This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:17] Heather Bedor: Happy Monday. I'm gonna be giggling today. So bad. Hi, beautiful Amber Face. Um welcome everybody to the Broadway Fan Club podcast. It is Monday, May 19th. How is it already May 19th? I do not understand, but it's I can't even talk about it. I like I was booking an appointment for a patient at work for July, and I was like, July, it's July. Like, I can't. It's coming soon.

[0:47] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, it's coming soon.

[0:48] Heather Bedor: Um, but I'm also smack dab in the middle of the Orlando fringe. Yes, I'm gonna keep pounding this. So we literally have finished five shows so far. I have my temporary tattoo zombie bite for those of you watching on our live stream. Uh it is not real, but I keep looking at it and say, damn, that's cool. Uh, but yeah, we are halfway through fringe. I literally left the lawn of fabulousness as they call it to come do the podcast, and I'll be going back to the lawn to sweat my butt off in 103 degree weather because living in Florida is fun. Yay!

[1:18] Amber Brzezinski: Um yeah, we skipped last week. I had food poisoning and then neck surgery, and then Amber was dealing with stuff. So I'm like, oh, we're gonna do it this way. And we've got an incredible guest who is going to uh charm charm all of our patrons and our viewers and strangers alike. Uh the one and only Alan Seales is here from the Broadway Podcast Network. Um obsessed. If you do not know anything about it, you're gonna learn all about it today, including his own show, The Theatre Podcast, which he's been doing since 2014 when he was five years old. Um, but also he has an incredible background in IT, and um, I cannot wait to bring him on. So without further ado, uh drum roll, whatever you want to do at home to make him feel more welcome. Ta-da!

[2:09] Alan Seales: Hello! I'm about to have my 16th birthday, I guess, if I did the math right.

[2:15] Heather Bedor: Yes. Well, it's only because you know you're uh wise beyond your years here. So we're so glad that you could join us. Um it's gonna be fun because we haven't really had anybody on that's had their own theater podcast on our theater podcast.

[2:30] Alan Seales: Oh, really?

[2:31] Heather Bedor: Really? We've had every kind of Broadway star and producer, and you were the first podcast person on the show.

[2:39] Alan Seales: Interesting.

[2:39] Heather Bedor: Well I am I am honored, I'm honored with it with a hate here, honored too.

[2:45] Alan Seales: So we can honor our UK friends.

[2:48] Heather Bedor: Yes, yes, honor, honor honor to our families and a honor to our UK friends. Uh, yes, no, we're really excited to have you here. I've been asking forever to come join the show.

[2:57] Alan Seales: Um, and I've also been begging you to let us join the network.

[3:00] Heather Bedor: So, you know that that's helpful.

[3:02] Alan Seales: Begging, you've been you've been patiently doing your due diligence, and I I appreciate that.

[3:07] Heather Bedor: Yeah, it's like hi, hello, don't forget about us. Hello, hi, hello.

[3:11] Alan Seales: But no, you've been great, and you've been doing this for so long, and it's kind of like you have no standard for podcasts.

[3:19] Heather Bedor: It's not computer coverage.

[3:21] Alan Seales: It's been very I am losing you, Heather.

[3:24] Heather Bedor: You're losing me.

[3:25] Alan Seales: Your pure sound.

[3:27] Heather Bedor: There you go.

[3:28] Alan Seales: I could I could get into the technical reason why if we want to bore your listeners.

[3:33] Heather Bedor: Yeah, because when Amber types, the echo cancellation on your side, Heather, is canceling it out because you're not wearing headphones and she's typing loudly.

[3:42] Amber Brzezinski: See, listen to me when I say, Don't you're typing in my ear?

[3:47] Alan Seales: This is great. Alan's gonna be calling out our tech stuff all night.

[3:51] Heather Bedor: No, this is why I take my Zoom meetings like this. This is literally just like my at home. I this is my office, my studio, my workspace, my everything. I've got all my equipment over here. The kids are on the other side of the door safely tucked away. I'm good.

[4:04] Amber Brzezinski: I was like, they're pretty quiet. They're probably outside playing soccer, hopefully.

[4:08] Alan Seales: Okay, fair. They do need to do that.

[4:10] Heather Bedor: Yeah, because practice makes perfect.

[4:12] Alan Seales: Yeah, no, usually there's not an issue.

[4:16] Heather Bedor: Never.

[4:18] Alan Seales: No, it's we've been having struggles too with StreamYard since he did some stuff not to call out StreamYard on their network, but um StreamYard's been a challenge, but we'll have fun with it. And if you can't hear me, I'll just project because I've been at a theater festival since last Tuesday.

[4:27] Amber Brzezinski: Is that better?

[4:34] Alan Seales: Yeah, I can hear you just fine now. Uh yes, I would uh I think what you were saying a second ago was that I've been doing this for a long time since I was five, which is not entirely true.

[4:43] Heather Bedor: Uh yeah, I started in 2016, seven.

[4:48] Alan Seales: Your bio said 2014, this is how much I pay attention to. So I've been podcasting for a while. My actual podcast started in 2018.

[4:57] Heather Bedor: Yes, 2018. Ariana DeBose was my first guest when she was in Donna Summer.

[5:02] Alan Seales: What a hell of a first guest.

[5:04] Heather Bedor: Right?

[5:05] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[5:06] Heather Bedor: Starting off with a bang.

[5:08] Alan Seales: Right.

[5:09] Heather Bedor: Yeah. I know her from North Carolina, North Carolina days.

[5:12] Alan Seales: There you go.

[5:13] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[5:14] Alan Seales: Now, are you finding since you've been doing this for a long time, and I'm gonna just call it as I see it. Are you finding that almost everybody with a computer or a cell phone is trying to become a podcaster, or are you finding more they're leaning towards influencers at this point?

[5:31] Alan Seales: Uh 2020, 2021. Literally, there was a supply chain shortage of the Yeti Blue mics.

[5:38] Heather Bedor: Yes, yes, I remember that.

[5:39] Alan Seales: Legitimately, everybody was like, I'm at home, I'm gonna be an overnight millionaire, because that's what podcasters are. And no, and then they found out after three episodes that it's really hard work, and they're like, screw it, they pod faded. But that was the year of 2020, 2021. And then, yes, now 2425, with as wide as TikTok is, and with uh when you see everybody, not everybody, so many people are being cast now because of their TikTok presence and because of their Instagram presence that it's kind of shifted that way.

[6:14] Heather Bedor: Yeah, and I I don't like it one bit, like as far as influencers are concerned, because I just want it to be huh. Um I just want it to be sorry, I was like looking in our comment section. I just want it to be something, yeah, um, spam. Um I want there to be a benefit for people, like there are really incredible influencers who do a lot of good, and then there's a lot of people who are like, look at me, look at me. And Amber and I sometimes get called an influencer, and it's almost like oh, and then we're like, okay, no, we're the good kind, um, because we are helping influence a rather large group of people to do something to support the community. But you know, it's it's interesting for sure, and we have to have a different kind of interview style. Um, where you hone it. Amber had never done a podcast before. I was like, hey, if you're want to do this.

[7:06] Amber Brzezinski: Sure, I'll give it a whirl.

[7:07] Alan Seales: One of my favorite subreddits is TikTok cringe.

[7:10] Heather Bedor: Okay.

[7:11] Alan Seales: Where some of the worst of the worst goes there.

[7:13] Heather Bedor: What's your favorite on that on that thread on that subreddit?

[7:16] Alan Seales: Oh, I I mean I can't pick a favorite. It's just people who are on there just like trying to be the most they're trying to be the next Nostradamus or the next Gandhi or then like they're trying to try to just be the next leader in some thought space and they come off sounding like such fools.

[7:34] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, Alan has what what was the alternative term that you used for the guy that we don't talk about on our show?

[7:40] Alan Seales: The perspiring Oh, yes.

[7:44] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, perspiring prophet.

[7:47] Alan Seales: You know who we're talking about.

[7:49] Heather Bedor: Is he orange?

[7:50] Alan Seales: No.

[7:51] Heather Bedor: No.

[7:51] Alan Seales: Oh, different, different person we don't talk about.

[7:54] Amber Brzezinski: Hold on. Hold on. I will type it into our various super secret chat.

[7:59] Alan Seales: Um yeah, no, it's really interesting because there's so much buzz.

[8:02] Heather Bedor: Mm-hmm.

[8:02] Alan Seales: There's so much interesting buzz, and a lot of people, especially with cultivating our communities, we have to keep track, and I'm sure you do too, hosting so many shows with so many people kind of throwing stuff at you. Is we have to really be careful about what kind of information we provide, and we like double check and quadruple check our facts. But there's a lot of rumors. And it's like it's good marketing, but it's also terrible.

[8:25] Alan Seales: Oh no, no, no, no. I am all in favor of a clickbaity headline. But when you put it out there, whatever you put out there needs to be factually accurate. 100%. I am I am so down with that. And that's why when someone's in the middle of something, I want to go talk to them. And I just want to get the story straight.

[8:40] Heather Bedor: Yep.

[8:43] Alan Seales: Because usually they want to talk about it. Usually they they're like some people are are afraid to talk about it, afraid to be to ask the person about it. And then when that person is finally asked about it, they're like, Yeah, finally, like this is what's going on. And it's really that simple.

[8:58] Heather Bedor: Yeah, it's it's well, talk to me a little bit. I want to hear more about your experience in your past that kind of led you to the path that you're at now. Because you really do have a good head on your shoulders. And when I get a chance to talk with you, whether it's business-y or not business-y, you have a different level of presence that I think a lot of people aspire to, and it just it's it's refreshing to be honest.

[9:24] Alan Seales: Thank you. Um did you know you're trying to feel good being on our show? I appreciate it.

[9:31] Amber Brzezinski: Alan, you suck.

[9:32] Alan Seales: Oh my god, can you not like sorry? I'm just gonna talk about this the whole time, and then we're just gonna yeah. My son came in and gave me a fidget toy earlier. He's like, if you get bored during the thing, you play with the fidget. So I'm not gonna get bored, but I do love that. I do like to have things in my hand because I probably have ADHD. I talk about this on the podcast. I play with my hair, take my hair tie. Um Cheyenne Cook, as Joe Freddy says, just the facts, ma'am. That's right. Thanks, Cheyenne. Um, I uh gosh, where do you want me to start? I mean, like, I'll give you the very, very abridged version. When I was a wee type, I love to sing and dance and play soccer and baseball to uh four very conflicting things often.

And uh then we got a computer. I fell in love with taking apart said computer, and I had I'm old enough to have had prodigy when it cost in a quarter an email when you sent more than 25 emails a month. That's when I started using the I don't get off my god and uh old man yells at internet sky, internet clouds, and uh uh then um and so then uh fast forward and I've always been like doing sports and theater, and then I go to college for uh for computer science, get the computer science degree, and then act with said degree. But I'm an actor for seven years, then the 2007 writer strike happens. They're striking over DVD residuals. Remember DVDs, you know, they're not just they're not just coasters, folks.

And then uh uh put in your microwave and see what kind of electricity, yeah. I used to do that. You microwave the the disc and they're um we're not showing our age at all, folks. Nope. I've never done that with Blu-ray discs, though. I have to say, now the kids are doing it with the snack potato chip bags. Have you seen this?

[11:18] Heather Bedor: No, they're making jewelry out of it, so they're taking a snack potato bag with the little ones. They're obviously eating the chips out of it, and then they're shrinking it in the microwave and destroying their microwaves and using them to like make your oh oh if my kids do that, they're buying me a new night microwave.

[11:36] Alan Seales: Yeah. Um yeah, so then uh professional actor, writer strike, move to New York during the writer's strike, never performed professionally in New York, fall back on my degree, end up at at uh Thompson Reuters, and then Google for over a decade, all this engineering stuff. Strangely, the engineering side at Google connects me back with the Broadway side because people that I used to perform with a decade prior had made it to Google. I mean, had made it on Broadway, and I brought them into Google to do events and blah blah blah. And then through all of that, ended up starting my podcast, reaching out to the friends that I had, and that's how I got all that started, which led me to my co-founder Dory Berenstein, who is the lead producer of The Prom, and we ended up founding Broadway Podcast Network. Um and there the rest is history, and here we are.

[12:20] Heather Bedor: The rest is history. And of all of that, is it weird? But the only question I want to know is how cool is the Google Office.

[12:31] Alan Seales: Which one?

[12:32] Heather Bedor: I've been too many.

[12:33] Alan Seales: Yes, right. Well, all of them, yes. Are they all cool?

[12:36] Alan Seales: Well, yes. Uh I have to say, I joined I joined at the end of it being a gigantic startup culture. Right in 2013. And it's become corporate because the people who were there from the beginning retired with their hundreds of millions, and then people who came in to run the company now are very they're from big pharma and big banking, and they they're very corporate, and that's just how it goes. Uh but I but like the Bay Area, the headquarters, they have like lap pools and yoga and rock climbing and biking, and you see, like I mean, really the the Vince Vaughn um movie um The Intern.

[13:11] Heather Bedor: Yes, The Intern.

[13:12] Alan Seales: Yeah, is pretty factually accurate.

[13:16] Heather Bedor: Yeah, like those nap pods exist.

[13:18] Alan Seales: The nap pods exist. Took a nap all the time.

[13:22] Alan Seales: Um yeah, plant walls, free food everywhere. Um but it's they still have the Google goats.

[13:29] Heather Bedor: The goats.

[13:30] Alan Seales: I did not have any goats in the New York office. We had uh we the building in the New York office that I was in, 118th Avenue, is the fourth largest. Wouldn't have goats, but we did have plants all over the outside balconies. They had full, they had like a on the roof, there was a beehive, uh um, yeah, beehive.

[13:48] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, so they're colony made their own a bee colony.

[13:51] Alan Seales: That's the one I was looking for, yes. You were so yeah, all sorts of fun. They had scooters so you could scoot from one end of building to the other because it's the fourth building in Manhattan, yep.

[14:00] Heather Bedor: Okay, fair, fair. Very cool.

[14:02] Alan Seales: Yeah, I am Broadway. I well, I mean, you know. Uh I worked at Wawa Corporate. Corporate, Wawa being a gas station chain for those of you that don't know, and it sounds really weird, but their office was very Google-esque. It had emus.

[14:19] Amber Brzezinski: A lot of companies would would copy that style.

[14:25] Alan Seales: Yeah. And it worked for a long time. They had goat yoga.

[14:28] Amber Brzezinski: Good. Where my office was located. I worked between Florida and Jersey. Um they had Oh yeah, absolutely.

[14:37] Alan Seales: Yes, the little goat they're like they're like right in your face because you're bending down. You're like, your breath is so gross. Please don't breathe on me. But you're really cute. To tell you that.

[14:45] Amber Brzezinski: Very yes, I know. Tried so hard to get rid of my halitosis. It's not.

[14:51] Alan Seales: But um we had like a little night like 1950 style diner, which is where my office was. So like it was working like with the jukeboxes stuff.

[14:59] Amber Brzezinski: That's really cool. That's a good thing. And then you could get like free Wawa food because they had the test kitchen there too. So like if if they were running a test, it would be like a store inside. You pretend to go in and shop and order food. And then eventually you're like, I do not ever want to eat anything from here again because I eat it 500 times a day.

[15:15] Alan Seales: So our off and on for three years in the mid-nots before New York, I worked at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. And there was there was a Wawa there that I got all my lunches from.

[15:24] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[15:25] Alan Seales: So that's my what did you do at Busch Gardens?

[15:27] Amber Brzezinski: I was uh primarily the uh in the secrets of Castle of Sullivan in Ireland. Did you did you ever go there?

[15:35] Alan Seales: I've been to that park. I did their um Scream Fest like COVID year.

[15:40] Amber Brzezinski: Hallow Scream?

[15:41] Alan Seales: Uh is it Halloween Scream out there?

[15:43] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. Yeah.

[15:44] Alan Seales: I know that yes, they're Hello Scream. We have Hollow Scream here in Orlando too with Sea World and Busch Gardens Circuit.

[15:49] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, so I did um I was one of the stilt walking scarecrows during Hello Scream.

[15:54] Alan Seales: Okay.

[15:54] Amber Brzezinski: In Virginia, and I did um Fest House, the German show. And was that uh yeah, that was it. I think I did a lot of contracts of Secrets of Castle Sullivan, which was with an animatronic leprechaun made by Jim Henson Studio. So that was an experience.

[16:10] Alan Seales: That is very cool. I can imagine. And now you're living your best life doing all sorts of theater stuff and telling me what's wrong with my tech on the first five minutes of my show. It's great.

[16:22] Amber Brzezinski: Listen. No, it's good. It's been I think like a live show to troubleshoot.

[16:28] Alan Seales: No, absolutely. Oh, there's been only two. I knock on wood. I think we've only had two shows where there were extreme issues and it wasn't on us, and it was great.

[16:37] Amber Brzezinski: It's true. Only two.

[16:39] Alan Seales: Yeah. And I think I fixed one of them.

[16:42] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, you did. Yes.

[16:43] Alan Seales: And we're pulled in Allen, so it's good.

[16:46] Amber Brzezinski: I did. But yeah, so so talk to us. Tell us for those that don't know Broadway Podcast Network, if you don't mind kind of giving them a little bit of a background, obviously a little bit of what you and Dory have created, but what your goals are and like what kind of home it is for people and what they can expect.

[17:02] Alan Seales: We may go visit, and so we can put up your link and talk a little bit more in depth.

[17:06] Sure. Um at the at Broadway Podcast Network.com. Um we have a hundred excuse me. We have 185 podcasts now.

[17:15] Alan Seales: Um a lot of interview style. That's it. That's it. A lot of interview style. Uh uh, we have a very solid collection of scripted comedies and scripted dramas, uh starring Broadway people. And one of my favorite I one of my favorites actually, is As the Curtain Rises. It's a fictional story about the fictional creation of Avatar the Musical.

[17:38] Amber Brzezinski: Yep. I've listened to it. So yes.

[17:41] Alan Seales: Um, very, very good. And uh uh uh yeah, it's it's basically when I I was thinking of it, I was just like, Oh, if it's the Netflix of of Broadway podcasts, part of the really is part of the issue that I that I found the reason I started my podcast full stop at the beginning, yeah, was because I wanted to find the content and I couldn't find it. I wanted to find behind the scenes good conversations with good audio quality that were still active. I couldn't find anything, everything that met the criteria criteria was not still active.

[18:15] Heather Bedor: Right.

[18:16] Alan Seales: And so I was like, I'll just do it, I'll do it myself. And then as soon as I as soon as I launched my own a couple months go by, and it's just like all of a sudden, well, there's like 50 bajillion other people trying to do this too. And how come I couldn't find this when I wanted to find it?

[18:28] Amber Brzezinski: Yep.

[18:31] Alan Seales: And so then it occurred to me like, oh well, let's just make the destination ourselves, and uh and as we say, the rest is history.

[18:40] Heather Bedor: Russia history.

[18:41] Alan Seales: Yeah, the rest is history, and yeah, we we launched right before COVID, never saw that coming. And pivoted pivoted virtually, and uh for a while for a lot of 2020, we were one of the only places releasing content.

[18:56] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, and it kind of kept everybody going too. It's it's fascinating. You say, like you're you're trying to create a destination, and um one of our very first shows was with Jeff Calhoun. Yeah, do you remember that conversation? The three of us were all crying. It was like beautiful tears, but Jeff was like, you know, as a little boy, I wish that I had something like this show, and that means the world to us with that kind of stuff.

[19:20] Alan Seales: We've developed, like you can see in our in our comments section, these are our regular incredible patrons who we've met 90% of them in person when we go out to different events. And it's cool because we're cultivating this community, but you have literally not only cultivated a community, you have like cultivated your own universe, and it's so cool. Um and the different shows participating. I can't give Shelby a really hard time with uh 20 sided tavern. Because I'm like, we've been trying for so long to get onto the network, and here you guys are with your own show. And Shelby's like, yeah, I guess.

[19:55] Amber Brzezinski: But it's cool because you guys are helping break down the fourth wall a little bit, but you're also adding a little bit of canon, and there's people are getting the opportunity to listen to more behind the scenes stuff or personal things that different stars or different casting crew and tech are talking about. It's instead of having that separation of wall of audience to stage to curtain to backstage, it's opening it up. And I think it's so important because it allows for people to not only have more education and understanding, but a bigger and better appreciation for it as well.

[20:31] Alan Seales: Yeah. I I think it it helps so much to be able to bring these voices to everybody who can't make it to New York every day.

[20:39] Amber Brzezinski: Or accessibility once a year.

[20:41] Alan Seales: Yeah, straight up accessibility. And I think it's I mean, when you think about the union costs and go put on my business hat for a second, it costs literally millions of dollars to do a pro shop and then even more to live stream something. And so you're sitting here wondering why uh, you know, why can't we just record everything and put it out there? Well, I mean, we could, but it's all it all comes down to money. And when tomorrow's at what tomorrow's marketing dollars come from last week's or yesterday's ticket sales, then you're living paycheck to paycheck for most Broadway shows, unless you're a Hamilton or a Wicked, and you can't plan that far ahead.

[21:17] Amber Brzezinski: And let me ask.

[21:19] Alan Seales: Oh, yeah, go ahead.

[21:20] Amber Brzezinski: No, no, no, you go ahead. I was gonna say part of part of the the uh the the cost prohibitiveness of all of this is is union cost, and there's a very there's a strong value in unions, but there's I I am uh in this particular case, I think it's very prohibitive in bringing accessibility to those who could keep the industry going.

[21:37] Alan Seales: 100% and that you've got you know people like George Clooney who's like, oh well I'm gonna make it more accessible, and then tickets are gonna be less expensive, and I think it's important, or um, you know, having senior citizens in groups. I know that when we were talking about Mary earlier with Ken Davenport's group, they bring buses to pick people up and bring them to shows, but not everybody has that accessibility or availability. So it is key, and we kind of pride ourselves in in doing the best that we can.

[22:05] Alan Seales: Now, going back to something you said, and it's a question I've been asking a lot more of like our producer guests, because you also have that experience. You've you know been part of a couple of shows. You're also a co-pro for the Museum of Broadway, which we love Julie and that gang over there so much. And I cried the first time after four and a half hours of being in that museum. Uh but we talk about the Wickets and the Hamiltons and even the Phantoms, and I'm a Phantom girl. Um, what are your thoughts on those long-standing shows that have been around Chicago? You know, do you feel um there's a there's a very it's very specific reason I'm asking. There's a heavy presence of long shows do not belong on Broadway because that's not what it was truly written and meant for.

It's supposed to be a magical moment, not 30 years. Um or you have I'm really so happy that I can go back to my favorite show after 20 years and still have the same experience or a newer experience, better experience. Where where does your brain lie?

[23:07] Alan Seales: Hmm. Lies conveniently straight down the middle, and I was yes, and because I was gonna bring this up a second ago, but this plays right into the into this question too. Is there's accessibility part of that is a massive marketing problem.

[23:33] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[23:33] Alan Seales: And anybody out there listening who knows anything about nonprofits and can help me start something and talk to local, regional, city municipalities, let's do something. Because here's my plan, and this is gonna answer your question. Yes, is that there needs to be some sort of city subsidized, city-funded uh marketing national marketing campaign that is always run out of New York, always has spots being bought in regional places, spots being commercial spots like um uh Pittsburgh, Chicago, Seattle, LA, all the places that have a lot of regional theater, the people that are gonna pump tourists into New York. Tourism accounts for so many billions with a B of dollars of tour, you know, uh of money coming into New York, so the city should take notice.

And then so if your ticket sales are under a certain amount every week or every month, make it monthly. Then you get then you qualify to to get city subsidized advertising on the national level. Because to answer your question, one of the great things about long running shows is that people they're they've run they're running long enough for people to to know about them. They don't need to have immediate marketing, right? So like all of a sudden, my friend in Raleigh the other day is like, Hey, did you know George Clooney's on Broadway? I'm like, Yes, I fucking knew if you have my life clear. I freaking knew that. I do it all the fucking time. You're fine.

[25:08] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, like like yeah, we knew that when it was announced a year ago, whenever it was, right?

[25:11] Alan Seales: Yeah. So like being in the in the know, we know. If you if you know, you know. And then uh so you're coming to see Hamilton, you're coming to see Chicago, you're coming to see Lion King, Aladdin. You're coming for the shows that you know are good because you know they're running. Because tickets are so expensive, you don't want to pay for something that you don't think is good. That's another problem, too. It's it's it's a gamble for sure.

[25:31] Amber Brzezinski: So the long running shows need to be here to attract a lot of people. Then while they're here, they can go see something else.

[25:40] Alan Seales: You know what I compare it to, Amber? And you you might appreciate this, and I know Amber and I have talked about it. It's like an old school mall. Think of like the malls from the 90s. Yeah, you have your anchor stores.

[25:50] Amber Brzezinski: So I hear a cat. Is that Amber Side?

[25:52] Alan Seales: Yep.

[25:52] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[25:53] Alan Seales: Um, but you've got your anchor stores, your Macy's, your at that point, Sears, Birdines, you know, whatever. Um, we want to go bougie Neiman Marcus, Saxwith Avenue. But you've got those big ones that draw the crowds in, or the food court or the movie theater, and then you've got the newer shows, like Alan, you and I were talking about Boop the other day. People who are like, oh, you know what? I'm gonna be across the way at Sunset Boulevard. Oh, hey, Boop. Oh, that's cool. Maybe I'll go check that out. They're getting drawn over to the, you know, Nicole Scherzinger kind of thing, and then they're going, Oh, there's this random person I've never heard of, but it's Boop, it must be good. Let me check it out. So I do agree a hundred percent on that.

[26:31] Alan Seales: Yeah. And a lot of the original content, I mean, you if you can make it to the Tony's, you hope you get some nominations, and then you hope you might win some of them because that's how you get the legitimacy.

[26:43] Amber Brzezinski: But then everybody I have told since it opened, Maybe Happy Ending, go see Maybe Happy Ending. It's one of, if not the best new show out there. Fight me on it.

[26:53] Alan Seales: Oh no, you'll get no fight here.

[26:56] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, and I think it's so good. And everyone that I that all my non-theater friends are like, What should I go see? And I'm like, You gotta go see the show. It's called Maybe Happy Ending, it's the best. And they're like, Really? Like, can I got you know really? That we we have this argument of like, I don't know it, so I don't want to go see it. I'm like, I promise you it's gonna be good. And every single one comes back and says that's the best thing I've ever seen.

[27:15] Alan Seales: Thank you.

[27:16] Amber Brzezinski: Thank you, thank you. Right. And now I'm doing the same for boop, right? I'm saying maybe happy ending and boop. But these are the shows that are that are so new and so uh I mean, what a is underrepresented the word you know, along those lines.

[27:30] Alan Seales: Undermarketed.

[27:30] Amber Brzezinski: Undermarketed, uh real women have curves is so amazing. Boyne Vista. They seem to not be able to find their audience.

[27:37] Alan Seales: Yeah, and I'm willing to.

[27:39] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, one of us is social club. I mean, incredible dance, incredible music, Tony nominated, but no marketing or little marketing.

[27:47] Alan Seales: Which goes back to let me ask you this question though. Do you feel like the influencers there are really required now? Because anybody who is playing to the influencers gets the free publicity.

[27:59] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, but can I go on my soapbox for a second?

[28:02] Alan Seales: I'm I'm here for it.

[28:03] Amber Brzezinski: You've heard the soapbox. I'll I'll emulate it more. And I hope that our audience is listening and enjoying it. And and honestly, guys, if you were listening in or are watching us now and you have something you want to talk about, shout it out in the comments because this is an open forum for sure. Um, there's a difference between an influencer and an influencer.

[28:22] Alan Seales: Right.

[28:22] Amber Brzezinski: When you have somebody that goes, Hi guys, this is Heather to get ready with me as I'm like that's not doing anything. If we're turning the camera around and being like, hey, um, here's where like what Amber and I do. If we go to a show, hey, accessibility, there's an elevator here. This is the accessible bathroom, this is the house manager so and so. You know, if you feel comfortable um enough to introduce some yourself to them, if you need help, or we've had even Jeffrey Cohen had an issue with um, you know, he had just had surgery, and I won't overshare the details, but he needed assistance, and we want to empower people to feel comfortable about that. But an influencer that's posting like a quick little get ready with me is I have a cocktail not at the show, but I'm gonna get that dig in with the restaurant.

No offense to any influencers out there, please do not take offense. It's just not my style. You're going to the show, you're showing the same thing. It's a picture of the stage from your seat, or like the the, you know, standing ovation at the very end, or the marquee and maybe the stage door, and you're out. What information is giving me? It's not talking about the show, it's not influencing me to go. It's just there and it's constantly in my face, and you're paying for that click, and that's fine, and you're getting a free ticket or whatever kind of thing. I think it's more important to inform people than influence people so they make an educated decision, but to provide them that information.

But TikToks and viral videos and you know, Instagram does not translate to ticket sales always. It is here's a commercial, you know, like with the the little emoji with the arms up, like, okay, well, here you go. And sometimes it doesn't even make sense.

[30:10] Alan Seales: I'm so sorry, I'm on my soapbox. This is a very passionate subject.

[30:15] Amber Brzezinski: I have the emoji with the arms up as a as a hotkey on my system because I use it that often.

[30:21] Alan Seales: Yeah, same. I just I it's frustrating to me because we want to see everybody in this community succeed and build it up. Look, however, you can get butts and seats is great, but the 14-year-old in Kalamazoo or you know, in rural Illinois is not necessarily gonna be able to talk to their I'm just using random places, uh, where I have family, but they're not gonna be able to necessarily be able to convince their parents or their loved ones to be like, hey, let's take a trip to New York to go see this random show that we know nothing about. It's not cheap.

[30:51] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, it has to be properly targeted. Um I worked with somebody who did social media marketing who did not believe in organic marketing and only sponsored ads. And I'm going, you have to be so specific with a sponsored ad, it has to run for a certain campaign time, not just a one-off and it's done for a week, but it's not doing anything.

[31:13] Alan Seales: Right.

[31:13] Amber Brzezinski: What are your I yeah, I 100% agree. I agree, I agree with everything. Um and it I think it's it's little influencer and capital influencer.

[31:23] Alan Seales: Right.

[31:24] Amber Brzezinski: And and somebody somebody speaking to hear this themselves speak is not truly well, okay. Let me see. Somebody, I think a true influencer is somebody who is ultimately influencing without meaning to. They're just speaking what's important to them, and they find people that want to hear that. And then TikTok cringe on subreddit or on Reddit. Like that particular subreddit, I feel like, is the people who are trying to trying to be uh uh pro uh prosthetize pro being a process, yeah. Well, they're wanting free stuff. That's that's literally what it comes down to. Pay me money, give me free tickets, and treat me like a celebrity.

[32:06] Alan Seales: Right.

[32:07] Amber Brzezinski: Don't like No, you gotta earn that.

[32:08] Alan Seales: Yes.

[32:10] Amber Brzezinski: You gotta earn it by just by following what you believe in. Yeah. And I explained, I'm sorry.

[32:16] Alan Seales: No, I'm saying that that's just part of like what makes this industry I think so special to me is that there's so much so many different types of people and in all definitions of the word different that all find a home here. And the fact that we can all connect and all just enjoy watching art be performed and created and uh like we can all sit down and shut up in the dark for two hours and 20 minutes of our lives, spend the time together, no matter political affiliation, race, sex, age, religion, uh, favorite color, but we sit and we have a joint experience together, and that is freaking magic, and that is what every time pulls me into the world of theater. Every time.

[32:58] Amber Brzezinski: If you smoke pot, then you also have a joint experience.

[33:01] Alan Seales: So oh my god, well, I don't smoke pot, but that's a spinning joke, Alan.

[33:10] Amber Brzezinski: But yeah, I mean, so ouch.

[33:12] Alan Seales: Amber, you put yourself back on mute.

[33:14] Amber Brzezinski: Is that what happened?

[33:15] Alan Seales: Yeah, the cat is meowing.

[33:18] Amber Brzezinski: It's not her cat. Heather, what is on your screen? Do you have a cord across your camera?

[33:23] Alan Seales: What? Me?

[33:24] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no.

[33:25] Alan Seales: Oh, oh, it's a shadow.

[33:26] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, okay, okay.

[33:29] Alan Seales: Pick it on me.

[33:29] Amber Brzezinski: It's fine. No, I was like, I don't know what it is. I I thought it was like a cord that was hanging up.

[33:34] Alan Seales: Look, my camera flips up. So I'm off to the side now.

[33:38] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, that's fancy.

[33:39] Alan Seales: So it actually hangs down, so I can look at you on screen.

[33:49] Amber Brzezinski: Or Broadway, cannot.

[33:51] Alan Seales: You're gonna give me all new equipment, right?

[33:53] Amber Brzezinski: Well, we can help you, we will help you with some with some equipment. Um listen, to your point about uh people finding the accessibility and finding these stories that they can't normally get, their parents will take them. One of the one of my favorite things to do every now and then is to look in the listener stats across the network and see where people are listening from. Yeah, because there's a lot, a lot of listeners that come out of Russia and the Middle East and places where it is literally illegal to be gay. And just there is so much oppression in a lot of these countries where we have such high listenership, and it's so nice to be able to know that we're getting these messages.

[34:32] Amber Brzezinski: Providing a service and not even asking for anything back except an ear to listen.

[34:36] Alan Seales: Just an earlisten, yeah.

[34:37] Amber Brzezinski: Lend me your earbuse. That's all I want. Your balls are so important.

[34:41] Alan Seales: Right?

[34:41] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, it was like the term you have two ears to listen twice as much as you talk, so you only got one mouth. Somehow I can't calculate that well, so I talk way too much.

[34:54] Alan Seales: Well, talking about talking about talking too much, um, we have some Broadway news. Do you want to talk some Broadway news?

[35:01] Amber Brzezinski: We do have Broadway news.

[35:02] Alan Seales: We do have a little bit of Broadway news.

[35:06] Amber Brzezinski: Exactly.

[35:07] Alan Seales: Exactly.

[35:08] Amber Brzezinski: Breaking.

[35:08] Alan Seales: Breaking.

[35:09] Amber Brzezinski: Breaking news.

[35:12] Alan Seales: All right. Well, start it off.

[35:15] Amber Brzezinski: Yes. I would love to. We had the Drama League Award winners that were announced, which is fantastic. Um my pal, I'm gonna say my pal, Nicole Scherzinger took the performance award, um, which was incredible. We also had O'Marry taking outstanding production of a play. Um Outstanding Revival of a play was a tie between Eureka Day and Vanya, and maybe happy ending one outstanding production of a musical. Isn't that crazy?

[35:54] Alan Seales: A tie, yeah. Can you imagine if it happened at the Tony's? I don't think that would ever fly.

[35:58] Amber Brzezinski: Ever. There's too much pride.

[36:04] Alan Seales: It's a popularity contest at best.

[36:07] Amber Brzezinski: Anyway, go ahead.

[36:10] Alan Seales: No, absolutely. I loved Eureka Day, by the way. One of my favorite plays of the season.

[36:12] Amber Brzezinski: Talk to us about it.

[36:16] Alan Seales: Did you see it? Did you get to see it?

[36:18] Amber Brzezinski: I didn't get a chance to. Amber, I think, went to go try, and then there was something.

[36:21] Alan Seales: I did not get to see it.

[36:22] Amber Brzezinski: I did not. It takes place in uh sh in 20 2019. Um in a in a fictional uh a fictional daycare, a fictional lower school, an elementary school, um, in unlike California-ish sort of place. So like everyone's gonna like Jessica Hecht plays the perfect sort of like California mom, you know, and uh there's a and um uh Thomas Middleditch plays uh is is awesome, like tech bro, of course, because that's so you so well he plays his character from Silicon Valley, essentially, and and uh anyway, so it he there's this measles outbreak, they are all board members of the school, they're trying to figure out what to do, and through all of this, through all the measles outbreak, they find out that basically half the population is anti-vaxxers, and so the people that they were close with, um all of a sudden like they shared all this commonality with like we're great friends, we've got all this history, our kids love each other, we're all play together all of a sudden, like should we not like each other anymore because of these fundamental differences?

And it made you it makes you question so much about what values are important to you. Uh and I left I left really thinking uh about what that meant to me and my friend group because it's set purposely in 2019. Um because at the end of the you know, one of the buttons of the jokes is like, and then 2020 and like the pandemic came, right? So it's like right that whole thing. But yeah, um so that's kind of it in a nutshell. But the way it was done, it was just so good.

[37:55] Alan Seales: Amber Gray was perfect.

[37:57] Amber Brzezinski: Well, Amber Gray can do no wrong. Yeah. Um but I love shows that make you think. Like I always talk about like leaving the bubble, like I'll sit at stage door. I don't care about pictures and autographs, whatever. I have sit there to listen and talk to the fans because you're having it, you're having a conversation. There's still shows that I'm talking to friends about. Even Amber and I still talk about maybe happy ending. You know, and you just sit there and you talk and you theorize, you're going, okay, well, is it the right side of the brain or the left side of the brain? Or like, did this actually happen or this actually happened? And it's fascinating. And I just want more because if it's encouraging to talk about it, then it's doing a job.

[38:36] Alan Seales: I agree.

[38:36] Amber Brzezinski: All right. Come on, Amber. I monopolize the conversation.

[38:42] Amber Brzezinski: Um, we had some casting announcement announced today. The remainder of the off Broadway Heathers cast was fully announced.

[38:53] Alan Seales: Yes, it was speaking of influence of social media.

[38:57] Amber Brzezinski: Yes. Speaking of social media, we had some very exciting names like Carrie Butler as Miss Fleming joining. These were announced last week. McKenzie Kurtz, Olivia Hardy, and Elizabeth Teeter as the additional Heathers. We have Aaron Morton as Martha, who is a social media person. Um, and then that is with the main cast. Um, for those that do not know, uh Veronica Sawyer's the one and only Lorna Courtney. Holy cow. So excited to see her. And freaking Casey likes because he was wrong, but according according to most people online, he was born in the wrong decade because he has found himself into this little niche, and I freaking love him for it.

[39:44] Alan Seales: How do you feel about that casting?

[39:46] Amber Brzezinski: I'm joining the chat.

[39:47] Alan Seales: Oh, do you connect your YouTube account to join the live chat?

[39:50] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, okay, fine. I will do that. I want to paste in the link for uh I'll do this when I'm done talking so I don't sound like an idiot. I was gonna paste in the link to um to to Aaron Morton's uh cover of creep.

[40:05] Alan Seales: Oh, I don't know if this was part of the reason she got cast, but again, this is one of those things. I'd like to think it was.

[40:14] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, yeah.

[40:15] Alan Seales: Uh, sorry. Everyone was saying, like, where were, you know, if why were people gonna cast big names if they did that open call audition, and then you have Aaron, who you can clearly tell was brought in from that open call audition and kicked butt.

[40:33] Amber Brzezinski: And well, the press announcement that I read said that two additional people in addition to Aaron were found from that open casting call.

[40:41] Alan Seales: Yeah, I mean they did seem to have a lot of success with that. They're doing what the Dolly Parton nine to five show is trying to accomplish as well, and Legally Blonde going back to that too.

[40:53] Amber Brzezinski: But yeah, I heard that they had found multiple people. Actually, we had a couple of our group members who had also auditioned, which was freaking cool. Ever since I saw Elizabeth in Beetlejuice, she was the perfect media and yeah, she was great.

[41:09] Alan Seales: Yeah, she was absolutely wonderful. Um, and I cannot wait to see her on stage. Of course, you know, Carrie Butler being a podcaster on the network. I've known her for years, so sent her congrats this morning. She was happy.

[41:20] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, she's delightful.

[41:21] Alan Seales: She is so delightful, one of the nicest people. Um, I think it's great. I uh, that is one of the ones Heather's I'm very excited for, as well as Joy the Musical.

[41:33] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, oh cannot wait for Joy. That casting looks awesome.

[41:37] Alan Seales: I was really oh with Betsy Wolf.

[41:40] Amber Brzezinski: Mm-hmm.

[41:40] Alan Seales: Yeah, now are you going to be at the event next month?

[41:40] Amber Brzezinski: The event next month, I just got invited to the press thing on Thursday. I don't know if I can make it, but um I but then I'm gonna ask about next month. So if I'm here, I would like to.

[41:52] Alan Seales: Yeah, otherwise we can trade these information.

[41:55] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, yeah, we'll try it. I'll be at the one next month, you'll be at the one maybe this month.

[41:58] Alan Seales: Maybe maybe yeah, join the musical's amazing, and the crew that's behind that is crazy. Plus Joy Mangano. Like my mom knows who that is, and she got excited about it.

[42:10] Amber Brzezinski: Miracle Mom, PVC lady. Um, and it's an inspiring story. There was the movie about it that came out a couple of years ago.

[42:16] Alan Seales: Jennifer Lawrence.

[42:17] Amber Brzezinski: I'm sorry.

[42:18] Alan Seales: Oh, Jennifer Lawrence.

[42:19] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[42:20] Alan Seales: Yeah. Love. Um, but Joy had actually said the reason I watched Ken Davenport did this really great um interview town hall essentially to kind of introduce people. Their goal behind Joy the Musical was to show people the making of something, like the making of you know, joy, essentially.

[42:39] Amber Brzezinski: And um they were talking about how Joy said the only reason that she chose a musical is because there's no other way to celebrate life except with the musical.

[42:48] Alan Seales: And I thought that was so profound.

[42:49] Amber Brzezinski: It's true. I mean, yeah, Howard Ashman said that you know there's a point in every in every character's arc when words aren't enough and you have to think about it.

[42:58] Alan Seales: Right.

[42:58] Amber Brzezinski: I agree. I agree.

[43:01] Alan Seales: Well, yeah, so moving on, Amber. Um, well, Jeffrey Cohen stole my thunder with this one, but I'm gonna reiterate that um good night and good luck is going to be live streamed on CNN.

[43:15] Amber Brzezinski: Um it was announced on Friday that it will be live streamed on Saturday, June 7th at 7 p.m. on CNN.com, CNN, and CNN International.

[43:29] Alan Seales: Um, this is like a Broadway first, never before has a live play been televised.

[43:36] Amber Brzezinski: So this is huge.

[43:39] Alan Seales: That'll be interesting. What do you feel about that, Alan?

[43:41] Alan Seales: I think it's great. I think I think it's amazing. Truly great. And do you think there's gonna be any backlash from people saying I spent so much money and now I could watch it online?

[43:51] Amber Brzezinski: Of course. No one every there's always gonna be somebody.

[43:54] Alan Seales: Someone complaining about something.

[43:56] Amber Brzezinski: There's always gonna be somebody complaining about something, of course.

[43:59] Alan Seales: But for I think anybody who has seen an amazing performance that they still remember, they're gonna be like, Yeah, that's fine. Like it's watching it on TV is nothing like experiencing an ember.

[44:13] Amber Brzezinski: Very different.

[44:14] Alan Seales: Absolutely. Very good. I mean, even the worst, the worst shows, some of the worst shows I've seen are still good because of sound design or because of lights, or be you know, just whatever it is. There's there's always something there that in the moment you can find to latch on to.

[44:31] Amber Brzezinski: Nothing can replicate the freaking wind at swept away um when the ship sank.

[44:38] Alan Seales: Yeah, that was amazing.

[44:40] Amber Brzezinski: So this is a good thing. A favorite effect. Have you been able to see Stranger Things yet?

[44:45] Alan Seales: Speaking of effects. No, I wanted to I my goal is within the next couple of weeks I will go see it. But I did watch the Netflix special of it.

[44:55] Amber Brzezinski: Did you watch it?

[44:56] Alan Seales: No, I didn't know.

[44:57] Amber Brzezinski: I'm writing that down.

[44:58] Alan Seales: Oh, there's a Netflix special about Stranger Things, the making of it. And they go through everything. They go through every special effect, how it's done.

[45:07] Amber Brzezinski: I feel like I've seen those shows specifically because of the making of it, but I am so I love the TV show.

[45:14] Alan Seales: Watch TV.

[45:15] Amber Brzezinski: There we go. Got it. This is my note for myself to watch.

[45:18] Alan Seales: Yeah, homework.

[45:19] Amber Brzezinski: You have homework. We are leaving you with homework.

[45:22] Alan Seales: Homework.

[45:23] Amber Brzezinski: Homework for extra credit. Uh no. Jeffrey Cohen.

[45:27] Alan Seales: Jeffrey Cohen said that in the in the chat, it's all in the camera angles.

[45:30] Amber Brzezinski: I 100% agree because it it that will make or break a live a pro shot.

[45:36] Alan Seales: Because sometimes I just want a static wide shot of my ensemble numbers.

[45:42] Amber Brzezinski: Now, Alan, you'll learn that Jeffrey Cohen has seen every show from the beginning of time that is so poignant and has the coolest merch you will ever come across and is the best company for brunch as well. We love him.

[45:55] Alan Seales: Um, a spoiler question. Yes, Jeffrey. Have you seen Stranger Things to be able to answer this question?

[46:02] Jeffrey Cohen: I have seen it. I have seen it. And I want to go back. I've been offered a few cast members from the show to interview, and I want to go back to focus on them.

[46:11] Alan Seales: As you should. Do you want I I will ask Jeffrey's question? Um so Jeffrey says, quote unquote, this is the message you sent to me earlier. Can you ask your vast audience if the Broadway show Stranger Things takes place in any other year than 1959? Is there an epilogue that takes place much later? I saw the show and it was not clear. Most likely it was done on purpose.

[46:37] Amber Brzezinski: Um I think it says literally in the playbill, yes.

[46:40] Alan Seales: Um I might. He's finding it for you, Jeffrey. Don't you worry.

[46:46] Amber Brzezinski: Uh uh MIB so many wickets.

[46:54] Alan Seales: Oh my god. We're not even gonna look at my pack next to me.

[46:59] Amber Brzezinski: I don't have my package. I go through this is everything I've seen like this season.

[47:03] Alan Seales: Uh the great Gatsby Ballet.

[47:05] Amber Brzezinski: Floyd Collins.

[47:06] Alan Seales: Oh, nice. Hold on. Let me see what's closest to me.

[47:08] Amber Brzezinski: Hold on. Wait, what's closest to me?

[47:11] Alan Seales: Purpose. You know what's closest to me? Can I make you jealous really quick, Alan?

[47:16] Amber Brzezinski: What?

[47:17] Alan Seales: This is closest to me.

[47:18] Amber Brzezinski: Oh you missed me reading it live on air.

[47:24] Alan Seales: I will send you pictures before I get it. Shadow box.

[47:26] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my goodness.

[47:27] Alan Seales: Oh, yeah, I got a letter.

[47:30] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, hey, speak of the devil.

[47:31] Alan Seales: There we go. There's some boobacks.

[47:32] Amber Brzezinski: Hey, boop. Got some Dorian Gray.

[47:35] Alan Seales: Jeffrey says it says only 1959.

[47:37] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, one of my favorites Cat's Jellica Ball.

[47:40] Alan Seales: Yes.

[47:41] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, yes, Honored Shields. I am here for all of these like cats productions that are coming out.

[47:48] Alan Seales: There's like circus cats.

[47:50] Amber Brzezinski: There are um country cats, I think, that are coming out.

[47:55] Alan Seales: I can't think of the rest of them, but there are so many like variations of cats, and I'm here for it.

[48:01] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[48:01] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. Oh, they gave Jam Brie, my buddy Marla. I can't find it. Anyway, so yes, it it takes place, I believe.

[48:09] Alan Seales: And there goes one kid.

[48:11] Amber Brzezinski: Um, he was peeking in. I believe, and don't quote me on this.

[48:17] Alan Seales: The only well, the only information I can see is the opening scene is 1943.

[48:21] Amber Brzezinski: The rest of it is 1959.

[48:23] Alan Seales: Yeah, so it was in the 40s.

[48:24] Amber Brzezinski: And the opening scene is in the 40s.

[48:27] Alan Seales: Yeah, I knew it was in the 40s because in the 40s, that's what I was trying to find was the exact number of the 40s because that's when they're doing the government experiment that creates the upside down.

[48:36] Amber Brzezinski: Spoiler alert.

[48:38] Alan Seales: It's in the opening act. Spoiler alert.

[48:43] Amber Brzezinski: Well, that's what I tell people to go see the show. They're like, because somebody said it's just the show, right? I said, no, no, it is it's the prequel to the entire show.

[48:51] Alan Seales: You see, it gives you history of everything. Gives you like how the Ocidemo was created and like the old Winona Ryder as a kid, a teenager.

[48:59] Amber Brzezinski: And I love the Marquee Theater. It's a weird theater, but the history behind it, I just want to sit there and yeah.

[49:06] Alan Seales: Oh, we have a series on the network of uh shows that have all been through the marquee.

[49:11] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, yeah. That's been a little I've seen quite a handful of them.

[49:17] Alan Seales: Um what is what else is the news as we wrap up here?

[49:20] Amber Brzezinski: Because I feel like an hour just flew by. Um, we have another tiny desk concert.

[49:29] Alan Seales: Death Becomes Her, and I have to say I love that the last couple of events that I've seen Jennifer and Megan at, they've both been wearing outfits that have been nods to their costuming.

[49:44] Amber Brzezinski: Like Jennifer has had like a big centerpiece on her costumes, and Megan has had like slits or something on her neck or something, and I just love that little nod to their their costumes in the show.

[49:58] Alan Seales: I think it's adorable.

[50:00] Amber Brzezinski: So smart. Alan, I'm assuming you've seen Death Becomes Her at least once.

[50:03] Alan Seales: Yes. Amber and I went Halloween in ball gowns.

[50:09] Amber Brzezinski: In ball gowns. Was it the rest of the audience? Were were a lot of people cosplaying?

[50:12] Alan Seales: Um, there were, I think there were probably about 20 people that because they were supposed to have a costume contest that kind of got a little askew, but yeah, somebody had a hand sticking out of their stomach, and I'm like, how are you sitting in that?

[50:25] Amber Brzezinski: But then again, I sat in a fully boned corset. Sorry.

[50:30] Alan Seales: That was no, it was fantastic. Um, but like I could have just fallen asleep with great heroes, great.

[50:35] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but we we have a good time. But the show's so good.

[50:39] Alan Seales: And Josh is watching and wonderful.

[50:42] Amber Brzezinski: Um yeah, I'm loving all these tiny Broadway desks. I love Tiny Desk.

[50:45] Alan Seales: I love all the Broadway versions, and to which I say, where is the maybe happy ending? Tiny desk.

[50:53] Amber Brzezinski: Right. I'm sure it's coming.

[50:56] Alan Seales: I hope. Fingers crossed.

[50:58] Amber Brzezinski: I'm sure it's Alan. Do you have a favorite one?

[51:01] Alan Seales: A favorite tiny desk or a favorite Broadway show?

[51:03] Amber Brzezinski: Oh. That's like asking your favorite kid and your kids are in the next room. We can't do that.

[51:06] Alan Seales: A favorite tiny favorite tiny desk. I have I I have to admit I don't watch enough of them to pick to pick a favorite.

[51:14] Amber Brzezinski: Um I know the ones that Amber tells me about. One of the ones that still stands out to me, and I still listen to them is Tank and the Bangas, not Broadway at all.

[51:23] Alan Seales: Yeah, no, no, no. But NPR for the win.

[51:26] Amber Brzezinski: But yeah.

[51:26] Alan Seales: Um I go sweny tons.

[51:30] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[51:31] Alan Seales: Oh, yeah. All right. What other news do we have?

[51:34] Amber Brzezinski: Because I know we're all crunching in time here. Um, well, we have, I guess we'll wrap up on some sad news.

[51:41] Alan Seales: Sunday was the closing of our beloved show Redwood, another original musical that did not make um, you know, two Tony season, which is which is sad.

[51:54] Amber Brzezinski: Um, we hate when a musical has to close prematurely. Um, we we both saw it. We thought it was, you know, a really great emotionally moving show.

[52:04] Alan Seales: Um, and it's another, like we were saying before, just those shows that really get lost, don't get people get lost in the shuffle, and and that people don't really they recognize the name, but they don't really know much about it, so they don't know like uh do I want to go see it? Do I would I rather go see something that I'm more familiar with?

[52:24] Amber Brzezinski: Or something big and flashy, or something big and flashy.

[52:28] Alan Seales: But I mean, I really enjoyed it when we saw it.

[52:32] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, what about you, Alan? Have you had the opportunity to kind of get a chance to see Redwood?

[52:37] Alan Seales: And what are your thoughts on the big flashy compared to the like punchy in the gut?

[52:41] Alan Seales: The pun well I I think a good show should be both.

[52:47] Amber Brzezinski: I agree.

[52:47] Alan Seales: Right.

[52:48] Amber Brzezinski: I agree.

[52:49] Alan Seales: I agree. Tina Landau took two big swings this season.

[52:53] Amber Brzezinski: And um say uh opinions be what they will.

[53:00] Alan Seales: Uh people either for both of them, I think are very polarized.

[53:05] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know anybody who's in the middle.

[53:08] Alan Seales: Yeah, right. Because people walked away from Floyd Collins, like, oh my god, that was life-changing.

[53:12] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[53:13] Alan Seales: I didn't feel that way. I'm glad some people did.

[53:17] Amber Brzezinski: And my disappointment was in the lack of use of the space of the beautiful Vivian Beaumont. They just didn't space.

[53:24] Alan Seales: I've heard that.

[53:25] Alan Seales: You know, you have Lincoln Center Theater with this massive stage, and they just see Jeremy Jordan catching up.

[53:31] Amber Brzezinski: Minimized right there on the corner of the stage for basically the whole show.

[53:35] Alan Seales: And I've tried getting into the cast recording like the original, and I'm just like, I don't, I don't I can't I can't that doesn't resonate with me.

[53:44] Amber Brzezinski: And I feel like shows like that and Redwood, like, yes, you have these big name stars and they're really good at what they do and they have beautiful voices.

[53:51] Alan Seales: The story is fantastic.

[53:53] Amber Brzezinski: It's just not something I'm gravitating towards.

[53:55] Alan Seales: Do I want to see it? Yes.

[53:56] Amber Brzezinski: Having the opportunity to see Adina perform live and freaking belt and then climb a damn tree.

[54:03] Alan Seales: Super cool.

[54:10] Amber Brzezinski: But it just doesn't resonate with me.

[54:12] Alan Seales: There are people who like it, and you have to have big swings, right?

[54:15] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[54:15] Alan Seales: Like everything is a big swing.

[54:17] Amber Brzezinski: Look at how big every single game changer.

[54:20] Alan Seales: Uh like Oklahoma came in, changed the game.

[54:22] Amber Brzezinski: Rent came in, changed the game.

[54:24] Alan Seales: Hamilton came in, changed the game.

[54:25] Amber Brzezinski: Like literally like every one of those could have flopped so hard, but for some reason they threaded the needle and worked.

[54:33] Alan Seales: Yep.

[54:33] Amber Brzezinski: And so any of these could be that thing.

[54:37] Alan Seales: We just you don't know until you try.

[54:38] Amber Brzezinski: So, you know, round respect to everybody who not only writes it, creates it, but even invests in it because you are even farther away, farther removed.

[54:47] Alan Seales: You're just hoping you're believing in somebody's vision.

[54:50] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[54:51] Alan Seales: And I mean, here's the thing are there diehard fans of shows that I'm not necessarily a fan of absolutely.

[54:57] Amber Brzezinski: Do I respect that? Yes.

[54:58] Alan Seales: Can getting in a room and hearing them talk about that, that's beautiful to me.

[55:02] Amber Brzezinski: Like, you don't have to convince me to like it, but tell me, like, show me why you love it so much.

[55:07] Alan Seales: I'm a believer of it.

[55:08] Amber Brzezinski: And sometimes there's a conversion too.

[55:10] Alan Seales: Like, you know what?

[55:11] Amber Brzezinski: I don't hate the show anymore.

[55:13] Alan Seales: I love the show.

[55:14] Amber Brzezinski: This is why. Blah blah blah blah blah.

[55:16] Alan Seales: I mean, look at look at even something like Marilee, where it flopped hardcore when it first came out.

[55:23] Amber Brzezinski: Was it 1981, right?

[55:25] Alan Seales: And something early.

[55:26] Amber Brzezinski: I don't think it was a right time for it.

[55:28] Alan Seales: And then all of a sudden you throw it out last year and it goes off like gangbusters.

[55:34] Amber Brzezinski: It could have run for years.

[55:35] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[55:36] Amber Brzezinski: But they yanked it back.

[55:38] Alan Seales: And look at you with your numbers.

[55:40] Amber Brzezinski: November 16th, 1981.

[55:42] Alan Seales: Yeah, there you go.

[55:43] Amber Brzezinski: But so on top, but it's so impressive too because you have these shows, they come in, they hit you hard in the fast, they leave.

[55:50] Alan Seales: And I love that magic of it.

[55:52] Amber Brzezinski: But what I have did I did?

[55:54] Alan Seales: I try to numerous times get tickets for that show?

[55:56] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[55:57] Alan Seales: Did I?

[55:57] Amber Brzezinski: No.

[55:58] Alan Seales: Did Amber?

[55:58] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[55:59] Alan Seales: I want to be in that room still, and I'm looking forward to hopefully being able to watch a show eventually.

[56:04] Amber Brzezinski: But I lost the opportunity to do that, but it was a hard and fast show.

[56:09] Alan Seales: And that's okay.

[56:10] Amber Brzezinski: But I'm a huge fan of Maryland, and I can listen to the cast recording and I can enjoy, you know, my friends' experiences through it.

[56:16] Alan Seales: And I have friends that went to that show ten times.

[56:19] Amber Brzezinski: Or more.

[56:21] Alan Seales: Did you see the uh there was a joke on social media that uh after the Tony nominations came out that said um uh the Tony the tickets for Othello were so expensive even the voters couldn't see it?

[56:33] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, yes, I did like mean but funny.

[56:40] Alan Seales: But well, how do you how do you feel about those?

[56:43] Amber Brzezinski: I'm gonna I'm just gonna use this to like ask you questions I would never actually ask you in real life because this is, you know, fun.

[56:49] Alan Seales: Well, we should ask these in real life.

[56:51] Amber Brzezinski: These are, you know what?

[56:52] Alan Seales: I'm going you know what?

[56:53] Amber Brzezinski: Screw it.

[56:53] Alan Seales: I'm gonna start doing that now.

[56:54] Amber Brzezinski: In real life, I'm gonna like middle of the night and be like, I'm sorry, Alan and your family, but I need to know how you feel about this.

[57:00] Alan Seales: Listen, you can text me 24/7 when I don't want to be disturbed, I go on do not disturb.

[57:05] Amber Brzezinski: That's what I tell everybody.

[57:06] Alan Seales: I don't care what time it is.

[57:08] Amber Brzezinski: If I want to be available, I will be.

[57:10] Alan Seales: If not, you won't bother me.

[57:12] Amber Brzezinski: So anyway, text me at three in the morning.

[57:14] Alan Seales: I don't I love waking up to some messages.

[57:17] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god, I'm going to.

[57:18] Alan Seales: Amber and I are both gonna start messaging at three.

[57:20] Amber Brzezinski: I'm setting my alarm every morning.

[57:22] Alan Seales: Um ticket accessibility and pricing.

[57:27] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, yes, there's a premium when you have high-end actors performing.

[57:35] Alan Seales: Yes, sometimes they are actually really good at what they do.

[57:38] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, sometimes it's stunned performing and stunt casting.

[57:42] Alan Seales: Should it be more accessible with pricing, or should it stay as a premium ticket?

[57:51] Amber Brzezinski: Loaded question.

[57:53] Alan Seales: There are so many reasons why it should be both.

[57:56] Amber Brzezinski: But ultimately, when you go when you go to London, you go to the West End, you can see your top celebrities for under a hundred pounds front row.

[58:09] Alan Seales: Just because the city subsidizes the tickets and helps with production costs and whatever that is.

[58:15] Amber Brzezinski: And so that goes back to the production cost conversation we were having at the very beginning.

[58:25] Alan Seales: That then you add in somebody with salary requirements like Denzel and I'm sure Jake have.

[58:31] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I'm sure.

[58:32] Alan Seales: And it's you know, they probably are estimated when they were doing the Proforma and all their investment numbers and stuff when they first started of like, yeah, we're gonna have to like go way beyond what we normally do.

[58:44] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know if they expected like a 900 bucks or more.

[58:47] Alan Seales: Um, but they'll you know, producers are obviously gonna keep going up for and people pay them.

[58:52] Amber Brzezinski: Um exactly.

[58:53] Alan Seales: People are gonna pay the money, they're gonna keep selling about those prices.

[59:00] Amber Brzezinski: So um the the the entire the entire system is flawed, and it comes down to the production costs are too high, and which means ticket sales has to have to be high, which means that the people who really love to see it and who are gonna create and and continue the art form can't see it.

[59:20] Alan Seales: And you know, it's this nasty circle where something's gotta give.

[59:25] Amber Brzezinski: And I've been saying this to whoever listens since, you know, especially since COVID, we still haven't recovered to our pre-COVID audience numbers.

[59:32] Alan Seales: Right.

[59:32] Amber Brzezinski: And we're just gonna take a long while too.

[59:36] Alan Seales: I don't know if we ever will unless something drastic changes because we're dying, uh Broadway's dying a slow death because costs are going up while attendance is going down.

[59:44] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[59:45] Alan Seales: Yeah, and I mean it's not just cost of tickets, guys.

[59:48] Amber Brzezinski: We're talking like cost of hotels, flights, even locals, train tickets.

[59:52] Alan Seales: Amber, it's how much money for you to take the train in from Connecticut?

[59:56] Amber Brzezinski: It's like 45 bucks.

[59:58] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[59:59] Amber Brzezinski: And Jeffrey brings up a point, it's only X amount of seats per theater, too.

[1:00:03] Alan Seales: So, you know, when you have a certain limited amount of theater, it's one time, and you have to adjust accordingly.

[1:00:10] Amber Brzezinski: You know, but there's shows, and not to keep talking about Joy, it is one of those shows I know I am really looking forward to Alan U as well.

[1:00:15] Alan Seales: Amber still getting on the train with it because it's so fresh.

[1:00:18] Amber Brzezinski: But like they sent me an email the other day.

[1:00:21] Alan Seales: We're gonna talk about accessibility.

[1:00:22] Amber Brzezinski: Like, I'm not affiliated with the show, but here's what they're doing.

[1:00:25] Alan Seales: They're doing this VIP ticket essentially, and it's a premium ticket package.

[1:00:32] Amber Brzezinski: It's a ticket, you get access to VIP lounge, you get early access to your seats, you get to meet and greet with a cast member, you get congestion pricing and a train rebate up to $20.

[1:00:43] Alan Seales: You get a t-shirt of find your joy that's exclusive to this ticket, a free drink or snack, a ticket donated to Girls Inc., which is an incredible nonprofit organization, an autograph CD, 10% off parking, 10% off restaurant partners, 10% off the other additional merch, and 20% off of Joyce specific products at her website for $79.

[1:01:10] Amber Brzezinski: Like if you go to the show the shirt alone is gonna cost $79.

[1:01:10] Alan Seales: The shirt alone is like $50 bucks, a drink is $20 or a snack is 20.

[1:01:20] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, isn't that like I don't know how they're making your magic over there, but like that is crazy.

[1:01:27] Alan Seales: Good for them.

[1:01:28] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but how many times are they gonna do that?

[1:01:31] Alan Seales: Doesn't matter.

[1:01:32] Amber Brzezinski: They're still gonna sell those tickets so quickly because honestly, I and Amber can attest to this.

[1:01:38] Alan Seales: I am a lottery girl, I am a rush girl, I will TDF the hell out of something.

[1:01:44] Amber Brzezinski: But if it comes down to me sending $79 for all of that, or like $45 for a rush ticket, I'm still spending the $79 because it's giving me literally everything, and then some that's your value add, yeah.

[1:01:59] Alan Seales: Oh, 100%, 100%.

[1:02:01] Amber Brzezinski: Absolutely.

[1:02:02] Alan Seales: Let's see.

[1:02:02] Amber Brzezinski: Cheyenne cook, like this girl, so many shows I want to see, but I also have to take airfare from Phoenix and Hotel and take them out of consideration.

[1:02:10] Alan Seales: And Cheyenne, not to like tutor on horns, but don't forget, we do have our hotel partners at the W Times Square and the Weston Times Square with cluster code E7103, simply because they treat us so good, they waive the destination fees and give everybody a discount.

[1:02:23] Amber Brzezinski: So check that out.

[1:02:25] Alan Seales: But um commercial break.

[1:02:27] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but really, like but it comes down to making it accessible in all forums, and I think that there is a shift, and I Amber and I talked about it.

[1:02:39] Alan Seales: We were talking about this what two weeks ago, that this season was very different than last season, and it's still kind of like turning this corner of sorts.

[1:02:48] Amber Brzezinski: How do you feel, Amber?

[1:02:49] Alan Seales: Like, I know you had some good points about that too.

[1:02:54] Amber Brzezinski: Um I feel I feel like the celebrity culture is really changing theater at this time.

[1:03:07] Alan Seales: Like, for example, yeah, like the stunt casting thing.

[1:03:12] Amber Brzezinski: Like, like I know it was announced last week that goodnight and good luck recouped after like something like eight weeks or seven weeks or something like that.

[1:03:22] Alan Seales: And it just feels like we're heading in this direction, like with this, and like with Othello, like you were saying, where like this celebrity engagement, like these celebrity runs are gonna be like these like 10 to 12 week runs where they expect this like major recoupment, and you know, where it used to be like a 16 week kind of run, right?

[1:03:46] Amber Brzezinski: And it's gonna end up costing a lot more, and it's gonna cost a lot of work weeks for the regular ensemble actors and things like that.

[1:04:00] Alan Seales: So I I just yeah, I mean, I feel like people are saying, and again, I've heard it, I don't know if you guys have.

[1:04:08] Amber Brzezinski: Well, I don't want to see a show unless there's someone famous in it.

[1:04:11] Alan Seales: Right.

[1:04:12] Amber Brzezinski: I don't like that.

[1:04:13] Alan Seales: When people get upset when an understudy's on, like, Alan, all of the time.

[1:04:18] Amber Brzezinski: But I will tell you, we have trained our we have trained our fans in our groups, our members, because we're like grumble grumble, uncertainty, and then literally everyone's like, no, like for perfect example, Gabby over at Cabaret, incredible cellyballs.

[1:04:32] Alan Seales: And when Eva was out, or Gail was anybody, oh my god, blah blah blah, it's an understudy is Gabby Campo, and they're like, and everyone's like, Nope, go see Gabby, you're gonna love it.

[1:04:43] Amber Brzezinski: To the point where people are now playing understudy bingo with different shows.

[1:04:46] Alan Seales: I saw the Sunder Study, now I need to see the Sunter Study.

[1:04:49] Amber Brzezinski: Amber and I have been doing it, yeah.

[1:04:51] Alan Seales: Yeah, we were doing it with the MC.

[1:04:53] Amber Brzezinski: We've had the up.

[1:04:54] Alan Seales: I think the only one that you and all I'm missing now, I'm missing Orville, but um, you know, I haven't seen uh Marsha, Marsha Marsh Marsha.

[1:05:02] Amber Brzezinski: Um haven't had the average, but you collect them, and you know, we work really well.

[1:05:08] Alan Seales: Like Pokemon, gotta catch them all.

[1:05:10] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, exactly.

[1:05:12] Alan Seales: Exactly.

[1:05:13] Amber Brzezinski: But it makes me sad of that culture of well, if somebody famous isn't in it, yeah, but you don't know the next person that's gonna be famous, right?

[1:05:21] Alan Seales: Like Jeremy Jordan started as an understudy a swing.

[1:05:24] Amber Brzezinski: Like, come on.

[1:05:25] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[1:05:26] Amber Brzezinski: What I what I added a credit.

[1:05:27] Alan Seales: All right, Motown the Musical.

[1:05:29] Amber Brzezinski: I was adding to the BPN site today, and it was like, oh, our Anna DeBose was uh ensemble in in that.

[1:05:34] Alan Seales: She was the ensemble in Hamilton, right?

[1:05:36] Amber Brzezinski: And then Stephanie J. Block, uh uh Laura Bell Bundy, uh all of these major people started out as understudies.

[1:05:45] Alan Seales: Yes, you have to start somewhere, and understand me paranoid.

[1:05:49] Amber Brzezinski: By the way, I will say this till I'm blue in the face that swings and understudies standbys are some of the hardest working people in the industry.

[1:05:58] Alan Seales: Yes, yes.

[1:06:00] Amber Brzezinski: Um, because they're not only learning their tracks, but they're learning this, they're learning this, and they're and they make magic happen because they have very little time to even know about it.

[1:06:11] Alan Seales: And it blows my mind.

[1:06:12] Amber Brzezinski: Or they'll go on without a finished costume.

[1:06:16] Alan Seales: Which means there was no pudding, which means there was very little rehearsal of any.

[1:06:20] Amber Brzezinski: Do you know?

[1:06:21] Alan Seales: Do you know Salisha Thomas?

[1:06:22] Amber Brzezinski: Selecia show.

[1:06:24] Alan Seales: Uh yeah, she's got a uh she's just one of the loveliest people in the world.

[1:06:28] Amber Brzezinski: She was a swing in Once Upon a One More Time, covered 12 tracks.

[1:06:32] Alan Seales: That's insane.

[1:06:33] Amber Brzezinski: That's amazing.

[1:06:34] Alan Seales: And she went on for Cindy, Cinderella, the lead.

[1:06:36] Amber Brzezinski: We had zero rehearsal.

[1:06:38] Alan Seales: Right.

[1:06:39] Amber Brzezinski: That's crazy.

[1:06:42] Alan Seales: How?

[1:06:43] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I don't know.

[1:06:45] Alan Seales: I'm impressed.

[1:06:46] Heather Bedor: Green, put it into another person's body and go.

[1:06:49] Alan Seales: But like, that's so much pressure.

[1:06:51] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:06:52] Alan Seales: Pressure.

[1:06:52] Heather Bedor: That was opening.

[1:06:53] Alan Seales: What was it?

[1:06:53] Amber Brzezinski: Second night of Death Becomes Room when they had to sew her into the dress.

[1:06:57] Alan Seales: And go get the dress.

[1:06:58] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[1:07:00] Alan Seales: I we we here at the Broadway Fan Club appreciate the hell out of understudies and swings.

[1:07:06] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, don't get me wrong.

[1:07:07] Alan Seales: Regular cast is great, but like do go to the show because you want to see the show.

[1:07:13] Heather Bedor: Don't you can maybe go if you want to see that performer, but don't say, well, I'm selling my tickets because so and so's not there, because you're still seeing an amazing show, and you might find somebody you might like even better than we'll call it Ryan McCartan for random no reason.

[1:07:28] Alan Seales: I love him.

[1:07:29] Amber Brzezinski: Um, you know, someone better than Ryan McCartan as Jay Gatsby, or you know, Orville might be uh be there.

[1:07:35] Heather Bedor: So go get a pasty.

[1:07:36] Alan Seales: Like, who cares?

[1:07:37] Amber Brzezinski: Go see the show because you're going to go see the show and enjoy it and then come back again and know that you're gonna love it even more.

[1:07:44] Alan Seales: Where's my applause emoji?

[1:07:46] Heather Bedor: Yeah, mic drop, mic drop a book.

[1:07:49] Alan Seales: No, but I mean I think we're all on the same page, but we're all very passionate about it because it only hurts the theater.

[1:07:55] Amber Brzezinski: Like, imagine you have a sold-out house, and I'm again deep in the middle of fringe right now.

[1:08:00] Alan Seales: You have a sell we haven't had this happen, luckily in Accommod, but it happened to some people.

[1:08:05] Heather Bedor: You have sell out of tickets, something happens, and in the Broadway theater, the off Broadway theater, which it's not the hugest houses.

[1:08:13] Alan Seales: You look out, and well, now half the people are gone.

[1:08:16] Amber Brzezinski: Well, why?

[1:08:17] Alan Seales: We have great ticket sales or wicked.

[1:08:20] Heather Bedor: This is the silliest thing that I've heard.

[1:08:22] Alan Seales: And yeah, Cheyenne, support theater to support theater.

[1:08:25] Amber Brzezinski: Freaking right, I'm putting that on a t-shirt.

[1:08:27] Alan Seales: Um, you know, wicked.

[1:08:33] Heather Bedor: I don't know if you heard this.

[1:08:34] Amber Brzezinski: Alan has heard the story because we giggled about it.

[1:08:37] Alan Seales: People are literally going and leaving an intermission because they don't want to ruin the movie for the second half.

[1:08:45] Heather Bedor: Hmm?

[1:08:47] Alan Seales: Did you not know this?

[1:08:48] Amber Brzezinski: Did you not know this?

[1:08:49] Alan Seales: Buying tickets to go see Wicked.

[1:08:52] Heather Bedor: And then they leave an intermission because they don't want to ruin the second movie for themselves.

[1:08:52] Alan Seales: They don't want to spoil them their ownership.

[1:08:59] Amber Brzezinski: That's correct.

[1:09:03] Alan Seales: Did you not hear that?

[1:09:05] Heather Bedor: No.

[1:09:05] Alan Seales: Yeah, that's the thing that's been happening at a lot of the Wicked Houses is they have tickets and then intermission, and now there are people that are leaving because they don't want to ruin the movie for themselves.

[1:09:20] Amber Brzezinski: A that's dumb.

[1:09:22] Alan Seales: Yes.

[1:09:23] Heather Bedor: B some people that I know when to see Wicked, and they're like, I didn't realize that the movie was only the first half of the story.

[1:09:32] Alan Seales: Right.

[1:09:32] Heather Bedor: They didn't know there was a second act.

[1:09:34] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:09:35] Alan Seales: Yep.

[1:09:36] Heather Bedor: Yep.

[1:09:37] Alan Seales: It blows my mind.

[1:09:38] Heather Bedor: You know.

[1:09:39] Alan Seales: Blows my mind too.

[1:09:40] Amber Brzezinski: There's a lot of things about other industries we don't know.

[1:09:41] Alan Seales: Yes, and we could do this for like five more hours.

[1:09:43] Heather Bedor: That's great.

[1:09:44] Alan Seales: Uh Jeffrey Cohen, who will be the next MC in cabaret?

[1:09:48] Amber Brzezinski: Um, there's been rumors that have been going around in our group that are we're trying to quell.

[1:09:53] Alan Seales: I don't know.

[1:09:54] Amber Brzezinski: You want to take best guesses here, Amber?

[1:09:55] Alan Seales: Who do you who do you want to be and who do you think it'll be?

[1:10:00] Amber Brzezinski: Uh I got nothing.

[1:10:02] Alan Seales: I have nothing.

[1:10:04] Amber Brzezinski: I I I don't even have a stab in the dark.

[1:10:13] Alan Seales: Johnsy Riley.

[1:10:14] Amber Brzezinski: With with Sutton Foster as Sally Bowls.

[1:10:17] Alan Seales: Yes.

[1:10:18] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:10:20] Alan Seales: That's it.

[1:10:21] Amber Brzezinski: That's it.

[1:10:22] Alan Seales: You talk about shotcasting.

[1:10:24] Amber Brzezinski: Talk about shit.

[1:10:25] Alan Seales: No kidding.

[1:10:28] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, now I want that to happen.

[1:10:30] Alan Seales: It's gonna be canonical from now on.

[1:10:32] Amber Brzezinski: Uh no, and I've been pushing Aaron debate for forever just because he's done so many of like miscasts and stuff.

[1:10:39] Alan Seales: What about somebody kind like a Norm Lewis?

[1:10:44] Amber Brzezinski: I love Norm so much.

[1:10:46] Alan Seales: Okay.

[1:10:47] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my god.

[1:10:47] Alan Seales: Um Norm.

[1:10:49] Amber Brzezinski: Roger Bart as the MC.

[1:10:52] Alan Seales: Yes, that's it.

[1:10:54] Amber Brzezinski: But only if he does Doc Brown's voice.

[1:10:58] Alan Seales: But the Casey likes has to be Okay.

[1:11:02] Amber Brzezinski: Sally Bowls.

[1:11:03] Alan Seales: Casey likes the Sally Bowls.

[1:11:05] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:11:07] Alan Seales: Done.

[1:11:08] Amber Brzezinski: Let's do it.

[1:11:09] Alan Seales: We're gonna put it up for it.

[1:11:11] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, Casey likes as Sally Bulls.

[1:11:14] Alan Seales: Wait.

[1:11:14] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no, there's there's wait.

[1:11:16] Alan Seales: Hold on, Freudline Schneider.

[1:11:19] Amber Brzezinski: Could be oh okay, Audra McDonald has Frolein Schneider.

[1:11:25] Alan Seales: Leslie Margarita.

[1:11:26] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[1:11:27] Alan Seales: Yes, that's that's the one.

[1:11:29] Amber Brzezinski: That's the one.

[1:11:30] Alan Seales: Yep.

[1:11:31] Amber Brzezinski: Hmm.

[1:11:31] Alan Seales: Who could be Clifford though?

[1:11:34] Amber Brzezinski: Hmm.

[1:11:36] Alan Seales: Oh man, I'd like to see.

[1:11:38] Amber Brzezinski: I'd like to see any of the Death Comes or cast.

[1:11:41] Alan Seales: Josh Layman.

[1:11:42] Amber Brzezinski: Josh Lehman.

[1:11:43] Alan Seales: Yeah, exactly.

[1:11:44] Amber Brzezinski: As Clifford.

[1:11:46] Alan Seales: As Clifford.

[1:11:47] Amber Brzezinski: That would work.

[1:11:47] Alan Seales: That would okay.

[1:11:48] Amber Brzezinski: Wait, but that would work.

[1:11:49] Alan Seales: Hear me out.

[1:11:50] Amber Brzezinski: Because if Casey is Sally, it would be a really interesting dynamic of Casey versus Josh.

[1:11:56] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[1:11:57] Amber Brzezinski: I agree.

[1:11:58] Alan Seales: Mm-hmm.

[1:11:59] Amber Brzezinski: I'm there for this.

[1:12:01] Alan Seales: I think we're on for it.

[1:12:02] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:12:02] Alan Seales: I think we're gonna have to start putting this up.

[1:12:04] Amber Brzezinski: We might put this up on our social media.

[1:12:06] Alan Seales: Do you ever do you ever do dreamcasting on the club across the fan clubs?

[1:12:10] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:12:10] Alan Seales: All the time.

[1:12:11] Amber Brzezinski: What's like your favorite show that closed too soon that you want to come back and dreamcast?

[1:12:19] Alan Seales: That's a hard question.

[1:12:21] Amber Brzezinski: Ooh, the close too soon.

[1:12:23] Alan Seales: Okay.

[1:12:24] Amber Brzezinski: Um even though I love every single one of them that close too soon just because I want the freaking show back on Broadway swept away.

[1:12:31] Alan Seales: I knew you were gonna say that.

[1:12:34] Amber Brzezinski: Cole.

[1:12:34] Alan Seales: Yeah, Cole would be a good one too.

[1:12:37] Amber Brzezinski: Cole would be amazing as the AMC.

[1:12:39] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[1:12:40] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, hell yeah.

[1:12:41] Alan Seales: That's a great, great choice, Jeffrey.

[1:12:44] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, what about the there's another bold swing.

[1:12:47] Alan Seales: Talk about uh uh brain farting on the show name.

[1:12:51] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, Mary.

[1:12:52] Alan Seales: Oh Mary, yeah.

[1:12:53] Amber Brzezinski: That's another big swing that is a good one.

[1:12:54] Alan Seales: That is a bold swing, absolutely.

[1:12:56] Amber Brzezinski: I want to bring back Peter and the Star Catcher.

[1:12:58] Alan Seales: Oh I love that show so much.

[1:13:01] Amber Brzezinski: You have no idea.

[1:13:03] Alan Seales: That was where I fell madly in love with Christian Borle.

[1:13:07] Amber Brzezinski: I okay, first off, love Christian.

[1:13:09] Alan Seales: I watched I had the opportunity last year, I was talking to him about it, um, where I watched his nine and a half minute death scene for um opening well, it was like first preview, but producer's preview for Little Shop.

[1:13:09] Amber Brzezinski: Nine and a half minute death of Orin.

[1:13:26] Alan Seales: And I said to him, I said, I just have to let you know I was there for that.

[1:13:30] Amber Brzezinski: He goes, Oh god, I'm so sorry.

[1:13:32] Alan Seales: I said it was the best nine and a half minutes of theater in my entire life.

[1:13:36] Amber Brzezinski: He would milk the hand losing his hand in Peter and the Star Catcher would turn into a nine and a half minute hand amputation.

[1:13:45] Alan Seales: I just my god, Peter and Starcatcher would be a hell of a show to bring back, especially now.

[1:13:50] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I want to see that.

[1:13:51] Alan Seales: Okay, who would you cast then?

[1:13:54] Amber Brzezinski: Oh god.

[1:13:55] Alan Seales: You proposed the question, so I know, I know.

[1:13:59] Amber Brzezinski: I Jesus.

[1:14:00] Alan Seales: Um, I mean, you've got Celia Keenan Bulger uh in there as well.

[1:14:05] Amber Brzezinski: Oh god.

[1:14:06] Alan Seales: Um I think Andrew Keenan uh Andrew Barth Feldman would make would make a great Peter.

[1:14:13] Amber Brzezinski: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[1:14:16] Alan Seales: Okay, I'm there for it.

[1:14:18] Amber Brzezinski: And Elizabeth Teeter for Wendy.

[1:14:21] Alan Seales: Okay.

[1:14:21] Amber Brzezinski: You do like Elizabeth Teter.

[1:14:23] Alan Seales: I do like my teeth.

[1:14:24] Amber Brzezinski: I do like my teeth.

[1:14:25] Alan Seales: I do like my teeth.

[1:14:30] Amber Brzezinski: The show has gone off the rails in the best way possible.

[1:14:33] Alan Seales: I'm here for it.

[1:14:33] Amber Brzezinski: I'm here for it, and I'm sorry, not sorry.

[1:14:35] Alan Seales: Um, who would make it?

[1:14:38] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, speaking of sorry, not sorry.

[1:14:40] Alan Seales: While you're figuring this out, at Fringe, we had a drag night for like Fringe After Dark, and a friend of mine produced the show, and a queen uh put together a six medley.

[1:14:49] Amber Brzezinski: I never knew in my life that I needed to see a drag queen performance of a full medley of six, but my god, it was the best thing in the entire world.

[1:14:58] Alan Seales: And I just sat there screaming.

[1:15:00] Amber Brzezinski: She did every song, like the every single song for like a five-minute performance.

[1:15:07] Alan Seales: That's kind of the best thing.

[1:15:09] Amber Brzezinski: That is that's really cool.

[1:15:11] Alan Seales: I think she probably made about $200 in tips, and we all had a walk down to put it in the bucket.

[1:15:15] Amber Brzezinski: So we walked down the VOMs to put the tip in the bucket because she was freaking everywhere.

[1:15:20] Alan Seales: Yo, yeah.

[1:15:21] Amber Brzezinski: Incredible.

[1:15:22] Alan Seales: I don't know who I would cast this hook.

[1:15:23] Amber Brzezinski: Amber, who would you cast this hook?

[1:15:25] Alan Seales: Some someone dreamcast.

[1:15:28] Amber Brzezinski: Comedy gold.

[1:15:31] Alan Seales: Theater comedy gold.

[1:15:34] Amber Brzezinski: Theater comedy gold.

[1:15:36] Alan Seales: I have one, but I'll wait for Amber to answer.

[1:15:41] Amber Brzezinski: Nothing like dead air on a podcast.

[1:15:44] Alan Seales: I've words about to put out of my mouth.

[1:15:47] Amber Brzezinski: All right.

[1:15:47] Alan Seales: Well, mine is completely dead right now.

[1:15:49] Amber Brzezinski: I've got nothing.

[1:15:51] Alan Seales: You want to hear mine?

[1:15:52] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:15:54] Alan Seales: That's a good one.

[1:15:55] Amber Brzezinski: That's a good one.

[1:15:57] Alan Seales: That's a good one.

[1:15:58] Amber Brzezinski: Mind blown.

[1:15:59] Alan Seales: Mic drop.

[1:16:00] Amber Brzezinski: We can just end the podcast there.

[1:16:01] Alan Seales: Done.

[1:16:02] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:16:04] Alan Seales: That was good.

[1:16:04] Amber Brzezinski: That was good.

[1:16:05] Alan Seales: If I had a laptop, I close it.

[1:16:07] Amber Brzezinski: I have a laptop, I don't want to.

[1:16:11] Alan Seales: Um, I want to do this for like the next five hours, Alan, but um, we can't, so let's do a round two sometime.

[1:16:17] Amber Brzezinski: I'm always here for you.

[1:16:18] Alan Seales: Please, round two.

[1:16:20] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and then we'll certainly let everybody oh, it's my lights are fall.

[1:16:23] Alan Seales: Well, everybody know what's happening with only Broadway fans.

[1:16:25] Amber Brzezinski: I can't wait to are those real books behind you, or is it a poster?

[1:16:30] Alan Seales: It is a vintage wall separator.

[1:16:33] Amber Brzezinski: A vintage from England that I got in a brush.

[1:16:36] Alan Seales: Yeah, what?

[1:16:37] Amber Brzezinski: I see that now.

[1:16:39] Alan Seales: I see that now.

[1:16:39] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[1:16:39] Alan Seales: I thought you were in like a corner of a library.

[1:16:43] Amber Brzezinski: Shh, it's a library.

[1:16:44] Alan Seales: No, it's to hide all the junk behind me because I'm renovating my guest room.

[1:16:48] Amber Brzezinski: Uh, because I during the pandemic bought way too many lounge fly bags for my own good.

[1:16:55] Alan Seales: You know, little backpacks.

[1:16:57] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I have like 80 something of them, and I'm trying to sell them, so they're just all over the place.

[1:17:01] Alan Seales: So this separates everything.

[1:17:03] Amber Brzezinski: Reality is behind this wall.

[1:17:06] Alan Seales: Okay, bring them to Broadway.

[1:17:07] Amber Brzezinski: Have somebody sign them from the shows you go see, and then give them, give them as prizes.

[1:17:12] Alan Seales: They're all, yeah, but they're all Disney bags, and there's not a lot of, you know.

[1:17:17] Amber Brzezinski: Go to Aladdin or Lion King a lot.

[1:17:19] Alan Seales: No, because I would keep them in a heartbeat.

[1:17:22] Amber Brzezinski: I love me Aladdin.

[1:17:24] Alan Seales: I know.

[1:17:25] Amber Brzezinski: But we do have some contests coming up.

[1:17:27] Alan Seales: Uh we have some signed play bills that we're giving away.

[1:17:29] Amber Brzezinski: And we have our Drag the Musical um signed poster, the only one in existence, um, that we are going to be wrapping up our contest soon.

[1:17:37] Alan Seales: That's for anybody that uh purchased it or pre-purted it on iTunes or Spotify or anywhere where you can find drag the musical, the live recording.

[1:17:46] Amber Brzezinski: Um, screenshots can go right into the fan group.

[1:17:48] Alan Seales: And then this poster is literally the only poster in existence.

[1:17:52] Amber Brzezinski: It has the entire cast, plus dryback and tire and a pascal.

[1:17:56] Alan Seales: And it is sitting in that room over there waiting to be shipped out to its winner.

[1:18:00] Amber Brzezinski: That's cool.

[1:18:02] Alan Seales: But in the interim, besides finding us right on www.thebroadwayfanclub.com.

[1:18:09] Amber Brzezinski: Um, if you guys want to check out everything that Alan does, because he is so much cooler than he is letting on on our show.

[1:18:17] Alan Seales: Um, I'm Fringe Fry.

[1:18:18] Amber Brzezinski: There's a cat.

[1:18:19] Alan Seales: Alan's here.

[1:18:20] Amber Brzezinski: This is a huge mewing.

[1:18:21] Alan Seales: Mew.

[1:18:22] Amber Brzezinski: I'm you mew cat.

[1:18:23] Alan Seales: Um, check out BPN, like Broadway Podcast Network dot FM slash T T P.

[1:18:30] Amber Brzezinski: B P N dot F M slash T T P.

[1:18:34] Alan Seales: We'll post that in our groups and on our Facebook page and our Instagram as well.

[1:18:38] Amber Brzezinski: So you can go follow him and stalk him and ask why he couldn't come up with somebody better for hook for Peter and the Starcatcher.

[1:18:45] Alan Seales: Um fighting words.

[1:18:48] Amber Brzezinski: So Christian Borle, if you're listening.

[1:18:50] Alan Seales: Yeah, I know.

[1:18:50] Amber Brzezinski: Well aware.

[1:18:52] Alan Seales: Let's let's figure this out.

[1:18:53] Amber Brzezinski: We're gonna dreamcast it.

[1:18:54] Alan Seales: Bring out the dreamcast of Little Shop with Norm the other day, where he was Seymour.

[1:19:01] Amber Brzezinski: And uh Audre was Okay, I'm here for that.

[1:19:06] Alan Seales: And that'd be great.

[1:19:07] Amber Brzezinski: But who's voicing Audrey too?

[1:19:10] Alan Seales: Patty Lapone.

[1:19:13] Amber Brzezinski: Love it.

[1:19:14] Alan Seales: Love it.

[1:19:14] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no, I want to see Patty as an urchin.

[1:19:20] Alan Seales: We can do this all night long.

[1:19:22] Amber Brzezinski: All right.

[1:19:22] Alan Seales: We appreciate you so much, Alan.

[1:19:25] Amber Brzezinski: Thank you for hanging out and hanging out longer.

[1:19:27] Alan Seales: Thank you, everybody in La La Land, for staying with us.

[1:19:30] Amber Brzezinski: And I am so fringe-fried right now, and I'm about to go back out to Falon for another three hours and absorb as much local theater as I possibly can.

[1:19:38] Alan Seales: Um and as Cheyenne said, support theater to support theater.

[1:19:42] Amber Brzezinski: I'm gonna leave it on that.

[1:19:43] Alan Seales: Um and remember, every Monday night we're here at 8 p.m.

[1:19:46] Amber Brzezinski: Eastern because when Broadway is dark, we keep the ghost light burning.

[1:19:50] Alan Seales: So thanks again for joining us, Alan.

[1:19:52] Amber Brzezinski: We appreciate you.

[1:19:53] Alan Seales: Everybody have a great week, and we will I'm gonna say see you next Tuesday, and that's gonna sound so bad, but it's true because we've got a Tuesday episode next week.

[1:20:01] Alan Seales: Have a good night, everybody.

[1:20:03] Amber Brzezinski: Well, yeah.

[1:20:05] Alan Seales: I you know you next Tuesday, folks.