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[0:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hi everybody, this is Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo and you are listening to Odd Woman Out, a podcast and a show where we're chatting with women artists about what it is like to be a woman in the entertainment industry, the struggles that we face and the fun that we have while we do it. So thank you for listening. Enjoy this episode. Tell a friend to listen and tell a woman to love themselves a little more every single day.

[0:25] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hi Linedy, welcome to Odd Woman Out. I'm so happy to have you here.

[0:30] Linedy Genao: I'm so excited to be here. Thank you.

[0:33] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Why did I just have that high pitch? I'm so happy to have you here. And I just smacked this chord, so we're off to a great start. Everybody, I am here with Broadway mega superstar Linedy Genao and we are here live, not live, but pretty live in our perspective from the Welcome to Times Square studio. Gorgeous studio. Thank you so much for being here. I know I've recorded, I've recorded, I reached out to you like right when I had this idea and I was like, you have to come on the show and now we're here. So I'm so, so happy to have you.

[1:04] Linedy Genao: Thank you and congratulations. I love talking to all the women, all the ladies.

[1:10] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So I'm starting off every episode asking all of my guests to take us back to little Linedy and when you were growing up and you knew you loved singing and the arts, was there a woman who influenced you, who encouraged you or inspired you to want to be an artist, whether that was someone intimate in your life or somebody that was performing that you were looking up to?

[1:29] Linedy Genao: Absolutely. I can't think of one woman specifically. I can think of three, because these were the three that were repeats in my house. Celine Dion. Boom. Christina Aguilera. Boom. Gloria Estefan. Boom. Four, Shania Twain. Boom. I mean, if we're talking icons all around, like why, like what drew you to those women who made you be like, oh, I want to do that?

[2:04] Linedy Genao: I don't know. Just their, obviously their talent, but the way they performed, the way they composed themselves. I mean, Christina, when that stripped album came out, that was a whole different story. I was like, oh my gosh, this is rated R for little me.

[2:20] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: But wait, what was the stripped album? Tell me one of the songs.

[2:25] Linedy Genao: When Christina admitted that she was not a virgin anymore. Remember when that was a huge thing in the early 2000s, like when Britney found, you know, when the world found out Britney wasn't a virgin anymore, that was a whole thing. So it was like, that was an album that my dad was like.

[2:36] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And we were like children.

[2:38] Linedy Genao: Oh, like babies. Children. Yeah. But yeah, Gloria Estefan, obviously, because in what Latin household, you know, is Gloria Estefan not playing in the world? And then Celine Dion is just one of those icons that just like her aura, her presence, her talent, her humanity is just, she's just someone that I've looked up to for so long.

[3:04] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Amazing. But then Gloria full circle. Yeah, we'll get into that later. But then your Broadway debut is On Your Feet. And didn't you go on as Gloria a few times?

[3:09] Linedy Genao: Yeah, I was in the original Broadway cast and the ensemble and I understudied the role of Gloria.

[3:13] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Isn't that crazy? So actually, I said we're going to talk about it later, but let's talk about it now. So like, you got that job and you looked up to Gloria Estefan as a child. So what was that like?

[3:21] Linedy Genao: Oh my gosh, a literal dream come true. I'll never forget the first time she came to rehearsal, you know, because obviously I was literally crying every single day because I couldn't believe that my dream came true. I was, you know, in a room full of artists that I admired for so long. So many people from In the Heights, you know, and I was like, oh my gosh, what am I doing here with them? And so it felt real, but it didn't feel real, real until Gloria Estefan herself walked in that room.

[3:50] Linedy Genao: And I'll never forget when she did it. I think I had like a panic attack. I started crying. I just couldn't control it. Everybody was like, she came and hugged me and she's like, it's okay. Like, we're so happy to have you. And so, yeah, I'll never forget that. They make fun of me to this day, but you know what? It is what it is.

[4:04] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Did you have to audition in front of her?

[4:06] Linedy Genao: No. Thank God. I love your story too of how, you know, Broadway came to you. You went to just an open call, right? And then boom, then you're cut to you hugging Gloria Estefan going on for her. So that is amazing. So that's a lesson to every, a lesson to everybody listening that like, no matter what you, what audition you think you're going to, you never know what can happen.

[4:22] Linedy Genao: Never. Okay. So, so let's talk about your first professional acting job, which was On Your Feet. So was there a woman in that experience that sort of uplifted you? I know you were saying like, what am I doing here? You know, you were new to Broadway. Was there a particular woman in that company that took you under her wing and uplifted you like a, like a women supporting women type of situation?

[4:46] Linedy Genao: Before I name her, I have to say that all of the women in the company did. I was the youngest cast member. I was, I was the youngest cast member. I was the newbie. You know, I had only done theater in high school and in community theater. They taught me how to bevel. They taught me how to do my makeup. They taught me how, you know, literally like they taught me all the ins and outs and things that, you know, that I learned on the job, but also things where I wouldn't embarrass myself, where I was dancing right next to the dancers, you know, looking my best, trying to do justice to what they're doing.

[5:30] Linedy Genao: So all of the women, um, personally and professionally and who, who I still hold deep relationships with and friendships with till this day. I love hearing that. Yeah. But one woman that I have to say is, um, the late Doreen Montalvo man. Um, Ooh, I just got you. Yeah. So she not only, you know, put me under her wing again, personally and professionally, but I married my husband because of her for real and Liz Ramos. So Doreen and Liz are, Doreen was married to a stagehand and Liz Ramos is married to a stagehand.

[6:00] Linedy Genao: So I was the youngest in the cast and everybody's like, I'd gone through a really bad breakup and I was like, I don't want to deal with boys. It was my first time in New York City. I'm single. Oh my gosh. I'm on Broadway. And everybody's like, who would you date? If you would date anybody? I'm like, maybe, maybe a musician. Yeah. And then they were like, um, and I was like, not an actor. They were like, yeah, never an actor. And they were like a stagehand. Great benefits. And I'm like, okay, who did I end up with? A stagehand. Love you stagehand local one. I've said that they're like the benefits. Number one.

[6:33] Linedy Genao: So we were out to dinner for Liz's husband's birthday. Doreen was there with her husband. Yeah. My husband had been, you know, we went, we met on On Your Feet. He was there because he knew the stagehands from work. And so Doreen was like, what do you think of him? And I'm like, I don't want a boyfriend. I don't want to deal with anybody. And you're like, ew, not a stagehand, but he was cute. That's why, you know, our cute. Okay, cut that because I don't want them to get mad at me. So yeah, so she and Liz made it their mission to kind of put us together and Doreen and Liz were with me every step of the way, you know, again, personally and professionally.

[7:10] Linedy Genao: Yeah. I love that. Not only did they help you exactly, just like you said, professionally coming into a Broadway company, but they sculpted your life just by showing me an example of like, well, look at us actors with stagehands and it can, it can all work out. That's really beautiful. And shout out to both of them.

[7:30] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Okay. So now I want to talk about a moment in your professional artistic career where you ever felt like the odd woman out, whether that be because of insecurities about something or in a room that you didn't feel like you were being listened to because of your gender of being a woman and how you overcame that.

[7:41] Linedy Genao: Hmm. I think the first thing that comes to mind and again, nothing was intentional. It's just, you know, because of the experience that I had, but going from making my professional and Broadway, you know, debut in theater, uh, in On Your Feet, where in 99.9% of the cast was Latin.

[8:16] Linedy Genao: Yeah. To then, you know, I left On Your Feet to do In the Heights with Robin. She was so good. You guys, we got to find a clip of that and insert it right here. Um, where was that? That was at Olney Theater Center in Olney, Maryland, um, to then going to do productions of West Side. So it was going from Latin show to Latin show to Latin show. And then it wasn't until I did Dear Evan Hansen, where I wasn't hired or the role that I was playing wasn't because she was Latina and having to go into a company of a show that was already established and kind of like fit into that box.

[9:01] Linedy Genao: And it's like, no, no, no, this is, these are the parameters. This is where you're going to stay. Yeah. And that was very difficult for me because I felt like there was not a lot of room for me to be myself or for me to not for me to be myself, but for me to add my own personal characteristics and things to these roles, specifically the Zoe role, you know, that was a very precious role of a role that the, you know, the creative team was very strict on, which I'm so grateful and honored to even had have had the opportunity to play that.

[9:25] Linedy Genao: So that was a huge wake up call for me of like, it's not always going to feel like that. And so in its way, it was scary, but also beautiful because I had to dig deeper and deeper and deeper. And I did find ways to add my own twist and my own flair to that role and to the role of Alana and make it my own. And people saw that. So that, that made me feel good.

[9:53] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: It's about, you know, this is a theme we talk about a lot on this show about sticking true to yourself, right? Not trying to be somebody else because that's not why you were hired. Although yes, you said there's like for certain shows, they have like the parameters and the guidelines of whatever, but you're hired for you. So bring it in and just be yourself. And that is such an important lesson, I think for everybody, but for women in general who are always feeling like we have to be in a box of a certain way we look or act or think or talk to just say, fuck it all, not fuck it all, but you know what I mean? And just stick true to yourself.

[10:28] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So I want to transition that into talking about Bad Cinderella because I think this is an incorrect and I can't wait to hear what you have to say, but I think this is another great example of like you went in there and you did your thing and you landed the

[10:44] Linedy Genao: The first Latina woman to ever have that, which I just got chills saying that because that's so historic.

[10:54] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: You're like in the history books of musical theater.

[10:57] Linedy Genao: Yeah, I can't believe that I am the first Latina to originate a leading role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical on Broadway. You know, it didn't really hit me until after just because, you know, like after the whole experience because, you know, the craziness of it, the press and like the pressure and, you know, just trying to do my best and not let that outside noise, you know, get to me or affect me.

[11:22] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Which is so hard.

[11:24] Linedy Genao: Yeah. But it was such a wonderful experience with such amazing people. We, you know, we put our blood, sweat and tears in that. And it was such a fun show, such a fun experience and one that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.

[11:40] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Can I tell you the video is like viral when you are offered the role. So tell us a little bit about that audition process and like what you were feeling. I know you like videoed it. We love social media because we know everything that's going on, even if we don't know. Tell us about that whole experience and like what you were feeling and then like what you felt in that moment of getting that role.

[12:02] Linedy Genao: And like literal Andrew Lloyd Webber giving you a hug.

[12:05] Linedy Genao: I can't. Yeah. I mean, it started off as a regular audition. You know, I got an email from my agents. Hey, you have this audition for Cinderella. It was called Andrew Lloyd Webber Cinderella at the time, I believe. And I was like, oh, OK, Cinderella, I know the show. Yeah. I know the story. I mean, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Wow. That's a big deal. Yeah. OK. Went to the audition. Did great. Got a callback. And I was like, oh, OK. Got another callback. And that's when the anxiety started rolling in because I started seeing people in the room that I admire so much, women that I'm like, oh, my gosh, like in the audition.

[12:40] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[12:43] Linedy Genao: And it was so supportive, though. All of us were just like, you know, cheering each other on, talking, trying to, you know, trying to ease the nerves. I was also doing Dear Evan Hansen at the time, but I was an offstage cover, which was nice because, you know, I wasn't on all the time. But as we got closer, you know, all the auditions were at 10 a.m. Belting our face off, singing Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, which are not easy to sing any time, especially 10 a.m.

[13:05] Yeah. Which meant I was up at five every single day.

[13:09] Linedy Genao: And you're and you're not you're doing a big commute.

[13:12] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[13:15] Linedy Genao: Yeah. I live on the top of that, too. So, you know, but the final day, I'll never forget. It was down to five of us and then down to three of us. And I was shaking because that morning they said we're going to have a private.

[13:27] Oh, my gosh, I can't think of the word right now. Like a one on one with Andrew, a work session with Andrew.

[13:32] Linedy Genao: And I'm like, oh, my gosh, I'm singing in front of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Like, oh, you had it.

[13:36] Linedy Genao: Yeah. No, no. It was, you know, there were more it was first casting and then, you know, creative team. And then, you know, the room gets bigger and bigger and bigger each time in size. And so a numerical size. And so we have a work session with Andrew. They're like, this is to help ease your nerves. He's going to give you private notes before you go into the room with like the folks. And I'm like, oh, my gosh.

[13:55] Linedy Genao: And so I went, well, you know, I was nervous. Yeah. But again, we had sung these songs over and over and over over a few days. Yeah. And then finally go into the room. There's three of us and two princes. And, you know, I leave it all. I literally leave it all in the room. And at that moment is when I felt like I had never felt that in my life, where I was like, I am so close, I can taste it. I am so proud of myself to even have gotten this far to sing in front of Andrew Lloyd Webber. I already made it. It doesn't matter what happens. It doesn't matter because I am so proud of myself.

[14:31] Linedy Genao: It makes me very emotional because half the time we leave an audition, at least me wanting to cry. Oh, my gosh. Like that was horrible. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that? And for that, for the first time in my life, I was like, I did that. I'm so proud of myself. I worked hard. I prepared and I did the best that I could. And I don't have any regrets. So I left the room. I went back to the holding room. There was no one there. And I was like, oh, something's weird. OK, I'm gathering my stuff to leave because, you know, when they have you leave, you leave, you're done.

[15:01] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[15:02] Linedy Genao: Casting comes back in. They're like, hey, they need to see you again. And I'm like, I have nothing like literally I have nothing left. I left everything. I was sobbing in my last song. I have nothing left. And they were like, no, no, no. They just just give me your stuff. And I was like, OK, so I go into the room. And that's when you see what's happening in the video. I put my water down because I'm like, oh, my God, me, me, me, me. Because what are they going to make me say again? And that's when he offers me the role.

[15:24] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I mean, that video is iconic, but also that story is so beautiful. And I've never heard that whole extended version from you. And I think that's so important for people to hear that like we do leave spaces, whether it's an audition room, a job interview, leaving this recording studio today, being like, oh, I should have done this or I wish I looked like that or I wish I acted like this. And sometimes you just need to focus on what you did. Be proud of yourself for that. And go onward.

[15:55] Linedy Genao: And look, it paid off.

[15:58] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: And so you so that experience. So I spoke with Jordan, your friend on my other show, Survival Jobs, a podcast.

[16:05] Linedy Genao: Tune in.

[16:07] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yeah, shout out. And I remember him saying, like, there is nobody better to be our number one than Linedy because he was like, she's such a beautiful leader because you are just so humble and just such a good, genuine person.

[16:21] Linedy Genao: So can you talk a little bit about what that was like being the leading lady of this company and literally having to lead this whole original cast through this process?

[16:31] Linedy Genao: Oh, it was a learning process every day. But I went back and, you know, I learned so much from all the other leading ladies or leading gents, leading people, you know, in other companies and took from that what I loved and also just my upbringing and who I am. And I'm not going to pretend to be someone else. I'm here vulnerable, you know, sharing myself with the world every day, just like all of you. And we were in this together. And so we all bonded so much over this experience because it was really hard, you know, especially I'll never forget.

[17:06] Linedy Genao: The two hardest days were. The day after our opening, I didn't read the reviews, but obviously you could feel that, you know, you could feel the vibes, whatever. And our closing notice day. So after opening night, you know, you have the high of opening night. Like our opening night. Let me tell you, I don't think there's been a Broadway show that's had an opening night like that. Our red carpet, our party. Never again. That was one of one, one out of one, you know, one of a kind. You know what I'm trying to say? I didn't have coffee today.

[17:38] Linedy Genao: So the day after, everyone's looking to see how I'm reacting. Everyone's looking to see, how are you? How are you doing? And so I had to get it together. Get it together. Because if I crumble, everybody, everybody's looking to see if I'm going to cry. Everyone's looking to see what I'm going to do. And we all held each other up so much. And same with closing. So, you know, most shows you get the closing notice 20 minutes before half hour sometimes before a show.

[18:08] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: For real?

[18:10] Linedy Genao: Yeah, yeah, yeah. In my experience, I've been a part of. One was on your yeah, on your feet, I was still there for the closing notice and Bad Cinderella. They can't wait until after the show.

[18:21] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: No, I don't know, because the press, the press release is going to come out.

[18:24] Linedy Genao: So they told us, you know, a few minutes before our half hour, maybe like 30, 45 minutes. I don't know. And so we're all a mess, you know, and we have to do a show in less than an hour. So all of us have to get it together. And, you know, everyone's looking to me. I go to my dressing room. I privately like lose it. You know, I have to and then I have to get it together for a circle. Right before, you know, places, we all have a circle. We all gather. We all, you know, share our feelings, whatever. And I had to get it together because if I didn't, how was that going to affect everyone?

[19:02] Linedy Genao: Yeah. In the same way, when I was in that position and I looked to our leads like how to like, what are we supposed to how are we supposed to deal with all of this? You know, right.

[19:10] Linedy Genao: So it was really, really hard. But I just continue to stick to who I am and, you know, and I really try to bond with everyone as much as I could because from that experience, I was grieving. Not being in the ensemble anymore, I was grieving it because of all of the moments that you share together on stage and off, specifically the offstage show is always better than the onstage show, but the camaraderie, the memories, you know, while everyone's on stage having so much fun or offstage. I'm in my room on vocal rest.

[19:45] Linedy Genao: Yeah. I'm in my room prepping for whatever press we have the next day. I'm in my room prepping for the big song that I have to sing. Yeah. And that was really hard for me because I'm so grateful that my experience in theater started that way. So I really tried my best in moments to bond with everyone and have everybody come together and like me be a part of that since I wasn't able to do that anymore in this position.

[20:09] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's really beautiful, Linedy, because, you know, I'm like adjacent to all of the Broadway stuff and I you don't you don't hear that a lot, that somebody in your position is that cool.

[20:16] Linedy Genao: I don't like it, for lack of a better word, to like bring everybody together and to like remove the ego and remove the like stress that you're going through.

[20:27] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Literally leading this giant show on stage by yourself, belting to the gods in a beautiful dress. You know, it's like we're all human and we all love to perform and we're all going to do this and get through it together. And that's really cool.

[20:40] Linedy Genao: And that's so beautiful of you as a performer, but especially as a woman artist, you know, because, you know, women get the rep sometimes of being like bitches.

[20:52] Linedy Genao: Yeah. And listen, everybody can be a little bit of a bitch sometimes. No matter what, male, female, whatever. But like it is so cool. And I heard that about you like a few times, right? From Jordan, from other people.

[21:05] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So congratulations.

[21:07] Linedy Genao: Shout out to Bad Cinderella.

[21:09] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Yes. Shout out to your viral kick.

[21:11] Linedy Genao: Oh, gosh. We'll never forget.

[21:13] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: We'll never forget the press day with this spray.

[21:16] Linedy Genao: Hello.

[21:19] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Spray paint.

[21:21] Linedy Genao: The spray paint can and the kick.

[21:22] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: So shout out. OK, so now you're performing in Great Gatsby as Myrtle. What's her full name?

[21:29] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I like to call her Myrtle Lita. Okay, you know, I'm adding my own. I just like we're talking about you as you should, as you should. So tell us a little bit about that experience and what it's been like and how we can get tickets and yeah, all the things.

[21:42] Linedy Genao: So you can get tickets at thegreatgatsby.com, BroadwayGatsby.com. Google "The Great Gatsby" on Broadway, but I know the Instagram is @TheWayGatsby. There we go. That's how you can get tickets at the box office of the Broadway Theater on 53rd and Broadway or there's always rush tickets available every single show for $40, so go to the box office. So yeah, I joined about, oh my gosh, seven months ago. It's crazy as Myrtle. I had seen the show at Paper Mill. I had seen the show on opening night because my bestie, Tonari Vasquez, was shot out by my cast. Yes. We met on "On Your Feet!" to see. Yeah, that's my bestie for life. And so I went to support her obviously, but never in my life thinking that I'd be in the show.

I never even saw myself in the show either when I saw it both times. But I was like, I was literally a super fan of the show, still am. And you know, like normal, got a self-tape audition. Yeah. And final callback, boom. And in that, going off a tangent, but in that audition room too was a similar feeling of "Bad Cinderella," where I was, I prepped as much as I could, I was confident, and I did my best. And I felt good. And I felt their energy. And I walked out of that room like I did my best, and I know I did well. And I'm so proud of myself. And if I didn't get it, I didn't get it. That's out of my hands. But I'm so proud of the work that I did. And then a few days later, I got the call. But um, yeah, playing Myrtle has been incredible, challenging, fulfilling.

It challenges me in different ways every single day. And I was also nervous, you know, my first time replacing in an established company as a principal role. So I was nervous about that, you know, like especially in a beloved show like this, you know, we have incredible old sports, which we love to say, who are loyal to the show. And so you know, when you see a show, you have this expectation of what it's supposed to sound like, what it's supposed to look like, what it's supposed to be like. And so I had my own insecurities, you know, from like everything with "Bad Cinderella" and how I was treated and things like that in the media of like, will I be received positively here? And so I was, and I really used that experience of like, my phone's over there, but like not looking at my phone so much.

Yeah. And what people have to say, and I really didn't, but it was when people would tag me that I'm like, why are like, you know, I'm gonna see this. But it's been amazing. And I feel, I don't know, I just feel so proud of the growth that I've had and of this opportunity, coming from the incredible opportunity of "Bad Cinderella."

[24:28] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Isn't it crazy how people have nothing better to do with their time than to like be negative about people they've never met? It's just wild that people, trolls can do what they do, but good for you for shutting it out. So twice now you've talked about, you know, being confident in the room and like leaving everything you have. So what advice do you have to anybody listening, especially the women listening, to stay confident? Because, you know, a lot of times on this show, we talk about, okay, maybe we're prepared with our work, but we're not scared, but we're feeling insecure about our hair. I mean, I'm doing it today. I'm like, oh, is my hair out of place? Or, or like, oh, I should have picked a different outfit because I don't...

[25:11] Linedy Genao: I changed six times. I want you to know that today, today for this. So this is real.

[25:15] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: No, it's so real. I watch these back. I check out and I'm like, okay, do that angle. Cause that's, you know, it's hard. It's stuff that we constantly have to work at, especially as women. So what advice do you have for women to focus on their work and focus on what they're accomplishing and not all the other stuff that nobody else is thinking about literally? Yeah. Except us.

[25:42] Linedy Genao: I mean, I'm still learning every single day, you know, there are far few and in between those auditions where I feel that good. Cause I just had an audition and a final callback recently where I was horrible and like, I walked in already insecure and I just didn't do my best. And that's when I get so frustrated because I'm like, why is there such a, like, why can't it be some sort of consistency, you know? But, um, yeah, but, um, I don't know. I just, it starts from the moment you wake up. I think that the choices you make, the words you say to yourself, that's what I'm learning every single day to not walk into a situation thinking about the negative or like, oh my gosh, my voice is really like, I'm struggling today.

One way road is going to be so hard. It's going to be bad. It's going to be, you know, getting out of that mentality and, you know, hyping myself up, speaking positively, like you're going to do your best. You know, you have the training, you've been training for this, like, you know, work on your technique, you know, you sing the song, like technically well, don't even worry about the acting for today or whatever it is to get you through safely or to, you know, to get out of your head. So the advice I would give that I need to give myself is start from the top of the day, speaking to yourself positively. And you know, speaking of positive outcomes, like I'm going to do great at this audition.

I'm going to do my best. I'm prepared and I'm going to do the best that I can. You know, I'm not going to let all that other outside noise that I cannot control consume me because it will consume you and will continue throughout that day and the next day and the next day and the next day.

[27:14] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: I love that to wake up and say, okay, I'm going to be positive about myself today for these following reasons. I do that a lot too with gratitude. If I wake up cranky or tired or overwhelmed, I'm like, okay, I'm grateful today because of XYZ and it does really help form your whole day and make it a little bit different. Okay. I really want to talk about your show, your concert that you just did at Joe's Pub.

[27:34] Linedy Genao: Oh yeah. Yeah. Tell us about that. And, and I know you put a lot of yourself into that too, which I unfortunately missed it, but again, going off of like being true to yourself and putting your own flair in things. So tell us a little bit about that development of that show and how you incorporated yourself and how you stayed confident doing it.

[27:51] Linedy Genao: Oh gosh, that was a hard one to do. So my solo show debut in New York City was "Songs from My Salad" at Joe's Pub. "Salad" is "living room" in Spanish and it was my first stage. I would hold concerts for my family or for myself, you know, let's be real, you know, in the living room. Yeah. And so I wanted to, I was already so nervous to have a solo show to like ask people to come pay money to see me sing. I got, I love to do it for my friends and I do it, but I felt that imposter syndrome of like, who's going to pay to come see me? I don't want to ask people like the world is on fire, like finances are tough. Like I don't want to ask people to come pay to see me. But again, that was those voices where I'm like, I've always wanted to do this.

Everyone does it. Why can't I? I can, I should. And so I knew it was something, it needed to be something that was true to me, that was authentic to me. And I'm like, I want to start from the beginning, like why I started to sing, how I started to sing. And then it started to form. I just, you know, went from, you know, the things that happened in my living room. I broke my leg in kindergarten pretending to be a pink Power Ranger jumping off of a table with my brother. And so there was a song about that and just like, you know, kind of in chronological order of just like how I started to like where I am now. And those involved songs that I loved growing up and also new songs that kind of went with the storyline.

But it was so much fun. It's such hard work, props to people who produce their own things to producers because it's a lot of work. I produced that on my own, so I'm proud of myself. And with the help of many incredible people, my friend Henry Gaines, who also I met through "On Your Feet!" was my director, Daniel Gutierrez, who did the "On Your Feet!" tour was my music director. My cousin was in the band, all the band members were like, you know, family or friends of family and people I performed with. And you know, my backup vocalists were friends from "On Your Feet!" too. So I wanted it to feel like family in my living room, family and friends in my living room.

[30:00] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's so cool. Yeah, that was the vibe of the concert. Like, welcome to my salad. Welcome to my living room. Take off your shoes, get comfortable.

[30:03] Linedy Genao: You know, I would have taken off my shoes.

[30:06] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: You have to do it again. Do you have any thoughts about doing it again?

[30:08] Linedy Genao: Yeah, I do have a concert at Joe's Pub on Friday the 13th.

[30:11] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: That's fun. I just realized that right now.

[30:13] Linedy Genao: Oh, my God. That's good luck. I don't know what the vibe is yet, you know, we're still figuring it out. But um, well, good. We'll have to shout it. Shout all about it. And you know, I will be there this time. I swear.

[30:20] Linedy Genao: Well, Nadia, thank you so much for coming on the show.

[30:23] Linedy Genao: Thank you for having me. I love you so much and have for so many years.

[30:26] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Before we let you go, can you please shout out to all the women out there, the young women artists, the women artists our age, the older women artists about what they need to do to continue to embrace their odd, which, you know, could mean anything. Just being yourself, staying true to who you are, fighting the insecurities. What do you want to say to all of them?

[30:39] Linedy Genao: In life, and in every situation, you are going to be tested to, you know, fit into a box to adapt to do something that's not true to who you are, not that's not authentic to who you are. And as much as you can fight that, because you only have one life, you have to do the things that make you happy, you have to do the things that make you proud of who you are, of who you are becoming. And yeah, just stick to that, stick to your intuition and to just who you want to be and who you are, regardless of the situation.

[31:26] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Shut out the noise and let everybody know how they can keep up with you on social media where they can keep up with concert announcements or new projects.

[31:31] Linedy Genao: Yes.

[31:36] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Where do we follow Linedy?

[31:38] Linedy Genao: My Instagram is @LinedyHenao, my first and last name. And yeah, that's it.

[31:44] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Thank you.

[31:45] Linedy Genao: Thank you so much.

[31:50] Samantha Dawn Tuozzolo: Hi, Odd Squad. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Odd Woman Out. I hope you liked it and enjoyed it. Please give us a like, subscribe and follow. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @OddWomanShow. Tell a friend to tell a friend. She's back.