This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hello, welcome to this week's episode of Odd Woman Out. My name is Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo, your host of Odd Woman Out. Hey, my Odd Squad. Thanks so much for tuning in to this most iconic episode. You know, we're here talking with badass boss women about what it is like to feel like the odd woman out, talking about career, talking about life. We get real, real, real deep, but we have so much fun while doing it. So thank you so much for listening. Don't forget to like and subscribe and follow. I'm so grateful for you for tuning in. I'm also so grateful for the supporters of the show including Flying Whale Wine, John's Pizzeria of Times Square, Bar Lola, Balloons to Go, Billy's Bakery, and LaVue Photo Booths. If you don't know what any of those things are, please check them out because they are just as iconic as the show. Thanks for listening. Love you, my Odd Squad. Enjoy this episode. Hi, veronica vazquez-jackson. Welcome to Odd Woman Out.

[0:25] veronica vazquez-jackson: Thank you so much. I'm so happy to have you here. I know we've been trying to do this for a while and I just feel so grateful. So thank you for being here.

[1:03] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I am so happy to be here. I was telling you before we started doing this thing that I did so much research on you and I cannot wait to talk about your amazing journey. No, you are, you have such an amazing journey that I don't think all the people know about. So I can't wait till they listen and they know all about it. So thank you for sharing this space with me.

[1:24] veronica vazquez-jackson: Thanks for having me.

[1:30] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Of course, of course. So it's called Odd Woman Out, so I always love to start with the odd woman of it all. So can you please share about a time in your life, whether that was in the entertainment industry or in your personal life, where you've felt like the odd woman out? And if you don't have like a specific pinpoint time, maybe just like what that means to you.

[1:44] veronica vazquez-jackson: I've got a couple of things I'm wondering if I want to start there though. Honestly, I think coming back to theater, not at this time, but after releasing records and kind of getting back into the theater world after being in that R&B hip-hop scene for so long, I always kind of felt like the odd woman out because I didn't come up theater, theater, theater. I started off in theater, which I loved so much and of course you've got pictures.

[2:19] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, we're gonna talk about your...

[2:25] veronica vazquez-jackson: You've got pictures. Production of Annie in 1987, but we're not there, we're not there just yet, but we're definitely gonna get there. But coming back into theater, I've always kind of felt like I was, you know, the odd girl.

[2:36] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[2:37] veronica vazquez-jackson: Because it wasn't, you know, everyone was going on about their favorite shows and I was kind of like, there's other stuff besides West Side Story.

[2:42] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[2:42] veronica vazquez-jackson: Which I watched every week as a kid, maybe several times a week.

[2:48] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Did you?

[2:48] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh my gosh. Is that where you got like your love of theater?

[2:54] veronica vazquez-jackson: I believe so. I believe so. I thought Rita Moreno was just gonna say she was everything.

[3:01] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Everything.

[3:02] veronica vazquez-jackson: And because that was my introduction to theater, I was like, well of course Puerto Ricans can do this. I mean, look at her.

[3:08] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. Icon. Icon. Legendary. I mean, yeah, she was my hero.

[3:16] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. And mom introduced me to it.

[3:16] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, I love that. So that sort of leads into my next question of like when you were growing up and were a young girl and you discovered the arts, was there a woman influence in your life, either in your personal life or somebody you admired that inspired you to do it, which maybe it's Rita?

[3:32] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh my gosh, it was Rita for theater for sure, but recording artists music-wise, my mother loved Barbra Streisand. I loved Barbra Streisand and I grew up on Barbra Streisand. My house always had music playing. I love that. And Donna Summer.

[3:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay.

[3:52] veronica vazquez-jackson: Obsessed with Donna Summer.

[3:52] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, your mom has good taste.

[3:52] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, oh and then lots of men, but we're talking about women here. Michael Jackson.

[3:53] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[3:59] veronica vazquez-jackson: Earth Wind and Fire. I grew up on soul music and dance and then Barbra Streisand. What a good combo. So crazy, but we listened to everything at home.

[4:13] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, I love that. Shout out to your mom for flooding the house with music.

[4:13] veronica vazquez-jackson: Thanks mom. Thanks dad. That's got amazing taste too. Thanks to them both. So now I want you to think about a time when you started working professionally in the entertainment industry, whether that was you recording or in theater, where you were still learning the ropes and there was like a woman supporting woman type of situation. And I ask this because I do think women get a bad rep of being like cutthroat and like, I am this is my part and not, you know what I mean? So I like to focus on like the goodness if you have a good story to share.

[4:45] veronica vazquez-jackson: Honestly, I really don't have a story like that because...

[4:51] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: A lot of people say that too.

[4:51] veronica vazquez-jackson: I, yeah, I don't. I had a lot of really cool father figures in the Boys and Girls Club that I grew up in with our family.

[5:04] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Amazing.

[5:27] veronica vazquez-jackson: Kind of came back and did all these fun things together.

[5:30] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Um, but I had amazing role models at the Boys and Girls Club.

[5:37] veronica vazquez-jackson: It's so important to like, as a young girl specifically, you know, coming up in the entertainment industry to have these people who are like fueling you and like giving you the courage to do it. Cause it's tough.

[5:37] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[5:49] veronica vazquez-jackson: And my mom, my mom has been my biggest cheerleader. She saw something in me when I was really young and she's like, if this is what you want to do, let's go. I always wished I could sing. You want to sing and you want to make this a thing. Let's go. Let's do it. She took me to every audition. I mean, I was singing professionally, singing backgrounds for Latin artists like when I was 13 years old.

[6:08] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh my God.

[6:09] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. Shout out to your mom. If you want to do this, let's fucking go. I feel the same way about my daughter now, whatever she wants to do, let's go. And you grew up in New York. So everything was right here on your doorstep.

[6:26] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. You know, that's amazing. That's amazing. So I was telling you, I was looking on Wikipedia today. Wikipedia calls you one of the divas of the 1990s club music scene. So we just, we're just like iconic. Number one, one of the divas. So we talked about your music influences as a child, but do you remember like the first time you were like, I want to pursue music and what that felt like and what that moment was?

[6:53] veronica vazquez-jackson: Hmm. The first time I kind of felt like I just knew since I was really little that this was something that I wanted to do, that I wanted to be a recording artist. And then it was just about figuring out how to do that. I, and because I started so young doing background vocals for people, I mean, I was a dancer as well. So at 13, I was doing backgrounds for Joe Motoro.

[7:27] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And then I danced a ton with my friends who are still my besties now and for life with Anthony Rodriguez and his dance company who went on to dance for Madonna. And we were dancing for Mark Anthony when I was like 16, 17 years old when he was doing dance music.

[7:39] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yes. Amazing. So at like 17, I think we did Madison Square Garden with him.

[7:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[7:47] veronica vazquez-jackson: But as a dancer for me, triple threat.

[7:55] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hey, so it was, I mean, it was going to happen. I just had to figure out which way it was going to happen, but it was always for me. Singing was my first love.

[8:02] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And you were doing all of this while you were in high school.

[8:07] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. And so they give you that, they just are like, okay, or how do you have to, how did you navigate like going to school and also literally dancing at Madison Square Garden?

[8:17] veronica vazquez-jackson: I mean, all my friends were dance majors too. And we all kind of came up in the Boys and Girls Club. So everybody kind of just went to the same high school as me. And then they were all dance majors and they would use me as like, like, um, and their senior projects and stuff. So I would end up kind of jumping over to the dance department and doing shows with them and then going back to the vocal department and then singing at Carnegie Hall.

[8:41] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. It was, it was kind of crazy. At the time. Did you realize like how, I can't find a better word, like iconic all of this was, or you were just like, no, I was just like, this is so cool. Great.

[8:53] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. I had, I had no idea. Looking back, you're like, what the fuck?

[8:53] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[8:53] veronica vazquez-jackson: I was like, wow. I don't mean to have ADD, but thank you for voting.

[8:58] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh yes. Please show your vote sticker.

[9:06] veronica vazquez-jackson: Had to, had to get happy election day. This is going to come out way later. Let's hope for good results.

[9:09] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Good results. So you keep talking about the Boys and Girls Club and a lot of notable people have come up through that. Kerry Washington, JLo. What was your biggest lesson from developing your art there?

[9:27] veronica vazquez-jackson: My biggest lesson from there, I would say that it doesn't have to be big, right? Whatever it is that we're pursuing, the love that we have, we can start small. And I had no idea that starting so small could end up so big that all my friends that I grew up with and people that I worked with, I mean, Kerry and I, I have a picture like that, that Dominic sent me of Kerry and I doing Annie. She was one of the orphans. And because I always looked like I was like 21, even at like 13, I was playing a Grace Farrell.

[10:08] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, she's one of the orphans.

[10:08] veronica vazquez-jackson: So I'm like dressed up in this suit, hat and everything. Yeah. She's like pepper or something. I can't remember. She's um, orphaned July. She was July and she was star to be, there you go. I got this. I got these facts today. That's amazing. And so you did all these productions in the Boys and Girls Club.

[10:24] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. Were you always booking the lead? I know you were Dorothy, Dorothy with a mullet. I will show the picture here.

[10:33] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh my God. Yes. I was like the Lisa, Lisa version of, of Dorothy. Um, yeah, I kind of, I guess so because I was a singer.

[10:42] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[10:43] veronica vazquez-jackson: I was a singer first. Yeah. They always wanted to make sure that it was sung properly, I guess on pitch, but there were so many amazing artists at the Boys and Girls Club. So many friends of mine. I mean, they're all still my, they're my family. I can't even say that they're my friends. They're my family.

[11:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: What roles were you attracted to? Like were the roles you were booking the ones you wanted to get, or were you wanting to like be Miss Hannigan or be Annie?

[11:06] veronica vazquez-jackson: I was pretty much getting what I wanted.

[11:14] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Pretty much getting what I wanted.

[11:15] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. I love that. Okay. So then you did all these amazing things, Boys and Girls Club. You went to Silicon Guardia, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall. And now you're hollow.

[11:25] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. I did the Apollo one, three times at the Apollo.

[11:25] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[11:25] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. It's crazy. I forget about these things. And then you started creating albums of your own and singles. V is for Veronica. Um, and among others. And then you were on the top three of your singles reached top 10 Billboard Hot Dance Music and Club Party.

[11:45] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. That's crazy. That's amazing. So at the time, what was inspiring your music? What inspired you to make the music that you did?

[11:57] veronica vazquez-jackson: Um, I just repeated the same question back to back in different words, the, my original music that I was recording was R&B hip hop.

[12:03] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. So, um, started out doing that soul train did so many different, um, shows and stuff, but the, it was interesting because I grew up with dance music. I grew up, um, going out very, very young.

[12:26] veronica vazquez-jackson: And being in the clubs and um I'm also in the House of Extravaganza, so I grew up in ball in the ballroom scene as well. So dance music was something that I always loved. Yeah, um, and when I signed with Jellybean and I did my second album with him at All Our Records, you were one of the first people to sign with All Our Records? Yeah, yeah, he kind of found me and was like, "Hey, I know you had a record out, didn't really do too much because they didn't know what to do with a Puerto Rican artist," right, saying this kind of music, right? Um, so when Bean started All Our Records, he reached out and he's like, "You want to come over to this side? I think we know what to do with you." Amazing. You're like, "Sure, I'm available, no big deal." And his world was very much dance as well. Yeah, even though he did with Houston, Madonna, so he was like, "Let's put out a remix album and let's just see what happens." Fun. I mean, it just went, it just wow.

[13:19] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And how old were you when this was happening?

[13:26] veronica vazquez-jackson: 22. Wow, that is amazing. And again, so great at the time. Are you like, "Holy shit, all these amazing things are happening," but when you're in it, are you like realizing it or just going with the flow?

[13:40] veronica vazquez-jackson: Um, I was going with the flow. I was realizing it, but it all just felt really natural, like it was... that's where you were supposed to be.

[13:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, I love that. This comes next, okay? Yeah, and this is, oh, it's great, wonderful. Yeah, I deserve to be here.

[13:55] veronica vazquez-jackson: I did not ever think though that the biggest things that I would put out would be the dance music stuff, right? Didn't know.

[14:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, that's so funny. I'm still performing those songs because now they're classics.

[14:05] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, because I'm not old, I'm legendary. You hello, what's the first thing I said? Icon, legend, same thing. Incredible about it with my friends. But are we gonna see any new albums coming out? Are you trying to like...

[14:18] veronica vazquez-jackson: I don't know, you know what? I thought that I would be putting out new music first. Really didn't think that I'd be doing theater, back to theater, an album honestly, really.

[14:31] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So this is surprising.

[14:31] veronica vazquez-jackson: Going back to like you didn't expect the dance music to be the one that popped off. Like you just gotta go with the flow, what life is throwing at you.

[14:35] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, the universe is like, "So much, hey girl, you're gonna be Camila," and I'm listening, thank you, following, following, following the way.

[14:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yes, okay, so I have another request from your BFF Dominic that we have to talk about the Selena Forever musical.

[14:51] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh wow, yeah, can you tell me a little bit about that experience and how that came to you?

[14:58] veronica vazquez-jackson: Um, that was crazy. Um, I want to say an agent might have brought it up and I don't know if you're interested in doing this and I was like, "Are you kidding? Are you kidding?" You know how much I love theater. Um, I auditioned for it.

[15:10] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, because you were doing mostly music at that time?

[15:17] veronica vazquez-jackson: I was doing music at the time, yeah. So I kind of took a step back from recording to theater and I was doing that for about two years because Selena Forever first was a regional tour and then we were resident at the Doolittle in LA. I was watching these videos today and I was like, "Are you kidding me? You are so stellar in this production."

[15:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And then what happened to it?

[15:43] veronica vazquez-jackson: It just was like outgrew its space, you know? Well, I think that what happened was they didn't know how to market something like that. They didn't have the right audience. I'm a completely different thing now. Now there's such an amazing space for Latin musicals. Yeah, look at Lynn and what he's doing, yes, everything, everything.

[16:10] veronica vazquez-jackson: But I feel like, and especially doing it in LA, I feel like if it was done in New York, it would have been received differently, but I don't think they knew how to market it. I didn't, I don't know if... yeah, I think New York would have been a different thing.

[16:18] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, together maybe you'll come back now and bring it back and produce it and direct it. Beautiful story, let's do it.

[16:25] veronica vazquez-jackson: Really beautiful story and it was so wonderful meeting her family and, you know, just listening to stories and spending time with them. That was incredible.

[16:35] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's amazing. Meeting her husband, like...

[16:40] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, it was fantastic.

[16:40] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: How cool! You did the Boys and Girls Club with JLo and she was Selena in the movie and you were doing the musical. How crazy is that?

[16:48] veronica vazquez-jackson: So cool. Yeah, I actually worked more with her. A lot of people don't know she has a younger sister, Leslie, who is an amazing opera singer. Okay, she was the Maria in our West Side Story and I was Anita.

[16:59] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: You were? She is fantastic, incredible.

[17:06] veronica vazquez-jackson: That's amazing. Yeah, I love West Side Story so much. I love Anita as well.

[17:15] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, so let's talk about In the Heights. I mean, hello, now you're Camila at New York City Center.

[17:22] veronica vazquez-jackson: I know, it's insane, but you started off in the original. Were you in the original workshop?

[17:28] veronica vazquez-jackson: I was in workshops like after he got out of like college, like the early, early, early when Nina had a brother named Lincoln.

[17:35] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I know about Lincoln.

[17:35] veronica vazquez-jackson: And in love with Benny, but Benny was his best friend. And man, justice for Lincoln, yes. Man, so how did it come to you in those very early stages? Did you know Lynn?

[17:50] veronica vazquez-jackson: I didn't know Lynn actually. When they approached me with it, I was laughing because I thought they said something about Heights. My manager at the time, he's from Spain, so his accent, I thought he was saying like Weathering Heights. Something, I was like, "Oh, you know, I don't really like those kind of theater shows, you know, whatever." And he's like, "No, he's this young kid, he's from Washington Heights," and I didn't realize it was about Washington Heights, right? And he's like, "I think it's something that you'd be really interested in." And I was like, "Okay." And they're like, "Well, they asked for you." And I'm like, "They asked for me?" Lynn knew my music from the R&B world.

[18:23] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's amazing.

[18:23] veronica vazquez-jackson: I had done records with Big Pun, who he was a huge fan of. Wow, yeah, so I believe that that's how they got in touch with me.

[18:31] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah, I think so. I hope I'm not making this...

[18:39] veronica vazquez-jackson: Hey, I believe stories. I remember when I met him, he was like kind of like, "Oh my god," starstruck. Yeah, it was so fun. You're like, "But I would just tell him like my Pun stories," and he was just like, "Oh my god, oh my god, it's so great."

[18:54] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So when it came to you, what attracted you to the script and to Nina?

[18:54] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh my gosh, I mean, I mean, how do you not just fall in love with it? Yeah, I've never seen anything like that. It's a perfect musical. It like really is. It really is. And even back then when it wasn't what it is now, um, nobody was telling stories about Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in the hood. Nobody. And just like living a life, yeah, you know about the neighborhood, Abuela. Yeah, every, I feel like everybody has one of those, yeah, that person in your community that you just have so much love and respect for, yeah, who's not really your family but your family kind of confuses, "Is she my family? I don't even, he is my family." Um, and the story of community, I just, I loved it so much.

[19:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Did you do it when it was like at 37th Street?

[19:41] veronica vazquez-jackson: No, you and those versions. By that point, I want to say I was pregnant with CJ.

[19:48] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh wow, okay, so let's rewind a little. CJ, yeah, oh wow. So it was in development for a long time then?

[19:55] veronica vazquez-jackson: It was a couple of years. Again, it wasn't that long because I met Chris. I met my husband, shout out Christopher Jackson, thank you for listening, you better be. I met him at a callback for In the Heights for the chemistry read. Yes, the chemistry read. I didn't know it was the chemistry read. I just thought it was a callback. They were seeing some people, yeah, and um, I go to Drama Bookshop and I go to the door and I'm hearing the guy's voice that they gave me on the CD. I remember listening to it at home being like, "Oh my god, him and I were gonna sound so great together."

[20:30] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, because he was already cast?

[20:30] veronica vazquez-jackson: He was already cast, yeah. I didn't know they were replacing Kerry. Kerry Washington as Nina, she had, I didn't know that she had just booked Ray and I hadn't seen her for years. Oh my god, and I had no idea that she was a part of...

[20:49] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's so cool, all these connections.

[20:49] veronica vazquez-jackson: It's so, so crazy. That's amazing. So she goes on, she books Ray, and they need a new Nina. So I come in, I'm listening to the guy behind the door. I open the door, he's sitting at the piano. He turns around, I open the door, we look at each other, we're like, "Hey." Done, done, done deal.

[21:06] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: You think it was like a love at first sight?

[21:06] veronica vazquez-jackson: It was kind of like attraction right away, yeah. Yeah, where we both were like couldn't talk.

[21:15] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, you're like, "Let's just focus on the script."

[21:21] veronica vazquez-jackson: He didn't love the line. The guys were making fun of him. Lynn and Tommy were laughing and Bill Sherman, they were just kind of sitting there like, "Oh my gosh, like what is happening?" And then I heard him recently saying in an interview that your first kiss was on stage.

[21:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, so did it take a long time for you guys to be like...

[21:34] veronica vazquez-jackson: Honestly, after that first thing, the little after party they had for us, he was just kind of like hanging on me and I'm like, "I guess this is the thing now." It just kind of, we had liked each other.

[21:48] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, we liked each other before, but I was like...

[21:54] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Beautiful.

[21:54] veronica vazquez-jackson: I went up to Tommy and I was like, "Dude, we've never rehearsed this thing." And he's like, "Good, that's exactly the way I want it. It'll be natural."

[21:58] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: It'll be natural, you'll be fine, it's okay.

[22:05] veronica vazquez-jackson: How incredible, like this show, it created your family and now you're back to it.

[22:10] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I know, I got...

[22:20] veronica vazquez-jackson: It's so beautiful because the show is so beautiful and in the center of it is home. Shout out to Robin de Jesus and Lin-Manuel. I just saw their cabaret last night centered around home and the show is centered around home and like it built your home and I think that is so beautiful and so cool.

[22:36] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, so you and the family keeps growing.

[22:36] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, growing and growing, right? With all these versions, so much. My cast now is incredible. I can't wait. Love them so much.

[22:41] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay, everybody, In the Heights is playing at New York City Center until November 15th. Yes, so please, this is coming out a few days before that. You still have time.

[22:53] veronica vazquez-jackson: You still have time, go to the box office, yeah, get a ticket. I'm, I will be there next week and I hear everybody that I'm speaking to is like, "Do not miss this production, it's stellar."

[23:07] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And so I can't wait. I mean, I just excited for everyone to just kind of be reintroduced to it.

[23:14] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, yeah, it's time. I've been saying it for years, I'm like, "Where the absolute f is the revival of Heights?"

[23:19] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's crazy. You did Heights and all these early workshops and readings, yeah, you fell in love with Chris, yes, and then you took a step back for your family.

[23:32] veronica vazquez-jackson: So, okay, um, from the arts, they had...

[23:43] veronica vazquez-jackson: Okay, so Chris and I started dating and we were kind of like, we did a few of the readings and then I want to say it was a few months that like nothing happens because it was like a reading, then maybe a couple of months and then we'd have another one.

[23:53] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, a couple months and another one. Yeah, and then he kind of took a break and I didn't realize that that's when he was kind of working with Kiara and they were rewriting things. Lots of things had changed. Um, and by the time they were bringing it back, I was already pregnant with CJ. Yes, Chris and I were together for about a year and changed before I got pregnant with CJ and then you were like...

[24:16] veronica vazquez-jackson: And I at first freaked out and I was like, "Why am I freaking out? People do this all the time. I'm gonna have my baby, I'm gonna get right back to work." I was already, I was working on another album, I was about to like do a promo tour. Yeah, um, so I was just kind of like a quick pause button. I'll have my baby, that's right, I'll just take him with me.

[24:38] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, take him with me. Yeah, lots of people do it. Um, CJ was diagnosed with severe autism at a very young age. At a very young age, yeah, I noticed really, really early.

[24:51] veronica vazquez-jackson: That something was just a little different, yeah. He was absolutely delicious, but he was only delicious with me and Chris and my immediate family. Outside of that it was kind of like he didn't like to look at people, he didn't like to look people in the eye, he was taking toys, turning them upside down, spinning the wheels, putting it close to his eyes. Was just a lot of early signs and not wanting to connect.

[25:17] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, but his connection with me was solid. So when they're young like that, the only way that they can really diagnose is by watching interaction between baby and mom. So they were like, there's nothing going on. My doctor was like, our pediatrician was like, no, I'm gonna send somebody else to you guys and have them look at some other things.

[25:39] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, so it went from this baby was absolutely normal, fine, perfect, to severe autism within six months.

[25:46] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Because you knew.

[25:46] veronica vazquez-jackson: I absolutely knew. And thank God you were there advocating.

[25:50] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, so it went from that to we don't ever know if he's gonna talk. Like we, it's gonna take a lot of work and we don't know what the fruit of that labor will be.

[26:02] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Right, and all this is happening at the same time that Heights is popping off.

[26:06] veronica vazquez-jackson: I called Chris with the official news when he was in tech at 37 Arts. So I went through it by myself at home, alone, even though I knew it.

[26:21] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, once you get that. One thing to know it and another thing to have it confirmed.

[26:26] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. Yeah. So and then he's there by himself, needing a minute and Tommy and everyone is like just go to the dressing room and just take as much time as you need.

[26:40] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So we were both kind of like grieving in your own at the same time.

[26:40] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, just alone. Yeah alone. Yeah, and then you made the decision to put your art, your art and your creativity on the back burner. There was no choice that needed to be made. You just knew.

[26:54] veronica vazquez-jackson: No, there was not, there was no choice. I was gonna be home and I was taking care of him and thank God you have a job. That's how I thought.

[27:02] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, thank God you have a job. You're gonna need to take care of us because I'm not gonna be able to work.

[27:08] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, and this poor baby went from, I mean he was 18 months old, almost just about two when he got diagnosed and I mean we got all of the services that we needed.

[27:15] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, this poor kid's schedule. He had two hours of ABA every day, speech, OT, PT and then we put him in school for two hours. I mean we I was trying everything.

[27:34] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Well, you've done an amazing job. I've admired you from a distance and I think it's so beautiful that you speak about this so publicly because it's so important and you've been such an advocate for autism.

[27:45] veronica vazquez-jackson: So, can you tell me a little bit about what you've done? I know you've done walks and brought a lot of light and attention to this.

[27:48] veronica vazquez-jackson: I started off with going to all the walks. Yeah, and everything and just trying to be a part of different Facebook groups.

[28:02] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. Shout out to the Bronx Parents Autism Group. I love you guys. That's where it started and then as we kind of became known in the world, Chris became known in the world, we were approached by an organization called Culture City and they approached us about being on their board and what they do is they provide sensory training and sensory rooms, sensory bags for public spaces, I mean hospitals, doctors offices, the Barclays Center, MSG.

[28:41] veronica vazquez-jackson: We have sensory rooms. We have one in Radio City that's actually named after us in honor of CJ.

[28:48] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's amazing. That's so beautiful.

[28:50] veronica vazquez-jackson: He's got a little plaque on the sensory room with his name on it.

[28:52] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah. He got to cut the ribbon and everything.

[28:54] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh, incredible. It was so cool. My boy.

[28:56] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, and see like I think it is so beautiful that you guys have been so open with it because imagine the other families you've helped and inspired and showed these resources to that maybe they wouldn't have known about it if you weren't so public with your journey.

[29:13] veronica vazquez-jackson: I wear it all on my sleeve. I really really do. It's so important because what we want to be able to do is connect.

[29:19] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. And our kids have such a hard time connecting and if there's not a space for them where they can be included then how do they make those connections?

[29:28] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah. So making spaces sensory inclusive and being able to bring CJ to the theater now, we just did something with TDF and now they have these autism friendly performances.

[29:42] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, amazing. Has he seen Heights?

[29:45] veronica vazquez-jackson: He hasn't seen Heights yet.

[29:47] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay. He's going this weekend.

[29:45] veronica vazquez-jackson: Okay, incredible. Yeah. Is that so special to you?

[29:53] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, it's so so special. Like now he can come see Heights where you literally like yeah fell in love like created.

[29:59] veronica vazquez-jackson: And what we're doing is I spoke to the theater. I was like, I need like ADA seats. I need he needs to be on an aisle. He needs to be able to like take a break and I don't want him to in the middle of the show say like excuse me and you know, yeah, put him on the aisle, but we just have to find ways to include them.

[30:16] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[30:17] veronica vazquez-jackson: Because that's that's what they need. Of course. To be able to exist in reality.

[30:21] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yes.

[30:21] veronica vazquez-jackson: And to be able to go see a show at Madison Square Garden. Yes. And say I need a break. We have our sensory bags with noise canceling headphones. Incredible toys like um at guest services at a lot of these different event spaces now.

[30:31] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's amazing. That's amazing. Well, kudos to you for being such a badass like a badass woman across the board with your art, with being an amazing mother, friend, wife, just from I've heard so many beautiful things about you for so long.

[30:53] veronica vazquez-jackson: Uh, here's some of them. Your singular talent you feel like home. So many things you run the ship with such ease. So I want to know what you do for yourself? What is your self-care? What what's your thing to unplug and take some time for you to center yourself?

[31:06] veronica vazquez-jackson: Bath time? That's it.

[31:12] veronica vazquez-jackson: Any nap time, pilates.

[31:15] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Um, do you do pilates on the reformer?

[31:17] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yes.

[31:19] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay. I am obsessed.

[31:17] veronica vazquez-jackson: Good for you. I can't I like fall off. I'm, so bad. I like fall off of that machine. I can't do it.

[31:23] veronica vazquez-jackson: No, I love it so so much. It yeah, it just centers me and it's fantastic. Shout out to Jess.

[31:28] veronica vazquez-jackson: Jessica. Shout out Jessica.

[31:36] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, it's Jessica Kirby Pilates. She keeps me right my girl and she listens to me and she's a therapist too.

[31:41] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I love that. What kind of bath salts do you use? Do you use any scents?

[31:45] veronica vazquez-jackson: Not really honestly just that time alone and away from everyone and I let them know I'm gonna have my bath time now. If you absolutely need me come and get me, but it's gonna be a little while.

[31:58] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, I'm gonna have that. I love that.

[31:58] veronica vazquez-jackson: Tell us a little bit about what the process has been coming back to Heights and coming to Camilla. Was it a hard transition since you had Nina in your head to now do her be her mother?

[32:13] veronica vazquez-jackson: What's funny is that in my head? I'm still Nina and I'm like I am way too young to play the mom like what is that doesn't even make any sense.

[32:20] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[32:20] veronica vazquez-jackson: Meanwhile, Jackie can of course be my daughter.

[32:20] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, it's insane. Did you have a hard time like not going to her lines?

[32:30] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh, no, because the process is so quick also. On Long Beach, I was playing Daniella.

[32:33] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh you were okay.

[32:37] veronica vazquez-jackson: Around helped out with Daniella too after I had CJ Lynn was like, Do you want to come in and do this role? I'm like, dude, I'm like breastfeeding.

[32:45] veronica vazquez-jackson: I need like he's like I've got a room for you to breastfeed and a fridge. I was like sold.

[32:50] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: All right. I'll come do it amazing.

[32:50] veronica vazquez-jackson: So you've like made your rounds through the part Daniella, too.

[32:55] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, is there another role male or female on that show that you would love to explore?

[33:02] veronica vazquez-jackson: No, I think I'm good being mom now, yeah, which is really cool honestly, it feels like so right just with your story, too.

[33:10] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah to land back and be the mom at first I fought it. I was like, but honestly, I mean there are so many moments, uh in the show that I can draw from real life.

[33:25] veronica vazquez-jackson: Hey, I have a 17 year old. Yeah, and she's going to college. Yeah, so I mean shout out to my baby girl. JD shout out.

[33:34] veronica vazquez-jackson: Um, yeah, so it just feels like the timing is incredible and this is where I'm supposed to be.

[33:40] veronica vazquez-jackson: Oh my god, this is exactly where I'm supposed to be and you guys put this show up in 10 days insanity and it's insanity.

[33:49] veronica vazquez-jackson: It's 14 together with tech for a couple of days.

[33:54] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, are you okay?

[33:56] veronica vazquez-jackson: No, like that production also. I have no more covered. It's like full choreography. I don't see anybody.

[34:02] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh, it's so good.

[34:02] veronica vazquez-jackson: No, how could we how could we have a script on that stage with this show?

[34:10] veronica vazquez-jackson: Everybody kind of just walked into rehearsal knowing all of the music.

[34:10] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yes, I mean, so it was like I know I'm off lines and let's you know, figure out the choreography.

[34:18] veronica vazquez-jackson: Who's amazing and David who is of his work is just so great.

[34:18] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Oh my god, who's our MD?

[34:25] veronica vazquez-jackson: They're all fantastic. It is again. They all feel like home to me, too.

[34:29] veronica vazquez-jackson: So it's just like I love they've just got the best creative team. I love them.

[34:33] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I was just gonna ask and I think I already know the answer but I'm gonna ask in one word what does In the Heights mean to you?

[34:37] veronica vazquez-jackson: Home.

[34:40] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, this is coming back home.

[34:40] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, I love that. I love that so much. Thank you for being so open and vulnerable with your story and I think it's so like this show is rooted in women right and things women go through and I just want to thank you for being so open and sharing your story. You are a legend and an icon I really mean it and I'm so thankful for Dominic for connecting us.

[35:02] veronica vazquez-jackson: So am I I'm so happy you've been here.

[35:08] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So we have a lot of listeners who feel like the odd woman out the odd person out maybe their insecurities are getting in the way of them following their dreams. What is your advice to anybody who feels like the odd one out?

[35:23] veronica vazquez-jackson: Continue to be yourself. Continue to be yourself. Keep exploring who you are. Keep putting that version out and people will love you.

[35:31] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I love that.

[35:35] veronica vazquez-jackson: What is your next dream to achieve?

[35:42] veronica vazquez-jackson: Wow. I haven't thought about it a lot because I'm really trying to stay present and eat up every moment every rehearsal every show I'm watching and just taking it all in. So it's just been day by day.

[35:59] veronica vazquez-jackson: Yeah, day by day, but I I would love to be on the creative side one day as well. I did direct it with the kids. Yes, you know I've got some of those chops in me. I'd love to explore that and you direct choreograph dancer, let's do it all.

[36:17] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You're amazing. And I'm so grateful we have this conversation. Thank you so much.

[36:22] veronica vazquez-jackson: Thanks for having me. This is so fun.

[36:25] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hi, my odd squad. Thanks so much for tuning in to that episode. I know it was as iconic as I told you it was gonna be so please like subscribe and follow if you haven't already write a review and don't forget to stay odd my babies.