The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi - #162 Gay Sleepaway Camp with Marla Mindelle

Episode Date: October 10, 2023

Marla Mindelle, Broadway actress and co-creator of Off-Broadway’s Titanique, joins us to share the downsides of getting stage fright during a big solo, working in the same theater for four years, being forced to come out during high school and subsequently going back into the closet, why it’s difficult to find unique voices, and why you guys gotta stop saying “you guys’s.” You can watch full video of this episode HERE! Join the Patreon for ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and MORE. Follow Marla Mindelle on Instagram & TikTok For all things Marla, visit: https://www.marlamindelle.com/ See Titanique at the Daryl Roth Theater in NYC! https://titaniquemusical.com/ Follow The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi on Instagram Get tickets to our live podcast recording in NYC with Ari Hershkowitz on November 13 here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/700527254877 Follow Gianmarco Soresi on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, & YouTube Subscribe to Gianmarco Soresi's email & texting lists Check out Gianmarco Soresi's bi-monthly show in NYC Get tickets to see Gianmarco Soresi in a city near you Watch Gianmarco Soresi's special "Shelf Life" on Amazon Follow Russell Daniels on Twitter & Instagram E-mail the show at [e-mail] Produced by Paige Asachika & Gianmarco Soresi Video edited by Dave Columbo Special Thanks Tovah Silbermann Original music by Douglas Goodhart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Welcome to the downside. My name is DeMarcus Araizi. I haven't seen my co-host in a while. And we haven't even talked. We haven't even had a good check-in. No, we haven't. So it's one of those where we're figuring out...

Things were not good for you the last time I tried to get a hold of you. And I was trying to call you multiple times, which is rare, so I knew things were really bad. Russell was checking in on me. Yeah. I'm just glad you used my apartment for a business meeting and I was so scared I was so scared because I knew when you came here you had to go downstairs unassisted

and I was like last time Russell went downstairs he almost ruined his Broadway debut what happened? what happened was we were in tech and I my position in tech we had like a station set up in the mezzanine and the wardrobe came and they're like can you try on this costume

for this small cameo part that i do sometimes tried it on and it's a night just a suit you know with new shoes and i came back to my station in the mezzanine. And I fell down the entire mezzanine. Stairs. I fell down like four. No, not the entire mezzanine. I fell down four or five stairs. I don't know how it happened.

I literally just was walking downstairs, fell, and it happened for so long. And you know when you think that this feels like it's happening for a long time and it's about to end and it keeps falling. I confirmed with the other standby who saw it happen. He was like, yeah, it was happening for a long time. It was like a Chevy Chase Brad fall. He kept thinking it was done and I'd be like, whoa. And I kept being like, okay, good, I didn't hurt myself.

I kept thinking I was done, and I didn't break anything. You were like Will Ferrell in Austin Powers where he goes like, I'm okay, I'm safe, and then more and more things happen. By the way, you're allowed to exaggerate it. You can say three flights. If Hasan Minhaj can get away with it, you get to say whatever you want. So I stood up, and I was like, I feel great, actually. I was like, nothing hurts. My thumb hurt So I stood up and I was like, feel great, actually. I was like, nothing hurts. My thumb hurt a little bit. But I was like, I feel amazing.

Were you saying it out loud to prove to everyone that you're like, I'm good? It's adrenaline. The other standby was like, yeah, he's like, you okay? And I was like, I feel fine. I feel great. Actually, great. I feel better. I feel better.

So I, I, then two hours later, I could not bend my knee. My knee. It was like, it was like so swollen and tight. So it,

luckily it happened at the, a nighttime thing. And then I had two full days off right after. Did you tell anyone, did you say to any, or did you, did you silence? Do you say to them,

don't say a word? No. Well, okay. Everyone heard it. The only one who saw it was Brad, the sound, or the lighting guy, and Sam, the other standby. They saw, they checked in, and then I did tell stage management,

because I was like, it was bad enough. Well, I thought I was scot-free, and then I couldn't bend my leg when I was leaving, so I told them, it was bad enough. Well, I thought I was scot-free, and then I couldn't bend my leg when I was leaving. So I told them and did a report. But I had two full days. I rested, I elevated, I iced. And then I got this brace, and it feels a lot better. It definitely is not out of the,

it's definitely like tender. It's definitely like. Well, yeah, sure. I mean, that's expected. It was like, it's been only a week, though. So it's like relatively new, you know? Did you... And you know what's crazy?

In our show, there were so many stares. So many. And you never, ever fell down. And other people did. Everyone did, except for you. Yeah, never fell down. I almost did one time. But I never like that, though.

Well, let me introduce our guest. Oh, yeah. As everyone knows. We're already talking. Musical theater star, performer, writer, Marla Mandel. Thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. I feel like Joe Rogan, he has episodes of his podcast where he talks about MMA.

And if you like Joe Rogan and you don't like MMA, it's tough. This podcast, we don't talk about MMA. Do you listen to Joe Rogan? No, but I'm saying I know the sphere. I know the world. Okay. I'm saying this podcast instead of MMA, there's some episodes where it's like,

if you don't like musical theater, it's going to be a tough slog. Yeah. This is not going to be, there's going to be a lot of musical theater talk today. I was actually, can I say, I was so nervous and I spoke to Russell. I was like, hey, I'm really nervous because he seems really straight.

And Russell was like, don't worry. He's actually a secret theater nerd. And I was like, oh my god, I have an ally. Thank God. So now I feel completely at ease. She was worried that this podcast was going to be too straight. You've been in theater way too long if I'm

really straight. To me i know i know i know everyone in my life is is some form of gay or so or so straight that they're almost i don't know but anyway i'm so relieved that's why you felt when i i would go to musical theater camps growing up in high school and like i would be obviously i would be on the straight end of the spectrum in that world and i go to high school and I might as well be gay. I experienced both worlds. And didn't fit into either. This is The

Downside. One, two, three. Downside. You're listening to The Downside. With Gianmarco Ceresi. This is The Downside. This is a. With Gianmarco Cerezi. This is The Downside. This is a place where people can feel free to complain,

kvetch, bitch, moan, be negative. We celebrate negativity here. If you're a fan, join the Patreon, patreon.com slash downside. Bonus episodes, live episodes, my comedy special, The Rats Are In Me. Speaking of musical theater, I have theater kids that come out to the shows,

and someone was there last night in Bloomington and said they were in Margaritaville, the musical. Oh, my God. On Broadway? No, no, like Bloomington. Original production of Margaritaville? Oh, yeah. Okay, that's success. And I said, oh, is that Sondheim?

And it was so funny. There were two people that got it in the whole room. But I was like, God. I dream of the day where I can have like a real... When I opened for Bianca, that was like one of these moments where

I was like, oh, I could make a Sondheim joke and everyone in the venue would know it. But this, they did not. They did not. We do. We're here as your fans and supporters today. Thank you. And we would know it. But this, they did not. They did not. We do. We're here as your fans and supporters today. Thank you. And we really get it. You're in a safe space.

I'm very happy to have you on the show. I'm happy you made your Broadway debut. Yes. I mean, in your mind, are you like, preview doesn't count? Or do you feel like I... No, I was on a Broadway... It counts. I did a small part on a Broadway... It counts.

I did a small part in a Broadway show. You could go on cruises now and they would bill you as Broadway's Russell Daniels. Yes. Everyone in my life will label me that way. I know that Broadway credit opens up some cruise opportunities. Right? Absolutely. Not for me.

I still have yet to be on a cruise in general in my life. Did you want... have you wanted to? Absolutely never. I know. That's what I'm saying. Because I. You could do it in a second, Marla. I would rather eat rats inside of me.

Plug for you. Thank you. No, I have, as you know, maybe you didn't know this about me, but I have hardcore vomit phobia. Oh, no, I know. And so like cruises for me, I will just stay, I will stay in ocean away. It's not like everyone's vomiting no i know but there's like a fear that it could happen you know what i mean like there's like it's like

a triangle of sadness kind of moment you know what i mean that is my greatest movie absolutely not no i won't watch anything i can't i can't do it i can't do it what happens what happens is that it's like ocd i replay it over and over in my mind, and I just can't stop thinking about it. It's really, really bad. It's because when I was four years old, my sister was like the devil incarnate, and she would run around the house, and she would chase me,

and she would scream, hot dog vomit, hot dog vomit, because I watched a hot dog eating competition, and I thought it was so disgusting, and I think that's the moment. I know, you're clutching your literal pearls. I'm about to get a phobia soon too there's something

it just did something to me and now I'm I'm forever tainted but it wasn't even seeing throw up it was just your sister saying he was eating so many and I feel like he lurched

I was young and so I feel there's nothing worse than a food competition I don't watch those either anyway so if you if you were with

with a woman and she was throwing up and a friend I've told my partner no I said I will if you lose your limb woman and she was throwing up and a friend a lover would you no I said if you lose your limb I will be there

I will stand by I will watch you bleed out if you vomit I will throw you out onto the street and somebody else has to take care of you I don't care

go to the hospital can you is it just seeing it or hearing it too both both things yeah both things

I will run out of the room yeah I have a bad gag reflex in terms of like, of like, of like, if I see like, okay,

so like sinks are hard for me. Sinks, like when you're doing dishes and like the bottom sinks in general, you know, you know, there's stuff in the bottom there, that thing like egg, like,

yeah, junk. So I can do it. It, it, like, yeah. Junk. So I can do it. A gag comes easily, but it doesn't produce vomit. But I can gag quite easily. And if it starts happening, it's hard to stop it.

Yeah. What about, what was the last time you threw up? When I was 29 years old from bad sushi backstage at Cinderella. I know.

That's the last time. That was now 10 years ago. I'm aging myself. 10 years ago, I'm like, something's bad sushi backstage at Cinderella. I know. That's the last time. That was now 10 years ago. I'm aging myself. 10 years ago, I'm like, something's up. Something's up. We're teching Cinderella. Anne Harada, I'm like, I really don't feel well. And Anne Harada starts talking about the time that she got food poisoning, and I ran backstage.

And then I projectile vomited into a bucket. And to this day, I have no idea what happened to that bucket. I don't know if somebody threw it out. I don't know if somebody saw it. I don't know if it's still fucking there. But that's the last time. And it was just one? No, it was multiple times.

Oh, okay. Then I was like, hey, guys, I just threw up a lot. And they're like, but you seem fine. And I was like, I know, because I've never gone through something like this. This is the scariest moment of my life. And they're like, all right, why don't you go home? And then I went home and then just projectile bomb. Yeah, but only through food poisoning.

I've never had alcohol enough to throw up in my life. I have fainted in front of my friends before vomiting. That's how terrible. My body will shut down.

Yeah. Wow. It's really bad. No, I believe you. The last time I vomited is when I had COVID yesterday.

Oh, great. Oh, awesome. Awesome. Oh my God. When I had COVID yesterday. Oh, great. Awesome. When I had COVID... Please do that with every joke I do on the comedy podcast, Russell. Thank you. There's something, though, about

throwing up that it's awful when it comes. It's awful during. After, you're crying a little bit. It feels so much better. The thing that was evil inside you is gone. Yeah, that's true. That's true. I almost threw up on stage once in high school.

Almost. Because I was doing Guys and Dolls, and I played Nicene Johnson. And yeah, that's a good part for me. And I guess they didn't, for some reason I was bringing my own sandwich prop to the shows. Okay, go off.

Because I guess it was not in the budget of my high school. Non-equity. So I, Were you bringing a period piece sandwich or like a Subway chicken teriyaki? No, I remember thinking, because I remember putting the prop together

and thinking, you really should just be bread so you don't have to like, you know, like you don't want to get caught like with lots of things on stage and it'll be harder to say really so just bread right so bread but what happened during the during the day somehow it was in my backpack it had my adidas cologne had had spilled had spilled onto the sandwich and soaked it in a way that I didn't know.

And so I go take out the sandwich and I take a big bite because it's like involved with some dumb bit, I'm sure. I take a huge bite of this Adidas sandwich and I'm standing on our stage being like, I remember thinking, maybe I'm going to die. Maybe I'm going to die. But I was trying not to throw up on stage I remember I had like the things we were like oh and then I got off stage I was panicking I was like can I talk can I sing um I was like that is so scary just tasted the like cologne oh it tasted

like I was drinking like like something underneath the sink like poison poison. Oh, my God. Food. I had a high school production of, it was on the razzle, which is Hello Dolly's based on the razzle. It's the Hello Dolly story. Wow. And it's so obscure. Tom Stoppard. And at the end, I cheers people with champagne, and it was apple cider. And there was one day, closing, where there was mold in all,

like they had just, you know, they filled the cups, they didn't refill it. They leave the cups. There was a bucket of vomit in the corner, I don't know whose vomit it was.

It was mine. And I just remember I had to go out there and somehow like inform the actors, like, There's mold. Don't drink it when we,

after the, because I go out, I'm like, on the razzle, cheers. Yeah. And, and, and they had to be like, Don't drink it when we, after the, because I go out and I'm like, on the razzle, cheers. Yeah. And, and, and I'd be like, don't drink it, don't drink it, don't drink it. Food, food and theater, it's a dangerous game. Anything in theater is a dangerous game.

Yeah. If you feel sick, if you trip, if literally anything happens, everyone like, it's like a, it's like a record scratch. Everyone's like a robot and they don't like they don't know what to do. Yeah. Like fighting illness when you're trying to perform is the worst possible thing in the universe. I never really experienced that. COVID changed. Like, I feel like there was a real admiration for if you were sick and you still did it. for if you were sick and you still did it, you're a champ.

Oh, yeah. And now we're all readjusting whether we're going to go back to that or not because of COVID. Because it was bad before, too. You shouldn't perform if you have the flu. But there was like an integrity to, wow. Oh, yeah. I am that.

Me, too. That was my college experience. If you were on your deathbed, you were still expected to perform. So that's like my mentality. I have been so sick and I will always get up and do it even though I absolutely should not.

And then what ends up happening is you do it so much and you get even sicker and then you're out of the show even longer. Yeah. Lesson learned. Can I say, well, for people who don't know,

you created, co-creator of Titanic, which Russell was in, and a lot of Debbie Downsiders saw. Yeah. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh, I'm so happy.

Yeah. And I can't imagine, because I stopped doing theater a while ago, but I cannot imagine doing theater in the era of COVID testing. It's wild. it seems fucking impossible it was impossible yeah it just seems and it was just there was something about theater where where there was still you don't have to wear a mask to watch theater anymore do you know no but the first

six months of titanic you did yeah oh i i remember i remember because i went to take a sip of my coffee and they and i kept it down they came over I was like, and it's so theater already doesn't pay enough. It already is so hard. It already is just like this incredible miracle that to add it. And also in New York, because it is liberal and liberal with health and COVID and it became just so impossible. Oh, 1,000%. I know theater companies that shuddered because there was some production that couldn't get off the ground. A big musical. And it just seems like it must have been a fucking nightmare. It was crazy.

I mean, the reason that we ended up hiring Russell, even the first time, is because a week and a half into opening Titanic, I had never gotten COVID in my entire life. We opened the show. My body's like, okay, great. See ya, peace.

And I super spread it to five of the cast members so that after the, I don't know if you know this, maybe you did know this, but you weren't even in the show at this point. But the whole show

shut down for a week and a half. Yeah, I heard that. And at that point, our producers were like, well, we're gonna have to close because we have not made, we've just lost so much money. Yeah.

And then we come back and then August rolls around and everyone gets it again. Yeah. And then we come back. And then August rolls around. And everyone gets it again. And so everyone goes down with it. So Russell is hired as an emergency. He learns the show in, I want to say, two to three days. Yeah. Comes on and is a fucking genius.

And then we go to the Daryl Roth. And this past August, everyone, I think you just left. Yeah, I just missed it. You just missed it. Or I was in it when it was happening, but it was like one of those things where I was like, oh, am I going to be able to do my last show? Right, because so many people left.

Because every day there was someone, one or two people getting in. And also you had that terrible cough that last show. I still have a cough. In your mind, just let me ask real quick, knowing that Titanic, because you did so well in it, and now you've made your Broadway debut. Do you think I changed your life?

Yes. Yes or no? In a way, do you feel thankful for the global pandemic that killed millions of people? Oh, because it brought me Titanic. It helped you personally. Yeah, I guess I am really appreciative of that.

But in my defense, by the time I joined, there was a vaccine. So I, you know. Vaccine schmack scene. Yeah. That's the official slogan of the Downsides. Vaccine schmack scene.

I had a question. Yeah. Well, when I, because when I did it too, that it was, it was the Wild West. Because it was like. It was the Wild West. It was, that was September, I think, of 2022. So it was like, I was coming in, but then there was like, and then I came in again in October, it hit everyone again or another round.

And it was like, what? It was like, just chaos. I don't, I mean, I'm sure you know this, but we had to like test, we had to do spit tests every single day and then rapid tests. But then you have an audience, but it was at the former UCB, you know, like I'm, I'm here as Celine, the audience is right here. You just so much have to breathe on me and I'm going to get it. So there's no rhyme or reason.

So that we just kept getting it and we did not have enough because we were such a small show, not thinking that we would like exceed any expectations. We didn't have enough backup at the time. So it was like, it was the wild West. I don't know how we got through that for six months. And then we started

getting you know more backup but then still i mean when people go down everyone goes down we had to cancel a show a couple weeks ago because yeah every single person got sick yeah it's crazy yeah yeah fucking nightmare i know i know that being said we were still doing great yeah the show's still doing great you have 500 performances it did did you go that night no no i didn't go i didn't go but my my my dad who is a musical theater buff i mean like i composed he he composes yeah he composes you know that i did he's a researcher guy research i care about the things that i make i'm so impressed of course my dad is a little composer and that's how i got a little yeah he's a little composer which is how I got basically shepherded into this business.

He wrote me, he was like, did you know one of the greatest musicals of all time, Follies, played 601 performances? Titanic is en route to surpass that. And I was like, I'm not going to necessarily compare Follies, the great Follies to Titanic, but thank you so much, Dad. That's so sweet of you. So you went to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

Oh, my God. He does his research. I also auditioned. CCM. You did? CCM. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Did not. It was my first audition. I auditioned for eight. Me, too. I auditioned for eight. I'm sure you got all of them. I did. My father wasn't a composer. So, look, my father was a scrap metal recyclist. I had to start from. I did. My father wasn't a composer, so look,

my father was a scrap metal recyclist. I had to start from scratch. Sounds like the mob. I wish. I, was Bubba the guy there? Bubba. Yeah, the South African guy who talked like this, meh. Yeah, I wasn't gonna do the impression, but.

Marla can. This was my first audition. I was prepared. I was a studious, if not talented, at least studious. And I showed up, let's say my audition time

on my paper, it said like 9, 10 a.m. And I showed up at, you know, at like 8.30. And Baba comes out of the audition room and says,

Gianmarco, Gianmarco, are you Gianmarco? You're supposed to be here at 8.10. And I and says, uh, uh, Gianmarco, Gianmarco, are you Gianmarco? You're supposed to be here at eight, 10. And I was like, oh, uh,

uh, my, my, my, my paper says nine, 10. He was like, just come in.

And I was like, and I was like, well, might as well go home at this point. Oh my God. And it was, it was a, it was a devastating start To that cycle

Sure, your psychosis You fly there, my stepdad What do you do? You sing a couple songs? I think I did Joey Joey Joey From the What is it called? The Most Happy Fella? Most Happy Fella

And I was doing like Big baritone songs And then some, like the monologue from The Goat of like the gay kid confronting his father about fucking a goat. And it's really a metaphor about it being accepted as being gay and it all, it all, you know, what are you going to do? It was a very compelling monologue, but it started off terribly. CCM was known, at least what they told us when i was a chair of that northwestern and the musical theater camps like ccm they said they they said oh they're a they're a factory there oh my god they prepare kids for the ensemble yes prepare the perfect ensemble members and as like a fucking high school you're like oh well then then that's the bottom of

the list god because i'm a principal. Because I'm a principal. God damn it. It is a musical theater factory. You walk in there four years later. You walk out. You go on to showcase. And then people just start booking shows left and right. And then you're like, well, it's been two years, and I haven't booked a show.

It's crazy. But it is 1,000% a musical theater factory. And it was tough when I went there, I have to say. I think it's softened. But when I was there, I don't know if Northwestern had this, but it was it was tough when i went there i have to say i think it's softened but like when i was there there was i don't know if northwestern had this but it was a cut program meaning well i just i did a summer camp of northwestern i went to university miami for college oh oh nice no terrible terror i wish i'd gone to ccm no we had to we had to re-audition we had to re-audition every six every six months for the first two years to be in the program here's my question because there were

a couple programs that would do that and when I was younger I was like, it was horrifying. But I think it's a true testament of how good you are in musical theater.

If you worked really hard, I'm not going to the door. It's okay. You want to get in? I'm just going to, okay. It could have been the other door.

Okay. Great, great. If you were a hard worker and did all your work, who is it? What? Sorry, I think you have the wrong door. Okay, sorry, we're recording a podcast right now. Can you come back later?

It's important. It's okay. Not as important as we have. Marla Mandel Have you seen Titanic? Okay I'm stressed out Do we have to evacuate?

No we don't have to evacuate If it was an evacuation Does he knock on the door a lot? No never John Markle It seems like it could be real It's fine I'm so stressed

Do you want me to ask Ask what's happening? No Okay I'm just here I'm sorry This. Do you want me to ask what's happening? No. I'm just here. I'm sorry. This is my first experience. The whole building explodes.

There's a gas leak. There's not a gas leak. Fire. What was I even saying? CCM auditioning. If you actually did the work, would they cut you because you were not talented enough? Yes.

Isn't that crazy? You could do the work. That's their fault for letting you in though. That's the problem. Is there a percentage? Or no, it's just like based on their gut instinct of like who's going to make it. Yeah, it was gut instinct. And it was crazy. And at the time we were all just like, oh, well, yeah, you could just pay, you know, $30,000.

Or your parents pay $30,000 or however much the tuition was. And you can still not be guaranteed to get a musical theater education. So, like, it made, in a way, in a really, really sick way, it made you so prepared for what the business actually was of just being, like, constantly rejected. actually was of just being like constantly rejected it like it gave you a super super thick skin and made you unbelievably resilient which i attribute to like honestly staying in this business for 20 years and not shooting myself in the face from all the rejection that i faced did anyone ever get cut that was your good friend yes one of my best friends got cut his his freshman year and it's hard you like build because it's like, it's a factory, but it's also just like high stakes,

low stakes. Like who's going to get cast? You know what I mean? And it's like, and it's a drama school. So it's filled with drama. So you are literally in like musical theater, war trenches.

We called it gay sleepaway camp for a reason. It's like, you were just like with all your gay best friends in like gay prison, gay musical theater prison. And like, you just have to forge alliances in order to survive. You,

as you speak of it, it seems that, that there's a fondness. I mean, you, you, you loved it. You're speaking of a well.

And my question is like, are you speaking of a well because you made it through? I made it through. Listen, it was very, very hard. My, and to be completely frank.

And I think my, my teachers would probably say the same thing. I would, people were hard on me. People were very, very hard. And to be completely frank, and I think my teachers would probably say the same thing. People were hard on me. People were very, very hard on me. So again, it just like built that wall up and it made me say to myself, you know what, I'm gonna go out there and every single teacher who I've ever worked with

can tell me that I'm not good enough or I'm not gonna make it or I'm gonna have to wait 20 years. I'm going to make it and I will prove to every single last one of you. And that's the mentality I had going into auditioning in New York. And I truly think, in a sick way, it really, really helped me. I have such mixed feelings about going to college for theater at this point.

Me too. Also a four-year program. Oh, insane. I think I have a twofold. There's one part where I go like, you know what? The cutting thing is good because I can think of people who I went to college with in musical theater where I'm like, you're not going to do this professionally. You'll never do this professionally. You don't want it.

You don't have it. I don't know how you got in. You know, the whole system of auditioning, it's crazy. It's such a brief moment in time. It's so crazy. And we had like one teacher who let in, every person they let in happened to have big tits. And a lot of them, it was like, that's not enough a lot of people in new york have big tits yeah but but so there's a part of me that goes like good and then there's another part of me that remembers my experience with bubba or with a million other teachers some smart some not some bias that i go

who the fuck 1000 you so so i feel so mixed and the reason I like a two year program is I'm like you at least get the training if you're stuck with someone bad it's not four years but also like what did I do in four years like I took tap like Monday Wednesday Thursday we did like song song logs where we created monologues that went into song I know no English no math no science no actual subjects whatsoever it reminds me when i went to half jewish school growing up and i learned the torah for three hours and then i had to do like math like the last 45 minutes so i could like speak torah in hebrew but like not subtract it's the same way the same way learning

hebrew and learning ipa are the same thing i, they're the exact same thing. I use neither. I don't feel like I use anything, though. Even like when I went to like a liberal arts thing where I had to do all those things. I don't use any of that. And then I got my MFA and, you know, I don't know what I use there. So you're like, I don't know if I use anything. You know, you're like. Your talent.

You just. Just pure talent. Pure talent. Just like raw. No one could have talked me out of going to college for musical theater. But I wish I could go back and like, it just so much was a waste. There was so much, like learning IPA for a degree. For my money, A, I'm not good with accents or voices.

I have to learn it in a different way. Learning a new language, it was useless. IPA, I just remember that. I was like, why does he think I remember it? You write sentences. Remember?

You write sentences and be like, figure it out, write it. And then some kid in class was like, I'm Irish now and they don't know it at all and it's like,

well, they can do it. Maybe I just will never do the Irish guy. Maybe some people don't get to do the characters. Oh my God. Wow, you're really bringing it back. Wow.

I mean, I'm grateful because I at least utilized my degree. I went on to utilize my degree. I don't know. I don't think a single person from my class is utilizing it or everyone has transitioned into something else within the business. But I mean, we all did it at some point, but it's such a young industry too. It's like by 30 30 I was done with Broadway I moved to Los Angeles

I was like I cannot do this anymore this is crazy what broke you? what broke me? many things broke me but you know what I realized Broadway is the most special thing on the planet

doing a show is the most wonderful feeling in the world but I had done and again I don't want to complain because it's a barometer of success. Wait, but hold up. This is what this podcast is for. Oh yeah, you have to complain. You don't need to say that you're thankful. You can say

it's doing Sister Act for two years made you want to kill yourself. It's whatever you want to say. Okay, great. Okay, great. Well then, if that's the case, no, I am. Probably is a shithole. Could you imagine? And another thing. I'm going to talk about this producer and this person. I need to work with this.

No, not at all. Oh, my God. That producer. Wait. I have to tell the story after this, though, about a producer I ran into. Say it. I'm not going to say his name. But a producer that John Marko and I know.

The reason that we met was a show that we did. You're revealing too much information now. Okay. Anyways. Anyways. It's a producer. a show that we did. Well, you're revealing too much information now. Okay, okay. Anyways, we, anyways, as a producer, we both know, I did a show for a year.

Workshopped writing. Workshopped writing, had a credit, you know, he was somewhat involved in blah, blah, blah, in the sketch. If it ever gets revived, the whole cast gets a cut of 1% of the income. He was a little involved in our sketch group forming, blah, blah blah blah in in in if it ever gets revived the whole cast gets a sketch group of the income he was a little involved in our sketch group forming blah blah no haven't seen him in a while so i'm at the invited dress for for gutenberg um said hi no fucking clue who i am

stop it not and did not even pretend to know who i was he gave me the most like hey dismissive thing and kept walking and i was like that's truly psychotic to not even pretend because listen i get it you forget who people are you but you gotta fake it you gotta at least be like oh my god how are you it's been so long do anything other than that and he just had no fucking clue who I was. Were you like, hey, I'm Russell. I wrote a show for you for a year. It was... I wrote a show. Oh my God, that's funny.

I wrote a name. But he... I think you should wear it because in the show that we did, what did your shirt say? Oh God. It said like something about chubby guys. It said chubby guys cuddle better?

Yeah. Or something. Oh my God. And I said, you need to see him again and wear... I'm going to find it online and buy it for you. Chubby guys cududdle Better and I said you need to see him again and wear, I'm going to find it online and buy it for you, Chubby Guys Cuddle Better Do you remember he had an idea

we were doing this one scene he's like how about in this one part you get flustered and you drop something and then you show your whole ass crack to the audience and I was like how about no, I'm not going to do that. Yeah, that's not how you said it.

You were like, oh, oh, oh. I said, maybe we can think about it. And then I just never tried it. No, but he did not know who I was, that man. That is so wild. So wild. And also, I was like, technically, I'm about to do a cameo in this show that you're a little tiny producer of.

I don't know. I don't want to say too much. I'm sorry. Very weird. What a weird thing. Very weird. It would be great if you had that Chubby Guys cuddle shirt underneath your suit. Russell.

Russell Daniels. You remember me? Anyways. What would be funny is if I come by and he goes, John Marco. John Marco. Bobby, baby! But we were saying, what broke you? I had done three shows back to back.

I had done eight years of Broadway shows. What were they? It was South Pacific, Sister Act, and Cinderella. And Cinderella and Sister Act were in the exact same theater. So I'd spent like over four years in the same theater. I had like a second home. And they were all incredible shows. And they were all very long running, which is crazy.

South Pacific at Lincoln Center? Uh-huh. Oh, wow. I did that for like a year and a half. I did Sister Act for nearly two years. And then I did Cinderella. I did like developmental and Cinderella for like almost two years. But I had done, you know, doing eight shows a week

with no holidays, with no time off. I just was like, there has to be more than this. And I was like an aspiring writer. And I was like, that's it. If I can just make it on Broadway, I'm going to go to LA and make it as a writer. Like how hard could that be? And then you go to Los Angeles and you think it's going to be so easy. And God is literally like, LOL. And he gives you the finger. And then you sit on your ass for like, well, I sat on my ass for literally eight years just like not making it. So it was a very, very humbling experience. But when I came back to theater and started doing it, I was so grateful. And I had a newfound appreciation that I did not before, which is great.

Which of those, first of all, I did see, I saw that South Pacific. South Pacific, to me me it still is crazy i think reviving that show in this day and age and still singing younger than springtime is is crazy is crazy this is now 13 14 years ago yeah i remember seeing it time yeah it was such it was such a beautiful production but even but but but you know that song right no so springtime, am I? And it's about a soldier. Where does it take place? South Pacific. South Pacific, yeah.

He finds a local. And the song is after they sleep together or they're about to sleep together. She's younger than springtime. She's younger than springtime. That's young. And the whole song is like, you're so young. Oh, my God. Oh, God.

I love how young you are. It is crazy. It is crazy. I never thought about that. I was like, oh, that's so young. Oh, my God. Oh, God. I love how young you are. It is crazy. It is crazy. I never thought about that. I was like, oh, that's so pretty. Oh, oh, all those. And we talked. You're like a baby.

Oh, my God. Yeah. We had Josh Henry on. And I said, he did Carousel. Right, right. And I said, like, I didn't like that they took out the part where the little girl says, Mama, can a man ever hit you and it feels like a kiss? And she goes like, yes, honey.

And there's a degree of like, then don't revive it. Then write a new piece. Right, right, right. Don't excise it because you're like, you're literally like, to me it's like what they do with history books. It's like you either talk about history as it was or you're lying about what it was. So,

which show was, was there any show, see, what I can't imagine is doing the same, the most I ever did a show was six weeks. I think the show that I wrote that I was in was like a month, eight shows a week,

and I was going crazy. Me too. I was going crazy. He too. I was going crazy. He knows this. I suffer from what? Every episode he talked about. He had a segment called the Marla. He was like, oh my God, everyone had to talk Marla off a ledge today.

I go crazy. I go crazy. I start believing that I can't sing the notes anymore or say the words anymore. So then I start, it's psychosomatic, then I can't actually sing. I start stumbling over words. I like start shaking. It's, it's very, very bad. So it started during Sister Act and it was actually, I mean, I mean, this is a real, one of the real truths is that I, I started suffering so much stage fright from Sister Act that I was like, maybe it'll go away if I just leave the business. And then I came back and it was still there. Tell me, was it, was it one go away if I just leave the business. And then I came back, and it was still there.

Tell me, was it one day you felt it new? Like, what does it mean? It was, I was, we were doing, it was one of those 10-show weeks during Thanksgiving, and I was singing, I had a huge solo in Systract, I had the 11 o'clock number, and I'm supposed to sing, like, this big note, and I just crack.

I'm exhausted, and I crack. And it was so humiliating and embarrassing that literally since that day, I could just never sing it as well. What kind of crack? An into head voice or a wavering? It was like that. It was like a bad, bad crack. Sorry. No, no, no.

Yeah. But then I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't sing it as well. And then in Cinderella I was like great I have no singing this will be great but I had a huge monologue and there was one day on stage where I couldn't get out the word rewrite so I was like

on stage in front of an audience I just like had a stroke like that news anchor that was like Steve Carell I did a comedy club where they like played that like leading up to the show some comedy clubs show clips Like that news anchor that was like, Steve Carell in that. Yeah. I did a comedy club where they played that leading up to the show. Some comedy clubs show clips from movies.

And so every night I had to hear the fucking Steve Carell. It was funnier than anything that was about to happen on that stage. But you, it was, how long are we talking? This is 14 years ago. But I mean, how long were you going? Oh, for like five seconds. Could not get the word out.

Like the whole audience was going. Yeah, yeah. Like the cast members backstage were like, whoa, Marla, you okay there? Yeah. What happened? You know what's funny about this is in our heads and also people around us will be like, no one remembers that, blah, blah, blah. But then I go back to when I saw Into the Woods Revival when I was in 8th grade. Jack's mother. Something happened to her.

And it's all I can ever think about on stage. Oh my god, what happened? So it's the part where she's talking about Milky White. She goes, Jack, Jack, Jack I don't know It's a whole new heaven

I don't know I don't know no words. It was all gibberish. And I watched her, I watched those words leave. She did, Jack, Jack, Jack. And then she goes, her eyes just trying to find, but like, and I will remember that forever. I remember thinking, like like this is so embarrassing for her and i remember it still yeah so so imagine all the people that saw cinderella that day

that were like god that girl marla people are like people like people won't remember and you're like they will no they will they will they will remember um but but you though sometimes uh just now knowing that and when you would sometimes feel like something happened at Titanic, it was, it was, most of the time, I would not even know what you were talking about. No, no, I know.

It would not be like this severe crack thing, or, you know. So I had a couple moments. I had a couple moments for sure. There was one time where I forgot the words to Because You Loved Me, and then I thought that my life was ending. But I was actually appeased to know

that the current Celine forgot the same exact words in the same place and so I'm like okay so it's not just me those words are batshit crazy they're hard yeah that was the only thing where I thought I was losing my mind and my life and and Titanic we built Titanic in a way so that if something is crazy going on for me in my life like with my my, with my mental illness journey that like I can do or say anything. And still I would still get really, really in my head, which is crazy. And this was like, like it was a new thing. This was later in your career. That's something new. I know. Did you, did you go to therapy? Did you? I went, I have gone, I have done everything. I have done everything. I went to an EMDR. I did EMDR.

What's EMDR? It's like a certain kind of performance-based trauma therapy. Where you have to follow a light with your eyes, which is supposed to reprogram your brain. I did that. I went to normal therapy, journaled, meditated, beta blockers. I do it all. And everything leads me to believe that I am just too insane for this business and at some point i just gotta like bow out and just become a writer but now titanic has happened and now you

know it's on this incredible trajectory so i'm gonna have to do it and figure out a way to get through it when you when you were writing other than the struggle of getting work were you i mean you're you're a you're a theater kid you're a theater were you going crazy did you miss the the spotlight the adrenaline the release the thrill that's the weird thing about it is like it's such a it it's like extreme highs and extreme lows somebody explained it to me as like it's like heroin in a weird way like the of course high that you get from performing and the validation is unlike anything that you'll ever experience. And then you go to sleep and you're so exhausted.

And I'm in my bed like a vampire until the show begins again, crashing. And so it's just like this constant high and low. So when I was in Los Angeles, I was writing a ton and I wasn't selling anything. And I was just pitching and just hemorrhaging money. And so I was working at this dinner theater in Los Angeles that would do kind of like these little shows or little reviews or like half comedy club half kind of um musical theater movie to musical parodies and that that's what really kind of saved me because other than that I I lost everything and like was just so so wildly unsuccessful in Los Angeles until Titanic started happening which is truly crazy.

I think it's just wild that you left the theater when you had a full career. I mean, just to go to writing, which is just such a different beast. I just thought that the thing about theater is that you don't have a tremendous, unless you write it yourself, I always felt like, will I always be a cog in somebody else's wheel? I'm so desperate to create myself. I'm so desperate to be a writer. Will I always just be in somebody else's thing when I really, really, really want to be in my own? And so that's, and I, and I just thought that writing seemed like more glamorous, but it's actually even, I mean, you probably know it's even harder than being an actor because you just have these like inceptions and these babies that are never

sold and they never come to fruition. I mean, why i mean stand up there's so many ways where stand up it's like it solved all those problems like i think i started doing i was doing more theater and i was in some bad shows and i was in like a long run of a bad play and i was like this is here in new york here in new york and then i was like this is hell on earth like being in a play that like every time it's start you're like well it's not going to go well because it's not good. And every night you're restarting it and the audience comes with anticipation. You're like, well, nothing's different from last night. It's going to be bad still. that it had flaws and it hit the point of tech where we couldn't change anything anymore and even that was driving me nuts and the second act was weaker and it was the same feeling of like first act's going great and i'm like and i know where this is going some weak scenes coming up and and stand-up is like i get to change it whenever i want i don't have to get anyone's

approval and i get to write and literally say it that night. And of course it has limitations and whatnot, but it is like it solved, it solved everything that I ended up hating about theater. So when I hear of people doing, I mean, even Russell's run in Titanic, it was so long and I was just like, I know, I can't believe he did it.

It's so hard to do a long run. I do think that like, you know, it is because that was my first time doing a show that long. And to now be in another thing. It is crazy the people that did Phantom of the Opera for like 30 years. I don't know how. I don't know how. I don't know how you can do eight shows a week and for that long and stay sane.

Because there's just a point where you're like, I need more than one day. Yeah. I need more than one day. I need two days. I need, you know, I need to be able to, in my mind be like, I'm not going to do it in next week for a little bit. Like there's just no freedom like that in built into this world.

So it, it, I, it, I'm having a a great time right now but it is hard to imagine like just doing that always the fact that you did it for eight years is wild but but but but we only did it you know for a week here and there or a performance here and there we had worked on it for eight years no no i meant like i meant like oh i'm doing your run of broadway show you know what i mean like yes yeah but it is interesting it is interesting because I was so ready to have some time away from Titanic and be done. I know. I feel like we're going to save the exact same time. I was so ready.

And then immediately you're seeing posts and you're like. Yeah, it's such FOMO. And you're like, oh, well, you do miss out on that thing. It is like a drop. Those crowds are great. The show is so fun. You immediately start having FOMO about it. Oh, immediately.

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investor. From placing your first trade to setting up customized stock alerts, we're always by your side. Just a few of the reasons why we are Canada's number one rated online broker by Money Sense. Get started today at Questrade.com. So let's go back a little. Where were you born? Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Home of the Bucks County Playhouse. And what level did your dad compose at like how how far did he got he he uh had a couple shows off broadway he's had tons tons of regional shows he he's always been like this close to getting something on broadway so for as long as i've been born this man has had

his fingers on a piano and so and when my mom was pregnant with me she was listening to to broadway shows so i quite literally popped out of the womb being like, with like razzle dazzle jazz hands, being like, this is all I'm going to do. I'm never going to do anything but musical theater. And so my whole family is just like wildly invested in musical theater. Like a family that has like sports kids, like he raised, well, except for our youngest, but he raised a family like very, very hardcore into musical theater. He knows Broadway shows like baseball cards.

It's crazy. And what was the most successful show? What was the furthest? He had a show called New Yorkers, which was off-Broadway. He had a show called Once Upon a Time in New Jersey. He had The Honeymooners at Paper Mill Playhouse a couple years ago. Yeah, he's always had something. Did you ever sing one of his songs?

Oh my God, I sang everything. I sang everything. But then I was like, I don't want to do that because I didn't want to be like a Nepo baby at the time. Before Nepo babies were a thing. Yeah, exactly. But I knew even like 20 years ago, I was like, I don't want to do that.

But in the beginning, I sang everything. And he was my greatest. To me, he was my Sondheim. And he still is, you know, because he's still composing. Is he doing lyrics too or he has a partner? He had multiple partners, but when he first started, he was just doing lyrics. He was in like the BMI and ASCAP workshops.

I'm sorry, he was doing music and lyrics. And then he was delegated to Just Composer. And now he's doing both again. And so he's been creating shows. And I have seen the process of creating shows through him all of my life. And I was like, it's crazy. I never want to do that. And then of course, I want to get it too. Is he content with his career? Did he ever go through... Obviously, was he dying to get to Broadway? Dying to get to Broadway. And it was heartbreak every time it didn't, or?

It's the same thing of, like, you know, like, not selling a TV show or something like that. You always want, you always have that goal in your mind. So, yes, I think that his dream would ultimately to be, to get a Broadway show up there. But he still, he has multiple projects. And I do believe that one day it will happen. I mean, I'm kind of the same way now. Like I got bit by the bug. I don't know why Broadway is like the pinnacle of like success because there are so many other forms of success.

Sure. But we just get like things in our brain. Of course. I have the comedy friends who still want to do Saturday Night Live. Right. Exactly. You don't even like it. Hopefully next year also.

You got it. Do you think it's surreal for your dad to watch you? Yes. My dad believes he's Celine Dion based on his Facebook posts which are like

all far left memes and like Titanic reviews. Wait, how bad are all far left memes and like Titanic reviews. Wait, how bad are these far left memes? Well, he got out of that phase. He got out of that phase. We were like, dad, you got to stop getting in fights. Just stop posting.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just like Trump's a dum-dum. Well, yeah, like stuff akin to that. And then like, hey, check out this amazing Titanic review. And so, I mean, it's very, very sweet. I think that he's living vicariously. I mean, he'll even admit this, that he's living vicariously

through the success and the phenomenon that is Titanic. And, I mean, as somebody who has composed multiple shows, he knows better than everyone that what we have created together is virtually in an off-Broadway space, completely unheard of. There have been a couple for sure, like Fantastics, like Little Shop of Horrors, but what we have done running a show even a year off-Broadway is mind-blowing. He's mind-blowing. So he makes me feel very grateful and he puts things in perspective to me all the time about how massive this is.

Did he make an okay living? Did he have to do side hustles or is he making music for other things? No, he had to have side hustles. He worked for Merrill Lynch for quite some time and then he became kind of like a therapist for financial teams. Really? Yeah, randomly. And then he got my middle sister, Lisa, who

had left musical theater in a job at Merrill Lynch, where she is now a financial advisor. So there's like this random other side. He was a therapist for years, and that's how he made his living. And then he was like writing speeches for people at Merrill Lynch and then became like this kind of therapist, which I don't have any of those skills. And had I not gone to a BFA program, maybe I would. Sure. I'm really screwed. Yeah. And you're this older sister a BFA program, maybe I would. Sure. Because I'm really screwed. Yeah. And you're this,

you have an older sister? I'm the oldest. You're the oldest. I have two younger sisters. Do they both do theater? My middle sister, Lisa did, we went to the same college

and then Olivia is the black sheep and she wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. And I do not blame her. I can imagine if my two older sisters were doing it, it'd be like,

yeah, yeah. Were you and your sister competitive? No, no, no, no. It was always sweet? It was always sweet and friendly. Lisa, we went to the same college. Talk about different experiences. Lisa was cast in everything.

She got everything. I got nothing. Were you there at the same time? We were there for one year. She's three and a half years younger than me. Did she have a little extra clout because her older sister was in it? Yeah. I mean, I imagine. You're a freshman, a senior. Yeah, I think so. I think so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think she did for sure. like a little extra clout because her older sister was better yeah i mean i mean i imagine

yeah freshman senior i think so yeah yeah yeah i think she did for sure but and we lived together so we we had a great relationship but she was cast in everything i was cast in nothing and then like we and then we switched when we got to new york she had she actually had a fair amount of success but she was like i cannot do do this anymore. It's just too hard. Yeah. And then she transitioned. Sometimes you can't tell who's not going to be able to do it. And it's so weird, too, how colleges have their idea of who they think are going to be successful.

I don't know who the creme de la creme was at your college or someone that you all thought was like, this person is going to go out and book Broadway immediately. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then that person is now living, I don't know, in Sonoma or something like that. Yeah, you just have no idea. I also think my other philosophy is if it's going to be a four-year program, you got to be in the heart of, you have to be in New York or a place of theater so you can at least understand what the world is. I think the problem with college is the greatest singer at my college is a fine singer in New York. I went to, and I'm so glad i did it but everyone should do it i did a summer here in new york in college and i

went to a non-equity phantom of the opera uh chorus call and uh like uh like at the equity center like i waited in a non-equity line for a chorus. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And the walls were paper thin and you were doing eight bars. And just hearing the quality of some of the non-equity singers was like, oh, shit. What the fuck? There's no way I'm getting through this way. It just made you realize, oh, I had to come here at 7 a.m. to sign up for the line for later. You can't grasp it.

Instead, they get an old guy who comes in and he goes, kids, if you can do anything else, do it. And every kid goes, not me. And it's not enough. It's not enough. He needs to take you to his apartment where he still has roommates. Yeah. I remember doing one of those in Ripley Greer in early days of New York, waiting for hours in those halls. And when I walked in, the casting director was making fun of my head. When I walked in, I saw her.

She was like, oh. And then we caught eyes and she was like. Put it down like she wasn't doing it. But we all knew. What was your headshot like? I don't remember. It was like, this is 12, 13 years ago. But it was just like, it was so clear what she was doing.

But you're like, I just waited six hours to walk into this room. And that is what you're being. It's like that guy where the cast director was making fun of his apartment in Los Angeles on Zoom. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, my God. Now he's in everything. Now he's in everything. There was a cast director that got fired.

I think it was a Telsey person. I know you guys have to be careful, but I can talk shit. I don't know if I know those. I got a master class by that one telsy guy who was fired for soliciting like oh that's the one i thought you were thinking yeah i got a master class from him once he didn't ask me for anything and uh and then uh uh there was some cast director who was live tweeting like oh i don't think that was telsy i did hear about that that was like a couple years ago yeah yeah which Which, again, that's not cool because of the power balance.

But there's a lot of funny things that happen in an audition during a full day. Yeah. And it would make a great Twitter feed. You could make a fake one. Yeah. You could do a fake feed and it would be fun. Yeah. Oh, what a nightmare theater is.

It's so weird. It's so interesting now being on the other side and having to watch all these people audition actually you realize like everyone is so insanely talented now that like even like even i i am like oh my god i don't think at this level i could still make it compared to these the quality of people coming in everyone is talented it's been like great for me to like get out of my head and be like oh there's literally no rhyme or reason as to who gets hired for anything it's actually like a miracle if you do get hired because there are so many factors and everyone is just like insanely talented at this point yeah guys i i i said this on another episode but but i saw a musical recently i won't say it only to make this point i feel like because there's so many musical theater programs that i saw a musical recently where everyone was so polished and so perfect.

And I think about listening to some of the original off-Broadway cast albums of Little Shop of Horrors where one person was like a cabaret singer randomly and one person wasn't even a singer. And it had such raw heart to it. I think about, for me, if I were to hear anyone sing a musical theater song, it'd be Michael Rupert. Falsettos is my favorite show. Oh, really? And Michael Rupert, to me,

he's not a perfect singer. Or I think about what would some old-fashioned, like Bernadette Peters, if she had gone through a traditional musical theater program, might not have that little thing. Or Mandy Patinkin, they would have worked it out of him. And I feel like in the pursuit of, in the commodification or the academic nature of that,

it's made everything so glossy. And it makes sense why. But I remember, I saw Parade, and there was Ben Platt. He was great. But there was one point where he's like in a dream sequence and he becomes a dancer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the way that his body immediately became like balletic as opposed to a non-dancer doing that.

I felt it. And I felt it took away from it. I think there is something where the perfection of musical theater, and also you have to pursue it now, especially singing-wise, it's insane. It's insane. I saw Titanic and I thought, God, the singing is insane. It's actually psychotic.

Yeah, it's crazy. It's out of this world. It's something that when I think about when I wanted to do this, I was like, my body at my best couldn't do this once, let alone eight times a week. I don't know what my point is other than I think Broadway, I just feel like this is more like a way of musical theater majors, and there's more and more. There's more and more colleges offering this. It's done something

to Broadway. more there's more and more colleges offering this it's it's done something to broadway it's yeah i mean everyone kind of sounds the same everyone sounds like autotune now there's no like distinct there's i see what you're saying there's just no authenticity or there's not as much authenticity and those voices that you talk about are just so unique yeah in this day and age they might not have been viewed as as how incredible and wonderful they all are. So I understand that. And that's what I see when I walk into the room. I think with Russell and Taita, there's a degree where I think, Russell, that you pop in a certain way because you come from a different world sometimes.

And it's like it's just a different flavor that feels so refreshing. It's just like it. Oh, my God. I think it's to the- No one sees you move and thinks, that's a dancer right there. I love watching that. Of course, but there's a reason.

But there's something, but I'm saying, and it's not a diss. It really is like, it's funny. Yeah. And it's like authentic as opposed to,

oh, this is one of 100 people at a Broadway dance center has been doing this every week. Yeah. He was, he was one of the real good fat dancers in Fat Camp, the musical. Do you remember that? Yes, I remember. Um, Fat Camp.

Um. Gigantic. It was called Gigantic later, right? Was it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. They changed. Oh, I went to one call and somehow something got screwed up and it was only three fatties and then all the cheerleaders

and so I was just like sitting in this room and you'd hear like every skinny person going like what are you here for today fat camp and it was like and then we were doing it was a dance call and it was insane and so all the cheerleaders are doing

they're acrobats they're like doing flips and they had each of us show a special skill. And it was a nightmare. It was a nightmare. I did a joke. Their other fat guy, who was like 45 at the time, I was like, how is he? He's way too old. But he could flip and stuff.

And he did like flips. And then they were like, Russell. And I jokingly said, slow motion somersault. And then they go, go ahead. And I was like, no, I don't have a special skill. Do you know what I mean? You didn't do it. No.

And no one laughed at the joke, and I just said no. And then I didn't do a special skill. It was awful. Oh, my God. Well, for long-time listeners, I hope you enjoyed that story a second time. But wait, I had a question. Or I had something to say about

the polish thing i also think it is the in general the kind of shows too because you have a lot of the same type of shows that almost require that polish if you're going to be hearing like the score for like ann juliet or something like that you're not gonna like it doesn't it doesn't offer up a lot of like weird 1970s Sweeney Todd voices

being like you know what I mean like so I also feel like there's a lot of the content it is not as much of an opportunity for like

weird character things right right right right does that make sense Hattie LuPone would be weird in Titanic it would be a strange I'm sure you would oh my god Hattatti LuPone would be weird and Titanic it would be a strange I'm sure you would

oh my god Patti LuPone for Celine Dion 2024 did she like the joke about her have you ever seen her she hasn't come yet she's come see the show

she must have heard about her right yes I can't imagine that every single gay man that has seen the show has not gone directly

to her to be like you should see this because you are directly in it multiple times you have a huge feature yeah um but she hasn't come unfortunately but i don't know because she's still not she's really not equity they just make an exception every time she does a show no she's not doing she hasn't done a show she's not doing i think she said that she's not doing theater anymore yeah which honestly go off yeah go off patty

lapone yeah also let her right back in when she wants to. Do you know what I mean? Oh, of course. I'm like, okay, I'll do this one. I'll be like,

okay, great. She goes, okay, I'll do this one. Jesus Christ, I've never heard of her. Before we go into our next segment, I do want to ask the story.

I know it's, it would be certainly, there's something, whenever i have on a guest who who might be queer i don't want to just be like how did you come out however you want to know your story i know you do i again yeah i listen i don't know who i told this story to maybe everyone probably everyone yeah probably everyone if i if this is my story i'd be telling everybody uh i don't know if i know it. So how did you come out? How did it come to be?

Oh, my God. Okay. So I was dating a girl my senior year of high school, and it was very, very secret. Because I was also kind of like high school. I mean, we're all just fucking around in high school. I was kind of just a slut. And so I had so many boyfriends. I had so much game in high school for looking like a 40-year-old woman with eyebrows excited right here.

But that's besides the point. Just like hooking up. Did you have a boyfriend that you said, I love you? No, but I was always like, I was dating them as if I was murdering them for their life insurance policies. You know what I mean? But I was in a secret relationship with this girl. And we were writing love notes to each other back and forth. And this is during the Music Man rehearsal.

I drop one of the love notes. My theater rival named Ariel, not Ariel. She was always like, it's Ariel. She picked up the love note. She read it. She started spreading it around to the school. By the next day, he had gone around the school. My girlfriend at the time, who was a little bit at this time,

just like she was really on one, and she was really really pissed about it so she goes up to ariel and her sidekick her name was kate she goes up to kate and she was like hey kate come here she was like what were you saying about me and before kate could say anything my girlfriend at the time punched her in the face she then she's in the chorus of music man i'm marion the librarian i'm so so scared at this point that my parents are going to find out for some reason like the theater instructor is going to tell them that then i had to like come out to my parents who actively did not believe me because i had dated so many guys so they just didn't think that i was in a relationship. They didn't think it was real.

What did they say? They thought it was a goof? What a funny, you're dramatic. They just did not, they just did, they thought it was a phase. They thought it was a phase. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Especially your dad.

Your dad's a man of the theater. I know, my dad is gayer than me. I was so shocked. I was shocked. It was the only time in my life that I didn't feel like my family and I were aligned. But it was also like, this is now 20 years ago. And so they had never seen me express any feelings towards women at all. And I didn't really.

It was just this one thing that kind of happened. But it was such a kind of scary coming out story. Because I felt like I could not do it. I felt like I was not do it. I felt like I was forced to do it. And so it took my, it took my, my family like maybe six months to really accept it. And once they did, we were completely fine. But, but it took me a while. And then of course I went off to college and then kind of like went back in the closet and like up until like, you know, 24, I was like screwing around and you know, just feel like just finding myself but i but i felt like at the time at the time i had to kind of commit to i had to commit to the

bit as they say in yeah yeah commit to it but um when she punched her were you like yeah oh my god in my head i was like yeah but i was also i was mortified it's gonna make it worse like yeah i thought it was gonna make it worse and then And also, this is now 20 years ago. There was no such thing as non-binary. There was no such thing as real acceptance. And this is in the middle of a purple state in Pennsylvania. So I was really, really scared that we were going to be bullied. And we were a little bit online.

Because it was right when, I'm dating myself, Jesus. But it's right when AOL Instant Messenger came out. So I would get like, I would get bullying messages from people I didn't know on AOL. In the high school, they were finding you on AIM. Yeah, on AIM.

What would they say? I don't remember, but I think it was something, sorry, it's derogatory. There was something definitely about like the word dyke was in there. And so- Russell says it every episode.

Okay, good. I wasn't sure. But yeah, but it was, that was probably like the scariest time of of my life and it was the only time where i thought that my family would understand me and they didn't and they they feel now i mean we laugh about it all the time but they feel so so guilty yeah time they weren't like oh my god this is okay let's figure this out at the time they just didn't understand it yeah isn't that a crazy story that is crazy i was thinking about doing it in improv once for titanic and i was like no it's kind of dark it is kind of dark uh also because you're like but you could do it

i could do it you would do it in a funny way yeah yeah you know you you'd frame it funny yeah i always wonder i know my mom would be totally chill if i had come out i don't know how my dad i have no idea how my father would react. Are you Jewish? Yes. Okay, okay. I thought you were about to say bye. No. What are you? Are you Jewish? Yeah. Okay, no, me too. My dad's like, he's feminine

in certain ways too in the way that I am. He moves very femininely. I don't know. I, uh, well, this is a big question, but why do you think the theater is such a home for being gay,

for queer people? I remember I had a friend who came out of college, and he always said that theater, it was like an early place where one could express. I was just going to say that. Uh-huh. Yeah, it was like an early place where one could express. I was just going to say that. Uh-huh.

Yeah. It's all about expression. You can just express yourself and you can express it actually through a veil of a different character, which is kind of weird and meta. But it's almost like you have armor while you're expressing yourself. And you get to do something like singing and dancing, which is just kind of, I guess, inherently artistic and feminine and wonderful. But yeah, I mean, I would have to agree with your friend. Yeah. Yeah.

And I think part of this, Russell, my friendship, we're just like... Gay. We're gay. We're gay. That would be the beautiful end of the podcast. Hold on, I would love that. We're literally doing, on the Patreon,

questions to fall in love to. We are, yeah. But like there's just, yeah, it's just, it's interesting to be a straight person in that space growing up. I mean, going to musical theater camp, I've talked about it plenty, but it was just like. You must have been dating every single girl because you were one of the only straight people? No, not really. It was just so annoying. Yeah.

I was just, honestly, it was really. It was just so annoying. Yeah. I was just, honestly, it was more like, it was so frustrating all the women that like, they kind of liked me but they went with the guy who in a couple years would come out of the closet.

Love it. I wish I could go back, run to Summer Camp and be like, he's gay though, he's gay. Make out with him, make out with him.

All right, bye, I'm gonna go. I think you would've done better. I did okay. I did better than I would've in my guess, my guess is that you were maybe too focused on the craft and like, and like too focused on like, I'm like being good at musical theater to like really like be open to that. Yeah.

You're really. Yeah. Can I ask, I don't know how you two met. Was it doing, it was this show. Oh, it was the show that you wrote for the guy that did not recognize you. That doesn't know who we are.

Yeah, so we met doing this improv-based show. And we did that for like a year. And then we formed the sketch group with these other people. And that's Uncle Function, right? Yes. Amazing. And yeah, that's how we met. Wow. 2015.

Oh, wow. That's actually kind of recent. Yeah, not that long ago. I thought for whatever reason you went way back. No, 2015. Yeah. He was playing like Giovanni.

Giovanni. So Italian, they had to name him twice. Yeah, he was like a Jersey Shore character this was not theater this was an abomination this was not theater you're an Italian Jew

so am I yeah yeah twist do you say matzo pizza pizza bagel what do you say neither neither

matzo pizza the disgust the disgust the disgust for like the disgust alright let's go on to our next segment. This has got to stop.

This has got to stop. This has got to stop. Very nice. Yeah. For the listeners, you see? See the singing voice? No, no, no, no, no. That's not an indicator of my voice, please.

No, no, no, no. What's your this has got to stop, Marlo? Your guys' People that are like, oh, what are your guys' opinions? Or like, your guys' talents. John Riddle from Titanic, I'm looking directly at you. Not to name names,

but John Riddle from Titanic, he is always like, your guys' is. The concept of making guys' is plural to me and it's just now in our lexicon and everyone says it.

Yeah, John does do that. He says it literally all the time and every time he says it, I'm always like, your guys' is. And he's like, oh God,

sorry. So annoying. So, okay. Do you prefer, because sometimes I do, and I think it feels bad to hear where I do y'all. Y'all is the worst to me. Okay. But we need something. Yeah, we need something.

Are you against plurals? No, yeah. You got to go one by one? I am. Maybe. Your guys is y'alls. Y'alls is bad. What are y'alls plans? You all. But are you from the South I am. Your guys' y'all's. What are y'all's plans?

You all. But are you from the south? No. So what are you doing? You're just trying to not do your guys'. I guess I would prefer y'all over your guys'. I'm trying to think of how I do your guys'. Where are you guys going?

I would just say where are you guys going? Yeah. What are your guys'. I've definitely said what are your guys' plans for tonight. What do you all think? What do you all think? I would just say, where are you guys going? Yeah. What are your guys' plans for tonight? What do you all think? What would you say? There's several guys. What are your plans?

Yeah, what are your plans? What are you all doing tonight? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I agree. Pretty simple sentences. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

What are your guys' plans? Your guys' plans. Yeah, John Riddle does do that. That's so funny. But it's not just him. It's just like, that's the only one that I can think of right now. I just got to stop. John Riddle. John Riddle does do that. That's so funny. But it's not just him. It's just like that's the only one that I can think of right now. This has got to stop. John Riddle.

John Riddle in general. Russell, this has got to stop. Okay, this has got to stop. Putting college graduation papers on your wall. Anyone. I don't care if you're a doctor, a lawyer. Get those off the fucking wall. You don't want the doctor to have it in the office?

No, absolutely not. You mean the diploma? I trust the building. If the building is nice, I'm probably in a good doctor's office. If it's a shitty building, I'm probably in a bad doctor's office. I don't know. I don't need to see their degree. It's so weird that

certain people hang their degrees. I think it's so lame. I don't, it's so weird that certain people hang their degrees. I think it's so lame. I just think, I don't know what the point of it is. I've never, I've never walked into a thing

and been like, where did they go? Do you know what I mean? Sure. It feels grody. It feels like the only reason you have it on there

is to impress someone. Sure. I don't know. Or you need to see it every day and be like, I did love Syracuse University. You know, like what? I don't know. I don't know. Or you need to see it every day and be like, I did love Syracuse University. You know, like, what? I don't know.

I just hate it. I would have hated that if you had been to a respectable college you're a bigot would be. No, no, no. Where's your CCM? What? Where's your CCM?

Where's your diploma? Well, we didn't get our diplomas. We didn't technically graduate because we had to do our senior showcase in New York before graduation. So I don't have that. Isn't that crazy? I don't know where mine are. I am. I didn't get mine because I

didn't return a library book and they said I had to pay the fee. Wow. So you're safe with the two of us. You'll never see a diploma. Listen, everyone can do whatever they want to do. I just think that I respect you less when I see it. I just don't like it when I see it. No, no, no. I just don't like it when I

see it. I know that it feels like doctors and lawyers, they have to at this point. I think that might be, if I'm crazy, I mean, LOL, I know nothing about doctors, but I feel like it must be a requirement. It's funny that it's probably a requirement. I'm like so mad about it, but I just think it's a dumb requirement. I don't know. I don't like it. I get it. Actually, you know, it's actually more acceptable in a doctor's office or a lawyer's office. It's weird when it's in your house. You ever go in someone's house?

Oh, yeah. That's completely crazy. Like a normal person's house. Yeah, no. And they just have their degree. Have you? Oh, yeah. What? You've never seen someone have their degree in a house?

No, only in an office setting. Oh, I've seen it. Your doctor. Where? In what room? The kitchen? I'm not going to. I'm just saying.

The kitchen or the office? It'd be like an office or like a. Oh. Or like a. Sure. Okay. See, we're all like trying to figure out. Yeah.

I just something about it. I don't know. I think it's akin to me of like people that are still into college. The college they went to, the football team there. Sure. I'm like, you went 20 years ago. Why do you care? You know what I mean?

It's just, I don't know. A college is so lame, is I guess my whole thing, that anyone that thinks that they are still proud of it. Thank God we don't have any. Colleges have to stop. Honestly, go off. Thank God we don't have any sports fans listeners to this podcast. I know this for a fact. My, this has got to stop. Honestly, go off. Thank God we don't have any sports fans listeners to this podcast.

I know this for a fact. This has got to stop. A little specific, but I do think a big picture, ultimately. We did a live episode with a wrestler named Bobby Orlando. We referenced there's another independent wrestler on the scene right now. His name is Luigi Primo.

When he wrestles he's he makes pizza dough with one hand the whole time i know stop it like to distract theater musical musical theater for people who who can't come out of the closet until way later in life sure yeah and this video it was doing well on tiktok and someone commented like it's funny but i don't know if you guys know luigi primo is anti-vax yeah yeah i would imagine the independent wrestler who who who makes dough in one hand is anti-vax that yes i imagine you're right the big whoop like this idea of like oh so we can't talk about the person. We can't watch this clip.

There's a lot of entertaining people out there. I can no longer. Also, we weren't pro this man. We were telling us funny. We're not pro this man. We were making fun of the character. We don't even need to. This is neither or.

Listen, there's a lot of anti-vax people out there. We can't like point it out every time as like a, well, we can't even talk about the person or in order to bring up the person we have to mention this fact i promise that plenty of the celebrities you love are secretly anti-vax and they're not telling you and they got on the set because they're rich and famous enough it's it's just a reality of like this idea of like okay like what am i supposed to say oh sorry we should say hey before we show you the the wrestler spinning pizza dough yeah just so you know, he's not exactly –

He's not fully on board with the medical. He has a couple thoughts that – it's just the idea. To me, it connects to this concept of you want everyone to be pure of thought, and you're lying if you think everyone is. Right, right, right. And you're just going to be disappointed disappointed and ultimately what you're going to foster is a bunch of liars. Sure. People who will just lie about multiple other beliefs.

I mean, talk about that article that I referenced earlier, which I won't say in this place just because it feels harsh, where people just, there's so many liars out there. And when you create this idea of like, I can't even post a video sharing a clip of an indie wrestler you don't even know without pointing out this. It's just a weird thing that ultimately I think makes you not participate with the world as it is.

You pass 10 anti-vaxxers on the way to the train. Yeah. It's just a weird way of putting it. You're not endorsing anti-vax by enjoying a video. By discussing the person or you don't gain any points by saying it or whatever. It was just a weird impulse that people

have where as if we then are all supposed to go, oh, really? Also, going along the lines of, I guess. If it was a video of Luigi Primo saying, don't take the vaccine. Yeah, I'm not going to share that video. But this is different.

Also, but to go along with people commenting on the clips. Because, you know, these clips, you know. Guys, Russell's reading every comment. I'm not reading every comment, but I read some, and let me tell you, the classic one from one of the recent clips is that you've edited,

the clips are edited, people. The clips are edited. So anyone in the comments being like, would love to hear the end of her story if that guy didn't cut in, about me with the whole thing with Paige, we did hear, if you listen to the whole episode,

you hear the story, but DeMarco edits. It's edited. So our producer was on we did a solo episode and the producer set up a story about

she's struggling being a Japanese person at a mostly white school and the edit made it seem like she said you know I was once called

a slur in school and then it cuts to us and then I go oh I have a story about that but here's the thing but anyone any normal sane person

watches it and be like, because it's very clearly, this has been an edited clip. But there's people in there being like, would love to hear that in her story. It's like,

well, you still can, you dumb fucking idiot. Go listen on Spotify. You can listen to the whole goddamn thing. And it's just like this thing of like, I would have liked

to get everything all right now, right in my finger. You could still do it's just like this thing of like i would have liked to get everything all right now right in my finger like you you could still do it with like just three more seconds of of like curiosity you could still get there and i talk for a second no so so but but page asa chica our wonderful producer she she she titles the videos online and the video was like joe marcus and russell daniels the downside and someone commented like oh so i guess the asian woman She titles the videos online, and the video was like, Joe Marcus Oresi and Russell Daniels, The Downside. And someone commented like, oh, so I guess the Asian woman doesn't get a name. And she commented, she said, as the Asian woman who wrote the title,

there was a character limit. So, look. Wow, mine pales in comparison to the two of yours. Sorry, we're spiraling. Listen, you guys has got to stop with these comments. Final segment. You better count your blessings. You better count your blessing.

I'll start, and we've got to do our joke today. It's been so long since we've had you okay Russell thanks for the enthusiasm Tova told me this thing recently it hasn't been successful but she admitted to me that twice now if we were at an event where there was like another

if there was a famous person there she would submit twice she submitted to DeMois saying the famous person there. She would submit, twice she submitted to DeMoy, saying, the famous person, Angio Marco Cerezi, you're both seen at such and such event,

trying to get like, trying to get one of the posts with my name in it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it didn't succeed. That is so funny. She told me that she did that twice and I thought that's very,

that's very sweet. That's very sweet. Yeah. And one day. Yeah. That's really, really funny. Isn sweet that's very sweet yeah and uh one day yeah um it's really really funny isn't that cute

celebrity and you and you yeah love it maybe I'll start doing that for you too um uh

oh before I do my thing I wanted to do I want to see how many people from Titanic are listening so I'm gonna um it's literally just my parents

I was gonna give Marla a fuck Mary marry, kill and put only Titanic people oh I love it Connie, Carrie, Courtney are you ready? I'm gonna marry Connie I'm gonna fuck Carrie

and I'm gonna kill Courtney Courtney's my girlfriend Courtney's my girlfriend. Courtney's my girlfriend. Okay. Just wanted, that's for anyone. What I experienced just now must be what it's like

to listen to this episode and not know anything about musicals. Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. That was all a joke. It's just so funny

to watch the level of laughter. I know, I'm so sorry. I just wanted to really like, just. That's really good. My parents will love that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. One time I said so sorry. I just wanted to really like... That's really good. My parents will love that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. One time I said something about...

I said... I was talking about... It was when Rosé was on. And I said something about... I was complaining, kind of, about... You got it. You got it. Oh, wow. I can't even get into it. Anyway, someone did listen, they, the next day. The sound.

It was the sound. Oh, yes. It was the sound thing. Basically, every time I'd come off stage from Ruth doing a freak out, she'd be like, she would sometimes be like, that crowd today, that was great, right? And I'd be like, I know. I would be like, I don't need to hear it. Anyways, I did that. And then she's like, I heard you mention

me on the podcast, and I was like, it was deep within. You'd have to listen to the entire thing. Wow, that's really, really good. I was obviously because Ross was on. But anyways, my blessing is I don't know, it was a really nice weekend.

Getting to do that and a lot of, so many lovely things, people sending messages, things. My parents came for the first preview, which was very sweet. So I just feel, I feel really lucky. I feel everyone involved in the show has been so nice and welcoming

and so enthusiastic. And I just feel grateful to have gone from a show that I really love to another show where I'm like you love more? no it just paid more no but like just appreciated and everyone's been so kind

and so it's been nice to you know sometimes you're in shows and you're like oof but it's been really nice oh Oh good. I'm so glad. I feel lucky. Um, is it my turn?

Yes. Well, changing your life. Yes. That's my, I'm, oh, listen,

no, oh my God, though. I should say, uh, Marla, you did change, but Marla,

I mean, we got drunk after Broadway Sings and we're like, oh my God, is this is so crazy. Yeah. And then everyone kept interrupting us as we were trying to have a moment. Yeah. The food runners were like, excuse me, cheeseburgers. Yeah. I love you. I love so crazy. We were so drunk. Yeah. And then everyone kept interrupting us as we were trying to have a moment. Yeah. The food runners were like, excuse me, cheeseburgers.

Yeah. I love you. I love you too. I know. I know. But Marla, you really did change my life. I mean. Well, you changed mine.

Honestly. Both of our lives changed. Both of our lives changed. Because of each other. But it is wild because not a lot was going on before Titanic. Oh, well, for both of us. Yeah. It was 10 years of absolutely nothing for me.

You were on this podcast. That's so true. That's so true. That's so true. Thank you to the podcast. I'm going to, you know what's so funny? In the email, it was like, it shouldn't, whatever this segment is, it shouldn't be like, you know, very actually grateful. But actually you both said very grateful things.

Oh, no, no, no. Maybe we need to look at how it's phrased. No, it's more just like sometimes people go, I'm thankful for a family. And it's like, that's not interesting. Okay. So it can be like, it's just specificity. Not as in the details. I got it.

I got it. This past weekend, I went to Angel's Share with my sisters to try to get a cocktail. And it was like a non, she was like a non she was like the lady was like i'm so sorry we don't have a wait um we don't have a list so it could be anywhere from like 30 minutes to three hours um but you have to like kind of wait here and just see and if you leave then like you lose your place and we were like actually you guys can all go fuck yourselves yeah and we went to par pisa leno across the street which is right across the street from via carota and the hostess there I think her name was Amy. She got

my sister's a table. She was so kind. So literally, thank you to Amy. It was the best cocktails of my life. Go to Bar Pisolino. This is the plug right here, right now. We got so wasted on her drinks that we actually asked her if we could have a hug at the end. Oh my god, wow, that is Marla wasted. Yeah, and the details,

those are my details. Bar Pisolino. That's wonderful. We haven't done the segment in a bit. So if you're a member of the Patreon, your name is going to flash across the screen while Russell reads some jokes from this joke book. One joke. I got a new joke.

It's going to be short. Okay. I did get a new joke book that I think is going to be a little more elevated. Okay. This is from a Ford Howard Stern. These are street jokes that Russell wrote.

No, they're not. If you join the Patreon, patreon.com slash downside for just $5 a month, you can support the podcast. You get live episodes, bonus episodes. We're starting to release

one a month starting in October and your name is going to flash right now. Read this one right here. Feel free to do accents. Oh, man. IPA. A Chinese guy, a Russian guy, an American guy,

and a Jewish guy are sitting on a park bench. A pollster comes up to them and says, excuse me, what's your opinion on the meat shortage? The Chinese guy says, what's an opinion? The Russian says, what's meat? The American says, what's a shortage? The Jewish guy says says what's excuse me I don't get that one

you don't get that one usually you try to give me these anti-semitic jokes though I think this was offensive four different ways you just didn't even realize it so the Chinese person doesn't have an opinion because in China you're not allowed to have an opinion the Russian doesn't know what meat is

because in Russia there's not food or they an opinion. Oh, okay. The Russian doesn't know what meat is because in Russia there's not food or they just have vodka. The American says, what's a shortage? Because Americans eat a lot. And then the Jew, which I noticed you seem to really enjoy saying that one. The Jew says, what's excuse me? Meaning like we're just rude.

Oh, I don't think of Jewish people that way. Well, yeah, because you're usually interrupting Japanese women. So, again, join the Patreon, patreon.com.com.com. You really are supporting the podcast. And everywhere I go, even Bloomington, they come out and they say, I'm a big fan of the downside. And I lie to them.

I say, one day I'll get Russell out here. And when I say it in San Francisco, I mean it. But when I say it in Bloomington, Russell's never coming to Bloomington. In fact, I might never go to Bloomington ever again, given what happened. No, you guys are all great. This episode

is coming out October 10th. So unfortunately, if you didn't see Gutenberg, it's too late. It closed two weeks ago. I'm just kidding. Plugs. That's why I'm just kidding. Wait, plugs. Plugs. Oh, you're going to have to do that. That's why I said the date.

Okay. Do you understand? It doesn't really close October 10th, does it? No, no, January 28th.

The joke was that it's going to close early. It's not even going to make it past. It's not going to make it to opening. It's not going to make it to opening. It's going to become the Spider-Man of Samarla. Is there anything you want to plug?

Obviously, Titanic. I mean, that's the only thing I have in my life right now. So go see Titanic. Are Marla, is there anything you want to plug? Obviously Titanic. I mean, that's the only thing I have in my life right now. So go see Titanic. Uh, are you ever visiting it, doing it again?

I, I, I believe the answer to all those things are yes and yes, but there are no concrete details, but I, I would imagine in the Titanic multiverse, you will see me for years to come. You'll see me until I'm probably frigging 80 years old,

but you can see it now off Broadway at the Daryl roth titanicemusical.com get tickets and then you can just follow me at marla mendel and i'll tell you when when i'm performing it again if ever yes i want to go um once this show's opened i want to go on a sunday night okay i haven't seen it and like sometime in october let's do it. Would love that. Great. Russell, what do you want to plug? Well, sometimes I'll be doing Gutenberg in a very minimal way. Obviously, I'll post on social if I'm ever doing it in a more way. But, yeah, follow me on Instagram, at Russell J. Daniels. October.

I don't think I have anything else. Oh, there's going to be an Uncle Function show in November, but I don't have the date right now. Oh, fun. Sure. be an Uncle Function show in November, but I don't have the date right now. If you see Josh Gad on the street, just cough in his general direction. I'm just kidding. We love you, Josh. We love you, Josh. Let Russell do one. That would be fun.

No, stop saying any of these things. I will be at Scottsdale, Arizona, October 12th through 14th. And then Zanies, Chicago, October 12th through 14th And then Zany's, Chicago October 19th, 20th, and 21st Coming out to Zany's And then the Milwaukee Improv

October 22nd Where I will be seeing Douglas Goodheart Do a matinee in Milwaukee And then I'll be headlining Milwaukee For the first time October 22nd And otherwise Youse guys You guyses Just have fun October 22nd. And otherwise, youse guys.

Your guyses. You guyses. Just have fun because one day you guyses gonna dieses. This is The Downside. One, two, three. Downside.

Downside. You're listening to The Downside. The Downside. With Gianmarco Cerezi.