Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang - "The Universe Needs To Relax" (w/ Cynthia Erivo)

Episode Date: November 13, 2024

Elphaba may sing about how she is "not that girl" but Cynthia Erivo IS that girl! Okay?! And she's also the guest this week on Las Cultch! The magnificent hyper-talent joins Matt & Bow to discuss auditioning for Wicked, crafting her Elphaba and ultimately letting her go. Also, running towards portraying some of the most iconic people and characters in history (Aretha Franklin! Celie! Harriet Tubman!), running in general, and a moment of appreciation for the color green. All this, how Ariana Grande has helped Cynthia find her voice as a recording artist, the responsibility and magic of singing at The Kennedy Center, the importance of listening to lyrics, the oppression of onion and garlic, and continued angst about the lack of availability of British snacks in America. Wicked hits theaters November 22nd and Cynthia is spectacular in it. OOOHHHAAAAHHHAAAAAHHHAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my god. What is that?

Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going.

That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love.

I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best, and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro, host of the hit podcast, Family Secrets. How would you feel if when you met your biological father for the first time, he didn't even say hello? And what if your past itself was a secret and the time had suddenly come to share that past with your child?

These are just a few of the powerful and profound questions we'll be asking on our eleventh season of Family Secrets. Listen to season 11 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. Nimmini here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, the Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip hop.

Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everybody, it's me, Matt Rogers, letting you know tickets are on sale now to see me on tour. The Prince of Christmas tour, that is. I'm doing my whole album, Have You Heard of Christmas? Plus a lot more with the whole band

all throughout December. Go to www.matrojsofficial.com to see me in a city near you. And now, Los Colch Drums. Look, man. Where? Oh, I see, wow. Oh my.

Bowen, look over there. Wow, is that culture? Yes Oh, I see. Wow. Bowen, look over there. Wow, is that culture? Yes. Oh, goodness. Wow. Las Culturistas. Ding dong. Las Culturistas calling in our green, as it were.

You know, it is a very present color in all of our lives. And yet, for someone to, I don't know, like really, I'm not gonna say own it. But for someone... That's my color now vibes. And I'm not talking about us. No. I'm talking about someone else. Ooh, you'll hear about it in a sec. You'll hear from in a sec.

I'm already sort of basking in the glow of this person. Because I'm fresh off of this. How could you not? How could you not? I mean, this is the first time I'm seeing her in person in a long time. And I'm fresh off of seeing the film Wicked, part one. Again, last night there was a screening. Talk about this, because this was a really,

this was not just any screening. No, no, this was so sublime. It was Broadway Friends and Family. So it was so many of the original cast of Wicked, but also all the cast since over the 21 years, 21 years the show has been on around the world. Kristen was there, Norbert was there. So many wonderful, wonderful people.

I'm missing so many people. Carrie St. Louis was there. I saw that. One of our famed Glindas. And it was just the warmest crowd. I couldn't believe it. You know what was also crazy? What?

Children of the original cast. Oh, so now it's truly generational. See, that's the great thing about this. And I think that it's like hitting everyone right now. I was like, this is meaningful on meaningful because I've also seen the film. It was a little bit of a different situation. It was a very small screening room.

And I was just telling our guests when I saw it, I was like, are people gonna turn up the way I'm gonna turn up because it was a smaller theater Yes, and I can say that they did but it's so when you're watching the movie What's so incredible about it? And I don't know why I had to realize this but I was like, oh we're also honoring the Wizard of Oz Yeah, this is generations of cinema This is the Wizard of Oz is the story and so wicked is the story and it's just To watch it land on people like that must have been really really really monumental. So monumental. Oh my god I can't believe you're here. I love you so much. I mean just to speak on you know, what a huge year for green

Green you did that this year. You really you really got your right? And I'm sorry to remind us what well brat green Oh brat green of course well There was famously brat green and now there's alpha but green green was very present at the various tennis opens 100% bow you know Because of the color of the the grass of the grass Green is forever. It's actually rule of culture number six. Green is forever. Our guest today is one of the most brilliant artists of any generation and Emmy Grammy and Tony winner and Oscar-nominated actress and songwriter just a truly Brilliant star who we're here to announce is Elphaba. You heard it here first.

You heard it here. Breaking news. Playing Elphaba in Wicked, I mean, when you see this, you are going to be truly lifted. I mean, and I don't even say that as a pun. No, oh, right, oh, there you go. Because of the famous lifting that happens, not a spoiler. She's also the patron saint of the Kennedy Center at this point.

I have to, if you don't think I'm gonna bring up Alfie, you didn't think. If you didn't think I was gonna- Nothing compares to you? Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me until I've had my Cynthia. Cynthia. Okay, everyone, welcome into your ears.

The magnificent Cynthia Arriba! Hello, hello, hello! Thank you for having me. How are you feeling since last night? Well, I'm feeling very, very like, floaty. Last night was crazy and amazing. Many, many things were happening. You were bouncing around all over town.

I was bouncing around all over town, so I started the CFDAs, went back to the screening. I was hanging out at the screening for a little bit, which was so surreal. I had like an outer body experience. So I was standing at the back of the theater, first of all, when I walk in and there's all the Elphaba standing there, all the Glinda's standing there, and then there's Kristen right in the middle, and she welcomes me,

we have this massive hug. Kristen is amazing, and I'd already spoken to it, Dina. So that was like, already sort of like a metaphysical thing that was going on. Yeah. So I felt like, oh, I'm part of this incredible sisterhood, which you know you are, but when you see it in like real life, that sort of becomes an actual core memory. Yes. And then we move upstairs and then we speak and we start talking about what it means to us. And as I'm waiting for us to go up, I realized that I'm standing in front of a Broadway family, one of which I belong to because of my history

and the things I've been through and Color Purple and all of that. And I'm like, oh, two things are happening at once. I'm getting to show this film that is from Broadway to a Broadway family from which I belong. getting to show this film that is from Broadway to a Broadway family from which I belong. I just had like a massive, it's not even a meltdown, but like a real realization of the journey that I've been on and what it might mean to them

and what it might mean to me. And it just was, it became so, it was already a big moment, but that became a really huge moment to be a part of. You were enveloped in it. Yeah. I had to be like, I've got to breathe. I kind of, I felt like I'm so out of body. It was so insane. And then because I had to rush back,

I really didn't want to leave immediately. So I hung out at the back and watched just like the first 20 minutes of the film with everyone and just to see like hear it, the laughs and the tears that happened immediately. Yeah. The applause and it just it was working, you know? You're like, oh wow. Yeah, it's playing.

It's playing. My makeup artist was saying there's this piece in Madonna's Truth or Dare. And when she they're standing in a circle and they're about to go on show and it's in her hometown and she's shaking, she goes, it shouldn't matter, but it does matter what they think. And I was like, that's the case. It does matter what this room thinks of this piece. And to be in the room whilst they were like accepting it and open armed for it was beyond, beyond my wildest dreams. Yeah.

How are you managing overall your emotions around this moment? Because it's so- Sometimes I'm not. That's what I mean. But how could you? In a way. Do you have like time to yourself in the mornings where you like actually let things out? Like, or do your emotions like surprise you in moments like that?

They surprise me. Sometimes I feel like I'm really like, I'm in control of what's going on and I, you know, I can manage everything. And then the other times they just like spill out. Yeah. You know, unexpectedly a little thing will happen and I go, oh my God.

Yeah. We were talking about this before with like John and with Ari, it's like, it's because we kind of put it to the side, we compartmentalize it, we put it in a drawer, and now it's all coming back. And like, you are rel... These things are popping out of not nowhere,

but like intermittently, because it was something that you sat with for years. And was that your first time watching it in a bigger room last night? With an audience. On a bigger screen with many people. Yes. That is a very different experience to sitting in a theater.

That like, you can sense the link. Correct. It's very different to even touch it. Cause we, I watched that movie basically with two other people. With me and like my publicist or something. And then we just sat and watched. Or a friend. And that was it.

And I'd been craving to watch it in a theater with other people who had never seen it before, who were just coming to it for the first time. So to sit, like, to watch people react just off the cuff, insane. It's a completely different energy. It's the wildest, most energy-filled, most electric feeling you could imagine. I can't wait to do it again. Can't wait to do it again. Do it as much as you can, because we're talking to you as like, to you as someone who's obviously been in films before

with theatrical releases, but like, I don't know. This is different though. It's just different. And also, of course it's different. But also the thing that I miss about, Matt and I were in a movie once that didn't come out in theaters, but we went to like the premieres and stuff and the screenings and it was like, oh, I were in a movie once that didn't come out in theaters, but we went to, like, the premieres and stuff and the screenings,

and it was like, oh, I'll miss this so much, just sharing the space with people if they're watching this at the same time. And to give it the cinematic opportunity that it deserves, because we were talking to Ariana last week on the pod, and one thing that struck me was when you're shooting it, it is you're at work and you're shooting it. So there's the tape, you know what I mean?

There's your mark, there's the guy with the camera. So then all of a sudden it can feel easy to slip into, oh, I'm at work. I'm doing the scene. You know, I'm talking to my friend, I'm on my phone when I'm not like here. And then all of a sudden you see Oz. Yes. And it's all together and everything, like all of those miniature things that make it happen all the stuff that like our semantics go away. Yeah. And now it's like the thread is there. Yeah.

And then you're like, wow, we made a big fucking movie. It's insane. The thing is huge. It's wild. Yeah. And like I keep going back even I was in it. But I go back and I watch and I go, I didn't see that last time. Oh my gosh, I didn't notice that the person did that.

I didn't know that I was... Why did I roll my eyes at that point? When did he catch that? When did I do that? I don't remember. So you're catching up on all the things that you may have done in the moment that you didn't remember you even did, or you didn't remember was there.

And now all of a sudden, you're like, Oh my God, that was... That is where I was. Yeah. And that's alpha by now. Right. And now all of a sudden you're like, oh my God, that was, that is where I was. Yeah. And that's Elphaba. And that's right. That is another thing is it's just like you've contributed such a beautiful, strong, funny, powerful Elphaba. And I wanted to ask specifically about one choice in the film, because this to me was

this really is what blew people back in their chair. I know what we're gonna talk about. So, so much said about Defying Gravity and in that, the last note, right? The gut that you put in that note, that battle cry, that roar, is so different than the way you've approached vocally the rest of the performance the whole time. Can you talk about that choice and like the collaboration with John on deciding how to make

that note that Alphabet 2.0 that launches us into Wicked Part 2? Well, we knew that for her, this was the beginning of her journey almost, like the beginning of what we know will become the Wicked Witch. The Wicked Witch, yeah. But it had to be for both of us, the release of everything, it had to be a roar. So I didn't necessarily want to make it pretty. So there has to be like a gutter roar. It has to come from that place. That's the beginning of like the rage and all of that grit. So we just were like, what do we want it to sound like

for me? And each Elphaba has their own battle cry. Each Elphaba has their own roar. And I spent some time searching for what that felt like, what that could be. And the moment I did it and tried it, everyone was like, that's it. Because the rest of Elphaba in this, in part one, the vocals, sort of the quality in the timbre is so clean and it's so, and in a lot of ways,

what we know to be like Cynthia Erivo's voice is like, it's just so pure. Purity. Pure. And there is like a, like it's almost like, it's always intimate. Yeah. You singing, I'm Not That Girl,

is such a beautiful, and you don't really understand when you watch it on stage. Obviously we enjoy the song, but when we can be really with you, and you're singing it, it actually makes Define Gravity even more heartbreaking. Like that's why it's gonna be amazing to watch on a second, third, fourth, eighth, ninth millionth time,

is because the arc, it really lands. And in that last note, like, I just can't wait for everyone to see it that said, it should have been one movie. It's like, please, let's keep watching after that. We need a break. The curtain has dropped. There's no way.

There's no way. I love that people are so passionate and they should have been one movie. I understand, but because we were there and we shot the second movie, there's not a chance. There's no way. There's no way it could be one movie. There's no way, there's too much. There's too much. And even, you know, there's something to be said

about part one running in at a certain time, but it's like, it moves. And even then I think, even last night I was like, things can breathe even more if we let them. Like a lot was cut out, you know what I mean? Like a lot was like, oh, I guess we're trying to service the audience experience by like not making them sit there

for too long. And yet it still came in at like two hours and 40 minutes or whatever. Yeah. And we still- Never felt it was wrong. Do you see what I'm saying? Like, can you imagine we went on to the second part?

No way! I was like, cause you couldn't move on to thank goodness at that point. No you can't! It's impossible! Without, define gravity suffering and the rest of the movie after that suffering. Literally the song brings it down. Everyone has to be like, I need to go away. We have to all go away.

Right. In a year. Yeah. Let me process. Let me come back. Let me see it again. Let me, you know, we'll see this. We'll get back. We'll come back. Let me see it again. You know, we'll see this. We'll get back. Yeah.

And also what's lovely about waiting for the second is that there is growth happening in that time. So what happens in a year is like the growth that happens for everyone that comes back the second time around. Time passes between the acts. Exactly. Yeah. And just to speak about like how you don't want to let any moment not have its its true Expans, yeah, I think one of the most unforgettable moments I've seen in a film in a really long time to speak on just this one segment is

Dancing through life. Yeah, when you come in and it's the hope and the you know This chance to have a real social moment and the disappointment and the realization that you've been tricked. Yeah. I just think that that entire sequence, I could get chills. I mean, I don't think there was a dry eye and that just... If you had stayed for that last night, you would have crumbled. Not that you're not a strong person.

What happened? It's just people... They lose their confidence. It was a cacophony of sniffles and everyone was losing it. It is a beautiful moment and I wanted to ask about shooting that. That must have been so vulnerable and exposing and tough. Yeah. That was a hot day.

And I thought when I was watching it, I was like, I wonder where she's at. It was hard. Yeah. Because you have to process... I really understand Elphaba's ownership of loneliness and like knowing she feels different, knowing she's not one of everybody else. And deeply wanting to, you know, there's a part of us that all wants to be, we all want to be accepted.

Even when we know that we can't or we're different and we're on the outside. I think that because I understood that, that's where I'm in my head. So it just, you know, funneling all the things, all the times when I feel alone, all the times when you want to be accepted, all the times when you feel like you're on the outside, all the times when it just, you just can't connect with everybody. And it's just that that replays in your head and in your body as well. And when you're doing something like that, something like that, where you are really on your own, the loneliness is really loud. So you just have to process all of that.

And that's what happened. And every time I could, it was like, the more you do it, the deeper you go, the deeper you go, the deeper you go. So by the time I think he got that shot, it was like, there was like nothing left. It was just, I couldn't hold anything. Well, my memory of it is that every single setup,

every single take, you gave it a perfectly calibrated, vulnerable, raw thing. And it was really beautiful to watch and also very difficult. And I can't, so if it was difficult for me to just even stand by the wayside, like I can't imagine the sort of buckling and all that that you were giving in service to this project. And like, that is... That is, I think, like, the takeaway for everybody for this movie, is that, like,

this film is telling this huge universal story, but then for the performer, for Cynthia to be the vessel of alpha by this character, like, you gave it so... so much. You gave so much of yourself. And I remember you, at the end of that sort of segment of shooting that, you turned to everybody and thanked them. And we just all applauded and it was just such a beautiful, loving moment of sort of communion because we had all sort of been through it in a way. Everyone was going through it with me.

Yeah. I felt really supported and held. Like it felt like... Genuine care. Yeah. It felt like there was the most amazing energy in the room. It felt like, you know, there's like a circle of like strength. Everyone... We all have to do what we have to do, but actually in the core of everyone's heart,

I could feel like energy. Just hold the circle. Keep the energy, keep the space. And there was such respect for what was going on and what needed to happen. No one was too loud. No, it was all like quiet one needs to be quiet and space one and it needs to be space. And I felt so loved, so taken care of during that, that to have finished without saying thank you would have been impossible because I knew that it's hard enough for me to play the person who is alone and going through that. But I think it's just as hard to play anyone who has to reject someone who is that as well.

Because also I was aware that so many people on that set are versions of Elphaba. You know? We're all the queer kids who are out, you know, and who are pushed on the outside. So everyone in that room is sort of watching a version of themselves in this moment. I just like, that's something that came to me when I had finished, I looked around, I was like, we all understand this. And so to have to play the people who are rejecting it came to me when I had finished, I looked around, I was like, we all understand this.

And so to have to play the people who are rejecting it must also be deeply difficult. It's a very hard thing to also sit in that emotion of guilt and shame that you have allowed someone to feel this way, which is why it's such a moment for Glinda as well. You know what I mean? It's like that is the scene that solidifies the relationship because it is both of you confronting the way you really feel. And then it launches into popular, which is so joyful and so expressive and colorful. But it's just so successful.

Thank you. Two things. Yes. Thank you for acknowledging, even though it's a fraction of what you had to go through on a performance level, like there was something, I remember like in the circle where between takes, like, we would just turn to each other and be like, it feels really bad for us to, like,

snicker and laugh at this person. And we had to do that take after take. And then I remember coming up to you about to me and like, how are you doing? I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I was like, it feels so unnatural for me, a gay man to bully Cynthia Erivo. I'm like, this is so wrong. And then a gay man, to bully Cynthia Erivo. I'm like, this is so wrong.

And then the second thing, which is what Matt's saying, like launching into popular, I remember John turned to me last night and was just like, it's so great how the audience is immediately in love with Glinda and Elphaba as friends. The second Dancing With Life is done. And that's just, it just comes from that moment. It's lovely.

I love my favorite part of that scene in between Dancing Through Life, the Oz Dust and Popular, the scene that we have in the bedroom. I think it's just such a tender, sweet scene. Ari and I were saying that the two of them are so awkward, they're like figuring it out. How do we hang out? How do we hang out? Yeah. Like, Alpha's never been at a sleepover before, so she's like kind of awkward and not really like, doesn't really know what to do. And Glinda's, I think also equally awkward, like, how do I hang out with this person?

And how do I share the space? And they're sort of figuring it out, the way they like undulate and figure it out together. And then finally like land on the floor. And then it's, you know, it's tomorrow. It's tomorrow. I just love how they find their way to that. I think that's the journey for them.

They find each other. And you know, for Elphaba to give that sort of, she confides in, it's sort of like, I trust you. I'm going to trust you with this thing that I don't think, I don't think Elphaba's told anyone that story, to be honest. It's the first time she's voiced it. And I think there's just a really wonderful moment of them deciding to trust each other. Yeah.

To speak on the collaboration between you and Ariana, so I would imagine you get this part. And do you find out pretty immediately that the role will be played by Ariana Grande or? Soon after. Yeah. I don't think I found out on the call, but I think I found out soon after, maybe like a day after and they let me know what was going on and I was like, oh, that makes sense. Yeah. So is it that like, you know, you're up for it and do you hear who's up for the other thing? I mean, you go and- No, I said don't tell me a damn thing. Don't tell me anything. Don't tell me anything. I don't want to know. I don't want to know who's going up for it. I didn't want to even know until they needed me to come in. I said, give me no information. Give me nothing. I don't want to know. Yes. Tell me if they actually want me to come in. Right. That's all I want to know. Right. Got it. And they didn't. I said, I don't care who's going in. I don't want to know. When and if they want me, then I will know.

Yes. That's all I wanted. Meaning the audition or actually playing the role? The audition. The whole thing, yeah. So this is wild to me that Cynthia Arriva would have to audition for anything just because it's like, well, clearly,

we know this is going to be brilliant, but you do have to audition. And when you do, do you sing Defying Gravity? Yes. Wow. You sing Defying Gravity, you sing The Wizard and I, you sing for good, you do a bunch of scenes, but they were really, really respectful. I actually think what happened was, because I think I was the last to come in, John and I had had a couple of conversations,

and then I waited a couple of weeks and then they came back with, we want you to come in, and it was a camera test essentially. So I was there for three hours, my audition and that was the one and only thing I came in to do. I think they were deeply, deeply respectful. I think John had teed it up for me to, it was mine to lose. I felt like he gave me the most amazing platform to come in and do my work and then let it be. And I think that's probably why. But I love that I got the chance to come in and show how much I wanted it, show how much it meant to me. And I was prepared to come in a couple times if they needed me to, because I think the role deserves that.

I think the role needs it. It's not enough to want to come in because you can sing. It's not enough to come in because you can act. I think there are layers that he was looking for. And I remember when he said the thing that swung it for him was the way I did The Wizard and I. He said there was like a vulnerability that I hadn't seen in the other roles, like a youthful, hopeful energy that the other roles don't give you the chance to do. Harriet does not give you the chance to do that.

And because there's so much more depth, it's like deep and hard and resilient. And Belle, who is in Widow's, doesn't, it's not that. Oh, you were fantastic, Widows. But it's a different energy. Yeah, so in a way this is a really showing a totally new side of you. Yeah. And so I think he was, he wanted to see like the wide-eyed openness that I have, but I don't necessarily get the chance to share. And The Wizard and I gave that energy to him.

So I was just, I think I was lucky that he allowed me to express that and show it. Yeah. And also what it takes to hold the responsibility of playing something so iconic is something that you've done several times. I was thinking about, you know, your sort of uvra. Like, you know, Harriet. Like, Aretha Franklin.

Sealy. You know, I mean, like these come with scrutiny, yes, but also responsibility and history. And so I was wondering, because this seems like a pattern, does that excite you or is this like happenstance that these happen to be like these iconic things? Or do you find that you're like, yeah, that thing that everyone's gonna watch? Examine. I'm not afraid of that, I wanna run to that.

Are you running to these things? I think by accident I'm running to them because I'm not necessarily running to them because I know that people are watching or inspecting them. I think I'm running to them because I'm not necessarily running to them because I know that people are watching or inspecting them. I think I'm running to them because they're the most interesting people to play. Yeah. The ones who have like depth and history and there's complexity in it all the way around. I just think they're interesting characters.

First and foremost, they're people who have wants and needs and maybe there are parts of them that maybe haven't been discovered and I want to like open them up even more and play and learn them even more. I think I'm intrigued by that. And then the layer of like, oh, but also, so many people know about this person. And so many people are invested in this person. And projecting onto that person. Real or fictional, yes. How much of, I would say, like, the initial gut level alphabat in the audition, do you think,

was retained by the final product? I think maybe about 60%. Wow. And I learned a lot when I was there. Yeah. Because you know what I love? I've heard you talk about how a lot of roles you approach, you start with the walk.

And I love how you kind of... The opening shots of Elphaba are of her walk. You literally start on the close-up of the shoes, the feet, as she sets foot on Shiz. And I think from those, immediately you understand that your take on Elphaba is really new and beautiful. It's like she's not like drab or like awkward or uncomfortable. She's very self-assured.

She's there to like support her sister. And then that first monologue where we're all like gawking at you, like, oh my God, who's she? You're like, okay. Like, in a way, like, and I love and celebrate, like as we're talking about the Elphabets of Yor, it's like, there's such a wonderful blueprint of how this has been. And for you to honor that and also sort of... Divert, yeah.

...divert is really special. And I feel like that must have come from, like, your experience with playing all these very... Yeah, different women. Yeah. I think, and it was, you know, it's not on purpose to be like, -"I'm gonna change everything now." No. No? I think, and it was, you know, it's like, it's not on purpose to be like, I'm going to change everything now. No, no. I just, once I put her shoes on, and I think because of my own understanding, and everyone

has a different understanding of what it is to be different and what it feels like to be sort of like on the outside, I just thought to myself, she's been in the skin for her whole life. It's not new for her. People staring whole life. It's not new for her. People staring at her, it's not new for her. People having a weird reaction to her, not new. Her needing to be the support for her sister, not new. Her getting yelled at by her father, not new.

It's like, this is all stuff that she's been through already and has like, it's in her skin, in her DNA. It's the assignment of her life to deal with this bullshit. So like the choice is, I'm either gonna be mad my whole life, or I'm gonna get to the joke before everybody else does. And if I can get to the joke before everyone else does, and it is a form of defense, if I get there before everybody else, then I can't be her. They're already behind. Yeah. So, okay. Yeah.

Yeah. Uh-huh. I'm not this. I'm not that. You can't call me weird if I'm this. If I already say it myself. Exactly. I know what I'm in.

I know what I look like. I know where I've been and I know what you're thinking. Right. One of my favorite lines when you first meet her is, here's my sister, Nessa, and she's a perfectly acceptable color. Because no one else says says, oh this is, we don't, she already knows. She knows what that's what everyone's thinking. And it's like she said it, it's like, oh here we go. You know. And I think that's how she functions. Is that a defense mechanism that you relate to? Yes. You get there first.

Always you get there first. It's a there first. It's a queer thing. It's a queer thing and like it works on some level until it doesn't until you're at the Oz Dust. Right. It's just self-defense until you're building a weapon. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Charlie XCX and Lord. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired, depressed, a little bit revolutionary? Consider this, start your own country. I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emanuel. I am the Queen of La Donia. I'm Jackson I, King of Capperburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Montonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. Why can't I create my own country? My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong?

No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with the black powder, you know, with explosive warheads. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We need help! We still have the off-road portion to go.

Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their

journeys and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun.

Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt, learning to trust herself, and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are built to doubt the possibilities for ourselves.

For self-preservation and protection, it was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going, this increment of small, determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.

Like, grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're gonna figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, I'm Dr. Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist who studies human behavior. On my podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, I marry science and storytelling to better understand

how to navigate the big changes in our lives. It was like a slow nightmare, you know, because every day you think, oh, surely tomorrow I'll be better. And I would dream of being better. At night I would dream that my face was quote unquote normal or back to the way it was, and I'd wake up and there'd be no change. I also speak with scientists about how we can be more resilient in the face of change. You can think of the adolescent brain as like the social R&D engine of our culture.

That they're something that looks like risky and idiotic to us is maybe their way of creatively trying to solve the problem of having social success and fewer of the things that bring you social failure. Listen to a slight change of plans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Hi, I'm Marie. And I'm Sydney. And we're. Mess. Well, not a mess, but on our podcast called Mess, we celebrate all things messy. But the gag is not everything is a mess. Sometimes it's just living.

Yeah, things like JLo on her third divorce. Living. Girls trip third divorce. Living. Girls trip to Miami. Mess. Ozympoch. Messy, skinny, living. Restaurants stealing a birthday cake. Mess.

Wait, what flavor was the cake, though? OK, that's a good question. Hooking up with someone in accounting and then getting a promotion. Living. Breaking up with your girlfriend while on Instagram Live. Living. This kind of mess. Yeah.

Well, you get it. Got it. Live, love, mess. Listen to Mess with Sydney Washington and Marie Faustin on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm not going to spoil something, but there was a moment at a very critical juncture of this film where there's like an inner child healing moment. Yeah. And it is executed so every emotional beat of this movie lands, which is not to say that the rest of the movie doesn't work on any level. The underpinnings of this movie are purely emotional

and that's a testament to you. And this moment of the inner child, for a long time I kind of rolled my eyes at that concept. It's like, oh, you have to like, what is like inner, like I'm gonna talk to the young version of myself, I roll. Something about this movie really cracked me the fuck open with that concept. You know what I mean?

And it's like what you're saying with like, oh, Alpha Buck, we all kind of grew up with these. Yeah. It's because you don't think that, because throughout the movie, the inner child is not on the outside. And I think that's actually how most of us function. Like we don't realize that we're all healing like deep seeded wounds that are on the children that we were. Yes. But it's never, usually it's not obvious. We don't know.

And I don't even think she knows until she knows. Until she knows. You know, she remembers certain things and there are things that we like, that she keeps to herself and it shows up in like flickers and when she gets yelled at by her father, it's like an immediate sort of like call to what has been. But she doesn't, there's no real acknowledgement until she has to acknowledge. But that's what she's running away from. And that's what she has to move towards.

Yeah. Oh my god. As you were sitting here, it's just so funny because I had a moment where I started to get a little emotional because I'm remembering, and this is a little bit of a left turn, but when you performed I'm Here on the Tony Awards, that was, I believe it was a couple days or maybe the day after Pulse. And I just remember how much that

meant to me and to so many people. It felt like you were putting a warm blanket over everyone. So I guess just like thank you for the gift of that performance like retroactively now years later but also in terms of like being given these opportunities to give these live performances, because We mentioned Alfie earlier. Yeah, you know nothing compares It's another opportunity that is very high stress that you seem to be running towards And I would I guess ask. She's a runner, she runs. We saw, you know.

But like, again, those opportunities, which will probably come forever. Do they excite you? How are you feeling in the moments of receiving offers to do things like that, receiving calls to do things like that, and the moment of doing things? When it comes to, as a singer, I do go towards them. Yeah.

Because I feel like if I wasn't meant to, they wouldn't come my way. And I think there are moments of great responsibility to connect with people. I know people say that, you know, actors, we're not saving lives. But I think that there is an aspect of maybe we can heal a couple of people. Singing is different. music is different. We can crack people open, we can like connect, we can help you connect with things that you might not have thought of, we can help you heal a little thing and think of something.

And I feel like that's my duty, that's my work. That's the grander design of the gift that I've been given to sing. So when opportunities like that come, singing at the Kennedy Center, of course I'm going to stand there and give Dior Morric her flowers. Of course I'm going to share with her the moment that I really fell in love with her. The fact that her voice is the seminal voice for Alfie, for me. You know? I want to connect with her on that. You know? Of course, I'm gonna sing. I think there was a performance of I'm Here that I had to do

after like the last crazy election that we had to do and people were like in tears. I knew that I had to go to work to be like, hey, we're okay. And I was asked to sing Imagine at the GLAAD Awards after Pulse in dedication to. Of course I'm going to come in and sing that because we're going to be okay. Do you feel that way? I do. I do. I really believe that that's, that is my work and to validate people's feelings,

the feelings that we have through music. I really think that there is a bigger purpose at hand when you have a voice, when you can use music to connect with people. It's not enough to just sing a song. What is the point? But if you can use music and tune and notes and lyric to connect, to validate a person's feelings, to send them off and feeling better, to tell them that we'll move through this, it's going to be OK, that this is a gateway to healing, I'm happy to do that.

Mm-hmm. I'll do it. Yeah, it's funny because your performance of Alfie, like, I always knew the song. Yeah. You know what I mean? But it was like I was hearing it. Yeah, it's funny because your performance of Alfie, like I always knew the song. Yeah, you know what I mean? But it was like I was hearing it for the first time and it was so funny because like I had gone through a situation with someone and didn't realize that that song was speaking to that experience until I was and it actually empowered me because it's like I know

And it actually empowered me because it's like, I know what love really is. You know what I mean? And it's twofold. It's you expressing and telling that story, but also honoring her. And I wonder, like, did you have a conversation with Ms. Warwick afterwards? Yes. She's very happy. Good! Because she's tough! She's tough, but she was happy. She was happy.

She said, no, you didn't need to sing it like that. Yeah! I was like, well, be careful now. I was like, thank you. Thank you very much. Major moments. Thank you. Yeah, she was happy. And they could see her up in the box and she was like, the Clementine, you know, tearful. And I was like, okay, I'm doing... The thing of them watching you in that type of arena too is so wild. It's insane. The Kennedy Center is something that is so wild. It's insane. Yeah.

The Kennedy Center is something that is so grand. It's one of those you have to figure out how to fill the room. Yeah. And for me, I have to fill the room standing in one spot. That's what I do. I stand and sing and so every detail for me is like, what's the dress? That's not the right one. We need this.

And what's the orchestration? We need this orchestration. No, we're not going to if we rush this and we make this two beats too fast, it's not going to it. We need this. And what's the orchestration? We need this orchestration. No, we're not gonna... If we rush this and we make this two beats too fast, it's not gonna... It won't land the way. We need breath. We need space. And I had spoken to the orchestrator, Lenny, who is amazing. I said, do not start this until I am set at the mic and I take a breath. We have to reset.

I need a reset before we begin. And he didn't because the production wanted me to, they wanted the music to start before I... Because they wanted to move. They're thinking this is a live thing. Exactly. Don't you dare. Don't you dare.

You wait. It's a hospitality principle. It's like you have to be unreasonable about the way you make people feel. Yes. And that is what you are doing. And I loved this interview that you and Renee Rapp had at Electrically. You guys are relating by being Capricorns. Like, this is, I think, is this part of Capricorn identity?

Like having this sort of vision, having the conviction to tell yourself, like, this is what my charge is? Yes. This is the charge. This is the job. This is how I'm going to do it. Very clear about that, yeah. Because this thing of you guys talking about how like,

you need to believe, it sounds, and I'm just saying, rolling my eyes at myself at this, it's like, I always didn't really quite believe the idea of like, you gotta believe in yourself or else nobody else will. It's like, but then like, it doesn't make any sense any other way. Yeah.

You know what I mean? That has to be the sequence of things in order for you to, like, do what you guys do. Yes. Yeah. Because there are literally times where only you believe the thing that is going to happen for you and there's no one else. But why should anyone else believe if you don't? Like, why?

There's no reason to. But if you know and have a clarity about what it is you're meant to do and how you're meant to do it, then it's easy for someone else to see it. Right. Because you can see it. You talk about getting involved with the Color Purple in a sort of, not low-fi, but like not necessarily a production in England that seemed like it was going to do what it did. No.

Would you consider that to be the biggest risk you've taken is like really going for that role on that scale? I don't think it was a risk at all. I was so sure that I was meant to be doing it. I was so sure. And it could have been in, I don't know, someone's front room. Size of the stage did not matter.

Did not matter. I just knew if it was coming, I was meant to do it. I was so clear about it. There was not one part of me that was like, well, this is risky. I don't know what I'm going to do. I was, nope. I was so sure about it. You were on Taurus Distract. You heard that it was, it was like, they were seeing people for it. Yes. And I said, I want to play the role.

Dang. I'm going to be doing that. Yeah. And everyone else was like, but are you sure? Like, what if they ask you to do like the first cover? I was like, no, no, no, I want to play the role. I know that the role is what I'm supposed to be doing. And the first cover is amazing. But this is the role. The role I want.

I'm so sure about it. This is what I want. Yeah. We have to be like that. What is that? Is that intellectual, emotional? Like, where does that? I think it's both.

I think it's like in the first instant, it was like a guttural emotional knowledge. Yes. Then it became, how am I gonna do this? How am I gonna do it? Yes, yes. Yeah. I love this.

Yeah. So much. Oh my God. This much of my life is like this. No, but this is a bit like, look where it's gotten you. I know, yeah. You know? Like the emotion is there and like the feeling is there and then

Task yeah, it's not holding you back in any way. So like what's wrong with that? You know, yeah, how do you unwind? What do you do? I'm a I need a sleepy time tea. Yeah, I love a tea I will carry a tea with me everywhere I go. But it's bedtime, I get myself in my PJs. I like a particular PJ. Like I will wear an outfit to bed. You know, I love to dress. It's a look.

It's a French European thing. Yeah, I have to dress for me. My perfume, I get ready for bed. Nighttime routine. Full nighttime routine. Skincare, the whole thing. Then I will like get cozy. I'll put on a movie or a TV show before bed.

And then I'll journal and then sleep. That's my thing. Do you watch comedies or do you like... I like comedies or like dramas. Like dramas. Nothing crazy. Nothing crazy. I can't, you know, people who watch like 60 minutes before bed or like the first 24 hours,

48 hours. I don't know how you do it. No. It's too much for me. I don't want to watch that. Of course. Daytime for me, watching those things. But for me, it's nighttime, like something like lightfare. Yeah.

Fun, something that lifts, and then to bed. To bed and then up at, what, 5 a.m.? Sometimes between 5 and 7. To run, to walk, to pilates, whatever. I have to do something. You and Michelle Yeoh, every day, on set, on production of Wicked, just the most godly people. Both of you getting up, doing your runs, doing your workouts.

I'm like, I need to get my shit together. I was so in awe. But there was no other way to do this role. You think so? I just, I couldn't, I needed the in awe. But there was no other way to do this role. You think so? I just, I couldn't, I needed, I needed the physical movement. Not just for like the actual physicality of it, but for the emotion of it all. I needed to be physical because I needed to make sure my body was ready for the flight work.

Or that harness work. Doesn't work if you haven't got your core together, if you haven't got your body together. It really does have to get ready for what kind of onslaught you get when you're in a harness and flight. For battle. And singing. Yeah. I have a question and I think we can talk about this. So we basically had 12 days left of shooting and then Sagstrike happened. And I will say that the way things were segmented, Define Gravity was the last thing that was...

So I'm thinking, wow, Cynthia is holding onto this and considering this and it's all leading up to like this thing that is going to be talked about and will be very difficult to pull off. And it's a collaborative thing with you and with John and with everybody. And then the strike happens. Wild, wild sort of like stoppage. You're not disruptive. At the bridge and then you don't cross. Exactly. What was that like for you? What was it like to go back to it?

At first it started off like torture. Like, because I was, I felt like I was ready. Because we had gotten right there and I was like, okay, we're ready. I'm ready. Like I'm game fit. I'm good to do this. And then I had to accept we weren't coming back quickly. But you don't let go of, they don't go anywhere. The characters sort of like sitting in you sort of like, so I'm still like getting my body ready, working out, working like I'm still on set, but not on set. So I'm like doing all those things, trying to like getting my body ready, working out, working like I'm still on set, but not on set. But not on set. So I'm like doing all those things, trying to like feed my body, making sure that I'm

working out the way I need to work out, making sure that I'm keeping my voice the way I need it to be and like checking in and... But also having to let it go just a little bit so that I don't drive myself insane. Because it's still there and I'm still waiting. And also there's like the anticipation of having to do it. It never really left until we get, until we come back. And when I come back, I was like ready. Ready to do it, you know?

And then I get ill. Oh, I forgot about this. What happened? Just the worst kind of flu you could possibly have. I mean, my skin was hurting. Oh It was horrible the day after my birthday. I was in on my birthday rehearsing and training for flying the next day totaled

totaled I remember I had wrapped and then I came back to New York. Yeah, and then they were like I was like god God, let this woman live. She can't know peace. Let this woman know peace. When I say you, I was so sick. Like running a fever, the fever would break, then the fever would come back again. Concerning sick.

Yeah. I was like, I don't know. Demoralizing. When is this gonna stop? Yeah. It just went on for like a week, a whole week, week and a half. I was done. Down. So I was like, okay, when are we going to do this?

Right. Because at this point, I'm annoyed with myself. I'm like, why is this happening now? Yeah. I mean, is there something in retrospect now where you're like, God, it was like one last mountain to scale or something? Yeah, I think so. I mean, is there something in retrospect now where you're like, God, it was like one last mountain to scale or something? Yeah, I think so.

I think it's weird. I think the universe was forcing me to earn it, really earn it. Wow. So when I really got there, I was like- The universe needs to relax. I know, but she's always doing the most. Time of the month. Like, always doing the most, always making me earn shit.

Like, leave me alone for a second, please. Because I'm always working, bitch. Yes! Like, what the heck? But, like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I making me earn shit. Like, leave me alone for a second, please. Because I'm always working, bitch. Yes!

Like, what the heck? But like, it really was like last sort of like, let's see. Do you really want to do this? It really felt like that. And so when we got here, I was like, right. Right. Let's go. Let's do this.

Yeah. You fucking earned it. That's all we can say. Thank you. But God, it is, I, this is what I'm telling people. This. You fucking earned it. That's all we can say. Thank you. But God, this is what I'm telling people. This is my little press quote. My favorite last 10 minutes of a film in cinema history.

It's epic. Thank you. And I will say, and people know the story, like I think, I watched it again last night, I was like, oh my God, Cynthia is so dialed in every single frame of the levels of betrayal that are setting in in that moment when you find out what you were brought to do. I was like, every moment of this, when you walk to the Grim Marine,

when you take it with you, when you run away, I'm like, it's all perfect. It's all perfect, Cynthia. And John just let me go. He just was like, here's where you're moving to. Yep. Just go. Go, we'll follow you. We'll follow you. We's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of La Donia. I'm Jackson I, King of Capriburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Montonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. Well, why can't I trade my own country? My forefathers did that themselves.

What could go wrong? No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with the black powder, you know, with explosive warheads. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets, yeah.

We need help! We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from Z-A-QQistan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with

celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel

after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is gonna come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt, learning to trust herself, and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are built to doubt the possibilities for ourselves.

For self-preservation and protection, it was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going, this increment of small, determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself.

It's okay, like grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best, and you're gonna figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, I'm Dr. Maya Shanker, a cognitive scientist who studies human behavior.

On my podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, I marry science and storytelling to better understand how to navigate the big changes in our lives. It was like a slow nightmare, you know, because every day you think, oh, surely tomorrow I'll be better. And I would dream of being better. At night, I would dream that my face was, quote unquote, normal or back to the way it was, and I'd wake up and there'd be no change. I also speak with scientists about how we can be more resilient in the face of change. You can think of the adolescent brain as like the social R&D engine of our

culture. That they're something that looks like risky and idiotic to us is maybe their way of creatively trying to solve the problem of having social success and fewer of the things that bring you social failure. Listen to a slight change of plans on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. ["Messy"] Hi, I'm Marie. And I'm Sydney. And we're...

Mess. Well, not a mess, but on our podcast called Mess, we celebrate all things messy. But the gag is, not everything is a mess. Sometimes it's just living. Yeah, things like JLo on her third divorce. Living. Girl's trip to Miami.

Mess. Ozempic. Messy, skinny living. Restaurant stealing a birthday cake. Mess. Wait, what flavor was the cake, though? OK, that's a good question. Hooking up with someone in accounting

and then getting a promotion. Living. Breaking up with your girlfriend while on Instagram Live. Living. Living. Mm, it's kind of mess. Yeah. Well, you get it.

Got it. Live, love, mess. Listen to Mess with Sydney Washington and Marie Faustin on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What did it feel? Can you ask what it felt like when it was a picture app? Ooh.

I crumbled because it was the last one on the set. It was the last one out. And I can't even describe the feeling. because it was, you know, when... The only time I felt similar was the last show for the Color Purple, where you're carrying something for a really long time and like, happy to carry it. Like, it's the best possible way you could, you can hold. And you're like, this is, I I'm carrying it's part of me. And then that you hear it's closed or that rap and it's like someone takes the weight from you

and puts it down. It was like putting a piece of myself down for a bit and it was so quiet that last shot because we'd finished shooting Defying Gravity and they had like just one little incidental to shoot left. And it was just like me lifting flowers in a hole or something. And I just was like, it was so quiet. And it felt right for it to be quiet. Yeah. Do you think in those moments, because it's Elphaba and because it's Sealy, the reason

why it means so much is because you're genuinely saying goodbye to that character. I would imagine that Sealy is not something you'll revisit. No. And literally not like, probably not alphabet unless it's for like a universal studios variety. Not to bring that up but it's like, and that will be, that will be a thing. It's like saying bye to really close friends. Yeah. Yeah. So I would imagine like these things that they have impact, but really it's like, because

it's personal, that's what it is. Yeah. It's like, it's like taking care of a person for a really long time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's great. I cried for like hours after that.

I couldn't like get rid of the feeling and the day after was so weird. I just didn't even know what to do with myself. Yeah, how could you not? And it has probably nothing to do with oh This moment maybe I could have done this that it's genuinely. Oh, it's like a human relationship. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, like taking the green off for the first time was wow Yeah No, i'm not doing this again. Yeah. And you probably get used to that in some regard with theater, you know, because that's

the thing about being in this business that I think is one of the things that takes at least me by surprise, and I would imagine everyone is, oh, I come in here and I make really great relationships and then they do end. You know, you maintain those people in your life. Like, you'll always be friends with so-and-so and you'll always have that memory. But you don't go to work again like everyone else does. No, no, no, no. And so it's not just those people, it's that person you play when you put so much into it.

Yeah. I guess for Elphaba particularly, because she's such a transformation, because I do spend like three hours getting her together in the morning. Right. You know, she doesn't like, you have to care to put her together. Yes. And then she appears, you know. I really was like, oh, I'm letting someone go. Like, I'm never going to see this person again.

Yeah. It's not like, you know, Ceeley is wonderful, but she had my face. You know, I don't have to really put her on. You put her on, but it's like a wig and an outfit. Elphaba was a complete transformation. I disappeared when Elphaba came into the room. Yeah. It was a beautiful construction. Yeah. Oh, like a crafts, like a work of crafts person. Everyone, the amount of work that went to putting her together,

the people that, you know, the relationships you make with those people who are with you for two and a half hours before anyone else sees you in the morning at the crack of dawn. Yeah. And then at the end of the night, they helped sweetly take her off again, and you put her to bed. But this last time, that was the last time. Yeah. Because she existed for a while.

And now she does exist, but like in that way, but yeah. I understand what you're saying. Fascinating. We have to ask you the central question of our podcast. So do you want to pose the question? Yes, Cynthia Reva, what is the culture that made you say a culture is for me? The formative kind of cultural thing that made you who you are.

Cultural thing that made me who I am. I guess music. The culture of music. Cause there is a culture of it. I think that's the thing that I actually think is the first language I learned. I think it's the first thing I understood. My mom says that I was singing when I was two. Wow. And I was putting words together, but like, you're still figuring out sentence structure

when you're two. But I knew tune. Communicating and music made more sense. You knew tune. Oh, interesting. Yeah. Wow. That I think made me very much who I am.

And then would you say there was like a moment of understanding on a tune that you were singing Yeah. Oh, interesting. Yeah. Wow. That I think made me very much who I am. And then would you say there was like a moment of understanding on a technique or a technical level what it was? I think when I was about 11, I really understood it. I knew I could make the sound when I was about five and between five and the age of like 10, I was sort of playing around with singing a little bit, singing with friends. But when I was 11, I realized, oh, there's something I can do with this. There's a way I can use my voice and change the way things sound and mess around with things. That's when I started to have a real technical understanding of what it was.

Yes. So I think that's something that becomes really obvious, like, as you get older as an artist is that there's singing and there's performance and then there's being a recording artist and those two things are so different. Right. But what you just said about like creating sound and using your voice in different ways is something that there is so much opportunity in with recorded music. So I know that you are working on a new project. Correct.

And that you worked with Ariana to do that. Yeah. So basically what happened was I've recorded an album before and the experience was not necessarily the experience that I wanted for myself and it just was checkered with a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't right for me and she and I had like a really sweet heart to heart. I sat down and I talked to her about my experiences and what was going on. She was like, well, it's cause I had really interesting relationships with managers that just didn't really

understand and it got a little toxic from time to time. And she was like, well, that's cause you don't need a manager Cynthia, it's cause you already know what you want. What you need is a good label. What you need is a good team. Producer, engineer, people in the room with you. Those unique people who understand your idea and can help you execute the idea.

And so we started talking and it just so happens that we're under the same label, but it's a different conglomerate. Different imprint. So she introduced me to her imprint and I started having conversations and now I'm under a joint venture. So it meant that I had the care from the people that I wanted the care from before and then new care from a team that was ready and raring to go. And that really understood the story I wanted to tell. And so I've been, I've finished writing

now. The songs are written. They're like five seconds away from being fully ready. And whilst I was writing, sending it to her, having her listen to it, sending it back and forth, getting her opinion on it, she's heard the whole thing. Incredible resource in terms of reported music. I think it's been amazing, yeah. It's been like to be able to get her ear on things, cause I trust her ear implicitly, has been really, really monumental.

And now I'm kind of ready. So we're putting it finishing touches and getting it all done and hopefully next year you'll have it. Wow. What's, what is it giving? I'm trying to figure out a cool way to ask that. People always ask like, what's the genre? I think there are several genres just because of who I am and my like upbringing in music. My inspirations can come from anywhere from Enya to Aretha Franklin. So there's a lot of different mixes in between. So there's things that ended up being country, but I didn't mean them to sound like country and they're pieces that are very R&B because that's what I'm raised on and they're pieces that feel sort of like a little left field.

It's a very eclectic album but the through line is vocal padding. So I've used my voice as an instrument. So you'll hear each song has its own vocal pattern, vocal rhythm, very specific to the song. But that's just what happened. And so each song starts with the voice first and then we had instruments afterwards. A lot of what we compose and what we made started with the voice. And it's because my A&R, who is now the president of Republic, Wendy, who is amazing, she said,

do you know about Enya? And I knew exactly what she meant immediately. And there is a song on Enya's album that is the basis for Ready or Not, Fuji's Ready or Not. And the moment she... That, exactly. And I was like, oh, I think, I understand. Yeah. That the idea that you can put two different things together, make them collide, and they make this one special thing. I just loved that idea. Cause both those pieces, both the Enya piece and the Fuji piece are vocal forward. Yes. Yes.

So I was like, that I can do. That I understand. She's like, your voice is an instrument. So just use it that way. Cause if you don't mind me saying, like you can do like the Enya padding on, let's say Ready or Not, and then also give the Lauryn Hill.

Exactly. Yeah. That's really exciting for you to find that. It's also really interesting because Ariana has her thing with Image and Heat. Right. And so that's like almost like another way that you guys can speak to each other. Yeah. Wow. Yeah.

I love the Vanity Fair piece that Chris Murphy, our friend, wrote. Yes. He's the best, right? The best. Sweetheart. Wonderful. And I loved how he wrote that. It was just... I was so touched and moved that that's what he... He really got us.

Yeah, he got you guys. I read it. I just felt you guys through the piece. And I mean, it ends on you in this really beautiful way. And I texted you right after. I was like, this is so... I'm crying. This is so perfect. I love you. Very proud of that.

So the album will be next. Album's next. Yeah. And then is there, it's crazy to even think like after you do something like Elphaba, obviously there's going to be years and decades more. But what do you want to do next? Like what's the next, what are you running to next? I know exactly what I want to do next, but I don't know if I can say it because I don't

want to like jinx myself and get myself if I can say because I don't want to Like jinx myself and get myself into trouble. You can tell us after I'll tell you But I know what I want to do next but on top of which I my production company is working on a series right now And that seems to be going quite well Oh good looks like it might be green lit very soon where like in the final processes of doing that So that would be it would be my project and that might come to TV soon. But I want to just, I want to, I loved how big and explorative this particular piece was. I want to do that more. I want to just be adventurous with it. Yeah. And there's a play called Prima Fasci. It happened and

we're turning it into a movie. And you're doing the film? Oh, I saw it with Jodie. I mean, it's a great piece of work. And we've been through the mill with it because we were supposed to have it. We were supposed to have shot it last year with The Strike and then we lost some of the funding, but I think we're okay. I think we're coming back together and I think we're getting a funding now. It's in pre-production. Oh, no, no, the funding's still coming in. Funding's still coming back together and I think we're getting a funding now. It's in pre-production.

Oh no, no, the funding's still coming in. Funding's still coming in, but I think we've found it now. So I think we can start pre-production. That is really exciting. That is a tour de force. That is a tall order. That is you running to, running to the fire again. Yes, running into it again.

Running into the fire again, yes. But I think the more these characters turn up that desire something that need their voices to be heard, that like feel powerful and not in the stereotypical sense of the world, but like have a power in them. I'm there. That's what I want to do. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. One final thing. Yes. I was reading Middlemarch on set. Oh, yeah.

And I remember you got a copy. Did you have a copy? I haven't read it yet. I haven't finished it either. I was going to ask you if you finished it. I was reading Middlemarch on set. Oh, yes. And I remember you got a copy. I do have a copy. I haven't read it yet. I haven't finished it either. I was going to ask you if you finished it. I haven't read it yet. It's a big one. Yeah.

George Eliot. Huge book. But it's supposed to be amazing. Okay. Well, I'm going to get into it. Okay. Yeah. When do you have the time?

Well, actually, what I want to do is take like a couple series on tour with me and see how we can like move through. So Middlemarch, I might take with me as well. Could be good. I still have to finish a little life. I have to... Oh, that's a hard one. Oh my God. I know it's hard, I know it's hard,

and I've put it off for a really long time, but I know it's gonna be good. And I have to just suck it up and pick it up and just read. I have to... You have to be in the right environment. I remember I tried to read it on a plane and I started to have an anxiety attack.

Oh no. I was like, this is not, I can't do this on a plane. No, no. It was, cause it's kind of rough and tumble like from the jump. Ooh. And then it gets way worse, but like, yeah, Hania, she doesn't mess around. No, she doesn't.

No, no way. She does not mess around. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Are you ready for the tour? Yes. Good. Very much so. Excited? I think it's going to be absolutely manic

and crazy and wild, but I'm okay with that. But so fun. Yeah. Are the looks picked out? The looks are picked out. Okay. That must be such a fun... At least the carpets for the premieres are definitely picked out and we're like fine

tuning things, but we're picking all the like the things in between. We're trying to make sure that we're considered for everything. Yeah. And so like the green of it all. Did you have a good relationship with that color before this? It's actually my favorite color. Perfect. Which is the strangest craziest thing that is my favorite color. And now people think I'm just wearing it for this and I'm not. I had a lot of green in my closet already. Yes, yes, yes. This is just an opportunity to get more. Thank you for using this on us. This is nuts. This is beautiful. I'm really proud of this. I found this in a Paris vintage shop.

And it is an original Gianni Versace. Yeah, that is just amazing. Which is hard to find. Yeah. And really special. Last night at CFDA, you did black though, right? I did. That was the hood. It was beautiful. You were giving everything.

Thank you. It must have been kind of nice to like step out of it for a second and just have your isolated CFDA fashion moment. It was nice. Yes, yes, yes. It was. I had my little touch of green on my neck and that was enough. Just the touch.

Just the touch. Yeah, yeah. Just the touch. I loved that dress. I loved it. It made me feel so good. Who made that dress? Zac Posen.

Well, it's like Gap by Zac Posen. He'll say Gap Studios. Yeah. But he has now, he is in a tellier with Gap now. Yeah, that's right. And he's doing, that's what he did. You have a great relationship with Zac Posen, right? I do, I do. When I came to New York, I, like, nobody knew who I was. And I have a stylist, but this thing, Color Purple, was really taking off.

It was happening. I was like, well, I have all these events to go to and I have nothing with me. I have my clothes, but they're not, it's not right for these very special events. So I went to his studio and he, I fit for like a dress, but he sent me away with like nine. And separates and things I could throw on if I needed. You know, he just really took care of me and has done ever since. Yeah, he's just a sweetheart. It's like an incredibly fun part of it for an artist too, like, because it's more storytelling,

which I don't think people realize on the outside is it's like, this is another opportunity. Yes. Well, I'm just saying like you and Ari are such perfect people for the scale of this kind of thing because to me it kind of all began with the Met Gala, or the Oscars and then the Met Gala, but just like all the footage out of the Met Gala, even though it's like you're not really supposed to film any of this. Like all of it that came out, I was just like, holy shit, this is going to be major. It works.

It works. We work together. Yeah, yeah. But you're both such good fashion muses. Yeah, we love, I mean, it's terrible. The two of us are like, so did you see this? I'll send her something. I saw this.

What do you think of that? For her. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she sent me something. Hey I saw this. And I think it's very you, Cynthia. She sent it to me. It's the worst influences for each other because we sort of like get what we need and what we want and she'll send it to me and she knows I'm going to be like, good, bye. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's fun to indulge each other though.

Yeah, it's lovely. It's lovely that someone gets you that way. It's nice to share in that way. Yeah. Another way we can share creatively. Did you like working with my bestie? I did. I have to say this and I say it, I never say it when you're there because I'm like always talking and passing, but Bowen has to be one of the most astute and intelligent performers I've ever had the privilege of being on a set with.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, I mean it. No, I mean it. And you have to understand, I'm a Capricorn. I don't like anybody. I don't say anything to anyone unless I mean it. And I really do. Like, your ability to pick up on the surroundings and riff on what you see is second to none. You're so fucking fast. It's amazing.

It is amazing to watch you work. Just like picking on the surroundings, on a detail on someone's clothing. Some of my favorite moments in the film are things you just say off the cuff. Oh my god, Cynthia. I don't see color. No! Cynthia! I've been deceased. Enroll here often might be... Enroll here often? Enroll here often. Oh my God, Cynthia. I didn't see color. No! No! Cynthia! Deceased! Enroll hair often might be.

Enroll hair often? Enroll hair often. Oh, anything, anything. I mean, Cynthia, thank you so much. I just, the details, it's the details. She needs a pastry. Just, dude, can I just tell you, like, I was, cause John, God bless him, like gave me a lot of latitude,

let's say, and I was gladly gonna do it, but then at the back of my mind, I was, cause John, God bless him, gave me a lot of latitude, let's say. And I was gladly gonna do it. But then at the back of my mind, I was always like, this is a bajillion dollar two movies, and he's gonna let me ad lib and like step on Winnie Holtzman's perfect words. I was like, no way is this gonna make it into the movie. This isn't gonna work.

And then I will say, I'm so quick to judge myself and be like, oh, no, that didn't work on a comedy level, whatever. I'm like, John M. Chu, the director you are, like it all kind of fits. It truly. Somehow he made my nonsense like work in the world of this movie. Because it wasn't nonsense. Because it was observation. That is the difference. You know what I'm saying? Like really detailed observations. Every time something comes out of your mouth, it is an observation, which I love.

It's perfect. Like, yes, she needs a pastry is funny on that. But you're like in the situation, it's like, please. Which she needs a pastry. She needs a pastry. She's, you know, it's so brilliant. You're just spectacular. I had the best time. And you're so kind as well. So like, thank you, it's so brilliant. You're just spectacular. I had the best time.

And you're so kind as well. So like, thank you. Makes me so happy. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired, depressed, a little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country. I planted the flag.

I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of La Donia. I'm Jackson I, King of Capriberg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Montonia.

Be part of a great colonial tradition. Why can't I create my own country? My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong? No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with the black powder, you know, with explosive warheads. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets.

Bullets, yeah. We need help! We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more.

After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High.

It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy and very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt, learning to trust herself, and leaning into her dreams.

I think a lot of times we are built to doubt the possibilities for ourselves. For self-preservation and protection, it was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going. This increment of small, determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's OK. Like grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing.

Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, I'm Dr. Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist who studies human behavior. On my podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, I marry science and storytelling to better understand how to navigate the big changes in our lives. It was like a slow nightmare, you know, because every day you think, oh, surely tomorrow I'll be better. And I would dream of being better. At night, I would dream that my face was,

quote unquote, normal or back to the way it was, and I'd wake up and there'd be no change. I also speak with scientists about how we can be more resilient in the face of change. You can think of the adolescent brain as like the social R&D engine of our culture. That they're something that looks like risky and idiotic to us is maybe their way of creatively trying to solve the problem of having social success and fewer of the things that bring you social failure. Listen to a slight change of plans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, I'm Marie.

And I'm Sydney. And we're MESS. Well, not a mess, but on our podcast called MESS, we celebrate all things messy. But the gag is not everything is're mess. Well, not a mess, but on our podcast called Mess, we celebrate all things messy. But the gag is not everything is a mess. Sometimes it's just living. Yeah, things like JLo on her third divorce. Living, girls trip to Miami. Mess.

Ozempic. Messy skinny living. Restaurants stealing a birthday cake. Mess. Wait, what flavor was the cake though? Okay, that's a good question. Hooking up with someone in accounting and then getting a promotion.

Living. Breaking up with your girlfriend while on Instagram Live. Living. This kind of mess. Yeah, well, you get it. Got it. Live love, mess. Listen to Mess with Sydney Washington and Marie Faustin

on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We have to go. We have to go. Okay, great. Okay, so this is our 60 second segment. Okay. Where we rant and rail against something in culture.

That's just bothering us. I know, we're so ready. We're gonna do it and I understand they're pointing, but this is happening. We have to do it. We're doing it. So I have something and it's a musical observation I'm making about the people. Okay, great.

This is Matt Rogers. I don't think so many times starts now. I don't think so many people who don't listen to lyrics and music. A dear friend of ours just said, huh, what's this song about, about Sabrina Carpenter's Juno? So here's what Sabrina Carpenter's Juno is about. It's about being so into someone that you would like them to make you Juno. This is referencing the Elliot Page, Diablo Cody team up,

Juno. This is about being so sexually interested in someone you wouldn't mind if you got pregnant. Right. I'ma let you make me Juno. You know I just. I was like, she's even being tongue in cheek after. Listen to words. I don't think so, honey.

Yes. If you want to listen to beautiful orchestrations, I think so, honey. But the words, it all comes together. You're going to just listen to the tunes of when Cynthia sings Alfie? Listen to the words, know the story. Especially to bring it up into Juno.

I'm like, this is a lyrical masterpiece. I was like, let's give it its due. Five seconds. You can't just listen to music. Listen to words, understand, feel, then, emote. You can too. Listen to words, write words, explore words, be words. And that's one minute. Fantastic.

Yes. I couldn't, like, I could never say who. But a friend of ours was like, what is this song about? I was like, if you just listen. Listen. But it's also maybe like a thing about not knowing references, like not. Maybe it was that, but I was like, this movie was famous. It was.

It was. Is. So this is Bowen Yang's I Don't Think So Honey. His time starts now. I Don't Think So Honey, Walker's chips not being available in the United States. It is a British staple. Walker's are not Lay's.

It's not the same! It's not Lay's. They have the same logos, but it's different textures, different thicknesses, different flavors. I need more, why is there such a weird barrier between British snacks and American snacks? It's true. They need to come together. We basically have the same palates and the same tastes. I think we would appreciate a more of a crossover.

I'm not saying like one should replace the other. I'm saying they can coexist in the same market, which is the American market, which you know, I'm biased towards because I happen to live here. So I just think Walkers, you can find them in your specialty shops, but I think we need more access to just the wider gamut of Walkers chips.

Any favorite flavors? I'm- I love a straight up ready salted. Yes, salted Walkers. It's simple, but it's good. And the salt and vinegar is not the same as the salt and vinegar here. It's just not.

It's just not. And we need, we just need- Five seconds. There is, I've rented them at Percy Pigs. They need to be more widely available as well. And Walkers chips is included And that's one minute one of the joys of my life was coming back from London and I was able to gift bow and his Percy pigs because it's his great um distress my sister got my

Well, now I know whenever I go I'll pick you up. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah, okay All right, we get something out of here. Okay, this is the same theory was I don't think so anytime starts now My I don't think so honey is onion and garlic and everything. I can't take it. I fucking hate it. I can't deal with the idea that the way you cook is only with onion and garlic. Every time I see someone do a cooking thing, they cut up onions and garlic so much and neglect to use any other flavoring in food. As a person who's actually allergic to garlic and my body just does not process it at all, I've had to find out ways to cook food using other herbs

and spices and it works. You can get just as much taste out of an old bay and a bay leaf and an asafoetida, which is actually tastes a little bit like garlic, but doesn't give you the same horrible feeling that garlic does. I've never heard of that. If you just use your imagination and cook.

I think people have stopped using their imagination about how they cook and they use the basic, basic herbs and they always go for onion and garlic and I cannot take it because the worst thing is when someone comes in and they're just reeking of garlic when you can avoid that and still have flavorful food if you decide to use your imagination and that is my minute. Oh, also like thank god you're allergic to something that sucks. Like, it sucks. Girl, it sucks. Oh my God!

You smell awful, you feel awful. We need different aromatics, different flavor bases. Let's come on! Come on, we need it. I don't understand, and everyone's, I feel a lot of people are like, well, how do you eat? What do you mean? What do you mean?

Lots of ways. Just fine. I eat just fine. Beautifully, stunningly, talented. Fantasticly, and you know what? When I walk into a room, you mean? Lots of ways. Just fine. Just fine. Stunningly talented. And you know what? When I walk into a room, you can't smell me first. You can't clock me. You can't clock my scent. What do you think of ginger?

Love ginger. He did not think so much on ginger. Pickled ginger is better. Thank you. Try pickled ginger. It's a different flavor, Velle. I love it. Becomes sweeter.

Becomes sweeter. And it's just nice little bit of acidity. This has been so, it's so amazing to get to know you and to have you here. And you are Elphaba. And thank God that you are. Thank you very much. So brilliant. We usually end every episode with a song, but I just want to, if you have two lines

of anything on your spirit right now that you could sing, what is it to end this episode? Or it could be one. spirit right now that you could sing. What is it to end this episode? Or it could be one. This is not to do with anything, but I've been listening to this lately and it's one of my favorite songs, Why by Annie Lennox. Oh. I may be mad, I may be blind, I may be viciously unkind, but I can still read what you're thinking. I've heard it said too many times, you'd be better off besides. Why can't you see that this boat is sinking? This boat is sinking. This boat is sinking.

Oh my god, it is the most beautiful song. You're brilliant. Thank you. Thank you for indulging that. Lost Cult Races is a production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Hey everybody, it's me, Matt Rogers, letting you know tickets are on sale now to see me on tour. The Prince of Christmas tour, that is. I'm doing my whole album, Have You Heard of Christmas, plus a lot more, with the whole band all throughout December. Go to www.mattroggersofficial.com to see me in a city near you. Had enough of this You're you. You're you. You're you. You're you.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not.

No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my god. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs,

and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude and the power of love.

I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're gonna figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro, host of the hit podcast, Family Secrets. How would you feel if when you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro, host of the hit podcast, Family Secrets. How would you feel if when you met your biological father for the first time, he didn't even say hello? And what if your past itself was a secret and the time had suddenly come to share that past with your child?

These are just a few of the powerful and profound questions we'll be asking on our 11th season of Family Secrets. Listen to season 11 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey y'all, Nimini here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records.

Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip hop. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.