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[0:19] Amber Brzezinski: Well, hello there. Happy Monday. Oh my god. Michael Drolet in the house. Um, and I'm in Amber's house, but she's not here. So we'll get the show started. It's fine. Anyways, hi everybody. Happy Monday. Welcome to the Broadway Fan Club Podcast. Um, I am so beyond excited to welcome my friend Michael Drolet. This lovely girl over here with the incredible hair. Last week I was like, oh my god, best hair ever. Um wait, I'm getting upstaged by a dog spot. Look at that. Are you I love the French so much? It's so iconic. Uh but you know what? Thank you for the compliment. I just got it cut today, so thank you. I love it. It's like so cool. Oh, Amber's here now. Oh my god. Um, this is actually our very first show um together in one room.

And we've been doing the show. This is episode 37. So we've been doing it almost a year. Um, and oh, and Rachel's here. Um Glambert, Glambert and Mermaid is uh the wonderful Rachel Margaret. Remember, we were telling you about the ultimate Glambert? That would be Rachel. And Rachel's gonna lose her mind when she hears all the dirty details about Adam later. Yeah, it's oh my god, I cannot wait. Oh but yes. So we're here. Um we have so much Broadway news, and you're gonna sit in and join us for Broadway news, yeah. Oh my god, I'm here. Let's go. Let's go. Oh, and Rachel, it is not bad things, it's just amazing. Like it, I have cool friends, so it's fine. Uh but yes, and Michael, I'm so glad because you said you've been wanting to do a podcast, and thank you for like letting us pop your cherry.

It's great. Oh my gosh, let's go. I will always you always remember your first time. And I always forget to tell people like we can show like how many viewers are on top, but that number doesn't accurately portray it. So be great. I have a dog in my ass. This is gonna be great. All right. Um we're already off to a wild start. Let's go. We were off to hence we started like 27 minutes late because Amber's internet was saying it was connecting and it wasn't, and then your camera just didn't like streamer, and like our streamer didn't like anything, and then I got headbutt by a Frenchie. So that's been it's fun. But we're gonna have a great time. Yeah, the show goes on. Life goes on, oh blah dee, oh blah da.

Um, and we're gonna have a great time. So we're gonna get right into some Broadway news. I will let you start reading the Broadway news while I oh groups. This is news. This is smooth. Okay. Um, I guess I'm gonna do the news now. Uh okay, so this is fun. You having fun? Yeah. Amber's having fun. Are you having fun? Oh, yeah. Okay, here we go. Um, okay, so lots of interesting Broadway news has come up. And I know we talked about this yesterday, Michael, but um Broadway's Louie Armstrong biomusical on Wonderful World has announced it will play its final performance February 23rd. Um, at the time of closing the production, we'll have played 151 performances, including 31 previews. And it's disappointing.

And I mean, I know you said you have a couple of friends in that show, and we also run the fan group for that show, but I just don't feel like they got like the right boost. Um, I wanted to see it. They have some really incredible talent in it. And just I don't know, we were talking about this yesterday, too. So talking about shows that are closing, you know, being well, and also like you know, again, and we we kind of talked about this yesterday, but again, yeah, it's like the whole idea of the musical theater is um it's literally like an American art form, right? Broadway's an American art form, right? So there are these pieces that are super important to us, and they need to be stories that need to be told.

Louis Armstrong, right? Do you know what I mean? Like jazz, like do you know what I mean? All of these things that are so American. Like, think about the people that are not that people that are tourists, like, wouldn't we want them to see this story? Right, wouldn't the kids that are on the buses coming in? And you have geniuses in the show, like you know what I mean. That they've got the top talent in it, so again, it it just doesn't seem like it's gotten the proper funding, it doesn't seem like it's gotten a proper um advertising, right? You like clearly. Well, that was happening with maybe happy ending, maybe happy ending. People were all over the Reddit going, their social media sucks. I know nothing about the show, and from our inside sources, that social media marketing team was removed and a new one was brought in.

Um now they're soaring sky high, yep. Um, swept away another beautiful show. Um what's happening is yeah, I keep uh what what we when you bring these things up, it I can't help but to realize it's like we're learning these things, but it's always just too late. Like it's like, and I don't want to say this and compare, but like after someone passes, everyone's like, Oh, we really wish we would have. It's like we're letting these little art things that people have worked almost a decade on for each piece, you know what I mean? And so to see it literally gets swept away. I hate to use that term, but you know what I mean? No, no, no, of course, it really I mean, I think the cast was working on that show five or six years, and the story is so unique.

The music is there. There's no reason why not. You know, it's just we're not getting exposure to it, you know. And well, and the fan base is there because they came in knowing the show or they know the A-Bit Brothers, like, and they're there and they're diehards. Like the group keeps growing. Everything that we're doing, like everyone's losing their minds the minute another single guest release on Spotify, like they want the show back. They need it. But I will say this. Um, and this is just me being on the other side of things, of course. I love theater. It's just become so inaccessible sometimes. Now that I'm in a different sort of part of my career, you know, I you know, it's it it's it that's part of my life.

Do you know what I mean? And the idea is like I do want to support theater, but what do you do for us theater heads, the people that like literally need it to live by? But when I was in New York, I had more options on people saying, Hey Mike, look you want to come to a preview, and I get to see a friend in a preview, and here I'm kind of, you know, it's a very different thing. It feels and I I agree. So for those who don't know, Michael also lives in Orlando. Um it's fun because I would have done the show in person with you, but I'm in Connecticut now favorite. Right. Um, but Orlando has our theater world, but the minute you step outside of it, you realize how minor and like mini it is. You've got the theme park entertainment, which doesn't barely touches the the spectrum of what a Broadway show is.

I think the show that comes closest to that is like finding Nemo the musical. Yeah. And it's like it's very touching, yeah. And you do feel emotions and they're not afraid to go close to the edge, you know. Right. But exactly, you know, yeah, I agree. But it's it's not to the level of Broadway. But then when you break down Broadway, it's local theater, but it's also at a much higher scale with a higher budget. Just happens to be in New York. Yep. But it's still the same human beings behind the rules. Um, I'm I know Amber and I were gonna talk about it later about like some stage shore experiences that have been going on recently. Um, and it's crazy. And I see Jackie posted um the new social media team for maybe happy ending is the same one as Gatsby, so that means it's Catherine Quinn.

Um, so that makes all the sense. Um love it. Gatsby's really killing it with the city. Gatsby is killing it with the socials, killing it. Um, so it's interesting, but yeah, it's it's interesting to like be on both sides of it. Us from like a marketing and production side, you from like every aspect of it. I I'm I'm excited to get into your bio later in the show because you really have just done so many incredible things. And you thank you. Well, but you're welcome. I mean, you're not just Bob, like there's so much more behind you. I'm more than I'm more than Bob. Thank you. You are more. Thank you. Thank you. Oh Rachel starting on don't get me started on stage door shenanigans. Something happened Saturday night.

Oh, I'm aware. Um, let's go back to Broadway news though. I just want to let you know, I'm now commenting. Sorry, I just finally mean it looked like I was glazed over for a second. I was trying to make sure I got onto the comments. I had to get signed in. So let's go. You can literally interrupt me and talk to anybody right in the comment section too. It's fine. Yep. And again, um, later I'll open up comments. I love questions later, so think of those stuff too. Love you guys. I love theater news. All right. Uh next. So on January 25th, the outsiders actually canceled their matinee performance due to a power outage, which is insanity. Um, which means everything had to have gone through. It's just complete.

Aww, Stephanie said, I love it. You were way more than Bob. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Oh, I love you, Stephanie. Stephanie's one of my besties. I love you, Stephanie. Yeah, it wasn't ramble. And she's my Glinda at heart. Oh, I love her so much. So great. It's like it's such a fun show, and like I see the family behind it, and it's just incredible. Cause like you can never truly leave like Wicked at all. Like you're always there. Plus, I love all the alumni at backstage, but we'll talk about that later. Uh and Joshua Boone actually played his final show. Um, how are you doing over there? Almost done. She's almost done. She is sharing, and we're sharing to all 73 of our fan groups. It's great.

She has us every challenge. Um, I'm gonna butcher this name. Um, will make history when she takes over the role of Alpha Ba. Oh, I knew this. Sorry. It was like I didn't I didn't want to jump out, but yes, I did know that. Yes, don't come out. It's so exciting. This is a show to jump out at. This is a it's incredible. She's gonna be the first black actor to play the role, which is incredible, full time, full time playable. Um beginning on March 4th. Yeah, take my money. Like, how are we gonna get tickets? Like, everyone's gonna want tickets. Like I mean, I'm gonna say, like, I've been hearing like so many sold-out houses every night for Wicked, every matinee. Like the lottery, I'm gonna be able to do something.

Yeah, I mean, I love Mary Kate Marcy. Mary Kate and I did the show. I mean, I my favorite story about Mary Kate was back in Denver, Colorado. She joined as the standby. And Mary Kate is, you know, um, she's bisexual, you know, she's happily with a man. She's a lovely, just one of the salt of the earth, just realest people ever. Right. And I remember we we made her sanctifying gravity because we were all like partying like out, and sometimes we're like, okay, who's gonna do it? Like, let's ask the new girl to do it. She's like, yeah. Yeah. We were living our dreams. Oh my god, hearing her to do it and just her doing it. I will say this, I love her. But hearing her do it her authentic way, like how she approached it from the very beginning.

I was just like, holy duty. Like she just has such a cool, she has such a cool, unique um approach to the way she sings. Like it's so exciting. Like you're worried with her, but in the best way possible. Like I don't love my alphabets to be too easy, right? I want it to be, I want us to worry. Like, I want us to feel a little scared. Do you know what I mean? I want us to clench a little. Like, I love that feeling. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. I think it's always important to clench. Um absolutely we love a little clench clench. Right. What were you saying, Amber? Um, we just saw her at the Broadway Care's um Red Bucket Folly. Red Bucket Follies. She was one of the judges. Yeah. And Wicked swept the competition.

Oh, it was incredible. Absolutely. Um, I will say I do have pictures of me with Red Bucket. I think I sent you one. Yeah. Oh, we have a little slideshow. Yeah. Yeah, it's gonna be like Michael Drolet, this is your life. But you also know that because you've sent it to us. Yeah, but let's go. Wait, but where I want to go on what Cheyenne was just saying, I can't believe there hasn't been a full-time black alphabet until now. So what I'm saying is this. Once the movie came out, we knew where we're going. And so what I think is this is gonna be slay the house down boots. Like, let we can't turn back now. Like, and I will say this is just my personal opinion. It has always been the black experience.

I'm sorry, when you the way it's written, everything about it, even when I rehearsed it, it just still felt like that. So I'm not denying what you're saying, Cheyenne. Like you are on board. And there have been there have, you know, right when I when I did Broadway, it was right after, you know what I mean? There was an understudy. Do you know what I mean? But again, it's like it was there. I don't know what, but I will say this. Lily Cooper um is is mixed, so that's the other thing. Right. Uh and she's been a standby, but she's never do what I mean. And and and Lily is a little bit more than a little bit. It's a show that's not whitewashing or blackwashing anything, it's just a show that's authentic.

Right. But I'm glad that we're going in this direction, and it's it's kind of just feels like oh yeah. It it made so much sense seeing it. Like the shoe finally. Yeah, well, because unfortunately, because we're in such a dark time, we needed art to help us make sense of this. And if that isn't the idea of a queer woman's experience who happens to be black right now, I don't know what is. Like, because they're literally fighting for their existence. So it is Cynthia Erivo. I wanted it to be Cynthia Erivo 10 years ago. Like when she sang, I'm still here, I was like, Oh, I'm like, I was like, oh no, like that's that's it.

[13:43] Michael Drolet: Like, I I I was like, that's alphabet. She because she sang from like where you're worried, where you're just like where you're clenching and you're just like this, and you keep going like this. That's and that's what she gave to us. And she did it on a freaking thick, you know, flying around doing all the crazy shit in a harness. What the fuck? I mean, I love her. Oh my god, she's a goddess. Anyway, I love the rumor that no, no, no. I love the rumor that's people already. I love this little chat already. Oh, it's great, yes. You've got all of our regulars have tuned in, and then your friends are coming in. It's great. Um, there was a rumor that Cynthia and Ariana were gonna be cast in Wicked, and we were both like no. Because I I as much as I love them, I don't know if they would be able to do the stage version compared to what they're already doing in the movie version. I think there's a difference. What do you think?

[14:28] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, like like as if they could do it in the show.

[14:31] Michael Drolet: Like that Ariana and Cynthia would be cast in the stage show. Let them go, do it. Let's go. Let's with let's bring money back to stage. Like whatever we gotta do to bring money back. We've got to be. No, but we need more people, right? Because why aren't people because when people can't get tickets for Wicked, they'll go to Swept Away. They'll go to the other ones that are. Well, Swept Away from December, but yeah. Well, yeah, but you know what I'm saying? Those shows that are maybe closed, but maybe they couldn't get Wicked, so they're gonna go to TKTS. And that's the thing. That was kind of the magic about TKTS. Is you've got like I was a kid that grew up going, like not but you know what I mean?

Like not grew up, but like once I got into high school, saw my first Broadway show, it was over, you know. And then when I was in school, which I would take. It's the most expensive hobby there is. But when you get your cheap tickets, TKTS, show up with your student discount, show up on the city. We love our TV stuff. Yeah, so you kind of need those shows. So again, but again, if it gets people in this in seats, I say do it. Let's let's destroy the industry. Like let's make all this money. And if Cynthia and um Ariana just wanna do that, which I don't think they're going to, but I mean if they do, even for a little bit, like yeah, like let's like that's what needs to happen. Because again, we need to make theater another Hamilton. We need to make that crazy like we gotta get peop we gotta get buttons. Well, that's what's the pandemic supposed to be was another Hamilton and then gone. I don't know what happened.

[15:52] Michael Drolet: Yeah. I I don't know. And Shane is incredible. And I mean But I will say this. I think that again, I will say this. I I'm a hundred percent behind recording, you know, pieces of history. Why can't we record these pieces of history? Right. Why isn't there again? But that's where I think this is an American art form. Why are we not throwing money at it? Like when you um divorce someone who loves the sport so much, but during the pandemic, you're seeing them throw nothing but money at it, and then you're watching everything die, and then you move to New York during the pandemic, you know, and you're seeing Broadway, it was so frightened. It was like post-apocalyptic. Like, I'll never yeah. The last show that I saw before COVID was Little Shop Broadway.

When I tell you it it was it was the craziest thing because I was there that week when COVID happened. Had no idea because I came there on spring break because I was uh going to school for interior design, which that was a whole freaking shit. I I was getting confused to go down, but yeah, anyway. Somebody like pre-COVID, I was probably in New York, New York. I can't talk. I was in unique New York. Um, I was in New York about four to six times a year, and then COVID, I it was like two and a half years I wasn't there, and a friend of mine when I got finally got back to New York and got back into the theater, she's like, Wow, it's like a PSV was like finally put back in. Like it was missing a complete part of heart of me.

It was awful. Um, and it was just frustrating. But now I'm here once a month. I literally will post somebody's friend, like somebody will say, Oh, I'm in the city. I'm like, oh great, let me know if you're on, I'll be up there that week, and they're like, Don't you live in New York? Now I'm like, No, I'm still in Orlando. I I like the heat. But I'll come harass Amber every month. It's great.

[17:34] Amber Brzezinski: Sure. It's great. All right, let's let's yeah, go ahead. Let's do. This is so much fun. Yay. Next up on the list, we actually have some news from The Great Gatsby.

[17:47] Michael Drolet: Oh. They'll be launching a North American tour in 2026, which will be starting at the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore, Maryland. The production will play more than 50 students, 50 cities, including uh Dallas and Cleveland, and additional dates and casting will be announced. Who do we think is gonna be the tour and Gatsby?

[18:08] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know. I still want to see Derek Klena in that role.

[18:12] Michael Drolet: I could see, I could see like Austin Colby doing it, like the standby currently. I could see because he toured with um Frozen. So I could see him doing like the tour full-time as Gatsby. What do you think, Michael?

[18:26] Michael Drolet: I'm gonna go with it. I'm gonna go with what you guys think. You're a little more a little more first on this.

[18:31] Amber Brzezinski: No, we want your opinion.

[18:34] Michael Drolet: Don't just Oh, because I don't really have too much of my thoughts on that, if that makes sense. Like I just really haven't thought last year. I mean, now that's dog's really excited. I mean, you were also like dreamcast when somebody put out like who's the dreamcast of Wicked. I will take that. Listen, we will take that moment and you were like the the dreamcasting uh for Bach, which is incredible. But like, we will take that. We will take it. Is there somebody amongst your travels, amongst your shows, or like in the theater world that you would like to see perform as Jay Gatsby or as another male lead?

[19:09] Michael Drolet: Oh, interesting. Because now I'm like thinking about like God, there was so many fear. I know we're gonna make it thank you. Yeah. Oh my god. I mean, I love, oh my god, there's like I can go down a list of them. I mean, do you know what I mean? I love like a Billy Tie. He's fantastic. Do you know what I mean? I would love to see let me think who else like who can kind of just pull off anything at this point. You know what I mean? Like I just think he would be. And you need someone with that range for Gatsby. There are so many highs and so many lows. I mean, I just got to see Ryan McCartan in it this past Friday.

[19:46] Amber Brzezinski: And it was Okay, then let's just go there.

[19:47] Michael Drolet: Let's just go there because that's where my heart beats for forever. I mean love him. Love him. And you know, I saw Gatsby when it opened with Jeremy and JJ was great with Eva. And now they're working in Ryan, and then they're eventually gonna work in Sarah. Thank you. Sarah Highland. I was like, my with the concussion, my brain doesn't work all the way. It's great. Um, I can see your face. But Ryan McCartan, holy moly. The range was spectacular. The acting was believable. And this is kind of literally.

[20:21] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[20:22] Michael Drolet: Well, he helped me a lot. Like the reason why I'm back into theater now is because of him. Like he helped me play anxiety under control. I've I've been I was following him. Yeah, he's unreal and open about all of his struggles, and it made me realize if that person in the middle of something that huge can still have anxiety. Yeah, why am I letting this you know take over my life? Do you know what I mean? There's no point. It's a way to do it.

[20:48] Amber Brzezinski: Oh yeah, and like it that's something I preach too, is like you're the only person that's responsible for your feelings and how you feel, right? And you have to take ownership of that, and once you can kind of own like your existence, then you're much better off and you've set off on a better path.

[21:05] Michael Drolet: Yeah, yeah. And Trinity says, Woo, Michael, the best box. Yes, yes, love. I wrote love you. Oh, I love you, Trinity so much. Oh my God. So the best friends. They're on the thing. Supporting me.

[21:18] Amber Brzezinski: But all right. Moving on.

[21:20] Michael Drolet: So yes, Ryan McCartan, amazing. Um such a believable, beautiful performance. Um and I don't want to hurt the Jeremy Jordan fans, but I liked Ryan in this role better. Um I really did. I'm excited for Jeremy to go over to Floyd Collins. That's gonna be really incredible. But I'm wondering um yeah oh sorry I'm so excited because I'm don't don't you dare apologize.

[21:43] Amber Brzezinski: I do it to Amber all the time.

[21:45] Michael Drolet: Well I will say Floyd Collins uh not to age myself but um Floyd Collins like originated like in Philadelphia yeah and I saw the actual first performance of it while I was in college and I remember just thinking this is an insane uh score that you want these guys to sing. It was un it was unreal to watch I'm curious to see visually because it did suspend a lot of disbelief right you really had to imagine a lot.

[22:12] Amber Brzezinski: Well I'm really hoping they're gonna do something how they're gonna do something visual like I'm curious to see what they're gonna do this time to see if that will be the same route.

[22:20] Michael Drolet: I want them to do it so Redwood just came out and they're doing like the digital screen with like the mass tree in the center and I'm wondering if you're that she literally has to climb shit like at the end of her to find shit. Yes it's incredible like take my money like I say take my money take my money like I want I have to see this.

[22:38] Amber Brzezinski: Like I saw my money is yours.

[22:41] Michael Drolet: Yeah like yeah I saw her in If/Then loved Idina Menzel in If/Then you know, I'm gonna be a scan of hers. I got to I was lucky enough to meet her with Eden back in LA.

[22:50] Amber Brzezinski: So listen, I I yeah, listen. I was lucky to to see a lot of people. But the one I was gonna say, and the best part is you were so damn humble, and like I love it.

[23:01] Michael Drolet: Well, it's there's so much more more to you than like the roles that you've done, and I think that you've chosen your career roles wisely, but meeting and this is gonna like this is gonna sound crazy to everybody else. Um I when I first met you, it was in Orlando, very close to home, had nothing to do with Broadway or theater, and uh immediately we're like, Oh, we're gonna be Facebook friends. And then when you started posting stuff, I was like, What? I had not a clue.

[23:30] Michael Drolet: I had not a clue your your career. And so I've had the lovely opportunity of like seeing you as a person first, like most people should. Um, and then seeing the roles that you've done, and then now I know both. There's like a happy marriage between the two of them because it makes so much sense on both sides.

[23:48] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, well, I think that that also is.

[23:50] Michael Drolet: Stephanie is saying your praises. I I love us.

[23:51] Amber Brzezinski: I love it.

[23:53] Michael Drolet: Oh, I love her.

[23:53] Amber Brzezinski: So she's my own.

[23:57] Michael Drolet: I'm trying.

[23:58] Amber Brzezinski: I am trying.

[24:01] Michael Drolet: Um, and then Jackie's talking.

[24:03] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, I love reading everyone's comments. It's like a bunch of amazing this is like a love.

[24:08] Michael Drolet: We're gonna this is a love fest.

[24:10] Amber Brzezinski: This is a good thing.

[24:10] Michael Drolet: I love it.

[24:11] Amber Brzezinski: I love it.

[24:11] Michael Drolet: And Jackie's saying that she is a JJ fan, but I do agree Ryan is a good pick to take over. It took me some time to warm up to him, but he totally impressed me in the past, catching up to me as he really made it his own.

[24:22] Michael Drolet: Yes, absolutely.

[24:24] Amber Brzezinski: And I'm gonna tell you, Jackie.

[24:26] Michael Drolet: Every single person that works in that house, when I was talking to like house management and merch management, because we know everybody in that gorgeous theater, during intermission, I came out, I was talking to them, and I was like, Oh my god, da-da-da, he's amazing, he's this, da da da. And every single person's like, just wait till you're past, just wait to hear past. It's like good or bad, they're like, you're gonna lose your mind. And of course, it happened. I'm like, jaw on floor, sitting with like just chills and like I gotta go by motion.

[24:55] Michael Drolet: I gotta go back.

[24:56] Amber Brzezinski: Oh yeah, you gotta go back.

[24:57] Michael Drolet: Back to the past.

[24:58] Amber Brzezinski: Back to West.

[24:59] Michael Drolet: Back to West Tick.

[25:00] Amber Brzezinski: All right. Enough of the gushing over Ryan McCartan.

[25:02] Michael Drolet: I'll do it all day long.

[25:03] Amber Brzezinski: Well, oh, but I have to talk about the stage experience there.

[25:07] Michael Drolet: Stage door experience.

[25:08] Amber Brzezinski: I'm sorry to cut you.

[25:09] Michael Drolet: No, you're good. We were talking, and I I vented a little bit about it. Stage chores get crazy, Michael Drolet.

[25:16] Michael Drolet: You know this very much.

[25:17] Amber Brzezinski: We do know this.

[25:18] Michael Drolet: Yes.

[25:19] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[25:20] Michael Drolet: Um, but then they're getting even crazier. And I'll talk as we come up to the shows that Amber and I both attended this weekend. Um, and what's coming up. Um, so at Gatsby, um, the first time that I stayed short, and it's just to kind of catch up with people that I'm friends with in the show, and I'm talking to Eva, she had just missed the Broadway cruise because uh last year because she was casting Gatsby, and she was gonna do the Broadway cruise three this year, but she happens to be going over to Cabaret, and also to the No Big Deal.

[25:56] Michael Drolet: I mean, no biggie, and also to the now already sold out Hadestown UK. Because they're gonna record it, right? Aren't they gonna record it?

[26:02] Amber Brzezinski: They have to, they don't have to be able to do that.

[26:05] Michael Drolet: So that's it. No, that's what they're doing, right? Do you know what I'm trying to get at? Is this smells like they're gonna record it?

[26:10] Amber Brzezinski: 100%.

[26:11] Michael Drolet: That's a funny.

[26:13] Amber Brzezinski: I I totally I smell it, it's in the air, it's a pro shoot.

[26:15] Michael Drolet: Yes, yeah, so I like that for us.

[26:18] Amber Brzezinski: That's good for us, right?

[26:19] Michael Drolet: It was the win for us. We love that.

[26:21] Amber Brzezinski: Because I love that.

[26:22] Michael Drolet: Oh my god, that's joke.

[26:24] Amber Brzezinski: That's amazing.

[26:24] Michael Drolet: Yep, that was on my panel for Monty and Clyde last year, which accessibility. So Eva, the first time we were talking, there was like one of those like autograph hounds who was like up in her face with a camera, and she bitched him out so fast. And like, you know, Eva is so tiny. But the minute you piss her off, she's gonna put you in a place. And this guy like walked away with his tail between his legs. So I was talking to her about like, oh my god, these people that are not wanting to attend the Broadway Cruise 3, um, which I'll be on in like a month and a half. Oh my god, it's so exciting. Um, but I was like, Yeah, they're just they're all bitching that you're not there, and she's like, I don't, and she went off, not on me, but the people that were standing at the stage are we're like, even Oblazada just cursed someone out. And I'm like, no, it's not cursing anyone out, she's just upset, and that's just her. And it's that's the human first, and I love that human first.

[27:30] Michael Drolet: It's like you think your life is over, you think we don't know that like we want to be there, but we are human beings, and we have this is a muscle, um, and we have to be careful with it, and things happen. Athletes get injuries, we're human beings, like a cough and a whatever is fine to some people, but it's devastating when you're belting your tits off, you know. So ultimately, sometimes I think when people say, "Why aren't you gonna be there?" It's like, you know what? For us to make a decision to miss out on something, you're not paying, it's not a reasonable money. We're not getting paid to not be there. Do you know what I mean? So we know what we're missing, yeah. So at the end of the day, so when pe yeah, go ahead.

It's it's no no no, it's ridiculous. Um, but there's also been a guy who like was harassing like Sam Paulie last week, and the guy came back again, and I happen to be there, and it's the same guy that was harassing people at Little Shop, and but the security is like barking them down, and that was appreciated. But yeah, we always preach like stage doors never a guarantee, behave yourselves. Um, if somebody doesn't come out, like it's okay. Um, I was shocked that Ryan and Ava both came out, like it was freezing freaking cold. Um, but you also have people like I was telling my Hades Town story from last year that I was with friends and they were dressed in cosplay because we were talking to Philip, and we came outside, and there was a lady that like pushed on my friend shoulder, like tapped hard on her and was like, "I'm gonna write a bad review because Jordan Fisher didn't come out."

And we're like, "Did you not enjoy the show?" She's like, "I just think it's rude that he didn't come out." And people fit, right? Yeah, there's nothing included on your ticket. There is a Reddit thread about it. Um, not about that one particularly, but stage drawing, and some guy said he paid for this, he wants everyone at the stage door. You know what I mean? You didn't pay for it. Yeah, I will say this at the end of the day, those are not the audience members we want anyway. So, like keep it moving, get out of here. Like, you clearly don't understand the art. If your art is getting to be near a uh famous person, so you can get a signature, so you can try to sell it on eBay later, just keep it moving, get out of here.

We don't have time for you. And it's just it's so silly. Um, because people act so entitled, like the Reddit thread somebody was like, "I can't believe it they didn't come out, and like how rude," and everyone's like, and I will be the first one to stand on my soapbox to be like, "Do you perform 10 push shows a week?" Yeah, this is what you said. This is your work right here. Yeah, like Darren Chris will come out way after maybe happy ending. If he feels like it, he's masked up, he's using a speaker box so that he's not and he'll he's like, "No offense, like I'm not gonna take selfies with anybody, so have your camera ready." And like people respect that, right? Yeah, but other people just don't. I know that now you're just like one sick drop from somebody, that's it.

Like you're done. Like one spit drop on your face, and that's it. And then yeah, you're missing all that money. And what are you gonna do? You know, what did you say? And then everyone's gonna complain, you know, they complain about shows. They complain if you don't do that. Do you know what I mean? Like, what are they gonna be happy in again? Those are not the audience members, right? Do you know what I mean? So those are not the performer's responsibility to please every single person, and you have to be very selfish in that matter of protecting yourself from everything else.

[30:46] Michael Drolet: Um, I know that there was an experience. Um, I know Rachel was at the show, and I and Rachel correct me if this is not the experience you were talking about. There was actually somebody who was standing on the stanchion at the stage door of Cabaret, and security was like, "Get down, get down." And this person was like, "No, no, you can't make me. I want to see everybody," and like caused a big riot. Um, there was another person at the stage door at all, yep, okay. Uh thank you for confirming Rachel. And then um also Saturday, I think Saturday night, all in. Um, people wanted to see Limeral Miranda, and um everyone was wooing and cheering for everybody else part of the show, and this one girl got so mad and started cursing everybody out because they said she said they were teasing her by cheering so loudly she thought it was him and that they were being mean. Yeah, because they were caring for like the band. Oh my gosh. But like I always cheer for the band. They're great.

[31:44] Michael Drolet: Well, can I tell you something interesting? I absolutely will say, considering we're gonna if we're gonna talk stage door etiquette, when I finally want to well, when I did Wicked on Broadway, it was my dream. Wait, you did Wicked on Broadway? Yeah. And when I didn't know 2010, uh I didn't know that at all. Yeah, I understudied Alex. Yeah, I understudied Alex Brightman. Um there was an injury, so they I uh they had me um under uh understudy him on Brighton. I would have never known you were in the kid whatsoever. I mean, who knew? Um, but that being said, uh, I will say I was so excited to come out the stage door. Yeah, but you would find it fascinating how little they're interested if you're in the ensemble, like and people are really rude about it.

And I just remember thinking, I just don't get that energy. Do you know what I mean? So for me, after a while, I just went out the back door like everyone else did in the ensemble. But I just remember thinking how interesting how people act out, they act entitled, and in the end, it's after you've done your work, I should have every right to walk out the stage door and feel fine to do so, and not feel like I have to apologize because I'm not Bach at the time or not, do you know what I mean? Even though I'm understudying him or not whatever, you know, or not a woman. We talk about that all the time. People are like, oh, like we had a couple of people that were angry that a specific lead wasn't in a show and it was the understudy, and they were so sad or so angry, and it's like, go support the understudies, you never know who's gonna be the next.

I mean, Jeremy Jordan started off as an understudy. Most people start off as understudies and skyrocket, but also support every single person that comes out that door. It might be a costumer, it might be somebody who's a stage, you don't know. A dresser, anything. And and here's my question is too is like you don't understand how much the understudies are linking. So just chill. Like, do you know what I mean? Like you would do it too. If you didn't get it and you were the understudy, you'd be like, listen, I will take that paycheck too. Right. It's one of those things where it's like, you know, and literally, I love being an understudy. It was totally fine by me. You know, it was more stressful than when I played Bach.

Do you know what I mean? Because at the end of the day, you always knew you were doing it. But like understudy, you were like, I would do my ensemble track and then maybe mid-show get thrown on, which is right. You're all over the place. Yeah. You have to like I love watching JJ Neiman's like TikToks and stuff because he always goes, "All right, I'm going from this track to this track." It's incredible. And I think it's challenging for a performer, but I think it's just support everybody and don't expect people to come out the stage door.

[34:16] Michael Drolet: Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Let's go there. Yeah, again, I think that's the idea of social media. This never existed before. Do you know what I mean? Nobody expected to do anything. But now because there's this fourth wall has been broken between people's privacy and their reality. Now listen, it's not that people didn't want to do interviews, but now everyone wants to know well, what are you doing between your interviews? I walked the dog, I did this, I did that. Like everything is so day by day that it's like everyone feels um, you know, entitled to that privacy. But at the end of the day, entitlement is the word of the day, 100%. Yeah. People feel entitled because they paid for the show. Cool, but also do you do this for a living? No, you don't. Right.

[34:55] Amber Brzezinski: All right, what's next?

[34:56] Michael Drolet: I was like, I could I can go in my soapbox about stage.

[34:59] Amber Brzezinski: Next up, we kind of talked, we kind of touched on it. So we'll circle back. Redwood officially opened at the Nederlander Theater.

[35:06] Michael Drolet: Oh yeah, they did on the 24th. And we have our tickets already.

[35:10] Amber Brzezinski: Um, for previews, we do have tickets. Our tickets are March 8th. If anyone is looking to join us, go get an evening show on March 8th. We'll be there.

[35:18] Michael Drolet: Yep. We might do a meetup.

[35:21] Amber Brzezinski: We might do a meetup. We also have our tickets for this upcoming Saturday for Romeo and Juliet, which Amber got us on TDF like three months ago.

[35:30] Michael Drolet: Months ago. And now those same tickets, we don't know where we're sitting, but every single ticket in that show is like close to a thousand dollars.

[35:37] Amber Brzezinski: So we're yeah, so we're really excited for that. That's um the initial opening date for Redwood is going to be February 13th. That's when previews are over. And it's so cool because that is the same theater that Idina made for her.

[35:56] Michael Drolet: No way in Ross.

[35:57] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god.

[35:58] Michael Drolet: Oh my god, I live for bed.

[36:00] Amber Brzezinski: It's a full circle moment. I love it. And Olivia just commented about stage or I appreciate what she's saying. A lady asked me years ago what the purpose of a stage tour is for them to get autographs. I said, um, it's the door to the stage, and we're actually even under.

[36:13] Michael Drolet: It's true, right?

[36:13] Amber Brzezinski: It's a hundred percent true. Literally what it is, yeah. Like, do you want somebody stopping you after you've worked a whole day? No, following you to the car to be like, following you to the car exactly.

[36:22] Michael Drolet: That's that shit happened all the time on tour with Wicked. We would leave the stage door and we'd have super fans that would follow us to our hotel, like the Jesuit. Did you hear Roger Bart? Roger Bart, they followed him through the subway, like to his house.

[36:35] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god, what is he gonna do? Leave him alone.

[36:37] Michael Drolet: He has no magic tricks, he's not to take you back to the city.

[36:40] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, the picture the selfie posting on your social media is not worth that.

[36:44] Michael Drolet: Yep, heard not worth that.

[36:46] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, um, we have full casting announced for Stranger Things, The Last Shadow, and Real Women Have Curves. Um, so check out our Facebook groups if you want to see the full cast for those.

[36:59] Michael Drolet: We don't have a group for real women yet, but who knows? One might be on the horizon. But what other show announced some casting this weekend that I missed?

[37:08] Amber Brzezinski: That's not full casting.

[37:10] Michael Drolet: But it's some casting.

[37:12] Amber Brzezinski: I'm talking full cast.

[37:13] Michael Drolet: But there's some casting.

[37:14] Amber Brzezinski: But Lost Boys.

[37:19] Michael Drolet: And what else did Lost Boys have?

[37:21] Amber Brzezinski: They also announced that they I'm so excited. Lost Boys was the movie that got me into vampires and made me a spooky bitch.

[37:30] Michael Drolet: Um, this is why I'm getting like all heated.

[37:32] Amber Brzezinski: Um I like this.

[37:36] Michael Drolet: Yeah, you love it. Get it in there.

[37:38] Amber Brzezinski: I was like, damn, I love this.

[37:39] Michael Drolet: Spring of 2026.

[37:41] Amber Brzezinski: Um so it's next spring, and they're already doing marketing, which I freaking love.

[37:45] Michael Drolet: And um, dear friend Larry Lelly, uh, was had the opportunity when they were shopping it to see like the first half, and he said it is going to be incredible.

[37:56] Amber Brzezinski: So I am squeeing into it.

[37:58] Michael Drolet: Tell the people where it's gonna be.

[38:00] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, it's gonna be at the Palace Theater.

[38:03] Michael Drolet: Oh wow.

[38:05] Amber Brzezinski: I was like reaction.

[38:07] Michael Drolet: That's a big ass theater.

[38:08] Amber Brzezinski: That's where Ben Platt just did his uh residency.

[38:13] Michael Drolet: Right.

[38:13] Amber Brzezinski: Wow.

[38:13] Michael Drolet: Uh and she can be able to fill it.

[38:15] Amber Brzezinski: I hope you can, right?

[38:17] Michael Drolet: Oh, yeah. It's gonna be interesting to fill it, but I mean Casey Levy is gonna be in the cast, so that's kind of cool.

[38:23] Amber Brzezinski: I know Miss Levy.

[38:25] Michael Drolet: You need to come on the Broadway cruise with me in March.

[38:28] Amber Brzezinski: I know.

[38:29] Michael Drolet: I know.

[38:32] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[38:32] Michael Drolet: I mean, it's out in Miami.

[38:36] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, I could drive down there to get to the city.

[38:37] Michael Drolet: I'm gonna take the bright line down.

[38:39] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. I'll send you the details because you'll know pretty much everybody else.

[38:44] Michael Drolet: But it's fine.

[38:45] Amber Brzezinski: All right, moving on.

[38:47] Michael Drolet: Moving on.

[38:48] Amber Brzezinski: This one is like a total curveball of Broadway news.

[38:51] Michael Drolet: But like half onto the screen. Huge, huge names were announced for Trisha Paytas Big Broadway dream.

[38:58] Amber Brzezinski: Do you know what that is?

[39:01] Michael Drolet: Nope.

[39:01] Amber Brzezinski: Trisha Paytas, online influencer, online personality is having like a one night only big Broadway performance.

[39:09] Michael Drolet: At the New Amsterdam at the St. James theater.

[39:11] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, the St. James.

[39:13] Michael Drolet: At the St. James.

[39:14] Amber Brzezinski: She's right.

[39:14] Michael Drolet: At the St. James.

[39:16] Amber Brzezinski: And she'll be singing.

[39:19] Michael Drolet: Actually, I they might use they them pronouns. Excuse me.

[39:22] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[39:22] Michael Drolet: Okay. They um will be performing with names such as Joy Woods, Sutton Foster, Ben Platt, Rachel Zegler, and your girl Amber Artolino.

[39:36] Amber Brzezinski: Amber Ardolito. Because I love you some Amber.

[39:39] Michael Drolet: Oh, yeah.

[39:41] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god.

[39:42] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[39:42] Amber Brzezinski: I know.

[39:42] Michael Drolet: I was gonna say this is she's quite the influencer then.

[39:45] Amber Brzezinski: So I live with the colour.

[39:46] Michael Drolet: One night only.

[39:47] Amber Brzezinski: And it's gonna be a you can also watch it online.

[39:51] Michael Drolet: Yeah, believe there's a live show.

[39:53] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god. Sounds wild.

[39:56] Michael Drolet: But I guess it was because Trisha has wanted to like do Broadway their whole lives.

[40:00] Amber Brzezinski: So they're having this one night only, and like it is a stacked show.

[40:07] Michael Drolet: Stacked.

[40:07] Amber Brzezinski: Wow.

[40:07] Michael Drolet: Yeah. It's not gonna be really cool.

[40:08] Michael Drolet: Again, let's get some butts in the seat. Get some buttons. Also, um, Stephanie's also my new friend because she's at Ooh, let's go. Yes, Stephanie, let's cruise. Oh, Stephanie, do you want to go on the cruise? Oh my god. Yes, you do. Yes, you do. Oh my god, let's go. I'll interrupt this and say Bob Mackey is gonna be on the cruise. Wait, fuck off. I know. Wait, I've got my I can I know okay. Now that I okay, that's it. It's over. I have a friend of a friend of Bob Mackey. I already like I already got this and I know the people's performing. Like Casey Levy, we she was my alpha not my alphabet. She was alphabet when I played Bach. I'm not saying nobody's mine, but you know what I mean. Well, I mean, that is pretty yours.

But yeah, I'll take it. Yeah, I'll take it. But uh, yeah. All right. Moving on. Um, we only have a couple bit bits left, and then we're gonna spend like another 45 minutes talking about the incredible life on Michael July. We have Jonathan Groff. Um, uh fun fact.

[41:08] Michael Drolet: I did a show with Jonathan Groff at the Bolton Opera House, which is now the Fulton Theater in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Well, he was 16 and I was 18.

[41:14] Amber Brzezinski: Oh.

[41:18] Michael Drolet: I mean, there's I don't think there's anybody you don't know. Well, as we know, Jonathan Groff will be starring in Just in Time on Broadway, and they just announced more casting for that. Mean Girls star Erica Henningson will play Sandra Dee.

[41:32] Amber Brzezinski: That is very exciting.

[41:32] Michael Drolet: She's phenomenal. Um, and they also just announced that to celebrate the year of 1959, the year Bobby Darin released his iconic album, the first 59 patrons to purchase tickets at their box office opening will receive a limited edition window card signed by Jonathan Groff, which is very cool.

[41:55] Amber Brzezinski: It's very generous.

[41:55] Michael Drolet: I mean, I love it. Like, I did the whole thing with Redwood where they did like the in-person lottery for the rush tickets, and she was there signing stuff. I love it because it feels like the community is—we gotta bring—we gotta get it back, and we gotta make it cool again. Do you know what I'm saying?

[42:08] Amber Brzezinski: It is like now you do have to throw in the kitchen sink to get people back in the scene because we see what's happening. You know what I mean?

[42:15] Michael Drolet: And again, it's a combination of—here's the other thing. Let me think if I can explain this. And call me, you know, old-fashioned, but I'm not gonna say, but I love seeing old-time musicals when I was younger. Like, I love those shows. Those are the kids get it now, but they're not getting it. They don't want to; they just want Mean Girls because they want an intellectual property that we're aware of already, or just something that's cunty and, uh, you know what I mean? Very like, you know, uh, I don't know. Like, yes, we liked Rent, but we also did still like the other stuff. Do you know what I'm saying?

[42:51] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[42:51] Michael Drolet: Like, we like the variety, whereas kids now are just like we like only this, and then they're not willing to watch the Just in Times or the—do you know what I mean? The other stuff to understand that these are classical ideas and elements, like, it's what will mold your little theater heart and make it more dimensional.

[43:07] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, exactly, and that's what we love about theater is it's many different, um, positions.

[43:14] Michael Drolet: We'll leave it at that. You don't have to do the same position; you're gonna have many different positions. That's why we love theater.

[43:18] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, multiple, yes, exactly.

[43:21] Michael Drolet: We love this. Do you know what I mean? It's just like we are not—we're not a rated G or PG show, and we're talking about theater. So I'm just like, yeah, literally, but do you know what I'm saying? It's like that's the thing is every time you go to theme parks, it's the same show over and over again. But theater, I could see the same show over and over again.

[43:36] Amber Brzezinski: It's different every time.

[43:36] Michael Drolet: Every single time, yeah. Every single time because there's so much complexity to each one of these. There's different nuances. So that's why it's—yeah, yeah. That's why it's sad because it literally does feel like a piece of art that you'll never see again. Like, it's like literally saying, I created this boss over 10 years, and I'm gonna—shit, and we'll never see it.

[43:54] Amber Brzezinski: I preach that on the rug. I'm always like, you—it's gonna be different people you're with, you're gonna be in a different mood. The actors are gonna do something different; some weird something might happen. You're gonna interact with someone else.

[44:05] Michael Drolet: But it's alive with you.

[44:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, and then you're breathing in that same air with it.

[44:10] Michael Drolet: It's so magical. It's one magical bubble, and then like I always struggle to like leave the bubble. Like, I'm always like, I look at Amber. If we go to a show, I'm like, You ready? Okay, we're ready. And then we like disconnect, or like if we're at the stage door, it's a continuation of the bubble because there's people that are talking about the show, and it's lovely.

[44:27] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, well, because you knew it was such an experience, right? You dressed up, you did spend more money, but you knew it was worth it all. And so when you left it, you didn't want it to just go back into the trash. You wanted like it to be out there right now. You know what I mean?

[44:44] Michael Drolet: Yeah, yeah, exactly. And that's the whole point. It's like you're—but your part of the people have to remember, like when I was in Wicked, we hated—don't get me wrong—polite audiences in Canada. Um, it's fine, but I mean, and I'm—you know, but we need people that are breathing and cheering, and like it's weird; you'd be in Indianapolis, and they'd be screaming, and it's like if you want to scream through a show, you're gonna love the show. Like, we're going to do all of that. We're gonna give you a thousand percent the whole time.

[45:10] Amber Brzezinski: Now, I want to know your opinion on something because it came up yesterday. I've been on the—I don't like Reddit except I read through the Broadway Reddit, like it's the news. There was someone complaining about people cheering too much.

[45:21] Michael Drolet: No, oh, kind of, oh yeah, go ahead, sorry.

[45:25] Amber Brzezinski: So somebody was talking about is it proper theater etiquette or not? Because what they were finding—and it happened to be they were watching Mandy Gonzalez at Sunset, and she was hitting one of her finale notes, and all of a sudden people were clapping and cheering, and she's like, I didn't come to listen to them clap and cheer; I came to listen to Mandy sing her freaking soul out of her body.

[45:46] Michael Drolet: Well, then what I would tell that person then is what I would say is that person did not come there to do that. They—when you get a ticket, you're there with other people. If you wanted to do that, you would stay at home and watch a recording if you didn't want to hear the people because that's part of the deal.

[45:59] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[46:00] Michael Drolet: And the whole point is art should not—it moves us; it should move us to tears. So you're gonna tell me that like I can't cry, I can't—when this happens, it's like I can't even tell you. You can't control the emotion that's coming out of your body. If you've got that energy coming out and it's clapping or hooting, hovering. And guess what? Can I ask you a question? If that many people are clapping and cheering and you're not, maybe you should look on yourself a little bit.

[46:22] Amber Brzezinski: Right, right.

[46:22] Michael Drolet: Maybe this is not the right place. Well, do you know what I mean? Because I've been in the audience—

[46:24] Amber Brzezinski: Well, because I've been in audiences where people are like, shh, shh, and I was like, no, this is not how this works.

[46:30] Michael Drolet: Like, that's not how this works. I was in—it took my dad to go see Shucked a year, almost two years ago at this point. My dad had never seen a show on Broadway.

[46:38] Amber Brzezinski: And I'm sure—

[46:38] Michael Drolet: Yeah, I was gonna say, and I'm sure alone with that show, it encourages you to cheer, laugh, whatever. You're supposed to be a few. It was the first show I ever saw a mid-show like standing ovation for Alex Newell.

[46:50] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[46:51] Michael Drolet: It was incredible. And my dad was like—my dad was there with me, and I was like—like he stood with me, and it was just like you're so overwhelmed with this urge to like just grab the music and just be there and be in the moment. Like I feel it in my body now. Like you're just there.

[47:08] Amber Brzezinski: Just do what feels natural, but like don't be an asshole.

[47:11] Michael Drolet: Yeah, that's—that's her tagging for the nothing. Don't be aware. Guess what? Like, I'm not a spiritual person. Um, but that's my church. Theater's my church.

[47:20] Amber Brzezinski: At the end of the day, you know, and at the end of the day, um, I love it. I love because at the end of the day, you probably—like I won't even connect with something that I'll stand up for. Does that make sense?

[47:31] Michael Drolet: Like, I'm connecting with the human—my human response to see the human experience is what's making me get to the city. And as a performer, like you're saying, you're gonna give them a hundred percent. You are literally pulling that energy from the crowd because if you're not getting around, right?

[47:45] Amber Brzezinski: It's a given page.

[47:47] Michael Drolet: It's TV and film. Otherwise, it's TV and film, period. And these are two different vernaculars, and that's the whole point. And I think that's what we're missing. And if we don't sell it at that, we will lose it forever. Just like opera, where they realize that people were too scared to do anything, breathe, clap, anything, but it does move you, and they're finding that this new audience wants to kind of know what's going on.

[48:09] Amber Brzezinski: We need a little bit more.

[48:10] Michael Drolet: You know, it's not that we're not appreciating it; it's just people make people feel left out. And again, as long as you're not being disrespectful and you know the difference. And at the end of the day, as long as you can put your head on the pillow at the end of that performance and say I didn't—I wasn't disrespectful, go for it. But if you're being disrespectful to other people enjoying something, that's rude.

[48:28] Amber Brzezinski: Now, again, if someone wants to talk during something, I have a problem with that. I'm sorry to say this; this is gonna offend other people, but if someone wants to sing, don't do that. Like, we're gonna ask you.

[48:37] Michael Drolet: That's not offending us. Because that is not—and because again, we did not come—I again I want to hear them do it. Do you know what I mean? And there's nothing worse than when an audience member goes for it and you hear someone else in the audience sing it down an octave and just shit on the whole grip.

[48:52] Amber Brzezinski: No, do you know what I mean? Just stop it.

[48:53] Michael Drolet: Like, do you know what I mean? Nobody can't. It's not the sing-along movie version.

[48:56] Amber Brzezinski: It's not the sing-along.

[48:57] Michael Drolet: So that I'm gonna say no to. But what I'm saying is if the art that they are doing and you receiving it makes you feel moved to do this, right? You know, you gotta do it. You know what I mean?

[49:07] Amber Brzezinski: So we went to Cabaret.

[49:09] Michael Drolet: I'm plugging in my battery.

[49:10] Amber Brzezinski: I thought it was—

[49:11] Michael Drolet: Oh, plug in your battery, and I'll just keep it on covering.

[49:14] Amber Brzezinski: Hooray, good job.

[49:15] Michael Drolet: We're draining your battery. We're giving you all; we're taking all of your energy.

[49:19] Amber Brzezinski: Never take a—take it all.

[49:21] Michael Drolet: So Saturday, Amber and myself and Rachel, um, our little glamber went um to go see Cabaret. It's actually one of the reasons I decided to come up this past weekend instead of this upcoming weekend because I'll be here all week.

[49:34] Amber Brzezinski: And um, we all sat in different seats because we all bought a different—different tickets at a different time.

[49:40] Michael Drolet: And my original seat was on the opposite side, so like the traditional stage side. I don't know if you've been into the August Wilson since it's been renovated.

[49:49] Amber Brzezinski: No.

[49:49] Michael Drolet: So it's now theater in the round, so there's seats everywhere. So there's seats that are built into the stage side, and the stage side is shorter.

[49:57] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[49:57] Michael Drolet: So you're under more of the overhang. I was put in my seat. The very first thing is I had a bar that my knee couldn't even—like I couldn't put my leg in front of me. The two people to my left were using Tiger Balm and snoring through the show.

[50:09] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no.

[50:09] Michael Drolet: An older lady to my right was using her—I don't know why—using her flashlight on her phone for about 20 minutes. Somebody else is texting down the row, and I'm—but it reverts and like comes off and reflects off of the wood from the above.

[50:26] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no.

[50:27] Michael Drolet: So I'm just sitting there. I was crying, so angry, mad, and I was—thank goodness, thank goodness for—is it Megan over there? Megan, who is the head usher, she found me a seat like at an intermission, but it was—I'm like, how do you people do this? And how are you enjoying the show?

[50:39] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[50:42] Michael Drolet: And I think the whole point is that they are because if they were, they would not be pulling out their phone. They would not be—but again, keep it moving. Be there in the moment. We don't need the distractions. Those are like the people that like go to the movies and play on their phone the entire time.

[50:56] Amber Brzezinski: It's not—you're not there for the experience.

[50:58] Michael Drolet: Yeah. You're there for background noise. It's like church.

[51:01] Amber Brzezinski: It's like church.

[51:01] Michael Drolet: You don't have to go if you don't want to.

[51:03] Amber Brzezinski: Right, right.

[51:04] Michael Drolet: You know what I mean? You really don't have to. Nobody's forcing you.

[51:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[51:06] Michael Drolet: And again, it is again something that is sacred to us. Like, I'm sorry to say this, but I do care. And that's the thing is people on stage too notice that shit. We—you think we don't see, we do.

[51:14] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[51:15] Michael Drolet: We can tell if your phone is on. Oh, didn't Honey the phone call somebody out with a phone that was on the audience screen? We can see that shit.

[51:22] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, we can see everything.

[51:24] Michael Drolet: Anyway, I don't want to—

[51:29] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, because your face is lit up.

[51:31] Michael Drolet: Look at this. Like, you know what I mean?

[51:32] Amber Brzezinski: Like, come on, let's be real.

[51:34] Michael Drolet: You know, yes.

[51:35] Amber Brzezinski: You're gonna tell if I'm doing—you can't see this, you know.

[51:38] Michael Drolet: No, I can't, not at all.

[51:39] Amber Brzezinski: No, your face isn't naturally glow in the dark.

[51:43] Michael Drolet: It's that highlight.

[51:45] Amber Brzezinski: I know, right?

[51:46] Michael Drolet: So I know that Rachel is dying. I can see her. She's like messaging every little thing. This is our little glamber. Um, do you remember us telling you about her?

[51:52] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[51:53] Michael Drolet: And I said she's like the number one Adam Lambert fan.

[51:58] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[51:59] Michael Drolet: Do you care to share your um comment to me when I said that to you?

[52:03] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, should we just get started?

[52:05] Michael Drolet: I mean, do you want to just—should we just go for it?

[52:08] Amber Brzezinski: I have one more piece of Friday news.

[52:10] Michael Drolet: Oh yes, and then we'll skip to that because I think it's a Brian news.

[52:13] Amber Brzezinski: We'll put it in the middle of the day.

[52:15] Michael Drolet: Oh, into your—will it?

[52:18] Amber Brzezinski: Because it's relevant to your experience.

[52:21] Michael Drolet: Death Becomes Her.

[52:23] Amber Brzezinski: Megan Hilty and company will be playing on The Tonight Show tonight at 11:35.

[52:30] Michael Drolet: So tune in to watch Queen Goddess Megan Hilty perform "Mother" for the Gaze, which is the best song in that show.

[52:41] Amber Brzezinski: I cannot believe.

[52:43] Michael Drolet: You have no idea. She was my first Glinda ever. I have rehearsals with her in New York, so what I just say, like just learn from the best, you know.

[52:51] Amber Brzezinski: I love it.

[52:52] Michael Drolet: Absolutely. That's why I was like, this will be a great segue to talk about Wicked.

[52:56] Amber Brzezinski: And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's the Michael Drolet show.

[53:00] Michael Drolet: Y'all are the best.

[53:01] Amber Brzezinski: Alright.

[53:02] Michael Drolet: We love it. This is here. We're here. We're just hanging out in the living room together with the dogs.

[53:08] Michael Drolet: Yeah, so let me think how everything. So basically, my first show I saw was like a community theater show. And it was The Wizard of Oz. And I think, huh? You know, but I remember just thinking, I have to do this. And I couldn't believe that these were people that I went to school with.

[53:25] Amber Brzezinski: And I was like, this looks like a lot of fun.

[53:27] Michael Drolet: I would love to do this. So I ended up doing um doing like the next show, which was The King and I. It was a different time. We won't talk about that with the making thing. It was a very different time.

[53:36] Amber Brzezinski: But that being said, did that, but then I got like the theater bug, and then I went into high school, and I remember that's the only one that I'll accept of getting—I can't say it's the only time I've got yes.

[53:49] Michael Drolet: Anyway, but that being said, um, high school. I remember like we did like—because we would do like classic shows like Carousel, so I was one of the snow children, because I was kind of young for my age, but um, I do remember at a community theater I played um Edmund in um Narnia, um which was like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and I remember my voice hadn't changed yet, and I remember just belting the shit out of this stuff.

[54:13] Amber Brzezinski: I still have recordings of it.

[54:14] Michael Drolet: It is ridiculous. And I would belt the shit out of the end of this song for Turkish Delight.

[54:19] Amber Brzezinski: He loved his Turkish Delight.

[54:20] Michael Drolet: Love Turkish Delight, which literally just as good as it looks and then it really doesn't. And I remember in the show, they wanted to give me bread with mayonnaise in it, and I almost threw up because I told them I don't like mayonnaise.

[54:33] Amber Brzezinski: So they ended up doing something.

[54:34] Michael Drolet: Yeah, I was like—because they wanted me to eat it quickly and get it down. But don't they want you to enjoy what you're eating?

[54:39] Amber Brzezinski: So you were like—

[54:41] Michael Drolet: Well, exactly. They changed it out. They changed it out for something different. I never—I think they put butter on it instead, but I was still scared one day it was gonna be mayonnaise, and I was gonna bar.

[54:49] Amber Brzezinski: Um, that being said, yeah, Barry.

[54:53] Michael Drolet: I ended up going to school for musical theater. I went to the University of the Arts of Philadelphia, um, and graduated there in 2002. Because I'm a wee little baby. I'm just a little baby. So uh yeah, so 2002 is when I graduated um college in Philadelphia. And as I went to school, like during the summers, I would audition in New York and I would go see shows. Like that was the thing to do. Plus tours like yep, and plus Philadelphia has so much theater there. Like there was like the uh I would I would uh volunteer to like usher at some of the places so I'd be able to like see shows at the Wilma, Walnut Street, um, the touring houses there. Um, but um that being said, I would perform at like theme parks, Jordan Park during the summer.

Um ended up doing some regional theater, like uh I remember working at um uh in Ohio, it was La Comedia Dinner Theater, and I remember doing like like Godspell out there, and that was like a lot of fun. And um I remember uh doing shows out in New Hampshire, and I did like I would do like a chorus line, like they like when I was non-human, they were like they were like, Oh, you can move, and I was like, Can I? So um I'll do go. I yeah, I was like, I guess so. I was like, good thing I figured out how to dance in college, you know, point your feet and try your best. And my teachers always said, like, show that you have technique because you can learn the steps later. So if there was ever anything technical, if you knew that at least you could stand your arms and show your lines, extend your legs, point your feet, turn out, do all those technique technical things, they knew you would get it.

And so um I would get to do shows like that. I did um Opera Grand Rapids with Monteagle Glover, um, which was amazing. Um, and I got to do uh Baby John in West Side Story back in New Hampshire. Like I remember doing this at theater, it was the Call the Palace Theater, and I did so many shows with them. I did um um Adam in uh the story of Adam and Eve. It was like this. It was so much fun. I interviewed. And you'll see it forever plaid, which is one of my Yes, I did Forever Plaid, yes, at uh at uh Blad's Dinner Theater, and I ended up doing which is in Pennsylvania, and I don't know, it's just like I got around I got around a lot, but um I just love theater and I just couldn't stop and I just it sounds crazy, but I never did any other jobs but theater.

I literally just it was wild, it was so exciting, and everything just came from I would just go back to New York City, go back to New York City, sublet, uh collect unemployment, and then audition for the next thing. So I just hustled, hustled, hustled. I ended up, I would say this would have and I would say like 2003 I ended up doing a national tour of Saturday Night Fever. That was a lot of fun. Did that, I stayed with that uh for about six months, um, and then left to go back to New Hampshire because I was able to get like a sit-down uh job there, um, because I realized touring one-nighters after that to return it in one night's that was no bueno, you know, because we started with sit-downs in like casinos, so we were like in Atlantic City for two months, Biloxi, Mississippi in two months.

Before it like before it's gone now because of the hurricane. Yeah. But you know what I mean? But like that shit was fun. Once we did like it was crazy, um, left to go up back to New Hampshire, audition in New York for this weird. I was like, what is this? It was like for Disney, and they were having auditions for Snow White and Enchanting Musical. Right. Well, they um they had the auditions for the dwarves on Sunday, and then Monday were the Prince and Horror, Snow White. And I remember going in on a Monday, because I still had shows on the SAT on the Sunday, and um I walked in and I was like, I'm here to audition for the prince, and then they laughed. They knew I was obviously too short. Um, and then they literally taught me the dance.

We love a short friend for Kirk King. Listen, um, as five foot four as I am, so I ended up um they taught me the dance by myself, and I literally got cast, got sent out to uh Orange County, met some of my best friends out there, did the show with future people that I would work with again. Um Marcy Dott, like um Dan Pacheco, um oh my god, the list there's so many people that were out there that were part of this show, Noah Rivera, um, all these people that have been around that have like gone on to like wicked, you know. But that being said, um I did that show for about two years out there. I did I played Sneezy at first, which was the more dancer of the dwarf. He had to do like this big like Russian leap off the table, um with like a with a fat suits you can't you can't see where you're jumping, right?

You're jumping and you don't know where you're going with big things. Oh, you don't know where your fat suits are going either. Oh, and oh, and did I mention did I mention we're tapping? No, we're tapp we're clock tapping. Oh, that's what we're doing. Yeah, on a table to a thing, and we had to do like I had to do pullback, jump clock, up back onto the tables. I live oh, I do. I've got recordings, it's crazy. And I also played um Dopey, Sleepy, uh, and Bashful as well. So some days I would do all four of those in a day. Guess what? I remember being there with rehearsals for this show, and I remember us watching Define Gravity happen for Wicked and just being like, that is the coolest thing ever.

Right. I love that show. And I remember there was someone that played Chistry that was like a dancer at Disneyland, like he was in the parade. Um, because our show was in the the Fantasyland Theater, so it was kind of like their whatever outdoor interrupt. Right, you know. Um, and I remember just meeting this person that played Chistry, I don't even remember what their name was, but I was like, oh my god, you played history on the national like tour, whatever. I was like freaking out over them. I love it. Um, that being said, like I can't explain it, but just like I I left, you know, that that show closed. I remember going back and forth to New York, and I remember um uh getting offered Peter Pan um in Peter Pan um uh in Vermont, and that gave me my equity card, and that gave me my equity card.

[1:00:37] Amber Brzezinski: That's amazing.

[1:00:38] Michael Drolet: But right before I went to this audition, I happened to go to this open call for this show called Wicked, right? Oh we decided so that was in this uh that was right before that summer, and I ended up going to this open call at that time. I was still non-union, um, and I went and I waited and I waited all day long to be seen. And this was in Los Angeles. I think yeah, yeah, and so regardless of what city you're doing, still waiting, you know. But once they got through all of the union people, then they started singing non-union people, and still even then there were still so many non-union people. By the time I got in there, they were like, You have eight bars to sing. And I'm like, Well, I'm going to sing the shit out of the last eight bars of Lost in the Wilderness.

So, and I knew Lost in the Wilderness is a great song from Children Meeting, already written by Mr. Steven Schwartz. Yeah, felt the shit out of the game. And what was interesting is I forgot to mention when I was doing um Snow White and Enchanting Musical. Um one of my best friends in the show who was playing The Prince happened to be Drew Galen. And so we became friends right away. And he was like, Hey, my girlfriend Sarah Ford is in the Chicago company of Wicked, there's a perfect track for you in the show. And I was like, What do you mean? He goes, Where's this Bach understudy and track? He was like, What do you mean? He was like, Well, he says tenor one, so he's got to sing all these high B's. So, like, you know, all that.

But I had to belt that shit, you know. And I was like, Yeah, I'll figure this shit out. And he was like, You gotta go in for this. Um, and he understudies Bach. And he plays the rat. And I was like, he's like, That's your perfect track. So I knew that going in there, so I knew how to handle this call, like this this audition because I was like, I just have to belt really high and show them I get hold of no and just like belt it and do it. Yeah, and I was in there, and it was um Craig Burns from Brunard Chelsea only in there. And literally as soon as I got done, he's like, We're gonna call you back for Bach. And I was like, Oh my god, he's like, Yeah, there's this ensemble track that's gonna, you know, we want you to do this.

And I was like, holy shit. So I had my callback for that, went to my callback, felt really, really good about it. I did you know my box stuff, sang all my high B stuff, felt really good about it, and then it kind of I hadn't heard anything. Went off to do the business. I'm never I'm like, we're learning those, we're learning those. Yeah, then went off to play Peter Hare. While I'm in Vermont, I get a phone call from an agency called K. Oh, they've changed their name so much time. It was KSA at the time. Um and a um they said, Hey, uh, we got a call from Chelsea Casting, and they really loved you at the Wicked Callback, and you don't have a representation, we'd love to meet with you when you come in.

You know, when you come back to LA after you're done doing theater pan, I was like, sure. So what should I prepare? They're like, oh no, don't worry about it. Just come in. We're gonna chat when you get here. And I was like, okay. Okay. So I go there after the contract, get to LA, and I talk to them, and they basically say we want to sign with you. And I was like, okay. You're like, I don't even have to go to the show. Like, you know, after we do anything else, like that's it, you know, we're good. Like I was like, all these years of everything, and this is all I have to do right now, like fucking yes, let's go, you know. And the day after I signed with them, I get a phone call and they said, just so you know, you got wicked, and they're just we're just trying to figure out which company you're gonna be in.

You're either gonna be um on the national tour, uh that's what we're looking at to put you now. Um, the first national, but we have to wait for the LA company to open, and that person will move from there to go to LA. And congratulations. So I'm like, well, that's cool. So I have an agent now. Unfortunately, I'm losing ten per 10% of my entire paycheck for the rest of my life with the show. I mean from a non-un audition I went to on my own. But we did the thing. Yeah. I don't regret, you know, we have to say, but I just want to put that out there. You know, we got that eight bars on my own, but we we did it. Um and that being said, I remember um it was just so thrilling. Because I remember even like my like like the oh, because I had a second call back, I forgot to tell you about that part, but it was actually inside of a church.

And in that church, I had a panel of people. Oh, I'm sorry, yeah, I didn't just get wicked without like I'm sorry, there's one more panel. I forgot. There I had to come back in. There was another time that I think it's bizarre, but it was at a church. Yeah, in LA. Oh, yeah. LA's fucking nuts. Um so there's a church in the middle of LA with a big red um AIDS, you know, uh ribbon on it. It's the coolest church ever. Uh I think it's the I used to go there. Anyway, um, they had a smaller, so they have a uh school there, but they also have a smaller, like church, like a literally a smaller cathedral. And it literally that's where my callback was. And literally, I didn't know who anybody was. It was Bernard from Bernard Kelsey, Joe Mantello, Lisa Laklio.

I mean all uh all these people from Chelsea casting, yeah, and producers like David Stone and Mark Platt. They were all fucking there trying to. Oh my god. Wow. And it was it was not intimidating at all. Well, I didn't know. So I'm so dumb. And so it's me and all these TV and film people because at the end I was only called back for Bach um for the LA production. But then they had me sing the high pea shit, and I was like, I'll sing it. But I was like, shit, hopefully I'm ready. And I did. Could you do that eight shows a week? And I was like, Yes, Mr. Arimas, I can. Yeah, uh huh, I can do that. Um and Dominic has Stephen Remus, Dominic Mendem, they were on there, and it was just this crazy thing.

So yes, got wicked. Um, ended up doing two because it wasn't starting until like um January, right? So this had been at this point I got wicked in September. I was now playing Jojo and Suical. I'd booked Joe's Joe and Suical and I'd booked um, I was doing um Thoroughly Modern Millie as a tap dancer. I don't know how the fuck I booked that shit out in California, but because I'd worked with the choreographer from uh one of the choreographers' assistants from um Snow White, they liked it. So it's that's amazing.

[1:06:26] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, you did have dance in a fat suit, so I think you're okay to do thoroughly.

[1:06:30] Michael Drolet: You know what I mean? We did do it, right? We did do it, yeah. So um so I guess everything you were doing had already led to this point. Yeah, and what was cool is is within uh six months I had booked three equity gigs. Do you know what I mean? And that was really cool. And it was just like bam, bam, bam. I worked right away. And I remember I was doing Suical, and I remember a friend of my exes decided to come, and then we were hanging out, um, Eden Espinoza. So she was so excited, she was like, I was dying to figure out who you were. Well, I figured you would be the Bach understudy because it said you were gonna be opening the LA production, you know, because at this point now I'd found out that this person who was gonna be going into the LA production as the Bach understudy had had another injury, and uh they were not able to go back into the show.

They were hoping to go back into the first nation. They've not even been back to the show, reinjured themselves, and so they were back out, so that there was no way that they could open the LA Company. So they then gave it to me, and so I opened the LA Company. So I knew at that point that I was doing that, which was not the worst thing because I I was already living in LA. No, you're like, I already know what I'm doing for the next proceedable year. Yeah. So I did that. Oh, and so I ended up hanging out with Eden, and we ended up becoming really good friends, and we ended up um yeah, so I ended up starting rehearsals in January for Wicked in New York. And it was just like at 42nd Street Studios, dream come true, literally fucking just like, what is my life?

And I remember um they're like, Oh, we're gonna do vocal rehearsals. So it's me and this one other tenor one. I was like, There's only one tenor one besides me. Thank goodness I learned my part because it's the highest, hardest vocal part I've ever had to sing in my life. And it's known, like it's notorious. It's literally the the highest and hardest tenor line I've ever had to sing. It it it it like literally is like the equivalent, it feels like singing the end of defying gravity over and over again, like for no good reason. Like it's just nuts. And um the other tenor one was Adam Lambert, so I don't know about us either. Yeah. Yep so we became best friends right away and we hung out that night and we became like he's just a wild charismatic person I just love being around him so um yeah so we opened the LA production I mean cut to that you know I will say I understudied Bach um and what was cool about my track is the rat track is what they called it um because every track kind of has like a different name like cigarette track is the girl that has the cigarette palm tree is the girl has the palm tree in shiz boa track is the girl in Oz that has the boa there's all those little like you know names for the I think did you send us a picture of the rat I feel like you did.

[1:09:06] Michael Drolet: Oh yeah, the rat's in there somewhere. Hold on, it may be later because I think I did the rat later. Yeah, because I did the rat later. I'll tell you, like, because that was when I went back to the show. Anyway, long story short, um, we um, we uh, I ended up just having to learn all these things. I'd never look familiar. Yes, there's the rat. Look at him, he's very much very demure, very mindful, and very calm. I know there's even a better picture, and I'm gonna find it while you're... Yeah, no, you're gonna find it, but yeah, that's... Oh, he's coming after that. He's right three to the right. You'll see him as the rat leader.

[1:09:40] Michael Drolet: Oh no, that's a rat. He's the porter. He's the one that takes Glinda. Yeah, he takes Glinda in the part and pushes her on stage. Where am I going? Navigate. Um, it looks good to me.

[1:09:50] Michael Drolet: Oh, um, but yeah, so that means people visual images. It's great.

[1:09:54] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I love it. That is the rat right there.

[1:09:57] Michael Drolet: And um, you were mentioning yesterday, why did Adam audition for Idol?

[1:10:04] Amber Brzezinski: Well, we would watch Adam back in LA go out, and it was just like he would just go off.

[1:10:10] Michael Drolet: Like, you know that song "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley?

[1:10:13] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:10:13] Michael Drolet: Like, the way he thought about that song was like an acid trip where he came to know himself. I mean, but when you're telling me, like, you know what Adam does when he just like goes off?

[1:10:23] Amber Brzezinski: Like when he just goes off on a song.

[1:10:25] Michael Drolet: Yeah. Now, I will say this. Adam blew up in LA because there was a production of "The Ten Commandments," and it was with Val Kilmer.

[1:10:34] Amber Brzezinski: That's cool.

[1:10:35] Michael Drolet: And Val Kilmer could not remember his lines. Sorry to say that, but there was his dialogue all over the world.

[1:10:39] Amber Brzezinski: No, the first time I've heard that, surprisingly.

[1:10:41] Michael Drolet: Yeah. But apparently he was not good, but Adam had this song. Um, it's like, it's like, "Tell me, are you out there?" It's like, you'll be able to find it online. When I tell you, you'll be like, "What the f*** is this?" And it's like, it's like crazy. He goes off, but you're like, "This is nothing for him."

[1:10:55] Amber Brzezinski: Like, do you know what I mean?

[1:10:55] Michael Drolet: You're like, you guys have no idea how much more he can do, you know. But they loved him.

[1:10:58] Amber Brzezinski: So he got rave reviews.

[1:11:01] Michael Drolet: That's how he ended up getting to be the understudy. Fun fact, when I saw "Wicked" in LA, it was the first time I ever saw "Wicked." It was on tour, and my first, um, uh, Fierro was actually Adam Lambert, and he was the understudy, and he went on, and I was just like enamored by him because he had such a sort of like 80s, 70s, sexy kind of androgynous...

[1:11:23] Amber Brzezinski: Is that Freddy Mercury vibe?

[1:11:25] Michael Drolet: Yeah, so, and it worked in the world because why does everything have to be what we have now? Like, what about a dude who's doing dancing and stuff? Like, he just sounded so f***ing cool.

[1:11:35] Amber Brzezinski: Like, he has such a cool factor to him that it worked.

[1:11:37] Michael Drolet: You know what I mean? Like, it was amazing. I love that guy. But anyway, and I remember Secret... uh, oh god, I shouldn't say this, but Eden really wanted him to be playing the Arrow with her because they wanted to go off.

[1:11:48] Amber Brzezinski: They wanted to just go nuts with "As Long as You're Mine."

[1:11:50] Michael Drolet: Right, for that. I mean, it just, um, yeah, it's nice to have supportive friends, which is always important.

[1:11:57] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, but we did love on each other, yeah, and it was a cool time because we knew we were a big deal, no offense, but like we were coming out of stage doors with the city.

[1:12:04] Michael Drolet: No, there's no offense. You were a big deal and still are.

[1:12:07] Amber Brzezinski: You are, yeah.

[1:12:08] Michael Drolet: I will say that the Pantages Theater in LA, it was huge. We had carpets, like literally they had carpets and stanchions and security for us to leave.

[1:12:16] Amber Brzezinski: I have fan mail for my dog.

[1:12:17] Michael Drolet: Like, you know what I mean? Like, it was nuts. So wait, let me go on. I didn't even get to this part yet.

[1:12:21] Amber Brzezinski: So here's what happened.

[1:12:22] Michael Drolet: Go on.

[1:12:23] Michael Drolet: Yeah. Um, in LA. So we open LA, right? And we're in previews. Well, our, the person who's playing Bach at the time, who's a child actor, had some health issues, and he ended up missing quite a bit of shows.

[1:12:39] Amber Brzezinski: And that meant the other understudy was going on.

[1:12:41] Michael Drolet: Now, the other understudy was a bully to me, and he was the other Bach understudy.

[1:12:45] Amber Brzezinski: Why do we have bullies?

[1:12:47] Michael Drolet: We're not gonna leave it because you know... No, I mean, like, just people are...

[1:12:50] Amber Brzezinski: No, I mean, I know, yeah.

[1:12:51] Michael Drolet: But that being said, um, he did end up going on in the, um, for previews, right? Well, our stage manager pulled me aside one day, and he called me in and he said, "Michael, I need you to know something. Um, we know that Adam's been missing shows, um, and we need to not Adam Lambert's a different... I'm sorry, we know that this person's missing shows.

[1:13:16] Michael Drolet: You know, um, we need you to be ready to go tonight." And I was like, "What?" They're like, "Yeah, we need you to go on tonight because you were their second choice for Bach, and this is not really what we expected, and we don't want the other understudy. He's in the emergency room."

[1:13:30] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:13:31] Michael Drolet: So, um, yeah, and also it needs to be prepared. Like, I knew what the f*** I was doing. I didn't just see the screen change. I didn't know. I knew exactly how to put the Tin Man costume. I knew every single part of it, and Melissa...

[1:13:44] Amber Brzezinski: And listen, like, I end up going on somewhere between, I don't remember, it was like 30 to 40 something times within his first contract.

[1:13:56] Michael Drolet: So when that time was up, I... this happened. Let me see, I'll show you one thing. Well, the couple right now. I got this little message.

[1:14:06] Michael Drolet: And this is from David Stone and Mark Platt, and it says, "Thank you so much for stepping into the role of Bach. You know, congratulations." And basically, I love that. These are the producers of "Wicked," you know, giving me, like, they literally like handpicked me and they were...

[1:14:20] Amber Brzezinski: But I love that you respect that so much.

[1:14:25] Michael Drolet: What's that?

[1:14:27] Michael Drolet: Oh, it's like I love the fact that you have that in its frame, like you're saving that. Like, you really are just like such a humble being, and like, it's so cool because you're... that's true though.

[1:14:38] Amber Brzezinski: It's very true.

[1:14:38] Michael Drolet: I only associate myself with good people.

[1:14:43] Michael Drolet: I will say I think a lot of it has to do with humility is human. You know what I mean? It's a learned habit, you know.

[1:14:49] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:14:50] Michael Drolet: Um, because it's like you, and again, it's a weird thing because a lot of people that are famous, you kind of have to be a narcissist, right? Like to be able to think of yourself as a business is kind of a lot of nepotism too.

[1:15:01] Amber Brzezinski: Absolutely.

[1:15:02] Michael Drolet: Which is why I am drawn to theater, right? Because I will show up, I will show up and do whatever callback you tell me to do, right?

[1:15:09] Michael Drolet: So for instance, like I did end up understudying Alex Brightman, right? So if you're gonna call me back for "Beetlejuice" without like having me audition, and you just want me to learn 19 pages of this s***.

[1:15:19] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:15:20] Michael Drolet: I’m gonna figure out that voice. Like, I'm gonna go. I'll be your guy, I'll figure it out, you know.

[1:15:25] Amber Brzezinski: You know, well, whatever.

[1:15:26] Michael Drolet: F*** off. I'm gonna f***ing figure it out, you know, I'm gonna crack your job.

[1:15:30] Michael Drolet: Like, you've already got the hair. But you know what I'm trying to get at is like I don't see myself as that, but I see myself as whatever you see me as, and that's what I love the most.

[1:15:38] Michael Drolet: So, um, yeah. That being said, uh, it was so much fun in LA. I ended up having a nice little time with, let's say, someone from "Grey's Anatomy," really cute guy for a while. Like, we were the thing.

[1:15:39] Michael Drolet: It was so much fun. The parties we went to on Sunset. Oh, there's so many more stories I could tell, but I can't tell all of them because I just, I can see the eyes, I don't even have to look at her.

[1:16:03] Amber Brzezinski: She's absurd.

[1:16:04] Michael Drolet: Um, but let's let me see if I can do this. Let's tell a silly story back in LA.

[1:16:09] Amber Brzezinski: Oh yeah.

[1:16:09] Michael Drolet: So I love this. Is this really the Michael Drolet show that I'm here for?

[1:16:12] Michael Drolet: So, this is, um, this is a story about a morable named Joanne Worley, who is from a TV show called "Laugh-In," which was their, you know, sort of SNL at the time.

[1:16:22] Amber Brzezinski: She kind of spun her pearls.

[1:16:24] Michael Drolet: We're showing our age too. We know what "Laugh-In" is.

[1:16:25] Amber Brzezinski: Uh-huh.

[1:16:27] Michael Drolet: Yep.

[1:16:27] Michael Drolet: So that being said, she was a nutcase. Joanne would miss certain things, and it was hard to understand what would happen next. For instance, in the beginning of the show, when Madame Morrible usually comes in, you know, "Welcome, welcome students to Shiz University."

[1:16:44] Amber Brzezinski: There is no Adam Morrible here at all.

[1:16:49] Michael Drolet: So there's a silence as awkward as this, and all of a sudden, the midwife who follows or who plays whatever that character is, you know, the fellow teacher, you know, is walking in with the books, and she's trying to figure out how to cover for this.

[1:17:03] Michael Drolet: So she's walking downstairs, her mic is not on, and she just starts screaming, "Hello, students! Welcome to Hogwarts University."

[1:17:16] Amber Brzezinski: I think Madame Morrible...

[1:17:18] Michael Drolet: Wait, I hear something. Meanwhile, Joanne's mic is on, and you hear, and she is making these swapping noises.

[1:17:27] Michael Drolet: Like I think you're trying to say, "Girl, you gotta get on stage."

[1:17:30] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:17:31] Michael Drolet: And the midwife trying her best, but she was clearly shaken up. She was more of a singer.

[1:17:38] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, anyway, let's get back to Joanne.

[1:17:42] Michael Drolet: You are driving us, you take it along.

[1:17:44] Michael Drolet: She decided, uh, she was gonna walk across the stage. Now, mind you, Madame Morrible, if you see, she just comes out from stage right, comes right down center, right?

[1:17:52] Amber Brzezinski: One would think if you're coming from stage left, you could just come right down, not Joanne Worley.

[1:17:57] Michael Drolet: Not Joanne Worley. Straight across. As if there is a scrim in front.

[1:18:03] Amber Brzezinski: There's no scrim, just the whole audience standing at her walking like this.

[1:18:06] Michael Drolet: She goes, literally going this f***ing slow. Megan Hilty's in the front, and she literally takes her skirt and she skips.

[1:18:15] Amber Brzezinski: Madame Morrible is coming.

[1:18:16] Michael Drolet: Madame Morrible is coming. Madame Morrible's coming.

[1:18:19] Amber Brzezinski: Skipping around the cart, trying to make up time.

[1:18:21] Michael Drolet: I, as Bach, and just watching her and loving every moment, and I'm not acting, dying, and just trying not to laugh.

[1:18:29] Michael Drolet: But when I tell you, it was so f***ing cringe. And if I tell you that that was the end of the craziness with her, it wasn't.

[1:18:36] Michael Drolet: Because honestly, like by the time she came in, like it was over. Do you know what I mean?

[1:18:40] Michael Drolet: And then she finally comes in, does the thing, right? Fear of God in her eyes after that, which is natural, I suppose.

[1:18:47] Michael Drolet: But she had another problem, and this one happened during, um, thank goodness. Okay.

[1:18:53] Michael Drolet: And I was playing Bach and I was waiting off stage to go, you know, for "Governor's Mansion," right? And we're in, um, thank goodness.

[1:19:03] Michael Drolet: And she says, "Well, Glinda, we're happy for you. How vividly I remember the day you summon."

[1:19:14] Amber Brzezinski: You know, and she goes like this, and she and the music director's like, "What the f*** is going on?"

[1:19:18] Michael Drolet: There's a whole section you've missed. And then she gets them to go, "The day you summon," and then music starts going, right?

[1:19:26] Michael Drolet: So he gets the entire LA orchestra, 30 people down there, mind you, not a tour, and one a big one, right? Huge orchestra going, and then she says, "Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on."

[1:19:37] Michael Drolet: She goes, "Rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, rip."

[1:19:42] Amber Brzezinski: As press secretary, I have stripped that all up.

[1:19:46] Michael Drolet: And they're just like, you cannot go backwards. Literally, he's like, she did the whole front of an audience.

[1:19:51] Amber Brzezinski: Oh.

[1:19:53] Michael Drolet: She rebounds. She rewound. She remounded.

[1:19:56] Amber Brzezinski: Like him.

[1:19:57] Michael Drolet: She literally went. She goes, she goes, "Wait, wait, wait."

[1:20:02] Michael Drolet: And she started to say the...

[1:20:02] Amber Brzezinski: That's incredible.

[1:20:09] Michael Drolet: Yes. That's what we're talking about with theater. Every time you go, it's a different thing.

[1:20:12] Amber Brzezinski: Something different.

[1:20:13] Michael Drolet: Absolutely.

[1:20:14] Michael Drolet: Yeah, so you actually get bold when that happens, right?

[1:20:18] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, let's be honest, you get to talk about this.

[1:20:20] Michael Drolet: You're like, "Did I?"

[1:20:21] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, you did see that.

[1:20:23] Michael Drolet: Right. That is your gift right there.

[1:20:25] Michael Drolet: Also, if you see a no-fly show, you should be grateful because when that lightning hits the ground, it is going to pound the s*** out of the ground.

[1:20:33] Amber Brzezinski: Those girls, when they don't, when they know that they don't sit, when they don't fly, everyone, the rule is you have to rift the f***ing s*** out of it.

[1:20:42] Michael Drolet: That is the golden elf and rule of like no fly, give them everything.

[1:20:48] Amber Brzezinski: Like go nuts.

[1:20:49] Michael Drolet: Just go off and don't... Also, I mean, was it a couple months ago when Glinda's bubble got stuck? Did you see this?

[1:20:55] Amber Brzezinski: Yep.

[1:20:59] Michael Drolet: Yeah. I've seen this, a Kara Lindsay special where you're just like, there's the curtain call.

[1:21:04] Amber Brzezinski: Yep.

[1:21:04] Michael Drolet: But I've seen a Glinda get stuck in a bubble.

[1:21:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:21:07] Michael Drolet: One of my favorite Glindas I've ever worked with, one of the kindest, humble people ever with the worst burps and farts ever.

[1:21:13] Amber Brzezinski: Mostly the burp.

[1:21:14] Michael Drolet: We would burp all the time. She's hilarious.

[1:21:16] Amber Brzezinski: I believe it.

[1:21:16] Michael Drolet: I believe it.

[1:21:18] Michael Drolet: Um, we both have reflux issues, so it was like our love for, you know that.

[1:21:22] Amber Brzezinski: But um, yeah, let me keep going with the story.

[1:21:25] Michael Drolet: So we, so LA, let me think that all is going great, having a lot of fun. I got to give backstage tours for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS.

[1:21:33] Amber Brzezinski: So imagine giving tours of the Pantages.

[1:21:36] Michael Drolet: Like, that was what I did and gave back. I mean, that s*** was so freaking cool.

[1:21:41] Michael Drolet: I guess tunnels, I've been to the highest of points. There's been so many parties because there's a place to have a party there between outside of it.

[1:21:49] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, we used to have... We had a mixer party with, like, I remember, um, all the casts of... Well, first it was "Nine to Five," so I remember having a party with the cast of "Nine to Five," and then we had a cast with the party of "Shrek."

[1:22:01] Michael Drolet: So it was a wild time.

[1:22:02] Amber Brzezinski: That's a fun job.

[1:22:02] Michael Drolet: Yeah, yeah, speaking of our... I know, right? But um, yeah, so I remember I got another contract, so I was super excited we extended, but the show was going up to San Francisco, and I was not going with the show to San Francisco.

[1:22:20] Michael Drolet: Oh, yeah. I remember how devastated I felt. I remember just thinking if I'd stayed in the ensemble, I'd still be in the show. I'd still be able to go to San Francisco and I would be able to do this job. What could you do? Like, yes, I love playing Boq, but was it worth not having a job? Like it was my dream job. And it was just like, shit, what have I done? But I remember myself. Yeah. And so this was two years later, like with Wicked, you know what I mean? And I remember just being so sad. And I remember the time just waiting and auditioning and just feeling frustrated. It's like, well, how can I go from Boq to what? Like, what's next? Do you know what I mean? I remember just getting frustrated not getting, I'd be up for these jobs, and I'd be like one away from getting like Riff Raff at Universal Studios California, but I'd be frustrated that I wouldn't. Oh, but you're not Justin Sargent who did that at Orlando.

Right. And at the end of the day, it's like I got frustrated, but I remember turning 30 and saying, "Oh my god, I want to be on Broadway by the time I was 30. What's going on?" Like, I haven't made it, and I was so frustrated with myself, and I beat myself up. And when I tell you that shit, that fucking phone call, and they were like, "Listen, we've had an injury, we need you back now." Like, can you come to Broadway? Would you be willing to come? And I was like, "Yes." Wow. And I literally got in an airplane and I was there the next day, went on to the city. It was like two books trailer, you are on the code. Oh, literally, I was like, I flew myself in LA. I literally flew myself. They're like, "How'd you get here?"

I was like, "Don't worry about it. I'm already here. Like, we're good. I'm here." And the best part about it is I remember it was just like this idea of I don't know. Like, I just loved it. It was so amazing to finally make my Broadway debut. And I remember like, well, first of all, during the show, there was a mind fuck because it's on a rake, and that rake is a fucking big ass rake. So you're literally like, and they didn't teach me how to do the rake until later. We'll talk about that later because ultimately it is like you have to have one knee bent and the other one's straight, but unless you're telling me to do it, I don't know. I'm just like, why is that? Right. You're just like, and my and I don't know if you know, like everything I did in the show because as the that same track that I did, it was trains, planes, and automobiles.

All I do is like push the cart on with Glinda, ride the scooter, you know what I mean? Ride um, like I would uh have to learn all of the box, so that means I had to put a lock on every single thing. So Nessa, if I'm not lock her ass, she's just going right in the pit. Like, no, rolling right in the fucking pit. And I was like, "Oh, absolutely not." So it was so stressful, but it was so much fun. In the end, um, did that there for like two months, and I was just like, "This is it, this is what I'm supposed to be." Um, and while I was there, there was an opening for the national tour. They were needing a Boq understudy out there, and they were seeing a bunch of people, and I they came to see me in a rehearsal, and they're like, "Yeah, you're gonna do it," and that was it.

So I went on the tour, and I stayed with that tour. I did I did that tour for nine years. Ninety-one cities. And the coolest part about that tour, I would say, is I chose to drive the tour because Wicked is such a big show. We stayed our shortest we ever stayed was two weeks. Sure. I mean, I could drive every two weeks, that's not that bad. Do you know what I mean? And the cities, the drives were crazy. They could be as little as two or three hours if you're in North Carolina and going from Charlotte to Brawley, you know what I mean? Or but then, yeah, yep, and I had my dogs at the time, and it was just such a big deal. Um, and it was just so wonderful to be free of everyone on my days off, right?

But it took a lot of bravery to be like, "You're just gonna drive." And so I am not afraid of driving. It is like I just you had to do it. Like, and I realized that I liked having my things with me. Like, I could not drive a suitcase, I'm not gonna do it. Well, we had Justin, I I don't know if you know Jasmine Sargent. I don't know if you guys have came together through Orlando, but um he was on the show two weeks ago, three weeks ago, and he's doing King George in the um Hamilton Angelica tour, but he's also driving. So it's just it takes a lot out of you guys. But it also makes your experience better because I I have friends that are on, you know, um dwelling Long Rouge, and when you when you don't have a car, you just stay in your hotel room, and you don't really whereas before you'd be like, "Let me drive here, let me drive there, let me know."

Well, I'll go visit somebody, let's go do dinner, so we need to go get it. And suing my instead of doing my laundry in the hotel when everyone else is trying to, I'll drive to a cute part of town, have a coffee while I'm doing my laundry, you know what I mean? And again, your experience was so different, and you just got to know the country in a different way. And my yeah, it's it's like my favorite part of the tour was driving. I would say, like, I loved driving up the Pacific Northwest across Canada. That was really gorgeous, probably going from Seattle up to um uh Vancouver, which Vancouver is probably one of my favorite. When people ask you what's your favorite city, one of my favorite cities is Vancouver.

I think what I loved about it is it's a city with a lot of nature right around it. So literally, like you're in the city and you drive over a little bridge, and then you're in this gorgeous island of just gorgeous trees, of just like and the see the sky highway, which you drive up to Whistler is so stunning. It's just like and you wouldn't have been able to experience that with no absolutely, and then I got to drive over the Canadian Rockies, so you think our Rockies are beautiful. Imagine them like up in Canada. Like it was wild, so um, yeah, it was really, really cool. Did I lose you?

[1:27:55] Amber Brzezinski: Hello. Can you hear me?

[1:28:00] Michael Drolet: Can you guys hear me?

[1:28:13] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, technical. Hi.

[1:28:15] Michael Drolet: Thank you.

[1:28:17] Amber Brzezinski: I was like, we're good. We're good.

[1:28:19] Michael Drolet: I was like, we really loving your stories. Everyone's being so great.

[1:28:22] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, good, good, good. Okay, wait. We did it. Yes. All right, awesome. Okay, we're here. Um, so yeah, I would say that the beauty was, and here's the other thing is imagine people like how do you do the same show for so long? First of all, talk about the show of the music, but you have to imagine every couple weeks is a brand new opening night, like closing, opening. So you got that experience all the time. And the family. And you're also in those cities or towns and meeting the local people. So they're coming to the show because now they have a connection with you, but you also understand how the natives are. And you have to understand is the show hires so many local people. So you get all the nerdies that were theater.

They're the ones that are half helping backstage. The techs, the um the local uh dressers, the local, even like the case. I was a local dresser who did like Damn Yankees and Guys and Dolls and like C Ring one time. It was crazy. Yeah, so much fun. And that's the thing, is like, but those are our people, so you end up like knowing the right people, like it's so much fun.

[1:29:18] Michael Drolet: Um, I will say tour, like I could have done it forever, but except the fact you you see everything and you have everything, but you miss everything as well. Do you know what I mean? Right. It's literally like for me, like it was like, you know, nine years was amazing, but I was like going nuts. Like I literally was like, I don't think I can do this anyway. No, I mean it's not like And I think I just needed a break, and the weird thing is COVID happened, and I was like, "Well, that was yeah," I was like, I kind of wish I would have just stayed longer sometimes. Like my biggest regret is like if I would have stayed. But at the end of the day, like if you stayed longer, then something else would have happened and then it would have been a different right.

And I will say, since I've left Wicked and went back to school for interior design, I have been asked back three times. So I mean, we'll take that. It's better than zero. I've been able to go back once. The other time I was not able to like uh the second time or the third time I wasn't able to go back because I had a job that I was doing corporate in New York. And it was like if I went back, I was fucked, you know, and I was trying to go that direction with interior design. It was at a good firm, and I just didn't want to mess it up. But at the end of the day, well now I want to make both of your worlds collide here.

[1:30:24] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:30:25] Michael Drolet: If Boq was to design a room, what would it look like? What what kind of room would it be first and foremost? Give us a walkthrough.

[1:30:34] Amber Brzezinski: Let's be honest, his bedroom's gonna be pink because he's gonna want everything to remind him of her.

[1:30:39] Michael Drolet: Right. It's gonna be covered in pink. It's gonna be pink and it's gonna be like his version of pink. So it's gonna be like not perfect, it's not finished like Glinda's, but I secretly think he's covered everything in pink at this point. Like I think everything he sees is that. And if it's the bedroom, is it a living room? Is it a kitchen?

[1:30:58] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, he lives in a little hut. He's like a little munchkin. He's like he's in a little weird old little like he's he's kind of in one of those private little like.

[1:31:05] Michael Drolet: Oh actually, yeah, but actually he doesn't seem like a studio person. He does that roommate. He's really hates the pink. Do you know what I mean? I think his domain hates the pink. They're like, "You're you're obsessed, you're weird, but I love it."

[1:31:16] Amber Brzezinski: Now what do you think about the people that are going to see Wicked on Broadway currently and leaving after act one?

[1:31:26] Michael Drolet: Love that question. Have you heard of that happening?

[1:31:29] Amber Brzezinski: No, but I love that.

[1:31:30] Michael Drolet: I love that. Like let them wanna ruin it for them. Like they they want to wait until the next set of the movie comes out. Let them. Let them. We got their money. Let them. Let's move into their seats.

[1:31:41] Amber Brzezinski: What I want them to do is just let them know where they're sitting so we can move down.

[1:31:44] Michael Drolet: Right. What do you mean let them know so we can move down? Just be like, listen, be honest, say, "Be listen, this is my seat, give it to someone else." Right. I hate to say it. Like at this point, I don't fight anything unless you're being an asshole. Like, unless you're outwardly being rude, yes. I do think. I almost feel like they should have like a certain section that's like, okay, this is for the people that only want to stay for act one.

[1:32:04] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:32:04] Michael Drolet: You know what? But like they have to know, like any other time I'd be like, I take that shit personally, but for Wicked with this phenomenon, it's kind of like that is the fucking most pretentious and ridiculous thing ever, but I love it. The fact that they want to I I I understand the other way around where people like I've heard people say, I don't want to watch Wicked because I want to watch them all together, or I don't want to watch until I've watched the musical. But nobody's ever said I don't want to watch the whole musical because of the movie. Like what the fuck?

[1:32:33] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no.

[1:32:34] Michael Drolet: Like now you're doing it back, yeah. It's like a common thing now that people can we call those people um like and make them do like reverse dates. Like, let us watch act two. Like all act two. Right, like get or just like yes, half your ticket. Wait, you guys do know the trick of that too, right? You guys do know the act two trick, right?

[1:32:50] Amber Brzezinski: Which I mean, everyone knows a little like just you never know. Just try to get in on act two. That's all I gotta say. You never know.

[1:32:56] Michael Drolet: It used to work, things are probably.

[1:33:02] Amber Brzezinski: I know everything's scanning.

[1:33:03] Michael Drolet: It's not that easy anymore.

[1:33:04] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, everyone scans everything and this and that.

[1:33:07] Michael Drolet: Yes. You can't even leave the theater now.

[1:33:10] Amber Brzezinski: Really?

[1:33:10] Michael Drolet: Really?

[1:33:11] Amber Brzezinski: Really.

[1:33:13] Michael Drolet: Once you leave, you can't come back.

[1:33:15] Amber Brzezinski: What?

[1:33:16] Michael Drolet: I mean, at least some theaters I've been going to.

[1:33:19] Amber Brzezinski: Same.

[1:33:19] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[1:33:20] Amber Brzezinski: What if you don't want to smoke a cigarette or anything?

[1:33:23] Michael Drolet: Could be a good thing.

[1:33:23] Amber Brzezinski: Right. So like back in the day, to kind of emulate what Michael's putting it down. To so back in the day, um, there's actually uh uh movie that highlighted this. Um it used to be really easy, like, oh god, I just stepped out to smoke a cigarette. Oh god, I just made a c phone call. I gotta go back in now. I forgot my ticket at my seat, and then you could essentially like walk into the second act, um, and finish a show that you didn't pay for.

[1:33:51] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[1:33:51] Amber Brzezinski: Uh mm-hmm.

[1:33:52] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[1:33:52] Amber Brzezinski: So that's it. Well, and again, we're not like and the thing is what I feel bad when I say this is like you act like we're doing like it's also just like it's not hurting anything. Those seats are open. We're only taking the seats. Right. Like we're not punching anybody in the face and taking their seat. We're just like we love the fucking thing. And that's the thing is that we're gonna be able to do that. Because theater tickets are hellaciously expensive. And you know, there's been a you can't experience it, it's like you have to experience it live. Like that's the only way to do it. Like again, we can watch these on television. Yes, we appreciate it, but it's really truly an experience that you have to experience live.

That's why put your damn phones away. Don't talk, don't be annoying, and be there because you just spent money. Whether twenty dollars or two thousand dollars, which some tickets are right now, which is nuts. You're there. Again, you know, yeah. And again, I just think I I think there I don't know. I don't know how it would work, right? That's the whole point is like because you can't make theater not for profit, but it does make you wonder if there could be one or two Broadway shows. Here, let's do this. Let's make two shows, two theater houses non-for-profit. And they're gonna simply be for works to come in and we're gonna keep the prices down. But the government's gonna help pay for those actors' paychecks and all those.

I don't know about that. But like could you imagine? No, but what I'm saying is like, what if we did this? Like, what if we could get to I guess like what I'm saying is why is there so much money on gambling or like that? I just answered the question sports because there's gambling involved, right? Sports makes money because there's gambling. Like there's no gambling with art, right? But why are we not feeding an art form? What I'm saying is during the pandemic, we didn't let the Louvre, you know, sh turn to shit and ruin all the artwork. Right. But we literally let the theaters go dark and killed the artwork, right? Do you know what I'm saying? When the truth is like we should have kept money going to it.

And what we did was we let all these theaters now across the United States turn and and pretty much either A-fold or B lose. Most of them lost their union contracts because they couldn't afford to do it. Well, not for tonight, but all these new Broadway show, the $30 million shows, because they're saying it's a minimum of $30 million to get a show and be successful in the theater in Broadway, right?

[1:36:01] Michael Drolet: Right.

[1:36:02] Michael Drolet: Right, which again, if this is art, why are we monetizing it that way?

[1:36:06] Michael Drolet: Right. Like that's like saying we're only gonna do a we're gonna do a bronze statue. This is what our whole country is known for, but it's gonna cost this much and you're gonna have to do it yourself. Like, do you know what I mean? Like, like you're and again, the whole point is the bronze statue's there for everyone to view, right? Like, the whole point is it's gonna make everyone happy to see it, but we're not seeing it as art, right? Like, it's I mean, Tom Scott with cabaret, the new version of Cabaret in New York now, renovated the August Wilson for 22 million dollars. Just the theater. Is it worth it? It is gorgeous. You don't think you're in a theater, you literally think you're in a club in Berlin.

[1:36:39] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:36:39] Michael Drolet: Um, there's three different levels, and it's just swanky, and you don't feel like you're just walking and sitting down.

[1:36:45] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I want to see it so badly.

[1:36:46] Michael Drolet: Oh my god. Let me know.

[1:36:47] Amber Brzezinski: It'll be one of those times when I come up, you come up, we'll go in.

[1:36:52] Michael Drolet: Um Adam is leaving, and then Orville Pack has come in as DMC.

[1:36:56] Amber Brzezinski: When is Adam leaving?

[1:36:58] Michael Drolet: March March 9th.

[1:37:00] Amber Brzezinski: Alright, so you know when you have to do like manifestation, and like I'm manifesting, going to get to see him.

[1:37:05] Michael Drolet: You and I, we will we will say a group trip to go see it again. The thing is with Adam is I've had his number a couple times in the past, but from time to time he has to change it, and then it's like this last like the last time I saw him, believe it or not, it was like on tour, which was weird.

[1:37:25] Michael Drolet: We are we we have our ways through certain measures that we can get you on top of the city.

[1:37:29] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, yeah, I was gonna say, yeah, let's just say it was a time we got in Missouri, which of all places, which was really strange.

[1:37:37] Michael Drolet: That our tours have matched up, yep, in misery.

[1:37:39] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, yeah.

[1:37:40] Michael Drolet: Yeah, so but it was just like one of those things of just like I just can't believe it. Like, it's weird because I haven't seen him, but yet I listen and I take him in so much. Do you know what I mean? And I love I don't know, I just love everything he's become and represented.

[1:37:56] Michael Drolet: And oh, I forgot to say that was the fun part. Real quick. So Adam Lambert, great performer in LA, doing all this wild shit, and I was and he and I was like, dude, you've got audition in New York. He goes, No, I could never say Adam, you have that thing. You have got to be on American out of it. He's like, I could never. Went away to Burning Man, had an enlightenment experiment, came uh experience, came back, and he was just like, Michael, I'm gonna do it. And I was like, You've got to. Sure as shit. His first album. Thank you to my peeves. Michael, right on there. Literally, thank me on there.

[1:38:24] Michael Drolet: So for Rachel, who is somewhere in our comments now. Um, that was the very awesome story because now you can look at the first album. See Michael, this is a Michael, but he is referencing. So I in the actual notes, you'll say in the letter notes, thank you to my Wicked Piece. You should bring that to the stage door when you see him before March 29th.

[1:38:44] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:38:45] Michael Drolet: Oh my gosh. And you know what's crazy is I still have Playboy with both of us in it.

[1:38:48] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god.

[1:38:50] Michael Drolet: Oh, that is cute. And because it's such a small world, but it's like on a big scale.

[1:38:58] Michael Drolet: Yeah, he was literally one of the most like he had a trunk of costumes, and we would just go nuts in his apartment. It was so much fun.

[1:39:08] Amber Brzezinski: I want to go over your pictures, but yeah, let's go for him.

[1:39:11] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[1:39:11] Amber Brzezinski: No, go. Let's do it.

[1:39:12] Michael Drolet: Let's do a little, like, let's do a little show. You you do it and I'll talk through.

[1:39:16] Michael Drolet: I love it. Okay. I uh I'm gonna start it. This is so much fun, y'all. I appreciate everyone still listening. This is literally from the I double check birdie at 2,000 viewers, so there's that. Slay, baby, slay. Let me pull it up. I've got to go in a weird way, but it'll work. Come on, little phone or computer. Oh, and by the way, wait, why don't I show something in the meantime? Can we show you? This is my box from Wicked on Tour, my makeup box. First and foremost, I do want to show. I do own this because I did uh it was auctioned out of Broadway care, so I don't even think I like turn this. But this is an actual Blinda pillow from the show. And this is a wicked text. So you can see that's what everything backstage has. There's a snap right here, so this can snap to the bed because the bed. And it says Bach on it.

[1:40:02] Amber Brzezinski: Upside down?

[1:40:04] Michael Drolet: No, no, no. No, it just says wicked.

[1:40:07] Amber Brzezinski: No, what's oh, you know what it looked like? It's where the snap is. It looked like it said box.

[1:40:11] Michael Drolet: Yeah, the snap. Yeah, it says zero zero. I don't know what that means. But right here, guess what this is? Guess what goes in here? What do we think?

[1:40:17] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, that looks really bad.

[1:40:17] Michael Drolet: I'll put the getting worse. Nope. Think about it.

[1:40:21] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I don't know if I want to think about it.

[1:40:23] Michael Drolet: Uh oh, no, no, no, it's getting worse. I was like, no, no, no. Uh to think up. We gotta get the lipstick out for heads of state or you know got it.

[1:40:33] Michael Drolet: Okay. I was like, no, wait. I was like, I don't want to go the other direction because my mind permanently lives in the gutter. Oh no, it went bad. It went bad already. These are all equal. Oh, you can't really see it. These are all my costume pieces. Oh, shreds of like little pieces of the bits. So they gave me these.

[1:40:48] Amber Brzezinski: So silver from what from Bach.

[1:40:50] Michael Drolet: I've got shiz in there. More of that, right? Did you have a favorite costume?

[1:40:58] Michael Drolet: Ooh, I love Bach's obsessed. I love that shit. It would cinch me, and I was just like, I loved all of Bach's costumes. But I love my Emerald City costume when I was in Emerald City. So this is when I was in the ensemble. I got my little glasses from the show right here.

[1:41:12] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:41:14] Michael Drolet: And then Ooh, I think you guys are gonna like this. Oh. Sorry if you haven't seen um if you haven't seen the musical and you haven't seen um the You live under a rock and you don't belong in this podcast. Spoiler alert for act two.

[1:41:27] Michael Drolet: My bear. This was our actual chin. I love it. And it would get telesis. I do have the nose summer. I can't find it, but I do have it somewhere. That's very cool. Let's see. Um, I used to always have this. This was for my rat, because I played the rat. Let's see if anything else? Oh, wait, ready? Yes. Have another drink, my god. A green elixir. And you want to know a fun fact. So that's tape on the top. The tape would be removed every performance, and they would drop a glow stick into the bottle and then tape it back up. And then that's how it was used. And it's a good one. I do that with my cosplays for my Alice in Wonderland.

[1:42:03] Amber Brzezinski: Of course.

[1:42:04] Michael Drolet: And I will say, if it does break on stage, it really does smash. So we don't like them.

[1:42:08] Amber Brzezinski: Oh I bet.

[1:42:09] Michael Drolet: Alright. And it hasn't happened much, but it has happened. I think that's all my goodies. So yeah, perfect. Perfect timing. Alright, I'm gonna go through some of these.

[1:42:18] Amber Brzezinski: Go to and go.

[1:42:19] Michael Drolet: Look at this. We're so efficient. It's perfect timing. Stephanie didn't know something. She's learning so much about you now. I love you, Stephanie. Every day's a new day for Steffi. She has that kind of imagination anyway. I love it. I love her, Stephanie. I love it.

[1:42:32] Amber Brzezinski: Alright, let's get into some of these pictures.

[1:42:34] Michael Drolet: You were so kind enough to send them over to us.

[1:42:36] Michael Drolet: Oh my gosh, yes. And listen, you guys, I'm gonna tell you, don't like get me in trouble with these photos because they're all backstage.

[1:42:41] Amber Brzezinski: No, we're she just magically appeared.

[1:42:45] Michael Drolet: Yep. So this is one of my best friends, Lauren. Um, she's actually teaching at uh FSU out in Tallahassee. So um, yeah, so she and I became best friends. She was in my wedding, we're still best friends. She's amazing. She's uh she was a singer swing. Um she started out as a vacation swing and then uh became a singer swing in the show, and then um understudied Nessa. So in the ensemble, um, you have singers and dancers. So singers understudy the principal tracks, dancers just dance. Not just dance, they dance in their monkeys and fly around with other shit. But um basically, um, we also have swings, so there's six swings total, and then there's one standby on uh for all the companies except for New York, which has two.

New York is the only one that has one for Glinda and Alphaba. All the other companies, they've gotten rid of that because they realize they could shove any girl from a Shizwig into a Glindwig at five seconds. Alphaba Alphaba is gonna take, and by the way, the fastest you can do it is about 20 minutes. I've seen them get them ready.

[1:43:43] Michael Drolet: Wow.

[1:43:43] Michael Drolet: So usually they'll know by the end of Wizard and I. Wizard and I was always the big one because Wizard and I went to a really high chess part for them. Um and they would know, yeah. So it's kind of mid, but it doesn't go as high, but it still is really hard for them, if that makes sense. So they would always know. So by the end of that, they would look down right before loathing and they kind of get like a I'm out of the phone call. Yep, and then they would tell the uh conductor, conductor to just call, say hey, I'm out, you know. And I will say I've worked with an alphabet that literally had to leave their contract because they had vocal issues, and now is one of the biggest stars right now and started gonna be starring on Broadway again, like in their millionth show.

So, what I'm saying is don't ever, ever let a vocal injury dictate what's gonna happen to you because it's not forever. Because I've had notes. Because even Belting Tenor One, I've had prenotes before, but I would stop singing and they would go away, and I'd come back, you know. But you know, taking two weeks off to deal with that was difficult because if you were a dancer and you got hurt, nobody cared. But the moment you were a singer, they're like, well, well, well. And it's like, guys, chill, this is really fucking hard shit to do.

[1:44:47] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:44:48] Michael Drolet: Yeah. Anyway, I'll let you keep going.

[1:44:50] Amber Brzezinski: Yes. No, you're fine. This is great.

[1:44:52] Michael Drolet: Yep. So this is when I uh this is when I was playing Bach in LA. So this is Brianna Yakovan. She took over because one of the alphabas uh stepped away from the show, and I will say it's Casey Lee, because she's one of the best singers ever. What I'm saying is that look at her. She's a fucking star. So what I'm saying is at the moment I was so scared for her. I'm sure she was frightened, but we looked now and we were like, dude, it was just gonna make her better. You know what I mean? Like she's a star. You know what I mean? Like, and these things happen.

[1:45:18] Michael Drolet: Yeah, these things happen. And it can be like you could have like a cough or like a cold, and you come back and you sing just a hair too early. Or whatever. It's not like she's not capable. Does that make sense? Like, yeah. So with her, like it she's a successor. And again, I I don't I don't mean to say this because again, that's her story to tell. But at the end of the day, what was really cool is my friend Marcy was playing Nessa Rose at the time, and they moved her into um the Alpha Standby World. Now I will tell you this. One of the I'm not going to this. Let's just say there was a little bit of body shaming that happened. And I think that Wicked has.

[1:45:56] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:45:56] Michael Drolet: And so the girl, Marcy is just unreal. Let's just say that. And I just wish that they didn't put her in her head, if that makes sense. Because when you see her and hear her, it's like, yes, she looks like a Disney princess. She's a bell. Do you know what I mean? But she was great as Vanessa Rose, but at the end of the day, she she like she didn't see the shit out of Alpha. And she acted the shit out of it. And she knew how to be the straight man. Because Linda's the buddy. So Elphas just gotta be dry. Like she knew how to just call command. And she was just unreal. Anyway, let's keep going.

[1:46:28] Michael Drolet: Um so basically that's they moved up, and that's how um Brianova then took over. So that was why we had my shots. Um, this is um Marcy Dodd, the grav was telling you about the girl that she's unreal. We love her. She opened the the second national tour, which I later joined. Yep. Uh, this is the closing day of Wicked LA, so that's it. Gigantic casting crew. Yep. And stunning. It was unreal. Love it. Look at all those jobs.

[1:46:50] Michael Drolet: Yep. Um, that was uh um, oh my god, my brain. Give me a second. I'm gonna get it. What is her name? Uh Did I say T-Lix? This is T-Lix. Final answer. Do we know who TLX is? Either way, she's an alpha girl.

[1:47:06] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, yes.

[1:47:07] Michael Drolet: Oh, yes. I just can't get over the straight hair on top of it.

[1:47:09] Amber Brzezinski: I know, right?

[1:47:10] Michael Drolet: Oh, this is this is like we're talking LA parties. This is this was. I'm looking at your hair and I'm like, I know.

[1:47:16] Michael Drolet: I can't. I know. Uh this is when uh what this was my last day at Wicked on Tour in 2018. That's Chelsea Emma Franco. She actually came to So here's the other thing. Always fucking be ready. Like if you leave a show, fucking know that shit. Because Wicked Paul, she had to fucking go back to to standby, and Olivia went back to play Alpha like in LA, and it's like shit just happens overnight. So just be ready to go. That's all.

[1:47:39] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:47:39] Michael Drolet: Always be prepared. Avery. So Africa is not in the movie. Averick is a horse in the movie, but Avric is the person that takes Piero on stage. Yeah, and we do a little handshake. That's me as um the mob guy in the beginning. So I got to say Glenda exactly how dead is she, and I sang the good man scoring to the wicked. Um sometimes if they were missing, um, like if they didn't want let's just say sometimes I got to sing the other solo if they didn't want one of those wings to sing it. So I'd be like, okay, I'll do it. So I'm gonna go. Oh, I would just be like, I would sing a solo, run over to another part, and then run downstage and sing a second solo. It's like, well, I'll make it act about. Sounds good to me. It's your money. I'm ready for it. I'll take it. I'm making enough money. Surprise, that's act two. That's that's so good.

[1:48:23] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god, and the costumes are made to your body.

[1:48:28] Michael Drolet: It's so fucking cool. Literally, they make all this shit. Is it I have to ask, is that foam or plastic owl?

[1:48:34] Michael Drolet: Uh, there's no foam on there. It's all kind of like a plastic. Yeah. Uh I would say, yeah, it's all kind of plasticky. It's stiff. Not really breathable.

[1:48:44] Amber Brzezinski: No, we're not breathing.

[1:48:46] Michael Drolet: I mean, and honestly, the most vulnerable part is all that. Usually you're walking around in just the silver bodysuit. Sure. Um and the cup. You I mean you saw you would put your cup on as well over it, because there's like it's literally a chop. That goes up my ass. Like if you see the backside, it's literally up my crack. It's hot. I mean, it's sexy. But I would have to walk over because the costume is so cumbersome. You would get the costume on backstage in some theaters, so I would have to walk around in a silver unitary. That was and and all the rest of it. But yeah.

[1:49:12] Amber Brzezinski: That's fine.

[1:49:14] Michael Drolet: Wait, do you guys want to know how the magic trick happens? How do I get turned into that? I mean, if you want to tell us, tell us. So basically what that is is in act two, during thank goodness, um, the other part that's playing on the other Bach Under Study, the dancer guy, um, because I had a solo with Thank Goodness too. I love Thank Goodness. My character was like he's like, I hear soul, you so and your water can melt. That was my character. Um, but he was getting dressed in this exact costume.

[1:49:45] Michael Drolet: And so his job was when that armor comes out during, you know, the beginning of Governor's Mansion. He's just hanging out in there the whole time until that wheelchair goes behind, he pops in, I pop into the arm lock, and then I will ride arm off. And you know, he runs out and he's like, oh, I'm talking I'm still talking with my mic on, just watching. Sure, the mic is just mapping it. And then at that point, we both are then he takes a shower, goes into his mop costume from Witch Hunters. I get into this or Witch Hunters.

[1:50:12] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, that's so cool.

[1:50:13] Michael Drolet: Yeah. Alright. The magic of fish the magic. It's a lot of hard freaking work.

[1:50:19] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:50:20] Michael Drolet: Alright, shall we?

[1:50:22] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:50:22] Michael Drolet: Oh, that's Olivia. Um, fun fact, you guys know who Pikey Ballie is. That's uh his granddaughter, Olivia Valley.

[1:50:29] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, nice, nice.

[1:50:30] Michael Drolet: She's one of my best friends. I still can't get over the hair.

[1:50:33] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:50:34] Michael Drolet: Very straight. I only went curly like very recently again. There's also if you hear weird grunting and snoring, the dog has now fallen asleep.

[1:50:41] Amber Brzezinski: Well, that's what Fredgie's do.

[1:50:43] Michael Drolet: This is if you look really carefully, I'm in the middle in the front, and then on the floor, and then behind me over my left shoulder is Adam Lambert. Above my head is Megan Hilti. Um the person to my left.

[1:50:55] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, the person to my left is the person I understudied, Adam Wiley.

[1:50:59] Michael Drolet: Um, let me see. Um the one all the way to the right in the front, Melissa Fawn was in the original Broadway cast. The guy over her shoulder Virgista Virkusick was our Fiero in the original cast as well.

[1:51:10] Amber Brzezinski: Umelissa just lost her house in LA.

[1:51:13] Michael Drolet: It just so bad. Do me a favor. Um, if she has a GoFundMe or anything, please do it.

[1:51:18] Amber Brzezinski: We also have okay, send it to me, and we'd love to share it if that's okay.

[1:51:21] Michael Drolet: Um, I actually have it on my Facebook if you can look it up.

[1:51:25] Amber Brzezinski: I just put it up. I put it on, I would say less than two weeks ago.

[1:51:30] Michael Drolet: Okay.

[1:51:31] Amber Brzezinski: It's it's not I don't have too much post on Facebook. So it's fine.

[1:51:33] Michael Drolet: We'll definitely put it on. She's amazing. And she's also huge. Um uh she's a uh huge voiceover actress, like anime. She does a short voiceover acting. But she's got a lot of things.

[1:51:43] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I mean, we whatever we can do to help the community, we're raising um funds by doing our bracelet sales. We have a bracelet sales on Etsy, so we're donating from that as well.

[1:51:52] Michael Drolet: And again, like um her husband was one of the drummers in Wicked too. So this is the original LA company, like from the very beginning.

[1:51:58] Amber Brzezinski: So this was before before I played Bob.

[1:52:01] Michael Drolet: Yes, because it's still Eden. Megan, so Carol Kane, do we know who she is?

[1:52:05] Amber Brzezinski: She's crazy.

[1:52:06] Michael Drolet: I love her. She's literally one of my favorite human beings. And I will say, of all these people, she's the one I'm still in contact with.

[1:52:12] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I don't know.

[1:52:13] Michael Drolet: Well, there's a couple of her.

[1:52:14] Amber Brzezinski: There's a couple of those.

[1:52:15] Michael Drolet: And it's like, can you find my golf?

[1:52:18] Amber Brzezinski: Yep, there I am in the bottom left.

[1:52:20] Michael Drolet: Still using that fucking headshot. I need to get into it.

[1:52:23] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, but I will say, let me see. You guys know who Julie River is, right? She's pretty big.

[1:52:27] Michael Drolet: So Dioni Collins in the bottom in the middle, uh, second to the bottom to the middle right there.

[1:52:33] Amber Brzezinski: She yeah, she played Shen Shen. Um she's on um General Hospital.

[1:52:37] Michael Drolet: Oh my friend Courtney next to her.

[1:52:39] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god, I love all these Pete's.

[1:52:40] Michael Drolet: Um, yeah.

[1:52:41] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god, there's so many great faces in here. I love this.

[1:52:43] Michael Drolet: Alright. Anyway, okay.

[1:52:46] Amber Brzezinski: I love that you still say I'm Tatra, like keep up with people.

[1:52:49] Michael Drolet: That's hysterical.

[1:52:50] Amber Brzezinski: That's a yeah, the property brothers, and they are very tall.

[1:52:53] Michael Drolet: Yes, they are. And one of them is marrying Zoe De Chanel.

[1:52:56] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, and the other one's still having relationship issues, but that happens when you're I'll silver.

[1:53:01] Michael Drolet: I know, I was like, why can't I get one of them?

[1:53:03] Amber Brzezinski: Um, this is uh Vince, is it Vince Black? Is that his name?

[1:53:05] Michael Drolet: Vince Vince something. I don't know.

[1:53:08] Amber Brzezinski: He's a country singer. For you country people, he's one of those guys.

[1:53:13] Michael Drolet: He's a singer. I don't I almost said Vince Gill, but he can't be Vince Gill.

[1:53:16] Amber Brzezinski: It's not Vince Gill, it's the other guy.

[1:53:17] Michael Drolet: Anyway, let's just keep going.

[1:53:18] Amber Brzezinski: That was a national.

[1:53:20] Michael Drolet: Uh oh my god, is that Mary Kate Morsey in the front?

[1:53:23] Amber Brzezinski: It's not it's kind of a blurry card.

[1:53:24] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[1:53:25] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, that is Mary Kate Morsey in the front.

[1:53:27] Michael Drolet: Oh my god.

[1:53:28] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, keep going.

[1:53:30] Michael Drolet: That's on tour.

[1:53:31] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, this is my last day on tour.

[1:53:34] Michael Drolet: Me as the rat eating, you know, getting hit. I just love O.

[1:53:36] Amber Brzezinski: She's uniforms.

[1:53:38] Michael Drolet: I know. Oh my god, they're so much fun. I kind of missed that turquoise color of the movie.

[1:53:41] Amber Brzezinski: It's gorgeous.

[1:53:42] Michael Drolet: It's gonna be brought it back.

[1:53:45] Amber Brzezinski: Alright.

[1:53:46] Michael Drolet: Alright.

[1:53:47] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, this is us off stage, literally in rehearsal. Unsolicited.

[1:53:49] Michael Drolet: Not unsolid, we're just not supposed to use it. But yeah, that's when we pushing the card. Somebody happened to have a camera and the photo happened to fall on your lap.

[1:53:55] Amber Brzezinski: That's a good one.

[1:53:56] Michael Drolet: Just happened out of it, but yeah, and you can see on the floor, those are tracks, so those help some of the set pieces come out and go on and off stage.

[1:54:02] Amber Brzezinski: Yep.

[1:54:02] Michael Drolet: But I love that because it gives insight for some of our members to be able to see like and fun fact in the stage. Go back real quick. Fun fact I'm going, I'm not.

[1:54:10] Amber Brzezinski: So there's little dots that are kind of lines.

[1:54:13] Michael Drolet: It almost looks like a line on the floor. Those little dots, like they'll run up and down. Those will actually be where the dry ice comes out.

[1:54:23] Amber Brzezinski: Like, how does that happen so well and so spread out so perfectly?

[1:54:25] Michael Drolet: Right. It's because it's literally tubes on the top.

[1:54:27] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I mean, it's like looking at the floor at the Majestic where all the candles would pop off.

[1:54:31] Michael Drolet: Everywhere.

[1:54:32] Amber Brzezinski: Exactly.

[1:54:33] Michael Drolet: You got it.

[1:54:34] Amber Brzezinski: Yep.

[1:54:34] Michael Drolet: Alright, so this is also rehearsal. That looks like Jinnaclair.

[1:54:38] Amber Brzezinski: That's me.

[1:54:38] Michael Drolet: What am I doing in that?

[1:54:39] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I'm doing Bach in that rehearsal.

[1:54:41] Michael Drolet: That's fine. Love it. I'm all the way on the right with the blight bleached hair.

[1:54:45] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, I was like, you look tall on this book.

[1:54:47] Michael Drolet: Yes.

[1:54:48] Amber Brzezinski: I know.

[1:54:48] Michael Drolet: I know.

[1:54:49] Amber Brzezinski: Mother on the right, yeah.

[1:54:50] Michael Drolet: Like a tall box. Look at that hair.

[1:54:52] Amber Brzezinski: Alright.

[1:54:52] Michael Drolet: Yep.

[1:54:53] Amber Brzezinski: Up rat.

[1:54:58] Michael Drolet: Yeah, he's crazy as hell. But that's a mask. You just put that on.

[1:55:01] Amber Brzezinski: I would put that on right after the opening.

[1:55:02] Michael Drolet: Put that right in.

[1:55:03] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, so this is when I was in New York.

[1:55:05] Michael Drolet: I guess I just grew that in.

[1:55:06] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no, no, no, it wasn't. This is when I went back to the show.

[1:55:08] Michael Drolet: Clay Square.

[1:55:09] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, this is in this.

[1:55:10] Michael Drolet: Yeah, this is when I went back to the show.

[1:55:11] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[1:55:12] Michael Drolet: Uh uh two years ago for um during the pandemic to cover.

[1:55:16] Amber Brzezinski: Nice.

[1:55:16] Michael Drolet: It was so much fun. State Theater, Cleveland, lots of fun.

[1:55:21] Amber Brzezinski: Again, these are just the most recent time I did it.

[1:55:23] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[1:55:23] Amber Brzezinski: We love it.

[1:55:24] Michael Drolet: I mean, this is just uniform.

[1:55:25] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:55:25] Michael Drolet: I mean, yeah.

[1:55:27] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my gosh, look at that wig, honey.

[1:55:30] Michael Drolet: She's giving blonde.

[1:55:31] Amber Brzezinski: She's giving blonde.

[1:55:33] Michael Drolet: That is not a bad color for you.

[1:55:38] Amber Brzezinski: I wish I could keep it up, but it's expensive.

[1:55:40] Michael Drolet: But that hat alone probably leaves also about like three pounds.

[1:55:44] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, it'll destroy your hair if you like bleach it.

[1:55:47] Michael Drolet: Exactly.

[1:55:49] Amber Brzezinski: And you don't want that.

[1:55:51] Michael Drolet: Are you hunting for something?

[1:55:53] Amber Brzezinski: No, I'm back.

[1:55:54] Michael Drolet: You're back.

[1:55:55] Amber Brzezinski: Welcome back.

[1:55:56] Michael Drolet: Sorry, guys.

[1:55:57] Amber Brzezinski: You're okay.

[1:55:59] Michael Drolet: You're trying to find.

[1:56:00] Amber Brzezinski: Alright.

[1:56:01] Michael Drolet: And we are moving on.

[1:56:02] Amber Brzezinski: Alright.

[1:56:04] Michael Drolet: Love it. I'm in this picture, but you want to know how heinous I am in this picture.

[1:56:09] Amber Brzezinski: I'm on the far left.

[1:56:10] Michael Drolet: Look at me.

[1:56:11] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know how I missed that light.

[1:56:12] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[1:56:13] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:56:13] Michael Drolet: Oh, all the way on the left.

[1:56:14] Amber Brzezinski: You blonde mark?

[1:56:15] Michael Drolet: R left. Like in the dark.

[1:56:15] Amber Brzezinski: Yep, that's me.

[1:56:17] Michael Drolet: Yep, that is me.

[1:56:18] Amber Brzezinski: Somehow that's how I got in that light.

[1:56:20] Michael Drolet: It was mid-show, and I don't know what the fuck.

[1:56:22] Amber Brzezinski: Because my track has to run back in at the end of like this.

[1:56:27] Michael Drolet: I come all the way out and I come running back in, and then the next part is I just don't know what happened there.

[1:56:32] Amber Brzezinski: You were all over the place.

[1:56:33] Michael Drolet: Do you ever get a break?

[1:56:34] Amber Brzezinski: There's like no break.

[1:56:35] Michael Drolet: Oh yeah.

[1:56:36] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:56:36] Michael Drolet: Oh my god, I had so much fun. Sandy Patty, she was like a Christian singer.

[1:56:39] Amber Brzezinski: Billy Ty on the right.

[1:56:41] Michael Drolet: Wait, uh, we do you guys know um Rachel Potter on the left?

[1:56:44] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:56:45] Michael Drolet: Yeah, she's in the voice.

[1:56:46] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I mean, not first release of it, yeah.

[1:56:48] Michael Drolet: But yeah, she just released an album with a bunch of Broadway peeps.

[1:56:51] Amber Brzezinski: That's awesome.

[1:56:52] Michael Drolet: So yeah, she's fantastic. She uh also rehearsal, Ken Martin in the front.

[1:56:56] Amber Brzezinski: She's in um Harry Potter, the first child, Jennifer in the back.

[1:57:00] Michael Drolet: Yep.

[1:57:01] Amber Brzezinski: Justin's still in the show on the far left. One of my dear friends, Carrie on the right, uh, with the red hair. She and I did Snow White together.

[1:57:05] Michael Drolet: So it was like crazy how many people like I knew from booking.

[1:57:10] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, it seems to pull a lot of people together, but that's how you know they already work well together.

[1:57:13] Michael Drolet: Another Bach picture.

[1:57:15] Amber Brzezinski: I keep going.

[1:57:15] Michael Drolet: I think that's the first one.

[1:57:16] Amber Brzezinski: I think that's kidding.

[1:57:18] Michael Drolet: Wait, that's it.

[1:57:19] Amber Brzezinski: But Michael Jolie, that is your life.

[1:57:22] Michael Drolet: Magical.

[1:57:23] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I'm gonna ask my favorite question. Um, is there a question that you've always wanted to be asked, whether about yourself, your career, um, about wicked specifically, about box specifically, that no one's ever asked you, and what would you say is the answer?

[1:57:39] Michael Drolet: Ooh, interesting.

[1:57:41] Amber Brzezinski: I know that's why I ask it.

[1:57:45] Michael Drolet: Um, I think the biggest thing that I find interesting is like what's next, right? So I don't know if that's necessarily the question, but that is like and I kind of mean that in the way of like, well, guys, what's next? Like, who's gonna be my next, who's to be my next true galen and say this is where you need to go, right? You're trying to get at, and so I think I want to say, like, that's the thing is where do we go next? How do we find because that's the thing is like I feel like not to use a little bit of Hamilton, but like that idea of like you get close to the sun, you almost touch it, but then it's like, well, everything after that is kind of cold, you know.

[1:58:15] Amber Brzezinski: So what happens?

[1:58:16] Michael Drolet: So right now I'm finding a little bit with corporate theme part life. It's a little less fulfilling sometimes where it's like I love like when I did snapshots this past uh season, like like this.

[1:58:27] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, so Christopher Lady reminded you that you did, yes.

[1:58:30] Michael Drolet: Oh my gosh, when I tell you, like so Stephanie, like I know my friend Stephanie saw it, but it's one of those shows where it's like so thought-provoking, and it really makes you really uncomfortable, and you really just have to really just sit in some and it's really ugly, and it's just incredibly written, and it's Steven Schwartz music, so it was music that I was like so excited.

[1:58:51] Amber Brzezinski: I remember talking to Steven's boyfriend um Michael um about it because I know Michael had worked on the show, Michael McCarthy Rose, and Michael is actually the the guy who is it who's in Wisdomania e thays like long long ago, long ago in the movie.

[1:59:04] Michael Drolet: Yeah, um, but again, it like cry it's it's a beautiful show, but again, like it was this thing where I had to have this wisdom and know where this character was coming and where it was going. Because I was called back for this middle-aged version of the character. It's it's one couple, um, and it's in three stages of their life, and I was called back for the middle-aged one after the child, you know, leaves the house.

[1:59:22] Amber Brzezinski: And I'm 45, so I guess they thought that I was more maybe right for that role.

[1:59:28] Michael Drolet: But in the end, they called then they had me read at the last second, they're like, Read for the youngest version. He's like this 18-year-old, like just doing what I knew, but I knew how to play the role, right? You know, and the kid actually starts as a 12-year-old.

[1:59:39] Amber Brzezinski: And again, I knew how to play that role because it's all just physicality, right?

[1:59:43] Michael Drolet: Right.

[1:59:45] Amber Brzezinski: Look uncomfortable, you can't look in the like it's fucking that's why I went to like that's what acting is. Do you know what I mean?

[1:59:49] Michael Drolet: Like, but everything in theme park is hold on. If you look the part, we'll get you the next part.

[1:59:54] Amber Brzezinski: Yep, it's you look like this, then you get to next.

[1:59:56] Michael Drolet: Yeah, and it's like they don't want anything new, anything that's you know, and again, what was cool about this show is we have three guys that didn't really look exactly like each other, and three girls that didn't look, and they didn't care, like nobody cares.

[2:00:08] Amber Brzezinski: It's still just telling the story.

[2:00:09] Michael Drolet: Well, that's like what they did with the notebook oh yeah, concept.

[2:00:14] Amber Brzezinski: Like, you know, with the younger, the older in the middle.

[2:00:17] Michael Drolet: Yep, absolutely.

[2:00:18] Amber Brzezinski: Actors they didn't look the same, but not at all.

[2:00:20] Michael Drolet: But again, it's that also had its point of view of that's how they saw each other, and maybe as they got older, it blurred the line of what was one and the other.

[2:00:29] Amber Brzezinski: So even there, you know, but again, the whole idea is everything is about these tall, perfect looking, leading men and these skinny women who lost sight of, yeah, it's not realistic, and we're missing out on so many talented people that can really lean into some of this stuff.

[2:00:43] Michael Drolet: You know, and I think what was unique about this show was again, I I I've yet to have a role like that in snapshots that really challenged me that much, I think, as an actor.

[2:00:52] Amber Brzezinski: And I think you're literally working out your acting muscle because you're talking about it.

[2:00:58] Michael Drolet: I mean, I literally every single time I ended the show, I had to give myself about a minute or two to calm down. That's how emotional I got by the end of the show.

[2:01:06] Amber Brzezinski: And I what is your do you have like a day of show ritual or like pre-show ritual that you do now?

[2:01:12] Michael Drolet: Just be fucking warmed up. That's all I care about.

[2:01:14] Amber Brzezinski: Just be fucking warmed up.

[2:01:16] Michael Drolet: Just wake up, thank God. It's okay, let's go. That's all I stress about.

[2:01:18] Amber Brzezinski: Like my voice is warmed up, that's all we care about.

[2:01:21] Michael Drolet: Because everything is I can do anything as long as my voice is there.

[2:01:24] Amber Brzezinski: You know, I hate to say it, but that's all singers are gonna do.

[2:01:26] Michael Drolet: That's all you do. Wake up and make sure your voice is there.

[2:01:29] Amber Brzezinski: So then hydrate, you know, a lot of people steam and you get it.

[2:01:33] Michael Drolet: Good luck charms or anything you take on the stage with you.

[2:01:35] Amber Brzezinski: I take uh not on stage.

[2:01:37] Michael Drolet: I will say I do swear by bromalane, which is a natural like um extract for like pineapple.

[2:01:42] Amber Brzezinski: So um it really helps a lot with the vocal cords, helps with joints, so we love it for all those things.

[2:01:47] Michael Drolet: So um, but again, I just think hydrating is important, but the whole point of getting up there is it's like getting on a roller coaster but then trusting the roller coaster.

[2:01:55] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[2:01:57] Michael Drolet: But there is a point where you have to relax, yeah.

[2:01:59] Amber Brzezinski: You have to relax holding on, yeah, yeah.

[2:02:01] Michael Drolet: So again, the fun for me is actually my adrenaline comes from listening.

[2:02:06] Amber Brzezinski: Like, and if you're doing it right, you're gonna listen.

[2:02:08] Michael Drolet: And if you're really leaning into the words, you're gonna listen.

[2:02:10] Amber Brzezinski: And if you really think about what you're doing, you're gonna get it, right?

[2:02:13] Michael Drolet: So I think that's the uniqueness about it, and I don't think you can quite get that anymore.

[2:02:18] Amber Brzezinski: They're not listening, they're just regurgitating.

[2:02:20] Michael Drolet: Now, there is a sense of now. I will say improv, that's a whole other world there.

[2:02:25] Amber Brzezinski: Like, they are of course very good at that.

[2:02:26] Michael Drolet: So I understand that. I'm not saying I don't want to like dog on everything, but it's like this idea of just like, you know, I I think it's just so true, it's so I don't know.

[2:02:36] Amber Brzezinski: It just it's just so choreographed already, you know, um, that I just don't really love being parking entertaining for like when it comes to speech.

[2:02:43] Michael Drolet: Yeah, I mean the good thing is is that the theme park is able to kind of help regulate like you're like continuously you know doing something but you're preparing yourself for it's like a workout to pray or something well and at the end of the day is look at all these shows that open and close in New York and look how few union theaters there are so here I am in in because I feel like I could still stay in when I when I visited Amber Erlino um at the Winter Garden when she was doing Back to the Future we're talking backstage um and she had gotten the offer to go over to Beautiful Noise and I had already her mom and I are friendly um that's actually how I met her during the pandemic and um we were talking because Jody was really like pushing like yeah just be careful like you don't know and Amber's like like scared because you don't know how long is Back to the Future gonna be are you gonna stay on the show for 25 years?

[2:03:38] Michael Drolet: Is it gonna be the next Phantom, the next Chicago, or is it gonna close? And then she wound up taking that leap. I was like, take the leap! Like, you have the opportunity to be a lead. Like, she's been like somewhere off in the distance, but everyone loves her because of her social media. So she took Philippe, and then like three months later, the freaking show closed.

[2:04:00] Yep.

[2:04:00] Michael Drolet: But then Back to the Future announced that they were also closing. So like, you really never know, but if you want a piece of the pie, just freaking go for it and risk it.

[2:04:09] Amber Brzezinski: It's that gamble for sure.

[2:04:11] Michael Drolet: Yep, and again, sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes your pie is the right piece for like you're the right piece for the right pie. Like again, Wicked was my dream show anyway. So again, that's why people ask like, why were you like okay with going back in the ensemble? And I'm like, wouldn't you? Like, I'm part of that.

[2:04:28] Amber Brzezinski: And it, yeah, literally, like I'm in the room, I'm in the room.

[2:04:31] Michael Drolet: You guys, the last time I went to the show for Wicked during the pandemic, they offered me three thousand dollars a week. And I don't mean to talk about money, but it's like, guys, there's, it's a no-brainer. Like, you would do it too, you know? Now, now that's not normal, you know, it's a bit higher than what, but the minimum is still 2650, and that is what my union fought for. Yeah, do you know when I started Wicked, the minimum was $1900, and now it's up to 2650. But what I'm saying is a union fought from that right to this, and yet we have, we're fighting for nothing here at BC, right?

[2:04:31] Amber Brzezinski: Right, right.

[2:04:31] Michael Drolet: Like literally minimum wage, and you're just like, guys, right, this is not the same thing. When it could be paid with like three really expensive tickets, right? But again, they look at the money going towards the rise, you know, everything's like, that's the one thing is at Wicked, they're coming to see you at theater. This is why it's so important to get people the seats, right? I kept saying, I was like, who cares? Buy the tickets and get people in the seats. Like, even if they want to leave on the second act, they still, we've got their money. Like, you know?

[2:05:04] Amber Brzezinski: Right, yeah.

[2:05:04] Michael Drolet: Like they still have, they still attended, they still did it. It's like, thanks for your money, but also like, it's not about the money, it's you're here, but thanks for the money.

[2:05:32] Amber Brzezinski: Yep. Now talking about money, and I'm gonna bring up the movie because I'm sure you have strong opinions like we do, um, in good ways and bad or good ways and all good ways. Um, when the movie was announced, what were your initial thoughts? I mean, I knew that they were going to do a movie.

[2:05:50] Michael Drolet: The first thought was, oh no, because what Wicked, I remember what David Stone had said was that they weren't gonna do a movie until they felt like Wicked had plateaued and it was starting to dissipate a little bit. So once it was at its last 10 years, they thought we're gonna do the movie and that'll help give it up. Kind of what they did with Phantom. Phantom was doing really well, and then it kind of had plateaued and started dissipating. They were like, let's do the movie. The movie helped build up the sales, so they were gonna use the same exact business model.

[2:06:19] Right.

[2:06:19] Michael Drolet: So I got a little sad at first. I was like, oh my god, is it already like, you know? So first thought was like, oh my god, are we already going down? But now it's like, oh fuck, we got two movies out of this. Like, it like it brought a chance to, yeah, there's gonna be a, there may be a whole other universe here at Universal.

[2:06:33] Right.

[2:06:34] Michael Drolet: So I mean, I, so I read the book before I saw the show, before I saw the movie. Um, and I like had a weird situation with the show.

[2:06:44] Amber Brzezinski: You were, don't, don't babe, guys.

[2:06:46] Michael Drolet: Sorry, doesn't it?

[2:06:46] Amber Brzezinski: No, what, I'm in dry January.

[2:06:48] Michael Drolet: Don't babe, guys.

[2:06:52] Amber Brzezinski: Fine, who cares? It's your show tonight.

[2:06:55] Michael Drolet: You're fine. You could do, we could do shots, I don't care.

[2:06:57] Amber Brzezinski: Uh, it's because I'm doing dry January.

[2:07:00] Michael Drolet: Oh, yeah, dry January. I have water.

[2:07:03] Amber Brzezinski: No, that's why I've been drinking all the tea, all the sipping the soda, we're like, we're doing it.

[2:07:07] Michael Drolet: Drink it and spilling it, loving it. Um, I was so excited to see it. I think I thought I saw it in like maybe the 90s, I think Demi Moore and a couple of other people actually were supposed to be producing the movie, and then they never followed through with it.

[2:07:21] Um, and to be very honest, when they said Ariana Grande, I was like, I don't want to see it. I didn't, I didn't like a lot of what she did outside of it, but I was like, I have to see this movie because it's a big part of my life.

[2:07:35] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, um, it's, it's like my comfort show.

[2:07:38] Michael Drolet: Like it's one of those.

[2:07:39] Amber Brzezinski: Can I ask you a question?

[2:07:40] Michael Drolet: Can I ask a question real quick?

[2:07:42] Amber Brzezinski: I just because I, I feel like it's just like a bookmark moment of just like I just want to give Ariana a little grace because I think what I want us to remember is she still is a theater girly. And nobody in the theater world, I'm gonna say this, it's like when you do that summer.

[2:07:55] Michael Drolet: No, you're fine.

[2:07:56] Amber Brzezinski: You're in that summer shock show. When you create something, it is literally you are so connected so deeply. Even the way we're talking about this, like when we're creating it, we feel that with each other.

[2:08:06] Michael Drolet: Right, of course.

[2:08:07] Amber Brzezinski: It was like she didn't want to pop the bubble. Like, I can see why she wanted to go after the other theater guy who would be crying in her trailer afterwards, being like,

[2:08:17] Michael Drolet: Right.

[2:08:18] Amber Brzezinski: Like, do you know what I mean? Someone that was gonna be real and let her theater out and be nerdy. Do you know what I'm saying? So I think that's the one that's her.

[2:08:24] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[2:08:24] Amber Brzezinski: So I think with her and with, you know, Ethan Slater, that's why I give them grace is like, I don't know if you've ever seen, but like the last that they had filmed was when she said, you know, it w uh it was a long time ago at school, and then you see her afterwards, and just her like, yeah, she's a star, but she's alone, just sitting there with two people putting a jacket on.

[2:08:42] Michael Drolet: I saw compare it, so there's the whole um like from Hamilton, like you put a comment, a sentence, it changed the meaning.

[2:08:52] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, and then I saw somebody did that with no one mourns the wicked, and then it's like one mourns a wicked, and so they start talking about it because you have, you know, Kristen Chenowith who said that the higher that Glinda sings, the more lying she does, the more pain she's causing, and she's actually talking about her being wicked inside, like it was like this whole thing, also the article if you're interested in it.

[2:09:14] Michael Drolet: So it was interesting to see that perspective. I just, I had seen a lot of what Ariana Grande was doing, like in the public, like the licking of a donut, and I was just like, I'm just not a fan, and I hope she does it justice. And then I saw it, and I was like, I can't imagine anybody else doing that role in the movie except her, and then the way that they've been handling the press has been great.

[2:09:33] Amber Brzezinski: It's a lot, yeah.

[2:09:34] Michael Drolet: Yeah, it's a lot. They're filming.

[2:09:35] Amber Brzezinski: And she knows, but she still loves it. Like, that's the thing is you could tell these are theater girlies. And the thing is, they're showing too that you can have both. You can have theater girlies and make a successful movie.

[2:09:45] Michael Drolet: Yes, absolutely.

[2:09:46] Amber Brzezinski: Is that, I'm sorry, it's called musical theater for a reason, right?

[2:09:50] Michael Drolet: So what I think the biggest issue was like even with when I think about like the Mean Girls movie, the biggest issue was why are we singing all this belty music in our head voice with a camera right here? You know what I mean?

[2:10:00] Amber Brzezinski: Like it doesn't make any sense.

[2:10:01] Michael Drolet: Like it's a good one.

[2:10:03] Amber Brzezinski: No, but John M. Choo did it very much like a theatrical production design.

[2:10:07] Michael Drolet: Yeah, he would start it there and then get there. Do you know what I mean?

[2:10:10] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, I also love the introduction of the train because it just shows that Glinda made frickin' Darthy walk all the way down the Yellow Brick Road when there was a damn train.

[2:10:20] Michael Drolet: Right.

[2:10:21] Amber Brzezinski: But and you got to do the sing along too. You attended recently.

[2:10:25] Michael Drolet: Yes, I did do that one. It was actually at the beginning of the month. I know they're not as many now, but it was a lot of them.

[2:10:30] Amber Brzezinski: I still haven't gone to a sing along, but how did it?

[2:10:33] Michael Drolet: But here's the thing, I will tell you, it's not conducive because it's not like a theater where you'll hear people behind you. It's made so you don't hear the people, right? You have these big cinematic seats and these big walls, and it's like, so it's kind of not the experience you think it's gonna be, which is why I'm gonna have a wicked party and say, but it's just a different, no, but it's just a different experience.

[2:10:52] Amber Brzezinski: I just can't, I appreciate that people are tuning in again.

[2:10:55] Michael Drolet: Either way, we are making theater cool because again, we cannot lose it. Like, you know what I'm saying? We have to make it cool.

[2:10:59] Amber Brzezinski: We're mainstream, we're mainstreaming theater, like it's like our theater nerd time to shine.

[2:11:05] Michael Drolet: Yep, it's like when Pokemon got its like big boost a couple of years ago, years ago, like eight years ago, another big boost, and now it's like a huge thing, but again, but it's like okay, it's time for us to shine.

[2:11:16] Amber Brzezinski: So I love it.

[2:11:16] Michael Drolet: Which is funny because Pokemon's been around forever.

[2:11:18] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, it's fun, uh, fun fact, one of the wizards, um, Stuart Zagnant, um, is the original voice of the professor.

[2:11:26] Michael Drolet: Professor? Oh, really?

[2:11:27] Amber Brzezinski: Professor Willow or whatever, yeah.

[2:11:29] Michael Drolet: That's so funny.

[2:11:30] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, yeah.

[2:11:31] Michael Drolet: I was like, Willow's in the game.

[2:11:32] Amber Brzezinski: And the quick question, real quick.

[2:11:35] Michael Drolet: Um, I don't know if we missed anyone, but does anybody have any questions?

[2:11:37] Amber Brzezinski: I wasn't sure if we missed any of the things.

[2:11:39] Michael Drolet: Yeah, I was like, this is your show, bring it in.

[2:11:41] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, if anybody has any questions, whether it's now or later, put them into the Noah, I just meant like because I wasn't sure if he missed anything while we were chit chatting because I saw some stuff pop up on a new one.

[2:11:49] Michael Drolet: Stephanie's, are you kidding me?

[2:11:50] Amber Brzezinski: But we already answered that and we think it's Adam Lammer questions.

[2:11:53] Michael Drolet: Yeah, I think we're good.

[2:11:54] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I think, I think we're all caught up.

[2:11:56] Michael Drolet: And like, see, I told you we're gonna go over an hour because it's been two hours.

[2:12:00] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my gosh, lay babies. This has been a blast.

[2:12:03] Michael Drolet: But I, we have any other questions?

[2:12:05] Amber Brzezinski: Are you thinking anything?

[2:12:07] Michael Drolet: Yeah, when are we hanging out when I get home?

[2:12:09] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, let's go.

[2:12:10] Michael Drolet: Let's go.

[2:12:11] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, and yeah, let's do it. I'm ready.

[2:12:12] Michael Drolet: And also, like I said, I think the biggest advice is be kind. Listen to your friends. Your friends know what like you're good at. Listen to them. They tell you you're perfect at something, go do it. And even if you don't feel like it's, that's the other thing too, is don't give up, even if you don't feel like you're right for it, you have to practice at it, right?

[2:12:27] Amber Brzezinski: Like, you know, I'm like, well, where do I fit in there?

[2:12:29] Michael Drolet: Well, I had a call back for Popeye, and it's like, well, I'll give close one eye, put a corn pipe as a prop in my mouth, and I'm gonna figure it out.

[2:12:39] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, but yeah, what do you want me to do?

[2:12:41] Michael Drolet: That's my job.

[2:12:41] Amber Brzezinski: Like I'm not the actor.

[2:12:45] Michael Drolet: No, no, but at the end of the day, no, you did great.

[2:12:47] Amber Brzezinski: No, I'm just saying is at the end of the day, you gotta do what you gotta do. You know, and I heard other people doing it, but I'm like, I understand the style because I'll put everything into it. Like, that's what people do.

[2:13:00] Michael Drolet: You have to keep happy in what you're doing and work towards it and find a goal. And if you're not just like illegal, then don't do it. Do something else.

[2:13:06] Amber Brzezinski: For sure.

[2:13:07] Michael Drolet: Yeah.

[2:13:07] Amber Brzezinski: And the reason why we love theater in musical theater is because it is, there's so many layers to it, right?

[2:13:12] Michael Drolet: Like all of it.

[2:13:13] Amber Brzezinski: It's all just beautiful and it comes together and it just really just, it just takes your like your breath away.

[2:13:18] Michael Drolet: Absolutely.

[2:13:19] Amber Brzezinski: Now I want to watch Wicked.

[2:13:20] Michael Drolet: I'm like, I just feel like I just want to watch the movie.

[2:13:22] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, we have it here, so we might be able to.

[2:13:24] Michael Drolet: We actually, oh, I think we could actually do a viewing party.

[2:13:28] Amber Brzezinski: We'll call even when we're done.

[2:13:30] Michael Drolet: Uh, but is your, if anyone would like to find you on the socials, do you have a specific social that you use better? And how could we find you?

[2:13:38] Michael Drolet: Oh no, it's, it's gonna be just me. So it's Michael Drolay, Michael M I C H A E L underscore D R O L E T. Um, and that's gonna be for my Instagram, also on Facebook. As long as you're not crazy, follow me.

[2:13:47] Amber Brzezinski: Let's go.

[2:13:50] Michael Drolet: And I'll be your friend. And let's, let's figure this out.

[2:13:53] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[2:13:53] Michael Drolet: Well, I also love musical theater nerdies. They're my favorite.

[2:13:57] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[2:13:57] Michael Drolet: Oh my god, Stephanie is one of my best friends. I love her so much.

[2:14:01] Amber Brzezinski: Wicked party.

[2:14:02] Michael Drolet: We're gonna have to talk offline, absolutely.

[2:14:04] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I'm here for it.

[2:14:04] Michael Drolet: Yeah, we're gonna do a wicked party.

[2:14:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, so yeah, just don't be crazy.

[2:14:08] Michael Drolet: Yeah, just don't be crazy, guys.

[2:14:09] Amber Brzezinski: You're your game.

[2:14:10] Michael Drolet: All I'm saying is um I attract really good people every once in a while at crazy. So let's make sure the everyone once wild doesn't happen.

[2:14:16] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, love all the positivity.

[2:14:18] Michael Drolet: Um, I'm so glad that some of your friends got to join us. That was awesome.

[2:14:21] Amber Brzezinski: Thank you.

[2:14:22] Michael Drolet: Um and thank you for letting us pop your podcast cherry.

[2:14:26] Amber Brzezinski: Um my gosh, it feels really good.

[2:14:27] Michael Drolet: I still like I'm not sore. I feel great.

[2:14:29] Amber Brzezinski: I really, okay.

[2:14:30] Michael Drolet: We, we made it easy.

[2:14:32] Amber Brzezinski: I think so.

[2:14:33] Michael Drolet: Next time we'll just go a little bit stronger.

[2:14:35] Amber Brzezinski: All right.

[2:14:35] Michael Drolet: Yes.

[2:14:36] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, no, you run strong, trust me.

[2:14:38] Michael Drolet: No, I'm just, yeah, yeah.

[2:14:39] Amber Brzezinski: No, we, it was listening to durability, consistency, yeah, yeah.

[2:14:43] Michael Drolet: Good consistency, durability.

[2:14:45] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, we practice.

[2:14:46] Michael Drolet: We sustained, yeah.

[2:14:48] Amber Brzezinski: Sustainable.

[2:14:49] Michael Drolet: But we hope that you have a wonderful night.

[2:14:51] Amber Brzezinski: Thank you for everybody joining us.

[2:14:53] Michael Drolet: Um my gosh, and Amber, you're the first one.

[2:14:55] Amber Brzezinski: It's not the last time that you're gonna see us, obviously.

[2:14:57] Michael Drolet: No, so you're stuck with us.

[2:14:59] Amber Brzezinski: And for everyone else listening, we'll be back tomorrow.

[2:15:03] Michael Drolet: We have a new surprise show tomorrow.

[2:15:06] Amber Brzezinski: Um we actually have Ariel, who is the new female lead guitar for Drag Musical, and she's gonna be joining us tomorrow night at 8 o'clock, right here.

[2:15:18] Michael Drolet: I know we're excited.

[2:15:19] Amber Brzezinski: We love that, yes, and get some musicians in here.

[2:15:23] Michael Drolet: That's the thing is everyone has to know like it's all of us that make theater. Theater is all of us. It's the audience to the backstage, to the everything, and everyone's got the coolest fucking stories.

[2:15:32] Michael Drolet: I did a little music five years in Wicked. Listen, they've got, they're crazy. And you might have been working with the same person for those five, ten years, whatever, and they have totally different stories.

[2:15:42] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[2:15:43] Michael Drolet: Oh, I always said like my reason that I'm on this earth, everyone's like, you know, gotta find the meaning of life. I'm a, I'm a story collector. Like I've literally said this for years. Is I, my purpose in life is to listen to people's stories and just gather information and just be able to like appreciate and understand like human race.

[2:15:59] Amber Brzezinski: It's really fun.

[2:16:00] Michael Drolet: It's a theater thing.

[2:16:02] Amber Brzezinski: I was gonna say, and I appreciate you being so willing to listen and just, oh my god.

[2:16:07] Michael Drolet: Yeah, okay.

[2:16:09] Amber Brzezinski: If the damn friend she wasn't storing behind us, we would do this all night.

[2:16:12] Michael Drolet: Yeah, but I didn't have work tomorrow. I would totally do this all night.

[2:16:15] Amber Brzezinski: Can I introduce the puppy really quick?

[2:16:18] Michael Drolet: What's that?

[2:16:19] Amber Brzezinski: You want to introduce?

[2:16:21] Michael Drolet: Oh, this is Butters.

[2:16:22] Amber Brzezinski: This is Butters.

[2:16:22] Amber Brzezinski: This is Butters.

[2:16:23] Michael Drolet: Say hi.

[2:16:25] Michael Drolet: Hi, we got one more, come here, Mrs. Wiggles.

[2:16:26] Amber Brzezinski: And this is Mrs. Wiggles.

[2:16:29] Michael Drolet: Oh, hi, Mrs. Wiggles.

[2:16:31] Amber Brzezinski: I love her collar flower.

[2:16:35] Michael Drolet: She's fancy.

[2:16:36] Amber Brzezinski: Very extra.

[2:16:36] Michael Drolet: She's very extra.

[2:16:38] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[2:16:38] Michael Drolet: She was, um, I adopted her. She was found in Temecula, California.

[2:16:42] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[2:16:42] Michael Drolet: But when the show was in Close to Mesa, I, I was able to adopt her.

[2:16:45] Amber Brzezinski: Damn right.

[2:16:46] Michael Drolet: She joined the tour then.

[2:16:48] Amber Brzezinski: She's like, look at me, adore me.

[2:16:49] Michael Drolet: I love it.

[2:16:50] Amber Brzezinski: I love her so much.

[2:16:51] Michael Drolet: I love it.

[2:16:53] Amber Brzezinski: But you go to bed.

[2:16:54] Michael Drolet: To bed, I decided.

[2:16:55] Amber Brzezinski: We'll call you in a minute.

[2:16:57] Michael Drolet: Thank you for joining us.

[2:16:58] Amber Brzezinski: That's good.

[2:16:59] Michael Drolet: Talk to you soon.

[2:17:00] Amber Brzezinski: Thanks, everybody.

[2:17:01] Michael Drolet: See you tomorrow.

[2:17:02] Amber Brzezinski: All right.

[2:17:02] Michael Drolet: Bye.

[2:17:03] Amber Brzezinski: Bye.

[2:17:04] Michael Drolet: Bye, everyone.

[2:17:05] Amber Brzezinski: Bye.