This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:12] Norm Lewis: Christmas time is here. Happiness and cheer fun for all the children call their favorite time are Snow.

[0:33] Jose: Yes. Thank you for joining us and welcome to a very holiday edition of Token Theatre Friends.

[0:40] Norm Lewis: Thank you. Uh, can can we start? Well, can you can you talk a little bit about uh the show that you're gonna be that you already courted that's gonna be streamed by Feinstein's/54 Below? And before you go into that, just let me say I am so happy that you're doing this because like every time I see you in like the Santa Baby show, I know that for me, living in New York, Norm Lewis Christmas is something that's gonna happen. So thank you for doing it again. And what prompted you to want to do it also?

[1:14] Norm Lewis: Well, thank you. Uh that's very very nice, nice uh kind words. Um, you know, I I've five years ago we got asked to do uh a Christmas show at Feinstein's/54 Below. It was like the only slot that was available. So we said, let's go whole hog, and we'll be a Christmas show. And it just become it's become a tradition now, so it's me and the Rockettes, you know. If you want to come in New York, come and see me and the Rockettes. But um, no, it's just been a lot of fun, and uh this year we were gonna miss it because obviously of uh obvious reasons, but first the cosmos lined up and the planets lined up and and 54 Below called and said, Hey, we're getting ready to start a new series of filming uh some live performances, and would you be interested in doing it?

So we said yes, absolutely. And we jumped all in, and we got some really great collaborators of cinematographer and you know, people with wardrobe and things like that. And we said, let's just do it. Let's just go all in and have a lot of fun, do our show that we've been doing for the past five years, like an amalgam of that, and spread it to the world. And now, you know, uh, it's for those five years I've only been limited to great crowds, but limited to anywhere from 175 to 200 people a night for six nights. And that's it. Now I have fans in Japan who want to see it. Now I have fans in Europe who want to see it in Australia and around the cr uh country, uh the the US. So I'm excited about sharing this uh, you know, this this whole Christmas experience with everybody.

Um and it's gonna start December 17th at 8 o'clock. That's our opening night, and then you can stream it anytime you want after that, uh, starting after you know, after that eight o'clock period, and you could be watch it at three o'clock in the morning or twelve o'clock in the afternoon, be in your PJs, or you can dress up in a tuxedo or gown and have some wine with me, or have a cocktail or some glass of milk, whatever you want, and just uh well, I just hope to spread some joy.

[3:10] Jose: What's your poison of choice if you're if you're picking a wine or a cocktail?

[3:14] Norm Lewis: Well, there actually is uh a special cocktail that they have every year they put one in my honor, and this year we're gonna repeat one that we had before. It's called the Nutcracker Cooler. And uh the ingredients I think we're either putting it out today on social media or sometime this week, and you can make that up and share it with me when you're watching, or have a beer or have a glass of champagne or whatever. But uh yeah, it's gonna be fun. I'll stop before I go into like more serious questions, I guess.

[3:43] Jose: How do we make how do we actually make you and the Rockettes happen and do like a huge spectacular together? Maybe like next Christmas, I hope. Like we're gonna want to be outside and doing stuff not at home.

[3:56] Norm Lewis: Absolutely well we can start a campaign. Let's let's do it, you know um uh no I've loved the Rockettes for many years and that holiday show they do at at uh at Radio City Music Hall is fantastic. And so you know if you can't afford that you can come and see this little tiny show uh that I'm doing in New York City.

[4:11] Jose: Yeah so go you'll get started working on those high kicks I guess.

[4:14] Norm Lewis: Exactly exactly you you call it a a a a tiny show and something I very struck by was I love being in that room at Feinstein's and I love the sense of like intimacy there. But you don't put on like a tiny show. It's like seeing you at the I don't know like the Sydney Opera House or you have that ability to like turn like a small stage into an experience that's both at the same time. It feels very intimate but it's also holy crap. You can imagine like thousands of musicians behind you based on the amount of energy and passion that you put into each song. So how do you make that happen?

[4:50] Norm Lewis: You know it's funny and thank you for that. I I it's funny for me uh I'm glad you you brought that up because the thing about it I don't even like to call it a show or cabaret or a concert. I like to call it a party and whether there's two people in the room or whether they're thousands in the room, I just try to have a good time. I adapted what the uh the Rat Pack said years ago. They say they they're gonna have fun on that stage. And we just hope you as an audience member will come along with us and join the fun. So that's what I I want to do. I just I don't like the you know I don't like anything being very strict or anything. I like to just if I I would even like the audience to participate with me and if they want to sing along or get up and dance or or you know just have some words back up.

I've had conversations in the middle of my show. You know it there's a there's kind of a script that I follow but a lot of times you know audiences are different every night. And so it's for me it's just the spontaneous you know uh interaction that I love so much.

[5:49] Jose: And you know, like you you speak about fun and and usually as a as a critic even like I often find myself feeling like very wrong when I'm like you know someone's having fun and like we are almost taught that fun is like the opposite of you know being like a performer right and I'm like that makes no sense especially right now uh when I've seen you on stage you always make things fun and is that something that I mean I I get the sense that you're having the time of your life even if you're playing the most tragic character ever is that something that you go into uh with each part each character that you're playing like you're like okay this character's sad but I'm still love I love my craft and I'm gonna have fun doing this.

[6:31] Norm Lewis: That's a great question and and and I think you did answer it just like uh that's it's so perfect because um in art when you're trying to create art you're trying to bring the best of who you are I mean because that's the only thing you can bring to a character even if it's a historical figure that is a truthful figure. But I do have so much fun and pretend you know I make money pretending you know uh and dressing up when I play a character like Sweeney Todd you know who's a murderer you know uh a serial killer but yet there's a fun element to it, and you find those moments that that you just burst out and and and interact with those people that are with you on stage who are there as your team.

Like you you are a team and you're trying to take people on a journey each night. So yes, it's a lot of fun. Even it can be as tragic or as happy or comedy or whatever. But uh when it's something like this, like a show like this or a party like I this, this is me, and this is who I am, and I just want to show everybody who I am. And there's no secrets, there's no, you know, it's a vulnerability, it's uh everything that's just I'm opening up my heart and my soul, and I hope that you can too, uh or I invite you to to uh to be a uh to interact with me in that way.

[7:43] Jose: So let's say that someone goes to a party at your home. Like, what is Norm Lewis, the party host, known for? Like to have like a specialty, maybe uh some like appetizer that you make for each party.

[7:57] Norm Lewis: It's funny because I'm uh uh you know, some people who know me really well know that I'm an infomercial whore, and and I love QVC and I love HSN, and I buy pro I buy a lot of those products either as gifts, or sometimes I'm gonna I go, hmm, that could actually, you know, save me some time in the kitchen. So I'll buy products like that, and I actually use them. I don't just, you know, they're not in boxes just waiting to be opened. I will actually use them. And so I have little uh uh recipes that I will follow from the books that come along with those things that I like to try out on people. Uh I'm not a great cook, but at least that device will help me in my cooking, and at least it'll cut off, you know, it's uh set it and forget it kind of thing.

Um, but yeah, I'm good. I love appetizers, I love serving drinks, and um, you know, uh maybe I'll cook you a steak or maybe I'll cook some fancy chicken dinner. I I I love it. Like, maybe, yeah, I'm I'm a 12 steak guy, by the way. Uh if I'm ever invited.

[8:56] Jose: But we're talking about ingredients and what better way to uh segue it to the set list that you have prepared. And you know, it's this perfect combination of holiday songs that we know, uh, more modern holiday songs, but also more unexpected choices. And I don't want to spoil the set list for people because I really want them to see this. Uh but can can you talk a little bit about this finding the right mesh, so to speak, the right measurements to put together a set list for this.

[9:26] Norm Lewis: I listen, you are so good. I love the way that you segued into that as far as the ingredients and then set list. I love that. You're so good. Um yeah, you know, the thing about it, like I I uh in the midst of these five years, we decided to do a Christmas album and uh put some holiday songs together, but we also chose songs that they might not be holiday songs, but they fit the theme of of what that music is. And I don't necessarily do all holiday songs at my shows anyway. So um why not? Why not just throw in uh you know bring them home or music of the night or whatever? And I've uh I'm gonna be doing some of those things. I'm gonna be do so uh some of those holiday songs as well. In fact, I because of Zoom, this might be kind of weird, but I have a my Christmas album, which is a which is uh vinyl, and then I have CD as well.

So anyway, that's a that was a shameless plug. But um, but you can get that at any place that you get your uh or you can stream it, uh any of your music. But uh yeah, you know, it's gonna be I got some new stuff that I'm looking at. There's a song called Be Aware that was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and it's something that has been in in the ethos for many years, but yet it still resonates in this time in this society. And it's a great message and just makes people think. So yeah, I just I just want to share that story with them. I want to share what has happened to me this year. Uh, and because I know we've gone through some ch major challenges, and and maybe we can kind of commune together and understand each other a little bit better.

[11:03] Jose: There's no such thing as a shameless plug, by the way. Like, in fact, I wish I had that vinyl because you can see back there, I have all my vinyls, and can you imagine? I would I could have had your vinyl there. So at the end of the show, you can tell us where to find it and and how do I get to have that next time? Um nothing like Bacharach and David, by the way. So I'm I'm all about that. And but I'm really curious about, you know, we have a very almost pre-determined way in which we go about tradition. And this is you know, like people can be like, this is not a holiday song, this is a holiday song. This is you know, like we all have checking each other and telling us many ways in which we are wrong. But can you talk about and you don't have to share them, obviously, if you don't feel comfortable, but to give you an example, uh, one of my favorite Christmas traditions is watching black and white movies, none of them holiday related, you know.

[11:59] Norm Lewis: Like I'll watch Casablanca and some of my favorite movies that I grew up watching, and I'll have burritos. None of those things say Christmas to anyone, but they are Christmas to me, right? So when it comes to both your personal ones and you know, like choosing songs, like uh be aware. How what's like the process behind that?

[12:20] Norm Lewis: Well, it's it's uh an interesting process because uh I've gone uh I've been working with, you know, my manager, uh Jeremy Katz, and also my uh musical director, Joseph Jubert, who's just fantastic and can arrange anything and play anything. And uh the mastermind behind most of my ideas or the ideas that I actually come up uh that end up in the show is Richard J. Alexander, and he's you know, this genius director for many years, and he works with people like Bernadette Peters and Bette Midler and his biggest name and Kristen Chenoweth and his biggest name is Barbara Streisand, who he works with. So I'm lucky that he gets I get a piece of who he is and his genius. So we we listen to music all year and we go, Oh, that would be a great song to put into the arsenal, no matter what time of year.

And then sometimes when we're constructing the show, we go, you know what? I think that song will fit in this section of the show. So it just it's a process that way. And uh literally we will pick a hundred songs throughout the year and go, hey, listen to this. You know, we'll send each other's uh YouTube videos and go, What do you think about this song for my voice? What do you think about this song for my show? So maybe this is like a really inappropriate question to ask.

[13:32] Jose: Yeah, but have you ever found a song that even if you've tried a million ways, you just won't get to work for you?

[13:40] Norm Lewis: Although I don't think there's anything you can't sing, but Well, that's very kind. That's very kind of you. W not yet. I mean, I think we found most of the songs, even if it's contemporary, even if it's something that's uh has a gospel flair, I'll bring my truth to it. Like uh the song, you know, you wouldn't think four I think it was about four years ago we really decided to use this. No, no, no. Actually, it was before then. No, it was it was five or six years ago. I never would have thought that I would be singing What's Going On that Marvin Gaye wrote and sang on his sh in on his album and in, you know, that was his anthem. Um never thought that I would be p singing that in a concert. But now I've done it all over the world.

I've uh anytime I've done a concert, it'll that song definitely comes up because it actually has a fantastic message. And one of the things that my director, Richard J. Alexander told me to do when I started singing it, he's like, Don't get into the groove of it, because that's what people normally do. They start dancing to that groove, you know, it's all really cool. But listen and s and say the words. And I've had so many people come up to me and go, Oh my god, I finally know what this this song is about. And not that, you know, to take away from uh Marvin Gaye at all, but it was like just stay focused on the lyrics. Because Marvin Gaye is a great poet. He was not only a great singer and uh you know, just a all great human being, but he was a great poet. And so he wanted him to focus he wanted me to focus on the words.

[15:10] Jose: Yeah, right now, even when you said what's going on, I started like in my, you know, it's like I was listening to the beat, but then the words it's almost like a prayer.

[15:17] Norm Lewis: Yeah, yeah. That's really beautiful. Thank you for for that insight. So what have you been up to this year?

[15:25] Norm Lewis: That's a that's a loaded question, right? So many things. I mean, once the pandemic actually, you know, once we got shut down, uh immediately it people started reaching out and saying, Hey, can you do this Zoom thing or can you do this phone call or whatever? And now this new technology like we're doing right now has become has blossomed into even more. And I think it will probably become even more. So um, I started doing uh even teaching online. I did some master classes. Um uh I've done uh benefits, I've uh sent people messages, either birthday or just encouragement, you know, privately. I've gone into some corporate events where they just wanted a song and talk about you know my you know what I've done this year.

So I've done I started that out in the beginning. Then once the weather got warmer, uh I started venturing out just a little bit more. I was a little I was nervous, you know, because New York was the epicenter of everything, and people were dying, you know, very quickly day by day. So I was very scared. On my birthday, June 2nd, which the which was the first day I actually did something socially distant with someone outside, went to Central Park, a couple of my friends said, we want you to sit with us picnic style, socially distant. One of those friends is Sierra Boggess, who's gonna be a guest in my show, and uh so she made me go out and you know, we talked about a lot of things, and it felt it was refreshing.

On cool. Once I got that encouragement, I started doing a little bit more of that, and um and doing, I don't know, just trying to you know live my life like everybody else. I lost all of my jobs for the year, and things just kind of got reinvented, and that's one reason why we're doing this particular party, as I call it, the party. Yeah, it's been a very uh especially for office that love theater so much. It's been a very dark year, and I don't really want to get into that because I think we all know how how sad it's been. So I want to go to the other side and ask instead what have you discovered about yourself as a performer and as an artist by this new limitations because I mean we are on stage right now.

It's like we're all like deciding this like little square stages. Right. And for you, for instance, I've heard from so many musicians who speak about how they have learned how to time themselves because there's a delay maybe with their bands when they're playing live. And I'm curious, like what are some things that actually you're like, I'm glad that now I have that new skill.

[16:13] Norm Lewis: Um learn a little bit more about technology, you know, obviously that's a great great skill to have. Um, and like your musicians, uh friends have said, yes, it's about the timing thing, uh, in a lot of cases. Um, also listening to yourself because it's a different thing when you're not amplified uh in on a stage and you just have to hear the rawness of your voice. Uh it's it's a it's a really interesting process because I can hear myself sometimes, and you're you know, you got the the the bose speaker going along with your microphone in order to you know balance out the sound that the people can hear on the other side, and you know, with Zoom sometimes things cut out uh if you're hitting a big note, and you just it's trying to balance all that stuff out, also it helped me it's helped me focus on like we were talking about before the lyrics and connecting with people, even though it's a different way of connecting because it's not live, uh, in the sense of being able to actually touch someone, but you know, you and I are talking right now, so it's now reconnecting that artistry in a technological way, and so there's all kinds of new stuff that we're discovering, you know. You know, it's been nine months, but it feels like it's been three years.

[19:26] Jose: I know, right? One of the things that I really miss the most as a theatergoer and as an art stopper, basically, is being able to thank what all of you do with the applause. I feel like the first time I go see a show live in community, my hands are gonna just like fall off like when I boxed from from clapping so much. And I wonder, I mean, I know that you don't necessarily miss the applause because you love the iteration, but the applause is the way that we thank you for the work that you've done. How do how can we thank you right now? And how have we thanked you uh digitally? Like, how can we know that artists know that that we love what all of you are doing right now?

[20:08] Norm Lewis: Well, I do miss the applause. I do miss that because that energy does come to you and the sound and the ever and everything. But I can see sometimes on these Zooms that people are doing that, or sometimes people will go, yay, you can hear it through the the Zoom. But even if not, like I did a uh a concert uh with Seth Rudetsky, and it was just he and I, he was playing in his living room in Connecticut, and I was uh, you know, or I think it's new upstate New York or whatever, and I was in my living room, but we were connecting over online to go out to the masses, and you know that people bought tickets in order to see this. So you knew you were live, you knew you were gonna be uh touching people in some way.

So you just focus on that, you focus on the material, and you know that people are responding, you know, even if you can't hear them, you know they're responding energetically through the air, and so you just accept that energy. Um, but you know, there's also this. Wait, hold on. There's also this thing which I love. Can you see that? I got it. And so that helps a lot. Um, when you know that people, and then people write you and you see in the chat or or social media or whatever, and when you see those kinds of things, you know that you're doing the right thing.

[21:24] Jose: Can you talk a little bit about the rapport that you have with your band and why you keep uh you know collaborating with the people you collaborate with? Do your band members become like family in a way at some point?

[21:35] Norm Lewis: Absolutely. In fact, um Perry Cavare, the percussionist, George Farmer, he does the bass, uh, both the acoustic and upright, and then Joseph Jubair, who is just a musical genius. You just it's a team, you know, and uh I've worked with Joseph before, so I knew his genius, and I knew that he was a sweetheart, and I knew that he was a brother, and and so I wanted to work with him. So I'm honored that he said yes all these years, and you know, early on. And then he put this band together, and over the years, you know, we've gone to a lot of different places around the country, and even when it came to uh doing the album, which I'm shameless, even when it came to doing the album, there was a little bit of conflict in the scheduling for one of the band members, and I said, We've got to work this out.

I don't want to substitute person because these are the guys that I've been working with, and I love them, but they you know, we get to interact on stage, they're just not band members, they are family. We talk on stage, we have conversations, they're part of the show, if you will, they're part of the party. So uh I had to have them, and um, and I hope that they will always say yes to me.

[22:47] Norm Lewis: If you teach them the high kicks, they can also join you when you do the racets.

[22:51] Norm Lewis: Absolutely. Absolutely. In fact, I will tell you this one of the jobs that I lost, which I was really, really I mean, I've been disappointed about a lot of the other stuff, but this one I really wanted. I've worked with the New York Pops before and I performed at Carnegie Hall, but this was going to be the year that I was going to make my solo Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops. And one of the requests, which was actually going to be granted, was the fact that my my band, my trio, could also be a part of the orchestra and play along with them. And and so, you know, it's it's disappointing, but you know, there's there's always there's gonna we're gonna get back there. We're definitely gonna get back there and soon.

[23:30] Jose: So wait, were you gonna do the Christmas show? And it was gonna be your solo show?

[23:33] Norm Lewis: No, no, no. It was gonna be in October, October 19th, uh October 16th was the date we were supposed to do our show. And it's just an honor to be asked and to sing at Carnegie Hall.

[23:43] Norm Lewis: You know, I've performed there many times before, but never as a solo. Like I'm the only person that people are coming to see. And it was just it was just gonna be, you know, it was just gonna be great to see my name, uh Norm Lewis at Carnegie Hall kind of thing. So hopefully it'll again it'll come back around. I'm sure it will. And when I think about Carnegie Hall, like I immediately think about my copy of uh Judy at Carnegie Hall, which is one of my favorite things in the world, and it's like falling apart, and it's like, you know, almost in pieces, it still works, and I carry it with me every time I move. So when you're at a place of Carnegie Hall, like you probably obviously think about someone like Judy Garland, right?

Or all this uh legends that have played there. So let's go. Let's say that's it's uh it's uh uh a wish list for Santa or for agents, I guess, and producers, who are some people that you haven't done any duets with that you would love to invite to join you at some point and sing with him.

[24:40] Norm Lewis: Oh man, uh gosh. I mean, my favorite singer in the world is uh Johnny Mathis. So, but but I've gotten a chance to do a duet with him a couple a few years ago out in California. So that that that dream was fulfilled. Um, but I love to record with him. Um, gosh, Tony Bennett is one of my heroes. Uh I would love to work with uh let's see, I've worked with Audrey McDonald, so we have a we're we're on something together. Um there's so many people. Kelly O'Hara, we've done uh duet together. Jesus. I've got Barbara. Have you worked with Barbara yet? Barbara Streisand, how about that? Listen, thank you. Thank you. Listen, I would love, love, love to do anything with Barbara, even if I just sing one note on something, if I harmonize in like one note.

Yeah, Barbara Streisand, definitely. Uh Kristen Chenoweth and I have not actually done. We did a show together years ago, but it was, you know, we never did anything together in the show. So I would love to do something with her. Um God, I've worked with LaChanze. Uh I'm trying that's a great question. You now you got me baffled. I'm trying to think of because there's so many people I would love to to work with. Um, you know, one of our great singers right now is I'm just god, um, there's so many so many people. Jennifer Hudson, if she would have me. Uh Tom Jones is still kicking ass. He still sounds amazing. So I would love to do something with him. So there, gosh, there's a lot of folks.

[26:14] Jose: Yeah, between like Tom Jones and Bacharach and Johnny Mathis. I wanna ask, are you secretly my father?

[26:23] Norm Lewis: I could be. I could be. Listen. He loves all of that. You're a young man. You're a young man. I could probably be your dad. Or I'm sure that you would get along with him like very well. Like it's like very aligned musical taste. When the dog bites, when the beast sings, when I'm feelings, I simply remember my favorite things.

[26:46] Norm Lewis: And then I don't feel so well, you said something that was really interesting, and you were talking about tr Christmas traditions and stuff, and I wanted to go back to that because I actually have a little story about that. You were talking about having uh burritos and and watching black and white movies. And did you know, and even though it it plays as a Christmas song, it's on my Christmas album and I do it in my shows all the time, but did you know that uh uh my favorite things, the song, is not a Christmas song. It just became a Christmas song. Do you know what I mean? Uh doesn't mention Christmas at all, at all. But uh it's in the sound of music, and for some reason people just started singing it on Christmas albums.

And so the first time I actually really heard it were was the Supremes, when they the original Supremes, it was on their album. And then I finally saw the sound of music, and I go, Oh, that's that song, you know, that kind of thing. So Yeah, I mean, like I I can I wanna I don't wanna spoil your set list, but there's the wizard there, and like it's that's also like something you're like not Christmas, but like I can't it is Christmas. So uh let me ask you two things, because I know that we all I mean, obviously we care about the world and we care about what's going on with with with everything right now. So what are your two wishes for Christmas twenty twenty? And I want you to do a wish, you know, like a like the beauty pageant, like because we care about the world and we all too. I uh I also wanna I also want to hear about your like secret uh QVC wishes that's for this year.

[28:23] Norm Lewis: You are funny. I love it. Um gosh, well, you know, listen, uh like everyone else, I want everyone's health to be much better. Um and I hope that we find some sort of I don't want to say the vaccine. I mean if you want to do the vaccine that that's a great thing and because I know that there's a lot of political situations with that and conspiracy theories and blah blah blah. But uh I just want everybody to get healthy so the body can heal itself. Uh I want people to uh continue to be safe because this thing is still around and it's still very um you know it's it's it's it's still around so just be very careful. Um I hope and pray uh because not only was the the pandemic around but you know there were social issues that we've had to deal with there have been political issues we've had to deal with I hope that we can finally come together there's been a lot of chaos uh in the world so my wish for Christmas is that we stop and slow down and think about the meaning of Christmas whatever that is for you or the meaning of the holiday season and because it seems to be something that people do kind of slow down and kind of are nicer to each other around this time of year.

I hope that continues into the new year and I hope that the the world accepts our new administration. I hope that uh we can come together as people and fight the main fight, which is the COVID uh virus, and and deal with that together. Um we might have different political ideas and ideologies and stuff, but we've got to find a middle ground and respect each other. I used to be with this whole political thing, I would watch these videos on YouTube. It's like, ooh, so-and-so owned that person and told them off. And you know, that's fun. It's fun. But after a while, it's like, when do you stop owning someone? And when do you start start opening up and saying, okay, let me hear what you have to say. Let's come to some sort of understanding uh in this because we gotta live together, we gotta respect one another. So that's a long answer, but I I hope it uh it resonates.

[30:39] Jose: No, absolutely it does because it makes me think, and I don't want to get like too emotional, or I don't want to get like in

[30:39] Norm Lewis: Oh, get emotional, come on.

[30:46] Jose: Okay, no, but you know, it makes me think about how precisely one of the saddest things is that as human beings, because I thought about one of your songs, uh, you know, why couldn't it be Christmas uh every day? It could. If we all put our nonsense aside and like just learn how to freaking love each other more.

[31:08] Norm Lewis: Yeah, yeah. That's it. We could be having Christmas. Can you imagine norm presents and food and maybe no, maybe that would be too much every day, but just like the spirit of like loving each other every day. Uh like Christmas, that would be something that we all should aspire to. But you were sneaky and you didn't give me your secret QVC.

[31:28] Norm Lewis: All right, oh, I don't know what's out there right now, because I haven't actually I haven't had time to watch it, but I just do know that they have had okay. I have a steamer that I bought uh because I used, you know, obviously, I would travel all around the world a lot, and I would take my tuxedos and I would take my shirts and my pants, and and a lot of times, even though I would have them dry cleaned before I left, they still would be wrinkled, and I would have to get someone to like oh, can you press this? Or I would send it down. And I s uh I saw a steamer that was for 16 bucks on on HSN, and it's called the Mini Steamer. And the thing about it, I kept seeing it, I kept saying, I said, this thing is so cheap, it's not gonna work.

Well, it's the best thing I've ever had, even from a professional standpoint. I bought several of them and I've given them away uh and sent them off to other people in different parts of the country. But it is so amazing, and it saved me so much money. So now I just ball up my stuff and just throw it in the uh suitcase, and once I get there, I start steaming it because it gets the wrinkles out like that. And the thing about it for me, it's become therapeutic because I'm like, okay, I gotta concentrate on my show. I gotta I gotta get my gotta get my pants together, I gotta get my uh you know, my jacket, my shirt. It's amazing.

[32:42] Norm Lewis: Okay, now I want that because now you just made me go Eureka a little bit too late because I thought you meant the other kind of steamer, because I don't have that kind of steamer which you're supposed to do for like vegetables and like food.

[32:53] Jose: Oh, that no, no, no, no. I mean, they have that kind of stuff too, but because that was something that I needed immediately and I need it frequently. That that was one of the first things that came to mind. And it was like, Yeah, I love this steamer. In fact, when you on them on my Instagram, you're gonna see me steaming my clothes. Uh pretty soon. I'm gonna put one of those videos up, and then someone, one of my guests is gonna come in my room and say, Hey, steam this too.

[33:19] Norm Lewis: Oh, I love that. I love that. Uh, that's a good like, you know, like uh t-shirt.

[33:23] Jose: No, because I thought about I do have one of those steamers, I don't have that amazing amazing one that you own, but I do have a steamer, and for the past few days I've been microwaving the things that I'm supposed to steam. And I'm thinking, after I finish talking to Norm Lewis, should I go try using my clothes steamer to see if I can make my dumplings? But you know, yeah, and I will not be posting a video of that. So don't you worry.

[33:46] Norm Lewis: Thank you, Norm Lewis. Like now, this is the time where you can plug all you want and show us that beautiful final cover, because I do want it over there. What are you talking about? You mean this, this whole thing? Whoa. Oh, wow. It comes in and it has, you know, it's it's got it's oh, you can't really see it. Oh, it goes away. But anyway, it's got the sleeve and blah blah blah. And then, oh, oh, and then there's the you know, the CD, or you can stream it at whatever you know, wherever you get your music. Also, December 17th, 8 o'clock. Join me for the opening of uh, you know, Christmas time is here, Norm Lewis at Feinstein's/54 Below, and then you can stream it for two weeks after that till December 31st. And just come and join me again.

It could be if you haven't gotten a gift for any family member or friend, and you can't think of anything, buy them this this evening because I think they will get a lot of joy out of it, and especially after this year. So I promise my best that I will work hard so that every time someone asks, you know, what are you doing New Year's Eve? Norm's show. Like, I'll remind them like go watch it right now. And they can dance to it, like they can have a little party while you're singing. I mean, can you imagine that luxury of having you in our homes like every night singing to us so we can dance and have some champagne?

[35:04] Norm Lewis: That would be awesome. That would be awesome. Thank you so much, uh sir, and uh have the happiest of holidays. I hope all your wishes, both uh QVC ones and the larger ones come true. And listen, I I love your sweater. I think it's awesome. And all the holiday stuff in the background. It's fantastic.

[35:24] Jose: I'll get you one for sure. You can bring it to your next uh show.

[35:27] Norm Lewis: Thank you so much. Thank you.