This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 176 of Take A Bow. I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and as always, I am so excited for this week's episode. It is with none other than literally like a star of everything, all of the things in the entertainment industry. He's kind of accomplished it all. And we talk about, you know, dreams of like what's next, because now you know he's checked off so many boxes, and it's just a riveting conversation. I mean, this episode literally could have been like five hours long if time permitted, and I had the brain capacity to do so. But it's been a long week, and we're already we're only at Wednesday slash Thursday when this comes out. So this is just an incredible episode with none other than Tommy Bracco, who you all know and love from Newsies and Pretty Woman, and of course Big Brother for any of you Big Brother fans out there.

We talk about how the Big Brother crossover to Broadway is very prevalent, I guess you could say. But this is just a great episode. It's all things reality TV, Broadway, and more. And this gives you, I don't know, kind of like the inside scoop of it all. It's really exciting. I loved this episode. I love Tommy, and I know you guys will enjoy this one too. So with that being said, let's turn it over to the Broadway news so that we can turn it over to this week's episode.

[1:36] Eli Tokash: So this week's Broadway news, there's been a lot going on. There's been a lot of like casting announcements or creative team announcements that are just like notable or just random things here and there. So I want to start out by saying the Sweeney Todd cast album is now available. I swear, I don't know if I like was sleeping or what, but Sweeney Todd literally just like all of a sudden I woke up and the cast album was here. I was like, I'm sorry. But I'm so thrilled that it's here and I haven't it's been just on repeat. It's just so good. I'm obsessed with all the music. And Annaleigh Ashford's accent and performance and everything in this freaking show just gives me life, you know. It gives me a reason to wake up in the morning and I'm obsessed with it.

So I've been listening to this on repeat. And you know, all the performances, like all of them are so wonderful, and I was just really excited that we got a cast album. Anyways, so that was exciting. And then, you know, I just want to talk about the wonderful I guess like marketing that's been going on recently for Broadway. I've always said that marketing like the marketing on Broadway just has to get better. And I think that we're like slowly starting to see it transition into a new wave of Broadway, just to appeal to like as many people as possible and continue to, you know, make it a higher market thing, you know. Like I know everyone kind of glorifies Broadway and everything, but at the end of the day, like it's on just a separate tier compared to you know the TV and films of the world and the movie theaters and all of that.

So obviously that's a little bit because of the accessibility and it just being in New York, but also it's just like theater in general, I feel like is always kind of lesser to movies and stuff nowadays for some reason.

[3:32] Eli Tokash: So I don't know. That could be my opinion, and that could be totally false, but that's how I view it. And I'm enjoying what we're seeing now. So now we're seriously seeing like these experiences, you know. We have had Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad come out of their theaters the day their box office opens and greet people and thank them for coming to see their show and give them their tickets personally or whatever it is. And now we're seeing that with Harmony, which Barry Manilow himself opened, I guess the Harmony box office, and greeted all of the few whatever people that were first in line. It was just a wonderful opportunity just to, I don't know, like good advertising, it's a good reason to get people to your theater, buy tickets, all these things.

You literally could do a meet and greet with Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman. Like, how cool is that? And this show is just gonna be, I think, awesome. It's got a great cast, wonderful creative team directing, and choreography by Warren Carlyle, who choreographed me in A Cruise Story. So I know they're in good hands over there, and then of course the music is Barry and Bruce. Like it's like what more could you ask? So another great marketing tool just to get people to the theater, get people in seats and buy them as soon as the box office opens. It's just a great marketing tool to talk about it. And people were posting, oh my god, I met Barry Manilow. Like that's more advertising, and it's just that that's what we want to start to see and bringing new audiences and all the things to Broadway and to theater in general. It's just great to see, and hopefully, we see more of this moving forward.

[5:15] Eli Tokash: And I'm gonna further expand on this claim of just genius experimental marketing and talking about Ken Davenport. Ken Davenport, by the way, Take A Bow family member, came on here to talk to us about producing and kind of this new wave and trying to be open-minded and try new things out and to be kind of like the audience's producer because they have to listen to them. So many people are just used to this old school way and this one way, and they don't really want to, you know, move out of that. I mean, ever since I've been in New York. I mean, I was on Broadway in 2013 for sure. So it's been about 10 years now, and the schedule's been the same. I mean, nothing's changed, so I know it was the same prior to that.

And the fact that he's changing the schedule and doing four matinees. He has a Thursday matinee, a Wednesday matinee, a Saturday matinee, and a Sunday matinee. And they still have their Mondays off, they just have their Wednesday night freeze and they have a Thursday matinee. The only other show to do that was Phantom. So it kind of reminds me of a Phantom schedule, and they are just reaping in those benefits. It's great to see. It takes a huge risk to do something like this and to just experiment and kind of take a survey while you're trying to make money and maintain your show on Broadway that was only making six hundred and twenty something thousand dollars. That was it; it was a concern and it was one of the lowest incomes or revenue that we were seeing on the gross chart, and now they hit over a million.

[7:31] Eli Tokash: So I don't know if this is the first time they've even hit a million or if this is their first time since opening that they've hit a million, but it's been a long time since I've seen this show in the million revenue income, and it's just so great to see because this show is so good and it's interesting to see that it's a new schedule and in these late-night shows, people are more hesitant and they don't want to travel as late and all these things go into consideration for audiences' perspective that they are seeing, you know, a matinee may work better within their schedule. So to have the both of them at a 50/50 chance of seeing, you know, for audiences, it's great to see, and it's great to see that it's paying off.

And honestly, I've talked to a lot of the actors in the show and they're thrilled with the schedule. I mean, they have their Wednesday nights off. It's still a five-show weekend, it's not a six-show weekend, which is great. It's nothing crazy, and they have their Mondays off still. They just get a Wednesday night off and they can do that to use to their advantage of seeing shows, or they can use it to their advantage of resting in the middle of the week. You know, it goes a long way. It makes a huge difference. And it's just great to see that it seems that everyone is happy, the audiences, performers, producers, all the things. So huge shout out to Beautiful Noise and hopefully we continue to see these experiments being taken place.

And I don't know. It's just interesting to see if anyone follows this moving forward or even tries their own sort of schedule to match their own audience's takes. You know, some of these kids' shows maybe want to, you know, take after that. Obviously, it's tricky with school and everything to do matinees, but you never know. It may prove to be more beneficial because these late nights, you know, kids don't want to go see that, or parents don't want to take their kids late at night or whatever it may be.

[9:05] Eli Tokash: So just interesting stuff, and kick shout out to them for both doing some wonderful marketing and expanding audiences for their shows. All right, moving on. Moving on to actually a lot of casting announcements. So I'm just gonna go through these really quick. It's very exciting stuff. This season of Broadway is really shaping out, and we're starting to see what's coming this next season. It was announced that Kelly O'Hara and Brian Darcy James will bring Days of Wine and Roses to Broadway next year. Water for Elephants will be coming to Broadway next year. Rachel McAdams is making her Broadway debut in Mary Jane at the Manhattan Theater Club. Very exciting. Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons, Celia Keenan-Bolger is starring in part of Paula Vogel's Mother Play coming to Broadway.

Limpica will be opening on Broadway in the spring of 2024. Limpica, for those of you who don't know, is one of those, is like Water for Elephants as well. They both were out of town and now they're making their way to Broadway. Water for Elephants has some circus performers, and some of them actually wearing Pippin's. So a shout out to those guys hoping they come to Broadway. Shout out to Seven Digits, which is the circus company that kind of does the performance of theatrical performance for circus and stuff. Hoping to see you guys up there, Nico shouting you out. I know you're probably listening and you've been on the show, so we're all fans of yours, and we hope that you can come over to Broadway and come into New York back.

[10:31] Eli Tokash: And then Limpica is, for those of you who don't know, is directed by the Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, who actually won the Tony for Best Direction of Hadestown. So that's very exciting, and then of course the cast from the out of town featured Amber Iman and Eden Espinoza. So you know no casting announcements for either of those shows Water for Elephants and Limpica were announced or anything but hopefully we get some bringing those people back. Water for Elephants had a great cast too with Ryan Vasquez and Izzy McCallah and there were some other great people in there too. So shout out to you guys and hope to see you all on Broadway back on Broadway. And then I want to shout out, this was so exciting for me, there was okay so there's this new play coming to Broadway it's called Appropriate.

It was hilarious because I felt like I was 12 years old again auditioning for Pippin or Mary Poppins or Finding Neverland or even like Les Mis or Matilda. It was the same like 12-year-old kids now as adults in this audition room for this new play Appropriate written by Brandon Jacob Jenkins, who I'm a big fan of the play. I've actually done his play in school a few times at PPAS and that's coming to Broadway with Sarah Paulson. It was announced that Natalie Gold, Alyssa Emily Marvin, and Corey Still will also be joining the play. I obviously did not get this role, but I'm still rooting for this play and I can't wait to see who they announced it for the role. It'll be I'm sure incredible nonetheless and it's just gonna be a really wild play.

So everyone stay tuned for that one and huge shout out to Alyssa Emily Marvin who was in Trevor off Broadway. She just finished Greyhouse. So she's a friend of the pod. We'll have her on, we'll talk about Appropriate and all the things, very exciting stuff. And then last bit of news here, I also want to shout out former Take A Bow, I guess Take A Bow family member. I was gonna say former Take A Bow guest, but Jerry Mitchell, who we talk about on the podcast today, will be directing Devil Wears Prada, which is super exciting. I can't wait to, you know, I've heard some things about the show.

[13:07] Eli Tokash: Uh could be better. And so I I know that Jerry Mitchell, uh if anyone can save the show, it'll be Jerry Mitchell and he will figure out how to make this show work for Broadway. And I can't wait to see it. It's gonna be out in the West End. Um and hopefully following a successful run at fingers crossed, it comes to Broadway and we'll have uh another kind of moon rougey type of show at uh on Broadway. Um anyways, that's all the news I have for you folks this week. I've talked long enough. Um and there was just a lot to get through. I kind of sped read through those. Is that like uh Ward? Um and uh yeah, that that's all I have for you folks. So with all of this being said, first of all, congrats to everyone because that was a lot of congratulations in in order that I just kinda did not.

Um but a lot of new shows coming and a new season full of excitement. So I'm very excited for all of that. And uh I also wanted to mention Curtain Up was this weekend, the famous like Times Square performance where all the Broadway people are just like in Times Square performing. Uh it was raining, and I just did not attend because I was in Rockaway this weekend with the fam. And so I I just, yeah, I I couldn't make it in with the weather and everything, taking the ferry in. It was just madness. Um, but I heard some great things and I saw some great videos. So check out those performances. It's kind of like a Bryant Park, Broadway and Brian Park thing, but uh in Times Square. So um shout out to all of them for celebrating.

There was we got some um, you know, previews of the new shows happening. Uh, and uh hopefully it got you all excited for it, and you guys had the opportunity to check out those those videos. Um, all right, cool. Well, that's all the Broadway news I have for you folks this week. And uh I think it's time to turn it over to Tommy Bracco because this conversation is something that uh that all of you will just fall in love with and love. I'm I'm literally spiling from ear to ear right now, just thinking about it. He's great, he's the best. We'll have him uh, you know, chat it up with you all here without further ado. Here is Tommy Bronco.

[15:34] Eli Tokash: Today's guest is a Broadway star, a reality TV star and a social media star. This multi hyphen it is beloved on both the stage and literally all the screens, the TV screens, the phone screens, whatever. Uh, you've seen him in your favorite shows, such as Newsies, Pretty Women, Big Brother, and so much more. And nowadays he's the host of Real Talk podcast talking all things, Big Brother. Everyone, welcome to Take A Bow, Tommy Bracco. Hi, Tommy.

[16:06] Tommy Bracco: Hi, thank you so much for having me. This is so so sweet. So great. That intro was so nice. Thank you. I hope I got the I hope I did the title of the podcast justice, but I don't think I should do it ever again.

[16:21] Tommy Bracco: I'm obsessed with everything happening. Um I'm a huge fan of Big Brother. I love like there's like a Broadway like kind of crossover to Big Brother. Like, I feel like all Broadway people are like Big Brother fans, right?

[16:34] Eli Tokash: It's so funny you say that because it's not only broad, it's Broadway people, like you said. It's not just the performers, it's a lot of casting directors, a lot of uh actors, or a lot of uh sorry, directors, choreographers, producers, a lot of people that are behind the scenes. I found are fans of Big Brother.

[16:55] Tommy Bracco: Um which I found fascinating. It makes sense because uh, you know, like as performers in the industry, we we play characters, we s um study these characters and become them. So Big Brother is about you know, looking at these people under a magnifying glass and studying them. We're studying people. So I feel it makes sense that the interests go hand in hand because as performers, that's what we do every day is study and become these different people.

[17:29] Eli Tokash: Right. So I okay, we're we're a little out of order here because I had like I usually start like differently, but we're on the topic, so I would just want to get into the whole big brother stuff. So I'm like dying because like okay, as performers, you know, what we do, it's hard to be vulnerable on a stage, but at the same time it's not because we do have this mask because we're being someone else. But like on Big Brother, you're yourself. Like, was that uh something that you kind of had to get used to? Was that terrifying to you? Did you not really think about it? Like, what what was that like?

[18:05] Tommy Bracco: Um I love that question. I feel like yeah, it's interesting because to to be like honest, I feel like me personally, I feel like I've always just brought myself to these characters that I've played. So I feel like i to be honest, in my career, I haven't had to really play a character that was like so different than who I am. I I feel like when you hire me, you know what you're gonna get, and it's usually like if I can fit that idea for that role, then I'm a good fit. But it's rare that people hire me to play a character that's very different than myself. Usually it requires me bringing myself to it. So in that regard, I feel like I did it was uh it was like an adjustment because I truly was just being myself in in the show. But in on the other hand, I also do feel like a lot of the characters that I've played um on the stage are not that different from who I am either, if that makes sense.

[19:22] Eli Tokash: No, yeah, absolutely. It makes total sense. What a great answer. I guess I never really like thought of it that way.

[19:28] Tommy Bracco: Yeah I think other people would give you a different answer but me in particular usually when people hire me they know that they're getting like a short athletic kind of happy like energy and if that works for their I their vision then that's great but I'm never gonna be hired to play like this I don't know a bodyguard.

[19:54] Eli Tokash: Yeah sure yeah yeah so um but I think that other people would give you a different answer for sure.

[20:02] Tommy Bracco: Oh my god I love that no I mean like I feel like that's a valid answer though because like I feel like it's I don't know it's just like easier to show ourselves through another person than just being vulnerable as ourselves I feel like that that was kind of thing.

[20:16] Eli Tokash: No you're totally right you're totally right.

[20:18] Tommy Bracco: Yeah that makes a lot of sense it was it was really tough doing Big Brother honestly um yeah because uh it's just like the big brother fans in particular they're they're vile they're they're wild on especially it's wild especially on on um X I'll call it now Twitter whatever uh those it's a toxic toxic fandom and yet as much as I hate it I am totally in it and I stick with it because it's the best place to go to get your information.

[20:56] Tommy Bracco: Literally it's they're they're the first to know everything somehow. I don't I make zero sense, but um love it for that. Um I'm curious though, because like okay, so you talk we talk about this like Broadway crossover and how like a lot of Broadway people and actors are like fans of the show. So I'm curious, like you obviously watched the show before you were on it, and then you were on it, and now you obviously still watch because you're doing this like watch podcast and everything. So does your I don't know, like the way you watch as a viewer, did your kind of perspective change now when you watch it because you know how things work, or are you like trying to figure out oh, like how is this gonna play out, or I know this is coming, and like do you know does it has your I don't know, has it changed for you at all since being on the show?

[21:44] Tommy Bracco: Absolutely. I'm more into it than ever.

[21:49] Eli Tokash: Really?

[21:50] Tommy Bracco: But I how do I put this? Just like the you know that like that phrase like the rose colored glasses are have been taken off. Uh-huh. It's it's like that. Like, I'm not blind to what goes on behind the scenes or uh and granted CBS is amazing. I had an amazing, amazing experience, but um there's it's there's a lot of difficulties that come with it as well with the experience, and my eyes are open to that. It goes back to like what I was saying about how like toxic Twitter is the Twitter fandom. Um whereas in the past, I will watch these house guests and I'll get so frustrated watching, like I'll be like, why are they doing that? That's so silly. That's so like why could they why are they falling for that?

Why aren't they doing this? Um, or I'll get upset at people for had like for reacting a certain way. I'll be like, that wasn't right, they shouldn't have done that. But now after after going through it and doing it, I see that there's another side to that, and that sometimes at the end of the day, you're playing a game and you're willing to do whatever it takes to play to win this game. And sometimes sometimes that means compromising who you are. And yet America, the fans, they hold people to this high perfection standard, but yet they also want them to play super hard and to be savage.

[23:31] Tommy Bracco: So it's like very difficult to please everyone, is basically what I'm at. And so now when I watch the show, I am a little more forgiving and a little more understanding of for the house guests. Um I'm more willing to like look at things from a different perspective, is kind of what it's turned into, if that makes sense.

[23:56] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. That makes total sense.

[24:08] Tommy Bracco: Um I'm sure that is kind of like I don't know, that's probably helpful, right? In in watching it and kind of like bringing that perspective to the fan base.

[24:19] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, for sure. I love, I mean, I could talk about big I know this is like literally uh it's a Broadway podcast, but I can talk about Big Brother all day long. I'm so passionate about it. I think it's a fascinating game, and I think that it like it's just making people a have conversations that should like should be happening. I think that we've seen a lot of um change in the game over the years, but I think that a lot of you know, millions of people watch the show, and it's society under a magnifying glass is what the premise of the show is at the end of the day. And so we're seeing the ugly parts of society come out on the TV screen too. And what does that do? It makes people like us have conversations about these harsh realities, and to me that leads to positive change.

So, like I know this might sound dramatic, but I actually think that Big Brother like changes the world, like kind of like I think it's like it's making a positive change because it's making people have these conversations, and um, like I said, millions of people watch it, so that's millions of minds that could be changed from one episode potentially, right?

[25:38] Tommy Bracco: So I I think that in the same way, you know, bringing it back to theater, uh a huge reason why a lot of people do theater is because it changes lives, and we see that those effects, and I think that Big Brother does the same thing.

[25:52] Eli Tokash: Um I love that so dramatic, so dramatic that's what we do, baby.

[25:59] Tommy Bracco: They're listening to a theater podcast. What do you expect? We're drama.

[26:03] Eli Tokash: Um I'm obsessed. No, this is great. So uh, but to like stay at this theme, you know, like do you feel like your background in theater kind of like prepared you for like something like this?

[26:15] Tommy Bracco: Uh did it kind of have any sort of connection at all?

[26:19] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[26:20] Tommy Bracco: So being in theater and growing up in New York City too, I was exposed to all different kinds of personalities, um, different types of people. You know how people work when you come together as a cast, you know that there's this one person that don't talk to them after this number. Uh don't talk to this person like right before lunch because they'll be a little hungry and a little upset. Like you learn how to manage different your cast. Uh you become a family. You're you spend every single day rehearsing for these shows together. You become a family. And so but with family, there's always, uh, you know, a little like people have things that make them tick also. So I think I learned how to deal with all different types of personalities being in theater, also all different types of cultures.

There people come from all over the world to be in New York City to dance and perform on Broadway. So I feel like we learned how to we're not just around like-minded people. In that way, theater prepared me for Big Brother, because Big Brother is the purpose is to bring 16 house guests from all different walks of life, yeah. Um, and see how they get along or how they don't get along. Uh but I feel like because of theater, I was able to get along with pretty much everybody. Pretty much with everybody. Uh yeah, I'm sure, and I'm sure that's huge. And I'm sure a large part of that too is simply New York City. Like, you know, New York City is a hub for everyone, you know.

[28:02] Tommy Bracco: Sort of backgrounds, cultures, etc. Um, but theater brings you that, you know, connection that you don't find anywhere else. There were a couple of people that played Big Brother from the theater community, and uh I think for the most part, theater people you tend to do well. There was Meg Malley, she's in the theater community, she was on season 17, 18, I forget. Uh then there was Marissa Jarrett Winoker, she won Celebrity Big Brother. Uh Todd Hall, he plays second in Celebrity Big Brother. Uh, I feel like there's others too, but theater, like, you know, brings people together and it teaches you how to get along with everybody. That's a skill that directly translates into the Big Brother game for sure.

[28:48] Eli Tokash: For any reason. I'm part of the probably small major minority in in the idea of like, you know how like there's these things they do in like the NFL, this hard knocks thing. I don't know. It's been on like in the Broadway news lately, because they saw Back to the Future and Michael Jackson and stuff. They do like reality shows of the teams. I feel like Broadway could totally do a reality TV show of like a backstage, like come back film backstage. It would be a lot of the performers because they're already doing eight shows a week. But I feel like that would be quality entertainment that a lot of people would enjoy.

[29:28] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, I completely agree with that. I feel like there were a couple of people that were trying to make that happen at some point. Um, I think uh Jake Wilson was trying to make something like that happen at some point, but there have been a couple of people that have that idea. I bet you're right that in terms of like the rules and regulations with the unions, that it's probably really hard to figure out. But um yeah, I think wild a great idea. It would be so good.

[29:58] Eli Tokash: Well, it I mean like I not to like say that you guys did it in Newsies, but like you guys were the first like Broadway.com vlogs that like took off, you know, like y'all were vlogging the whole experience with Newsies and everyone is eating it up. Um yeah so like I don't know like did it kind of take you back at all to being just backstage and and and performing in Newsies.

[30:25] Tommy Bracco: Oh my gosh. I mean Newsies was literally yeah yeah a hundred percent it took me back to that I Newsies was like an incredible chapter of my life. Yeah. When it's been so long now that sometimes it feels like another lifetime. Like it almost didn't happen to me. Um it's so weird. It's it's very strange the way I feel about Newsies these days. Um it was it's I still think it's like the the best show that I agree. I think it's one of the best shows to ever happen to musical theater. I know again dramatic but really believe that. The way that I see like you know we we say theater is about changing lives that show changed lives. Not only like the performers but the audience members the way that it it hits home for so many young people and I think that it changed changes the lives of a lot of young people.

[31:26] Eli Tokash: Absolutely part of it. Everyone that's seen it like would would say that but also now the people that write to me that are doing it in their schools um in their community theaters it like it still translates and has that power on cast members that that still today I couldn't agree more and I think that it's something interesting because I was kind of like thinking about it in like in I don't know communication with you to like set something up for this it's interesting with how like relevant it is today with everything going on with SAGAFTRA and the WGA like their unions are striking like I never even like kind of understood what Newsies was really about until like yep I was a part of a strike you know and so it's interesting like have you been able to revisit I mean obviously they filmed it and I'm sure I don't know have you ever watched that are you a fan of like watching yourself.

[32:25] Tommy Bracco: Uh have I watched Newsies the movie? Yeah oh yeah I watched it. I I'm very critical of myself so like I'll s I'll watch right away and just like pick apart at what I'm doing which is oh my god I I you know I wish I didn't do that but as performers so many of us do it I've watched many a times and it it's like you know I may get I may cringe when I come on the screen because that's just my reaction but I love the show and I love ever like everyone's performances. I'm so happy that it lives on Disney Plus I think it's just like just a powerful piece of theater.

[33:10] Eli Tokash: It's yeah really really great.

[33:14] Tommy Bracco: I revisited it with while with everything going on, and I was just like, wow, like to know like really what this is about, and like you were saying, with how much it resonated to me as a kid, and I didn't even know like why, you know, like so. It's interesting the layers that is actually involved with Newsies and how it does really appeal to all ages and personalities, like all the things. It's it's pretty amazing. But that's what theater does, you know.

[33:39] Eli Tokash: Like, it's so beautiful. Um, I'm curious to talk to you about Newsies. Let's just stay on Newsies and talk about the audition process, because the dancing in a show is just like second to none. Like, it's some of the best dancing that Broadway's ever seen. Um, so I what was that like? What was that dance call like in an audition room? Do you remember any of it?

[34:01] Tommy Bracco: It was the like the most talented room that I've ever been in.

[34:06] Eli Tokash: I'm sure.

[34:07] Tommy Bracco: Ever. It like it was that last day. I think there were 60 boys in the room on the final callback for Paper Mill, and it was the craziest room that I've ever been a part of. It was incredible. Like I it feels like almost like a like a just a dream, like it was not it was unbelievable, truly unbelievable. Um, the passion, because you know what it was? Newsies is about fighting for a place at the table.

[34:45] Eli Tokash: Absolutely.

[34:47] Tommy Bracco: All of us were doing that day. We were just fighting to be picked and for a place at the table. Um they could have cast every single person in the room, and it would have been it, it would have been an incredible show, no matter what, because yeah, talent was just next level, it was nuts. Who was doing flips, who was doing leaps, turns, like the highest kicks you've ever seen, the highest leaps, the craziest turns. It was next level.

[35:21] Eli Tokash: Next level. Do you remember what dance you guys learned in the room?

[35:25] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, we did uh we did a portion of Seize the Day is what we did.

[35:31] Eli Tokash: So we did.

[35:33] Tommy Bracco: Oh my god, craziness. You probably probably remember it. You're already doing it. Do you remember it?

[35:39] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, yeah. Still like all I think I honestly I think that show's so ingrained in my body and in my mind that I think if I had like one day of a put in, I could probably go back into the show tonight if I needed to do that.

[35:52] Tommy Bracco: Oh, that'd be sick. We should make it happen.

[35:55] Eli Tokash: A one-night Newsies performance with the OBC.

[35:57] Tommy Bracco: That would be wild. It would be a little tougher to on my body for sure.

[36:01] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[36:02] Tommy Bracco: But at the right age of 33, but uh I think it would it I could I do think I remember it and I could do it still.

[36:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Okay, but like I know it'd be tough now, but even back then, like I'm sure it was tough on your body doing it eight shows a week. Did you have to you were any of you guys like doing something like I don't know, PT every day? Like you guys had to do it eight shows a week, and that show is so hard on the body. Like, what were you guys doing to maintain it?

[36:30] Tommy Bracco: We did PT. We had PT in between shows, um, and it was great. And I got hurt a couple of times, sure, but to be honest with you, it was not hard on the body. It was hard on me, at least when you're young and resilient like that, your body just bounces back. It was funny because I would do the show basically without warming up.

[36:54] Eli Tokash: Oh my gosh.

[36:55] Tommy Bracco: And then I would go take a dance class, and the dance, the combo would be nowhere near as hard as Newsies. But yet I was so sore from dance class. So sore. So it's muscle memory. Like your body just gets used to doing anything. So like PT, um staying hydrated, eating well, but also like honestly, I was bad. I wasn't doing anything to take care of myself. I was just throwing shit to the Oh I cursed, I'm sorry.

[37:26] Eli Tokash: No, you're okay.

[37:27] Tommy Bracco: I was throwing shit to the wall and then it was sticking. It was fine.

[37:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[37:31] Tommy Bracco: Yeah. Well, I'm curious because like I mean, Newsies was your Broadway debut. Like how did this whole thing start? What what inspired you to like want to audition in like beyond Broadway?

[37:41] Tommy Bracco: I uh went to LaGuardia High School for acting. So I had my acting training there, and I grew up dancing and tumbling. Um I just needed to get my button singing lessons. I started doing that senior year of high school, and then I was kind of a delinquent in high school. I didn't have great grades, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't know if I wanted to perform. So I kind of just didn't really go to college, and I just started auditioning, like I just fell into it kind of, but then I fell in love with it.

[38:13] Eli Tokash: Right. Were you like a fan before, you know, uh performer? Like, did you just go to Broadway shows all the time and then you know you fell in love with it there, or was it really just doing it, you fell in love with it?

[38:25] Tommy Bracco: Um, I fell in love with with theater in high school, going to LaGuardia. It was the best. I mean, I couldn't you couldn't ask for better training than you get at LaGuardia High School. It was incredible. It's the only training that I've had, literally. That and the studio. That's the only training that I've had was in high school. And I was doing okay. I was booking work. So I would say. I think that uh yeah, I I started, I didn't grow up going to theater. My my parents would take me, but like I wasn't into it, honestly. It wasn't until I went to high school that and I saw Rent that I was like, oh, I think I love theater. This is great. I saw the Rent movie. I went and saw it on Broadway. And then I I then I got bit by the bug, but I still didn't know that I wanted to perform myself until senior of high school as I was leaving.

[39:22] Tommy Bracco: Wow. And then that's when you made this. Wow, that's so crazy. What that kind of like that's literally like the world has a plan for you. Like the fact that you literally just decided that you didn't go to college and that you were on Broadway, you know? Like there's so many, like I'm a big believer in like the world has a plan for you, like you said. There's so many stories that um that go back to that. Like I got my first call that I was making my Broadway debut in the ferry terminal. I, because I'm from Staten Island. I'm from Staten Island, so every morning I would wake up five in the morning to go to high school to Manhattan, and then I would commute home, go to school, and then go to bed.

Like it was like a very structured life, and I spent a lot of like my high school years commuting back and forth from Staten Island. Right. So finally, I am coming back from an audition, and I run to catch the ferry, the door shut in my face. I get a phone call from my agents as I'm waiting in the terminal that I booked it. And I was just like, of course, I get the phone call in the Staten Island Ferry terminal after commuting here for years. It was the best. So I think it's right that the world always has a plan for you. I do.

[40:45] Eli Tokash: Was that so was that like phone call? Is that the audition uh for Paper Mill, or is that like the transfer to Broadway?

[40:54] Tommy Bracco: That was Paper Mill. Wow. And did you guys that was um that was in uh that was Broadway, yeah. That was that was for that was to transfer.

[41:01] Eli Tokash: So did you guys like so you guys didn't know like for sure that you guys were gonna go to Broadway, even though it was like even a hit at Paper Mill?

[41:10] Tommy Bracco: Nope, we had no idea. And that's another thing about Newsies is that the same way that the characters are fighting for a place at the table. Yeah, we the actors were not only fighting for a place at the table in the audition process, but throughout the entire process too, because we it was never enough. Like we we always had to prove ourselves. We had to consistently deliver, and uh because we showed up uh the and because the fans love the show, it the fans like brought Newsies to Broadway. Like it was the it that's what it was. The fansies.

[41:49] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it was it was very the fansies had a lot of power, yeah. It was it's amazing. It's like that and like Heathers, I feel like are like up there for Broadway fandoms that's just like the two top ones.

[42:04] Tommy Bracco: It's pretty wild what the impact.

[42:07] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Because it's all about yeah, you know, the fans and and who's gonna come support this show, you know, that we're gonna do. Um wild. Okay, so you guys didn't even know. I I thought it was kind of always like, oh, this is our out of town before Broadway. So wow it's pretty wild. But everyone in that cast, I mean like you guys you say you have this hunger and this audition room is so talented. Like it just shows like all of you guys have had such success even after the show and it's a testament to not only you know your work and everything that you did and your talent but also like just like what you guys made. Like that Newsies was just something so special and everyone who's a part of it you know either learned something so valuable that they continued it on in their journeys through whatever career path they were gonna go to next or uh you know they got recognized to do something even bigger and bigger and bigger you know it's stuff like that. It's pretty it's pretty remarkable.

[43:04] Tommy Bracco: Yeah. Yeah it it it was it was very special it was a um a very special moment in my life and yeah I am forever grateful for it.

[43:15] Eli Tokash: Yeah so so talk to me now then I mean obviously you did Newsies and then you took a little break from Broadway at least and then you did Pretty Woman on Broadway. And we had Jerry Mitchell on the show uh like a couple months ago and he was talking about directing this show and what it meant to him and he was saying all these like great things and it just seems like that room was so special. So I'm curious like what was it like to to be a part of this show and a part of this incredible cast?

[43:37] Tommy Bracco: So Pretty Woman was my ah it's so hard because like my two Broadway experiences, Newsies and Pretty Woman, like Newsies is is the one that everyone like thinks of right away. It's obviously like a huge staple in musical theater, but I had just as good of a time, if not a better time, doing Pretty Woman, honestly. I loved my role, I loved the music, and I loved the cast.

[44:22] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[44:23] Tommy Bracco: Those that that cast, those people are still my best friends. Oh it was a very special group. I like can't speak more highly about that group.

[44:33] Eli Tokash: So Pretty Woman is my mom's like all-time favorite movie.

[44:39] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, you know, like just anytime it's on cable, like it's on our TV, you know. She just loves it. So of course, I we went with her and and we saw the show and everything, and literally, like you stole the show, like not once, but like multiple times. Like every time you were out there, you you were doing stuff, and and like I know it just seemed like it was like crafted for you, you know what I mean? Like, it was just something that looked just right, you know, from an audience perspective.

[45:09] Tommy Bracco: It goes back to what we were saying before, like I'm I'm so grateful that Jerry Mitchell took a chance on me because I hadn't worked with him before at that point, and he chose me, and it was like it it I was so grateful because it also was a very collaborative process. That role completely developed as time went on, and that's like the that's the the gift of doing a new musical, is that you put your stuff on it, and I feel like I really was given the opportunity to bring myself to the role. And I'm just so damn grateful for that experience. It was great. It was the best. So good. So much fun. I there was not one day where I came to work and I was like, ugh, every single day I was excited to be there.

And it's it was it was a really fun experience. I I know that the show wasn't great. I get it. It had its issues, but uh I think that the cast was incredible. I think that I loved the music. I thought it was great. Um yeah, it was it, you know, it's crazy actually. Not everyone knows this, but I left Pretty Woman to go do the do Big Brother. And in Big Brother, you're cut off from the outside world.

[46:33] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[46:34] Tommy Bracco: The plan was that I would go back to Pretty Woman after Big Brother, and I didn't know, but Pretty Woman closed while I was in the Big Brother House.

[46:42] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[46:43] Tommy Bracco: So I get out of the Big Brother house on finale night. One of my friends comes up to me and he goes, Hey man, so sorry about Pretty Woman. And I that I was like, like it I realized in the moment that it closed. So I was like, thank you so much. Okay, but I had no idea. I think like when I was getting evicted from the Big Brother house, I was literally in my final speech. I'm like, sending love to my Pretty Woman family. I can't wait to come back to you all, and they're all watching from their couches at home on a Thursday night, whatever it was, and they're like, ah shit. And like no one can get a hold of you. No one's going back. We're done.

[47:22] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[47:24] Tommy Bracco: That's terrifying though, because you you know, you go to this thing and you're like, oh, okay, I have like a job to come back to, and then there was none.

[47:33] Eli Tokash: Yep.

[47:33] Tommy Bracco: Wow. Okay, wild dance. So that was great for the mental health on top of all the the Big Brother Twitter fans that you had to refer to uh when getting your phone back.

[47:47] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, wild.

[47:48] Tommy Bracco: Oh my god. So I I mean I have to ask you. I I I'm just at like curious. This is going back to like Pretty Woman and just like being a performer and dancer overall. Like these people that you worked with, right? Jerry Mitchell, Christopher Gately, like all of these wonderful like choreographers, and I know like you know, you're a dancer and and like you've danced for so long. Like, what is that like I'm not a dancer, right? Like I I can't dance. So I'm curious, like, what kind of impact on you as a dancer does that have? And like how does that improve you as a dancer just working with those types of you know, legends of the craft?

[48:28] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, I mean, I think and you know this too, because you do Broadway also, so every creative um team member works differently, and you have to it goes back to what we were saying too, like about you have to get to know what how people work, w what they want from you, like how to navigate your relationship with them is the best way to put it.

[48:54] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[48:55] Tommy Bracco: Like the both of them were very collaborative, both Jerry Mitchell, Chris Catelli, um, Jeff Calhoun, which is awesome. But there are some people that are not collaborative. They want you to just do what they tell you, and that would be okay too. That's okay also. Um, but I have been very fortunate that I've worked with people that are open to hearing ideas and working together to create this piece. It's like um what's the best way to put it? Just like when you're practicing something, you're at the top of your game. Like I felt at the top of my A game when I was in Newsies or when I was in Pretty Woman and also doing A Chorus Line at Encore.

[49:46] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[49:47] Tommy Bracco: That was like those like those two moments of my life, I was at the like top of my game. Yeah. Um, it's like, you know, it's it's practice makes perfect. If you if you're spending every day working with these people and collaborating with them and pushing yourself, it's gonna push you, and it it's gonna make you a better version of yourself.

[50:12] Eli Tokash: It's such a good way to put it because so many people ask me, you know, like is this industry competitive, or is there ever like competition when you go to auditions and stuff, like how do you talk to people in the waiting room and whatever? It's like, no, like it's honestly like it's motivation, but just to be like the best you because you aren't them. So like if they're not looking for someone like you, then you just weren't right for it. It's not on the other person, you know, like they're literally there to motivate you and help you become better and want to get better, you know.

[50:46] Tommy Bracco: I couldn't agree more.

[50:47] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so I I don't know. It the whole competition thing drives me crazy, but it's so true, and it's interesting how that could sort of relate to, I'm sure, the games of Big Brother and everything like that.

[50:58] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, for sure. Interesting. Uh would you ever consider being like a choreographer or anything like that? Or is it something like what's net like what do you what's the next dream? What's the next goal for Tommy?

[51:16] Tommy Bracco: I really miss Broadway. I would love to go back to Broadway. That's my dream right now. I'm going to get into like the role never opens up, but I'm dying to get into The Lion King. I want to play. Oh my god. I want to play Timon so bad. I that's like a dream role of mine. And there's so many things I want to do. I honestly, like, I don't need to. I don't uh I'm not the kind of person that like wants to be famous per se. Like, I don't need that. But what I do want to do is be on Dancing with the Stars. So I am I need to become a big enough star to just get on Dancing with the Stars is my goal.

[51:55] Eli Tokash: So I mean, I think you are. Come on.

[51:59] Tommy Bracco: No, literally, you have like 500,000 followers on TikTok. You're over that. Like we gotta keep going because I gotta get on Dancing with the Stars one day. Whether it be the Disney uh Broadway connection or if it's a social media, I don't care what whatever, but I gotta get on Dancing with the Stars. That's the goal.

[52:18] Eli Tokash: So yeah, I mean, literally, like I said, you're a Broadway star, a TikTok star. Like I uh so reality TV star, like you're everywhere, Tommy. Like all sort of fan bases know you.

[52:29] Tommy Bracco: I think we can get this trending, and I think that we can make this happen.

[52:32] Tommy Bracco: Gotta do it.

[52:33] Tommy Bracco: We gotta do it, please.

[52:34] Tommy Bracco: We gotta do it.

[52:34] Tommy Bracco: But I'm we're gonna make this happen.

[52:36] Eli Tokash: So that's so interesting. So you want to do the dancing and everything.

[52:40] Eli Tokash: You don't would is choreography like I don't know, is like being a choreographer not it for you?

[52:46] Tommy Bracco: Um, I you know what I've choreographed a few shows and I do love it, but I'm just like putting my energy elsewhere right now.

[52:53] Tommy Bracco: I'm really enjoying podcasting.

[52:55] Tommy Bracco: Um I'm also just like staying sharp and ready for when the right Broadway audition comes along because there's not many auditions happening right now, it's very slow, and that's okay.

[53:07] Tommy Bracco: It'll come back.

[53:09] Tommy Bracco: What's you know, the world has a plan for you, so I'm willing to like go with it.

[53:15] Tommy Bracco: I trust that it'll happen when it's meant to happen, but I'm also staying ready, staying sharp, and uh that's it.

[53:22] Eli Tokash: But I wonder would you ever want to go on Big Brother or a reality show like that?

[53:27] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, absolutely. Are you kidding me? I'm so okay. I am a competitive person, and I know I just said that this industry is not competitive, but like, you know, like it is, but it isn't. Um with the people, you're competitive with yourself. Is that fair to say exactly? Like, I'm always trying to like outdo myself or like set a goal and outperform that goal. Doesn't always happen, and that's where I get like down, anyways. I love a competition, um, and I would absolutely do Big Brother. I don't know how good I'd be because you know, I'm not uh yeah, I I have an athletic background, but I wouldn't call myself athletic, uh, per se. But listen, so with Big Brother, you don't need to be a certain it's the same as theater.

Sometimes, you know, you don't have to be a certain type to do well in theater. You just have to be the best version of you. That's the same thing with well, I mean, listen, I I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. I I'm a big reality guy, like a big big reality TV. My family always has been. We always watch like The Bachelor and stuff like that. So Big Brother and all of that. You know, we love it all. What shows do you watch? I want to know.

[54:41] Tommy Bracco: Oh, on well, I okay. New girls my all-time like favorite TV show. Okay. But like as far as reality show is concerned, like we're always watching The Bachelor, Bachelor of Paradise, Big Brother. We watch Dancing with the Stars, The America's Got Talent, The Voice, you know, all of those. Um, I used to love the show called Wipeout, which was like the best. Yeah, like like those are the type of like games that I just like love. I don't know. I don't know. You? How about you?

[55:11] Eli Tokash: Oh. If you love The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, P.S. I'm excited for the Golden Bachelor. That looks like it's gonna be good. Right. But if you love those type of shows, I would definitely check out the Netflix reality shows. Like specifically the ultimatum, love is blind. These shows are so good.

[55:35] Tommy Bracco: Okay, great. We're there. We're on the love is blind train. Don't worry. Married at first sight too is good. Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. We do we do them all, Tommy. They're they're coming out with oh my god. I I'm sorry, I'm literally just I'm I can go on and on about reality. They're coming out with um, what was the show? The Squid Games. They're coming out with a squid game.

[55:58] Eli Tokash: Oh, okay. So I haven't watched that. That is gonna be sick. You gotta watch. Well, you have to watch Squid Games first, the Netflix show. And then they're coming out with the Squid Games Challenge. So it's gonna be a reality show, but that's gonna be nuts. I can't wait for that to I I mean Okay, this is pre-recorded, so we can't edit it out. I I this is kind of my curiosity. Is reality TV under the SAG AFTRA union?

[56:30] Tommy Bracco: It's not. It's not that's why we're the idea or the the what's the best word? Like the prediction from the industry was that we were going to see a boom in reality TV. Uh-huh. But from what I've heard, we're actually not seeing as much of a boom as we thought. Um but there's still time because the strike isn't settled. So we'll see what goes on. Uh and at some point it's like, what else is there gonna be to watch? You know, literally nothing's gonna be new for you. It's literally gonna be. Yeah, it's literally only gonna be reality TV. I'm like missing the whole like real like I not I'm not that it's reality show, but like the Jimmy Fallons and like the the Yeah, the truck shows. Yeah, like those type of shows.

I'm missing those too. So um, I don't know. Whoa, whoa, we need to figure something out, but that's obviously WGA and not SAG After. Anyways, craziness. Um, and so you're doing all these things. Where can we follow you on social media and where can we listen to your hilarious podcast?

[57:40] Tommy Bracco: Um, you can find me just at Tommy Bracco. Uh I think that's like pretty much my handle everywhere. I think it's, you know, we got some underscores in there too, someplace if you just type in Tommy Broccoli, you'll find me. And then my podcast is called Real Talk, and uh t talk T-A-W-K. I host it with my cousin Angelica, who was on the reality show, The Traders, which is also another incredible reality show. You gotta check that one out too. I don't I haven't watched that one. They're gonna uh start filming season two. It's very, very cool. Another, like it's like another like lying backstabbing um reality show. That's like my cup of tea. That's my favorite. But uh I love it. Hey, so I host it with my cousin Angelica and my father.

My father, he's also obsessed with reality TV. So the three of us grew up watching reality shows together, and now two of us have gone on. Um I'm sure my dad will get on a show one day at some point. So we're just a reality TV loving family that sit on the couch and talk about it after we watch the episodes. Um yeah, yeah.

[58:57] Eli Tokash: So it's not just Big Brother and stuff, right? You don't do talk much probably talk on it, right?

[58:59] Tommy Bracco: It's all Big Brother, the challenge, um, what else

[59:04] Tommy Bracco: Uh all the survivors coming out in a few weeks

[59:09] Tommy Bracco: Um Love is Blind, the Ultimatum, all those shows, The Circle

[59:14] Tommy Bracco: Uh so if you're a reality TV fan and you're looking for a new reality TV podcast, check us out

[59:20] Tommy Bracco: Real Tawk podcast

[59:21] Eli Tokash: Oh my god

[59:22] Tommy Bracco: Yeah

[59:23] Eli Tokash: That's iconic

[59:24] Tommy Bracco: You're iconic

[59:25] Eli Tokash: And uh you don't do any of the Broadway stuff though, uh, on that

[59:31] Tommy Bracco: We're you what you know what it is. We just joined forces with BPN, which I'm excited about. And we just joined forces with them at the start of the Big Brother season. Once Big Brother season wraps in November, because Big Brother, the way that it works, it it it happens in live time. Very uh fast paced. Yeah. Um, but once that wraps, we're gonna see how things uh because we want to continue doing the podcast uh afterwards, so we're gonna see what that looks like. There, I think that we're gonna open up the doors to more uh more of the Broadway world and whatever it may be more maybe just more family stuff too, because we're we're a big Italian family, so yeah, and then when you're on Dancing with the Stars, it's just gonna be it's gonna be really hard to do it all, you know.

[1:00:25] Eli Tokash: I love it. I we're making it happen, Tommy. One out there, manifest. Manifest. Um, I love it. Well, this is so great. And when are the new episodes out to remind us for a real talk?

[1:00:39] Tommy Bracco: Yeah. So we film uh once uh twice a week, basically. They're they're kind of just all over the place. Stagnant. Yeah, it's just keep up with it, subscribe, all the things and get the alert. Um, Apple, Spotify. We're all over the place. And uh it's usually Monday mornings day or sorry, Tuesday mornings and Friday mornings is usually when the episodes drop.

[1:01:06] Eli Tokash: Perfect. That's so exciting. Thanks for all the entertaining content that you continue to do on the podcast and social media, all the things. Um, and we can't wait to to see you as Timo and on Broadway. And all the things.

[1:01:19] Tommy Bracco: I would die. We gotta manifest.

[1:01:23] Eli Tokash: Yeah, we're gonna do all the things. Come on, Tommy. We got this. Awesome.

[1:01:27] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, yes, I love it. Wow, you have so much to take about for. So thanks for coming on here today.

[1:01:32] Tommy Bracco: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. This was super fun. Yay.

[1:01:37] Eli Tokash: Take about Tommy Bracco. Oh my god, what a treat. Uh Tommy's the best, right? Uh he had some great stories talking about newsies, talking about reality TV, talking about pretty women. Just all of the things and and talking about dream roles, you know, those are some dream roles that we we don't really hear every day. Um and it's interesting too. Like he he mentioned, you know, Timon in The Lion King, and he mentioned you know, that role never comes uh becomes available or anything like that. And it's so true because all of those people in The Lion King, and even like I I want to like make this an example of like Phantom of the Opera. Like it's the same way, like people know that that role and that show is going to be there and they just don't want to leave it because they're like, this is stable and I can depend and rely on this.

Um so it's interesting to to bring that point up. You know, that we just had Raquel Soares growing uh on the podcast, and she was in fandom for five years, you know, like all together. So um, you know, those people like once they get a show like that, it's just like why would I leave? You know, and run the risk of like doing a new show for it to close, you know, when otherwise they could be, you know, performing every week and making uh money to support themselves and their families.

[1:03:01] Tommy Bracco: So um interesting. Uh I don't know. I I just feel like people don't often have those types of dream roles. Maybe because they just know that you know it's not possible or it only becomes available. So I don't know, every 25 years, like something like that. Um so I I loved that answer, and I could totally see him as Timon. And we're gonna get him on Dancing with the Stars as well. We're gonna make these things happen. And yeah, it's just Tommy's the best, and it was great to to have him on to talk about, you know, kind of the relation between Broadway and reality TV is is kind of what we talked about. But of course, also his journey through newsies and pretty woman and all the things.

[1:03:42] Eli Tokash: So shout out to you guys for listening to this week's episode. Hopefully you enjoyed it, and uh I hope that you will come around next week for another great episode with another great guest. I think I have something lined up. It's gonna be a really great guest from Moulin Rouge, and that's all I'm gonna say about uh next week's episode. And yeah, until then, I hope you will come back next week to listen to it. And until then, I hope that you all have a incredible week, and I will see you all next week. Bye everyone. Have a great week.

[1:04:17] Eli Tokash: For this episode's current call, I would like to recognize a few people who also deserve to take a bow. This podcast would not be possible without the help of Dori Bernstein, Alan Seals, Kimberly Garrett, and the team at the Broadway Podcast Network. Next in line to take a bow are our fabulous editors, Jessica Warren, who edits the audio of the podcast that you just listened to, and Tessie Tokash, who edits the videos and visuals for this podcast. And how about a bow for our executive producer, Chris Grimer? And our final bow are extra special to the patrons Brian Thompson, Pat McNamara, the listeners of PCC, as well as all of the other patrons for their continued support. If you're interested in becoming a patron, go to Patreon.com slash T A B. If you enjoyed this week's episode, make sure to subscribe on the platform that you are currently listening to this on, or go check out our YouTube where you can watch the episode.

You can also subscribe, like, and comment on there as well. If you're more into the regular social media and want to follow us, you can do that at Take About Podcast across all social media platforms. The music of this podcast was made by Nikki Torsha and Cormac Collinon, and the logo was created by Giselle Bustos. And that wraps up this episode's curtain call. Thank you all again for listening to this week's episode, and I can't wait to see you next week. Bye everyone. Have a great week.