't wait to hear it. Thanks, Hun. I love you all. Bye. I love that.

Love that cameo. Yeah, man. Everything I do, I do for my family the family. Broadway was always the goal because Broadway in my mind, which that's the beautiful thing about being young, right? Like when you're young, no one has really shit on your dreams much yet. Unless you're from a really horrible household, and from the time you're born, you're like, no boy, you're shit. Then then that's different. Then you need a lot of things. Your mom is like precious. Yeah, mom is like, yeah, daddy wasn't shit. I ain't shit. You ain't gonna be shit. So, but I did not grow up in that household. I grew up in a beautiful uh my family's from um uh St. Thomas and St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, and I was first generation in the States.

So if you know anything about island people, we are a positive people and we are work forward people. Mama Jamaican and we get Lord of Mercy. So we okay, so we get it done, right? So that's the environment that I grew up in. I didn't know about TV. Growing up, to be on TV, you might as well tell me, well, you're gonna go to the moon. Like, I don't know how that happens. That I can't do that. Yeah, but when I saw it, it was a mixture of I grew up idolizing Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Danny Kay, so very odd, Gene Kelly. Yeah, so when I would see people on a stage, even though it was on a movie musical or anything, it was a stage. I could wrap my mind around that because I could go someplace and be on a stage, I guess.

Yeah, right. So I was like, I want to be like those guys. I want to sing like Sammy Davis Jr. And I want to do impressions. I don't want to act. I want to do those things. How do I do that? And then I got my answer. When I saw Ben Vereen, who is Ben is my callin' pop. Yeah. That is my that is my spirit animal. He uh I've been blessed for the past 20 years to be able to call him fam the family. And I tell him every day how much he means to me. And he always comes out to see my shows and says, son, I'm so proud. Knock him into existence. But I saw Ben in Pippin, and then I also saw the cast of Ain't Misbehavin' on PBS. Oh, yes. Andre DeShields, Ken Page, Iconic. Amelia, oh my God. I just blanked.

I'm so sorry. God. I won't get it. Charlene Woodard and Nell Carter. And I saw that cast and I went, oh, you look like me. Yes. And you're on. Oh, I'm doing that. All roads. So what do I do to achieve that goal? Now that being said, it was years before I let anybody know that I could sing. I was cooking, as the kids say. Thank you. Um Armelia McQueen. Shout out to Miss Amelia McQueen. Thank you. God bless her. Thank you, Will. Um nobody knew. It's just it's the typical thing, especially in back then. It's easier now because it's cool to be a black nerd. Like to be a blurred, it's great. And Tyler the creator says that he's a blurred, and and you have hip hop that it crosses over. Just a blurred con.

Blurred con. Um, I just spoke at Comic-Con and Gabe gave a talk called Young Gifted and Whack about being a black nerd and what representation of the nerd culture means. But we didn't have that shit in the 80s. Yeah. We had you don't look or talk like me, you talk funny. So I learned very early on, which also led to, and this isn't a therapy session, I'm just giving you background. Led to I had a horrible stutter. Very bad stutter, which which still pops up when I have anxiety. Um what the world told me, what what my world told me at that point was don't speak. Don't speak. Right. Because we don't want to hear what you have to say. So if you can make fun of me because of my clothes, you can make fun of me because of my accent, you can make fun of me, then I can't share anything with y'all.

Right. But the thing I can do is I can be in my room and train and watch PBS and watch great performances and watch all these British sitcoms and watch singing and dancing, and just read every book I could get my hands on. And and my grandmother, God bless her, she she had all these show tunes. Uh I knew everything. So I so in my house I grew up with Calypso, Soka, RB, and show tunes. In one breath, I could sing Maria from West Side Story, and then turn around and sing Soka music and reggae music and disco and and then country. My my grandpa loved boxcar Willie and Willie Nelson. So I grew up with all these things. Nobody knew that I could do any characters, that I could sing, or I could dance, or I could do anything, until I I uh I auditioned for a play because one of the guys that I was in ROTC with.

[42:24] Wayne Brady: Yes, R O T C shout out. Um I was gonna go in the military, but that's a different story. Right. Um he dropped out of the play, and I wanted so badly to fit in that they didn't know that the only reason I wanted to be in ROTC was because I had daddy issues because my dad's in the army and I wanted him to like me, but that's a different show. And also, I was like, I love the outfits. Yes. I was like, so to them it's a uniform to me, it was a costume. I was like, oh my god, I look so good in that costume. I will, and then when I saw they were marching, I was like, oh bitch, I'm gonna march. So once again, goal-oriented Wayne was like, what do I need to do to have to carry the sword and to be able to dance around?

It's like, well, you have to be in the saber team or the all-honor guard. Saber team, done. And what do I have to do to be a leader in that? Well, you have to show I got you done. By the time I finished, I was a leader in Saber team, and I would march, and I had the saber, the sword, you throw it, you do the whole thing. I was, oh, in my dress blues and my little and my cover, my hat, you can't tell me. Hey, can we get a video? We need a video. Nothing. But he dropped out, and of course, it wasn't cool to like arts or to be in the thespian society. So they would say very derogatory things that I will not say on this podcast, but that is the cursed F-word about the other kids that run around.

And I would hear that, and I hated it, of course, right, but I didn't say anything because I was actually accepted. So one day when we were all sitting around, he's like, Yeah, man, I gotta drop out because I've got a crew crew meeting. I'm a crew uh competition. It was a very moneyed school. Because not every school has crew, yeah. It's like, oh, yeah, yeah, I gotta drop out. Yeah, yeah, I'm doing this stupid play. Play, does somebody want to do it for me? And then I was like, Yeah, man, it'd be funny as hell. Because they're so stupid, and then I'll be in the play, and I'll just be stupid too and make them look stupid and like, yeah, bro. Right on. You're like, yeah. And as soon as I walked into the theater, it was it was fame.

The kids are running around, somebody's playing the piano, and I was like, oh my god, I'm home. And at that second, and she asked me to take over this little role called Uncle Smelly Q Jed in a play called Dark of the Moon. And my director's name was Karen Regeria, who to this day is one of my I love Karen. I fly her out to every Broadway show and TV show that I do. Yeah, that's my heart. And I'm actually producing a play for her right now in Orlando. Um she saw something in me, and I knew from that second, I was like, I did it. I'm here now. Everything was dedicated towards Broadway. When I talked to talk to her, she's like, You're gonna be on Broadway. We're gonna make this happen. I'm gonna train you like I'm training a professional, and that was her whole program.

That's why Joey Fatone came out of that program as a professional. She has people that have been on Broadway, like so many people on Broadway have come out of our high school because she got us ready. And so I always knew that Broadway was the thing. TV was just a beautiful happenstance. And in the 10 years before Who's Line, because like you said earlier, Who's Line and hosting gigs and whatnot, I always say I'm an actor first and foremost. Yes, I'm good at hosting things because I have a skill set. Yeah, but I'm an actor. That's all I ever wanted to do because I just wanted to tell stories. Right. So for the 10 years before Who's Line, I was the guest star on a bunch of sitcoms and I did a lot of dramas and whatnot.

But before your name becomes codified as this thing, right? And then at that point on from Whose Line, then that was definitely the mark of that era. But Broadway was always the thing. So when I got the opportunity, finally to be on Broadway, oh crap. You know what I hate about podcasts? Because I don't have a clock, I feel like I'm talking too much. No, no, no. I forgot I was here. I'm like, we're like fuck these questions. Oh, okay, cool. Okay, as long as I'm not being unwelcome guest. No. So Broadway was always the aim. I made my debut, I think 20 years ago now, in Chicago as Billy Flynn. Yeah. Um Dazzle. Razzle Dazzle. Before anybody and their mama could be in the show. No shame. Just saying.

So like I was in it when it was exclusive. Right. Like when you had to sing. Yeah. So that's how I'm hoping I get to Broadway in that show. So sick burn. Look at my costume. But before then, piece of trivia that some folks know because I've talked about it. I was actually, and this happened pre-who's line. So this was one of those moments where when I say that I was broke, I call it the ATM uh uh shuffle, where and back in the day, you can't do it now, really. But hey, wait, Will, do you do you remember when you could get half amounts? Like you you you could get like five dollars and fifty cents, so you could get like a out of ATM. Like you can get eight dollars. Eight dollars. Or you can get eight dollars, not change, but you can get eight dollars instead of like ten.

So you so you so you could get a five dollar bill. Yeah. So there were times like that document. Ah gossip can't even get five dollars out. No, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it. Or worse, when it's just negative. Oh, that check, right? That check mounts. Okay, that's cool. So I was at that point. I had just gotten my little Corolla repossessed. Oh no, I was living in an apartment in North Hollywood on Blix. Um Mandy and I, we were living there with our dog, and it was one of those I'd never I had unwavering faith. In fact, that Wayne had so much faith that this way is like, I wish I still had that superpower because that shit would help me right now. Like you just believed in yourself so much.

I believed in myself so much. The original Marty Supreme over here. So Marty Supreme. I just knew. I was like, I just need someone to see what I know. Because obviously I'm good, I work, but I'm but look at me right now. I was so broke that Mandy went back to Hawaii, where she's from, where I met her doing another review show. She went back to go do a dancing gig over the summer, and I went to Japan, which is another survival gig, which is another part of the show that I'm writing, where I was a lounge singer at a group of um clubs called hostess clubs. And if any of you in the audience know what a hostess club is, it's a club where there are Japanese businessmen, some folks that are well to do, okay, and beautiful women from Japan and all around the world whose sole job is ostensibly to make them happy, to pour them drinks, to laugh at their jokes, to sit on their laps, to sit at the edge of the thing, and whatever else happens, I don't need to know about.

But all I knew is that I got a call from a dude that I did casuals with, which if you're a musician, you know that the casuals, you just play spots around town. And so when I wasn't on stage, I would gig. So I saw I get called to just sing at random restaurants or parties, hey Wayne, I've got a gig. Do you have your passport? Yeah, I got my passport. Oh, right, brother. And this dude, Chuck C, like I named names because I know that I'm not wrong. Right, right. Chuck Wandsley, he's still a really talented cat. He booked bands. And um a friend of mine also worked for him. So I get introduced. Here is the gig. You need your charts. Charts. Oh. Right? Like your sheet music. Yeah. Oh yeah, I've got charts.

I don't have no damn charts. I got charts. And you need the tuxedo. Yeah. I don't have no damn tuxedo. And they'll pay you. Now keep in mind, this is 94. Okay. A lot of money. A thousand dollars cash a week. And you make tips. I was like, I've never been in a job where you make tips. Because trust me, you make tips. I was like, okay. First off, that I have to do, which uh, this I'm not gonna cry on your podcast. You can. No, I'm not going to. You've had criers. Because I have joy. I love my grandmother, Valerie Peterson, who raised me with all my heart. She's the reason that I'm anywhere. And I lost her two years ago. And um, she was my best friend, and so many of my memories here in the new New York once I made it in involved her.

And that woman, broke as she was, when I told her, Mom, I've got this opportunity for this gig. Who why I what am I doing? You're so popular. No, I had the ringer on. How is it that it's on silent, but the ringer still has if somebody is on your favorites, or if somebody calls you twice, then it will ring. See, and now my son and his mom is calling calling me. Hey. Hey, hey, I'm doing a podcast right now. Yes, but that's for Val. Hey! Thank you. This is my son Val. Hey! Hey! Oh my god, his hair is so cute. You're so cute. Curls for the girls. Um, I love you. I'll call you right back. Okay, bye. Bye. Um, so uh, so she, upon hearing my dilemma, I said, Mom, I need to make this money for me, for us.

Uh I don't know what to do. She sent me her last 200 so that I could get a secondhand tuxedo. I got a tuxedo for fifty dollars. Oh my god. Wow. I made my own charts. I went to I went to the public library in the sheet music session section and cut and photocopied all of these not I knew so little. Yeah. Charts are actually the charts, horn charts. Right. Piano, lead bass, leak. I had the sheet music. I had the lead lines and the piano pieces. I did that, I put together this big binder and I put them in plastic and I taped them together so you could for dude. I just wanted the job. And they sent me the ticket after, excuse me, after all expenses were said and done, I flew to Tokyo. Um I don't even know what's behind coach coach, but like in some of those movies, it's basically luggage, and when people have farm farm animals and cages, yeah, I'm back here with pluck pluck pluck.

I'm back here with animals. But that's okay, because I'm gonna get paid to sing, right? I got off that plane with ten dollars in my pocket, ten dollars in a dream, got to the club. I'm like, oh, I'm singing at a big club in Tokyo. I'm ready, and and and the band where they've already rehearsed, they're playing my music. I think um I was singing uh um uh you you gotta get up to get down. Like like this old funk song, but my intros playing ba da ba ba-da. And then I hear in Japanese basically uh they say da-da-da-yokos win a brady. I burst through the doors, ladies and gentlemen, I'm Wayne Brady from the United States. Put your hands in the air! Woo! Maybe 30 people. Thank you. Thank you for that.

Maybe 30 men at tables with cigars. And ladies on their laps. Ladies on their laps pouring drinks. I'm like, um, that's okay. Maybe they know what I know know what you guys need is you need a little James Brown. Hit me. I feel good. Bad at that. Here, I'm coming, sing with me. Bingo. So add this to the survival job list. This was a big big survival job. And I find out what a hostess club is, and then one of the band members is like, oh, don't expect them to clap for you. You're like, at least this one paid, huh? Not like the dad, but not getting paid cake. No cake, but I was like, challenge met. Yeah. I'm you are going to clap for me by the time I finish my run here. It's like you wanting to be number one as a tinker.

Okay. And I started bringing a crowd in because of the crazy Coco Jean from America that is doing splits and jumping over the tables and singing and dancing. Folks actually started coming. And then I got tips. I found out with a man about tips. You have to be, it's a different business model there. You have to go to you sing, you go to the tables, and you talk to them, you sit down, you have a drink, and then at one point I was like, am I a ho? And you know what? I was like, I guess I'm a ho. Hey. Thank you. Thank you. We gotta do what we gotta do to get to Broadway, right? You gotta do what you gotta do. And besides the thousand a week in cash. Got the tips. I was dude, I was making so much money in the tips. It was almost more because then I was like, oh, if I can do this here, there was a Mama San at one of the um the restaurants next door.

[56:39] Wayne Brady: Wow, it was a karaoke bar and restaurant. She wanted me to come by. I would sing, she would pay me to sing with the customers, and they would tip me and she would tip. So I had a hustle. I had a hustle. Taking over Japan. I was able to go. The only bad spot is I was pulled out of the club one day by one of the club owners who I'm not gonna say that they were Yakuza. I'm not gonna say it. Not gonna say it. But he's gonna say it well. He pulled me out of the club up against the wall and was like, don't mess with my girl. I was like, what? I just was happy to find someone that I could speak English. He was like, don't talk to any of them, don't sleep with them, don't you or else? And then dude shows me a gun.

Okay. I was like, oh, I gotta leave bone in the US. Hey, I'm out. I broke my contract. I told, I told the gentleman, and I kept my passport because at one point they're like, oh, you just need to give us your passport. Because they give you an apartment, it's like, oh, just give us your passport to keep it. I was like, no, no, no, no, no. I'm I'm a brother in another country. I'm gonna keep my passport. I'm glad I did. Yeah. Get on the plane, and I didn't finish out the whole six months. I made it a four. I went home with enough money to pay for rent on a new two-bedroom apartment. Okay. In Upper North Hollywood for a whole year, and I bought myself all I wanted was a Nintendo because they were brand new.

I said I won a super NES. Nintendo, I was able to buy a car, and I was able to hit it. And from that job, I started doing the cruise ship thing, and I was back at Universal, and then I get the call that changed my life. Disney was auditioning for a brand new musical called The Lion King. I auditioned a couple times in town for the role of Simba. Oh my god. I get on a cruise ship, I'm doing a gig for Anita Mann. She's a well-known choreographer and producer. Yeah. Um, on the cruise ship, I was one of her universal swings. So I would just go from ship to ship. I'm in Mexico. I get a page. That's how long ago this is. I gotta get on the phone. Hey, Wayne, Disney wants to fly you out for a final callback for Julie Tamore.

What? Casual. Right. But once again, as is the hustle, I don't have any money really. I'm living paycheck to paycheck. Right. So I'm not gonna get paid for this gig. So I have to get off the ship in LA, jump on a plane. I didn't I didn't have my car yet. So I borrowed my friend's car. Shout out to Sandy Hawker who who let me use for car that I had to learn to drive stick in that day. I'm dead to get to LAX because they're like, no, they want to fly you out now. They just decide, oh, but I just got back from my go now. Now car. Well shit, where do I park? Where do I park? No parking. Oh my god. If I leave it in short term, do they really tow your car? They just say that shit to scare you. Okay.

Made the flight. Once again, New York City, 10 bucks in my pocket. I get to New York. This is when this is when Times Square, for those of you that remember, it wasn't Disney fight yet. It was rough, right? It was my second time in New York ever. And I was, they put me up at a nice hotel, but right outside, there was somebody half naked in the streets going, hey man, you want some of this. No, oh no. I'm I just couldn't audition for a show. So then the callbacks happened. It was a blur. Um I happened to meet Max Cassella that day. Um, and then we're going, I'm singing. Uh I remember they taught me the choreography for the uh the um the day number when everybody comes comes out, and I sang um uh the uh is the night.

Now that I did all alone, I forget the words. Um I sang everything was a blur, blah, dah. I met Julie, she worked with me. The the composer of the piece, I forget his name. Uh uh Garth, the choreographer, Aubrey's assistant. It was just, I'd never been in a thing like this. This was like, oh, this is so close. And and you guys know what an audition, like when you're so you're like, there's a different feeling that you're like, this is past the stage of where like, oh, thank you for coming. It's like this could be real so close. Yeah, what do I what do I need to what do I need to do to please you enough to make this happen? And that was my first time meeting Bernie. And uh it was I was like, okay, this can happen.

All right, thank thank you so much. All day call. I danced, we sang, danced, we sang. All right, thank you. I went back to the hotel, and I remember calling my mom. I was like, Mama, I I I think I got this. I think I got this. Before I was getting ready for bed, I get a call. You're not flying out tomorrow. We're pushing back your flight. Why? For fitting. I was like, Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. I went, and that's when I met Max. We were both being fitted, and they put the head on you, they yeah, the headdress and the other pieces of the costume, and and we went over songs again, and and it wasn't a guarantee of a job. Just want to see. They took pictures of it. I got back on the plane to LA. By the time I landed, Wayne, Julie wants to offer you Simba.

Damn. And I lost my mind. And the role was actually because I don't know if they'd actually cast who they wanted. At that time, I didn't know, you know, non-numerated. So I think they were trying to find out who was going to be Simba Simba. Yeah. And then and then to, and then you'd cover. Yeah. But I was one of the guys. Right. Amazing. And that changed my life. I was like, I'm good enough to be on Broadway. Yeah. Which which leads you now to all out. We gotta talk about all out. Absolutely. Absolutely. Jay, take it away. It's a fun show and and concept, and audiences are loving it. Samantha, we loved it. Opening night. I know I have to come see you. We only very short time left to go see Wayne guys.

We already talked about it. My last show was the 18th. Yep, we told that. We told them. Um how that project come to you, and what's been your favorite part about this probably experience? Because it's different than because we last we last saw you in the whiz last year. Was that last year or we swung together ago? No, no, last year. That was last year. Last year was the whiz. Yeah, we went together. I saw you. Yes. Last summer was the whiz, and then I did Moulin Rouge this summer. Yes. For for four months. Wait, I saw you in Moulin Rouge as well. Yeah. Yeah, I did. And so besides, so this came to me vis-a-vis my my relationship with Alex. Shout out. Shout out to Making History with four Broadway shows running at the end.

Alex Timbers. Alex is the magic. I love Alex Timbers. Alex Timbers. And I love his mind. And I love how actor friendly he is. And well, he's just a good dude. And a business where it's not a prerequisite to be good, but he's a good dude. And I knew about all in last season, but I wasn't that I wasn't asked to be in it. So it's like, oh I won't. Oh shaking fist. Right. Then Alex and I get to know each other. We'd had a meeting last year and we talked, and he was a fan, and I said, I'm a fan of yours, blah blah blah blah blah blah. But then after doing Moulin Rouge and working together, then I just get a phone call. It was like, hey, we'd love it if you do all out. And that was just, you know, it's just one of those things that when it's supposed to happen, yeah, it's gonna happen, and it's important for you to put yourself in the places because no one can read your mind.

Right. Yeah, no one can read your mind. If you want to be in the room where it happens, put yourself in the room where it happens, or be room adjacent. And sometimes we block our own blessings, and I'm great at that. So all out came to me because I was open to the experience, and I wanted to be in Moulin Rouge. I wanted to work with Alex. I wanted this. It's so good and so much fun. Do you have a favorite story that's told? I I loved the one about the horse. I can't remember his well that's mine, OTC. And it I got we gotta go. We got we have a weak OTC. Oatsy is my favorite one. I love Otsi. Oatesy's my favorite character because it's this he's a horse. Yeah, and he's telling his story. And part of my favorite brand of improv, even is I love playing characters that are animals or uh or a car or some something that you don't always attribute emotion to.

Yeah, right. The challenge is to tell a story from that POV. Yeah. So the way that Simon wrote that, it's beautiful. It's beautiful. Yeah. And I love Klavo. Oh, yeah. The stories are so great. And one word, tell everybody listening why they need to run there before January 18th. Um word. Joyous. Because besides the stories, my other favorite part of the show, Lawrence. Oh, the music. Oh! Sorry. Lawrence. I didn't mean to. No, yeah. Oh, Gracie Lawrence is an absolute fucking icon. And the whole band, obviously. The band is amazing. Gracie Lawrence. I worship her vocal cords and what a performer. And Clyde, who is the mind behind the machinery and sings his behind off plays and it and the band.

Yes, Lawrence. Go see, even if you don't care about any of the four actors on stage, screw us. Go see Lawrence. Yeah, yeah. Amazing. Get your ticket, y'all. Yeah, get your ticket. The Nearlander. The Niederlander. This was amazing. You know what's so hysterical? You answered all of our questions without us ever asking them. You're welcome. So, like, we didn't even need to be here. Thank you. You're amazing. We had some fun games planned, but we gotta go. We gotta wrap it so you can do the theater podcast with Alan. Which is amazing. I can't remember. But before we let you go, I mean, you had more fun with us. Alan, don't try to like steal our Wayne Brady Slim Shady rap for your show because it's just not gonna be.

That's all you. Yeah, it's only been done once. Improv is one and done. Thank you. And don't start asking about survival jobs on that either. So we've limited his range of questions. Right. I have one question. Before you run, can you let all our all of our listeners know where they can keep up with you on social media and maybe give a little teaser on what might be next if you have something in the pipeline? Absolutely. Keep uh you can keep in contact with me on Instagram at Mr. Brady Baby. It's spelled out M I S T E R, Brady Baby. Um at uh Wayne Brady on uh on Facebook. My YouTube channel is official Wayne Brady, where you can see episodes of my podcast that I do with my uh let's make a deal co-host and whose line is it anyway, cast member Jonathan Mangum.

Um, I just blanked. What's the name of my podcast? Holy shit. Colin Mockery. That is not the name of my podcast. I have it, because I was listening. Which would be a very weird Colin Mockery, the podcast starring. How did I forget the name of my podcast? Uh I just don't even okay. Here you go. Whose story is it anyway with Wayne Brady? Nope. Nope. Nope. Wait, who's no wait? That's I'm not gonna get up. What's that? That was an episode of something else you're listening to. Yeah, I've been listening to all of them. What if? Thank you. It's a what if I remember the name of my own podcast. What if? It's called What If. It's a great improvisational podcast. Check that out. Yes. Um I see uh that we're starting the 18th season of Let's Make a Deal on CBS.

You can see that. Uh starting in June at Encores, I will be playing uh Georges in La Cajarfaux opposites iconic. Billy that that I just even need to say like one name, right? Like you know who the Billy is. Yes. I mean that cast is Broadway Billy. Encore is always Billy Porter and Billy Porter, who I inherited the the red boots. I I inherited the kinky boots, so I actually get to be on stage with Mr. Porter. That's really cool. And then after that, I'll be starring in a show by Tina Landau at the Vineyard Theater starting in August or September. Um called Miss Black for President. Love that. So so next year is. So guys, he's actually not booked at all. So sorry you can't see him in anything coming up.

I'm a hermit. And if you don't follow us and you're only tuning in because you're a Wayne fan, obviously, follow us at Survival Jobs Pod on Instagram and TikTok. Follow my boy Jason at Jason A. Coombs and me at Sammy Toots. This was our this was our easiest episode ever. We asked. This is the best episode. Well, I'm very passionate about these jobs, so I so I appreciate you letting me just be able to do that. Thank you. And and I just want to comment that like your memory of every detail is so stunning. And thank you for remembering because it made for really good storytelling. Thank you so much for having me. This is a blessed and everybody go see all out you have like five days run. Go see all out last year was the 18th go see yes oh that was like that was I forgot what was iconic. That was so much fun.