This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:06] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Art of Kindness, where we have compassionate conversations with artists from all areas of the entertainment industry who are using their voice to spread joy and make this big spinning planet in the universe a better place to be.

[0:22] Robert Peterpaul: I'm Robert Peterpaul, and I'm so glad you're here.

[0:34] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, friends. I hope you're having a wonderful grand finale to June. It's been such a rich and radiant summer so far here at the AOK. From celebrating my B Day with loved ones to working the Tony Awards. Ah, that was a fever dream. I still can't quite believe that happened. Pinch me. But there is a recap up here featuring Alan Seales, my buddy, and interviews with the winners, so if you want to tune in and see the proof, it's in the pudding. I don't even know what that means.

[1:12] Robert Peterpaul: And I don't mean like razors and Sweeney Todd. I mean pals like Will and Rachel at The Theater Lovers. If you don't follow these two beacons of light on the social meads, you're missing out. They're constantly spreading joy into the feed at the underscore theater underscore lovers. That's theater with an ER, okay, people. They share hilarious theater memes and videos. I cannot get enough of them.

[1:35] Robert Peterpaul: We did a little collaboration with them on our social media at Art of Kindness Pod to give away one of the beautiful limited edition playbills I got from the Tonies! Yes, I did run around and shove the extra ones people left on their tables into my bag. Because I knew that there's people out there that would do anything for one dear. Anything for one limited edition Tony What Playbill.

[2:00] Robert Peterpaul: Speaking of dynamic duos like Will and Rachel, stay tuned after the interview during our kindness tip of the week segment for me and my wife Cassie, who is the best of the rest. We're gonna announce the winner of this giveaway and also give you a kindness tip, so please join us. I feel like a true winner right now because I had the good fortune of speaking with a fellow Jersey in today. Fun fact growing up, I took voice lessons from this person's mom. I remember singing by her piano and seeing pictures of someone with all these famous people. Turns out it was her daughter, who is now today's guest, the one and only Laura Benanti.

[2:42] Robert Peterpaul: Celebrated stage and screen actress Laura Benanti burst onto the scene at 18 years old with a captivating performance as Maria in The Sound of Music on Broadway. Her talent was undeniable, setting the stage for a remarkable career. Nearly a year after doing, she earned a Tony Award nomination in Swing on Broadway. From there flowed a cascade of phenomenal performances and glittering awards, racking up five Tony nominations total. She notably won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Tony Award in 2008 for a revelatory portrayal of Gypsy Rose Lee opposite Patti LuPone's Mama Rose in Stephen Sondheim's Gypsy.

[3:23] Robert Peterpaul: Other Broadway credits include her acclaimed starring role in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, originating the role of Julia in The Wedding Singer, starring opposite Antonio Banderas in Nine, and her acclaimed performance of Cinderella in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. Most recently, the star lit up Broadway in She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and Meteor Shower, which also starred her future TV collaborator, Amy Schumer. Laura recently worked with Schumer on screen in Hulu's Life & Beth, which brings us to her illustrious career on screen.

[3:58] Robert Peterpaul: I simply don't have time to name everything, but I'm gonna run by a bunch. Let me just take a breath, okay? Laura's past television credits include staple shows like Law and Order: SVU, Royal Pains, The Big C, Nashville, and Elementary. She's had arcs on series like Supergirl, The Good Wife, and Nurse Jackie. You may recognize her as Quinn on TV Land's's hit show Younger, and for her role in HBO Max's Gossip Girl reboot, or perhaps she's Melania to you, thanks to Late Night with Stephen Colbert.

[4:28] Robert Peterpaul: On the film front, Laura's appeared in movies like Worth and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tick, tick... BOOM! on Netflix. She starred opposite Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish in the comedy Here Today. She also created and executive produced Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020 for HBO Max, or I guess MAX now? I'm still confused about that. Which has such a beautiful origin story that we discuss. We also discussed Laura's latest movie No Hard Feelings, where she stars opposite the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Feldman, and Matthew Broderick. I can't wait to see it.

[5:01] Robert Peterpaul: I mean, from countless additional regional theater credits to touring prestigious venues around the country with her concerts, Laura's resume is truly longer than a CBS receipt. We cover a lot of ground, including her struggle with loneliness and growing up in the industry, how she uses her platform to give back, acts of kindness from co-stars like Jennifer Lawrence, and much more. I loved every moment of speaking with her and was struck by her grounded gracefulness. Her GG. Guess what? You can check out exclusive video from this chat on our YouTube channel and social media pages. And be sure to leave us a review if you're feeling extra kind. Now, without further ado, please welcome the lovely Laura Benanti.

[5:58] Robert Peterpaul: Laura, hello. How are you?

[6:00] Laura Benanti: I'm good. How are you?

[6:01] Robert Peterpaul: I'm well, thank you. I'm sorry that I don't have headphones.

[6:04] Laura Benanti: You're totally fine. It actually sometimes messes it up, which is weird. Like the AirPods make it weird. I don't know why, but it works.

[6:12] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, good. You look like you're in like a magical storm sphere. Is that just like your self-taped backdrop or something?

[6:18] Laura Benanti: This is my self-taped backdrop. Exactly. I'm actually just in a garage.

[6:23] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, okay. Good sound, I think, in there, so I appreciate that.

[6:26] Laura Benanti: Yeah.

[6:27] Robert Peterpaul: Well, I'm so excited to talk to you today. I'm not gonna make you sit here while I do this really long complimentary bio about you because I just feel like it won't maximize our time, and I have a million things I want to ask you about. My brain's gonna explode because you've done so much.

[6:40] Laura Benanti: Yeah, I'm a huge fan. I'm so excited.

[6:42] Robert Peterpaul: And honestly, I think I'm an even bigger fan of the way you seem to conduct yourself out in the world because you've not only carved out this incredible career we all look up to, but you just seem to have such a grace and really use your platform to give back. So that means a lot to me.

[6:57] Laura Benanti: That means a lot to me. Thank you.

[7:01] Robert Peterpaul: Do you go by Robert or Rob?

[7:03] Laura Benanti: Either one's fine.

[7:04] Robert Peterpaul: Well, what do you prefer?

[7:05] Laura Benanti: Robert, sometimes a lot of people call me that, but sometimes I guess from childhood, it just feels like I'm being yelled at and in trouble.

[7:10] Robert Peterpaul: So Rob it is.

[7:12] Laura Benanti: Rob's fine.

[7:13] Robert Peterpaul: Rob it is. Do you go by Laura or Lala?

[7:15] Laura Benanti: No, I think I go well, so it's funny. Some people call me Lala.

[7:18] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, Lala. I like that.

[7:19] Laura Benanti: La la Benanti. Um, yeah, you're such a role model. So I'm honored to talk with you.

[7:24] Robert Peterpaul: That means a lot to me.

[7:27] Laura Benanti: Oh, I'm glad. Well, I mean it. I think it's so weird in the arts and kind of like a double-edged thing, but we want compliments. And I always try and start with it, and it was easy for you because I truly just mean that as a giant blanket one. But I would love to know as someone who I'm sure gets a lot of them. How are you at receiving compliments? Do you feel like it's a tricky thing for you?

[7:48] Laura Benanti: I've gotten better at it. I used to deflect and either put myself down or immediately deflect it to the other person. And then I realized that when I was giving like a genuine like compliment, I'm trying to find a better word, but when I'm like sharing what I appreciate about someone, if they like push it away, it actually doesn't feel good to me either. Because I feel like, no, you're not receiving this. This is something that I'm really wanting you to know, and you're not hearing me. So I've gotten better at just trying to say thank you so much. That's really meaningful to me. I really appreciate that. Because those things are true, you know, and it doesn't have to be like thank you, you know, as if you like know already, but genuinely, thank you. Like hearing that fills my bucket. Hearing that makes me feel good. And you never know what kind of a day someone's having. So it could be that you saying that to them is the best thing they will hear all day.

[8:50] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I love that. And you did receive it very well. And I think it could be a little thing, even at the Trader Joe's checkout. You just say, I like your shirt to somebody, and that changes their entire day. And it takes you a second.

[9:01] Laura Benanti: Yes, that is basically the model for how I try to move in the world. I actually posted about this a few weeks ago. I had been traveling a lot for work. I have a 10-month-old baby and a six-year-old daughter. I was really missing them. And I was feeling very cranky. I was very like irritable. And everything everyone was doing was making me mad. And I could feel myself just judging everybody I looked at and like being eye-rolly in a way that I usually am not. And um, you know, still saying like obligatory, like thank yous and stuff like that, being polite, but not being warm.

[9:38] Laura Benanti: And then I, it's gonna make me cry. I caught eyes in the airport with this young woman. She maybe was 18, 19. And she sort of looked at me with like I could tell that she was probably traveling alone for the first time or the first few times. And she was looking at me kind of like, am I doing it right? You know? And I like looked, it broke me open, and I was able to look back at her and with my eyes say, Yes, you are. And I thought, my gosh, I want my girls to have that experience with someone else. So what if we all walked around remembering that? And if you don't have children, fine. Like, how would you want someone to treat your mother, your father, your best friend, your dog, whoever? Yeah, you know, and it's hard to do when we're having our own personal moments. It's hard to do when we're having a hard day or a tired day or a frazzled day or a it's complicated. It's difficult to do, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it anyway.

[10:41] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, there is that duality. And I thank you for saying that because I think we all get into these spirals where we're grumpy for whatever reason because we're human alert. Yeah. You know, and it just that's part of being human and it allows you to appreciate the better times in a lot of ways. But it's if you have that way to reframe yourself and bring yourself back to it and you have that moment of connection with another human, which is so hard now because if you were looking down on your phone, you wouldn't have had that. You know what I'm saying?

[11:08] Laura Benanti: Yes, I do. I know exactly what you're saying.

[11:10] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, and a lot of us are doing that now. But I will say you brought up dogs. We stop all the time, we're like, oh cute dog. It's like, why can't we? Maybe we don't do that with a human. But you know, when someone walks by, just smile or say hi. And yeah. It's hard because when you're in big cities, if you did that all day long, you'd never get anywhere and people would think you're insane.

[11:27] Laura Benanti: Yeah.

[11:28] Robert Peterpaul: But you know, I live now in a smaller suburb. And I'm so um struck by how often I'll be the only other person in a grocery aisle and I'll try and say hi to someone and they completely ignore me.

[11:43] Laura Benanti: Yeah.

[11:53] Robert Peterpaul: You know, and I think, gosh, how did we get here? You know, how did we get to that? Because I remember even as a child it being very different from that.

[11:53] Laura Benanti: I know. And I think people are more afraid to be vulnerable than ever for whatever reason. And I mean the masks didn't help because we had this guard and now it's off. And I'm sure there's a whole psychosis behind why we're afraid to say hello now.

[12:04] Robert Peterpaul: Yes. People do look at you like you're strange. I mean, I when I had the mask on, I was like bulging my eyes trying to smile at people. It probably was strange, honestly.

[12:11] Laura Benanti: You were smizing.

[12:12] Robert Peterpaul: I was like, Tyra Banks told me to do this.

[12:14] Laura Benanti: Exactly.

[12:15] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I can't control my face. Um, but you know, before we really get into it, just to kind of unlock the door of today's conversation, I would love to know, Miss Laura Benanti, what is your definition of kindness?

[12:26] Laura Benanti: I think that we cannot have kindness without empathy. So for me, it's using your empathy in service of another. It's not being nice, and I'm saying that in quotes for those listening. A lot of times being nice means nothing. Anybody can be nice. But true kindness, and I don't even believe kindness necessarily means putting someone else before yourself. I think true acts of kindness are empathetic expressions of love. I don't mean romantic in there. I love that.

[13:11] ⚠ About 3 minutes of audio could not be automatically transcribed.

[16:04] Laura Benanti: So I saw through my dad Marty how one can be brave and live their dream. And then I saw through my mother sacrifice the choice that she made to stop living her dream in order to raise her children in a way that was meaningful to her and never held it over our heads or reminded us. And then from my dad, Sal, his deep inner wisdom, and then the years and years he spent as a graduate student and Columbia, you know, studying Joseph Campbell, studying world religions, studying Buddhism and Taoism and Christianity and Hinduism and Islam and you know how he factored that into his everyday life, what it means to be quiet, what it means to quiet yourself. So I had three very different yet complementary ways of moving through the world, people who move through the world in different ways. And I'll say my mother is such, as you know, she's such a bright light.

[17:11] Robert Peterpaul: Oh yeah.

[17:11] Laura Benanti: You know, and not because nothing bad has ever happened to her. She's not had an easy life. She chooses it. She wakes up every day and she chooses it. And to me, and she makes any room she's in brighter.

[17:24] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, yeah.

[17:25] Laura Benanti: She's she twinkles. I mean, she came out the first time I met her. It was like a Christmas twinkle in her eye. And her eyes are so beautiful too that it's.

[17:33] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, yes.

[17:34] Laura Benanti: We always joke that she's like a Christmas elf.

[17:36] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I see it.

[17:38] Laura Benanti: She's just like, yeah, being raised by her. Like she's so she's twinkly. And then my dad, Sal is like the bass. She's the flute and he's the bass. You know, so it's this, it's great. We got to be grounded and also float.

[17:55] Robert Peterpaul: Yes.

[17:55] Laura Benanti: She's like the stars. He's the grass. I mean, exactly. You you feel that when at least, you know, they used to have voice lessons at their home. When I would walk in there, it was like you sit in this lovely waiting room. It's so peaceful. You just feel that aura in their household. So I think that makes sense. I'm I'm happy to hear that. You know, looking at your career, it's definitely an unusual one. And I know you talked about how you kind of were ushered right into the Broadway circuit. You made your debut in Sound of Music. I don't need to tell you that. I'll just read you your entire Wikipedia right now. Um, but you're still a student at NYU, and then you went on to swing, you got a Tony Nom. When you're successful at such a young age, I wonder like the train left the station, it's flying down the tracks, it's exciting, it's wonderful. But I also imagine, and I'm sure this comes with celebrity as well. There's like a loneliness to it.

[18:45] Laura Benanti: Yes. Um, and I was wondering if you ever grappled with that and that imposter syndrome and kind of feeling like an outsider, even though everyone's looking at you as a, you know, a legend.

[18:55] Yes. I mean, you know, I was 18 years old. I the I moved from my family home with my parents and my sister into a studio apartment on 43rd and 10th Avenue in New York City. And I was thrust into a world of adults. You know, as you mentioned, I was in Santa Music and I understudied Maria. And then I took over the role from the luminous Rebecca Lucer, who's no longer with us, who really taught me much of what I'm telling you or expressing to you, I should say. I was closer in age to the children than I was to the grown-ups.

[19:28] Laura Benanti: I was just thinking to myself, was Morgan Billings one of your children?

[19:31] Robert Peterpaul: Yes.

[19:32] Laura Benanti: Morgan?

[19:32] Robert Peterpaul: Okay.

[19:32] Laura Benanti: Yes.

[19:33] Laura Benanti: So that's why I'm closer in age to them than I was to the adults.

[19:39] Laura Benanti: So the girl playing Liesel was 17, and I was Maria and I was 18. So I think there was an expectation of me that because I looked like a grown-up and I was playing a grown-up that I was a grown-up and I wasn't. And there were no kids my age, no young, you know, people my age. Everyone my age was in college. You know, I was only in NYU for two weeks. So I was there long enough to make one friend, Michael Benjamin Washington, who's a wonderful actor. But other than that, he was my only friend. And so, yes, I had imposter syndrome. And also I felt like this is all I have. My career, my talent, that's all I am. And I don't exist outside of that. And I don't think I appreciated it the way that I should have, because it came so quote unquote easily to me.

It came so quickly to me, I should say. And I was a hard worker for sure, but I didn't know anything else. So I don't think I was able at the time to fully appreciate the magnitude of what was happening. And I was a teenager. You know, teenagers are meant to make mistakes and fall down and brush themselves off and alongside other people doing the same thing. And I didn't get to do that. Mistakes that I made were in front of grown-ups who could make me or break me. And that was hard. You know, I think as well, not having girlfriends. All the girls my age were in college. And then once they left college, they already sort of knew about me. They already had their friend groups and whatever they had heard about me.

And so I didn't really make, I didn't know how to be friends with girls. I didn't know. And so what ended up happening is I just sort of went from like relationship, like romantic relationship to romantic relationship to romantic relationship. Because I thought, well, I at least boys like me. Yeah. You know, and I end up making a series of not great choices and abdicating my own self and my own wisdom and my own drive in service of other people. And that is where kindness and sacrifice I think can be misconstrued. You know, it is not kind to yourself to sacrifice yourself for someone else. That's martyrdom. Yeah. So that's sort of a long-winded way of saying yes. I was very lonely. And I was lonely for a really long time.

It wasn't until I actually went to a wedding when I was 30 years old that I met the women who ultimately became my closest friends. You know, it's funny, like the wedding that changed my life was not my own. Wow. That's a title if I ever heard one. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It's really wonderful that you I mean, you're so well spoken. I don't need to tell you that, but you have such clarity on it, and you're able to recount a part of your story so wonderfully. And I'm sure you've talked a little bit about it.

[22:30] Robert Peterpaul: Age, darling, it's age.

[22:33] Laura Benanti: Yeah, I admire that. I'm like, what did I eat for breakfast? I don't know. But I think I couldn't tell you what I ate for breakfast, but I could tell you this. Well, I appreciate you sharing that and opening up about that. You know, getting to that point, I guess it kind of does lead me to my next question, which is before we get into your new project and other projects I would love to touch on. What is a major act of kindness that you feel like changed your trajectory or your life? It could be in your career, or it could be that wedding. But looking back, what do you think?

[23:01] Laura Benanti: There were so many acts of kindness in my life. I'm glad I've been shown a lot of grace. I have been shown a lot of grace. I did not always behave in a way that I am proud of. And I used to really punish myself for that. And I look back and I think, I was a child. I was 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, those times where people are in college and making their mistakes. And I just thought, oh, I'm a monster. I'm a monster for that. So I got a lot of grace, which I think is kind. In particular, a woman named Julia Murney, an actress named Julia Murney. Yes. She really took me under her wing. She really looked past my immaturity. She looked past a lot of behavior and layers of personality. And she saw my essence. So that was extremely kind.

[23:52] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, she's a beautiful person.

[23:54] Laura Benanti: That was extremely kind. I have been married before. I've been married twice before, actually. Which when you look me up on Wikipedia, you see, and that's I there's a lot of shame in that for me. Because to me, it looks like, well, she's a hot mess or she's a failure. When really, of course, you don't go into any marriage wanting to fail. But those two people have daughters. And my relationship with them, you know, I was 23, and my first husband's daughter was three, and now she's 23. Wow. It's like the sound of music thing. It's full circle, but she, as a child, as a baby, showed me deep kindness. And so did my second husband's daughter, who was eight. She showed me deep kindness. So I think my little sister and those two now women and now my daughters just have grown my heart.

And that in and of itself is an act of kindness. But you know, there have been so many times where I would be going through a difficult time, and someone would reach out to say, I see you, I love you, I'm sorry this is happening. Or when something good was happening to celebrate me and say, This is fantastic. I'm so proud of you. You made this happen. Because with success, I'm guessing too, and I see it like on a very tiny scale. People can forget to say nice things to people that are always having success because they feel like they know.

[25:23] Yes.

[25:24] Laura Benanti: It's never and they feel free to say the other things. You know, they feel free to say, you look so much younger in person, you're prettier in person. Oh why did you do that job? Why wouldn't you do that? Well, let me scratch my notes. No, I'm just kidding. That's terrible.

[25:36] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, well, you know, it's it's they think we're not people.

[25:41] Laura Benanti: You know, so say, you know, being at a stage door and saying to someone you admire, thank you so much for that. That is an act of kindness.

[25:51] Yes.

[25:51] Laura Benanti: And that is received as kindness, it's not annoying. People are always like, I don't want to bother you. I'm like, guess what would bother me if you came up to me and said something mean? That would bother me.

[26:00] Yes.

[26:01] Laura Benanti: But what you're doing now is kindness, it's empathy, it's filling my bucket. It's it's a highlight of my day.

[26:09] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, I love that. That's so special. You know, thank you for sharing all of that. And I guess speaking of acts of kindness, I feel like you made the ultimate act of kindness for a lot of us theater kids during the pandemic. And I would just love to touch on Sunshine Songs for a second, which was made into this beautiful HBO Max special, I'll call it the homeschool uh musical class of 2020.

[26:30] Laura Benanti: Yes, well done. Check it out, everybody. This is such a beautiful example, I think, of why I even started this podcast, which is the intersection of art and kindness.

[26:39] Robert Peterpaul: And I bow down to you for that, but I'd also love to know if there's a lesson overall that stays with you from that experience.

[26:46] Laura Benanti: It was so beautiful. You know, well, my mother, as usual, was sort of the impetus, you know, it was the first day. Oh, it was Friday the 13th, March 2020, which was the first day that we were all told to quarantine. And that it would be about two weeks, but we didn't know. And my mom was on her phone, and look, I knew that something was wrong, but she it was really wrong. And I was like, Are you okay? And she said, I keep getting texts from all of my students that their shows are canceled. And they're just devastated. And I thought back to my experience as a theater kid and how that saved me and how it was the one time of year that I didn't feel like an outcast where people were like, no, weirdos talented, you know, that it's it gave me life.

And I thought, my goodness, you know, this generation of young people who self-identify as anxious more than any previous generation who are dealing with we are the guinea pigs for social media. We are just now finding out the health mental health ramifications of social media, of which there are many. And so I just didn't want these young people to go into their rooms not knowing what this health emergency is, not being able to be with their friends and express themselves in the way they had been working so hard for, and to just go into their rooms and feel like ghosts. And so I just went out on my parents' porch and I did a video saying, you know, essentially it's not the same as performing for your communities, but if you'd love to if you'd like to perform for me, I want to watch you. I get goosebumps still.

[28:21] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, thank you.

[28:22] Laura Benanti: And you know, I thought I'd get like 20 videos and I got 20,000 videos. I mean, I haven't, I stopped counting. And I watched every single one and commented on every single one because I said I would. And what I learned is how many talented people there are in this world. Not every talented person meets opportunity. And so the way social media can be used for good is opportunity. So to see these devastated young people, to see Lynn Manuel Miranda and Jennifer Garner and Sara Bareilles and Jesse Tyler Ferguson all commenting on their videos. You're incredible. You know, also showed me the power of people in positions of great influence being moved by just true art and being kind enough to express it. And it's incredible. And then, you know, after that, I saw the benefit of it for so many people. I mean, you know, millions of people.

[29:42] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[29:43] Laura Benanti: And it's incredible. On social media. And I thought, gosh, not everybody's on social media. And then I thought, well, who are the most isolated members of our community? And at that point, it was seniors and senior living facilities and children in hospitals. So my friend Kate Dieter Meriday, who is a mediator, um, she works in Raleigh. We were like, what can we do? And so she reached out to a senior living like company where they essentially um provide entertainment to these um communities. She reached out to them, and then I just cold called hospitals and said, Hey, would you be interested in basically a concert series, like a live um variety show? And they said yes. And then long story long, at this point, I apologize.

[30:37] Robert Peterpaul: You're fine.

[30:38] Laura Benanti: We ended up doing these things called sunshine concerts. And we were in like, I can't even remember how many thousands of senior living facilities and hundreds of children's hospitals, and we would interview a senior citizen and we would interview a child, people sent in their videos, and then the people within those communities were able to see them through their like entertainment um channels, which most of those places have. So that was really, really gratifying to do. And I learned so much about intergenerational communication as well. About, you know, we are as a community, we sort of just send our seniors away. You know, we're like, ah, you remind us of our mortality. Goodbye. And yet they're the largest growing demographic, which is why we should keep making movies for them.

[31:22] Robert Peterpaul: Exactly.

[31:23] Laura Benanti: And also have the most life experience. You know, we are such a youth obsessed culture. And really, we are the US, we are the leaders in um that in a way that is not great. A lot of not great things.

[31:40] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, a lot of not great super human.

[31:41] Laura Benanti: Yes, exactly. So what I learned from that is this intergenerational communication and how much people actually desire that without knowing it. And how isolation is I don't have to express this, but like, you know, incredibly detrimental to people's souls and hearts and minds. And so creating connection, creating that connection was was a beautiful thing to watch. And then through homeschool musical class of 2020, I was able to work very intimately with these seven young people all across the country and help them procure. Every time you guys are together, they're just in awe and you could tell they were having the best time. I really love them. So, you know, I learned so much through that process.

Hard things too. I learned how frustrating it can be to try and um, you know, make something like homeschool musical, how many hoops you have to jump through, how much red tape, how many opinions, you know, all of the sort of more busy stuff of show business, like business stuff that was hard for me to navigate. And I don't think I always moved through it in a in well necessarily or express myself well. So I learned a lot during that time, but mostly for me, it's all about connection, connecting truly with another person. And I think we're reconnecting now or trying to with humanity because humanity has gotten a little cray cray in in some regards.

[33:05] Robert Peterpaul: But truly, thank you.

[33:06] Laura Benanti: Thank you for that. And thank you for you know the work you were doing with hospitals as someone who spent a long time in hospitals growing up when my brother was sick. I remember when they would bring in an entertainer or have like a movie night or an artist come in. It just, I mean, it lights people up. And there are a lot of patients that are just alone all day because their single mom is working to try and pay for the bills. And so these things are incredibly important. And I'm just, I love that you you use your platform to do that. It's really special.

[33:34] Robert Peterpaul: Is your brother okay now?

[33:36] Laura Benanti: No, he passed away, not to bring down the vibe. But he's true truth.

[33:41] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, he was an incredibly special person.

[33:44] Laura Benanti: We started a foundation in his honor. Uh and our tag. Sorry that I didn't know that. I apologize.

[33:48] Robert Peterpaul: No, that's totally fine.

[33:50] Laura Benanti: Um, but his legacy lives on. We were we were able to speak at the Capitol on behalf of our foundation to get that new T cell, stem cell uh T cart therapy approved. And he always had a huge smile on his face no matter what, and was such a huge fan of music in the arts. And I just feel like I I see signs of him daily. You know, it's a it's a friend now. It used to be kind of a really sad sore spot, but I feel like I can talk about it now. Thank you for sharing that with me. And again, I'm sorry that I'm asking. I didn't know.

[34:19] Robert Peterpaul: And oh, that's okay. And look what you're doing. You know, that could have hardened you, that could have made you really hardened your heart, and instead you open your heart. That's a really, really beautiful thing that you do.

[34:31] Laura Benanti: Thank you. Well, you see so I'm sure when you were at the hospital as well, you see so many acts of kindness of people that are dedicating their lives to help these families. We got meal trains coming to us. I mean, yes, it was incredible. And what you did, I work with an organization called Kindness.org. And there's literal research from scientists that show an act of kindness where things like you're doing actually decrease anxiety, they decrease social anxiety. I mean, there's facts.

[34:56] Robert Peterpaul: So yeah, exactly.

[34:57] Laura Benanti: There's science. Do you know the Ukulele Kids Club?

[35:00] Robert Peterpaul: No.

[35:01] Laura Benanti: Oh my gosh. So it's an organization that I've been working with where through my friend Stephanie Epstein or Step Epstein, I always do that wrong. Stephanie Epstein, who is a music therapist in Miami, and we met through Sunshine Concerts. Basically, it's an organization that provides ukuleles to kids in hospitals, free ukuleles, because it's something you could you can learn four chords so easily and like in five minutes, and that's all you need. Or you can work really hard and and become a master at it, but it's small, it's light, it doesn't take a lot of dexterity or strength. And it's something you can carry with you. So a lot of music therapists will integrate it into their program. And it has done such a world of good for so many hospitalized children. I think it would be an organization you would that really would align with your values. So you should check it out. Ukulele Kids Club.

[35:55] Robert Peterpaul: I will so much good work.

[35:56] Laura Benanti: Yeah. It's so weird because my brother used to play the ukulele and the guitar.

[36:00] Robert Peterpaul: Oh wow.

[36:01] Laura Benanti: So that's really weird that you're saying that. I'm gonna look them up.

[36:03] Robert Peterpaul: That's a godwink.

[36:05] Laura Benanti: I think so. Thank you. Um, I want to make sure we talk about your new project too, not to totally shift gears, but you're in this coming of age comedy.

[36:14] Robert Peterpaul: I can't wait to see it.

[36:14] Laura Benanti: No Hard Feelings. It's all over social media. It looks hilarious, and you're a hilarious person. Um, and you kind of unite forces with these other incredible talents, including Matthew Broderick, by the way, who I think you're doing a show with right now.

[36:26] Robert Peterpaul: Thanks for squeezing this in. Love Letters, right?

[36:29] Laura Benanti: Yes, this is our last day. It's our last show tonight.

[36:32] Robert Peterpaul: Congratulations.

[36:33] Laura Benanti: Thank you. Did you guys decide to do that on the set of No Hard Feelings? Just like paddling around.

[36:38] Robert Peterpaul: No, I I'm not, I actually don't know how it came to be. I'm I should ask him that today. I know he's done it a bunch of times. Um, but yeah, no, they just asked me to do it. I don't know if that was coincidence or if he recommended me. I'm not sure.

[36:55] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. I wish I could see it, but I can't wait to see this film, which you're married in. What was that like? What was it like playing opposite him?

[36:59] Laura Benanti: He's hilarious. I mean, he's so deeply funny and easy to be around. And you know, he's been so famous for so long, and you'd never know it. He's got such a good head on his shoulders. He's seen so much within you know his career and life. Um, so he's just amazing. And Jennifer as well, and Andrew Feldman, who, you know, is about to become a big star from this, I think.

[37:24] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, yeah.

[37:24] Laura Benanti: Um, but you know, she Jen is like an Academy Award-winning Dior model, is also just absolutely hilarious, completely down to earth, an amazing mother, a joy to be around. I do want to stress that this movie is rated R. Like, like truly, truly, truly child should see this.

[37:46] Robert Peterpaul: Yes.

[37:46] Laura Benanti: Um, and like trigger warning to grown-ups as well. Like, there's nudity, there's a lot of profanity, the subject matter is, you know, could be triggering for people. So this is like a raunchy comedy.

[38:02] Robert Peterpaul: So I want people to know that.

[38:04] Laura Benanti: We haven't had one of those in so long.

[38:05] Robert Peterpaul: We have not.

[38:06] Laura Benanti: We used to have American Pie. We used to have all these comedies that were just so fun. Yeah, this is very American Pie-esque. So um, yeah, I just but I really want to be very clear about that.

[38:17] Robert Peterpaul: All right, I appreciate that. Uh, you know, just based off the trailer, it does seem like that, and it also seems like just a ton of fun. Do you have any stories of like kindness or a positive experience from that set you can?

[38:29] Laura Benanti: I mean, I do have two moments of kindness from Jen, and they may seem small, but they didn't feel that way to me. We were shooting outside, it was really cold, and she was in this tiny dress and never complained, and she asked for a grilled cheese, like from Crafty. And I was with her. Um, and I was like, Oh, that sounds delicious. And she was like, Hold on. And she like ran after the person and was like, get Laura grilled cheese too, please. I didn't ask her to like, and I know that sounds silly, but to me that's indicative of her paying attention of her being aware of another person. She maybe wouldn't have even heard me say, yum, that sounds good if she was just thinking about herself. You're right.

[39:10] Laura Benanti: And then secondly, you know, there was a shot where she's in a car speaking into like a like a speaker, like doorbell situation. So I would be off camera, you would only hear my voice. And I was standing outside and it was cold, giving her the cues. Which is also kind. Not everybody does that.

[39:29] Robert Peterpaul: That's true.

[39:34] Laura Benanti: Yeah. And then Jen, after about two lines, was like, why is Laura outside in the cold? She doesn't need to be here. And I was like, no, no, no, it's fine. She was like, please go inside, you know. So even that awareness, it's an awareness of others around you. And then another act of kindness is uh the one of the producers, Alex, was a voice student of my mother's. Oh, Alex Sachs. And I'm pretty sure she's why I was in the movie. So that is also an act of kindness that I thank you, mom. It all comes back to Linda. It all comes back to Linda, man. She's a beacon of light. She sat through a terrible production of Spring Awakening I was in. Sorry if anybody listening was also in that. And she emailed me the kindest thing.

I was like, I can't believe you just saw my butt. Um, you just saw my butt. Hashtag Melchior. Uh, I feel like, you know, you're one of those rare birds that can transition very seamlessly, it seems like, from medium to medium, you know, not everybody can be on Broadway and then also be on TV or maybe they can, but we just they get stigmatized for being too big or whatever. You know, from Younger to Melania on Stephen Colbert's show, which talk about kindness. That's such a kind I did like a little skit on their show a while back and that's such a kind environment, the Colbert show. It is one of my favorite places to be.

[40:48] Robert Peterpaul: Doesn't it? And it's so magical down there and like the they call it the elephant walkway, whatever to the dressing room. It's so good. Well okay with these roles that I feel like maybe on Younger Melania, I know Melania is a sketch, but just with roles that you don't necessarily connect to on a moral level, how do you get past that? And I know it's like everybody's complex, but do you ever struggle to connect to certain roles?

[41:14] Laura Benanti: You can't judge your characters, you know, and I try not to judge people in life. My dad always says as my dad Sal, if we had the tape of every person in the world and could rewind and watch it back, we would understand more who they are today. We would have the empathy to understand their choices, who they have become and for me it's finding the humanity in them. The words will take care of that. Yeah. You know the words will take care of themselves. So if I say the words without judgment of my character with the intention of what I want from the other person, that's my job. You know, but I always do try to find the humor and the heart just the littlest bit so that it becomes more than a mustache twirling villain.

[42:02] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[42:02] Laura Benanti: It becomes somebody who's a little more complex than that. But I do want to, what you said before is really true. The stigma of like musical theater performers being like too big. It took me as my eyebrows are like in my hair. I mean same. But it took me years to transition. Years. And I think sometimes there's still a stigma around it. So it's not like all of a sudden I was just like magically in television and film. I had to work at it consistently and at one point really make the decision to not do musicals for a while to pursue it, which was scary. And I missed doing them. But yeah, so I don't, so I just want people listening who are, you know, in musical theater. It's not like it just magically happens. Like it's something you really have to work at. And I wasn't good at it at first. I didn't know how to attune myself to the camera and to find that um relaxation and um comfort within myself to not push, you know.

[43:04] Robert Peterpaul: Um, so it took it took a while.

[43:07] Laura Benanti: I appreciate you sharing that. And I feel like we're kind of in a place now where everything's coming together. I mean, see I see people moving their faces on TV now. There's movie musicals, there's movie musical TV shows.

[43:16] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, it's a it's a weird, wonderful kind of world on there now. Uh you know, speaking of that that centeredness, do you do anything specific to kind of treat yourself? That is an act of kindness when you're on set or before you go on stage and are waiting in the wings.

[43:30] Laura Benanti: I meditate. I'm a big meditator. Yeah. I learned through Emily Fletcher at Ziva Meditation Z I P A. She had been an actress and a performer, and I was having debilitating stage fright. And this was right after Gypsy, right after I won the Tony, because I think I felt pressure. Like people were like, Well, she better be good, you know. And I was getting really and more the mostly in auditions, like for TV and film, I would show up, I would sit in the chair and go, I have to leave. I couldn't even audition. I was too panicked.

[44:01] Robert Peterpaul: Wow.

[44:05] Laura Benanti: And so she taught me transcendental meditation or a form of it, um, Ziva meditation. And it was pretty life-changing, and not only within my um my profession, but within my life, you know, to get myself to a more centered space from which to express myself, you know, to take the time because I can get moving really fast, and a lot of that is being busy, but the faster I move, the worse it gets.

[44:37] Robert Peterpaul: And there's a lot of other things that come with that.

[44:39] Laura Benanti: It's interesting too, because earlier you said we shouldn't, there's a stigma around wanting. And I wonder if there's a connection there with wanting to have fun in the audition room, want having that intention and that want and not stifling it because you think you're gonna jinx it. I mean, I think there's so many kind of layers behind just waiting in that room.

[44:57] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, well, it's like wanting the job. I think that's the expectation. I have to get this job. If I don't get this job, I'm not good enough. They don't like me, as opposed to going in wanting to show them your interpretation of that character without expectation. Now that's hard because we need to make a living, you know, and we want people to like us, and we want, of course, want to get the job.

[45:23] Laura Benanti: Yeah, so it's like, how does one um reconcile that? You know, how does one like being a human? I've started to find better connections when I'm actually just a human walking into an audition and not taking away from the time and being crazy or making a joke or whatever.

[45:41] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[45:41] Laura Benanti: Just connecting with another person. Totally. And giving yourself grace to know I'm not going to be perfect. I'm not gonna be perfect. My wife and I say that we're always like, nobody's perfect in this house. We just walk around saying that in circles.

[45:54] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, nobody's perfect in the world.

[45:56] Laura Benanti: Nobody's perfect. Except for Dolly Parton, I would say well, obviously.

[46:00] Robert Peterpaul: I mean, Dolly doesn't count.

[46:02] Laura Benanti: Dolly's the same. No, Dolly's, yeah, she's over there. You know, I guess some what a job that you did want and and yet. I just saw you're gonna be in The Gilded Age, which is so exciting.

[46:10] Robert Peterpaul: Yes, yeah.

[46:11] Laura Benanti: It's a Broadway red carpet at this point. I mean it truly is. I'm only in a few episodes. I think I'm in like three episodes. But it's a really fun arc, and I had such a good time just like hanging out with my friends.

[46:23] Robert Peterpaul: So the wedding that changed my life was Celia Kane and Bulger's wedding.

[46:26] Laura Benanti: Wow.

[46:27] Robert Peterpaul: And so she and I got to have like three really incredible dinners, long, chatty emotional dinners while we were up in um uh wherever we were filming.

[46:41] Laura Benanti: And you had a beautiful just want to shout out podcast episode with her as well. I think it's called Sunshine Pancake Sunday morning pancakes.

[46:48] Robert Peterpaul: Sunday morning pancakes, I think so.

[46:49] Laura Benanti: Yeah, that was conversation. I really, really love her very, very much. So it was worth it just for that. I have no idea how the episodes will be or or anything like that, but to me, just that time with her was enough. I think it's coming in September. I didn't want to like alert the media, they might have announced it at this point. I think it's like September 11th.

[47:08] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, wow.

[47:09] Laura Benanti: Okay, I know that's an interesting.

[47:11] Robert Peterpaul: That's also the day my brother passed away, anyway.

[47:13] Laura Benanti: Oh, Rob, whoa.

[47:15] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, let me just I'll tell you something really weird, and I I want to respect your time.

[47:19] Laura Benanti: So no, no, no, please.

[47:20] Robert Peterpaul: He was nine when he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away when he was 11 on 9-11 at 9-11 p.m. Isn't that weird?

[47:27] Laura Benanti: Yes, it can't be weird.

[47:30] Robert Peterpaul: It just that has to be a that has to be something.

[47:33] Laura Benanti: Yeah. And so I see 11 everywhere. I mean, I just like a week or two ago, I got the best news of my life, which is that I'm gonna be like corresponding at the Tony's on Sunday, and they're on the 11th. I don't know.

[47:43] Robert Peterpaul: Whoa.

[47:45] Laura Benanti: Anyway. I am I really believe in those moments. To me, they do not feel like coincidences, they feel like messages.

[47:55] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I like that you called it a god wink.

[47:57] Laura Benanti: Yeah, it's a god. I mean, you know, God, the god of our understanding. I don't, it does not be a Christian God, you know. I just mean the God of our understanding, a higher power. It's just harder to say higher power wink.

[48:08] Robert Peterpaul: A higher power wink and HPW.

[48:10] Laura Benanti: And HPW. Harry Potter voice or I don't know. Um I you know, speaking of power, as your star power has grown, something I was curious about too. And as you grew as a person, what have you learned? And this is also fascinating because you mentioned earlier about how you didn't like the way you behaved in certain situations.

[48:26] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, what have you learned now about kind of advocating for yourself in a kind and respectful way in a rehearsal room, or I don't know if you still do like a lot of workshops sometimes in that space where they want your art, but you know, sometimes people aren't always open to that discussion. I don't know if you know what I'm trying to say.

[48:43] Laura Benanti: I absolutely do. Being an actor can be incredibly infantilizing, and you can feel like a chess piece that someone else is moving around with no actual agency. I think two things have happened. I've gotten older, so people show me more respect because I've been in this business longer and I have a body of work to show for it. And also, I think I have learned to do a better job of respectfully expressing my position. And ultimately, and I had to do something very recently, being um okay with people being mad at me. That's hard. Making a decision that aligns with my core values, knowing that it would make people powerful people mad at me. And that is something I have worked on my entire life. Being comfortable with the idea that someone else is going to think ill of me, or that I've I'm not comfortable with hurting people. That's not what I mean. But like, you know, disappointing someone to the point where they are don't like me anymore or wouldn't hire me anymore.

[49:50] Robert Peterpaul: Do you think it helps you to think that it's kind of on them if they're disappointed in you being your true self and advocating for yourself? Like what helps you kind of wrangle that?

[49:59] Laura Benanti: Yeah, I think for me, all we have at the end of the day are our values. Yeah, you know, and self-respect. And as I've gotten older, I have felt more emboldened to move through the world that way. But I will say also, like, it is easier to advocate for yourself when people are respecting you more.

[50:18] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[50:18] Laura Benanti: So when I was a younger person, I didn't get that respect. And so I was afraid. So I don't want younger people to be like, what am I doing wrong? I need to learn how to A, B, C D.

[50:31] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[50:31] Laura Benanti: It's hard to do those things when you're young. That's why I believe the kindness of older people, more established people, people who have been doing this for a while. It is our job to come in and say, I'm gonna help create a safe space here.

[50:44] Robert Peterpaul: I don't know if you heard them.

[50:46] Laura Benanti: So yeah. I I appreciate you sharing that. I think it's so important. And I love seeing now that at least actors, they're trying to maybe give us. I mean, I voted yes for the strike. They're trying to maybe give us more of a, I guess, agency and also just basic respect with self-tapes and courtesy. I mean, I showed up on a set, I was so privileged to be there for this film, and it was a tiny part, but they were suddenly like improv. And I was like, I could do it. But you, you know, you you prepare, and there's just little things where you just don't feel like you're being respected, if that makes sense.

[51:17] Laura Benanti: So I hope that's changing.

[51:18] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I mean, look, uh, I don't know if that will ever change. I think there is a disconnect between actors, artists, the people making the work and the people funding the work.

[51:31] Laura Benanti: That does not, those things are not always aligned. Capitalism and art are not it is an it is an odd pairing.

[51:41] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[51:41] Laura Benanti: It is a business that asks us to be utterly permeable in order to, in order to bring forth a character and also have the thickest skin imaginable. Now, how does how does one do that? You know, so I'm grateful for our unions. I'm grateful for the brave artists who are already in sort of these positions of power saying this isn't right. Um, because I think people fear for their jobs, yeah.

[52:08] Robert Peterpaul: As well they should, because at the end of the day, when you look at the high, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi up, it's all about money.

[52:08] Laura Benanti: It's all about money. I mean, the writer's strike, that's what it boils down to pretty much too, which is it just blows my mind. And at this point, they've lost so much money they could have paid them what they wanted.

[52:24] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[52:25] Laura Benanti: And it was their mistake to begin with because they were trying to get subscribers, and that's a whole other rabbit hole.

[52:30] Robert Peterpaul: But correct, exactly. I I'm grateful for you because people like yourself with an established platform that again we all look up to are just these little actions, I feel like are becoming the plug to reconnect that, you know, and and it's very important, even just on a set where nobody will see it. You know, the the people that need to see it will, and it'll have that ripple effect.

[52:48] Laura Benanti: Yeah, well, that's kind of you to say. Well, it's true. And I think another thing that's true is this industry isn't always forgiving, like we're saying with those higher ups on artists. Um, I just saw the article that was released where you openly talked about your miscarriage.

[53:02] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, and I just, you know, hearing that and you working through I'm first of all, I'm so sorry, such a painful thing in front of people on stage and just keeping the workflow going made me wonder I guess what do you think works and what do you think needs improvement in the regard of balancing personal life and art and being able to have a life but beyond Broadway.

[53:24] Laura Benanti: Oof, we do not have enough time for that. Okay, but what I do want to say about that experience is the producers on that ship, because it was on a Broadway cruise, could not have been kinder. I knew that I was miscarrying that morning. I knew and I was supposed to perform at nine o'clock that night, and they were like, we were docked at that point. We had been on the ocean and we were docked at that point, and they were like, leave, just leave, take care of yourself. And there were so many people on that boat who I did not want to disappoint. And these producers were so kind that I did not want people to be like, give me my money back. So they moved up my show to like I think it was three o'clock, so that I could perform and then get off the ship and get the medical attention that I needed.

[54:15] Robert Peterpaul: Wow.

[54:15] Laura Benanti: So the reason that I kept going, the reason that I went on in part was because of the kindness of those producers, because they were so loving. So I wanted to do it for them. I wanted to do it for the audience. And you know, this was my fourth miscarriage. Miscarriage is lonely. The other three times I was laying in a bed, one at home, one in a hospital bed, you know, and there was something strangely beautiful about singing this little soul back to where they came from.

[54:49] Oh, you know, to be performing for people who were so appreciative, to be connecting to their hearts and to feel to give them love and to feel their love in return. I wasn't as lonely that time as I had been. So, in a way, like we talked to sort of circle back, yeah. It was a kindness to others, but it was also a kindness to myself.

[55:15] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, it is reciprocal.

[55:17] Laura Benanti: It is. Well, thank you for sharing all that again. I just keep thanking you for everything because I'm grateful. Hashtag, but um, I uh I think it is a reciprocal thing, and that's kind of the joke when people aren't kind. It's like it does come back to you. It's not why you do it, but it comes back. So there's no need to scare people or act like it's like Ebenezer Scrooge. I mean, it's the Christmas carol, literally, that's all it is.

[55:37] And you know what it is too, and I have felt like this in my life when I was younger. Well, I've gone this far being a jerk. Who's gonna believe me if I change? Who's gonna believe Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning that all of a sudden he's seen the light and that he's changed?

[55:54] But every day we have an opportunity to wake up and be different, to be our truest selves, to be our kindest selves. Even if yesterday we were a complete a-hole. And it's scary, it's scary to do that because you think who's gonna believe me? Maybe this is not me. But give, I would say, give yourself the grace to have a do-over, you know? Like that's from The Sound of Music. Like every, like it's a day with no mistakes in it. Every day is a new day with no mistakes in it. And we know we'll make a bunch of mistakes. But we can approach the day with bravery and with fresh eyes and with intention, clear intentions.

[56:34] Because kindness is brave. It takes vulnerability to go up to somebody and say something nice, you know.

[56:39] Robert Peterpaul: So my gosh.

[56:40] Laura Benanti: It's so much braver than to just be like a cranky curmudgeon and keep in your shell.

[56:46] Yeah.

[56:46] Laura Benanti: And it's not, uh it's also not our responsibility to control how other people react. So if you're changing and you feel good, that's good. People, a lot of people don't even believe genuine kindness when they see it. They think you want to get something and you're I know, which you can do, but you know what I'm saying. So it's and that speaks to their tape. That speaks to if we were on tape of their life, yes, we would understand why, most likely, which is why, you know, to the best of our ability without becoming martyrs or punching bags, to continue to be ourselves in the face of someone who is um shutting that down or being angry or mean or hurtful, to continue being who we are, boundried, clear, yes, but not becoming not being sucked into their energy.

[57:29] Stay with your own energy. Your house should have walls, but it can also have a door to let people in.

[57:34] Exactly.

[57:35] Laura Benanti: And you choose it coming from like from The Sound today.

[57:39] Robert Peterpaul: That's beautiful.

[57:39] Laura Benanti: I mean, we're write that down.

[57:41] Robert Peterpaul: Okay. Bye.

[57:43] Laura Benanti: Well, I I was gonna ask you for a kindness tip, but I think that was all perfect. And I know I have to let you go. Do you have just one minute to play a really quick game?

[57:51] Laura Benanti: I swear it'll take a minute.

[57:52] Robert Peterpaul: Yep.

[57:52] Laura Benanti: And then I have to pee before my three o'clock.

[57:54] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, okay.

[57:55] Laura Benanti: Or my two o'clock.

[57:56] Robert Peterpaul: Just let it out.

[57:56] Laura Benanti: Okay.

[57:56] Robert Peterpaul: No, let me just wear it again.

[57:59] Laura Benanti: I can't see the bottom.

[58:00] Robert Peterpaul: Okay. This is called the compliment game because you didn't get enough already. Insert cheesy theme song here.

[58:05] Laura Benanti: Everyone's beautiful in their way.

[58:07] Robert Peterpaul: It's the compliment game on the compliment.

[58:11] Laura Benanti: Compliment.

[58:12] Robert Peterpaul: Yay.

[58:15] Laura Benanti: Mom.

[58:16] Robert Peterpaul: I basically reached out to someone in your life for a compliment or a loving statement about you. I'm gonna read it to you. And then you just have to guess who said it.

[58:23] Laura Benanti: I have some yes or no questions I can answer. You get three guesses.

[58:26] Robert Peterpaul: I don't know. I think you're gonna get this one.

[58:28] Laura Benanti: Okay.

[58:29] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, here we go. Oh, yours is really sweet. I included the preamble as well. Here are the thoughts I have about Laura. It is difficult to only say a few words. Dear Laura, we love how your light from within that shines so brightly on stage, also shines so brightly in your everyday life and envelops everyone around you with your beautiful light and your caring heart.

[58:50] Laura Benanti: My parents.

[58:51] Robert Peterpaul: Yes, it's your mom, Linda.

[58:54] Laura Benanti: I mean, I couldn't not email her. I was like, this is I did email Amy Schumer, was working on getting one back to me, so I could always forward that to you when it comes in.

[59:02] Laura Benanti: Oh, that's really sweet.

[59:04] Robert Peterpaul: I put out some feelers. And she also included a hint, which is that we always knew what a transcendent actor and singer you would be, as well as a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, and a warrior and champion for those in need of support.

[59:17] Laura Benanti: That was her hint.

[59:18] Robert Peterpaul: Thanks, Mommy.

[59:20] Laura Benanti: Thank you, Linda. Which we talked about how she taught you a lot of kindness, but I just want to thank you so much for your time and your own. I've loved talking to you.

[59:27] Laura Benanti: I hope we get to do it again.

[59:30] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, me too.

[59:31] Laura Benanti: I love that. Go pee and I'm gonna go pee.

[59:33] Robert Peterpaul: We'll see each other soon.

[59:34] Laura Benanti: Okay, bye.

[59:35] Robert Peterpaul: Bye.

[59:35] Laura Benanti: Bye.

[59:48] Robert Peterpaul: Such a lovely interview. I'm so lucky. It's Robert back with Cassie.

[59:54] Cassie: My wife.

[59:55] Robert Peterpaul: The wife with my life.

[59:57] Cassie: The wife of my life, the light of my life.

[1:00:00] Robert Peterpaul: What?

[1:00:00] Cassie: Okay, I'm spiraling.

[1:00:02] Robert Peterpaul: We are here with your kindness tip of the week, which I promise will be followed by our giveaway winner.

[1:00:07] Ah.

[1:00:08] Robert Peterpaul: This week, your kindness tip is to glimmer.

[1:00:12] Cassie: Do you know what glimmering is, Cassie?

[1:00:14] Cassie: Uh, yes, because you demonstrate it every day.

[1:00:17] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, well, that's I would say I glitter like I sparkle. But you know, that's fine. Tell me more.

[1:00:23] Robert Peterpaul: Well, my work with the lovely folks at kindness.org reminded me of glimmers. These are feelings or cues to your brain that trigger joy or even safety. A glimmer can be as small as looking out the window on a beautiful day and hearing the birds chirping, or even coming across a dog video in your news feed, or a hamster video, like we love, right?

[1:00:45] Cassie: Or other animals.

[1:00:46] Robert Peterpaul: I feel like we're always sharing those back and forth to each other. I'm going to try and make it a daily practice to really acknowledge my glimmers. What about you?

[1:00:55] Cassie: I shall follow suit.

[1:00:57] Robert Peterpaul: I'll follow your lead.

[1:00:58] Cassie: Come in.

[1:00:58] Robert Peterpaul: You can get a little closer.

[1:00:59] Cassie: Yeah, I'm closer now.

[1:01:00] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I feel like I feel like your audio is always giant waves, and then Cassie's is so tiny.

[1:01:05] Cassie: Hello.

[1:01:05] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, maybe now it's big.

[1:01:08] Robert Peterpaul: So I guess I'll just start by sharing one with you all. Cassie and I will share it together because it involves both of us. So we've been flying around and we've definitely gotten behind on household chores, such as ordering groceries on the reg.

[1:01:23] Cassie: We do still use Instacart.

[1:01:24] Robert Peterpaul: We got addicted during the pandemic, and we love it, and we're grateful for it. But even that sometimes we fall behind on. So the other day we were hangry. We were hungry. We were angry because we needed food. We always want food. And so we decided to order, you know, food delivery, which was wonderful.

[1:01:43] Cassie: We did a little Grub Hub order and I'll let you kind of take it from there because basically our building is kind of complex.

[1:01:50] Robert Peterpaul: It's a complex complex.

[1:01:52] Cassie: Mm-hmm.

[1:01:53] Robert Peterpaul: Some might say. On top of that, we've moved from one part of the complex to another. So we haven't quite nailed our directions to our delivery people. So naturally we always get a lot of phone calls like, where are you again?

[1:02:07] Cassie: Um we don't know where we are.

[1:02:09] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah. It's very confusing to give directions. So this particular Grub Hub driver called me and I missed his call. Um so then when he called back, I was like, I'm so sorry. Um I missed your call. I know it can be confusing. Do you know where you are? Um, and gave him directions, and he was I I simply gave him directions and was just appreciative, and he was like, Oh, it is so kind to have someone this kind on the phone. It really helps us drivers, and it just reminded me that um we can we can be kind to each other in the tone of voice we use, in um the grace we extend.

[1:02:51] Cassie: And then you went down to to meet him.

[1:02:54] Robert Peterpaul: Well, I didn't know this was happening. I was running down to go meet him like a kid on Christmas morning, going to his light bright, which happened to me, and I didn't ask for light bright, I asked for a wee, but that's fine. I loved my light bright, my sister got the wee.

[1:03:05] Cassie: And I used it more.

[1:03:05] Robert Peterpaul: It's still it's okay. Anyway, anyway, I was running out to get the food, and I ran to the other building because I know people get confused in here. Couldn't find this driver, so then I called Cass and she kind of updated me. And I walk out of the garage into the sunlight, and I see this jolly soul poking out the window of a van that's rolling towards me. He's waving and smiling and just filled with joy, and starts talking to me before we even meet in the middle.

[1:03:33] Cassie: He's shouting across the lot, your wife is the kindest person ever.

[1:03:37] Robert Peterpaul: I just talked to your wife. You're so lucky to have her. And then he starts going on.

[1:03:40] Cassie: And then he starts going on.

[1:03:42] Robert Peterpaul: This lovely monologue about how he tries to instill kindness in his daughter, and he raised her right, and he hopes that she turns out like my wife, and we're just kind people, he can tell, and all this wonderful complimentary stuff. So obviously, I was like, well, while you're driving around, listen to The Art of Kindness podcast.

[1:04:00] Cassie: No, I was just so thankful, and it really filled me with joy and kind of took me out of my hanger.

[1:04:05] Robert Peterpaul: It blanketed my hanger, I guess, with joy, I'll say. And it was a reminder that just these little interactions with humans in life, not on the internet, but IRL can really change your whole day around. So if you're listening, my lovely delivery friend, I'm so sorry I didn't get your name. I tried to go on Grub Hub and find it and give you a review, but it only lets you leave reviews for the actual restaurant, which is why I was I did take a survey and said that you were amazing. So hopefully that helps. But if you're listening, thank you. You made our day, and you probably don't even know it. So that was a glimmer for sure.

[1:04:39] Cassie: And you don't even know it.

[1:04:40] Robert Peterpaul: Do you?

[1:04:41] Cassie: And you don't even know it.

[1:04:42] Robert Peterpaul: Well, I do know that it's time to now announce the giveaway winner.

[1:04:47] Cassie: Okay, you want to stay around, Cass, and while we do this?

[1:04:50] Robert Peterpaul: Hopefully, this podcast episode is a glimmer for you, the winner of a limited edition 2023 Tony Awards Playbill. Drum roll, please, Cassie.

[1:05:02] Cassie: The winner is Allie Flores.

[1:05:08] Robert Peterpaul: I hope I'm saying that right. Allie is an incredible freelance stage manager and puts so much kindness out in the world. I can tell from social media. Congratulations, Allie. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for supporting our podcast.

[1:05:21] Cassie: Oh wow, my hands are flying all over.

[1:05:23] Robert Peterpaul: Stay tuned for more giveaways and of course interviews with all your favorite stars that are spreading kindness and joy. Thank you all for tuning in. And until next time, please remember everything is going to be a okay.