Good Hang with Amy Poehler - Ana Gasteyer

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

Ana Gasteyer is ready to cut the shit. Amy hangs with her fellow 'SNL' alum and talks about her favorite TikTok hacks for Christmas decorating, hanging with Amy Carter at the White House, and bringing back Marty Culp and Bobbi Mohan-Culp for "SNL50." Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Paula Pell and Ana GasteyerExecutive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat SpillaneOriginal Music: Amy Miles Gifts in as fast as 1 hour. Order thru 5pm on 12/24. Introducing Save Your WayTM from Hotels.com. Get instant savings now with Member Prices, or bank as rewards for later. Learn more at hotels.com/product/save-your-way/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. This is our holiday episode. It's our Christmas episode. And we have an incredible guest today who's going to celebrate Christmas with us. And you should know, we are off next week and then we are right back. So don't be scared. We just have one week down to give everybody a genuine break. And then we're back in the new year. But we are with Anagastair today. And Anagastair, writer, writer, singer, Broadway star, sketch comedian, does so many things well. And a sweet dear friend who went through the same S&L sausage factory as we all did. And we talk about that. We talk about being on the show and how fun it was to bomb. We talk about Christmas and our favorite Christmas

songs. And we talk about Annie. Annie comes up, thank God, as does Once Upon a Mattress. And Anna's story about being in the White House. And we also, we talk about her record, Sugar and Booze, a Christmas classic. So it's a great episode. And we're starting this episode with another Titan, like a genius comedic legend. A woman who has written some of your favorite sketches at S&L. You know her from AP Bio, from the Mapleworth Murders, from Wine Country, from Girls 5Eva. She is the one, the only Paula Pell.

Paula, I believe we're getting you in a car. This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery, getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your doorstep? And if you do happen to forget something, no judgment. You can even order gifts up until 5 p.m. on December 24th. Santa, you might want to take notes.

Download the Walmart app or head to Walmart.com and get your gifts delivered fast. Subject to availability, terms, and fees apply. Get up. What do you say? All I ever wanted was a really good hey. Paula. Hi.

Paula? Can you see me and hear me? Yes, I can see you and hear you. Oh, hold on. I need to. Can you hear me? me. I think I need. I hear you, but I don't see you. I think I need to hit the, I thought I hit the camera. Oh, hold on. Why isn't it working? Elaine. Yeah. Tanding it to Janine to see if she can

do her. Hi, Janine. Janine Brito, Paula's beautiful wife. I'm trying to, oh, there we go. Here, there's my beautiful wife with a new haircut. Hi, Janine. It's, Paula, it's so great that your beautiful wife is also your IT. For a person who just got off an airplane, you look beautiful. Well, I just did a, which Tina Faye is very familiar with in a car, a full face makeup in about two seconds, because I did that in the cabs on the way to work all the time. Yep.

We are all pretty good at, I mean, And most women are at, like, getting... Throwing it on. Yeah, throwing it on. I've gotten really good at just the feel. Like I can almost... It's like love is blind, but it's makeup is blind, and you just have people do a full makeover without, by just feel.

Well, it looks great. I'm also wearing my lesbian uniform in Los Angeles. Hmm. I love having you in Los Angeles, Paula. It's so nice. It's so beautiful here. We left so much snow. well you know this episode with on a guest hire is going to be technically our holiday episode it's going to air before christmas

and we are going to talk you guys better carol you better sing a carol i was like i wish we could have you in stewed you love to carroll though i do i love to carol i love to harmonize more than anything on earth if i could if someone said to me this is your job for the rest of your life is just to throw in that alto line and just walk from group to group and throw in that alto line, lay down that base, I would do it and be the happiest human being on earth. Although I have also heard you have a very fierce soprano. You can also hit those high notes. Well, sometimes. I do think lately in my 60s, I have had experiences where I thought I was nailing it and then I listened to it back on a video. Very mortifying, just a little sharp.

And I like to sing a certain kind of sharp for Janine that really makes her put her face down in the cereal in the morning, because it's just a little bit. It's just a little overshoot. Could you give us an example of it? It's just the nearness of you. It's like finding it. It's like a level,

and you're always just finding it, and then you finally get it. Only as good of a singer as you, Paula Powell, can do good, bad singing. That's such a thing in comedy. You're always like, Don't try to sing bad. Don't try to sing bad.

It's funny. I want to talk to Anna about it. What is the difference between good singing and comedy singing? It's a very fine line. So we're talking to Anna Gas Dyer today. What's great about Anna? Let's talk well behind her back. Anna is so many things at once speaking of.

And she's such a multi, multi, multi, hyphen it. It's like every time you turn, she's doing a new job that's something where it's like, oh my God, like just Broadway and writing and movies. And, you know, she and Rachel writing that hilarious Christmas movie. And then she's on really funny television shows as really funny characters. And then she's like playing the violin in a video she sends us to crack us up. that's, like, incredibly skilled, violent. So I just, I admire that so much in her, but I also, she came and stayed with us to write

this Bobby and Marty recently for the 50th. And we sat in our pajamas at my house, at our house, and we just sat and just really broke it down. She's so good at sitting and just really asking questions. She's a curious, present friend. She's really such pure medicine to my soul to just really talk about everything. We should talk. We've been on many trips together.

A bunch of the S&O ladies have gone together on girl trips. Maya, you, me, dratch, Tina, Anna, Spivey. The wine country gang. The wine country gang. And we have been, we're kind of overdue for a trip. Very overdue. Yeah, we need to. We're going to all bring our grandchildren next time.

It's just going to be a play date. We'll all be there with our grandchildren. And I'll have, Janine and I'll have our grand dogs because we cloned Barbara Streisand style. How are all the doggies doing? Can you name all the doggy's names while we have you? Yes, we have Ernie, who used to have four buck teeth and now he has nothing and no chin. Ernie is a very obnoxious little chihuahua with a penis the size of his legs.

And then Gary is perfection. He's a poodle mix. He's perfect, perfect child. And then we have Dolly, who's like a Shih Tzu mix, who looks like she's wearing a wig, and she's very tender and gives a lot of side eye. And then we have our only young dogs. We always adopt old dogs,

and now we've adopted a younger dog who makes us, say, about 30 fucks before 10 o'clock in the morning because she's so obnoxious, is Bunny a beagle basset? And she starts at about 5.30 and stares at you in the dark and you see her silhouette. She goes, her, la ra, taura, and just does that until you just go, just get up and you get up and feed them. And then, who am I missing? And then Tallulah is in a wheelchair, a little wheel cart, and she's an eight pound tiny, tiny little mix.

She looks kind of like a smooth-haired Pekingese a little bit. And she has no feeling in her back half of her body and is faster than any of the dogs, even without her wheels. She flies through the air, just running on her front two legs. And she used to despise me the first year. And then I left for four months to shoot something. And I came back and she loves me now. Okay.

So any question you think we should ask on it today? I have a legit one. And then I have just one quick little funny one, if you want to ask her this. The funny one is her dog, Gloria, speaking of dogs, eats things all the time that she's not supposed to. I just wanted to know, I think we should all be updated on what the latest thing that she devoured and then has it come out yet. Great.

And when it came out, was it recognizable? Great. And then my real question is, because she's such a multi-high, between writing when she's writing or when she's singing or when she's doing comedy which one of those makes her feel the most free just glorious untethered euphoria which one gives her the biggest shawl that way perfect thank you so much paula love you i can't wait to talk to you in in length one day and so happy here love you love you bye This episode is brought to you by Hotels.com. Make your next trip work for you. Hotels.com just rolled out a game-changing feature called Save Your Way, and it's as simple as it sounds. When you book a trip as a Hotels.com member, you decide how to use your savings. Choose to take the instant savings now or bank the savings as rewards for later. It's your call. Turn discounts on this week's stay into rewards for a luxurious beach getaway next year.

No complicated math, no blackout dates, just you choosing how to make your travels work harder for you, only at Hotels.com. Save Your Way is available to loyalty members in the U.S. and UK on hotels with member prices. Other terms apply. See site for details. You've got, what are you wearing? I have my tartan. I have a tartan. Oh, it's a bad angle. There it is. Tartan shoe. Does that look natural? I wore my holiday pumps.

Yeah, because I do try. I try to think about what the guests is. season. This is our Christmas episode. I know. I got excited so how many times a year you think I can wear this sucker? Those are cute. Yeah, aren't they cute? There isn't it weird to wear it in like sunny Los Angeles? Yeah, it does feel weird. And it's a sweatery texture. It's a sweatery tartan. I don't if you can see the texture. So it's very holiday. Anyway, we are going to, this is going to be your Christmas episode. And I have so many things I want to talk to you about today. Okay, yeah. Very excited that you're here. Thank you for doing it. Never enough time. Always so much to talk about it. Never enough time.

I know. And, but it's, it's very exciting that you are the Christmas episode, because I do associate you with Christmas in many ways.

You have a Christmas album, you go on tour at Christmas. Yes. And you yourself love Christmas. Yes, I do. What do you love about Christmas? Well, I call myself

the Duchess of Christmas. Actually, a nice gay called me that and I took it, obviously. I love the, it's so weird. It's like, but it's,

A, I love the holidays. B, I mean, like, the resume sort of leans in that direction because my, my, like, legacy moments at SNL were sweaty balls and the Martha Stewart

Topless Christmas which was my first thing that succeeded there and they run every year on the Christmas episode on that special so it comes up for people and then Dratch and I wrote

that Christmas movie which is a parody of the Hallmark films Tell everybody what it is again? It's called a Cluster Funk Christmas and it is a parody that's a perfect parody The goal was to make the perfect parody for the ultimate Hallmark lover

right um of which you are you are i love a hallmark movies i love a hallmark movie and i love the holidays i love the holidays so what kind of decorations because we are on it we're in a text chain we send each other like our prep yeah what decorations do you have up right now what are you looking forward to for it like in the levels of what's going up right so it's all sort of contingent upon how much i'm traveling and how exhausted i am by visual clutter that year so which is fair right So I'm actually going full-tilt, Thunderhump, on Friday. The boxes are out. I'm going to do New York for the first time in a really long time.

I haven't done it in a long, long time. I've worked on Christmas a lot because during the Broadway shows. Because you're a pro, babe, and pros work on Christmas. Christmas, yeah, so you end up, a lot of my things are, which are so up your alley, I know, like, they're sort of hacks. They're, like, hacks to still be festive and still enjoy it and still be present in it, but maybe have it not be sort of enslaved by it. Do you know what I mean?

So I have, for example, I can go full tilt thunder hump, which I'm going to do this year, and I'm going to, you know. What does that mean? That means like the trees and the lights and the garland and the swag and the, you know, all the TikTok hacks, like with the, with the curtain rod and the, you know, garland going across it. No, let's slow down. Woodland forests.

Let's slow down. I just heard one of my favorite. TikTok hacks. TikTok hacks. Yeah, I know. And the garland goes where? So you get yourself some like Walmart or, you know, the tension rod. Okay.

And you can put it like in a doorway, like where you would hang mistletoe. And you can basically go to Trader Joe's or Costco or whatever and get your garland. And you can make a really beautiful archway if you use that tension rod. So you get what you would put curtains. Right. So you have to go buy that hardware. But that's like $4. And wrap it in garland.

Yeah. And then put it in. around it and then hang it down. Put a little tea cup hooks. Do you know those little teacup hooks that people, you can buy them at the Five and Dime also at the Walmart. You know, the Five and Dime. And you screw them into it. At Woolworth's got pat down Woolworths when you're doing your stockings. Stagin staffers. And you can put your garlands down it and you can do lights. You can pre-Ikea has, or everybody now has, but I do an IKEA run every holiday because they've real cute. Onagastire is here and she is telling us about Christmas. I knew you would give me good stuff.

Kraft brown paper, just brown paper packages tied up in strings. That's the, brown paper packages tied up in strings. That's how you wrap. That's how I wrap. I have a question about the brown paper. I find it a little heavy sometimes for tape. Because of the gauge. You've got to get a thinner gauge.

A thinner gauge paper. Craft paper. It's called craft paper. What are we talking, tree? I have a feather table top. I have a tinsel like sort of medium. and then I finally am just going to do live or bust. You know what I mean?

Yeah. And the one thing I'll say about live, I usually do a real Christmas tree. I like that we're calling it a live. Live from Christmas. Bring it alive. And I know there's ones where you can even have ones that they repot. In California.

Yeah. You can't really find that on the East Coast. I've tried. Well, the thing that always bamboozles me about a real Christmas tree, which I still do, is I think it's going to smell so good, and it never does anymore. Because they've been cut so long ago. Christmas trees used to smell better.

Now, they don't smell like they used to. Well, that's, you know, that's genetic modification. Oh, God. Right there. It's so true. And, I mean, sometimes you just got to do, well, I use the, do you ever do like aromatherapy or a pine. Yeah, I'll put in a pine candle. Yeah, pine candle.

You know, it's got a nice pine candle this year. Who? Trader Joe. I stopped by yesterday because, again, California Trader Joe's are like. I like that he said it's singular. Trader Joe. Trader Joe has invested, and it's at his, his eponymous shop. I love, I love Christmas. I love my traitor. I do love Christmas. But I like, I like, I do love Christmas, but again, I will not be overrun by it. Of course. I love, I love, I love, like, this is why I made a holiday album. I love my holiday album. It's very old-fashioned. It's a little winky. You've seen my show. It's very, like, throwbacky. Your holiday album, Sugar and Booze, is so great. Thank you.

And your shows that you do to support it are so fun. It's a holiday spectacular. Yes. Tell us about them. Well, I like to do, well, I like to perform with a horn section. So that's for starters because I have a loud voice. And I like to wear a tart and get dressed up. And I like, it feels very like, so my, how do I answer this succinctly?

Do you have to? I don't know. It's actually, do we want to spend the whole hour on this? But I mean, this is a real, this is a real good question, which is like, talk however you want, babe. Okay.

You're right. It's called good hang. We're hanging. We don't have to get it right. We don't have to be succinct. No, we don't. You're right. We can cut it.

Yeah, we can cut the shit out of it. We can cut the shit. We can make this podcast six minutes. You know what in the name of this podcast should be called? Cut the shit. Cut the shit with Amy Polar and friends. should do a clip show where we'd you call it cut the shit and it's all the stuff that we cut um and so kind of in the the 1959 early 60s entertainers era really spoke to me because it was a time

when a gal you know rosemary cluny would probably be like the idol like a gal who could tell a good story yes could you know belt to the rafters play in front of a big band carry a band an evening of entertainment. So when we set out to make the holiday album, it was really to create a record that wasn't kitchy or like, you know...

It's not a comedy record. It's not a comedy record. It's not a campy record, but it has you know, it's me, so it's there's fun to it. But really it wanted it, the goal was to have it play seamlessly with you know, a Frank Sinatra Christmas record or, you know, a classic Christmas

record while you're making cocktails and wrapping presents and it's a perfect record for that tree tree trimming tree trimming it is so good tree trimming a live tree is a tree trimming a live tree or balsam hill or balsam hill i don't want to you know um it is it's such a good record and it it is it's just the right amount of like whimsy combined with really really good singing and many original christmas songs which is hard to do to make an original christmas song really hard and i'm i love christmas rec i love christmas songs What Christmas songs do you love? Well, I like a lot of the ones that are on the record.

I love Slay Ride. I love Man with the Bag, which I just think is a structurally... Oh, it's on your record. Yeah, it's on the record. There's some bad Christmas songs that we listen to every year just because they're out there over and over again. I have to say, deck the hall is not my fave. No.

And we wish you Merry Christmas is not my faith. It's boring. They're boring. There's a lot of them. I mean, even rocking around a Christmas, the Christmas tree is kind of a boring. boring song. Structurally, in the kind of

carol canon, I think God resty merry gentleman has a really great rhythm. We actually have a new arrangement of it this year, which we're doing on stage. God resty merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on

Christmas Day. Bump, bump, bump. You can hear it, right? It's got a nice. To save us all from Satan's by when he was gone straight. Oh, Tidings of comfort and joy Yeah, it's a good song It's a good tune

But also I So we tried to write a few songs That would fit into that And so that was I wrote the title Tractual Gromboos With that in mind Because I wanted it to feel

Like an old-fashioned song When you were growing up And now What are your like Christmas albums That are on rotation? My parents are classical music people Remember So there's a lot of Messiah jams

You know a lot of Messiah jams You know, a lot of Ceremony of the Carols You know Dung Dung Dung Dahlong Dung Dahlong Oh wait If you do that

I remember my part From choir If you do the Dund Dahlon Ready? Dung Dundalong Dundalong Dung

Dung Dung Deng I was the I was the alt And that was my part Deng Dong

Deng Dong Dong Deng Dong You come the bells So many bills So many bills Oh, kong.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Here come the bells. So many bells. Here come the bells. Here come the bells. Here come the bells. Oh, yeah.

Rock a desk camp. What's the hallelujah when? That, oh, come all you faith was what I was just doing. That's the, okay, start singing Okam and I'll do the desk camp. Oh, come all you. You can go up a little higher. Okay. Oh, come all ye.

faithful, joyful and triumphant. Keep going. Do the Ocome, O come, let us adore him. Okay. Sorry, do O come, let us adore him. Oh, come, let us adore him. Oh, come, let us adore him.

Oh, come, let us adore him. Aced it It's all in there It's like your movie Inside Out Those music things are all trapped in your brain I know They're all in there

They're in the deep gray matter And they're so nostalgic They're so beautiful They're so melancholy They're so sad See okay so I find Christmas sad Yes I know I know

And by the way A lot of people do I find it sad, and I get, now I've gotten into, now I get into the sadness of Christmas, like a cozy blanket, I used to fight it, fight it, because sad is not my favorite state. It's often, I'm not where I want to, like, I'm uncomfortable sometimes in sadness, but Christmas allows me to get, well, some people are just like a little bit more, they can just tolerate it. Yeah, they know it comes and goes a bit. You know, like, it's like sadness and anger.

I'd much rather be angry than sad. Same. And mostly am. Totally. So I get into the sadness of Christmas. Like I'm like, I'm just like looking like, you know when you're in your own music video and you look in the window? I love the book. Yeah.

That's your jam. I'm like, I'm married to Christmas. But let's talk about your classical music parents and your little honest beginning into music. because I'm very interested in that very, like, that early time. So, thank you. So I played the violin very seriously. It's so lonely. It's the funniest thing.

And by the way, I'm grateful. I'm very grateful for, obviously, the sacrifice. I mean, you know, we spent all this time resenting them, and then you realize the things that they've done as you get older and they get older and it's kind of a relief. But, I mean, the schlepping alone, like just the amount of times to, like, to lessons. Why did you choose the violin?

Do you remember or was it chosen for you? I think it was probably chosen for me. I had an aunt that played and I love her, so I think I thought it was cool. And the violin I still play to this day was my aunt's violin that my grandfather was given in the depression in lieu of a payment for legal services at some point.

So it's like a 150-year-old violin, but it's not like fancy. It's not a stradavarius. It's not a strad. But I have had it like, look, at because it's kind of interesting as an instrument. And I still play that instrument to this day. And I took it to fiddle camp with me last summer.

Oh, yeah. Anna went to fiddle camp. I did. It's a real conversation starter. Yeah. And by that, I mean, everybody flees the area. My, yes. Anyway, I played violin as a little kid.

I started and I played until I was about 17. And I was good and lazy. I was a Gryffindor. which set up a lifetime of talented laziness and sort of landing on your feet. So I could fake it for a long, long time and then there becomes a breakage point in classical music.

It feels that way with music and athletics. Those two things especially, where you are like loving it and you're good at it and then there's a moment where it's like, okay, now you have to decide, am I going to the next level? Am I playing in college? Am I going to join an orchestra?

First of all, it's so solitary. And it is, it's two things. It's deeply solitary. and it is I have I am a perfectionist and it is torture for perfectionists

because even though I was lazy I was a perfectionist so it's a weird I mean that I'm not lazy I'm gonna read Yeah let's cut the shit You know let's cut the shit Let's cut the shit

We'll be right back Um Let's reframe lazy Let's reframe lazy What I mean is that I wasn't passionate about violin. So I didn't want to lock myself in a room. There you go. Because truly like athletics, like you said, it's suddenly it is eight hours a day, six hours a day, like going to school,

like, you know, it's not going to school late or leaving early in the afternoon to practice, practice, practice, practice to your hands fall off. Yeah. And it's lonely. It's really lonely. Yeah. And unbelievably sad. It is a sad instrument. Violin is the saddest instrument ever. And that's, I do kind of love that about it. I mean, it's beautiful. I'm realizing now that Christmas and violins are both the way I get into my sad state. I love that. Well, that's funny because I'm writing a song called Sad Violin at Christmas.

Really? Yeah, I mean, you just made me come off the title. But that is, I've been thinking about a sad violin. Because it's sad. It's a lonely, wistful, melancholic instrument. And there's something incredibly powerful about it, obviously. But so then what I, in seventh grade, don't laugh, I had my first star turn.

I was legally blind also as a kid. So, I mean, I still am legally blind sometimes. So I also had an eye patch, a lot of my childhood, and I had a violin. So just put all that together. Yeah, hot stuff. Put it through the comedy Play-Doh machine. That's why, hot stuff. And were we wearing the patch during the day?

We were rocking the patch. Not at home. Not at home. So, right, around, I went to camp for the violin, but around seventh grade, I got cast, wait for it, as Helen Keller and the miracle worker. So I was able to pull a lot of my story. into the part and that's what I was like I mean by the way

and you put that on your Tinder profile yes yes I do yeah yes I do and my grinder yeah and your binder Tinder and Grindr you're on both and you're very unsuccessful on Grindr very unsuccessful on Grindr so far

you're right you know like fingers crossed so hilariously Helen Kellogg and the miracle worker was like my aha of I think this is really fun right you were you got to perform I got to perform you found passion there yes and so then and then it became cleric singing I saw I did all the parts and everything in high school I'm sure you did too but as a kid though you know because you you're you're you're an exuberant kind of upregulated kid like

you're you're you're more extroverted than what then the patch and violin would make me think but were you an introverted kid what kind of kid were you I don't think of myself as an an outgoing kid at all. Got it. Or even as an outgoing person, to be honest, or upregulated or exuberant. On stage, I am. Interesting. And with you, maybe I am.

Interesting. But I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know. Yeah, you are, nobody sees themselves quickly. You feel how you feel about yourself. I mean, I was, everyone in my high school was super, super funny. Yes. And I was always friends with funny people.

Yes. But I always like, SNL and people like, you're the class clown. Like, I was a, no, I was not the class clown. I was the person in the back row who snickered and made jokes. You've told this on many podcasts and things, but I still think it's just fascinating that you were among many people that were your friends during that time.

You were friends with Amy Carter. Crazy. Amy Carter, the daughter of President Jimmy Carter. Correct. For people who are not our age, Jimmy Carter was a president. Yeah. But also, and the best ex-president we've ever had.

Yeah, for sure. And Amy was so exciting as the presidential kid. She was like our Sasha and Malia. Yes. Because he had young kids, Chip and Amy, and was that? Yeah, and she was much younger than her siblings. I mean, my name was Amy, so I was like blown away. I know. I know.

And she was just like this girl in the White House. It was very exciting. And she was normal. Well, probably for you too. I know you are a reader now. You were probably a childhood reader. I was too. She was a violinist.

I mean, boom. And she, yeah, we were in an after school like GT program together and became friends. I mean, it was just an instant. Like, whatever, books, books, glasses, and violins, am I right? Come on, guys. Come on, let's party. And everybody would get invited to these, you know, group events at the White House, many of which were in the beautiful East Ballroom, which has now been leveled by our...

Or made more beautiful depending on who you talk to. It's going to be gorgeous, Anna. You know what? I stand corrected. Let's wait and see how it comes out. I stand corrected. I have a feeling it's going to be gorgeous. I just saw the Christmas decor and you're right.

And it's gorgeous. It's warm as always. It's always so warm. Oh, so warm inviting. You know what? I wonder if it smells like French onion soup or waffle when you walk in. Gorgeous. Okay.

So, but you're going to, you go into, like, multiple parties and things. And one of my early memories, this was such an extra double brain blow of, like, early synaptic development. The cast, the original Broadway cast of Annie was performing at the White House. Christmas party. Exactly. Exactly. Like the whole, it was too many things. It was too many things. I don't think I knew that. Like four feet away from us. It was like her little friends from her, you know, Gift and Talented Program and her friends from school and various White House of people's children. Yeah. And then like Andrew McArdle and actual Sandy right over there. Oh my. Hard knock life in it. Buckets. And then I did Annie at the Hollywood Bowl like five or six

years ago. What? I didn't know this either. It was during, I was right after Wine Country. I think you were probably buried in editing. And who, you miss Hannigan? Natch. What a, what else were I.

What a part. I was Annie? I was Annie. I thought, why not? Well, there is that other part, the, we've got it, you know, whether it's the Anne ranking part. Oh, yeah. Oh, God.

Lily. No, but the, my mind is. So mind-blowing-wise, when I did Annie at the bowl, The same animal, there's one animal trainer on Broadway. He does all animal training. And we've probably done, played her or him on SNL. He's the most delightful person. His name is Bill Berlone.

And he does, he adopted the original Sandy from animal control. And he trained her for the good speed production and then, like, traveled with every anti-production ever. And then now has become like sort of the Broadway, he does all Broadway animals. But he's an wonderful person. And he has a big advocate for animal rights and, you know, whatever. He's not the type that we had at S&L that would be like, I got a gecko in the van if you need it.

You know, like, I'm going to be like, you got to hit it with a stick to let him let you go. I mean, can a llama do that? I don't know, but you hit it with the 17 out of van in her. So I don't know if it's going to happen today. Dude, were you? This tortoise is going to bite you if you hold it in the wrong way. What's the right way?

Hell if I know. A donkey sketch, were you there for the donkey sketch? No, I wasn't there yet. There was, you know, like these donkeys, like going down on those floors. Like, it's just the worst. Oh, my God. And then they doped them. And then, like, by live, they're like,

and it's not moving. It was a nightmare. Nightmare. Anyway, Bill Barlone has these beautifully trained show dogs. Thank you, Bill. Like, it's funny, even, like, showbies children who I'm afraid of, and we all should be, are wonderful on Broadway, because, again, it's all work ethic on Broadway. Everything is routine and work ethic.

And so a lot of the sort of like crazy, there's a different kind of crazy, but it's different, it's more like a proper OCD crazy, which I'm comfortable with. So, but just getting back, you're in the White House, Annie's performing. So Bill Barlone had a picture. That's why I brought Bill Barlone up because he, he had a picture from the 1977 White House Christmas Party with me, all these people, it's mind-blowing. You're in the picture? It's insane with the original. Oh, do you have a copy of it? No.

But he showed. You didn't even take it with your phone? No, I shouldn't have brought it up now that I think about it. I also got a picture once with Paul McCartney and then lost my phone and don't have it. Oh, well. So, but it exists. Here's the Amy Carter story. Okay.

That's the most my... So all of it gets munched together into this kind of crazy... Like, there was a movie theater in the White House. And you would go and be like, please join us, you know, on the president for a viewing of Pete's Dragon with Helen Reddy, you know, like, yeah, things like that. That would be like, because nobody, we didn't have VHS or anything back then. It was like the olden times. Yep.

Sure was. And then that's the crazy, crazy story is that I went to the Camp David for the Camp David Accords with the Carters. And we played the violin, which was crazy. And for the very first United States Middle East treaty. So you played violin for. For Anwar Sadat and Monacham Began and Jimmy Carter. Wow. And me and Amy.

and it was all in just one room and we played Suzuki violin after lunch. Do you remember where you played? She I mean it was literally like yeah

Lightly Row or some you know Minuet and G or I don't know something Oh that must have been so tender Right? Maybe as I've said before maybe that could have worked a little harder

to make Middle East piece Yeah It didn't work It didn't work And then you, am I right that you watched Star Wars there too? Yeah, we watched it with the Sadat's. True story. Star Wars with the Sadat's. Yep. And then you also watched S&L in the White House. That is the most interesting of all of the stories. Because, so President Carter was the president. You rarely saw him.

There were, you know, a little bit. But we were there a lot, though. Kids were at that house a lot, you know, her various friends. So I have a very, very, that's my first memory of Saturday Night Live, because we went to get a snack in the middle of the night. And it felt like the middle of night. It was probably 1145. Yeah. And we went to, and we walked by in the president who we hadn't seen very much was sitting in a chair with a, I remember he had like a snack and a beer, and Akroyd was playing him on TV live, on Saturday night, and he was laughing hysterically at the impression of him.

And to me, that was the most powerful. whatever you call that early building block or core memory of putting in place the power of parody and the power of comedy and the importance of being able to laugh at yourself, you know, all of those things, which obviously were in a really different time around. But super, super, super impactful. This episode is brought to you by Cozy. We've all been there when your furniture just isn't cutting it, whether it's an ill-fated gathering or some classic moving day disaster. I had friends over for dinner once and ran out of seats and one ended up on a laundry basket. We laughed, but it wasn't ideal. And a few of Cozy's flexible furniture pieces would have made all the

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And so you get to Northwestern, we talk your voice major. What makes you go from Northwestern after you graduate to L.A.? A very bossy gay. Great. Yeah, follow. Get in line. wherever you tell me to go. My friend Peter was like, you're going to...

So I knew, I mean, the other... I went to go see the Second City, and there were two women in that cast, and they both played girlfriends at the time. And I remember being like, I wanted to see the girls, like, do something fun. And then I came out here to L.A., and I went to a grounding show,

and it was like literally Cooledge. Jennifer Coolidge. Jennifer Coolidge, Kathy Griffin, Lisa Kudrow, this girl, Heather Morgan. I mean, there were so many crazy, funny women wearing, like, wigs and glasses. And, you know, I was in the improv scene in Chicago. And, like, those, or, you know, at Northwestern, it was same as it ever is, which is just a bunch of smart, quickwitz guys that were like, I remember the, like, main big improv guy was, you know, star guy. I was like, you're more character. That's what he said to me.

You do more like characters. And I knew that that was an insult, like, that they thought of that as an. insult. And then I came out here and I saw all these like wigs and glasses. I was like, that seems really fun. And who did you meet in your early years at the Brownlings? We had an insanely talented group. It was, um, so I was right behind Will and Sherry. Will Ferrell, Sherry O'Terry. Yeah. And Will is who suggested me for SNL. And I had, uh, in my group, I had, um, Stephen Craig, Chris Parnell, Scott Wainio, um, a lot of writers that came from era as well. And then right behind me was Maya Forte, Will Forte, Marriott. Like, yeah. I mean,

it was, you know, and then I befriended a bigger collective of, you know, Tim Bagley and my Kitchcock and Min Stirling. And then we always love to talk about S&L audition stories on this show. I know. We like to. I know. We don't have to. But it is, it is interesting, like, you know, with the 50th anniversary and like us looking back and all of it. Do you feel, any differently about that, like the story that you tell yourself about your addition? Like, do you feel badly about your audition? You know what? I didn't even ever feel bad about it. I'll tell you why. Because there have been a couple of times in my life and Wicked was one of them and Saturday Night Live was another and they were both incredibly challenging jobs in their,

and difficult workplaces in their own ways, both just in terms of physical demand and artistic demand and just complicated creative workplaces, as you know. Both times, SNL being one of them, I left no stone unturned because I felt, and I really believe this to this day, if you, so sort of to totally double back on the lazy thing, like if you give everything you're all, if you give something you're all, you don't have regret. And if you don't have regret, you can face any consequence for me. So I knew that if I did the best audition I could, I would feel fine if I didn't get the job. um because i i wouldn't have left something on the table you know and so will feral had told me famously that they don't laugh and we always people whisper that to one another in advance did you know that yeah i knew that they there's it would be absolutely silent which it was which it was yeah me too and um i told parnell and so charlie and my now husband and i were engaged at the time i got the job and he i would i wrote my i wrote the whole thing out as a monologue and i would just run it

relentlessly and he would sit like mount rushmore Oh, and practice not laughing? Repeatedly. Because it was all stuff I had been doing at the groundlings. So I needed to know what it felt like. The cadence is so different if you have a character that you're used to landing in a certain way. Yeah, that's actually a really good point. I think a lot of people don't know a lot of stand-ups and sketch performers when they come and audition.

They're doing stuff that has succeeded somewhere else. And there's a rhythm to it and laughs that you're used to. Correct. Yeah. Exactly right. So I just rehearsed it in front of him, and I knew it, you know, six different directions well. What characters and or people did you do in your audition? Do you remember? Yes. I did the NPR lady, who I ended up doing on the show. And I did kind of a ridiculous panty hose wearing woman.

And I did, who did not end up on the show in a shocking twist. She ended up on cut the shit. She was on cut the shit. Did you do any impressions in here? So somebody, of course, was like, they're going to ask you in the 11th hour to do impressions. But I didn't do impressions. Right. But I kind of knew. that it might come because I'd heard that the people that were involved were never particularly organized around the advanced prep, shall we say? Yeah.

So I just had it up my sleeve. So I went and I knew that I liked Martha Stewart. I thought she was funny and interesting, even though the Ground Links doesn't really do impression-based comedy. And so I wrote an introduction as Martha Stewart and I got a Martha Stewart wig. And this was so funny to me. I did Koki Roberts. Oh yeah, I remember her

But like nobody It was like an NPR reference That's literally But she was on ABC News And so I did Koki Roberts But Lauren is good friends with Kokey Literally I like I had dinner with her last night

And it's very It sounds just like I think Koki like the impression I talked to Koki I talked to Koki I talked to Koki Koki thought it was a winner Koki thought it was a little mean

Martha Your Martha impression is so good Thank you What do you do vocally to get into Martha. How do we do a Martha? So much of Martha, it still is. She's so rehearsed in front of the camera. You'll never have her do this. Martha Stewart does stuff with Miss Piggy, and she's a little thrown by Miss Piggy. Yes. Because Piggy and Miss Piggy is improvising and Martha doesn't love to improvise. No. And they've, I've had a few situations with her. In fact, where I've had to dress up as

her and be with her. Yeah, which is... That's a very unique thing about SNL. I had that with Hillary Clinton, where you are dressed exactly like them standing next to them. So I have had a few events with Martha, and recently I did the

Drew Barrymore show and showed up as her. And it's just the worst. And you're just sitting there fully dressed like a person. Well, that's why, listen, this is why I love our people. This is why I love sketch comedy. Sketch comedy is embarrassing. So embarrassing.

stand-up is cool. Yes. You go outside, you wear a leather jacket, you smoke a cigarette, you put it out, you go and do your set. Sketch, you have a friggin' wig, and you're schlep in a box with a weird bow tie. Yeah.

And it never ends. And it never ends. Don't think that I'm not still doing that. Like, there are days where I'm like, I still have a wig area in my house. Yep. I one time got pulled over for speeding and had a wig in my glove compartment.

That could be considered dangerous. It could be. Do you remember what the wig was? No, it was like during growling's days in fairness. Just to have one around. It's just the schlepping. It's so uncool. The amount of props.

It's so uncool. And that's why I love people who do it because they're, to me, the coolest people, because they sit in the embarrassment and the commitment of it. You have to be really committed. Which is why the bombing is the funniest thing in the whole world. Which is why Will Ferrell sitting into a bomb is one of my favorite. favorite things I've ever seen in the world. It is, at S&L, we used to watch old sketches that bombed and just, like, love it in a way.

It's what the kids would call cringe, but it's even post-cringe. It's like beyond cringe. It's almost like a delicious, what would you cause not a serotonin boost. It's like a, I don't know, it's the closest you feel to. Well, it's like a community therapy experience, really is what it is. Yeah, it's like a primal scream. Yeah, for sketch performers. What are some fun sketches that you used to watch?

that you loved watching that bombed or feeling. So we did a zoo crew sketch once. Which is like a DJ. Morning DJs. And we wrote, I mean, it was the loudest sketch ever. I mean, it was just literally like, like, like, every single thing was just like every, like, oh, me's a horny, go get them, rock.

Like, nonstop, everybody. It was me and Parnell and somebody and the host, I can't remember, and Will. and it was a basic premise really loud zoo crew and then the weather chopper goes down like crashes really basic

and then everyone's like we lost weather chopper five like just anyway people at the table were screaming with laughter so funny and then we set it up at home base I mean a dramatic play

a Tony winning Pulitzer Prize winning dramatic play about a zoo crew I mean deathly silent. Like a wall, like the audience in age looked like a painting. And the whole time, you're like screaming in there. It was a the wall of sound. Did you get giggles in? I mean, yes, because it was so

embarrassing. And it was also just hilarious because it was like the whole time you're like, they don't think this is funny. They listen to morning zoos. Right. There's nothing, this is what it sounds like. If you like driving to work and listening to that, then that's just kind of a pleasant thing for you. Right. That was embarrassing. Do you remember the set that we called shit can alley. Yeah, so there's all these little areas at SNL, like where you get to perform home

bass is like right in the middle and it's kind of a prime spot. It's where update is. And then there's some areas that like where sketches go to die. Right, because you have the audience and you have the balcony. And so the main three sets, you know, where the musical guest plays and whatever, you usually are going to play things okay. There's one that's like way in the back that has no immediate audience in front of it and really sketches go there to die. I mean, nothing ever comes out of that corner. And it's also a real vote of no confidence when your sketch is put there. You're like,

I see, I see. This isn't going to make the show. It's just sort of quiet and as of like, it's in shit can Ellie. It's in shit can. We're not going to. I'm going to call my parents. It's not going to make it. But you had so many hits. And NPR, that NPR, that sketch, that sketch,

remains. There was no confidence in that sketch. That sketch was supposed to bomb. And I knew because I'd played at the groundlings at the quietness of it. That was the comedy of it. Yeah. It's so, so funny. And I should circle back just quickly to Martha. When we're doing Martha, what are we doing with our lips? And how do we talk? Well, one of the things she does, so many of what the things that she says and does are things that she has learned to do. on camera and she is very aware of how the camera is going to look on her. It's a very, barely moving mouth. Almost nothing moves.

Why should it? And nor should it. We're going to make a Christmas meal and barely, Nothing is going to move. She, she's, I am obsessed with her. Me too, I'm obsessed with her. I mean, I mean, Martha is, Martha, I, she said, I'm not going to buy you on the show because I'm too scared, but, um, but please listen and know that you're something else. She also says, I love her rules, Amy, her rules are so comforting.

Her rules are so comforting when you talk to her. Her rules? She's just got, she's like, I don't take, I don't take alcohol alone. I don't take drinks if I'm alone. That's what she told me. I don't take. Do you remember when she briefly took over the apprentice? And we're so obsessed with this.

She would, and they'll zoom at the end, but she was always handwriting a termination note. That's a little touch of class. You're fired. I so enjoyed your contributions to the apprentice. But I'm here to tell you. I sent her flowers. I sent her flowers, one of her birthdays, many of the years.

Anyway, cut it, cut the shit. We'll cut the shit. Cut the shit. I want to talk about Bobby and Marty for a second. The best. The culps. Because those two characters that you and Will did, I think, are a perfect example of, like, kind of combining all of your talents. And before we get into them, what is the difference between good singing, like singing and then comedy singing?

Ooh. And is there one, I guess? well it is interesting it's an interesting question i definitely think the training informs what's fun about the characters meaning she's you know they're quintessential choir teachers so her technique is very important to her so i probably lean more into that that quality of the of the voice and i've met people over the years that are like music people i hit notes as her that i would be very worried about trying to hit as me. And I know this is true because my friend Seth Rudetsky, who has the serious XM radio

Broadway show, who I met because he wrote for the Rosie O'Donnell show at the same time as I was in Aegee. A lot of people don't know. When we were doing SNL, Rosie was in her studio right next door. Right next door. So we met in the NBC gym. And he was like of a certain part of my life. Like I instantly recognized him as a person who understood what that music part of me

that I didn't even talk about was. And he said, he was like, oh, I love how consistently you go from a B flat to a C. Like, again, I wouldn't have thought about it, and I wouldn't have even thought that Bobby sings that high, but she does all the time, which is kind of wild. Like, if you wanted to ask me to hit a C, I would get, like, my butthole would tighten up, and I probably wouldn't be able to do it. So there's something really fun about that. And I think there's, for me, I can't speak for other people.

Like, I would never, there's a freedom around it and a chance taking that I will play in character any day of the week till very recently I wouldn't have. done it as a vocalist. So cool. Absolutely. And that is what you guys do as those characters. Also, I just love Bobby and Marty's look. Their looks are excellent. Their looks are fantastic. And we knew early on. So they were disparaged by some of the men by the cool guys. People thought it was a medley bit and thought it was dumb and hacky. But we had so much fun rating their passive aggression as characters. Like the dynamic of the two of them that people giving them the finger all the time and just the inherent bummer of having those people perform

at your prom or whatever. Like, we always loved, we always, that's what was so joyful about it. And the music was fine. Like the music was a super fun component of it, but it wasn't the point ever. The point was, why are these people performing at my, you know, sobriety birthday? You know, it was always like finding the premise. And so that's what made it so fun. I have to say, honestly, like at the 50th, which was so special because that was always my favorite thing to do at S&L. It was the most fun writing it with Will and with Paula. We were infamous, infamous as the term, because we would, as you know, not start writing until 4 o'clock in the morning. And we would finish at 10 a.m.

And it was always like a laugh fest that was so heavily featured procrastination. It was extraordinary. Well, it's very, very funny that you say that. We do a thing on the show where we talk about, we talk to people who know our guests. We talk well behind their back and we get a question to ask them. And so I spoke to Paula Pell. Uh-oh.

And for people that didn't see the SNL 50th music special, which was amazing, there was like sketches in between acts and a lot of musical sketches. And Bobby and Marty came out and crushed. That was not an easy audience. It was an audience of truly every single person was either performing or a performer

or like it was a cynical audience you guys crushed what was that feeling to do that that night it was so fun for lack of a better word like it was so for

there was something you know as we go back to these reunions and you bring all of your kind of history and baggage and whatever with you again just kind of speaking to your point of the fact that this is all just so embarrassing, because first of all, like, it's Radio City Music Hall. It's 6,000 seats. I mean, it's a huge, epic space. Yeah. We followed Lauren Hill. Sure. That's who you want to follow. So you have to understand that in the wings, there are like thousands of cool music people. I mean, like, I, my dressing room was next to Jack White and his band, and I'm dressed as Bobby Mohan Culp, okay?

I've got the giant glasses and my, like, striped dress, and Will's got his bald paint and his, you know, we rehearsing in the keyboard. So already, we're like the losers in the wings. Do you know what I mean? I mean, the winners for me, but yes. It was fantastic. I mean, actually, you're like, you've got the violin and you've got the eye patch. 100%. And so we're already just like, what is happening?

What is happening? Why are we here? And who invited us, you know? And then we just started to giggle because we, we, it was so. cute because doing the sketch and doing the we just, it was very easy to imagine how excited Bobby and Marty

would have been. The people would have been to be at Radio City. And what was it like back? What was it like back? Did you see Jack White? Who else are you saying? Mayhem. I mean mayhem like possees and people with like, you know, music people. So they got like big cool hair and glasses and Lauren Hills a fur coat and an afro

and like everybody's got like floral pants that come up to here and there's posseys and, you know, weed everywhere, you know, Chris Martin's in the corner, like, cool people, actual cool people who just looked right past us. Like, they were, they did not know that we used to be on Saturday a ride. They were just like, who brought Granny and Gramps? Like, just right past us. That actually probably was fun.

It was so fun. That's fun. And then going, and then we like, you know, going out there and that all that stuff just suddenly worked. You're right. Now that I'm remembering, Lauren Hill had a surprise, incredible performance. insane. And the Fugees.

There's like smoke and like, and then it was like, and test. Test. And you guys cry. And that's what I mean. I knew what I did. I knew it was streaming. And I also knew, I mean, it was really funny because we were like,

just, and all of their stuff was about how they'd come to New York for an ophthalmology appointment. You know, they were just lucky to slip in. And just everything about it was so fun. And so we're sitting there. And yeah. And I did have the feeling. I was like, this is streaming. Because one thing about SNL for me, again, I don't know if you ever.

had this, but it's a little bit of an A student, you know, nerd girl thing. I was always, my greatest regret about the show, not that you would go back in time, is that I couldn't, I never, like, settled into it and enjoyed it, because I was always so aware of the time and of running somebody, running down the clock, somebody else's sketch is going to get cut. Like, I was always, and when we were there, it was such a, you know, like, explosive surfate of, of talent that there were always three sketches a night that might not make it, you know? So I always felt like I had to, Keep it moving. Keep it moving. So I was suddenly very aware that it was streaming and that I was not going to be rushed. And I was like, I'm going to be Bobby Mout. The funniest thing in the

world to me is this woman and this man, these choir teachers, getting people to settle. Because there's just nothing funnier. So that's what they did is they just kept telling people to settle. I need you to settle. I need quiet in the back. Hand goes up, mouth goes shut. Hand goes up, mouth goes shut. Just this idea. I was just like, I'm going to keep going until they settle. I'm not going to worry about it.

And if I had been at 8-H, we never would have done that. Right. Very good point. But we just, we took a full, probably 45 seconds to, you know, get people to pipe it. David Spade pipe down.

That's right. You guys called them out by name. I don't want to hear it, Pierce Brasman. So stupid. Okay. We have so much more to talk about. I'm sorry. But Paula, Paula.

Paula had two great questions. Uh-oh. One was a funny one, which was your dog, Gloria, loves to eat things. Yes. And you often keep us updated as to what she eats. What is she eaten lately? And has it come out already? And was it intact when it came out?

It never comes out. I don't know where it goes. It's upsetting. Like you're like, it was a full hairbrush. Where did it go? Where did it go? And honestly, because she's also, like, many dogs, like, it's the more personal, the better, you know, so it's a retainer or, I mean, she would eat my IUD if she could pull it out. She could get in there. Yeah. Sorry, but it's true. Dogs are gross. It's gross. Bras, all that kind of thing. Most recently, to answer the question, it was a massive thing of cheese. I mean, it was a Manchago. It was a Costco menchego wedge. You know those are big ones for a party. And Charlie, Charlie sent a,

me I was out here and he sent he's he taken out the cheese I was going to have himself a little snack came back the cheese was gone he felt crazy that's always part of the story that he's walking around like I swear to God I brought the cheese out where's the cheese and then hours later there was like this much left which also I find upsetting because it means that she has eaten to the point of physical discomfort which for a dog is a long time yeah I just I want to know what happens in her dog brain or maybe there's some kind of evolutionary thing where they show you just a little to be like just to be like and I and just just to remind nice yeah just a tiny bit of like a trophy like she's a real here's what I did she's such an asshole um okay and then Paula's um real question was

and it's kind of what the theme of our interview today which is basically like um it's such a sweet Paula question which is um you know between writing and singing and acting uh which one makes you feel the most free? It's an interesting word. It's a great question. I think that inherently, I'm the most natural singer. I mean, I think that's like my first gift, meaning, like, that it's just sort of beyond me. And as I've gotten older and more into it, like, even in the last couple of years, I feel, I feel more comfortable just accepting that it's something that came from somewhere besides me.

and I got lucky to have a career that kind of nurtured the muscles of it all, literally. Writing is the most in the flow, I probably feel, but I hate writing, and I hate having to write. I love having written. Yes, having had written is the best feeling in the world. I feel like you're a more confident writer than I am. Oh, God, no. No, that's not true. You're very good about it.

I've got to, no, I've got it on. Your Uber's here? I'm so sorry, my Uber's here. First of all, you are a member of the wicked verse. You opened Wicked in Chicago. I was the fourth overall Alphabet. So now when you go, like last year, two years ago was the 20th. And again, I have people in my wicked life that were like, I'm not going back.

It was torture because it is trauma bonding. It's a really, really, really hard job. It's a really, really, really hard job. It's a hard role to play. It is a physically demanding and it's incredibly hard to sing. So I'm actually in retrospect, I was so, I was actually, actually, actually take a minute to tell a story. Yes, please.

If that's okay. Of course. Because I actually think it's so lifeless and important. I am so hard on myself. And again, I've realized this about myself recently. I'm not competitive. I'm a perfectionist. So I actually hate competition, but I want to be really good at things.

So it's a weird mix. But when you do a Broadway show, everybody comes at the end because it's all your friends or whatever. People want to see you before it closes or you leave or whatever. And, you know, whatever. Here's Adina Menzel, the most incredible vocalist, originated this incredibly demanding vocal score. Yeah.

You're, when you take over in a role, you're thrown into their track. So there's a lot of things that were designed around Edina's instrument that other people have a harder time with, her phrasing, her lung capacity, things like that. So I was sort of mercilessly hard on myself. And I also just didn't have the Broadway credits that other people did. So I felt like I was proving myself. And especially then on Broadway, I think people felt like, who's this TV bitch who just thought she could show up and sing Elfabah? You know, there was not like a, I didn't feel like warmly welcomed into the Broadway community.

I felt like I was proving it, you know, so every day. Yeah. And I, you know, that role is very, very challenging. So my last like three weeks, because I did Chicago and then I came and I did the three penny opera on Broadway and then I did Wicked it up on Broadway. So my last like two, three weeks, wicked, all these people, you know, come out of the woodworks, composers I admire, people I admire people to see one to see me in the world before I left. And I was so mercilessly cruel to myself. Every day I would come backstage and I messed up the bridge on Defined Gravity or, oh my God, I hate it way that I, you know, I didn't like my upper register here, there. I was screaming in this part.

It was such an interesting experience because the second. sound engineer gave me, like snuck me, I hope I'm not getting him fired, recordings of my last 12 shows. He had just like stuck in a thing and recorded them. I didn't listen to them for 15 years because I was so mortified. I was like, I don't want to hear myself. And then I cracked one open one day and I started, I wanted to listen to Define Gravity to see like if I could like Frankenstein the perfect version together, whatever. And it was so. chilling how similar they were. Oh, wow, Anna. That's wild.

To listen to them in a row, it was like, it took my breath away. And I tell my kids this all the time now, because, you know, Ulysses, my son is such a, he's such a perfectionist. I'm like, the difference between 98% and 100 is imperceptible to anyone but you. Yeah. And if you're hitting the general ballpark of being able to, oh, I don't know, sing Alphaba, you're probably cool. Yeah. You know, so you are not a reliable witness about yourself.

Oh, never. And that's why I give 75%. I don't even get it. But honestly, most of it can apply to anything. Oh, absolutely. And making that decision of being like, did you show up? Were you nice to people? You know, did you know your lines?

Okay. Check. And also the way, the lovely way in which. you circled back and you were able to kind of like go back to that younger version of yourself and be like, oh my God, I can't believe how unnecessarily relentlessly mean I was to myself. Yes. I mean, I don't know if I'm able to take it now and everyday life, but it's such an important, I don't know, it felt like such an important lesson.

And obviously, like, that's the SNL wisdom pearl. I'm like, I wish I could have enjoyed it, just enjoyed it. It was a great experience, you know? Yeah. I mean, the fact that you had physical evidence that they weren't that different. It was mind-blowing. is something else, isn't it? Yeah. The mind is a, um, terrible place. A real dick. Um, it's a terrible, terrible place. Yeah. The mind is a dick. The mind is a raging dick. Okay, mean girls. What are

your memories about us doing mean girls together? I remember being on the plane with you. Yep, we do are on the plane with you. I remember sitting in the, yeah, you got in a fight with a guy. Um, and the baby, when baby Francis was early empowering baby, baby Frances was on the plane with us. Do you remember that? Your baby Frances was now in her 20s. 23, yeah. She was on the plane. And I still got in a fight with a guy with the baby around? Yeah, I hope so. Because the guy got mad that you were swearing in front of the baby. Yeah, right. It's a long story, but what happened was a very stress, a guy who, like a first class guy, we were in first class too. He was like, excuse me. I'm trying to, you're being too loud in first class and I, my Boston came out. Let's just say that. It was the best thing I've

ever seen. Okay, but, but the shooting of mean girls, what do you remember of it? I remember hanging out with you in that hotel one night and having drinks. I remember when Tina, I have a memory of her sitting at the table on 17 and saying, I think I'm going to try to option this book. Me too. I have an image of her sitting at her computer and being like, oh, and having the book near her and just like working on it being like, I'm writing this movie. Incredible. And I was like, good luck with that. I'm going to go write a sketch about a Lady was a snake around her neck. Have you ever heard of fart mouth? And last question is, what are you listening to watching? Where do you go to laugh these days?

I am like, I am not very, for all my quiet comedy. Like I, I am like Mel Brooks is what makes me laugh. Like big, silly. Okay, what's your favorite Mel Brooks? I mean. Let's Google it. Well, I mean, Madeline Con and Young Frankenstein. producers. I mean, when Dratch and I write together, it feels like Mel Brooks is, you know, the... Dratch is of the Melbrook's world. Yeah, so writing with her is very goofy

and very fun. You know what I love, and I know it's underrated. I love me as Spaceballs. Oh, deeply underrated. Yeah. God, Spaceballs made me laugh. My friend Philip Taratula is doing, does this character called Official Pam Goldberg on Instagram. He plays a member of actors' equity since 1968.

I know my Uber is here, but I have to see this. Yeah, you do. Official Pam Goldberg. Yeah. Pam Goldberg here, and I'm recommending what to bring with you to tech. So here we go. Snacks. Don't rely on other people's snacks

or anyone else bringing snacks for you. These are Crasdale peanuts. I don't think they're organic. Pam's telling us what to bring to tech. I say good coffee. I like this from Fairway. Engagement open-copy themselves

but life's too short for soldiers. Again, I recommend banana grams because they're short and cordial. Bananagrams are short and cordial.

Also, Pam, it's got a real severe haircut. Real severe. And a real squinty eye. She's been original theater actress for a long time. But anyway,

Merry Christmas. Thank you, friend. Thank you, friend. Merry Christmas to you. Anna Gastire, thank you so much. That was so fun and that time went by so fast and I love talking to you. And, you know, this is our holiday episode. And for those of you celebrating the holiday in all different ways, I just want to say thank you for giving us the gift of listening to this show. It's meant a lot to us. And this has been an amazing year that we've launched it. So thank you. We cannot wait to make more of which we will be doing for you. and it has been a real gift to do it. So I'm going to end this episode and dive into the polar plunge by sharing my favorite Christmas movie with you.

And that is a little known classic Emmett Otters Jug Band Christmas. I don't know a lot of people that know it, but it was, look, I don't love puppets all the time, but this one has the Muppet Puppet family, Jim Henson's workshop made it. And it is the cutest, most tender, best music movie. Emmett Otters, Jug Band Christmas, check it out. It is basically the gift of the magi. There is an incredible bunch of villains called the River Bottom Nightmare Band. That is basically a snake and a weasel, and they are incredible.

So do yourself a favor And I don't even know where to find it. I think I have it on VHS. But Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Whatever you celebrate, thank you for listening. And we can't wait to see you in the new year. Bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Burman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ring and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green,

Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.