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[0:04] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert. Listen, everybody, sometimes I'm not a good gay. Don't tell everybody. Sometimes I'm not a good gay, and I don't watch the drag. Don't be mad at me, Susie. I haven't watched every season. But I support drag everywhere—local drag, national drag, RuPaul's Drag Race—and I know about our next guest. And he is Susie with a Z, like Liza with an S, but Liza with an S goes snuts and Suzie Toot is here. Suzie Toot is here, everything on tour, coming to you. Get a ticket. Susie, welcome to the show.

[0:36] Suzie Toot: Hi! I'm so happy to be here. Hello. I'm, you know, we are like pre-Pride party right now. And this is it, this is as gay as it's gonna get, everybody, right here. Are you excited to hit the road and take what you've done? You're doing theaters, you're playing City Wineries, you're like Beyoncé.

[0:56] Suzie Toot: You are, girl, I've been around the world again and again. Uh, no, I'm so excited. I have been traveling a ton post—as soon as the season started, I've been out and meeting people and doing the thing. But this show is different, it's special, it's like a kind of refined, it's like the premier Suzie Toot experience. And it's very, very Broadway. So I'm so excited. That's what I'm excited about.

[1:26] Robert Bannon: So when I was reading about you, I heard that you're from like the New York area. Where are you originally from?

[1:32] Suzie Toot: So I was born in Long Island, and then I moved to South Florida when I was five. And it's taken a long time; just about a year and a half ago, I moved back to New York City.

[1:46] Robert Bannon: Well, welcome back home. Welcome home.

[1:49] Suzie Toot: Thank you. I feel home. I do. Even though Florida is like where all the New Yorkers go to be.

[1:55] Robert Bannon: Exactly. And I was in Florida and I was miserable. I was like, I'm going where y'all are coming from. Like, what did you leave for? I don't get it.

[2:03] Robert Bannon: I still, when I was reading about you, I love your family. Like, you have a fun, unique story of your family. What do you mind sharing your background?

[2:13] Suzie Toot: Uh, yeah. Um, my mom, I assume you're talking about my mother, who, um, her real maiden name is Susan Toot. And I was just like, I want that. I stole it right from her. Um, stole it. It's literally, it's like, it is her maiden name.

[2:32] Suzie Toot: Yeah, it is her maiden name, and now you Google Susie Toot, and it's me. I come up.

[2:39] Robert Bannon: And you grew up like, like you have your little, like, um, I don't like Hebrew school or, or going to—like, you were a good, a good little Jewish boy.

[2:51] Suzie Toot: Jewish boy who has now grown up to be a drag superstar. When did you realize this is what you wanted to do?

[2:58] Suzie Toot: Oh man, I, you know, I, in high school, I was in a production of Fiddler on the Roof when I was little at a summer camp, and that's when I fell in love with theater. And through that, it became this thing of like I love Sutton Foster, I love—and I like realizing like, oh, this is more important. This, like, diva goddess character, this person, you know. That's the Reno Sweeney and Janet Van De Graaff, um, at Charity Valentine, Gwen Verdon. I was like, this means more to me than just theater. Like, this isn't I want to do theater. It's like there's a character and a story to be told. There is something here. And I love to sing, to act, to dance. I love to direct, I like to costume design. I love every piece of it. So to me, it was like, well, of course I should do drag. And then I can do all of it. I can be in it and produce it and create it. And that's what Susie with a Z is.

[3:56] Suzie Toot: Look, Suzie Toot is not just here lip syncing for her life, which you've seen her do on TV. Susie is shuffling off to Buffalo, tap dancing, singing. That's the only move I know. That's the only one I remembered. Hell yeah. That's the only one I got.

[4:10] Robert Bannon: She's gonna be singing and dancing and putting together an entire show. I've asked this of drag. I love drag. I'm fascinated by drag. I wish I was talented enough to be in drag. I wish I was skinny enough to be in drag. I gotta have enough with that. If I stop eating cookies, they'll be out and about. But I had 40 in that just—who cares? So my point, I got married, my husband. What are you gonna do? I'm gonna eat a cookie.

[4:39] Robert Bannon: So Susie, is the character a blown-up version of you? Is she you? Is she completely different than you? What is she?

[4:48] Suzie Toot: Yeah, I think she started out intentionally different from me. It was intentionally like this is a woman with her own backstory in her own life, this like glamorous star of stage and screen who is so full of herself and what have you. Um, but slowly I realize like what works about Susie is the way that she's similar to me. And, you know, doing Drag Race and coming out of Drag Race, I realize that there's so many parts of myself that I can inject into Susie. And she can be this egotistical Broadway diva, but also be kind of a weird rock and roll stoner at the same time. Like, it all works together because it's true. Everything that's true is what works on the stage, you know?

[5:35] Robert Bannon: See, I get it. So what you're saying is you are a big Broadway diva slash hippie stoner.

[5:41] Suzie Toot: Yes, absolutely. I get this. What is the music like? What is the show? Is it a cabaret? Is it a story? Are you doing a concert? What—how do you describe what we're gonna buy a ticket to see?

[5:52] Suzie Toot: Yeah, it's a cabaret show. Um, it is a lot of sit-down and singing, but it's also, you know, choreographed sequences and costume and nonsense. Um, it's gonna be a lot of musical theater, but also—and a lot of my show before this was like real vaudeville music, like music from the 20s that nobody has ever heard, super b-side, c-side shit, and reinventing it and giving it new life, which is a big part of my drag is reviving the sort of vaudeville era. So it's got a lot of really cool music that like I have been digging and searching to find.

[6:32] Suzie Toot: And you're singing it. It's—there's no lip syncing up there. Yeah, all live sung, live tap dancing. Um, I'm gonna have a microphone running underneath, running through my tights like a rocket bitch. Um, yeah, it's—it's for those who are familiar with drag shows and maybe have seen me at a bar touring around the world. This is a totally different experience. This is true, genuine cabaret musical theater. Um, there's 17 dates. Where is Suzie Toot? The link will be there. We can get it.

[7:03] Robert Bannon: What's it mean for you to go to places like Texas, to go to places where you—they may not have the drag? There's drag everywhere, and there's queer culture everywhere, but some—it's not everything's New York. Not everything's—what's it like for you to be able to go to places where maybe the kids, the youngsters, the young queer community doesn't get to see this all the time, and then they get to see you in person?

[7:27] Suzie Toot: It means a lot to me. It really does. Um, I find that often, like, the weird kind of Midwest cities that I've gotten to do are like some of the most electric audiences I've ever played for. Um, because they're not like—it doesn't come all the time. They're not used to it. New York audiences are so like, bro, we could walk across the street and see the greatest thing you've ever seen. So, like, whatever. But, uh, and I love New York too. But there's something about, you know, I'm from Florida, and we have gone through a ton of drag band nonsense and trying to suppress queer art and just the accessibility of art. Growing up there, getting to see Broadway shows that tour was this moment of like, oh my god, I'm so glad this is here. This is like, I wouldn't get to experience something like this otherwise. So to get to like return the favor that way and bring a kind of New York cabaret drag experience all across the US is very, very exciting for me. It's so important.

[8:26] Suzie Toot: I'm so excited that you're doing this so that people can see it that don't get to experience that there's not that drag bar down the block, that there's not that gay club that they can go and be there. That means a lot, a safe space for everybody where everybody's welcome. You have good hair. I wouldn't even wear a wig. You got good hair. You got the natural curl. Come on, curl. I've been working on it. I like it looks good to me. I don't I'm losing it as we speak.

[8:50] Robert Bannon: What was your journey like? Like, how do you did you love your experience on the show? Did you I I know it's a huge platform, and I know you ex you're you're you're national, you're in tour, people know you and recognize you from it. What how do you describe what the journey was like for you?

[9:07] Suzie Toot: Man, it was I loved my experience there. Absolutely. Even the like crazy, weird, bad parts were so exciting, um, all on their own. I think it's crazy to sh have one experience on set with these people in real life, and then watching that experience translated through editing, because of course it has to be edited. Um, and then also perceived by people. And my talent show number, like my big d um opening thing, like the what people know me for, um, was something so familiar to the people who know my act and know Suzie Toot and have been around it. But I was surprised to find that it was very shocking and like so many people had such a wide range of reactions to it. But I like taken I love the negative comments.

I love the people who don't understand it because that makes me feel like I'm cooler and more niche. And that's kind of something that drives my art and helps me make more. So I love it. It's scary, and I love it. That's my thesis. I think it's important. Like, what makes you the more niche and specific you are, the more universal it really becomes because it's unique, it's clever, it's new.

[10:24] Robert Bannon: And that's what what is it like for young because of the show? My c this is my controversial question.

[10:30] Suzie Toot: Hell yeah. Oh, I can't wait.

[10:32] Robert Bannon: What do you think about people? The ins their internet and like drag is born in the club. Like drag is born putting it on and going on and building your persona, your character, and working the crowd. But a lot of drag is now done on social media, it's TikTok drag, it's whatever. How do you marry the two? Is it important if there are young people out here who want to get into the art form of drag to find a mother, find a house, find a club, find a dress and go out there and work. Go to work.

[10:56] Suzie Toot: Absolutely important for young drag queens and burgeoning drag queens to get real world actual experience. Um because that's I mean, it's the same way in theater. It's coming up in theater. Like, do community theater feel what it's like. Like I don't know, it's kind of to me like people who are in musical theater school and don't experience actually working in a real cast outside of it. It's kind of that same world of like you're not in the real world. You don't you learn so much more being in the dinkiest, weirdest community theater production of something than you do in like proper training school, in my opinion. And I think drag is the same way. I think the look and to be a pseudo-celebrity, whatever root girl adjacent, it's super important to engage with the fans because they want to see you and hear from you.

And in there are so many drag queens, you have to capture people's attention. But then it's like I hate being like a sellout and being like, content, content, here's my Patreon. That also doesn't appeal to me. So sorry, I answered with 15 different directions.

[12:09] Robert Bannon: That's why I asked this. This is the this is the question. I think you know, I I think you're right. Now this is when we show you in Fiddler on the Roof when you're in sixth grade. Hold on, cue the T clip. No, but the point is getting on stage and doing the work is is part of the experience. I was putting the worst version of the music man, we which we got shut down because we modernized it. And we have and I learned a lot, like what not to do.

[12:33] Suzie Toot: See? I love stuff like that. That's my favorite world. So for people that are gonna come to the show, they can click your link. They could click, they can come buy a ticket, they can get a ticket, they can see you. It's you, it's across this country. And is theater and more theater something that is interesting you? Are are you ready to like be a jinx? Are you ready to be on Broadway? Are you ready to like come on? What are you doing?

[12:57] Suzie Toot: I have been itching, like fiending for the experience of being in a cast and rehearsing a musical and putting it on. There it like I miss it so much. I do so much theater in my acts as Suzie, but like God's honest musical theater. So Broadway world. Let the world know that I want to be on Broadway.

[13:25] Robert Bannon: Come on, you're it's gonna happen. It's it's you you sing down, and you're gonna sing and you're gonna dance and you're gonna give looks and comedy and humor. And if you're celebrating Pride this this June, which everyone we all are, no matter what, all of all of you, then this is the kind of show it's the I think of it like it's the weekend or I'm done with work. I'm gonna get my girls, I'm gonna get my guys, I'm gonna get my friends, I'm gonna get a drink, I'm gonna come see this show and smile and celebrate all of what makes us unique and special.

[13:52] Suzie Toot: Absolutely. Yeah, my biggest thing is I want people to have a good time and perhaps forget about the state of the world for a nice two hours. Um, enjoy some good musical theater. This is the kind of show that I would want to spend my money and come and sit down and drink wine, maybe smoke weed before. That's the ideal Suzie Toot experience.

[14:16] Robert Bannon: Oh, wait, you say inspired by Liza and Lucille Ball. That's like a that's the perfect. I mean, it'll get better than that.

[14:23] Suzie Toot: Yeah, the show is I'm taking it in a direction that's sort of Lizmanelli, like Carol Burnett show, kind of kooky 70s sequin. Um, and just like fun, silly, stupid stuff. That's what I'm interested in right now. All of July. Get it's we we're kicking it off, everybody in New York July 8th, and going all the way until August 2nd back to Florida and across the country from LA and I mean you're gonna be in Minnesota. You're like I said, you're gonna be in Washington, you're gonna be in Oregon. Those gays in Oregon, the real drag queens are coming. Come on, Oregon! Let's go!

[15:03] Suzie Toot: Let's go! I can't believe it. So excited. We can be following you. We'll be following the link to follow will be below. The link to tickets will be below. And then also, I hope you got some you I was watching clips of you, and you and the Bruno Mars and the K-pop girl and the whole Shib. You better work.

[15:24] Suzie Toot: Well, thank you. And I do a lot. I'm tired. But I can't wait. I get it. Okay. We're here for I'm a fan.

[15:33] Suzie Toot: Oh, well, hell yeah, Robert. I hope to see you with the show. I need to come see a show. Someone my favorite drag name in the entire world. Mom. Hi, Mom Toots.

[15:44] Suzie Toot: I'll tell her you said hi. I want to say hi. My mom's drag name wouldn't my mom's Rose Di Meglio. That doesn't work.

[15:50] Robert Bannon: No, I am going to a Rose de Meglio show.

[15:54] Suzie Toot: Boots. That's fucking hysterical. Rose de Meglio, welcome to the stage.

[15:59] Robert Bannon: Welcome to Rose De Meglio. She'll just try to feed you and give you $20 and make sure you're. Are you okay? Do you need anything? And that's the kind of show I'm looking for.

[16:09] Suzie Toot: That's so funny. That's, I mean, word of advice to anyone. If you want a drag name, just steal your mom's maiden.

[16:15] Robert Bannon: Mom's made. It's gonna work every time. My husband's is Esther Lewis.

[16:19] Suzie Toot: That works too.

[16:20] Robert Bannon: Esther. That's an old Hollywood diva.

[16:23] Suzie Toot: She is dripping in in jewels. She's wearing gowns.

[16:28] Robert Bannon: Advice taken. Show done. Book. I'm drag queen. I'm Rose Di Meglio. Thank you for hanging out with me.

[16:34] Suzie Toot: Thank you for being here. Thank you so much. It was so much fun.