This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 145 of Take A Bow.

[0:06] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and this week we have a very fun episode, actually. I'm very excited for this. No idea how this is gonna turn out, but it should be a fun one. We have a woman who inspires me so much. And this week of March, we are going to be celebrating women as it is Women's History Month, and I'm very excited to bring on this week's, like I'm not even gonna say guest, so I'm gonna say co-host. It's my sister Tessie Tokash.

[0:35] Tessie Tokash: Hey Eli, how's it going?

[0:40] Eli Tokash: Hey, Mr. Eli Tokash, how are you? Hi, and another one of my favorite women in my life is my dog Francis, who's also making an appearance on the podcast right now for those of you who are watching this. Very exciting stuff. We had, you know, this week has been craziness, okay. First of all, and we'll get into a little bit about it, but we have an opening night tomorrow, which is very exciting. So we were prepping for that, and we were also prepping for this interview with a very exciting guest, Sierra Boggus, who was about to be taken about on the podcast, and you know, plans fell through, so I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna have Tessie on. So very excited to have Tessie on. The same choice to Sierra Boggus. Listen, no, it's not even that you're like second, it's just that you're like on the same tier as Sierra.

[1:34] Tessie Tokash: Please don't say that. I have a picture of her, by the way, you should use for like the, remember that picture I took of her for the show must go on when we were on the carpet?

[1:42] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I was gonna say, wait, that's so like stalker-ish, but no, that was actually like a real thing that we did. No, very excited. But that should be, that'll come out during this month. So I will be talking to Sierra very soon, and that's an episode that we can look forward to. But with that being said, let's talk some Broadway. I mean, this is kinda what this episode's gonna be. We're just gonna be chatting Broadway. There's lots going on, and we're also gonna share some stories that we haven't quite shared before and just talk about like a little bit about ourselves and our past with, you know, the theater industry and all the things, so very excited. Let's start out and let's just say quickly congratulations to Shocked, Camelot, Dancing, all shows that are celebrating today or have already celebrated their first preview performance and Life of Pi as well.

[2:39] Eli Tokash: A Doll's House opening night is tomorrow, as I mentioned we will be there. Very excited. Tessie will not be in attendance because she did like sprain her entire leg.

[2:52] Tessie Tokash: Sprain? I wish it was a sprain. I completely tore my ACL and FCL.

[2:59] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so she would not be in attendance, but Take A Bow will be there for Tessie. She'll be there in spirit. So very exciting stuff. Congratulations to everyone involved on that. But some exciting news for the Tokash household came this week as well that Olivia Holt is gonna be coming to Broadway. Okay. Kickin' It was playing 24/7 in the Tokash household. So we're very excited for this. What are your thoughts here on Olivia Holt becoming the next Roxy Hart in Chicago?

[3:32] Tessie Tokash: I think you need to post that picture of her when you met her and, oh my God, during Mary Poppins on tour with Julia.

[3:41] Eli Tokash: I have it. I have it. I screenshot it. I'm on Facebook today.

[3:45] Tessie Tokash: Stop it. Wait, I actually completely forgot that was a thing. Oh my God. As soon as I saw her and I was making that post on Instagram, I took a screenshot today. You can see it at 11:59 this morning.

[3:58] Eli Tokash: Oh my God. That is iconic.

[4:01] Tessie Tokash: Yeah. And I'm blanking on the freaking, I know, the red Martin is his like show name or whatever. But I'm super excited. I didn't know she was a singer at all.

[4:17] Tessie Tokash: She has like her own music and stuff, I think.

[4:20] Eli Tokash: I know. Oh, his name's Dylan Riley Snyder.

[4:24] Tessie Tokash: Oh, that's it. The first picture, hold on, is him against a Escape to Margaritaville layout.

[4:30] Eli Tokash: Oh, that's interesting. Very interesting. No, I'm very excited. Did not know she was a singer. I honestly, it sucks. I haven't heard or followed Olivia since Kickin' It.

[4:44] Tessie Tokash: I know, and it kind of sucks, but I'm super happy she's back, and I'm really excited to see. I would love to buy a ticket to Chicago. Chicago's coming back. I mean, James.

[4:52] Eli Tokash: Chicago is coming back. Chicago's some good stuff. I'm actually gonna be seeing Chicago on Monday. I don't think you know this.

[4:59] Tessie Tokash: Yeah. I'm very excited. I am seeing Jinx.

[5:04] Eli Tokash: You didn't even watch her season in the appreciate it.

[5:08] Tessie Tokash: No, but I'm so excited. I cannot wait to come and report back. I'm actually gonna be seeing a couple shows in the coming week. So I'm very excited because I haven't seen many shows this year. I'm seeing a cabaret on Sunday. I don't know. I'm just going to like a lot of random things, but Chicago's like the show. The cabaret is actually really exciting. It's Abby Day Phillips who's taking a family member. And it's like Derek Klena and Erica Henningson and Samantha Pauly and like all these people are going to be performing. So I'm very excited about it.

[5:41] Tessie Tokash: You know, talking about Chicago, it was rumored that the next Roxy Hart was gonna be Rachel Ziegler.

[5:52] Eli Tokash: That's what I was thinking. I think I got on theater Twitter, but I didn't know if it was true.

[5:56] Tessie Tokash: Is that true?

[5:57] Eli Tokash: It was rumored. I don't know if it's something that's still yet to come. Cause obviously, you know Chicago from friends. Like not even theater in the theater Twitter. Like not even fan speculation. I was literally hearing it from people within the industry. And I usually don't like say that, but now that like we have the announcement, but it's because they were auditioning younger men for the first time for the roles of the male roles in Chicago. So that was it. It wasn't weird, you know, with this, you know, 20-year-old woman who's a younger Roxy, you know, than what they typically do to have that kind of age gap kind of shrink. So there was a lot of speculation of like, oh my God, who's gonna be this young girl coming in? And with Rachel Ziegler wanting to be in Broadway and everything, it made perfect sense. But you know, hopefully we see Rachel Ziegler on Broadway. I'd love to see her on Broadway. I'm a big Rachel.

[6:58] Tessie Tokash: Oh yeah, for sure. But you know, like Chicago, they're constantly having all these turnarounds and everything that I wouldn't be surprised if, you know, like this is like tons of women engagements, which is so smart.

[7:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah. It's great. It's good. It's one of the reasons that the show continues to have success for so long. I wonder why it's only for certain roles though, because they did that for Jinx's role, which is mom, and now they're only doing it with Roxy Hart. I wonder if they're gonna do with any male roles soon.

[7:27] Tessie Tokash: They have. They've done it for Billy Flynn. They've done it with, yeah, yeah. Who was he? And who does he have? They've had all kinds of famous people. I mean, they had Brandon Victor Dixon, they had James Monroe Iglehart, they've had these guys filter in for these roles. I wonder why it's not doing it at the same time, like why it's not. Well, first of all, if they had just had like a dream cast at all times, it would be super expensive to run the show. But I don't know. I don't know why they don't do it all at the same time. But it's probably because they can just focus on advertising one and they can get away with it. But you know, you want those like starring, like it's Chicago is a Roxy Velma show.

You know, you want those stars to be the people selling the tickets. You want them to be on stage as much as they can. So I get why they do it with Roxy and Velma and even Mama Morton, but very, very interesting nonetheless, and we'll be interested to see if Rachel Ziegler maybe does come to Broadway in Chicago down the line.

[8:36] Tessie Tokash: Have you seen the movie Chicago?

[8:37] Eli Tokash: Mm-mm.

[8:38] Tessie Tokash: Oh my God. But I saw Chicago with Carly Hughes in it.

[8:41] Eli Tokash: I've never seen Velma.

[8:43] Tessie Tokash: Oh, is she good?

[8:44] Eli Tokash: Oh my God. Was she good?

[8:45] Tessie Tokash: Come on. Yeah, she was fantastic. And I'm excited because I'm gonna be seeing one of my like Pippin moms, Charlotte Dembloise in this Monday in the show. So yeah, anyways, moving on from this topic. There is also another, we love Waitress. We love a good Waitress moment in this household, and it was announced that Drew Gelling is going to be playing the doctor in Little Shop, which is so exciting if you ask me.

[9:19] Tessie Tokash: We love him so much. Drew Gelling is my idol, and the fact that he, Maud Apatow, and Matt Delil are about to be on the same stage, sign me up.

[9:31] Eli Tokash: Didn't he get an extension, Matt?

[9:35] Tessie Tokash: Before you go to his next podcast. I think so. But I think it was like an extension, but it wasn't like a full extension because it was like, oh, I'm good at doing a project. But I think we have till September-ish to see Matt.

[9:53] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's hard. He posted it on his story or something. Which is so exciting, and it's plenty enough time to go see him. I freaking loved Matt in Company, so I really want to see him as Seymour because I think he would be fantastic. I wanna see Drew as the doctor because the last time we saw it, I was crying of laughing watching. Also, I need a disclaimer. I did take pain medicine before I came on here, and I'm a little drowsy, so if I mumble, like I need to do that now.

[10:26] Tessie Tokash: No, you're fine. But we saw Christopher, see like I'm already not Seaver.

[10:32] Eli Tokash: Chris.

[10:33] Tessie Tokash: What's his name? Oh, Chris Fitzgerald.

[10:34] Eli Tokash: Gee. No. Who played the doctor?

[10:37] Tessie Tokash: No, the first time we saw him, Chris.

[10:43] Eli Tokash: Oh my God, he's in Sunlight Hot right now.

[10:46] Tessie Tokash: Christian Borle?

[10:47] Eli Tokash: Thank you, Christian Borle. We saw Chris.

[10:49] Tessie Tokash: Oh, you're talking about the doctor in Little Shop.

[10:51] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[10:52] Tessie Tokash: Okay. I was like thinking of Waitress people.

[10:55] Eli Tokash: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm very curious because Christian Borle left everything out there. Oh my God. And I can see Drew being a funny guy, but like I'm very interested to see what he brings. So I'm definitely excited to get tickets. I'm saying this every week, it seems like on this podcast of like, oh my God, they have this person coming into this show. You know, we see this with like Chicago and stuff like that, but it's very rare for an off-Broadway show to have this much long extended success and to continue to attract these big names. I mean, Maud Apatow to be in a Broadway, like an off-Broadway show. It's so random, but it's wonderful that they're able to do it. But it's so, not even like the cast of the names, it's Little Shop, like it's so iconic. I mean, you saw me when I was seven years old. I literally, as a seven-year-old, dressed as a Venus flytrap on stage. Remember that?

[11:52] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Macro solo. We watched Little Shop in the car when those DVDs came down and Blockbuster to rent it. Like we watched that so many times. Like that's just like a musical theater iconic everything.

[12:07] Eli Tokash: For sure. And it's like, as a performer, for both male and female, it's like, oh, I want to sing "Suddenly, Seymour" on stage so bad. You know, like it's just an, for some reason, just so iconic. It's like a theater staple. So it's great to see that Drew Gelling and this production continues to have great success, and Drew Gelling's gonna be in as the doctor very soon. I'm very excited for it. And that's a show that like there's no small roles either because like there is obviously like, you know, your main and your supporting that you're well, it's interesting because there are small roles, but this production made it no small roles.

[12:48] Tessie Tokash: Yes, exactly. Like that's what, like the three skid row badass women, like when I was little, I would jam out to those songs. I love those three on Broadway right now. They kill it, but honestly, like all of like, if you think about it, I'm saying this in like all of Christian Borle's role, but it's, it's not like his roles. All of those roles are just really like tiny characters that are like part of the story, but they make, and this, it just evens it out, you know, and it's really cool. I mean, this production, I've said it a million times, it's one of the best productions of a show that like I've ever seen. It's like not like fully like reimagined, but like it is, and it's never done, it's never been done this way.

[13:34] Tessie Tokash: No, it's definitely like Christian Borle, like even, I forget who we saw. We saw an understudy play, um, all these names. What is her name?

[13:48] Eli Tokash: Oh, Audrey.

[13:49] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, it's on it. Yeah, she was absolutely incredible. But it was cool because even the, in quotes, main characters were playing multiple characters, like Christian Borle was like a homeless guy, and that's what I'm saying. Yeah, like he turned doctor, and then he turned all these things, you know.

[14:05] Eli Tokash: Like, it's great.

[14:06] Tessie Tokash: It was awesome.

[14:07] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it was very memorable.

[14:08] Tessie Tokash: That's a show I still think about when we saw it like last year.

[14:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure.

[14:13] Tessie Tokash: And we like wanted we thought we had tickets for Jeremy Jordan, and it was Jeremy Jordan and Lena Hall.

[14:19] Eli Tokash: We wanted to go to Lena Hall so bad.

[14:21] Tessie Tokash: I know, but remember like mom bought us Christmas presents, and we're like, You're gonna go see Jeremy Jordan, and it wasn't Jeremy Jordan.

[14:29] Eli Tokash: He left the show.

[14:30] Tessie Tokash: Um we were so excited, so we were just like, Okay, yeah, like oh yeah, we're little shop kind of saying her face was so priceless, you're gonna go see Jeremy Jordan.

[14:40] Eli Tokash: We're like, oh we were like, who's gonna tell her?

[14:45] Tessie Tokash: Of course, I had to be the one to be like, actually, yeah, get out of here.

[14:52] Eli Tokash: I am not.

[14:53] Tessie Tokash: I'm the oldest, I can't do that anymore.

[14:55] Eli Tokash: I just gotta love, I appreciate you.

[14:58] Tessie Tokash: Thank you so much.

[14:59] Eli Tokash: He's totally in it, you're totally right.

[15:01] Tessie Tokash: Oh my god, that was so good.

[15:03] Eli Tokash: Um, but yeah, no, a blast nonetheless, and uh, I'd go see that show with anyone.

[15:08] Tessie Tokash: It's they they're killing it over there.

[15:11] Eli Tokash: Um that's all the news.

[15:13] Tessie Tokash: I mean, that's all the what I had on my list.

[15:16] Eli Tokash: I know you have a list, so let's get to some topics we that you have, but there's also some things that I want to ask you about that we can get into a little later.

[15:23] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, well, okay, so first things first, you mentioned like a take about member.

[15:28] Eli Tokash: Uh speaking of Patrick Page is in the new Shmigadine season two.

[15:33] Tessie Tokash: Yes, the trailer looks great, Chicago.

[15:37] Eli Tokash: He actually he dropped that on the podcast before like it was even announced.

[15:44] Tessie Tokash: But the thing was is like like by the when we recorded, it was like not a thing, and I think like when we dropped the episode was the day that we announced it, so we couldn't be like, oh, a take a bell exclusive, you know.

[15:57] Eli Tokash: It I was like, oh man, that was crazy.

[16:01] Tessie Tokash: I love that man.

[16:03] Eli Tokash: I yeah, I first of all love him because I mean we worked with him.

[16:08] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, I'll never forget that.

[16:09] Eli Tokash: Like time, time, time, because this is one of the things that I wanted to bring up.

[16:14] Tessie Tokash: Oh, okay.

[16:15] Eli Tokash: Now you will never forget working with him for a very specific reason.

[16:22] Tessie Tokash: Are you willing to share that on today's episode?

[16:25] Eli Tokash: Are you talking about the story of when I ran into him the last time, or like when you like walked in on him?

[16:32] Tessie Tokash: When I walked in on him, and he wasn't like give it to me, please.

[16:39] Eli Tokash: And this is literally like the like definition of being a kid in the industry of like what you're exposed to.

[16:47] Tessie Tokash: Okay, first of all, I just want to say I love Patrick Page with my whole heart.

[16:51] Eli Tokash: We have a lot of things in common.

[16:53] Tessie Tokash: One being that we both wear hearing aids, and I think that's the coolest thing with Patrick Page.

[16:59] Eli Tokash: He loves dogs.

[17:00] Tessie Tokash: Oh my god, I love that he brings his dog backstage with him still.

[17:03] Eli Tokash: Okay, so the story is we were in Oliver, and I there was this girl named Tessa who was like the stage mom for me and Oliver.

[17:14] Tessie Tokash: She would like pick me up like during one of the numbers and everything.

[17:17] Eli Tokash: And I thought it was her room, so I could go say hi to her and do like the pre-show thing that like we did.

[17:23] Tessie Tokash: We did like a like a fun handshake, whatever.

[17:26] Eli Tokash: And I accidentally walked in on Patrick Page and he was getting changed.

[17:30] Tessie Tokash: And I didn't even close the door and I ran guard.

[17:37] Eli Tokash: And I don't know.

[17:38] Tessie Tokash: I mean, listen, the backstage of the PCLO is it's a lot, it's big.

[17:43] Eli Tokash: There's a lot of rooms.

[17:45] Tessie Tokash: Especially the Benedom.

[17:47] Eli Tokash: Especially the Benedam.

[17:48] Tessie Tokash: Like biomes much smaller.

[17:50] Eli Tokash: The thing is, is like his was there's an elevator.

[17:52] Tessie Tokash: You come out of the elevator and he's straight down.

[17:55] Eli Tokash: I didn't I didn't mean to go straight down.

[17:57] Tessie Tokash: I meant to go to the hallway that went this way and do a like a left and then go down that hallway.

[18:02] Eli Tokash: But I I had an adrenaline.

[18:04] Tessie Tokash: It was I think it was opening night, I forget which night it was.

[18:07] Eli Tokash: I saw Patrick Page get changed.

[18:09] Tessie Tokash: And here's the thing, and I like you were nervous about sharing this, I know.

[18:14] Eli Tokash: Um you know the thing is is like that's like that's backstage life.

[18:20] Tessie Tokash: Like the first time I ever That's your induction.

[18:24] Eli Tokash: No, like you're not a theater kid until you've seen someone else naked.

[18:28] Tessie Tokash: Like I didn't see him naked.

[18:32] Eli Tokash: I I know I know, but like let's be real, like that's what we see backstage.

[18:38] Tessie Tokash: Like it it's like it it's literally for those of you who have ever played sports before, like your dressing room in the backstage area, that's a frickin' locker room.

[18:48] Eli Tokash: Like it it is.

[18:50] Tessie Tokash: But it's cleaner.

[18:52] Eli Tokash: It's it's cleaner for sure.

[18:53] Tessie Tokash: But like honest to God, because like in finding Neverland, it was it was clean, honestly, and it crazy because like that was the oldest I ever was in like a Broadway show.

[19:03] Eli Tokash: And so like for them to like be so I guess it was because we did have an like we got as as young as like eight years old, so they had to be a little bit more like um filtered, but like Pippin, forget it.

[19:17] Tessie Tokash: You know, I mean, like, these cast members were coming from all over the world, you know.

[19:22] Eli Tokash: Like in Russia, we had uh uh we would call her the the Russian Queen or whatever we call her.

[19:30] Tessie Tokash: Uh and we had like these French uh circus performers and all these things, like forget it.

[19:36] Eli Tokash: They walked around naked, like that that just was like I'm getting my bald cap fit, and it's me and Ariana De Beau's, and she's just like in her bra and like her like leggings, and it's like then Nico or Masha or whatever comes in with literally like no clothes on.

[19:54] Tessie Tokash: So it's just like and like in Mary Poppins, like that was the first time I ever saw like someone that wasn't my family, or like or myself, like naked, you know, and and like never forget that, like in the little like in like the trunks or the the changing areas that they like would designate.

[20:13] Eli Tokash: And and there's nothing you could do about it.

[20:15] Tessie Tokash: It's just kind of like look away like focus on your next entrance, you know, type of thing.

[20:20] Eli Tokash: It's just like that's just how it is, because you gotta do what you gotta do.

[20:23] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, and I'm sure people who are listening who have done dance competitions, yeah, exactly.

[20:30] Eli Tokash: It's the it's literally the same thing, like you're doing quick changes, you got pantyhose on, and maybe a sports bra or like a tan bra.

[20:38] Tessie Tokash: Some gu sometimes people just like to free the nip, which is totally fine.

[20:42] Eli Tokash: Yeah, um, yeah, it's exactly like that.

[20:46] Tessie Tokash: And yeah, it's totally true.

[20:48] Eli Tokash: I agree with you, like you're inducted into you know, strong theater kid that's only up from here.

[20:55] Tessie Tokash: Like no, you're you're not a theater kid until like you've changed in front of someone that you wouldn't usually, yeah.

[21:03] Eli Tokash: Like even a theater kid.

[21:04] Tessie Tokash: Like I'm sure this is happening at summer camps and stuff.

[21:07] Eli Tokash: Like, we had to do it at the we had to do it at the CLO.

[21:10] Tessie Tokash: Like we they we had a guys in a girls' dressing room.

[21:12] Eli Tokash: Like we simply had to take our clothes off.

[21:15] Tessie Tokash: You know, we had to change.

[21:17] Eli Tokash: For Oliver we did not.

[21:19] Tessie Tokash: For Oliver it was everybody.

[21:21] Eli Tokash: We did have it all yeah we did.

[21:23] Tessie Tokash: It wasn't like that.

[21:24] Eli Tokash: Like we're the different sides and we were like you can't cross for the pagan kids it wasn't.

[21:29] Tessie Tokash: For the Fagan kids we all had our quick change on one side.

[21:33] Eli Tokash: Do you remember that?

[21:34] Tessie Tokash: No.

[21:35] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[21:36] Tessie Tokash: I was too young to remember that.

[21:38] Eli Tokash: Me and Michael me and Michael um I don't know if you remember Michael the brown haired guy.

[21:42] Tessie Tokash: Yeah yeah but he would help me get into the blue jacket that I wore and I would help him get into the red one that he wore.

[21:49] Eli Tokash: Steve there you go.

[21:50] Tessie Tokash: I remember that and Logan Roland he was on our side too.

[21:53] Eli Tokash: This is happening all over like seriously like you're not a theater kid unless you like have changed in front of someone.

[21:58] Tessie Tokash: Yeah we opposite sex is a different story but you've definitely changed in front of someone.

[22:03] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah um but yeah that that it this listen this this freaking episode is about to be fully unfiltered.

[22:12] Tessie Tokash: Um just theater kids.

[22:14] Eli Tokash: Take a vow 2.0 yeah take about after dark like killer.

[22:23] Tessie Tokash: Yes but disclaimer just in case I guess Patrick wasn't naked but like pretty close.

[22:29] Eli Tokash: So it's fine.

[22:30] Tessie Tokash: Uh anyways moving on you continue telling your story because uh I I interrupted and you were talking about the story I wanted to go see Tessa.

[22:40] Eli Tokash: No no no you were talking about Patrick Page being in Chmicago the season two Shmigadune, but I I interrupted because I was like, oh my god, this is a perfect segue.

[22:49] Tessie Tokash: Well, even I could talk about Patrick Dale, Patrick Page all day long because I I ran into him on the street.

[22:56] Eli Tokash: I saw, I mean, we saw Hades Town, and I you know met him at the stage door after, and I met his dog, and he actually like it was really cool because I took a picture with him, and I was like, hey, I don't know if you remember me.

[23:12] Tessie Tokash: I'm like 24 now.

[23:14] Eli Tokash: Now I'm LOL.

[23:16] Tessie Tokash: And wow.

[23:18] Eli Tokash: I'm sure he doesn't remember the kid that just like walked in on him, you know.

[23:23] Tessie Tokash: He wasn't scarred by that either.

[23:24] Eli Tokash: First of all, 100%, because I'm sure it happens constantly.

[23:28] Tessie Tokash: This man has been in the theater industry for over what 20 something years.

[23:31] Eli Tokash: Um, but he was I was like, I was one of your fagan members, and he was like, Oh my gosh, yeah, Fagin gang, and I was like, yeah.

[23:31] Tessie Tokash: And I was like, the Pittsburgh CL.

[23:41] Eli Tokash: He was like Venetam Center, and I was like, yeah.

[23:43] Tessie Tokash: And I thought that was a cool encounter too.

[23:45] Eli Tokash: No, yeah.

[23:45] Tessie Tokash: So he's a king.

[23:47] Eli Tokash: Anyways, Shmicago, very exciting.

[23:49] Tessie Tokash: Ariana DeBo's about to be the MC.

[23:51] Eli Tokash: I'm so excited for that.

[23:52] Tessie Tokash: Did you do that?

[23:53] Eli Tokash: So she looked fantastic.

[23:55] Tessie Tokash: Chef's kiss.

[23:56] Eli Tokash: I want nothing more than for Ariana Deboz.

[24:01] Tessie Tokash: She just got done hosting.

[24:02] Eli Tokash: I know.

[24:04] Tessie Tokash: And the rap.

[24:05] Eli Tokash: Did you hear about that?

[24:07] Tessie Tokash: I I heard of it because she posted about it, but I don't know much about it, though.

[24:13] Eli Tokash: I hate when people just get so on people.

[24:16] Tessie Tokash: Like, who cares?

[24:18] Eli Tokash: Um, I I kind of like something different.

[24:21] Tessie Tokash: And it was totally like an ode to like the how the Tony Awards were because it was like Wait, wait, wait, wait.

[24:25] Eli Tokash: You're talking about, oh my god, wait, I didn't realize this is what we were talking about right now.

[24:31] Tessie Tokash: Her iconic uh Angela Bassett did the thing.

[24:36] Eli Tokash: Yes, oh my god, wait.

[24:37] Tessie Tokash: Okay, so yes, then I did see that.

[24:39] Eli Tokash: Of course I saw that.

[24:40] Tessie Tokash: I was gonna say, how did you not see it?

[24:41] Eli Tokash: It's literally been all over the theater wise.

[24:43] Tessie Tokash: I totally didn't I thought you said in the rap.

[24:47] Eli Tokash: I have no idea what you said.

[24:48] Tessie Tokash: That's what I'm saying.

[24:49] Eli Tokash: I'm sorry, I'm mumbling and ugh.

[24:51] Tessie Tokash: Yeah.

[24:51] Eli Tokash: You gotta do this earlier next time.

[24:54] Tessie Tokash: Well, yeah, if we knew earlier, but uh it's okay.

[24:58] Eli Tokash: Anyways, no, that was honestly like iconic, and she's handled it like a fool out pro.

[25:04] Tessie Tokash: Like she's been like encouraging the like press and like the whatever that she's getting, the the imitations.

[25:15] Eli Tokash: Because I truly when people like when it came out and people were like, look at the audience, how like they're not into it.

[25:22] Tessie Tokash: First of all, okay, well, they're not that crowd because did you see the Tony performance?

[25:26] Eli Tokash: I think that's what it was an ode to, like the rap style, like I loved it.

[25:31] Tessie Tokash: I still listen to Round of Applause almost daily.

[25:34] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[25:38] Tessie Tokash: I okay.

[25:39] Eli Tokash: I also I just have to self-brag for a second.

[25:43] Tessie Tokash: I did work that Tony event last year.

[25:45] Eli Tokash: Yeah, you did.

[25:46] Tessie Tokash: And oh my god, I cried like 10 times watching her.

[25:52] Eli Tokash: I'm just upset that Tessie made it to the Tonies before I did.

[25:55] Tessie Tokash: Oh so freaking fun.

[25:58] Eli Tokash: I also met Jenny Anderson photo, who's my favorite photographer.

[26:01] Tessie Tokash: Um, okay.

[26:03] Eli Tokash: That's what I think the ode was to.

[26:05] Tessie Tokash: Um yeah, that's fair.

[26:07] Eli Tokash: I think it was a little slow, yes, but also I kind of enjoyed the lyrics.

[26:12] Tessie Tokash: And I don't know.

[26:14] Eli Tokash: I don't know why.

[26:15] Tessie Tokash: I thought it connected amazingly.

[26:17] Eli Tokash: I just think they just got bad shots of people.

[26:19] Tessie Tokash: That's just so easy to do.

[26:21] Eli Tokash: Listen, celebrate those women.

[26:23] Tessie Tokash: Are you kidding me?

[26:24] Eli Tokash: Celebrate them.

[26:25] Tessie Tokash: All of them.

[26:26] Eli Tokash: They all deserve the praise.

[26:27] Tessie Tokash: And I thought that.

[26:30] Eli Tokash: Oh.

[26:30] Tessie Tokash: No, also because at the Tony's, like, if you the cameramen have to find the right people because there were people at the Tonies who looked bored.

[26:38] Eli Tokash: Like that will be it's but that's the thing though.

[26:43] Tessie Tokash: Like it's not for everybody.

[26:44] Eli Tokash: You're not gonna please everybody.

[26:46] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, but come on, when you're like literally being sung to, or like you're they're shouting out your name.

[26:52] Eli Tokash: Like you probably know you're on camera.

[26:54] Tessie Tokash: I mean, there's a cameraman like right in front of you.

[26:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[26:57] Tessie Tokash: And Ariana DeBose can sing whatever she wants to meet and I will be like, well, here's the thing.

[27:03] Eli Tokash: It's not like she wrote it.

[27:04] Tessie Tokash: It's not like she wrote it.

[27:05] Eli Tokash: You know, she was given the material and she made like literally gold out of the material that she was given because it's like turned into a full trend.

[27:14] Tessie Tokash: So you're totally right though.

[27:15] Eli Tokash: It does it totally she's handling it so well.

[27:18] Tessie Tokash: Oh, she's a freaking pro.

[27:19] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so Shmigadoon looks awesome.

[27:22] Tessie Tokash: Christian Chenowith and Alan Cumming.

[27:24] Eli Tokash: Did she look like the Senea Todds?

[27:29] Tessie Tokash: Oh I don't know what's going on there because that's not in Chicago.

[27:34] Eli Tokash: Well, neither is Cabaret, where our Ariana's playing the MC.

[27:38] Tessie Tokash: Oh crap.

[27:39] Eli Tokash: Yeah, you're right.

[27:40] Tessie Tokash: Sorry, I have never seen Cabaret, so yeah, that that takes place in all not even the United States.

[27:46] Eli Tokash: So And I love Titus Burgess.

[27:48] Tessie Tokash: I can't wait.

[27:49] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I mean the cast is ridiculous.

[27:51] Tessie Tokash: It always is.

[27:52] Eli Tokash: And the bigger that this whole like Shmega Dune series, I guess, becomes is the more people that they're just gonna continue to bring on.

[27:59] Tessie Tokash: I mean, you got the Shmigadoon, and then you have the uh what's the other one that's very Broadway heavy uh with the Gilded Age, the Gilded Age is the right.

[28:06] Eli Tokash: Or the Gilden Age, yeah.

[28:07] Tessie Tokash: I haven't brought it heavy.

[28:08] Eli Tokash: Um, my friend at Worch has actually recommended that to me for when I'm alone this weekend. Both Apple TV Plus shows. So, uh, I love the, uh, the support from Apple TV Plus for the Broadway community. Um, speaking of, because Aaron Tveit’s in the show, we take a bow just have for our first giveaway, ticket giveaway. Yes, which is you all better be following the Instagram if you're not. Because that was wild. It wasn't even up for 24 hours, and we had like over like 30 something entries. Yeah, and it was really cool. We were like, wow. I, it was literally up for like 12 hours, if that, not even, yeah. We posted it. Um, oh yeah, I guess, yeah, we posted it at nine o'clock last night. We were gonna close it tonight, and Eli was like, let's do it at noon.

And yeah, in that time, I was shocked. I thought we were gonna get like maybe 12, something like that. But a lot of people were interested and wanted to see Aaron Tveit and, um, Moulin Rouge. Yeah, Aaron Tveit and Ashley Loren and Jessica Lee Golden, who's a friend of the pod but hasn't been on quite yet. But, um, Jojo and Derek are coming back, uh, April 11th. Um, but yeah, no, it, I'm very excited about this giveaway. I think we could do a lot more of these, not just tickets, but also just Broadway memorabilia in general. Uh, a ton of stuff just sitting around. So, uh, would be happy to give more away. It seems like a lot of people enjoyed that. Congratulations to our winner, Savon Brown. Uh, very exciting stuff.

I'm glad it worked out. And, and shout out to you because that was all your idea. That was fully your idea to do a take a giveaway and a giveaway in general. Um, but I'm, I'm glad thanks for everyone for participating. And, and you know, you had to like to enter it, was like follow, take a bow and repost on your story like give us a shout out kind of thing so, uh, shout out to everyone that was willing to, you know, spread the word about the pod and, uh, our account and everything like that in order to get a ticket, uh, or in order to I guess enter this ticket raffle. Um, thank you guys and they're, there's gonna definitely, uh, since we know kind of now first, yeah, people are interested in four hours like yeah, we know what to do now so this is, we'll plan it better next time.

[29:54] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, there's definitely more just like how we're gonna plan this episode better if, if I, you know, were to come back and hope, oh yeah, it's crazy. Um, but speaking of Sweeney Todd, Sweeney Todd also had their first look today which is March 8th, so yesterday. Uh, full disclosure, I refuse to look at any first look of Sweeney Todd.

[30:47] Eli Tokash: You're that kind of person.

[30:48] Tessie Tokash: I am that kind of person and you know what, I'm okay with that. I've literally blocked all of like Sweeney Todd stuff. Oh my God, no listen, I don't want it, I don't want anything given away.

[31:02] Eli Tokash: What are you seeing?

[31:03] Tessie Tokash: I don't know but I've never seen a production of Sweeney Todd. I obviously know the story and everything about it but I don't want a darn thing given away to me during Sweeney Todd. I just want to go and I want to live it all. I, of course, I see that I'm saying on Broadway. I've never seen a stage adaptation with these beautiful songs and everything I know but I don't want to ruin it for me and Caroline Carmello, who, you know, you all know is a wonderful friend of the pod. Um, she, uh, did a like her production in like a bakery here in New York. So like I've gotten like tons of sneak peeks, uh, of that from like photos that she showed us and everything, but I don't want anything given away for this production because I, I've just heard nothing but good things about it, and I refuse to ruin it for me and to, you know, get expectations or, um, you know, do whatever. I just want to be surprised and experience it all at once for the.

[32:02] Eli Tokash: And then did you see Shucked what they're doing with their, uh, preview what they gave away?

[32:14] Tessie Tokash: The pins? I got shucked.

[32:16] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I got shucked.

[32:17] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, they were cute, right?

[32:18] Eli Tokash: They're so cute. I love, it's a great idea, and I am really gonna love the lingo for the next couple of months on Broadway. Like, I'm gonna get shucked tonight, like we're gonna get shucked up, like I'm gonna like that lingo. I think that's gonna be fun.

[32:34] Tessie Tokash: Oh my God. You have that, you have like the bad Cinderella, like tease that they do.

[32:40] Eli Tokash: I'm not, I'm not Cinderella, I'm your bad Cinderella.

[32:44] Tessie Tokash: That promo is the best thing in the world. Um, so there's all kind of spoofs going on right now in Broadway. It's great.

[32:52] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. And, um, just a reminder that Sunday during the Oscars will be the first, um, the world premiere trailer of The Little Mermaid.

[33:08] Tessie Tokash: So just a friendly merminder.

[33:10] Eli Tokash: Oh, merminder, look at her, she's playing in with the lingo.

[33:14] Tessie Tokash: Um, merminder. I didn't even know that that was, uh, that was the world premiere trailer. That's exciting.

[33:21] Eli Tokash: Yeah, but there was a lot of, I don't know if you saw this, but people were angry because it was supposed to premiere during the Super Bowl, and then that apparently a fan or something, somebody reached out to Halle Bailey on Instagram and was like, Is this happening? And she was like, sorry, I don't know where you got this information. Like it was going around theater Twitter, like somebody screenshotted it, and it was like going around being like, no, we're not, like the premiere or the trailer's not coming out during the Super Bowl. It'll be coming out, but I can't tell you when. So it confirmed this weekend that the first trailer will be out, um, during the Oscars, which makes more sense.

[34:10] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, makes total sense.

[34:12] Eli Tokash: For sure. You want to talk about a live movie that I'm excited for?

[34:17] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, no. That's gonna be sick. I love anything Daveed Diggs is in, so like how many.

[34:23] Eli Tokash: I'm so excited, and I love Melissa McCarthy. I've never seen her play a villain, so I'm super excited for that.

[34:29] Tessie Tokash: Oh yeah.

[34:30] Eli Tokash: Um, Halle Bailey looks beautiful.

[34:34] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, but come on, Daveed Diggs, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jacob Tremblay. I mean, all of these, all of your favorite stars are in this show. Are you kidding me? Or in this movie, I guess you should say.

[34:45] Eli Tokash: Um, I think it'll be great.

[34:47] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, for sure.

[34:49] Eli Tokash: Um, Awkwafina's gonna be in it. I actually have a question for you. Since you're the one always interviewing people, what is your comfort Broadway soundtrack?

[35:03] Tessie Tokash: Uh, or album, not soundtrack. Broadway album.

[35:07] Eli Tokash: Um, you know, it's unfortunate. Honestly, like I low key do go back to Neverland sometimes. And I listen to those a lot. More than I would do like for Pippin or Mary Poppins or any of the others for that matter. But, um, you know, there's a part of me that I, I first of all I love Waitress, so I, I love the Waitress cast album, of course. Part of me is like, I know it's like very new age theater fan, whatever, but for this nostalgia factor, like when I grew, when I was growing up and even when I was on Broadway, I mean all I did was sing Hamilton. So that was like, that’s huge for me that I still like continue like I feel like nostalgia like when I wanna go back and just like get excited or hyper or feel like it's, I don't know. I feel like that is a really good one. You know, that, that Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen like year was like shaped my theater kid fandom, you know, like it really did. So, but yeah, it was great.

[36:23] Tessie Tokash: And so I, I mean it wasn't even that they like Come From Away. I mean, because Dear Evan Hansen and, and, uh, Hamilton weren't in the same season, but like that like two year span was just fantastic for new musicals.

[36:26] Eli Tokash: You said Come From Away. Did you see they're coming with a reunion?

[36:40] Tessie Tokash: No.

[36:41] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[36:44] Tessie Tokash: Yes. What are they doing?

[36:46] Eli Tokash: Um, hold on, let me share it with us. Hold on. What was that? I was watching Amanda Seyfried earlier on a Vanity Fair.

[36:58] Tessie Tokash: I love that for you.

[36:59] Eli Tokash: Okay, this came out on Playbill, March 6th, 2023. Um, the musical return to where it all started with runs in Newfoundland. Newfoundland.

[37:10] Tessie Tokash: New Finland!

[37:11] Eli Tokash: But the title is Come From Away. Original Broadway cast members reunite for a homecoming production in Gander.

[37:18] Tessie Tokash: Oh my God. Wait, is this like a one-night thing? What is this? Tell me more.

[37:23] Eli Tokash: I'm reading now. Original Broadway cast members. Okay, have joined the company for director. Okay. Running July 7th through September 3rd at the Joseph R. Smallwood Arts and Culture Center in Gander.

[37:38] Tessie Tokash: New Finland!

[37:39] Eli Tokash: Oh wait, what you just connected the dots on that?

[37:45] Tessie Tokash: Wait, so they're going to be able to do that. Oh wow.

[37:50] Eli Tokash: I got that from this, the start of you introducing this and I didn't even know about it. That's fantastic. Did not know that. I don't know why I didn't know that.

[38:00] Tessie Tokash: Um, but that sounds amazing, and that sounds so cool. And it would be cool to see like, uh, because I know, you know, all of those people in Come From Away were like based on like real people. And I know that like the pilot, the first female pilot, Jen Kalola's role. Can't think of her name right now, she was like a real person. She was heavily involved in the Broadway production. So I'd love to see like, you know, like if those people are still alive and like somehow like kind of got involved in that production in some way with the original Broadway cast. I think that'd be sick.

[38:34] Eli Tokash: So are we going to Gander and we're gonna do a Take A Bow live?

[38:40] Tessie Tokash: I can't with you. I can't.

[38:42] Eli Tokash: Um, not quite.

[38:43] Tessie Tokash: I would love to, to be completely honest. I totally would, but, uh, we're not there yet.

[38:51] Eli Tokash: The money?

[38:52] Tessie Tokash: No.

[38:52] Eli Tokash: I don't have Patreon.

[38:53] Tessie Tokash: No, I'm kidding. LOL.

[38:56] Eli Tokash: So then, well, wait, wait, wait. I'm curious. You asked me a question. I want to hear your response. What's your?

[39:02] Tessie Tokash: Oh, Waitress for sure.

[39:04] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Waitress for sure.

[39:05] Tessie Tokash: Um, funny story. The first year that Spotify Wrapped did their thing, my number one played song was the Contraction Ballet.

[39:17] Eli Tokash: I'm sorry.

[39:19] Tessie Tokash: Of all the songs on the album.

[39:23] Eli Tokash: I think it was a stressful year. I think I just needed to breathe.

[39:26] Tessie Tokash: It's my first year back in college in New York.

[39:30] Eli Tokash: And it was stressful.

[39:33] Tessie Tokash: So honestly, like I know it's like breathing and everything, it could be like meditation for you.

[39:39] Eli Tokash: That does sound like someone that just needs therapy.

[39:43] Tessie Tokash: Well, you know.

[39:45] Eli Tokash: So I'm glad that you, you, uh, therapists.

[39:52] Tessie Tokash: Oh my God, of all the freaking songs in that album. I mean, go off.

[39:55] Eli Tokash: Oh, I know. I don't know why. Honestly, like what theater kid doesn't need therapy? So there's that too. That song, the breathing, like oh, it just made me feel so good. I think I remember walking, like we would walk dogs with our dad in like the building. We, my dad was a dog walker, and we would help out. Literally, I would put my headphones in, and it was like the best, like it made me feel so calm, and I would just have that on a repeat, like walking up and down the streets of New York, like meditating, breathing, like it was nice, and I think, you know, I definitely needed therapy, but like I think it was just real thing that's okay.

[40:12] Tessie Tokash: I kind of love that for you. I love that journey. Great song. You, you got a soft, it goes from a soft place to land to freaking a bad idea. I mean, every, that the whole soundtrack is just, it has every single emotion just that teensy bits of angst in there like you can't.

[40:12] Eli Tokash: I am waiting for the day that Sara Bareilles writes a new musical because she, first of all, I mean pressure's on, you know, if I was her I would probably be like a one and done with how amazing she did with Waitress, but like as a fan I just want more. I need more. She's so fantastic and I, I mean it's very rare for like a pop singer like a pop, you know, whatever, like to come in and have that much success in a musical theater industry and be so like beloved and respected now in the industries that now she's like starring in Into the Woods and all these things like she's so heavily involved in the theater industry now and it's, it's really from that.

[41:37] Tessie Tokash: And you know, fun story about like that whole process was Finding Neverland actually Pippin was going on at the time where Diane Paulus and Sara were like just starting to collaborate on Waitress.

[41:57] Tessie Tokash: So, Sarah Bareilles, she would always say that she was like at Pippin and she wanted to see Diane's work and everything, but I never met her.

[42:08] Tessie Tokash: And then Finding Neverland was when she really started to come around.

[42:12] Eli Tokash: And she was a big part of the backstage life in Finding Neverland for quite some time and was like a live-in Diane without like actually being the director and like giving us notes. But like she was so heavily involved in Neverland for like a good two-month period because Waitress was just about to begin and her and Diane were just forming this relationship of this collaboration and everything. It was really, really cool. And then to like be a part of that, to like watch their relationship grow and then to what it became on Broadway and Waitress, it was awesome, honestly. And I think like I appreciated the show Waitress more because of that. Because you like kind of saw that little behind-the-scenes glimpse.

Yeah, like I kind of saw it like grow. Like I saw her grow and I saw like how she like her thoughts on, you know, things with Neverland she would talk to us about and like I could kind of like go to Waitress and be like, oh, I can totally see how she's crafted this into like her own, you know.

[43:17] Tessie Tokash: And now that's with me seeing her. I actually never saw Jessie Mueller. Um, and I don't, I think I saw Betsy Wolfe. I never saw Shoshana Bean. So like the majority of the time I saw Waitress like a million times, but I maybe went one time without Sarah Bareilles, so I only know Waitress with Sarah Bareilles kind of.

[43:39] Eli Tokash: I didn't know that. I didn't know any of that. I think that's really cool. I was really jealous that you saw Sarah Bareilles.

[43:46] Tessie Tokash: I'm very happy. I saw, I saw um Shoshana Bean and she was incredible. Um, my dream who I wanted to see was Sarah Bareilles, and who was with, who was the doctor?

[44:01] Eli Tokash: Jason Mraz.

[44:02] Tessie Tokash: Yes, Jason Mraz. I will not. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Oh, I look, I will never forget looking at, I looked at so many trash cans with their faces on them. I'm like, I'm gonna see you on Broadway, I'm gonna see you on Broadway, and I never did. Listen, I'm usually not like for the sun casting a whole like motto or whatever. That was frickin' Jason Mraz and Sarah Bareilles. First of all, their connection was unbelievable. I mean, there was something there. There really was, and we got to watch that every night, and it was unbelievable.

[44:30] Eli Tokash: Number one. Number two, would put it up there with like the Lea Michele Funny Girl performance. Because like it was up there on the shows of like unforgettable theater experiences that I've like seen as an audience member was Jason Mraz and Sarah Bareilles in Waitress.

[44:48] Tessie Tokash: I'm salty because you mentioned Funny Girl. Ramin Karimloo really teased us.

[44:55] Eli Tokash: Okay, can we talk about that? Um, you're talking Phantom.

[45:01] Tessie Tokash: Yes.

[45:02] Eli Tokash: Okay, let's talk about Phantom.

[45:08] Tessie Tokash: Did you see those two paints that he was doing?

[45:13] Eli Tokash: I do know that he is playing Phantom.

[45:15] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, I know he's playing Phantom.

[45:17] Eli Tokash: He's not at, uh, he's not close to him on Broadway.

[45:21] Tessie Tokash: So what's the tease?

[45:22] Eli Tokash: He's still playing him.

[45:24] Tessie Tokash: I'm, I would have—he's still coming back to the role.

[45:27] Eli Tokash: Come on.

[45:28] Tessie Tokash: Where is he performing it?

[45:30] Eli Tokash: He's not performing it on Broadway.

[45:31] Tessie Tokash: Overseas.

[45:32] Eli Tokash: I think in London.

[45:33] Tessie Tokash: Well, you wanna go to London?

[45:36] Eli Tokash: I would love to go to London. I've actually always wanted to go see a show in the West End. I actually—oh, wait. Something else. Oh, Strange Loop is going to West End.

[45:43] Tessie Tokash: Uh, yes, Strange Loop. Oh my god. Another news. Well, there's just been so much happening that I'm so glad that we get to have this, like, you know, brain vomit, I guess. I don't know. There's a lot of things. Um, there's a lot to unpack. I'm gonna take it a step further with Ramin Karimloo since we're on the topic of him. A big, big story in the Broadway news late this week, really. Um, Playbill did an article on him, uh, talking about the Broadway body.

[46:11] Eli Tokash: Oh, they called it that.

[46:14] Tessie Tokash: Or the Broadway physique.

[46:17] Eli Tokash: Whoa.

[46:18] Tessie Tokash: First of all. Whoa. And you know, now, I don't know, because this is a difficult topic. Uh, uh, uh, there's a lot to unpack here, so I'm not gonna like fully go into it. Here's what I'll say. I thought that he handled what he could well. I thought he did beautiful. His post about it, I could have been better. It could have been better. Because there were moments that I was like, um, that's a little hypocritical. But I'm a, I'm a Ramin fan. And I, I understand what Playbill was doing with this. I think that it was a big miss. I think that it could have done much better. Um, you know, there is this stereotype on Broadway. Uh, in the, no, in the entertainment industry, period. You know, in magazines, in TV shows, in movies on Broadway, all the things. The fact that he takes his shirt off from maybe like three full scenes in Funny Girl, and his understudy doesn't do it once when they go on. Well, how about I—bonkers, bonkers, Tessie? How is that allowed?

[47:34] Tessie Tokash: Wait, did you catch? Because this was interesting to me. A fan on theater Twitter sent three photos out and was like, does anybody see the problem here? And if you look at it, there are three, one with Beanie Feldstein, and the end coming out with Bows with the—did you see that? With the cover.

[47:53] Eli Tokash: Oh, I saw it. That was a big, big issue.

[47:57] Tessie Tokash: And then the understudy coming out with like less clothing because she's, you know, I mean I don't want to like say like the Broadway—she has the stereotypical like entertainment industry look. And it's ridiculous. I think it's absolutely absurd. I think it's very interesting because I really enjoy watching, especially we went to go see Neil Diamond a couple months ago. And it's very—how that cast is very diverse.

[48:32] Eli Tokash: Seriously, there's this girl who, and no offense to her, I couldn't take my eyes off of her because of how beautiful she did. But in Broadway, speaking of the article, like non-Broadway body or whatever, I thought she was a firecracker. I could not take my eyes off of her. I thought she was the most badass girl on that stage. She was owning it, she had her own solo, and I was like, wow. Like, wow. Like a girl who like, you know, didn't have a Broadway body, like, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I thought she was absolutely incredible. And it's just like really sad to think like that's what people are like characterizing Ramin with and like these people with, you know, we're talking about, uh, Mimi Scardulla, by the way, um, is her name.

The fantastic ensemble member who really shines in A Beautiful Noise, and they do—they do like, first of all, the diversity in A Beautiful Noise is beautiful. So the body, the physical diversity is also beautiful. You have all shapes and sizes, all sorts of representation in the show. I am obsessed with it. Um, and Mimi is one of the featured ensemble members, and they really give her like some moments that she just—you literally, they put her front and center, and you just can't take your eyes off her. Even when she goes towards the back, it's just like I am following you. I literally had so much makeup on my mask inside because I was smiling when she would come on. Like my cheeks or whatever, like in my mask, and I would just get so excited when she came on stage. Like the one where she has her solo and she does that bond, like I had chills, like I honestly thought she was like a firecracker. Like she totally is, she's so fierce, it's unbelievable.

[50:21] Eli Tokash: Um, with it. I was like, I am amazing. And the fact—so that's what I'm saying, like Playbill it was great to touch on this whole stereotypical Broadway body. And the way what Ramin said and everything, in the sense that, you know, my abs don't give me happiness type of thing. Like it's more of like an anxiety thing that like I have to keep them going, is kind of like how I interpreted it. Um, he—I mean, he obviously didn't say that, but he did say, like, it does—that's not what brings him happiness. Like, his body is not what it is. But there are those fans, and unfortunately those people that do come for Ramin, and because he's so sexy and he's so hot and all the things, and that's totally okay. It's totally okay to have a crush on someone.

[51:04] Tessie Tokash: Like, I have a crush on him, like for God's sakes. Um, he's a very attractive man. So, um, with that being said, uh what? Yeah, that's the thing. Like, people have crushes on everybody, you know. It's not just Ramin, it's just he may be talked about a little bit more because of like the stereotype of a Hollywood industry Broadway type of body, and it's that lean muscular body. And I think that it's something that needs to be broken. I mean, truly, because some of the most talented people, I mean, you have Mimi, you have Josh Layman, you have Katie Garrety, you have all of these fantastic performers that are so much more than their body, you know, and so much more than their looks. Like, they're up there to tell a story, and let me tell you something. They are telling a story that may be better than anyone else on that stage.

[52:09] Eli Tokash: Prom. I mean, Caitlin Kanu, and she had such a beautiful story to tell, and my god, it's—she, every time I saw that show, I cried like a baby. I'm over this whole like skinny whatever thing. Like, I am over it. Everyone erase it from their vocab, and because here's the thing, they had the balls to do it. They had the balls to talk about this where people aren't talking about it. You know, like that's the biggest issue. And the only issue that I have with Playbill is that they talked about it with someone like Ramin, who is the poster boy child of like a Hollywood type of body that needs to be erased. They needed to talk about it with someone else.

[52:55] Tessie Tokash: Agreed to disagree. I agree with the fact that they blatantly put it out there like, let's talk about body issues. Yes. However, I feel like people—this has been a conversation for a while, especially in the costuming. There's no doubt it's been a conversation amongst fans and amongst people in the industry, but never of like a news outlet.

[53:16] Eli Tokash: You think it's been—no, yeah, like there's not been a major news outlet like Playbill stepping up to talk about Broadway or body diversity or like Broadway body, you know, positivity.

[53:30] Tessie Tokash: Okay. There's no doubt the conversation's been had and continues to happen.

[53:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[53:39] Tessie Tokash: It's just publicly like that in with a star, with a star name, you know, talking about it with a news publication. I mean, that's just—that's never happened before.

[53:50] Eli Tokash: So you know what else hasn't happened is like I haven't seen somebody who does have the Broadway body talk about that either, like with—

[53:50] Tessie Tokash: That's what I'm saying.

[54:01] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's—that's usually it's a positive conversation, and the fact that he was offended by that does say a lot. That's why I thought he handled it like so nicely, because he could have absolutely taken that as a compliment and been like, oh, thank you, baby.

[54:12] Tessie Tokash: I agree with you 100%.

[54:15] Eli Tokash: But like the fact that he was just like, excuse you, hello, like I think that you know, someone needs to step in here and do a—I hate to say like a real story about this, but another story about this from all everyone. Literally, I think there needs to be like a round table discussion on this matter, and it's not just of all types. Like, you know, it's not just—yeah, it's not just the stereotype, whatever.

[54:44] Tessie Tokash: But yeah, shout out to Mimi who absolutely crushes it in A Beautiful Noise. Everybody, yeah, past the standard of Broadway beauty or Broadway body standards. Like, and that's another thing, like that's a real thing with a lot of people. And it's even like, it's just—it's not even like it happens with every performer. Every performer has some sort of bodily like anxiety, you know, like around it. Your bodies are your bodies and like they're beautiful. It's your—like, I don't know. I don't know. Easier said than done. I mean, you know, I agree, and as a performer, I am like, oh, I feel like I should be a little bit more fit, or I feel like I should—like I have anxiety about it too. You know, it's like now I'm becoming, uh, I'm auditioning for these like high school jocks or college jocks and I'm like, wow, I'm a scrawny dude. Like I don't think that I look, you know, buff enough to be a jock and it's like—it happens with everyone. It's like a—it's just this industry.

[55:57] Tessie Tokash: Did you have anything else on your list that you really wanted to talk about?

[56:00] Eli Tokash: Extended runs until September 10th. I want to see it very badly.

[56:04] Tessie Tokash: Rose—what extends?

[56:06] Eli Tokash: Titanic.

[56:07] Tessie Tokash: Oh, Titanic, of course.

[56:09] Eli Tokash: Uh, extended till September 10th. So now I have more time to catch Rose, season 13 of RuPaul's Drag Race in it.

[56:16] Tessie Tokash: And I'm very excited.

[56:19] Eli Tokash: We love that. Okay, on to a later note, Tezi, is there any like I don't know, fun story or anything silly that we can just like close out on and a fun story about you know our time in the industry or whatever.

[56:34] Tessie Tokash: Every time Eli mentions Fine and Everland, it makes me crack up because our we have a big family. Our family is Italian and Polish, so it's just a huge family. And so oh and Serbian. And so whenever we had family in, which was a lot, and over five people would be in, we would go and rush tickets. And every time my grandma, my meme was coming, Eli would uh like come stand in line with us and rush tickets. And I don't know, you guys have grandmas. You know how proud they are. She would just spike a convers or she would just like you know, make a conversation happen, and all of a sudden you just hear, This is my grandson, he's in the show, and they're like, Oh wow, we're meeting a Broadway star.

And it was oh, it would be the funniest thing. Or like when she was in intermission and she's like, like just randomly, like we would be in the bathroom line, and then she'd just be like, So what do you think of the show? And this random lady would just be like, Oh, it's so nice. I really like the uh Matthew Morrison from Glee, and then she would just be like, my grandson's bee. I can't. If I was there, I would have ran away. But you know what? It's hilarious because like after the show, you know, like I'd always come to see you guys. And you just made you guys made friends with someone every freaking show. Because there was someone when I when you guys came to the show, I knew that afterwards I was gonna need to like say hi to someone because you you would literally like we'd have the whole like stage of and everything.

But like you get through that, and it's like you're in a separate, like little I don't know, you guys are standing off to the side, so then you're in like your own little group, and in that little group is always some like random family or random person. I'm just like, what is happening? We need to make friends by saying my grandsons and the show. I would make friends by being like, Oh my god, you like Heathers too? Like cool. Right and hot. Like, yeah. Yeah. No, it's a it's hilarious. And honestly, not at all like rare for like someone in the show to like go out and sit at Rush Tickets for their own show, like for their family or friends. Totally normal. There a lot of us did that in Pippin.

Uh it was my favorite thing to do in Neverland to go to bed at 2 a.m. to wake up at 7 a.m. to get tickets to the show. Um it was definitely a highlight of the week, but um uh and then do two shows or something. But yeah. I finally met Matthew at some like it hot.

[59:19] Eli Tokash: No way that was your first time meeting Matthew.

[59:23] Tessie Tokash: In uh sense of me giving him a hug and shaking himself hand, yes. I we What? Yes. I interacted with him once during Finding Neverland, and it was just like all of us being like, Hi, this is this person, hi, this is this person, hi, this is this person, and it got to me and I was just like standing there and no one introduced me.

[59:46] Eli Tokash: Oh, there's a lot of people, it's totally fine. Um But we exchanged eye contact. It was nice. Um I don't care what anybody says. I love that man with my whole heart. He called me love and it just like made me so he's so nice. I always I knew it because like I mean he took care of you like he was your your second dad basically in Finding Neverland.

[1:00:07] Tessie Tokash: Yeah. And so like I always had like a kind of weird like thankfulness and love for him because he had to take care of you. It's like it was yeah, I just really know. Also, sorry, I'm gonna go down a rabbit hall real quick. Kelsey in the new you saw that trailer, right?

[1:00:23] Eli Tokash: Kelsey Grammar's new movie.

[1:00:26] Tessie Tokash: New movie for what?

[1:00:27] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. It's called the Jesus Revelation and it looks so good.

[1:00:34] Tessie Tokash: Jesus Revolution movies I saw this.

[1:00:37] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. I cried during the previews. My star signs cancer, in case y'all are wondering, so I cry a lot. And it's called the Jesus Revolution. And it is so good.

[1:00:48] Tessie Tokash: I didn't I haven't watched it yet. I I didn't even know about it. He has a lot of exciting stuff coming out that I don't think can be totally shared yet, but uh he has a lot coming out, so it's gonna be a good year for Kelsey Grammar.

[1:01:03] Eli Tokash: Well, a good year could be you know a successful year. Good year uh of like happiness is not always level um heavy, heavy.

[1:01:16] Tessie Tokash: I know. That's what I'm saying. I don't know if it's gonna be like a great year for him mentally and and health wise, but uh I think he has a lot going on.

[1:01:25] Eli Tokash: I think it was a type of therapy, I hope for him.

[1:01:28] Tessie Tokash: It's like this was so positive. Like Oh, from the kissing booth.

[1:01:33] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Go off.

[1:01:36] Tessie Tokash: I actually love those movies.

[1:01:37] Eli Tokash: I did too. I watched all three of them.

[1:01:40] Tessie Tokash: I'm a sucker for those like ROM calls.

[1:01:42] Eli Tokash: I hated the last one, but I like the first two.

[1:01:45] Tessie Tokash: Hey.

[1:01:49] Eli Tokash: Okay. We've bored you guys enough. Um we're just talking about random stuff at this point. Uh so anyways listen, I haven't talked to just like I haven't come on here just to like actually like unwind and just talk about the industry and talk about share some stories of like I guess our experience. It it like our family is and mine personally in a long time. So I'm really glad that it actually worked out this way and we were able to, you know, have a little therapy session with each other and while everyone listens. Um and uh just also just to have you back on a podcast because I know it's something that we've talked about a lot before and Tessie is such a uh a big part of the podcast, um, of what happens behind the scenes, um and beyond, you know, on social media and everything else.

So um forever thankful for you and uh you know, you're the reason I'm here and you're the reason that I'm doing this podcast. So I I always love talking to you and um I thought it would be fun to have you on, so thanks for doing it.

[1:02:54] Tessie Tokash: That's really sweet.

[1:02:55] Eli Tokash: Women rock.

[1:02:57] Tessie Tokash: Women do rock.

[1:02:58] Eli Tokash: Women are inspiration. Well this has been fun, and hopefully y'all uh enjoyed just hearing some stories and talking about the industry and hopefully like learning as much as I did because I didn't know some of the things that we were just talking about today, but uh very exciting to uh learn about it. Thanks for coming on.

[1:03:16] Tessie Tokash: Oh yeah, Tony.

[1:03:18] Eli Tokash: Tony all access pass. Okay, I just wanted it. Who is the coolest person you met at Tatonys?

[1:03:26] Tessie Tokash: Jenny Anderson.

[1:03:27] Eli Tokash: Well, okay, besides that, because you already said that. Like, who who's the coolest play performer?

[1:03:31] Tessie Tokash: Wow, that's hard. Cause okay, here's why it's hard. No, this is why it's hard, because I was a card runner that day.

[1:03:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:03:39] Tessie Tokash: And my job was to run around the entire Radio City building. Um the step and repeat in red carpets were here is Radio City, here was the step and repeat, like all the way down the street. So I ran into like a lot of people, and I like talking. So I talked to all of them, and they were so nice. I did take pictures on um uh Miles Frost's iPhone, and I didn't know that.

[1:04:12] Eli Tokash: Yes, you did.

[1:04:13] Tessie Tokash: Did I?

[1:04:15] Eli Tokash: I think you did.

[1:04:17] Tessie Tokash: Um, him and oh man, the guy who wrote Strange Loop.

[1:04:22] Eli Tokash: Michael R. Jackson.

[1:04:23] Tessie Tokash: Oh my god. Michael R. Jackson. Goodbye.

[1:04:24] Eli Tokash: Who later won a Tony, and I believe I did tell you that. Um both of them want a Tony.

[1:04:30] Tessie Tokash: What are you talking about?

[1:04:31] Eli Tokash: Huh?

[1:04:32] Tessie Tokash: They both want a Tony. Hello?

[1:04:35] Eli Tokash: Um my god. You were just questioning if I was a theater kid. Listen, last five years of theater, I'm your guy. Anything before that, not your guy.

[1:04:44] Tessie Tokash: It's very sad to say, but it's true.

[1:04:47] Eli Tokash: It's not something you'd be proud of, but it that's when I started g in the industry, like getting involved in the industry. Five years ago when you were 13 years old.

[1:04:55] Tessie Tokash: Uh five years ago, okay, six, seven years ago.

[1:04:59] Eli Tokash: There you go. Whatever. When I moved to New York is really when I started to get involved in the industry, and that's when I like you could quiz me on that stuff, but anything before that. Anything before I moved to New York, don't say that for it.

[1:05:10] Tessie Tokash: I will come next time if I'm allowed, and I'm making a quizlet.

[1:05:15] Eli Tokash: Make do it. Of the last seven years of Broadway trivia.

[1:05:20] Tessie Tokash: Do it. We also have to wall?

[1:05:25] Eli Tokash: Um no, you like the Sparkle game that I thought you No, I I I heard you.

[1:05:29] Tessie Tokash: Oh you played that in middle school?

[1:05:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah, Sparkle.

[1:05:32] Tessie Tokash: Um Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I don't know what sparkle. Is that the spelling one?

[1:05:35] Eli Tokash: Yeah, you spelled Sparkle and it went up and all the rows.

[1:05:40] Tessie Tokash: That's not a word.

[1:05:41] Eli Tokash: Sparkle.

[1:05:43] Tessie Tokash: Yeah, I know.

[1:05:44] Eli Tokash: That is a word.

[1:05:45] Tessie Tokash: Spelt, right?

[1:05:47] Eli Tokash: S-P-E-L-T. Spelled.

[1:05:49] Tessie Tokash: No, you said spelled the word.

[1:05:52] Eli Tokash: Okay, so we would spell the word up and down, and then like the last person would sit down. But people spelled is a word. I feel like an idiot.

[1:06:01] Tessie Tokash: S-P-E-L-T.

[1:06:05] Eli Tokash: Yeah, they're both words. And S-P-E-L-L-E-D.

[1:06:09] Tessie Tokash: Yeah.

[1:06:09] Eli Tokash: I thought correctly spelled. I know two past tense is weird, right?

[1:06:14] Tessie Tokash: No, but people would literally spell Sparkle wrong and like sit down. Um, but it's basically the last one standing. We won like a free piece of chocolate or something. And we went to a Catholic school, so like that was the highlight of our day.

[1:06:28] Eli Tokash: I'm crying. Listen, I was not good in anything in Catholic school other than the multiplication complications competitions because that's when I learned that I could probably memorize anything in the world if I could memorize multiplication numbers. Um also is hilarious. I don't know if you all follow me on my Instagram or whatever, but it's hilarious because Gabby Pizzolo, uh like uh a couple weeks ago we had a uh I guess like anniversary for our production of Secret Garden, uh that Gabby posted, and Max von Essen commented uh well, okay, I commented on Gabriella's post and was like, Oh, this was such a great time. Like I wish we were able to do more of it. 'Cause you know, I've talked about that production on C uh of Secret Garden on this podcast a lot before and we only did like two performances, but we all got so close and we all loved the this the production and the story, so we all got so attached to it um and always said that we wish we could do it for longer.

Well, I kind of basically said that in my comment and Max von Essen comes over and outs me and is like, Yeah, it would have been really nice to actually do a show where you learned your lines. And I was like, Ah. Okay. Be like that. So I guess according to Max Von Eskin, if you ask him, I didn't memorize my lines on a Broadway stage, so there you go. Boom roasted.

[1:07:51] Tessie Tokash: Boom roasted.

[1:07:53] Eli Tokash: Just to fact check your accusation that you didn't he also like roast you.

[1:08:00] Tessie Tokash: I don't know if it was this was in person or Yeah, I don't know if it was in person or during an episode, like 'cause we met him when he was at a cabaret and then I don't know if he said it at my cabaret, I think, at the Take About Camera. We also saw him are you also oh yeah, yeah, it's right. But he was roasting you about like not memoring memorizing your lines then too.

[1:08:23] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, it's his favorite thing. No, it's because literally like during the whole rehearsal process, I was sitting at a table with him, like making his Instagram and because it was like just becoming like popular and he was like just getting like a Tony nomination, not a big deal. Um and so he was like, Oh, I should probably like get on social media, right? And I was like, uh yeah, you're kind of like a big deal now, you freaking silly goose. And so um I was like doing that, and then like come the day of the show, I would like go into his room and like I normally do, but I usually just go on to like do his social media or whatever, and I was like, I can't do this today. I I can't. You need to help me, you need to help me learn my lines because I don't know them all the way.

And so he just likes to tease me about that because I literally like freaked out on him that day and was like, it's because I've been trying to help you, and now you need to help me, and like literally anxiety attack, and Gabriella remembers it very vividly as well, uh, as she clearly outed me then on her story to one point whatever million followers that she has on Instagram. So we love that and we love the professionalism that was represented by the tocash. Um yeah, no, we're we're all out for a good fun th. We're we're all out for a good time though, so alright. On that note, fun stories, we're getting long-winded here, we're having fun, but uh with all this being said, thank you all for listening to this week episode.

Thank you for listening to this long of it if you're still here. Um, and uh we'll be back next week with another regular episode with a fantastic guest, and uh I hope to see you then. So bye everyone. Have a great week. Love you.

[1:10:17] Tessie Tokash: Love ya.