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[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. I'm Robert Peterpaul, and I'm so glad you're here.

[0:34] Robert Peterpaul: We are at the Mama I'm a Big Girl Now premiere at New World Stages, and we are gonna be talking with all the stars. Stay tuned. This is Robert Peterpaul with the Art of Kindness Podcast on the Broadway Podcast Network. This is a live episode, ladies and gentlemen. So we're just gonna stack them up for your listening pleasure. It's World Kindness Day. Happy World Kindness Day. Have a great night. I love you.

[1:07] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Hi, I'm Marissa Jaret Winokur, and I'm here to open Mama I'm a Big Girl Now. I'm really excited to be working with Laura Bell Bundy and Kerry Butler. I mean, that's what got me back to New York, these two ladies. So here I am. Talk to us about this collaboration that you have. How did you three come together and make this happen? Because I can imagine there's a lot of fun energy in the room, but actually getting a structure down, what was that like?

[1:29] Marissa Jaret Winokur: It was really easy. We literally did a Zoom and figured it out over Zoom. We basically were all like, what did you do in your One Woman show? And it turns out that all of our journeys are very similar. We did Hairspray, we had other jobs, we became moms, we got married. So our stories really blended together really well, and we just kind of did it over Zoom, and then in a hotel room the night before we did our first concert. So it was insane.

[1:51] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, that's how it happens, you know? It all the magic comes together.

[1:55] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Well, we have a little surprise for you. In theme with reflecting on the past, I did pull up an old catch. I'd like to think that this was my first headshot. But it was not. You look the same. I did this was my headshot that got me Grease. Obviously, Jan. That I mean, look at that. That is Jan. There's this trend where people are finding old headshots, signing them. Would you mind signing it? And then giving a message to her?

[2:24] Marissa Jaret Winokur: She knew everything was gonna be okay. Now at 50, I'm like, I don't know what's gonna happen with my life. No, she knew, she knew. I was so honestly, like Tracy Turnblad was the best role for me because I truly was Tracy Turnblad. Like I was like, I just want everything to be good. I just want everything to be okay. And you know, being a mom now, I definitely have more fears because I'm like, I definitely am not as bold and brave and you know, but this girl, she was like everything's gonna be she knew, she knew. And that's what I think doing this show for me has done. It's made me like reclaim my joy, reclaim my happiness, you know.

[2:57] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. And y'all are gonna help everybody watching reclaim their happiness too, which is so important. So moms out there watching can also feel that. I'll tell her to be kind.

[3:05] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Oh, I love well. My last question, it is World Kindness Day. My podcast is The Art of Kindness, so I don't know if you just randomly randomly look at my pin.

[3:13] Robert Peterpaul: Oh my god, that's so good. That's so weird. There's magic in the air. So many listeners have said you have to get Marissa on the show. She seems so kind and positive. So I'm glad to have you.

[3:21] Marissa Jaret Winokur: That's why I was like, be kind. Oh my god, I love that. Would you mind? Would you look to the camera and just give a kind message or an affirmation? Kind of a little kindness pep talk.

[3:30] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Oh my gosh. Yeah, be kind out there. I'm gonna tell you, working with these two women has proven that you can have three beautiful shiny pennies on the stage at the same time and support each other and love each other. And I really want other girls and women to come and see how it's all about love and joy. And when Carrie's singing the highest note, I'm happy because the show is amazing. And when Laura's killing it in Legally Blonde, I'm like more happy than when I'm doing my number. But really support each other and you can build each other up. It's not just a dream. You really can.

[4:00] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. That's what life's about. You said three pennies, that makes three cents. That makes sense. Okay. Thank you so much, Marissa. It was great to talk to you. Have fun tonight.

[4:08] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, great to meet you too.

[4:15] Laura Bell Bundy: Should we harmonize? Laura Bell, how are you?

[4:19] Laura Bell Bundy: I'm Laura Bell Bundy, and I'm excited to be here because this is my opening night of Mama I'm a Big Girl Now. Talk to me about the magic of this process, the three of you coming together to create the show on a Zoom, I heard.

[4:30] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah, well, it's wild because Carrie and I first had this idea when we were doing a show together, and we sent Marissa a video message, like, hey, we had this idea, and this bitch did not call us back. Um, and I called her about something else, and she said, uh, she said, oh blah, blah, blah. I said, did you ever get our message, me and Carrie's message? So, what are you talking about? I'm like, oh my gosh, this idea of the three of us doing a concert together, called Mama I'm a Big Girl Now. She's like, What? And that was like the end of last summer when we finally so then we're like, let's do it. So we started to figure out what it was. Is it our journeys to Broadway, our lives and loved after, and then becoming mamas ourselves. And so we were like, okay, that's what it is. Now, how do we fill it in?

[5:16] Laura Bell Bundy: And we began really putting the show together, I want to say the end of November last year, Zooms and December Zooms, and January one time in person, and then we went to Salt Lake City area in Utah for a concert, and we had one rehearsal together the day before we did it for real. For the real housewives out there. So from there, and then we've been doing concerts. This has been a concert essentially that was a concert meets a three-woman show that now got its chance to have a run on Off Broadway. Um, we've been touring it around. It's wild. To me, it's wild that an idea, a fleeting moment where you have this thought can become something real and tangible.

[6:06] Robert Peterpaul: Well, that's what I've always admired about you is that whether it's your funny skits on YouTube or Women of Tomorrow, everybody check out Women of Tomorrow, you seem to make your ideas happen, which is really special in this industry. And I think it started way back when this show is quite reflective, and so we do have a little something that we've researched that in the spirit of the show's reflection, I would love to show to you that I've found.

[6:28] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah, if you could um give that a little sign and then give her a message, you know, what would you tell her?

[6:33] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh my god. Maybe say something that you would say to your younger self for all our listeners out there to reap the wisdom of everyone still looks the same, so it was really hard to look at these headshots because I'm like, are these new or are they old? You get the jobs you're supposed to get and you keep getting better.

[6:51] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh my god, I don't know. So much better? You get so much better. Oh, I'm sorry I had to. And before I let you go enjoy your opening night, it is World Kindness Day. Happy World Kindness Day.

[7:00] Laura Bell Bundy: Wow, happy World Kindness Day. Yes, um, my podcast is The Art of Kindness, and so I would love to know if you have a tangible kindness tip, something out there for listeners that you think they could do on their own corner to make the world a little better in these times.

[7:16] Laura Bell Bundy: You know, I think the greatest kindness that you could give anybody is to allow them to be authentically who they are and to respect another person's boundaries and not take their boundaries personally. When you allow people to live the life the way they want to live their life, to tell you how they would like to live their life and you respect that, that's a great kindness.

[7:38] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. And when people show you who they are, believe them.

[7:41] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you so much, Laura. Have a great night. It was great to meet you.

[7:45] Laura Bell Bundy: Get out of the way.

[7:46] Kerry Butler: Listen.

[7:46] Robert Peterpaul: You better run.

[7:47] Kerry Butler: Oh, she's running.

[7:51] Laura Bell Bundy: I had a friend once say to me, if I tell someone I don't want to see them. If I tell someone I don't want to see them or talk to them for a while, I want them to respect that.

[8:07] Robert Peterpaul: Versus keep calling me, keep texting me, whatever.

[8:10] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah. Just say, understand, respect it. It's an interesting thing. We think sometimes that kindness is just letting people walk all over you. What is being kind is to make clear agreements with people and say, hey, this is what I'm willing to give. What are you willing to give? And what can I expect from you? And this is what you can expect from me. Being clear is the greatest kindness you could give anybody.

[8:31] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, I love that. I'm gonna put that on t-shirts and sell it outside.

[8:34] Laura Bell Bundy: Kindness bitch.

[8:38] Robert Peterpaul: That's also going on a t-shirt.

[8:40] Laura Bell Bundy: Catch me outside New World Stages, $45 each.

[8:44] Robert Peterpaul: I love it. Just like an area.

[8:47] Kerry Butler: Oh, you look so nice.

[8:49] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you. I'm Robert. I think we might have met a couple times, but I feel like I've seen you at BPN.

[8:56] Kerry Butler: I do, yeah.

[8:57] Robert Peterpaul: Okay. Yeah. I remember. Oh, I love your podcast too.

[9:00] Kerry Butler: Well, since we're a podcast network, you know the deal. We're just gonna have you start by introducing yourself and saying why you're excited for opening night.

[9:06] Kerry Butler: Okay. Hey, I'm Kerry Butler. I'm so excited to do the show tonight because it is just a show that I put together with my friends, so it reminds me of being a kid and performing in my backyard.

[9:17] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, talk to me about finding that childlike feeling. I heard the three of you got on Zoom and then the show was just kind of done and the magic happened.

[9:24] Kerry Butler: Yeah, we well, that was our first one, but it wasn't done, I would say, but we we got together, we had a you know the bones of it, and then we would get together and work on it, and we've done it a few places, and every time we do it, we change it, we make fixes. So it's been super fun.

[9:43] Robert Peterpaul: What if we do this, you know, and just throwing things in. And now it's we're now I feel like even st even now we were like, what are we gonna start with tonight? What line do we gonna start? So it it still does have that. Yeah. I like that ever evolving fun. You know, speaking of looking back at at being a child, your childhood and the sort of reflective nature of the show, we pulled a little surprise for you and we found a little a little Kerry. We were wondering if you could give her a little sign and then maybe a a a message as you do on your podcast, a piece of advice for young Kerry.

[10:14] Kerry Butler: That's a silly trend I've been seeing.

[10:15] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Oh, yeah, I have seen this too.

[10:17] Kerry Butler: Okay, um, she's writing embrace your inner nerd.

[10:22] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I love that as a fellow nerd. And if I gotta do that right now, I'm already am if you can't tell. Before I let you go inside and enjoy yourself, you've been so generous with your time. It is World Kindness Day, and since we are the Art of Kindness podcast, I would love to know, Carrie. Do you have a tangible kindness tip? Something you that you would like for people out there listening to do on their own corner of the world to make the world a little bit brighter in these times.

[10:47] Kerry Butler: Sure. Um I I I'll give you two. So one, I think a smile actually goes a long way. Um sometimes I'll just try and smile at people if I see think that they look sad or something. I'll just, you know, try and give them a smile. Um we don't have masks anymore, so it's nice. It's hard. And then um there are some great organizations to volunteer with, and I I've always loved volunteering. I don't do it as much now because I have kids, but I always did before, and it's like, especially as an actor, you get so caught up in like my identity is this role, you know, or things like that. And I love New York cares. You could just like decide to volunteer the last minute, and then you could there's so many different things. You could read, um, you could read books to kids in a shelter. You could, you know, there's just a lot of fun things that you could do that you wouldn't know about. So I would say find a place you could volunteer.

[11:35] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I love that, that's so beautiful. And the last thing, just because I'm a nerd and I'm gonna nerd out, and you've given me permission to do that. I've loved you in so many things, including Beetlejuice. Did you see Beetlejuice too? And what did you think?

[11:45] Kerry Butler: I didn't see my husband saw it without me, and he loved it. And so I've been so busy with all of these shows that I'm doing that I haven't been able to go, but I really really want to go because he was and he said it he's like you can tell that they saw the Broadway show because they took stuff from it. So I I'm dying to see it.

[12:01] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, well, I'm dying to see your show. Have the most fun tonight. Thank you for stopping.

[12:04] Kerry Butler: Thank you. Happy World Kindness Day.

[12:06] Megan Chocolate: Hi, I'm Megan Chocolate. I'm an actor and producer at Art Lab Productions, and I'm excited to be here because Mama, I'm a big girl now, starting right now.

[12:16] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, okay. I love that.

[12:17] Megan Chocolate: Me too, then. Megan is a friend. She's such a lovely human being. She's so kind. Can you talk to me a little bit about your mission as a producer and the kinds of projects and stories that you're trying to tell?

[12:28] Megan Chocolate: Yeah, um, we like to work on like women led projects and try to emphasize the voices that usually aren't uplifted, and as we all know, we don't have to talk about our current situation. Um, but we really like to be a platform to give uh the opportunity to those who normally don't get one.

[12:47] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[12:47] Megan Chocolate: So yeah, we like to work with nice people too.

[12:49] Robert Peterpaul: So kindness. I love that. That leads perfectly into my my next question. It is World Kindness Day. Happy birthday. I'm totally blacked out. I'm wearing a pin about kindness. I would love to know, Megan. Do you have a tangible kindness tip for listeners? Something you would like people on their own corner of the world to do to try and make the world a brighter place in these maybe not so bright times.

[13:10] Megan Chocolate: One of my favorite things to do is I love to compliment strangers on the street.

[13:15] Robert Peterpaul: Oh.

[13:16] Megan Chocolate: Uh I do it all the time. My boyfriend Jake who's here knows I any time, I'm never shy about it. I'll be like, oh my god, that color suits you. I love your nails, I love your shoes. Because you don't know if they're having a really bad day, and then when I get compliments randomly, it just like turns it around.

[13:31] Robert Peterpaul: I love that.

[13:31] Megan Chocolate: Yeah. I love this whole look. I love your vibe, I love your energy. Can you give the camera a compliment right now? Like, let's say someone at home is watching and having a hard day. What would you say?

[13:40] Megan Chocolate: Wow, you look really put together. That's really your color.

[13:44] Robert Peterpaul: I'm gonna listen to that every day on repeat. Thank you so much, Megan. It's so good to see you.

[13:47] Andrew Rannells: Start spreading the news.

[13:51] Robert Peterpaul: What time is it?

[13:52] Andrew Rannells: It's Broadway time. My name is Andrew Rannells. I was the third Link Larkin on Broadway in Hairspray with Marissa, but not with Laura Bell or Carrie. They had already left. So I'm very excited to see them because I've known them for a very long time. And I think this will be this will be a lot of fun. I'm so excited. This show is all about sort of reflecting and friendships. I wonder for you when you look back on little Andrew, you know, what's some advice that you would give him today?

[14:20] Andrew Rannells: Not to get too introspective on the carpet here, but yeah, Jesus, you just really went straight for the um straight for the Barbara Walters question. I'm crossing my legs, yeah. Yeah, really trying to make me cry. Um, what advice would I give? Okay, I would say I I spent a lot of my early career being jealous of other people and envying other people and really like beating myself up for things that I didn't have or things that I you know, and uh it's just time wasted. It doesn't really serve anyone to do that.

[14:53] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[14:53] Andrew Rannells: So I was a useless emotion. My grandma says nanny's correct. So I would say, um, yeah, keep your eyes on your own paper.

[15:02] Robert Peterpaul: Ooh, I like that.

[15:03] Andrew Rannells: That's hard when you're young and in school and trying to cheat, you're not good at math. But and then before I let you go on your merry way, today is World Kindness Day. Oh my god, my podcast is the art of kindness, so I would love to know, Andrew, if you have a kindness tip, something tangible that people can do out there on their own corner to try and make the world a little brighter, especially since hairspray is all about bringing people together.

[15:22] Andrew Rannells: Um, this is something that I uh I uh had a friend who was uh uh much older than I was, and um he told me at one point that sometimes walking through the streets of New York, he feels a little invisible because people don't really acknowledge elderly people, especially in New York. Um so he said you I should smile at at the at elderly people as I walk by. Now, sometimes this goes well, and sometimes it does not go well, but um I thought the sentiment was very true that that that often they're you know, sort of go, people go unacknowledged on the streets of New York, and that's not um, yeah. So that would that's a kind thing you can do.

[16:07] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, we all just want to be seen, and you're never fully dressed without a smile.

[16:10] Andrew Rannells: So that's right, you got them all.

[16:11] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah. Thank you. It's so nice to meet you. Have fun tonight.

[16:14] Scott Wittman: Thanks very much. I I'm Scott Wittman, and I'm the president of the Marissa Carey and Laura Bell Bundy fan club.

[16:21] Marc Shaiman: Oh, I love that.

[16:22] Scott Wittman: And I'm Marc Shaiman, and I feel like the father of the brides.

[16:26] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, you know, where's Steve Martin? Come on. You know, and looking back at the past, as this show does so wonderfully, it's very reflective. I wonder for each of you, is there advice that you would give your younger selves looking back now? I know it's a bigger question to ponder.

[16:38] Marc Shaiman: He he was asked that question recently and he had a great answer, which is he would rather his younger self gave him the older one.

[16:50] Scott Wittman: I think Marissa said the same thing, actually.

[16:53] Marc Shaiman: She did, but she's ageless.

[16:55] Scott Wittman: No, everybody looks the same. I was looking at their old headshots, I'm like, are these really old? I don't know. Everybody looks amazing.

[17:01] Robert Peterpaul: Well, it is World Kindness Day, and my podcast is The Art of Kindness.

[17:05] Marc Shaiman: It is!

[17:05] Robert Peterpaul: And so I'd love to know if either of you have a tangible kindness tip, something you would like people out there in the world to do just to try and make the world a little bit brighter.

[17:13] Scott Wittman: Oh, I always say uh give good backstage.

[17:16] Marc Shaiman: Oh, I love that.

[17:17] Scott Wittman: Or just give out candy backstage. The golden rule, I don't know, the golden rule, treat others like you would have them treat you. That pretty much covers it.

[17:26] Robert Peterpaul: Now, while I have both of you, recently, all over my TikTok going viral was this incredible party that we saw with Bet Midler. Marissa, your birthday. Can you just tell us a little bit about this party? Because everyone was freaking out.

[17:42] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Well, we've had parties like that our whole lives. I mean, it's we we can barely talk about our own lives without just seeming like name dropping assholes.

[17:50] Scott Wittman: But you have a microphone now, so it's the time.

[17:53] Marissa Jaret Winokur: So, I mean, we always have parties like that, but now in the modern age, just people brought out their phones and were videotaping. Uh you know, but imagine all the people who couldn't come that night. Uh you know, but we did have a great time. That was a great, great night. And everyone was in a great mood and happy to see each other.

[18:14] Scott Wittman: And uh, did you notice in the TikTok all the it was all the old timers were up there singing?

[18:21] Marissa Jaret Winokur: It was magical, and hocus pocus is one of my favorite movies of all time. So seeing Bet Midler, I was blacking out this time of year, you know.

[18:26] Robert Peterpaul: I'm just such a fan of both of you. You've brought so much joy to the world, so I really appreciate you. I could go on and on about all your projects that I love, but I just want to thank you for your time and I hope you have a fun night.

[18:31] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Thank you.

[18:37] Scott Wittman: Thank you all for tuning in to another live episode of the Art of Kindness Podcast from the Mama I'm a big girl now, red carpet at New World Stages.

[18:45] Robert Peterpaul: I want to give a shout out to Sarah of the Good Show Podcast. Go listen to that show, as well as Alan Seals of the Theater Podcast, the one and only theater podcast, who both put on a great show on this carpet with me.

[19:00] Andrew Rannells: I'll say that.

[19:01] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you all for listening, and until next time, remember, everything's gonna be AOK, and the