This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:02] Amber Brzezinski: Hi everyone. Surprise. Happy Tuesday. Monday. Sunday. I don't even know where I am right now. Um I'm here because like you, I have anxiety. And I know lots of you are doing what I'm doing, which is refreshing your Instagram pages, waiting for the Operation Mincemeat stream to begin. So let's just hang out together and wait for it to start together, shall we? Um I also will be playing the stream here if anyone would like to watch it here who does not have Instagram access. So uh again, they did post that they are just running behind and just to give them uh just be patient and they will be starting up very soon. So hopefully uh we will get that going soon. I know I'm very excited to get to be part of it being snowed in here in Connecticut. I'm just posting uh interoperation Mincemeat group for everyone to join us letting everyone know they're running late.

[1:32] Amber Brzezinski: They are running behind, but like it's been a chaotic day. Can we really blame them? I mean, I'm just so I can't imagine how everyone's feeling, you know, with everything going on. Um, but I'm just like I said, it I think it's wonderful that they were able to um do this for us and to kind of put this together. So it's really cool that we will get to kind of experience the last of the Brits together. Um, so yeah, let me head back over now that I've shared over to the mince group and our um, yeah. Just waiting again for that feed to begin. Uh feel free again to leave some comments if you want to chat with us during the stream. If you're interested in hanging out with us, we will be um once the stream begins, we will be having it play here via Instagram on Facebook so that those who do not have uh Instagram access will still be able to be part of it as well.

[3:05] Amber Brzezinski: We don't want anyone um that might have had the chance to have a ticket today and couldn't make it for any reason, and maybe who doesn't have an Instagram just to not have an opportunity to see what what the Brits are gonna put out tonight. So um again, we're just patiently waiting. Hopefully, soon they will jump on. So that will be wonderful. Um, the proper link is to go to Instagram.com and then to go to here. Let me see if I can put it in a banner for you guys. All right. So if you are looking to join the Instagram, you can go right over there for when it does begin. Um, we're so sorry to anyone that might have had tickets today that um, you know, unfortunately, due to this weather, had their show canceled. It was a very tough call. I know that everyone had to make, and it was only made due to um complete safety and you know things like that.

[4:53] Amber Brzezinski: So uh the link is on the bottom, or you can go directly to your Instagram and type in mince meat be way, and it should open up their profile when they do go live. The ring around their photo will say live and it will change colors, it will also show up on your story right on top, and it will stay live. Um, so let's you know give them a great turnout, let's support them as much as we can and send them off, you know, as as they deserve, uh, because this, you know, was just such an unexpected ending to everything. I know I know things originally started off different and then they were rearranged to try to accommodate more people, and then that kind of blew up, so we are just hanging out pin this featured as well in our group, so everyone can see it.

[6:16] Amber Brzezinski: I know I was like, Well, I personally have like an anxiety disorder, so I know I am refreshing this page obsessively. Um, I'm sure most of you guys are as well. If you guys are anything like me, but this is just an exercise of patience. I feel like it's like that moment when they're waiting to find out if they found Bill's body in Spain. So we're all just like waiting by the phone, like for the call. We're all Charles right now, waiting by the call both by the phone, and like I said, we are live, so feel free to jump in on the comments if you have any questions about how to access the live stream, about um, you know, talking and or if you want to hang out, um, and if you have any questions uh while the show, while we wait for the show, if you want to chat about the show, if you have any comments about uh Operation Mincemeat, just let us know.

[7:32] Amber Brzezinski: Like we'd be happy to chat about them while we wait. So Heather, I think, you know, is doing some family things right now, so she unfortunately couldn't be with us at this moment. That's why I am you know leading the crew for this. But again, I know a lot of you guys are just on Facebook and not on Instagram. So I know we have our platform where you guys are able to watch and we can live stream different websites and things. So I was like, why don't I just jump on so this way you guys can still participate? Um and um see the show if you guys aren't able to get in on Instagram as well. So hopefully, you know, it works out for everybody.

[8:49] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and I realized I need more Sue Goggins merch. Like, that is just a thing that I absolutely need in my life. I don't have nearly enough of it, and it's just just it's just a thing that I'm gonna need to get more of because the people lots of people in those photos had Sue Goggins merch, and it was fantastic, brilliant. I love it, and I also love that Jack Malone's um letter was like to everyone but Sue Goggins, cheeky. Jack is so cheeky. Um, so that was wonderful, and they're just a very special crew, and and we're just very lucky that we had the chance here in the States to got to get the chance to hang out with them for the last year or so, so that's just super fun, super fun time for everyone hoping that Raymond for six o'clock because looks like they are a little bit again running a little bit late, but we just we're just going with the flow, and like I said, I jumped on here because my anxiety was kicking in.

[10:19] Amber Brzezinski: It's like I'm sure everyone else's anxiety is kicking in. We're not missing anything yet, nothing has begun. We are all in this together, so at least we have each other right now. I'm in Connecticut where we're due to get buried in snow, so that's really fun. Uh, I went into the city yesterday and got to see Chess. Uh, it was wonderful. We had, I'll do a little bit more of a recap on that whole experience on our show tomorrow night. So make sure you tune in tomorrow night. Um, but Mincemeat, Mincemeat. I feel like Mincemeat was almost like a little engine that could. We did have a lot of those, like little engine that could shows last season. Like I feel like we really had the momentums that started it with um maybe happy ending.

[11:19] Amber Brzezinski: And you know, I just really fell in love with um the whole story, the idea, the concept, and it it was it's truly the people. I don't think that the show really wouldn't would have come across as wonderfully if it weren't those five individuals that first got to introduce us to the show. They really poured their heart and soul into this last god, what was it? What were they saying? 10, 20 years of the show. And Tosh even said, like, who am I without Operation Mincemeat? But I just know she's gonna do wonderful things, and you know, it's only a matter of time before we uh we see their faces again because they're just destined for absolute greatness. I actually was already um sneaking on to Felix's Instagram earlier today, and Felix has an album coming out soon, so make sure we go check out that.

[12:24] Amber Brzezinski: Uh Felix is the fourth member of Spitlip, which is the company that made Operation Mincemeat. Um, and the only one that does not perform, but he is still um part of the uh the original company that has uh produced and written the music and and all of the wonderful things that have brought Operation Mincemeat to us. Uh yes, hi, welcome, welcome TT Moon Maid, Connecticut, fun, fun place to be right now for sure. Uh yeah, I I got to see it a couple times myself, and it was just wonderful. Let's see. Any any commotion on the Instagram motion, nothing yet. All right. I'm just I keep refreshing the stories to see if they're like we'll be there in five. Nothing yet. Just still says stay tuned for updates. So, you know, I'm just staying tuned.

[13:45] Amber Brzezinski: I'm on top of it, you guys. Like I said, I'm staying on top of it. I'm making sure that we know. So I think they are there still might be en route to the venue, something like that. We don't know. Could it just been that they are just delayed in some way? So we're just being patient, and we're all in this together. Because why not? Why not be in this together? We well, we've been in this together since the get-go.

[14:27] Amber Brzezinski: Let's see. What else do we have going on? Um, did anyone do any of the fun um like missions in the lobby or anything? Um I think they did like a couple of events like around with like little scavenger hunt type things. Those were very cool. I wish I had the opportunity to invest more of my time into those because I think they were very informative, and again, just very interesting that they were able to kind of keep people engaged and do more things like that.

[15:10] Amber Brzezinski: That is probably also true, Chris. I thank you for joining us here. Uh I made sure Heather texted you the second I found out there was a live event. I was like, Heather, Chris, she was like, Did you post about it? I was like, of course I post about it. Make sure Chris knows because Chris has to be here. Um, and then like I said, now I've repeated this a few times. We have more people live with us. We are just being patient, and my anxiety was kicking in. So I was like, I'm sure, oh, people's anxieties kicking in. Oh, we got a new post 21 seconds ago. We'll begin in a few minutes to your stations, everyone.

[15:48] Amber Brzezinski: It appears we are getting, we are moments away. So I hope everyone gets has their popcorn, has their um uh what uh what uh uh sangria fizzy pop I was like why can't I think of the the drink the the your fizzy pop your sangria your your everything and uh we should be we should be ready to roll so soon I am just so excited I of course I'm devastated that people aren't able to to see this live tonight but I'm happy for me that I get to be part of this in some way because Operation Mincemeat was so wonderful.

[15:52] Amber Brzezinski: Uh Dan, I'm finding the update posts in the live stories themselves so if you are on the Instagram page of Operation Mincemeat and you click the circle profile picture it will show you their Instagram stories and they are posting updates to their Instagram stories again we are here um just to help everyone who would like to access the live stream to answer any questions if people need help accessing it or just to stream it here or um as best as we can off of Instagram to Facebook and our YouTube page so this way everyone has a chance to watch it and we know this show means so much to so many people and we just wouldn't want anyone to um miss out, especially you know, if they had a ticket tonight, if they weren't able to um jump in and uh make rearrangements to see the matinee tonight.

[17:48] Amber Brzezinski: I just I know it was a really a really difficult struggle for a lot of people today to to kind of get things in order. So we're just we're just trying to be you know the golden girls. Thank you for being a friend. We're just we're the Broadway fan club and we're your friends. We're we're just here for you guys. So that's what we're doing.

[18:15] Amber Brzezinski: All right, so let's see. Anything new. I think I am gonna share my screen. I am gonna pull this up just so I can see the screen here as well. So for those of you that are watching on your own devices, what you're looking for is this circle photo to have a um multicolored little circle around it, and it's gonna say live underneath.

[18:47] Amber Brzezinski: And when that happens, that's what you'll be able to click and and view the live stream. But again, if you're having some tech issues, if you don't use Instagram, if you only use Facebook, we are here for you. We still want you to be included, we want you to be part of this because you're part of our community and and you're part of the the show as well.

[19:09] Amber Brzezinski: So um, we just want to make sure that everyone has a chance to experience this. So um, I'm sure the cast is is so grateful for everyone's patience and everything like that. Once the show goes live, I'm going to remove myself off the screen. I will probably most likely um just be muted and I'll enjoy watching, but we can chat in the comments.

[19:32] Amber Brzezinski: Make sure if you do want to chat in the comments, you're going to our live uh short our original post in the Broadway fan club page so we can see the comments. So they're coming into our our live chat. If you're just leaving your comment on, say the uh Operation Mincemeat fan group, those ones aren't gonna pop up uh necessarily live to us.

[19:55] Amber Brzezinski: So make sure you click on the live video into the Broadway fan club page. So this way when you chat with us, we can see your live comments as well. Um again, we're just waiting for it to begin. Um, did it how long did it take everyone to realize the the the artwork of the show? Um the clever scribble with the mustache briefcase.

[20:22] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I think just every every little aspect of the show is just so well done and just so thought out from you know the the top to the bottom, from the head to the toes, like every point of it is is really just wonderfully done. I didn't see it at first. It took me a long time to to figure out. I was like, what does this squiggle mean? And then once I I figured it out, of course it was glaringly obvious right there, staring you in the face.

[20:57] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so let us know. Do what what Easter eggs do you love about um Operation Mincemeat? Absolutely. Yeah, it's so brilliant. Yeah, it's it's wonderful.

[21:11] Amber Brzezinski: Like it's it's it was genius. It's genius um design for sure. Because yeah, that's you would have never expected it. Um we hope too that anyone that did travel or is out today is safe. Um anyone who has shoveling to do tomorrow stay safe. Um please don't drive if if you don't have to. It's you know not gonna be great out there.

[21:47] Amber Brzezinski: I know uh most of us that have lived in in this kind of weather for a while know the gist, but always good to you know look out for your neighbors if your neighbor needs uh like a little help with shoveling or borrow a cup of bread, cup of bread, cup of milk, something like that. You can always uh do something like that, you know, be neat really be helpful. It's really needed during this time, especially.

[22:22] Amber Brzezinski: And I'm just so excited for this event to begin. I'm so excited for the new cast to begin. I'm a huge fan of Jeff Creedy. I actually one of the times I was seeing Gatsby, I like passed him in the street and I was like, Jeff. Um, he's wonderful. He is absolutely amazing. His dear bill, I can already like uh I can feel it in my in my soul.

[22:57] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and then I can't wait to hear uh Julia Niddle as Monty. Uh she posted an in-costume picture and she looks fantastic. And then the promotions for for, of course, Amanda. Um, and everyone and Brandon and everyone else is just amazing. So, oh Chris, you're gonna have to let me know how it is. I'm dying to know uh that you're gonna see the new cast and and how it goes.

[23:30] Amber Brzezinski: So that's gonna be so awesome. Um, and then the tour started today, like huge things happening for Mincemeat right now. Like huge. It's like it's amazing.

[23:44] Amber Brzezinski: It's so funny, Julia went from like one dead body to the next. She just left. Um, unfortunately, with Dead Outlaws early closing. That was the show she was just previously in on Broadway. And here she is on Mincemeat with another dead body. So uh guess she just can't escape, can't escape them, I guess.

[24:07] Amber Brzezinski: So, but she is amazingly talented, so that it's gonna be incredible to see what she brings to the role, and I'm just so happy that our good friend Jerry Ann, as you can see, pictured right here on the front, will still be um staying on board, as is Sam. So it's just absolutely wonderful that we um we have some some of our friends staying, some new friends coming.

[24:37] Amber Brzezinski: Uh, we have all new understudies, all new covers, and it's just gonna be amazing. Like, I just really hope for some great longevity for this show. Like, I think it's just such a brilliant piece of art. It's so different than anything we're used to, and and that's wonderful.

[25:02] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, thank you, Olivia. I'm glad they have this option for live stream. It was a good call for the company to cancel tonight for the performer safety. Um, so I I think I I think that it was kind of like this show will go on, come hell or high water.

[25:22] Amber Brzezinski: And I do think that that it had to be canceled because it was a uh a citywide shutdown where um like it was it was like a like a shutdown where trains are inoperable, like things are just inoperable, and therefore, like it just legally they were not allowed to perform.

[25:48] Amber Brzezinski: Um so I think if it were to have been any other possible way, they would have done anything they could, like, and I think they did. I truly think they did fight tooth and nail to to do what they could to perform this evening, and unfortunately, it just it's weather, guys.

[26:11] Amber Brzezinski: It's like it's we we live in this New England unpredictable time of you know what and don't you guys remember that October, like several years ago where we got like seven feet of snow was like ridiculous. I memories popped up of that like for me a while ago. I was like, oh, that was awful. I hated every moment of that one.

[26:40] Amber Brzezinski: I think we were like stranded in my house for forever. And the only way we were able to get out was because our neighbors ended up snowplowing our street because the plows like never showed up, so that was super fun.

[27:01] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, Chris. I believe uh the Broadway fan club will be saving this live stream as well. That is another reason that we will be streaming it. Um, so it can be uh saved on our YouTube channel to be rewatched, things like that of the like.

[27:29] Amber Brzezinski: So you should be good to go with us. Um and we should be able to help you out. Otherwise, just reach out to me or Heather. We gotcha. I did something where I like turned, I have a new laptop and I turned on a ring light on my laptop, and I have no idea how to turn it off. So sorry if I got brighter, guys. I don't know what I did, and I don't know how to fix it's not started yet because they posted that they read it. Oh, it's starting right now. It's starting right now. We're gonna try going live. So everyone start clapping. I'm going to disconnect. And if anyone would like to chat with us live, we'll be here in the comments. Everyone enjoy the show. If you can't get on Instagram, the link is down below.

[28:38] Amber Brzezinski: Good evening and welcome to the Laurie Beachman Theatre. Please welcome to the stage, the original cast of Operation Mincemeat.

[28:57] Unknown speaker: Hello. Okay. First of all, let's catch you up. It's been quite the day. Yeah, Operation Food Towers. We obviously were supposed to do our final show this evening, but the blizzard, the blizzard, the bloody, the bloody bloody blizzard. The bloody bloody blizzard. However, we just couldn't. For those who are tuning in over live stream, this is all for you. We um we just couldn't bear the thought that you didn't get to hear the songs or sing the songs live one more time. So we have basically turned what was supposed to be our after party with all our beautiful friends here on the past. We love them. Thank you for helping us make the show. Rather than talking to us, they will now listen to us sing Operation Mincemeat again.

So this is your triumph, really guys. Thank you to the Laurie Beachman Theatre for hosting this event. Thank you so much for the time. We've literally just come off stage and not change and come straight here. So um wish us luck. I hope someone's tuning in. It's all for you. Seven, I don't know how many people it is, it's all for you. One. Oh it down it. All four thousand of my cousins are so is this the largest audience if we five have ever played? Let's be clear. We've cried a lot already. So hopefully not. We are literally just off the stage. So please forgive us if it's not necessarily the toast technically proficient performance we've ever done. Um we're gonna do that's your jack will sound great.

Um we're not gonna do the whole show, we're gonna do like selected songs. Um so please, I hope everyone enjoys it. We all have we love everybody here, and we love everyone watching, and we love each other. Don't touch me. Sorry, uh contractually, I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry about that. Um so shall we I think I have to say, let it a go? Let me go. Go for it. We're probably gonna do a little bit of chatty in between songs of the voice. It's kind of weird. Yeah. But we'll keep it short, keep it swift, let's get parting. It's 943. Joshua, whenever you're ready. Here we go.

[31:02] ♪ Musical number: "We Were Born to Lead" — performed by the cast of Operation Mincemeat ♪

[36:32] Unknown speaker: Tell you what, guys, don't need a burger before singing that song. Um, so yeah, we may have said already. We've literally just come off the scene. Yes. Um, from probably the craziest show ever. Ever, ever done. I think it was six hours long. It was six hours long. Mostly because of Jack Malone. I want to ask before we move on, how many bits did you plan in that show? Um like I I spent money today. Wait, what were the bits you didn't end up doing? Um there was there was there were certain moments where I like for example, mine and uh mine and Bob's last uh Hester asking Bevan out to dinner. I was planning on uh sort of taking him by the tie. But actually the way Bob was looking at me was we we were just like sad.

Like this was this this was our last this was our last moment where these characters were gonna have this moment, so I was like, oh no, I can't do that. So there are a few things I abandoned. But the pig snail came in fine. Not too emotional to put on a pig snail. Never too emotional for a pig snail. That's that's the mintimate way. Um okay, you may know the next song. I thought well, I'll tell you when I did get emotional today was during God That's Brilliant, and that's because that's the first thing. Like I I learned some of the moves for God That's Brilliant that we are still doing today in my audition. Yeah. So I was I was emotional being like because I was like, yeah, no, I remember going to going to Battersea Arts Center and learning this routine in my audition.

That weave, do you remember how long we took to look out? God that's brilliant weave. Yeah, we had little cups and we were like little thimbles. Dave and I just over a table going, if you're that cup, yeah, you go there, then that cup goes there, then there's a couple six where's this come from? I was just like getting laid or something at the time. Sure. It's hard to say. Um so let's let us do it.

[38:20] ♪ Musical number: "God That's Brilliant" — performed by the cast of Operation Mincemeat ♪

[41:08] Unknown speaker: He kills the guard, snocks the girl, and says the thing.

[41:10] Unknown speaker: No, we tell him that quite a bit. I think this plan is feared off. Bring it back to Black. Our victories assured. We go and win the war. God, that's brilliant. I'm brilliant. And surrounded by fools. Um, we were actually just talking about how when we came off stage, about how it's so but it's so obviously so in baffling to be here, but particularly considering I was just we were just thinking about the the first time we ran this show in the New Diorama. Um, it was so bad, guys. It was really nice. It was so bad that it was so bad that the the beautiful artistic director of the new diorama, who is now the artistic director of the royal court, took us all into his office and basically went. So what are we gonna do?

Because we just didn't have an act two. Yeah, it didn't have an act two. And I remember so with you. It's all like he and it was such it was such a bad thing, and you'll know this is bad because this is what he he spent money on this. This he was like, he sent us all in separate taxis home. That seat was an eight that was venue, it was an 80-seater theatre. They did not have money to spare on sending actors home in taxis, but we were all just like, what are we going to do? Yeah, it was like going over like it was like going to war. It felt like it was like, but there's no way we can perform this show. We didn't. We canceled two reviews. We canceled two reviews. And we wrote at two the next day.

Yeah. And Jack and Rory, who was playing the part that Claire now plays at the time, um, they stayed late and sat with us and like read the whole team. The whole team, and we all sat down and like put the structure up on the board and tore it apart. We're like, we don't need this, we do need this. That's when we were like, what if we have the concept of a reprise and a musical? We're like, oh shit. Hadn't considered that honestly. Yeah, and we we down tools and reworked it to in two days. And then I would say after about the third or fourth show, that's when we started being like, okay, maybe this now makes sense. But it's I mean that that taxi home was definitely one of the worst moments of my life. So it's important to remember that sometimes the worst moments of your life is just what you have to do to do something good in the end. Yeah. Uh but also they're just terrible.

[43:10] Unknown speaker: Good. We're gonna skip ahead now. No, yeah, should we what are we skipping to? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Something you may be noticing uh while while they figure out is um that because we are not uh doing the show in situ, that's where the lines the lines don't quite live in our heads. We've done it so much for so long, they live in our bodies and our hands and our knees. Um so that's why I think things will get dropped. I'm surprised Claire could do any of that. Yes, Claire Claire Jessica's. Unless I'm in situ, I cannot do this show. And the and the reason Jack is saying that is because we're gonna jump to Deerville. The pitch I won't be able to do my routine. The the pitch in making man, the songs were cut was were skipping, they're just they're so unwieldy with scenes and blah blah blah.

And so Tash refused to do them. I'm tired, and I need to be paid more today to do that. Wait, you're getting paid? Uh anyway, the prices. Um, so yeah, we're gonna let Jack sing his okay songs with his okay voice still. Tony Award winner, Chuck Malone, everybody.

[44:17] Chuck Malone: Dear Bill, I'm afraid I've not got long to write. I'm off to Mary's, you know how she feels about rich night. It's been a few days. I thought that I'd send a few lines. Next door's greyhound came into the garden this morning. I think he likes the roses. They're doing fine. I use some twine to tie them up and bring them in. I hope they'll bloom next spring. But you'll see that for yourself. I'm following the instructions you left in your note. Please devote all your time to their care. And I have done us well. Except for the talking, I'm not going to do that. Cause talking to roses is mad, and you knew that. When you whispered sweet nothes to flowers to make my dad cross, and me laugh, and it did.

And why did we meet in the middle of a war? What a silly thing for anyone to do. Your sister sends her love, of course. And your mother is the same as ever. Diana's piano is getting much better. Well, I say better. I really just mean louder, but as she tells me, that's pretty much the same. Well, it makes a change from all of the noise and the sirens, and sometimes from all of the silence. With six rounds of jingle bells, and we wish you a Merry Christmas, even though it is June. And it's been a long summer. But she wants to be perfect for her older brother. She hopes you'll be home again soon. She knows you'll be home again soon. And it's fine. And we are fine. It's nice to watch her get better with time. I suppose they just miss you. I know they just miss you. And I'm not going to argue with that. And why did we meet in the middle of a war? What a silly thing for anyone to do.

[47:12] Unknown speaker: Guys, the live did just disconnect. That is not you. You are not hallucinating. It was not an issue. It was, in fact, a tech issue. Hopefully, they will be back up soon. Um, and hopefully someone notices that that dropped because we are in fact off live. Hopefully, again, let me just get this going. Um, again, we are just going with the flow. I am just here as an anxious person with you guys, um, just talking you through it while we all kind of navigate this while it happens. So we're just we are just um making sure that they um the feed did crash. Yes, the feed crashed. We are waiting for them to go back live. Hopefully, they will see this soon and they will be back live, of course, in the middle of that beautiful moment.

Um that beautiful song always gets me. I know, I know. Why did we meet in the middle of a war? Oh, how terrible that that we had to lose, lose the connection right there at that moment. So we're just gonna hope that it comes back soon and hope for the best, but again, I'm here for you. You're here for me. We are all in this together as another musical, high school musical would say. Uh, that is what we are. We are just part of it. All right, so let's see. We are just refreshing constantly. Hoping for an update. I might even send a message to the Oh, they're live again. It's live again. Back on live. Everyone, we're live again. Oh no, maybe not. Showing live on my phone. Not yet on my computer.

Oh no, I stopped sharing my screen. Does anyone else see live again? Is anyone else? Is it just me or is anyone else seeing? Nope. All right. I live fibbed. It showed me live in one spot, but it was not, in fact. It was not, in fact, back live. So and why did we stop in the middle of that song? What a silly thing for anyone to do. That was just beautiful. And honestly, right on par for the day, to be honest. So let's see. Hopefully they will be back up. Also, forgive my bedhead. I oh, they're back. They're back. We're back in business.

[50:54] Unknown speaker: I'm gonna say that was such an odd experience for me to see. Because I have watched you on stage perform that hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times, but I've never seen this side of your face ever do that song. It was like watching the Phantom take off his mask. I was like, there's a whole other person in what's he really. When we were in like the first iterations of this, I had to stare at the back of your head for the whole like eight minutes of this song, just being like everyone crying, and I'm like, I wonder what he looks like. It took about four runs before we let these two sit. Oh yeah, I demanded that. Um, for the people on the live stream, you missed dear Bill. That's that's what that was.

That was dear Bill. Um, and that's what we're talking about. Um listen, you've seen me thousands of times. I've sung that song enough, so there we are. Um yes, odd. You've got another side of your face, who knew? That's what I've learned. I can only afford the Botox on the one side.

[51:48] Unknown speaker: Uh we're gonna kick forward to uh just for tonight. Yes. I just wanted to say before we start, just thank you so so much, the Laurie Beachman Theatre for having us. Like, we pulled this together, literally found out there would be a bliss. I'm like, can we do anything? Can we do anything? So thank you for having us, guys.

[52:11] Unknown speaker: Yes. When the world is such a mess, it's hard not to feel depressed, getting stressed by what may come in time. But life is much more pleasant when you're living in the present. So let's raise another glass and feel sublime. For Cumberland, our plan might fall to bits when Adolf gets his claws in it. And yes, we broke the law a bit. That's right. But at least until tomorrow comes. Why not believe that we have won? And maybe have a let's live it up tonight.

[53:00] Unknown speaker: So just for tonight, let's be winners. Who finally did something right? A plan is signed, sealed, delivered and tomorrow it could all go wrong. So, Charlie, let's live it up tonight. What if the sub gets hit by the Germans? So what do they realize our documents are fake? Oh, Charlie, why do all this fretting? Read the room boy club, the setting. It's no life if you're forgetting to live. I find it helps me feel prepared. To what? Just dwell on being scared. I say to hell with that hot air man and give yourself some credit. Well, there's credit to who made this plan. Yes, you so celebrate your greatness, Rabbit Jim. You're too full of brains of plenty for your glass to feel half empty. So let's get another bottle. Fill the jumping to the brim. Just for two more tonight, he's over tonight. Let's find a beach on the rice. We're not fantastic. Morrow is consumable. Exactly. Let's live it up tonight.

[54:09] Unknown speaker: Five degrees down, keep a hundred and eighty feet. Captain, this canister serve. You mean the weather equipment like come on, Cotton, since when did we become underwater post? We have our orders. What was that? We're registering a death charge, sir. Enemy sub incoming. Change clothes, Captain. Captain. It's your moment. Let's embrace it. Victory so close, we can taste it. And some sweet release is what the people need. Trust me, Charles, there's no point living it. We can't go down swinging. Drop your bones, we're off to dance until we mean. We made it. I meant to meet my brother here. The great artist owes me a beer. He's broke. I don't know how his films get made. With my comrades overseas, I find that money grows on trees to spell a secret.

[54:53] Chuck Malone: And you'll see that lips will get you. Brother, have you got something for me? This one will make us rich, but it's off the books. Come on. Just keep it out of sight. Shall we, my boy, grab his full flash of joy? There's disaster a hoi to nine. Just for tonight with the victory. Tomorrow we will know the score. So everyone, let's give it up tonight. Hey! Stay the course, that's madness. Maintaining 180 feet. We need to dive very command to a fight to see us and delivery job. We don't have a choice. Sir. We're under direct orders, head straight to Spain and service. Surface? What the hell is going on? With a best, there's no defeating us. Under Islam and a genius. So drink up, let's get delirious on the leave.

Tomorrow we could dive it right now. Celebrating taking up our swiss glass and Charming out just for tonight. We have but he's the strangest looking weather equipment I've ever seen. And we're just supposed to leave him out there. Those are our instructions. Do we even know his knee? Ready to give the order, sir. Aye. Float him out, close the main access hatch, and then we'll dive. Thank you for your service, so if it's now it's down together. If it's up, it's a swamp. So sail on boys through stormy weather. Soon the journey will be gone. It is time. It's time together. Shut us for night. Shuts for nice.

[57:39] Chuck Malone: Gentlemen, we have a problem. Thank you. Let me say thank you to our amazing Broadway and D Joshua? Keeps this show running. Thank you so much for doing this. Uh yeah, not a classic chamber piece, that, but I think we all enjoyed a good time. Yeah. That's the most important thing. Um, great. We're gonna jump to, I believe a really simple, easy one. Willie Watkins, my favorite song in this whole show, Willie Watkins. Give it the full the full title. The Ballad of Willie Watkins. It's not a ballad. It's not a ballad, but it's what it's called after all. Um let's uh let's do it. Let's go for it. So I was up there flying high in style, right over Spain. But then I feel something there's a thudding, and then suddenly what?

Hot dog. The plane is stalling. I've got a bad feeling about him. I got a good feeling. I'm feeling good about this crap. He's crashed in well, but drowning is not to appeal. His name is Willie Watkins. I do so well to cause it, we mix one. Charles waits I've got a bad feeling. Keep it together. Keep breathing. When they hear two pilots crashed in neutral space.

[59:41] Chuck Malone: Charles, please stop drying heaving. This is war. Things never go quite a man. Where the hell's our man? Well, the for London under receiving another pilot's washed up on the sand, and it's dead this time. The planet is working like I knew it would. Bill's arrived. Our efforts weren't in vain. I'm like small rat. What? Two planes crashed in the very same spot. The chopping bill opened to see what's what a corridor is coming. The two man here is my good feeling. Slowly being peeling congealing. You'll be rolling to drown in spills be swamp. I'm sweating, there's no telling what another day will bring my need and drink. For there could be a hole in the boat. And who knows if you'll see a guy of law.

Nice thanks. But everything will work out sweat. Hassel can get to that autopsy and make sure they think he drowned. I've been saving that. Hot dog. That was my when we listened to that album for the first time. That was the song where I was like, this is a good song. The horns, the horns of the album. The horns of the album. Steve All. Steve Sidwell putting in the American um national anthem into that album. It's just so good. We wish you could take credit. I know we can't do that. Yes, he's not. That's the level of shenanigans I reached today. What did you throw? He was just throwing stuff. It was fine. Another thank you while we're here is just to thank um Evie and Marie from OM and the guys from P. Morgan.

Love you, Morgan. Oh my god. To get a text from us being like, should we do a live stream? And be like, by the way, we can't do any of it. We've got it on stage. Bye! Um, so thank you guys for doing this for us. You're amazing. Um, we're cutting to useful. Let's go and do some useful. God, I don't get a minute's piece here. We watch we all watch this backstage today in crowd. I watch every night, but it was. Yeah, it's it's crazy. I imagine the medals they'd give me. And this was all through. You imagine the medals. I know. I know. Right. And then Winston goes. Winston Churchill. We'd be lost without you. Right, and where is this? The palace. Oh, of course. And I bow and salute. The king knows with the reason we've won.

Oh, the king's there, is he? And there's so many medals. And the crowds made assemble. And demand to hear just what we've done. And Mr. Churchill says. He says, Yes, it's all true. Oh, you'd never believe it. They did what they could do, and though you never see it. They worked and they prayed, and it wasn't in vain. They knew pain could be strength, and that strength could be pain. They forced enemy forces to fly. They banished the planes from the sky. And they did something useful. Well, I look forward to the radio broadcast. What about you? What about me? What's the dream scenario? Miss Leslie. Oh, how about a statue? Oh, for goodness sake. Here lies Hester Leggett. Oh, good, I'm dead. What is wrong with me?

Perhaps just a small plaque. Something tasteful and small. Of course. Nothing over the top. People don't stand and stop. It's just one look, and their tears start to fall. Oh Lord. I can see it with flowers brighter placed in the garden. Ah, thank you. And it's silver. Gold and it shines boldly, and they'll see you did more than your fat. For Hester who served a nation. Yes. A timeless inspiration. You are. And they'll say it's all true. Though you'd never believe it, she did what she could do, and though you never see it. She worked and she prayed, and it wasn't in vain. She knew pain could be strength, and that strength could be pain. She forced her before this to fly. She banished the planes from the sky.

And she did something. Useful. Yes, we've done good work. And you can't ask the people who can do more than that to just go home and pace through the rooms of a flag. Feeling she's travelled right back to the star. Stuck at home with her mother, feeling useless. And smothering the light that kept out the dark. I hate that he just sees me as some silly little woman. That might be exactly what we need. What? Jean, this must go no further, but we think there's something strange going on between Montague and his brother. What do you mean? We think they're passing government secrets to our enemies. Until he drops his guard and starts talking, we can't know. Well, he's not gonna talk to me. He hates me.

And the last person that he would talk to. There's more than one way of getting things done, Miss Leslie. You might be the ideal candidate. Wait, so you think if I just went up to him, apologized profusely, told him that he was right all along, that I'm a pointless little fool, and I buy him lots of drinks and ask him lots of personal questions, and you are absolutely right that will definitely work. Indeed. You can do this, Jean. And we need you to. Okay. Even if Dear Winston never finds out about it. So you're saying no medals. No medals. No statues, no plaques, no flowers for Hester and Jean. I don't think that it's people like you or me. But the crowds come to see. And if there's one thing I know, it's that I'm no good with things that need help to grow.

I'm afraid I disagree. You've done a pretty good job with me. Thank you. Thank you. I think that when people meet in the middle of a wall, it feels like it needs something more. So who needs a medal? It's this that will keep fighting for. Now I'll keep fighting for. And yes, it was true. We did what we do. Never see. And they are never to be space. And we'll call it very strong. We force all their forces of fire. We banish the blues from the sky in the same useful. And if they don't know where you smoke, what matters is that we do something useful. Back to work, Miss Nesby. Yes, ma'am. The incomparable clamory hall and some guy called Jack Malone. Wow. That was so nice. Hire people who can sing.

It's such a good idea. And then hide your voices between them. We're just gonna do we're just gonna do the finale. But I think before we um we will have forgotten to say thank you to a bunch of people, so sorry about that. But I just wanted to say um this person who can't be here tonight today, which is Felix, the final of the fourth writer. So if you're here, I don'm not if you're watching Felix or maybe not, but like you're here with us in spirit. We wish you were here. Like you you share in this just as much as us, and and yeah, we can't wait to see. We're gonna go see him next week.

[1:08:34] Unknown speaker: We're gonna go visit the tour cast in Manchester. We're gonna land in London and then basically immediately go and see the tour cast. So, yeah, it's just become such an amazingly huge thing. Yeah, um we could never have dreamed of it. We can't, but yeah, but thank and thank you guys. Thank you to everyone. Thank you. Also, like everyone that's been working in the city. It's been amazing. But we'll cry too much if we think about it here. We are we're also gonna welcome one more person to the stage. Joe Bunker is gonna be coming on for to do some finale piano. Am I right about that? Oh, empty in London, empty from the start, Joe Bunker. Are you gonna do a little tag team? What's happening here?

Oh, they're gonna play, they're gonna play as a two summer. Can you imagine that? Oh my god. So exciting. Never before seen in this world. Four hands, one piano. It gets exerted. Um hoping the stream is still okay. How we do it. Yeah, okay. Honestly, everyone watching this is for you. We're so so sorry we couldn't give you a final show tonight. Hopefully, this has gone some way to let us show our appreciation for everyone who's coming with us on the show. And this is probably gonna go wrong. Yeah, it's fine. Um, should we should we should we go from um step one? What? Yeah, should we just go from step one? It's the but get rid of the bit that's a bit like not bad, obviously. Um, from the front of the curve.

Let's go from the curve. Yeah, let's go for the finale. Charles, do you have the harness on? Yeah, yeah. Do you have your harness? I will be flying tonight, guys. I'm more I'm mainly warning these guys, because you're the ones who're gonna have to catch me. Okay. I believe they call it a glitzy finale. A glitzy finale. A glitzy finale. Put them away. Jesus Christ. We have our audits. Let's go. Sing along if you fancy why not.

[1:10:36] Unknown speaker: Well, step one, thinking camps on, and toss them in the air, cause the war was won. Nazis defeated, evil retreated. Really quite surprising that you're all still seated. But let's celebrate that we won in the end with a little help from our American friends. Don't begrudge it. Let's blow the budget. Willie, take us home! Aye! I got a good feeling. USA feeling good about this war. Short pass is unsort of you. But that ain't no reason for them to feel sore. Let it been defeated. Hot damn darn shooting. Life's pretty swell now. We've all stopped shooting. What little letter from that study fella. Oh no, well we go. Oh, life is tough. It's sleeping spammer. We have chosen to remain with the pottery topass and croquet in the sun.

It's a nightmare, sir. What a prevailing hot pony to be. Not going back. Well, fancy that. We're immigrants. No, we're British. We're expats. Uh oh. I wonder what's going on in England. Back to London. It's the future. There's the only hands made go. Would you know this flemming fella? So he's wearing a shiny tuxedo. And then he shoots a baddie with a big gun. Like it's shake and not stir. And he's not a sexy lady. With false on my word, he's a genius. Jesus. Oh, that's brilliant. No, listen, on this before me, governor. What century are you in? Here's a lesson on being useful. Now that I broke up my combination, I'm here we're the clear celebration. We're saving the day, so keep your elbow.

We will show our message. Clear with paper all nothing now. Gotta taste up this line run right now. Wait on our game up. Miss Leslie. Sorry, Mom. What's your language on the live stream? He's here. Go. Colonel Bevan. Oh, Esther. Sorry I'm late. But that's okay, sir. The briefing doesn't start until two. My new girl, she's not, um. Well, she's not you. Thank you, sir. Actually, sir, I've asked your new girl to put something in your calendar this week. Yes, what is it? It's dinner with with me. Well, uh. Very good. Carry on, yes, sir. For the ladies on your master set. Take this war for all you can get. We't catch where they get a change up when I'm finished. No, cross is shut down the customs here when it's either the bottom.

But what about Monty? Light. Move on up. Move on up. Action. I'll tell the story of the permit for day. Now I'm going down in his story. On silver screens on stages. Now see my chicken has clinched on their Dorine Because just for tonight you watch the roles. Who taught the world how to win? Fuck you! Solid the champagne and cheese blow. Well, it's thanks to his great night. We've done an alpha bar, we've done an alpha bar, no fly, no fly show, no fly show. Uh great. Uh I think that's it, isn't it? The end of the show, or should we? I'm not doing all this dialogue. Should we go for uh where we where's the cuts yeah? I cannot tell you, yeah. Straight in with straight and get smash car, smash car.

I'm afraid I cannot tell you what I went on to do. Who knows? Cause where I go is need to know. I won't keep one clue back to me. So don't ask me to tell you it's classified. Soon praises will be you. So you won't hear my name or what I became the clever comes and accountants. We're certain to succeed. Well, some upon tomorrow, must but lead us. We are the maskers. We are the clever men who hold the reins. We win. You'll see forever after scores down and face to dust. Some of us here professional. No one needs to know how we are. Making a man, making a hero, quick as we can. The nations in need of a marvelous hand. Undependable dream gold, a shining example of what humans can be making a land.

And that's about it, sir. Who was he? Who was who? The man who wasn't Major Bill Martin. Now that the mission is a success, I doubt anyone will ever really need to know. But luckily, Montague's stolen files were the starting point to solve one final mystery. His name was Glyndor Michael. A gardener come from Cardiff to London. Born on the wrong side of the traps. I've lived on the life. Family left to mourn him, wonderful. Just an only soul. What happened when he fell to the cracks? A man of no renown. The history books assured men like Bill Martin won this fight. But to forget the ones behind him, well, it never seemed quite right, though which took fifty years to get it, and a government to let it walk.

In Helva, a memorial now stands. Looking out across the sea. Upon the sun. It reads. For Glendor Michael. Who served as Major William Martin? A man who never was. If it's done, it's down together. If it's up, it's up as one. So sail on boys through stormy weather. Sooner will be done. If it's time, it's done together. If it's up, it's up as one. So say no story weather. Soon the judging way.

[1:18:53] Unknown speaker: That was wonderful. We'll chat a little bit after this is over for a second. Oh my last jump, guys. What a great moment. Thank you. Let's get drunk. All right. Well, I'm sure they're gonna end their feed soon. So let's congratulations to the cast of Operation Mincemeat, and thank you for tuning in. We're gonna stay here for a quick second. Thank you, everyone. Let's get we'll remove that. All right, so that was wonderful. Um, I enjoyed that very much. Thank you guys for watching it with me. You know, as always, you can watch uh our shows on Monday nights at the broad. Oh, a surprise guest. A surprise guest. I'm here, but it won't let me turn my camera around. Here we go. Hold on. We have a Heather.

Hi there, everybody. I've been with family and this is weird on my phone, but hello. Yes, my I I while I was in the car, I was like crying. And look, I'm also Chris Levy is here. Chris, say hi to everybody. Chris. Hi, everybody. I had to play a set. I don't know what just happened on Insta, but um we recorded it quite good. Yeah, thank you. Question below came on late. Will we be able to see the whole thing? This will be live on all of our pages and our YouTube. Uh, so you can re-watch it live. Including my wonderful commentary in the beginning and in the middle, and our commentary here at the end. Oh, yeah. All right. Well, Amber, I'm losing you, and my phone is doing weird stuff. I wanted to say thank you for picking up the Slack where I'm at, um, dealing with the funeral stuff.

I appreciate everybody tuning in. You are awesome. Um, the show's so important, and I think like keep it going. Like, this new cast is gonna be incredible. We're gonna miss our Brits dearly. But what a cool idea, Amber, to be able to stream us. So thank you for doing that. Everyone that's tuning in. Um, just like Amber's been telling you, make sure you follow our other fan groups at the Broadway FanClub.com and check out our podcast episodes at Only Broadway Fans. You'll be smiling. I know you won't have anything else to do. So hang out with us again tomorrow night. We'll chat about this. But I uh I appreciate you guys. Yeah, I'm gonna be going live tomorrow night from the quartet, what they call the super group at the Disney and Broadway series that I've got. So it'll be good. Bye, everybody. Keep keeping up, Amber. You're doing awesome. Appreciate you, babe. Good night, everyone. Bye.