This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's the Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. Welcome to the Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World over here on the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, Spotify. I am a Jim Henson freak nutcase. Looney Tune. My office is all Kermit the Frog. And there is not Christmas without Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Listen to you, people. Our next guest you may have seen. She has done things that have been for children's programming, entertainment, singing, dancing, things like Out of the Box on Disney, things that you may have seen all the years we grew up together. So Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin is here.

[0:53] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Yes, I am. Nice to meet you. Thanks for being here.

[0:56] Robert Bannon: Hi, absolutely nice to meet you as well. While we're talking, everyone, before we get into the nitty-gritty, I need everyone to go to OFCCreations.com, OFCCreations.com. Our friends put on the most fun, wonderful giant Broadway production number, superstar productions out there every single year, on and on with incredible casts like her, and you need to go get your tickets to see this show. How did this show come to you?

[1:24] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Oh my goodness, it was like fate. So I had done Baker's Wife in Into the Woods at Lucky Penny Productions in Napa, because I live in Northern California, and they found me, and then all of a sudden I get this email from Barry, who's in charge there with Taylor, and he's like, someone's interested in they've got a gig for you. I'm passing it on. I'm like, oh, okay, thanks, right? So then I email Charles Scott, and he's like, um, so we're looking at doing a family series at OFC, and um when I think of family, I think of watching you so sweet with my grandma, you know, and nostalgia, and um, so we wanted to see if you were interested in you know, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, Ma Otter. And I'm like, are you kidding me?

Like, what he didn't know was that I've been watching this movie since I was like nine, maybe, and that like it is a Christmas tradition in my household, right? My husband and my daughter have to watch it every year for Christmas. My daughter and I get up, and I'm probably gonna embarrass her right now, right? But we every time George and Melissa Rabbit come up, like she and I get up and we do the dance with the movie. I mean, it is tradition, and I would dream a dream to play Ma Otter. So, of course, when he said I well, actually, I had a trip slated with my family to go to London, and I had just put down the down payment, just bought tickets. Oh yeah, oh yeah. And then I saw the dates and was like, ah, uh and I was like, you know what?

I can't. I can't, I I can't. London will always be there. Um, Emmet Otter will not. So here I am. November 26th to December 7th, and it is for people five and up. So, like, bring your kids, bring the five-year-olds, bring the kindergarten. It's an hour and 15 minutes. So the ADD will not kick in. You will be with other children. This is the family show to go and see. This is the show you need to see.

[3:46] Robert Bannon: How's it been? I see you're there already. You're already out there in Rochester, New York. How's it been to work with this team in this theater and then the rest of this incredible cast?

[4:02] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Oh no, I hope I didn't lose you. Coming back. Are you back?

[4:12] Robert Bannon: I'm back.

[4:13] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You're back!

[4:13] Robert Bannon: I'm back. Yes.

[4:15] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: It has been so fabulous. It has been so amazing. I mean, from the moment I touched down, everybody's been so kind, so welcoming. Um, it snowed my first day here. What? So magical. Um the cast is amazingly talented. The puppeteers, uh, everything, everything. I can't, the creative staff, uh, it's just, I mean, the space, it's just I I can't even say enough about it. And the puppets, oh, they're so amazing. You were talking about bringing the children. Have to, have to, have to. The puppets are amazing. They're you don't know people. These are not puppets that were made in someone's basement. These are the Jim Henson Company puppets. Like, they don't just, this isn't a sock with some buttons on it. This is the real deal. Did you freak out when you see them?

[5:10] Robert Bannon: Oh, I so freaked out.

[5:12] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I so I was geeking out when I found out that we were gonna use the Jim Henson um creature shop puppets. I was just like, what? It's they're beautiful, they're gorgeous, they're amazing. Besides the music and the puppets, which are nostalgic and will live forever. You know, I went and saw the Rob Lake Muppet Magic Show on Broadway. And when Kermit comes up on when Kermit comes on stage, I just cry. Like I can't even handle it. I can't handle it. Right? The story of this about finding the money to buy the gift after the pa dies and you get to be the ma and this it is touching, and we need that joy and that good-hearted love in this world. That's what I feel like. It's about family, right? It's about hope. It's about gratitude, right? Because even when things don't work out, they're still so grateful to have each other. And so I think that's so important. We need that more than ever.

[6:15] Robert Bannon: Now, speaking of the music, also, people, this is a musical. You know, it just so happens to be by Paul Williams, who just so happens to have an Academy Award, who just so happens to have wrote Evergreen and the Rainbow Connection. And I mean, he's an icon. And when the river meets the sea, and our like these songs get played, there's not gonna be it's gonna be a special moment for you all. How is it to sing these songs?

[6:40] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: So emotional. Um I just I I just pray and pray and pray that I do them justice. That's really what I'm thinking as I'm singing. You know, I I'm thinking, okay, channel, channel, channel, Maryland Sokle. Like, go for it. Um, you know, think about what you're saying and and and and just try to convey those emotions and be present in the moment and um, you know, do it justice. That's all I hope.

[7:12] Robert Bannon: Your career, I mean, you've made a career after being you're a television performer and you're a music director and you're an educator, but you've also spent a lot of you went to Tisch School for you know learning how to sing, but you also spent a lot of time with children's theaters and and helping music direct for schools and kids and choirs, and you are ushering in the next generation of great performers, and this show being a children's show or a family show means you're gonna see them out in the audience be inspired by you. Why do you work with kids? Why has kids always been so important for you?

[7:43] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I just always knew music and children. That's everything from when I was a little girl. Like I just always wanted to do music, and I always wanted to be a mom. And you know, and and I'm fortunate to be a mother to several children, and to also have my own. Um, that was actually a uh for me. I I think when I'm thinking about my relationship with Emmet, um, I know he's a boy and I had a girl, right? But I don't think it really matters, boy, mom, girl, mom, right? You're just mom. Yeah, and um my journey was uh difficult. So for those who know me personally, they know that it was a difficult journey. So when um I was able to have her, it was very special and um and and extremely extremely blessed and lucky and grateful.

And so, you know, when I sing that when the river meets the sea, and I tuck in Emmet and I blow out that candle, and I think about like you know, his life finding a purpose. You know, my daughter just started high school. I got I got four more years, three and a half more years before she's off, and that's it. And it seems to have gone by like that. And they tell you it does, and you you think, okay, remember, cherish it, you know, live in it because you know it's gonna be gone so fast, but then when the time comes, it just mind-blowing how how quickly it went. And um, you know, you just hope that you gave them the foundation that they need and that they have, you know, and and that they'll come back or remember, or like just I don't know, not forget.

They're never never, never. Um, I get choked up about it today. You know, not that this is not about me, this interview, but I just today my husband and I just got our email that we were approved to adopt a kid.

[9:32] Robert Bannon: Oh, and oh I'm so happy for you.

[9:37] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And our foster said that and we've been working on this for months, and we got married in May. And you know, for a lot of people, the idea of having kids is not always an option, and people have uh family history, physical issues, relationship issues, uh, lots of things, and to have children or to be in the life of a child is such a blessing. And when you bring your kids to this show and it's their first experience, you may never have a you'll never have another first experience. This is the experience you will have with them to see a show right here, right now.

[10:09] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: So magical. It is so magical when you see. I just I cannot wait to see the looks on the kids' faces when they experience these puppets. When they see, I mean, they are just gonna be alive. I'm not kidding. They are brought to life, they are real. As you can see, I'm in a classroom right now, Vivian. We're here right now in my seventh-grade classroom after school, chatting with you. So, kids, the importance of art and music. Well, while you've been a champion of children's art and programming and entertainment and also education, you know it's one of the first things that gets taken away out of schools and out of communities is arts.

[10:52] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: That's why OFC and what they're doing and how they make tickets affordable and packages available for families is so important because you can't take a family, you can't even take a family to the movies anymore.

[11:02] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: It's too expensive.

[11:03] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Never mind to see real live theater.

[11:05] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many times um the one of my uh bosses will ask in the theater, who here this is the first time seeing a live show, and the amount of hands that go up, it's just wild to me to think that this is the first time you know some of these kids are are uh getting field trips and coming in and and seeing it.

[11:29] Robert Bannon: Absolutely.

[11:29] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: So they have tickets, everybody for as little as $19.

[11:33] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You can get a ticket.

[11:34] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You can't even get a pizza in New York for $19, everybody.

[11:38] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: For and some shows are already sold out, especially the two o'clock shows that are during the week that are perfect for field trips and for people to come with their family.

[11:46] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: So you need to go right now and get your tickets because they're selling out and it hasn't even started yet.

[11:51] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: OFC Creations.com.

[11:53] Robert Bannon: So when you when you had have your own family and you had your own daughter, was it hard to navigate a professional life and a home-based life?

[12:00] Robert Bannon: How do you navigate those as a mom?

[12:02] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I was so so blessed in that all the companies I've worked for were very understanding.

[12:08] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I mean, there were times um at the time I was uh conducting actually orchestra for musical theater um at a high school, and um there were times when she was sick, she was in her hello kitty sleeping bag, like on the floor next to me, and I'm like, okay, here we go.

[12:27] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You know, she's got a fever, she's right there um I actually I had a facebook post where I posted a whole bunch of different pictures of where she was sleeping right there's one she's underneath my piano and I'm there conducting and then there's one of course she's in the pit there is one she's like sleeping straight up in like one of the theater seats she had like you know curled herself up and and um you know it was just our life at the time and it was go go go and I was just lucky that you know everybody had worked with me and known my history and and known how hard to come by she was and and what a blessing she was and so she just came along I mean there's one theater director he just strolled her out while I did like you know he's like she cried the whole time I'm so sorry I'm like okay but it then one of these things I have to just share one story.

[13:17] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I left her with my mom I left her with out of the box videos because I said if she gets um you know she misses me just put on this video right and mom will be right there come back and my mom's like never again no no I put it on and all she did was cry cry cry and I was like I'm so sorry that backfired never mind never mind but it was a good idea it was a good it was if you want to see more your your Instagram and all of your your stuff is right here McGlaw McLaughlin underscore V B Glauklin underscore V B you can follow and stay up to date.

[13:57] Robert Bannon: So how do you describe what you do? You're an actor you're here you're doing this big old giant show, but you also have you you keep a a lot of music alive in your life and and you you music direct has reading music and being in a conductor and all of that always been in your skill set, even when you were doing television.

[14:14] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Okay, so reading music, yes, yes, absolutely.

[14:17] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Conducting, absolutely not.

[14:19] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: That was something that came later.

[14:20] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: But um actually I haven't performed in so long.

[14:23] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Um, I feel like most of uh, you know, since I got married and moved to California has been um teaching and music directing.

[14:32] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Uh but I you know, I often say, you know, I went to Tish for um musical theater, but I often am like I totally majored in the wrong thing.

[14:39] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I should have majored in just straight music because that's what I ended up finding that I loved when I got back to um uh California.

[14:47] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I started as like a theater director at the uh high school that my husband and I actually went to, met at.

[14:54] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And um, and I I pretty after about three years, I realized, you know, this directing thing, I can do it, I don't mind it.

[15:02] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: But like I love the music.

[15:04] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: The music is what really speaks to me, and what I do, you know, and so I started playing piano when I was five.

[15:11] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I'm not as good as I should be, having started at five.

[15:15] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: No, better than me.

[15:16] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: But I'm okay.

[15:17] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Like I can I can do, I I can manage.

[15:20] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And and I've been singing for as long as I can remember.

[15:23] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And so that's you know, every day, not a day goes by that I don't probably play something or sing something.

[15:30] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: So my skill set has gotten much better, I think, with doing that.

[15:34] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Um, but yeah, the conducting was just, you know, the director was like, Yeah, you know, I'm gonna get like a five-piece, seven-piece band or whatever you can you can conduct.

[15:41] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I'm like, I never done this.

[15:43] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And the first one I conducted, it was Pippin at Justin Sienna High School, and and Julian was just born, and I remember nights, two o'clock in the morning feeding while I'm going one, two, three.

[15:54] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: No, no, that's wrong.

[15:55] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: One, two, three.

[15:56] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Okay, okay.

[15:57] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And then I switched to four, three, four, and then turn her over.

[16:00] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Okay, try with the left hand.

[16:03] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: It was ridiculous.

[16:06] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Um, I since have uh uh you know moved, so I don't do that.

[16:11] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I still music direct there, but I don't actually take care of the orchestra because I can't like be there.

[16:16] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Um but I was lucky in that I had a great, great group of people who were my band that were just like, Viv, how are you gonna count that in?

[16:24] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I'm like, I don't know, what do you want?

[16:26] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: This okay, great.

[16:27] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Here we go.

[16:29] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Prove that you can do it all.

[16:31] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You can literally do it all from television to books to performing to voice lessons to children's inspiration to to doing theater across the entire country from where you live right now with Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

[16:45] Robert Bannon: And you you're a mom, you probably have done a lot of laundry in your day.

[16:48] Robert Bannon: You don't need to practice how to do that on stage.

[16:51] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I do.

[16:51] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You want to come help me?

[16:54] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Well, actually, I'm blessed.

[16:55] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: My husband does his own laundry.

[16:57] Robert Bannon: Oh, see.

[16:58] Robert Bannon: Oh my god, don't tell my husband that please.

[17:01] Robert Bannon: Oh my god, I'm gonna be in trouble.

[17:03] Robert Bannon: You fight about three things money, in-laws, and the laundry.

[17:09] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Vivian, he went I went home to New Jersey, and I went to see my family for the weekend, and I came home and he went through my couch cushions and he found all these little so look.

[17:18] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Sometimes boys, you know, we put our socks.

[17:21] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I They were left for me at the foot of the stairs, like oh goodness.

[17:26] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Like this is your I need you to Emmet Otter Jug-Band Ma come here and clean my clothes, Vivian, please.

[17:34] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Well, you know, it's all dependent on whether or not I have a wash tub.

[17:37] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I wouldn't even know how.

[17:38] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Can I come on, that's like I don't know.

[17:40] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: What do you just scrub them down?

[17:42] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I don't know.

[17:46] Robert Bannon: That's how you booked the part.

[17:47] Robert Bannon: That was perfect.

[17:50] Robert Bannon: Sure.

[17:51] Robert Bannon: That was perfect.

[17:53] Robert Bannon: And this voice and this, how are you gonna stay healthy in the cold?

[17:56] Robert Bannon: Um, you're your voice teacher.

[17:57] Robert Bannon: You have such great technique.

[17:58] Robert Bannon: Do you have a uh advice routine, something you do?

[18:02] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Um, I had lots of sleep.

[18:04] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Like the other day, I came, you know, because of the um uh time change.

[18:09] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: It was rough.

[18:10] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: It was rough.

[18:10] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I was like, my first day here, I think adrenaline was running.

[18:13] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I was like, ooh, I'm good.

[18:15] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I got this.

[18:16] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And then the second day I was like, ugh, okay.

[18:19] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: All right.

[18:21] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I mean, I use all the stuff that I tell my students, right?

[18:24] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Throat coat, um, greaters, um, steam.

[18:28] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I forgot my steaming thing.

[18:30] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I was like, oh, um, uh, you know, teas.

[18:35] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Uh uh, I I take my airborne, I take my elderberry, I do my vitamins.

[18:41] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I just found this thing on um on Amazon.

[18:44] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: It's like this Chinese, like, I don't know, herbal kind of it kind of tastes like cough syrup, but a little bit better.

[18:53] Robert Bannon: Okay.

[18:54] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: So I ordered some of that.

[18:56] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You know, I've been using that the last month and just trying to coat the throat.

[19:00] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: And um, I'm got scarves.

[19:03] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I always wear scarves.

[19:04] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I'm not wearing one right now, but I usually have one, you know, around my neck.

[19:08] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Stay warm.

[19:09] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Um, but yeah.

[19:13] Robert Bannon: Well, Vivian's gonna be singing for you all.

[19:16] Robert Bannon: She's gonna be singing at the Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas over at Our Friends uh right over there at the OFC Creations, right there in New York.

[19:24] Robert Bannon: You need to get your tickets.

[19:26] Robert Bannon: Everybody go to OFC Creations.

[19:28] Robert Bannon: It's the two C's in there.

[19:29] Robert Bannon: If you're listening to us, the link is below.

[19:31] Robert Bannon: Look at us in the description.

[19:32] Robert Bannon: OFC Creations.com.

[19:33] Robert Bannon: We'll be following her on Instagram and staying a part of the journey.

[19:36] Robert Bannon: We're looking forward to all the shows, all the pictures, all the clips, seeing the show live, and then everything you've got up your sleeve.

[19:42] Robert Bannon: Who knows what's gonna the last gig led to this gig.

[19:44] Robert Bannon: I don't know what's gonna happen next.

[19:46] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Hold on.

[19:47] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I don't I I know.

[19:49] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I don't know.

[19:50] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I promise you this the best is yet to come.

[19:52] Robert Bannon: Keep we love you.

[19:54] Robert Bannon: We love your your energy and spirit bright in my day.

[19:56] Robert Bannon: It made me smile so much today.

[19:58] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Thank you for spending time with me.

[20:00] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Absolutely.

[20:00] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Oh, my thingy turned off.

[20:02] Robert Bannon: Look, the let it was telling you, get out.

[20:03] Robert Bannon: It's time to go back to sing.

[20:05] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: What is going on?

[20:07] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I can't, I can't even turn it back on.

[20:09] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: You guys, what is happening?

[20:11] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: What is happening?

[20:12] Robert Bannon: Well, it was perfect timing because we made it.

[20:15] Robert Bannon: Did we make it?

[20:16] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We made it.

[20:17] Robert Bannon: Did we make it?

[20:18] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Are we gonna call it good?

[20:19] Robert Bannon: I think we called it.

[20:20] Robert Bannon: You're amazing and perfect.

[20:21] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Look, let there be light.

[20:23] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Nope.

[20:24] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: No.

[20:25] Robert Bannon: Yeah, no.

[20:25] Robert Bannon: Vivian.

[20:26] Robert Bannon: Look, you are in class act through and through.

[20:29] Robert Bannon: I'm so grateful for you.

[20:31] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I gotta do it.

[20:38] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: No.

[20:39] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We can we could we could be look everybody get your tickets.

[20:43] Robert Bannon: Go see the show.

[20:44] Robert Bannon: Make sure you see Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin is here, and we're gonna see you and see you at the show.

[20:52] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: See, look, it works.

[20:54] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Magic.

[20:55] Robert Bannon: That's Jim Henson Puppet Magic right there.

[20:59] Robert Bannon: Thank you for thank you for being with me.

[21:01] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Oh my gosh, thank you so much and congratulations.

[21:05] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Not my computer shutting off.

[21:07] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Not my computer shutting off.

[21:09] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: Right at that moment.

[21:10] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I don't know.

[21:10] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: I had to go on my phone.

[21:12] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We are just a technological nightmare.

[21:14] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We are a mess.

[21:15] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We are a hot mess.

[21:18] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: But we got it.

[21:18] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We're good.

[21:19] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We're okay.

[21:20] Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin: We're perfect.