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[0:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hello everyone.

[0:07] Jason A. Coombs: Welcome to Survival Jobs, a podcast in collaboration with Broadway World.

[0:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: You can find full video and article on Broadway World, and our audio is streaming anywhere that you get your podcast.

[0:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: My name is Samantha Tuozzolo, and this is my superstar co-host, Jason A. Coombs.

[0:29] Jason A. Coombs: Hi, Samantha. Happy episode 68 or seven.

[0:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: 68.

[0:36] Jason A. Coombs: You're so funny.

[0:39] Samantha Tuozzolo: How are you?

[0:42] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you, baby.

[0:43] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah. How are you feeling today?

[0:45] Jason A. Coombs: Samantha, I'm great. I'm feeling you're the superstar.

[0:49] Samantha Tuozzolo: No.

[0:50] Jason A. Coombs: No.

[0:50] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, come on.

[0:51] Jason A. Coombs: No, no, no. I'm feeling great. I'm feeling very tired.

[0:55] Jason A. Coombs: I've had, you know, the last episode we spoke about, I was doing this benefit for the children's theater I grew up at.

[1:00] Jason A. Coombs: So that happened all last weekend, but I was like in rehearsals and also planning the party.

[1:05] Jason A. Coombs: And then it was just like a lot of adrenaline, a lot of people I haven't seen in a very long time.

[1:10] Jason A. Coombs: And it was amazing. We had a great night, great turnout.

[1:13] Jason A. Coombs: The theater made a ton of money.

[1:14] Jason A. Coombs: And then yesterday, Monday, April 24th, I did the carpet for the opening night of Goodnight Oscar for Broadway World, which was amazing and such a wonderful night.

[1:51] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you, baby. Talking to the celebs.

[1:54] Jason A. Coombs: So kudos. Representing us, representing Survival Jobs, always.

[1:59] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes.

[2:00] Jason A. Coombs: But um, I also just wanted to acknowledge that we lost the um iconic Harry Belafonte uh today.

[2:08] Jason A. Coombs: We just found that out.

[2:10] Jason A. Coombs: So I just wanted to um maybe just share something really quick about him.

[2:15] Jason A. Coombs: Um, I know we don't have a lot of time, but um, you know, he was a singer and actor, producer, and activist who spot who like birthed the Calypso craze in the US with his music, and he blazed trails for African-American performers, and he died at the age of 96.

[2:30] Jason A. Coombs: Um, he's an award-winning Broadway performer and a versatile recording and conjura star of the 50s.

[2:37] Jason A. Coombs: And he was also like an activist.

[2:39] Jason A. Coombs: He was very good for instance with Dr. Martin Luther King, and he was such an important voice in the 60s civil rights movement.

[2:45] Jason A. Coombs: So we just wanted to acknowledge his passing because he was such an icon, and uh we um, you know, 96 is a long time to live, so that's a blessing.

[2:55] Samantha Tuozzolo: What a beautiful long life, and he he accomplished so much.

[3:00] Jason A. Coombs: But a death is always sad, you know, no matter what age.

[3:04] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, so crazy and weird, and so happy at times and so sad at times, and crazy, yeah.

[3:13] Jason A. Coombs: I was just getting like real deep, and I was like, okay, we gotta keep this mic check moving today.

[3:19] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, so we were very fortunate last week to see Shucked the new Broadway musical at the Nederlander Theater, and we had such a good time together, Samantha.

[3:29] Jason A. Coombs: Like the show was so fun, so the music is so catchy, and like, yes, it's a simple show, right?

[3:39] Jason A. Coombs: I think John, our guest talks about how it's like you know, it's kind of like a little like a Shakespearean type of comedy, nothing like truly groundbreaking in its like delivery, but what I really enjoyed about it was just the diversity of the cast, right?

[3:51] Jason A. Coombs: And and and how good the music was and how you felt good leaving the theater.

[3:55] Jason A. Coombs: And I was like, and even you said it too, like we're ready to see it again.

[3:58] Samantha Tuozzolo: I was like, when are we seeing this again?

[4:00] Jason A. Coombs: I would go back tonight.

[4:02] Samantha Tuozzolo: Same, same.

[4:03] Jason A. Coombs: You know, I do feel like with with um some of these shows that are out this season, Shucked, Bad Cinderella, like uh not all shows have to be like deep and heart wrenching.

[4:14] Jason A. Coombs: Some shows you can just go to to have a good time and like forget reality for a minute.

[4:19] Samantha Tuozzolo: Isn't that like the point of theater a lot of times?

[4:21] Samantha Tuozzolo: Just to like get lost in the theater, which I think you do in deep shows as well.

[4:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: However, there's a difference from the way that you feel when you go watch a show that's just light and fluffy and fun, and you just want to have a good time.

[4:35] Jason A. Coombs: I was crying, crying my face hurt after Shucked because I was laughing so hard.

[4:40] Jason A. Coombs: The all cast, like everybody is giving oh my god, Alex Newell nine out of ten.

[4:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, oh gosh, chills screaming, screaming, yeah.

[4:50] Jason A. Coombs: And the show has so much heart to it, you know, it's about community, and yeah, I'll reference one more thing that John said was like it's funny without like making people feel bad, you know.

[5:00] Jason A. Coombs: There's no one being like picked on or bullied to make a good joke, you know.

[5:04] Jason A. Coombs: So that's what I really enjoyed about it.

[5:06] Jason A. Coombs: And I think everyone should get tickets to see it.

[5:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: ASAP and see John, see our Gordy in Shucked.

[5:15] Jason A. Coombs: I'm surprised you didn't have a bruise on your arm.

[5:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: And I know I talked about this in the episode with John, but I have this problem, you guys.

[5:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: When I'm laughing, I like to like hit people, and so I thought every time I thought something was funny, I would like elbow Jason.

[5:28] Samantha Tuozzolo: Like, oh my god, Jason, that's so funny.

[5:30] Jason A. Coombs: I'm surprised.

[5:30] Samantha Tuozzolo: I was just immersed in the world.

[5:32] Samantha Tuozzolo: It was so entertaining.

[5:33] Samantha Tuozzolo: Even the people next, like I was bonding with the people to my left, and like intermission, who were like, this is so freaking good.

[5:41] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[5:42] Samantha Tuozzolo: Let's have fun, you know, and and we definitely had fun in the show.

[5:45] Jason A. Coombs: So, in conclusion, go see Shucked at the Nederlander, y'all.

[5:49] Jason A. Coombs: Um, and we're so lucky.

[5:51] Samantha Tuozzolo: We got to talk with John Behlmann who plays Gordy in the show.

[5:55] Jason A. Coombs: Straight from Tampa, IYKYK, you know what I'm saying?

[5:59] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, so he was an amazing guest.

[6:02] Jason A. Coombs: We're so hyped for you guys to listen to this episode.

[6:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[6:06] Jason A. Coombs: Do you want me to buy him?

[6:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: Or did you wanna oh sorry?

[6:09] Jason A. Coombs: Whatever you want.

[6:10] Samantha Tuozzolo: You want me to do it?

[6:11] Jason A. Coombs: You can do it.

[6:11] Jason A. Coombs: The world is your oyster, Jason.

[6:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: I forgot what we said.

[6:15] Jason A. Coombs: So yeah, I'm a good one.

[6:16] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay, you guys.

[6:17] Jason A. Coombs: John Behlmann who plays Gordy in Shucked.

[6:20] Jason A. Coombs: Past Broadway credits include Tootsie, Significant Other, and Journey's End.

[6:25] Jason A. Coombs: Some off-Broadway credits in theaters he's performed at includes The 39 Steps, various shows with Encores, Ars Nova, Roundabout, MTC, MCC, and Civilians.

[6:37] Jason A. Coombs: Some of his film credits include Confess, Fletch, Standing Up, Falling Down, Wolf of Wall Street, Revolutionary Road.

[6:45] Jason A. Coombs: Some TV credits include The Gilded Age, Riverdale, Good Behavior, Madam Secretary, and Blue Bloods.

[6:53] Jason A. Coombs: Some video game credits include Grand Theft Auto, Hearthstone, and the longtime voice of World of Warcraft.

[7:04] Jason A. Coombs: In his spare time, which by the way, how does he have any?

[7:07] Jason A. Coombs: Did you just hear all of those credits?

[7:10] Samantha Tuozzolo: Just kidding, he says, has two little kids, so there's no spare time.

[7:16] Jason A. Coombs: We love chatting with John, you guys.

[7:18] Jason A. Coombs: And he's like, I love Riverdale.

[7:20] Jason A. Coombs: Like the first couple seasons were like my my sh isn't it.

[7:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: So that's why he was on that show was so great.

[7:26] Jason A. Coombs: Me and my friend Marvin were we're a fangirling this week.

[7:31] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes, Riverdale.

[7:35] Jason A. Coombs: Well, you should definitely watch.

[7:37] Samantha Tuozzolo: Sorry, John.

[7:38] Jason A. Coombs: I'll add it to my list.

[7:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'll add it to my list and then I'll follow up with John.

[7:43] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, there we go.

[7:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: Love that.

[7:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: Enjoy this episode, you guys, and go see Shucked.

[7:49] Jason A. Coombs: Enjoy.

[7:50] Samantha Tuozzolo: All right. Welcome to Survival Jobs the podcast, John.

[7:53] John Behlmann: We are so excited to have you today.

[7:56] John Behlmann: Happy to be here.

[7:58] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes.

[7:58] Jason A. Coombs: And congrats on the success of Shucked that Samantha and I saw last week.

[8:03] John Behlmann: But before we jump into that, you went to Wesleyan University, right?

[8:08] John Behlmann: I did, yeah.

[8:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: Did you?

[8:10] John Behlmann: No, I didn't go there technically, but I did a summer program called CCY there.

[8:14] John Behlmann: So I was there for a summer in high school, where it was like a performing arts high school.

[8:18] John Behlmann: So I was like chilling on Foss Hill, which I'm sure you know.

[8:21] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[8:23] John Behlmann: Oh, this is a good one.

[8:24] Jason A. Coombs: Leon Delh.

[8:25] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[8:27] Jason A. Coombs: Oh wow, you're like an original, like you know the dude.

[8:30] John Behlmann: I know, and I saw that.

[8:31] John Behlmann: I was like, oh my gosh, I gotta drop that in the beginning.

[8:34] John Behlmann: But yeah, I uh I sadly this is gonna directly age me, but I am gonna miss because of Shucked, my 20th college reunion in like, you know, a few weeks or something.

[8:45] John Behlmann: But so I have some friends, like old, you know, freshman dorm friends that are hey, we're all gonna go, and I can't go.

[8:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, but like what an iconic excuse.

[8:54] John Behlmann: You're like, I can't, I'm on Broadway.

[8:56] John Behlmann: Like sorry, yeah, I'm on Broadway.

[9:00] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[9:01] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, like Jason said, we had the best time at Shucked.

[9:04] Samantha Tuozzolo: I was crying laughing, like could not stop laughing.

[9:07] John Behlmann: And thank you, I wore yellow today for you.

[9:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: Like corn.

[9:10] John Behlmann: Oh, that's good.

[9:11] John Behlmann: That's it.

[9:12] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[9:13] John Behlmann: I'm imagining that you're wearing green pants too to really complete the whole image, but I can't see below.

[9:19] John Behlmann: But I'm just gonna trust my instincts on that one.

[9:24] Samantha Tuozzolo: Right.

[9:24] Samantha Tuozzolo: I did.

[9:25] Samantha Tuozzolo: I look like I'm a corn on the cob.

[9:27] John Behlmann: Yes.

[9:28] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm a corn on the cob, you guys.

[9:31] John Behlmann: Um, so we have a really fun connection with you and one of our past guests, Chad Hodge.

[9:37] John Behlmann: He wrote Good Behavior, which you were reoccurring on.

[9:40] John Behlmann: That's right.

[9:41] Samantha Tuozzolo: We love him.

[9:42] John Behlmann: We love each for Chad.

[9:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: We're just making connections.

[9:49] John Behlmann: Yeah, that's great.

[9:50] John Behlmann: Wow.

[9:50] John Behlmann: Wait, so Chad was on here.

[9:51] John Behlmann: I haven't seen him in so long, probably since not long after we shot that show, which was now feels like an eternity ago.

[9:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: But yeah, everything feels like an eternity ago, doesn't it?

[10:02] Jason A. Coombs: Chad was on here in season one, which feels like an eternity ago.

[10:07] John Behlmann: So he sure was.

[10:09] John Behlmann: Yeah, yeah.

[10:09] John Behlmann: Oh, that's great.

[10:10] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, he was great.

[10:11] John Behlmann: He's the sweetest person.

[10:13] Jason A. Coombs: So sweet.

[10:14] John Behlmann: So sweet.

[10:15] Samantha Tuozzolo: We just wanted to make all of our connections before we start asking you so many questions.

[10:21] Jason A. Coombs: Right about good survival jobs.

[10:24] Samantha Tuozzolo: We have so much we want to talk to you about, but let's talk about survival jobs first.

[10:28] Jason A. Coombs: The reason we're all here.

[10:30] John Behlmann: Do you have a survival job from your past that's a favorite or one that was like super fun?

[10:38] John Behlmann: So the first thing that comes to mind when I think of survival jobs is when when I first moved to New York, which I've been really lucky, let's say that out front.

[10:47] John Behlmann: Like I haven't had a lot of um, you know, like I haven't really grounded out for years and years and years in a restaurant.

[10:53] John Behlmann: I didn't work any food service in New York in this trip here.

[10:59] John Behlmann: There was once a summer I spent in New York where I got my friend to get me a job at those Caminos for a single day, and I trained, and then I was like, I'm not actually gonna stay in New York the summer, and I bailed and I feel high about it.

[11:09] John Behlmann: Sorry, Amelia.

[11:10] John Behlmann: Like the chips and calls, I'm not about that life.

[11:12] John Behlmann: Yeah, I learned how to make the custom guac at the table, and then I was like, that's enough.

[11:17] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[11:17] John Behlmann: That's all I really was here for was the knowledge.

[11:19] John Behlmann: But do you still remember?

[11:21] John Behlmann: No, I wish, and also I'm actually allergic to avocado, so I can't even enjoy it.

[11:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh no.

[11:28] John Behlmann: Yeah, good thing you left that place.

[11:30] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[11:31] John Behlmann: Um, but when I got to New York, I was kind of bequeathed a survival job by an actor friend who had gone to the same grad school as I did, and she worked at the what I believe is now defunct New York City Opera.

[11:47] John Behlmann: It which was in the building where in Lincoln Center where the ballet is in the Coke Theater, and they kind of split it with the ballet, and it was the kind of stepchild of the, you know, of the two operas that are located in Lincoln Center.

[12:01] John Behlmann: It was the not fancy one by comparison.

[12:04] John Behlmann: And so I was a rehearsal assistant, which is kind of like in theater terms, uh an assistant stage manager of sorts.

[12:12] John Behlmann: We did scheduling things.

[12:14] John Behlmann: We just sat at a little desk, and I don't know if all opera is like this, but these opera singers needed to be called individually every day with like phone and like email was not sufficient to be told their precise schedule.

[12:28] John Behlmann: So we could this was 2007, something like that.

[12:34] John Behlmann: I know, I know, I know.

[12:36] John Behlmann: Can't we just send one email blast with like a PDF schedule attached?

[12:40] John Behlmann: That's what you would think. And maybe that's different. I don't know if it was like a union thing. I have no idea. Yeah, yeah. But I was just like, I'm here for my checks, and this is an easy job, so I'm gonna do it. Um, and we would call all these opera singers and then go around the rehearsal rooms and kind of sneak in and like post the schedule on the wall, and uh there was like a morning shift and an afternoon shift, and really it was great because it was just flexible, and I worked with two other actors who had gone to school with me who were both these like you know, starting like attractive young women, but the entire office was every man that worked there was gay, and they were all men, so it was like just an office.

[13:20] John Behlmann: It's attracts, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so I had the opposite experience of what they would normally have, and I was like the cute girl in the office, so I kind of like, like I'm gonna leave early today to go to this audition, and it was a great, you know, I didn't need to take advantage of anyone, but it was a survival job in that way. Yeah, use it together. Yeah, yeah. Good, good. Um, but it was a nice thing, and uh, and I did it for basically that whole like it was really only three or four months that you know that's about as long as I could live on that job, but it was nice to have RF New York City Alpha.

[14:06] Jason A. Coombs: Well, let's flip it and reverse it. Do you have like a worse survival job story? Something that just like makes your stomach turn when you think back to it.

[14:16] John Behlmann: Oh so like after that, I never had a regular survival job because I booked a show, like my first Broadway show, not long after that, which was great. And I was like, oh, this world, it's gonna be so easy. Turns out that's not the case. I struggled a lot after that, but um, but after I had booked that show, I was like, I'm not gonna do another job job. Uh, but I would just pick up, you know, if there was an opportunity to like make some money, I would do it. And there'd be, and less than having a survival job, I learned to live a survival lifestyle and just would like lock it down, and just if I knew I didn't have anything coming in, I would I would turn into a little hermit person and you know, bring my own booze to the bar, kind of like sneak the flask kind of thing, or like just do whatever I could to kind of continue my lifestyle, but in a cheap because I just had no money for so long, I've grown used to that.

[15:13] John Behlmann: Um, which is an excellent skill as a parent. But I the the darkest hour I think I finally had was I was about to start something, but I was running out of money and I just needed something, and you know, last second, what can you get? And I signed up to be part of a like a a medical trial, yeah, like a research trial at Columbia. I know, but but this is the thing. So they it was are terribly asinine, all those things are so dull because they just have to, you know, it's a medical trial, so they're not designed to be very exciting, but they had to train you on the task that you had to do, and you were paid for the training as well as for the study. And I knew I wasn't gonna do the study.

[16:04] John Behlmann: But I did the training for like a couple of weeks or however long it was, and and took my checks and had to. But even that was so menial. It was the kind of I think they were testing the effects of some, I think it was booze, but maybe some drug. You were I we didn't take any of it. It was all placebo at the time, but you had to drink a little cup with like a very, very, very strong peppermint flavor, because that was apparently the only flavor that could hide any other flavor. And so you drink this little peppermint flavored cup, not knowing if it's laced with something or totally just weird peppermint drink, and then you have to do the dumbest like computer data entry.

[16:49] John Behlmann: Like there's a seven on the screen, so press the number seven or complete the sequence. Four, five, six. And it's just the most mind-numbing tasks, but eventually your abilities get impaired, I guess is the idea. Yeah. And then you have an aftertaste of peppermint. Yeah. But that was my well, you know, maybe they did in the study. I just uh I never got to be. Yeah. So I did that for like, you know, a week or however long it was, and then I was like, I'm starting my job, I'm out. Yeah.

[17:23] Jason A. Coombs: So not not an honorable way to go, but uh probably.

[17:27] John Behlmann: You gotta do what you gotta do. Many years ago, thankfully. It's a capitalist country. You gotta look out for yourself. Yeah. Survival lifestyle. I love that. And that's exactly what that is. Yes. Um okay, so you you got very lucky. We only had a handful of survival jobs because you got great performance jobs.

[17:46] Jason A. Coombs: Right. Do you remember the point in your life when you were a kid and you were like, I'm gonna be a performer? Do you know how old you were? And was your like first dream Broadway, or were you like, I want to be a movie star?

[17:59] John Behlmann: No, like it I so I started doing plays in high school, as I think a lot of people do, and I didn't you know, and I did it all through school and really loved it. It was like my sophomore year of high school, and I did a lot of stuff. I always in school was participating in a lot of activities and clubs and sports and whatever, and uh, and I was a nerdy kid, so being my friend Matt convinced whose older brother had been in the theater department, convinced me and my friend Michael to audition for Romeo and Juliet, and Matt never showed up, and Michael and I did. We were in the play, and we were like, This is great. There's like girls around, we're like part of something, we feel like like cool, but like we're not cool because we're part of the theater club, but we're we feel cooler than we did in a certain way, and and then I just kind of stuck with it.

[18:49] John Behlmann: And so it wasn't really though until I was graduating college, which I majored in government and French. I was not a uh at Wesleyan, as we discussed. I don't know if we were recording that or not, but I guess we were yeah, um that was a good night. Uh so uh I didn't know what I was gonna do when I was graduating, and I again, did theater all through school, um, but didn't really know that that was a thing that like a professional actor was not something that was on my radar. And my parents and my family, everyone, my dad's a lawyer, my mom was mostly a mom. Everyone in my family has uh like what I would call Fisher Price jobs, things that are really easy to understand for a toddler, you know, businessman, fireman, police officer, doctor, you know, like all these just regular jobs.

[19:43] John Behlmann: And so I didn't really know anyone that was uh an actor, and then someone in my I'd done a play with just kind of assumed that I was gonna be an actor and started asking me about what that was like after school and like was I gonna go to grad school or and I didn't really know that that was a thing. And that was when I started consider I was like, oh, maybe is it you can do that? You can like become an actor and not be the son of a famous person or related to somebody that's already got it going on, like that normal people can do that. And then I applied to graduate school at the very end of my senior year of college. Like I sent in every single application overnight express mail, paying way too much money for it.

[20:28] John Behlmann: You got money. Yeah. I mean, it was like I was like, Dad, can I have 200? What for? Nothing. Don't worry about it. And uh, and then finally, like auditioned for all these schools, kind of on a whim. I just called a friend of mine who had uh who went to an undergrad program that was geared toward school, and was like, what are the good ones? And just applied blindly and and got into a couple of places and thank God I did. And I went to school in Denver, and that was when I finally was like, Oh, okay. There are regular people around here. We're at the Denver Center, there's like working actors. For the first time I was around them, and that's when I was realizing, oh, this is possible. This is a thing that people live normal lives and do. So but yeah, no, like I always assumed I would be on stage because that was all I had ever done. I didn't think it was a I never thought I would be on Broadway. I never thought I would do musicals.

[21:20] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, really?

[21:21] John Behlmann: Oh no, not at all. No, no, no. I mean, I did it in high school, but You're such a great singer though.

[21:26] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[21:27] John Behlmann: Well bizarre. Thanks. I've tripped you yet again. Especially when we go to Tampa.

[21:33] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[21:34] John Behlmann: Oh my gosh. That was so funny. Uh you guys gotta see Shocked to get the inside jokes about trans.

[21:46] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[21:47] John Behlmann: Uh, okay. Well, I have a two-parter for you for you, John. Speaking of Shocked, it had its world premiere at the Pioneer Memorial Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah. What was that experience like performing in a show that's in a community that's so different from New York City? And I'll ask another question after.

[22:05] John Behlmann: Okay, great. It was uh we weren't sure how it was gonna go. Um, you know, Shocked is not particularly uh, you know, it doesn't wear it's it's like politics on its sleeve, it's not like a heavy like issue show or something. So it wasn't like a controversial show in that way, but it was, you know, there's a lot of jokes. It's really great for a New York crowd, and we just didn't know how it was gonna play in in Salt Lake City. And I think it was actually great because uh first of all, the audiences there were really appreciative of having something new, which was cool, and the theater had a lot of people that were interested in having you know, seeing something cool and new and fresh.

[22:46] John Behlmann: And uh, but I think that it was like just racy enough to not to be enjoyable to like no, uh I it's okay, it's okay that I'm laughing at this, right? And I think that they were a little shocked at times, but by the end of the show always were with us and never could quite, you know. Yeah, we weren't sure what they were gonna be like, but they always came around in the end. And so it actually ended up being really great and like oh oh this is beyond New York. This is uh got a really great life to it. And even amongst these people that are mostly conservative, you know, a lot of Mormons and and also a lot of there's a uh really strong, like I don't know if it's counterculture exactly, but like the opposite of whatever conservative Mormonism is out in public city.

There's a lot of you know, liberal theater artsy people, especially in kind of downtown where we were. So and we're on a college campus, so we got some college kids, and the greatest show we ever had there was a high school matinee, which they went wild. Like being in a rock concert, like when people would kiss and people would you know say swears and things like that.

[23:58] John Behlmann: Or the k the kidney stone joke that yeah, yeah, yeah. I was laughing for like 20 minutes. You probably remember you probably heard like the the big black man laughing at uh last Wednesday show. Yeah, yeah. Who's like I couldn't stop laughing? I don't want to say it on on air to ruin it, but it's yeah. I don't remember the joke.

[24:19] John Behlmann: Oh, I'll tell you after. I don't want to know what if our audience is because you gotta see it, and they'll laugh for 20 minutes after too. Were there any major changes story-wise compared to Utah versus Broadway?

[24:33] John Behlmann: Uh story wise, I mean, uh generally, no, but we did do like the top of Act Two changed the the beginnings and ends of all the acts changed a lot. Like the meet in the middle, like the basic arc of the story, because the story is not ultimately that complicated. It's like a Shakespeare comedy in the way that you know there's some stuff that gets mistaken, some people don't like each other who end up liking each other. There's some, you know, this and that. It's not designed. Exactly. There's you know, it's not designed to be who done it. Oh, can you figure out this Agatha Christie mystery? It's it's not that kind of show. But um so it's really about relationships and enjoying the ride and the jokes along the way and kind of moving the story from point A to point B. And so the opening number changed.

[25:20] John Behlmann: The song was the same, but they reworked it and built it out into a much more casual entry into the show, a little more offhand, a little more informal. It wasn't quite as choreographed and as kind of, you know, it gets a little Broadway-y and a little dancy, which I think people needed to realize what world we're in, how because I think it took some time to be like, is this serious? Is this silly? Is this what's going on here? The end of act one changed a lot. It didn't used to be quite as music manic. I was thinking that your character was music manic, Harold Hill. Right. Anyway. Yeah. Uh and the top of Act Two changed up until even in New York, like three days before we opened, or like, you know, frozen.

So it had my favorite bit that I did in the entire show, was in the former version of that number that many of our preview audiences got to see, but now has gone, in which I spent the entirety of that opening number of act two slowly pushing a rock across the stage the entire length of the song. But and then it went away because it's just the other thing made a little better sense.

[26:45] Yeah. It led to my favorite piece of which I don't get a lot of fan mail, which is a woman sent me a little tombstone for the bit. It had, you know, she drew a little picture of me pushing the rock and said R.I.P. with the dates on it that it lived. Um and I was so touched. So nice. And felt so seen. You know, she saw the show twice, once with it, once without it, and felt so sad about it that she felt compelled to share with me this story.

[27:11] Samantha Tuozzolo: That is so sweet.

[27:13] John Behlmann: It's darling. It's on my dressing stand still. So um hello listeners. John just said he doesn't get a lot of fan mail, so let's go.

[27:20] Jason A. Coombs: Send it on over.

[27:22] John Behlmann: Yeah. What please, what theater is this?

[27:24] Jason A. Coombs: I almost said the glove.

[27:25] John Behlmann: The Nederlander Theater.

[27:27] Jason A. Coombs: The Nederlander, obviously.

[27:29] John Behlmann: 208 West 41st.

[27:31] Jason A. Coombs: Yes. Attention to John Behlmann, thank you.

[27:35] Jason A. Coombs: Um we've talked so much this episode about how hysterical the show is, how we were crying laughing. Why do you think audiences are really loving this? And I know there's been like repeat customers coming back and what do you think it is about Shucked that's making people scream, loving, laughing, all of it?

[27:55] John Behlmann: I think that it's, first of all, that's I think what people want now. Like I know it's what I want. I know it's an easy show to go to. It's an easy show to go to with mixed company, with family, with out of towners, with, you know, different ages, different groups. It's really goes down easy and it's funny without being mean. Uh which I think is really, you know, novel these days. Like it has a lot of heart in it and it shows its heart. Uh and so I think that going into something with low or no expectations, um, people end up coming out having such a great time because they didn't realize maybe how good it felt to sit in a room with people, which is already, you know, not that prevalent in our lives these days anymore.

But to be in a room with people and kind of share the joint exhalation of breath at this like funny thing that happened and the kind of community experience that creates for people. I think it's a really addictive thing that that's why I think why we've had a lot of repeat customers, because you know, if you think about, for me at least the movies in my life or the shows in my life that I can watch again and again and again. It's not, you know, like there are movies that I like I love Requiem for a Dream, but I'm not gonna watch that more than, you know, once, maybe twice. It's yeah, it's a hard pill to swallow. Joke intended, but uh yeah, not watching Schindler's List every weekend.

[29:28] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, exactly.

[29:29] John Behlmann: But like, you know, it's why we all put on reruns of The Office forever, or like I could watch Groundhog Day every single day of my life because it's funny and heartfelt and charming, and you know, it's and that's the kind of show that we have, which I think we were overdue for. But and it's new, it's original, it's, you know, it's not based on anything other than people that wanted to have a good time.

[29:53] Samantha Tuozzolo: So fun.

[29:58] Jason A. Coombs: I guess without this isn't my question or yours, Samantha.

[30:01] John Behlmann: I've been taking your questions.

[30:03] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, no, we've had a little flip.

[30:05] John Behlmann: I'm happy.

[30:07] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, no, without any major spoilers. You have a favorite part of the show that you look forward to every night?

[30:12] John Behlmann: Oh, it kind of changes a little bit based on the type of audience we have because different crowds are into different kinds of, you know, different kinds of humor. But one of my first best barometers in the show is my kind of only scene alone with Andrew Durand with Bo.

[30:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, yeah where it's, you know, it's just a book scene.

[30:38] John Behlmann: There's no music in it, there's no anything, but it's a place to really feel like what the crowd is like and really get to, you know, act in the scene with Andrew, who I think is so funny and so great. I mean I really love everyone. They're like Rawl, but that's like the first moment in the show, or one of the first moments that I get to really feel the crowd and like understand what's happening because I make a late entrance so I don't get the same kind of, you know, navigation of the whole thing, but that's one of my favorite moments, and then also the big bar scene at the end.

[31:15] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh my god.

[31:16] John Behlmann: Where we all like spoiler alert, get a little drunk and have a little drunk scene. It's always really fun to do.

[31:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: I loved that scene. I also loved that big dance number with the wine barrels.

[31:28] John Behlmann: Yeah, yeah.

[31:29] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, all.

[31:31] John Behlmann: Samantha's the favorite part.

[31:32] Samantha Tuozzolo: I was screaming about it.

[31:32] John Behlmann: I kept like elbowing Jason the whole show during that number.

[31:38] Samantha Tuozzolo: I was like, oh my god, I love this.

[31:40] John Behlmann: Yeah, yeah.

[31:40] John Behlmann: Shout out to Sarah Gleby, our amazing choreographer who like made that thing. You know, we've gone through so many iterations of that thing too. And they've done all kinds of other cool barrel tricks that make it in for a little while and go away. And I don't know. It's great though. I watch that number every night too, because I'm about to enter anyway, but I come down a little early just so I can see the magic.

[32:01] Samantha Tuozzolo: See the magic.

[32:02] John Behlmann: We love the magic. This has been so great chatting with you. We have a couple more questions, and then I don't know if you got the heads up, but we always end each episode with a really fun game.

[32:14] John Behlmann: Okay.

[32:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: So I hope you're ready to play.

[32:16] John Behlmann: Ready, ready to play.

[32:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: So we really enjoyed the show, obviously. We've been, I feel like, screaming about that this whole episode, but we also really enjoyed how diverse and well-rounded the cast was. Um, what do you think Broadway can continue to do to keep the diversity in casts and spaces where it's not always just like in your face? Like, we're not needing to talk about why this is diverse, it just is because that is life in any sort of space. So what do you think we can continue to do to keep that going?

[32:51] John Behlmann: I mean, I think that something that our show does really well is that, and I it's really a testament to the creators of the show, is that really these parts, any of them can be played by anyone. There's no descriptor of people other than, you know, personality types, or someone thinks someone is stubborn or handsome or funny, or you know, and those things are traits that can be attributed to any kind of person, any gender, any age, any anything. And so I think that having roles like that exist and encouraging the development of that stuff is great. And then taking the opportunities when there is a chance for anyone could do this to put someone in there that maybe doesn't always get the chance to like actually, you know, have casting directors like Steven Copel who cast our show that can think, oh, you know, actually there's nothing that says this can't be this person.

So let's put up this wonderful person that we know is so great and would crush this role. And so I think that more of that, and maybe and like more original stuff, I think helps with that because it allows you to start from the base of we're creating this show, we're deciding what the world of this thing is, not reinterpreting something maybe that someone has a preconceived notion about that there's gonna be some conflict about well, he shouldn't be doing that, or she shouldn't be in that show, or they're not supposed to play that part. That you'd make something from the ground up and you just tell people this is what it is, and they will believe it. So I think that helps too.

[34:28] John Behlmann: But hopefully more original and more just broad, you know, people as people.

[34:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: Snaps again.

[34:35] John Behlmann: People as people.

[34:36] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, like I can't like if Shucked is blessed to run for a long time or have tours and do all that stuff. I can't wait to see who ends up in the show because it really could be anybody. And like it's not gonna be, I don't think, just a cookie cutter of me, that's the next person who plays Gordy, or vice versa for all the other parts, because you really can just, you know, and like especially if it goes to schools or to regional theaters, like literally anybody can do this. You could cast it all with octogenarians and it would be fine.

[35:04] John Behlmann: Like Gordy has to be like a hot octogenarian, I guess.

[35:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[35:09] John Behlmann: Yeah, like a male Rue McClanahan, but you know the name Gordy also.

[35:16] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[35:18] John Behlmann: Somebody I was like, we're having Gordy on our show.

[35:21] Samantha Tuozzolo: Gordy.

[35:22] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[35:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, the sexiest name around.

[35:29] John Behlmann: Iconic.

[35:30] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay, well, last question before the really fun game.

[35:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: I must say that the first few seasons of Riverdale, I am like a not so guilty because this is a not so guilty guilty pleasure of mine.

[35:44] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[35:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: And my friend Marvin, he like loves it as well.

[35:46] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[35:51] Samantha Tuozzolo: So that's super cool. But do you have a kind of art outside of Shucked that's really feeding your soul artistically? Like another show or another movie?

[36:04] John Behlmann: Like something that I'm like taking in, you mean?

[36:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[36:07] John Behlmann: Yeah. I mean, I so I feel like first of all, I have two little kids.

[36:13] John Behlmann: I don't get to watch nearly as much like late. How old are they? I have a two and a half year old and a ten month old.

[36:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh my god.

[36:19] John Behlmann: Wow. You can see busy, busy.

[36:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: So I'm busy. The 10 month old is at the doctor with my wife right now, and the two and a half year old is in daycare, so I, you know, have the house to myself for the briefest of moments.

[36:32] John Behlmann: But you look less tired than I do.

[36:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: Like, congrats.

[36:39] John Behlmann: Yeah, right. I've been up for four and a half hours, so that helps. But um, so yeah, but I mean, I have to pick shows that if I if my wife and I can watch together, or and I have my own shows, but the one that I watched on my own recently when she was out of town during tech was I ripped through The Last of Us, which is not a novel thing to say, but it's such, the thing that I loved about that show is how in addition to just being really smart and really, you know, I didn't play the video game that it's based on at all. I didn't really know anything about it, but the way the story is told and the way they let actors act is so great.

[37:25] John Behlmann: The people in that show, so many of them just appear in a single episode. And like there's a woman, I for anyone who's seen the show. There's a, wherever they maybe it's, it's Indonesia where they first discover in the second episode, yes, yeah, yeah. And the woman who's like the professor, the head of, you know, and she is, they're a CDC, right? Like yeah, so amazing. Like, and has another like, you know, has three scenes maybe and carries the weight of the entire stakes of the show on her face for just a second, and we understand that this is a nasty global, serious, irreparable problem by just the way that she answers a question with someone, and then we never see her again.

[38:08] John Behlmann: Like that's that's brilliant stuff. And then so many other actors that like we all know that are come in and out of the thing, but that thing really was like, oh, we make great TV still, and there's really great places for people to trust performances and like still tell great stories without like overworking plot or over, you know, just relying on tricks and stuff. So yeah, that was a that was a nice show for me. Love that. I need to. And then everything else that I'll catch up on sometime when you know, whenever we're going to out of town again. But I'm behind on that one.

[38:41] Jason A. Coombs: You guys are just talking, and I was like, mm-hmm.

[38:43] John Behlmann: It's well, it's only like nine episodes, too.

[38:46] Jason A. Coombs: That's why it's manageable.

[38:47] John Behlmann: I was like, okay, I can yeah, I can pull this one off all at once.

[38:50] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, I recommend I recommend beef if you haven't.

[38:52] John Behlmann: Oh, I yes, yes.

[38:54] Jason A. Coombs: I know I was about to start it, but my wife didn't want to watch it, and I was like, okay.

[38:58] John Behlmann: Oh, really?

[38:59] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, I think she just wasn't feeling it that night, which is fine.

[39:02] John Behlmann: That means I get to watch it.

[39:03] Jason A. Coombs: And I heard well, you need to text me what you think about it.

[39:07] John Behlmann: Cause I watched it and I'm embarrassed to say I haven't done this since the beginning of the pandemic. I watched it all in one night on a Friday night. I was just okay.

[39:16] Jason A. Coombs: 12 half an hour episodes.

[39:17] John Behlmann: I was watching from like seven o'clock to two o'clock in the morning.

[39:21] Jason A. Coombs: That's the way that is the way because then you just get it all out of the way and you don't have to think about it.

[39:26] John Behlmann: I know, and those little half hour episodes are like it's like those books with chapters that are about six pages long. You're like, I can do one more.

[39:34] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, and then it's 2 a.m. and you're like, uh oh.

[39:36] John Behlmann: Uh-oh. I just read the whole Da Vinci code.

[39:40] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[39:41] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[39:41] Jason A. Coombs: Oh my gosh, I read that book in like two days.

[39:43] John Behlmann: I know that's what I mean. That was the one I was like, yeah, these chapters are so little, I'll just well I'll just it's okay, right?

[39:49] Jason A. Coombs: It's it's five, man.

[39:50] John Behlmann: Yeah, yeah.

[39:56] Jason A. Coombs: So good.

[39:58] John Behlmann: Iconic.

[40:00] Jason A. Coombs: This is so much fun. You're amazing to talk to.

[40:03] John Behlmann: I feel like we just started talking, and I know, right?

[40:06] Jason A. Coombs: It's great conversation.

[40:08] John Behlmann: I want to go.

[40:08] Jason A. Coombs: I don't have more questions, Sam.

[40:10] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay.

[40:11] Jason A. Coombs: Well, then I just make hey, you made this document.

[40:16] John Behlmann: You didn't know.

[40:17] Jason A. Coombs: John's like, no, I got like a half an hour of loan time.

[40:20] John Behlmann: Um let me gotta here.

[40:22] Jason A. Coombs: So we'll make the game really fun and really quick, and then we'll okay.

[40:25] John Behlmann: Okay, great, great.

[40:25] Jason A. Coombs: I don't know anything about this game, so yeah, it's it's a little uh true or false game.

[40:30] John Behlmann: It's a little trivia, it's a little bit corny.

[40:34] Jason A. Coombs: Sure. I was trying to think of a good name for it, and the name I have so far, maybe you have something better for us. It's pop culture corn.

[40:41] John Behlmann: Okay, okay.

[40:43] Jason A. Coombs: Sure I try I try my best.

[40:45] John Behlmann: Yeah, no, that's good.

[40:46] Jason A. Coombs: We're gonna tell you uh some stuff about some you know books or maybe some songs or some movies that have all had to do with corn. You tell us if it's true or false.

[40:54] John Behlmann: Okay, this is true.

[40:57] Jason A. Coombs: You have a 50-50 chance, everything's true or false.

[41:00] John Behlmann: Okay, and there's a bonus at the end too, so don't worry.

[41:02] Jason A. Coombs: We love a bonus, great.

[41:04] John Behlmann: Okay, first question. True or false. The 2021 Netflix movie corn has a synopsis that goes like this: stranded in a rural area. Two teens make friends with locals on Halloween, but soon run into a cult called corn collective order of recreational Nepro Jason.

[41:25] John Behlmann: What is that word?

[41:26] Jason A. Coombs: Necrophilantropests.

[41:27] John Behlmann: Thank you. That have chosen this area to perform human taxidermy, a field of screams. You can never leave.

[41:37] John Behlmann: I by pure detail alone, I'm gonna say true. That's gotta be true.

[41:43] Jason A. Coombs: That's crazy.

[41:46] John Behlmann: And thank you for helping me.

[41:47] Jason A. Coombs: That's actually what Chuck is based on.

[41:49] John Behlmann: I was lying about it bigger.

[41:51] Jason A. Coombs: Uh well, here we go.

[41:54] John Behlmann: Oh my gosh.

[41:55] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, it's on Netflix, so after beef, you know, right.

[42:00] John Behlmann: I'm sure.

[42:03] Jason A. Coombs: You liked beef, you loved corn.

[42:05] John Behlmann: It's just a full dinner followed by cake.

[42:09] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, yeah.

[42:12] John Behlmann: Okay. Next one is Corn is King.

[42:16] Jason A. Coombs: That's the title.

[42:17] John Behlmann: It's a 2007 documentary film released in October 2007 that follows college friends Ian Chaney and Curtis Ellis as they move from Boston to Green Iowa to grow a farm.

[42:29] John Behlmann: Grow and farm an acre of corn. True or false.

[42:33] Jason A. Coombs: Corn is king.

[42:34] John Behlmann: Uh I'm gonna say true again.

[42:38] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, that one actually is false. It's actually called Corn King.

[42:44] John Behlmann: Okay.

[42:44] Jason A. Coombs: Well, I mean it's half for that.

[42:48] John Behlmann: Yeah, that could be a half point.

[42:52] Jason A. Coombs: A half point in the game where there's only two choices.

[42:55] John Behlmann: A half point for it. This is a very generous game.

[42:58] Jason A. Coombs: I'm glad there's no money at stake, but okay.

[43:02] John Behlmann: Next one.

[43:03] Jason A. Coombs: Egot winner, Whoopi Goldberg, won her first Tony Award, won her Tony Award for playing the lead, Miss Moffitt in the 1983 Broadway revival play of The Corn is Green.

[43:18] John Behlmann: I don't think she did because like we looked up the corn is green because the original production of the corn of green was in the corn is green was in the Niederlander Theater. It was called something else at the time. But I was I literally was Googling playbills for the Corn is Green because I wanted to get one printed for the the Green Room. But uh I can't remember who the original star was, but Whoopi was not in that, I don't think. So I'm gonna say you're correct.

[43:44] Jason A. Coombs: It starred Cicely Tyson and Peter Gallagher, but it only ran for 32 performances.

[43:51] John Behlmann: Which is my age.

[43:53] Jason A. Coombs: Thanks for sharing.

[43:54] John Behlmann: You're welcome.

[43:56] Jason A. Coombs: No problem.

[43:59] John Behlmann: Okay. The voice star Blake Shelton released a song entitled Corn from his 2021 album, Corn.

[44:07] Jason A. Coombs: True or false.

[44:08] John Behlmann: I'm gonna say true.

[44:10] Jason A. Coombs: No, but is it really?

[44:12] John Behlmann: Oh corn in the trip!

[44:14] Jason A. Coombs: Corn in the field, corn in the bottom of the motion.

[44:18] John Behlmann: I heard him singing a song about corn on Instagram the other day because our Shucked account shared it, but I didn't know about the album.

[44:24] Jason A. Coombs: It's called Corn.

[44:25] John Behlmann: Come on, Blake.

[44:26] Jason A. Coombs: I don't care.

[44:27] John Behlmann: I mean, I'm improved, but like I was googling, I was like, I listened to it. I was like, this is wild at three o'clock this morning.

[44:34] Jason A. Coombs: Wow.

[44:35] John Behlmann: Corn from Corn.

[44:38] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, Blake.

[44:41] John Behlmann: Okay, one more and then a bonus.

[44:43] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[44:43] John Behlmann: As of March 2023, there are 11 children of the corn film.

[44:51] Jason A. Coombs: Isn't that no?

[44:52] John Behlmann: I'm gonna say false.

[44:55] Jason A. Coombs: It's true.

[44:56] John Behlmann: 11. What are you talking about?

[44:59] Jason A. Coombs: Listen, I'm just reading the document.

[45:01] John Behlmann: Jason. Aren't these kids grown up by now?

[45:05] Jason A. Coombs: The adults of the corn.

[45:07] John Behlmann: I guess the adults of the corn had kids of the core.

[45:10] Jason A. Coombs: Kids of the corn.

[45:11] John Behlmann: I don't know.

[45:12] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[45:12] John Behlmann: Generation.

[45:12] Jason A. Coombs: Maybe they're a living wild.

[45:14] John Behlmann: Wow.

[45:15] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[45:17] John Behlmann: You got a half point on the other one, and you can redeem yourself with the bonus.

[45:21] Jason A. Coombs: Don't be stressed.

[45:22] John Behlmann: Yeah, I guess.

[45:23] Jason A. Coombs: And this one is not true or false. So you just have to know.

[45:25] John Behlmann: I hope you've been paying attention, John.

[45:28] Jason A. Coombs: Okay. Which legendary country diva stopped by backstage to visit the cast of Shucks after another amazing performance recently.

[45:37] John Behlmann: Was it Reba McIntire?

[45:40] Jason A. Coombs: Oh yeah.

[45:42] John Behlmann: Correct.

[45:43] Jason A. Coombs: That's right.

[45:44] John Behlmann: Since then I hope you've been paying attention, John.

[45:46] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, yeah.

[45:48] John Behlmann: Reba, star of one of the first Broadway shows I ever saw.

[45:51] Jason A. Coombs: Oh my gosh.

[45:53] John Behlmann: Wait, which one?

[45:54] Jason A. Coombs: Annie Get Your Gun.

[45:55] John Behlmann: I saw her in Annie Get Your Gun in like 2000 or something like that. But yeah, I was here for a summer, and that was one of the shows that I crammed in.

[46:04] Jason A. Coombs: Wow.

[46:04] John Behlmann: In the Marquee Theater that I went on to work in in Tootsie.

[46:08] Jason A. Coombs: Amazing.

[46:08] John Behlmann: Yes.

[46:09] Jason A. Coombs: Look at that.

[46:09] John Behlmann: Full circle moment.

[46:10] Jason A. Coombs: I didn't didn't get to tell Reba all that.

[46:13] John Behlmann: You should have.

[46:14] Jason A. Coombs: She seems so nice.

[46:15] John Behlmann: She was so nice.

[46:16] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, excuse me.

[46:18] John Behlmann: I was in Tootsie at this theater, which I think she would have loved it.

[46:22] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[46:23] John Behlmann: Just watch this podcast interview and then wait to the end.

[46:26] Jason A. Coombs: And then you'll you'll get it.

[46:27] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[46:28] Jason A. Coombs: And then maybe she she wants to be a guest too.

[46:31] John Behlmann: You never know.

[46:32] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[46:33] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[46:33] Jason A. Coombs: We stand Reba.

[46:34] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[46:36] Jason A. Coombs: John, thank you so much for being here.

[46:39] John Behlmann: Thanks y'all for all the laughs.

[46:42] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[46:45] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[46:45] Jason A. Coombs: Thanks for coming.

[46:46] John Behlmann: Thanks for for spreading the Shucked gospel.

[46:48] Jason A. Coombs: So we had a great time.

[46:50] John Behlmann: We appreciate it.

[46:51] Jason A. Coombs: We had a great time.

[46:52] John Behlmann: I have my little Shucked cup that I got my box of soda in, and you know, savor that.

[46:58] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, good.

[46:58] John Behlmann: Can you give us the little secret of like what is the corn smell like?

[47:04] Jason A. Coombs: How are we getting the theater to smell like corn? Or was I like making it up?

[47:08] John Behlmann: I think you were imagining that, I think.

[47:10] Jason A. Coombs: The theater smelled like corn.

[47:12] John Behlmann: Even the people next to us were like, it smells like corn.

[47:14] Jason A. Coombs: Maybe I don't know what kind of concession food they sell.

[47:18] John Behlmann: Maybe they sell popcorn?

[47:19] Jason A. Coombs: Maybe they make popcorn.

[47:20] John Behlmann: Oh, maybe it was.

[47:21] Jason A. Coombs: We didn't go to the was there.

[47:22] John Behlmann: I didn't.

[47:23] Jason A. Coombs: I don't know.

[47:24] John Behlmann: I know there were drinks, but I didn't see the definitely our drinks.

[47:27] Jason A. Coombs: I feel like I would have heard a lot of popcorn crunching during the show.

[47:31] John Behlmann: There was popcorn being sold.

[47:32] Jason A. Coombs: John, can you ask somebody and get back to us? Because now I'm really concerned that there's something wrong.

[47:39] John Behlmann: Yeah.

[47:39] Jason A. Coombs: No, it was the people next to us too. We're like, yeah, it smells like it smells like popcorn in here.

[47:47] John Behlmann: Yes.

[47:50] Jason A. Coombs: John, where where can people find you on social media if they're not fans of you yet and they became fans of you during this interview?

[47:56] John Behlmann: Oh, they can find me everywhere with at John Behlmann. It's just my name. J-O-H-N-B-E-H-L-M-A-N-N. Mostly on Instagram, but it's on some of the other things that I don't do quite as often. But Instagram is the is my main jam.

[48:08] Jason A. Coombs: So you a TikToker?

[48:09] John Behlmann: Uh no. I mean I have a TikTok, but I did very briefly go viral with a an uh video of my my parents' Christmas decorations a couple of years ago on one of my only TikToks ever.

[48:21] Jason A. Coombs: But they have two 25 foot inflatable soldiers that uh I have nutcracking.

[48:29] John Behlmann: Like nutcracker soldiers, yeah. Just like yeah, they got them off a car dealer. My mom bought them used, and they use them at their house, so like no, she didn't.

[48:38] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, she did.

[48:39] John Behlmann: So that's iconic.

[48:41] Jason A. Coombs: Where's your your childhood home?

[48:42] John Behlmann: Like, in Texas in Houston.

[48:45] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[48:45] John Behlmann: Jason and I worked a survival job together at a Tex Mex restaurant.

[48:49] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, love a Tex Mex restaurant.

[48:54] John Behlmann: Oh yeah, I've been to Havalina.

[48:55] Jason A. Coombs: Oh my gosh, maybe we were there pre pandemic.

[48:59] John Behlmann: We haven't been there since uh 2019.

[49:03] Jason A. Coombs: All right.

[49:03] John Behlmann: We're passing that queso and that guy.

[49:05] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, you don't eat guac stuff, but yeah.

[49:07] John Behlmann: Do not give him the guac.

[49:09] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, I know, I know.

[49:10] John Behlmann: Yeah, can't get him stick.

[49:12] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[49:12] John Behlmann: Anyway.

[49:14] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, okay. And if you are a John fan and you're tuning into us for the first time, follow us at Survival Jobs Pod on Instagram and Twitter, on Facebook at Survival Jobs a podcast.

[49:26] John Behlmann: Shoot us an email at survivaljobspod at gmail dot com.

[49:30] Jason A. Coombs: You can follow my boy Jason at Jason A. Coombs and me at Sammy Tutz.

[49:34] John Behlmann: Not to be confused with the musical Tootsie that John.

[49:40] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[49:41] John Behlmann: Just Toots, not Tootsie.

[49:45] Jason A. Coombs: My last name is Tootsolo.

[49:47] John Behlmann: Oh, I see.

[49:48] Jason A. Coombs: People call me Toots, Tootsie.

[49:50] John Behlmann: Right.

[49:50] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[49:51] John Behlmann: We're basically like the same.

[49:52] Jason A. Coombs: You were in Tootsie.

[49:53] John Behlmann: I am Tootsie.

[49:54] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[49:57] John Behlmann: We've all got shocked.

[49:58] Jason A. Coombs: We are all completely fine.

[50:00] John Behlmann: That's right.

[50:00] Jason A. Coombs: We're all totally shocked.

[50:01] John Behlmann: So we're the same.

[50:03] Jason A. Coombs: Awesome.

[50:04] John Behlmann: And I think you did a great job on the game.

[50:06] Jason A. Coombs: I know we didn't address that yet, but I think you did a great job.

[50:09] John Behlmann: Oh, thank you.

[50:10] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[50:11] John Behlmann: Appreciate it.

[50:11] Jason A. Coombs: 100.

[50:12] John Behlmann: Got the bonus, right?

[50:13] Jason A. Coombs: So great.

[50:14] John Behlmann: We'll get an invite to the season three premiere of Survival Jobs a podcast.

[50:18] Jason A. Coombs: No idea when that is.

[50:19] John Behlmann: Terrific.

[50:20] Jason A. Coombs: Terrific.

[50:20] John Behlmann: Can't wait.

[50:21] Jason A. Coombs: Got it.

[50:23] John Behlmann: Thank you.

[50:24] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[50:25] John Behlmann: This was so much fun.

[50:26] Jason A. Coombs: All right.

[50:26] John Behlmann: Thanks y'all.

[50:27] Jason A. Coombs: Have a great, great show today.

[50:29] John Behlmann: Thank you.

[50:30] Jason A. Coombs: Bye.

[50:31] John Behlmann: All right.

[50:32] Jason A. Coombs: Bye.