This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Quincy Brown: It's so funny to say this because I have a, you know, I have a two-year-old now, and I'm like, oh my god, I get to wick it, and I'm like, oh, I just have to play Elphaba. Oh, thank god. This is so much easier.

[0:13] Kevin Bianchi: I'm Quincy. And I'm Kevin. And this is Sentimental Men. We're here to talk, and maybe scream, about our favorite women in musical theater.

[0:30] Quincy Brown: Hi, Kevin. Hi, Quincy. Do you think I have a nice voice? Do I think you have a nice voice?

[0:37] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, I do, bud. Did someone say you didn't have a nice voice?

[0:44] Quincy Brown: Do I need to speak to somebody? I got called up on stage recently.

[0:46] Kevin Bianchi: What'd you say?

[0:50] Quincy Brown: I got called up on stage recently at a cabaret, and was forced to sing in front of a bunch of actual performers, and it caused a little bit of a spiral for me.

[0:55] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, sure. It would cause a spiral for me too, don't worry. Anyways, how are you? How's the new job?

[1:04] Quincy Brown: Oh my god, Quincy, it's so good, but I'm so tired all the time. Tell the listeners what you're doing.

[1:07] Kevin Bianchi: My new job is I am a middle school theater teacher at a non-to-be-disclosed-on-pod location.

[1:14] Quincy Brown: Which is the perfect job for you.

[1:20] Kevin Bianchi: It is the perfect job for me. It's so funny, I can already tell. Are you solo, or do you have a helper?

[1:24] Quincy Brown: I have a co-teacher. Her name is Corbin. She's very nice. We get along. We're about to do The Outsiders with the kids.

[1:30] Kevin Bianchi: What do you mean you're about to do The Outsiders?

[1:33] Quincy Brown: We're doing The Outsiders for the fall play.

[1:38] Kevin Bianchi: Is that legal?

[1:43] Quincy Brown: Not like the Broadway Outsiders. This is Tulsa 1957. We're doing a play adaptation.

[1:50] Kevin Bianchi: Gotcha. Are you gonna take your kids to see The Outsiders on Broadway?

[1:53] Quincy Brown: Maybe. I'm not gonna do it, but if they're gonna pay for it, maybe. Wait, you know what I learned about The Outsiders, Quincy? Is that The Outsiders was written by a high school student.

[2:00] Kevin Bianchi: This girl was in high school and wrote The Outsiders.

[2:06] Quincy Brown: Yeah, wrote The Outsiders for her English class. Her L.S. Hinton?

[2:08] Kevin Bianchi: S.E. Hinton.

[2:10] Quincy Brown: Yeah. She was like 17. And she was from that world or something?

[2:14] Kevin Bianchi: She was from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I actually do know a little bit about this. It's a first-hand account. Of the Socs and the Greasers.

[2:21] Quincy Brown: Greases? Greases. I enjoyed The Outsiders on Broadway.

[2:25] Kevin Bianchi: I love The Outsiders. It's such a good story. I want to go back and watch the old movie again.

[2:31] Quincy Brown: See, The Outsiders on Broadway was the first time The Outsiders IP came into my life.

[2:35] Kevin Bianchi: Are you going to come see my production of The Outsiders?

[2:38] Quincy Brown: If you invite me. Does that mean you're directing it? Is that what you're doing now?

[2:41] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Oh my god. That's amazing.

[2:46] Quincy Brown: It's very exciting. How are you? How's your new job title?

[2:52] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, my new job title's fun. There's been a lot of Wicked movie content that has dropped since we last were on mic together.

[2:57] Quincy Brown: I know, Quincy. It's a little overwhelming because I'm like, we still have 90 days left.

[3:03] Kevin Bianchi: I'm choosing to be of the mind that while it does feel like we are seeing a lot of the movie, and they seemingly reveal more with every new piece of marketing that they put out, there's still going to be so much in the actual movie that is new and fresh.

[3:13] Quincy Brown: I'm not of the mind of complaining about them revealing too much in these marketing materials that they're putting out.

[3:19] Kevin Bianchi: I would just love to say, roll the clip. What growth for you, Quincy? Because I believe, roll the clip. I believe like a year and a half ago, you were like, I need Wicked to slow down. It's too much. There's going to be nothing left for me to see.

[3:37] Quincy Brown: Look what a year will do.

[3:38] Kevin Bianchi: Look what a year will do. A year in an existential crisis.

[3:41] Quincy Brown: We got a Jonathan Bailey Fierro featurette.

[3:46] Kevin Bianchi: I'm really happy about the British accent.

[3:48] Quincy Brown: I'm very happy about the British accent. I'm also very interested. Why did he get to keep his?

[3:53] Kevin Bianchi: It just adds to the mystique.

[3:54] Quincy Brown: Yeah. No, I'm not complaining. I'm just interested. I'm just interested.

[3:58] Kevin Bianchi: I also, we do not have the white riding pants, but we do have the Navy riding pants confirmed, which I do think are a fair trade-off.

[4:06] Quincy Brown: Sure. Really, really excellent. The Navy pants. I'm hoping for some sort of an homage to the white pants as a send up, um, for the fans. What could be cool is if there's like a picture frame on his dresser or something of him like riding a horse and he's in that classic Fierro look.

[4:24] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Like just a nice little moment like that I think would, um, satisfy me.

[4:28] Quincy Brown: I would like that too. I love that shot of him and the horse walking in unison because it looks like,

[4:34] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, is that what that is?

[4:36] Quincy Brown: Yeah.

[4:36] Kevin Bianchi: Can I tell you what I thought that was randomly?

[4:39] Quincy Brown: Yeah.

[4:40] Kevin Bianchi: I thought it was Dilament. Like we're just getting a look at that Dilament strut that you did.

[4:49] Quincy Brown: That is so funny. No, I think it, I literally think of you whenever I see that shot.

[4:53] Kevin Bianchi: And I think that means a lot to me. Thank you. I think that Fierro's horse is also blue. I think, which then is a throwback to the Wizard of Oz. That's a horse of a different color and the horse changes color, which maybe that has something to do with that. But I do love the gayness of like Fierro showing up matching his horse. Like that feels, that feels like a layer of like wealth.

[5:12] Quincy Brown: There is also something beautiful. I feel like Fierro is pretty gay coded on Broadway and it feels the same in the movie, which is, which is right. I don't think I would love a not gay coded Fierro.

[5:22] Kevin Bianchi: No, I don't need anything wicked related that isn't gay coded in some way or another because it's like, yeah, sure. Like our Elphaba and Fierro, the ultimate like lavender marriage, maybe, you know what I mean? Because it's like Elphaba is not exactly straight coded herself.

[5:37] Quincy Brown: Those boots.

[5:38] Kevin Bianchi: Those boots. And also like with Cynthia and Jonathan in the roles, it's just like, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. It makes me so happy.

[5:46] Quincy Brown: We also got the Ariana and Cynthia friendship featurette. Okay. What can you, can we talk about the forehead wave? Did you see the thing that I reposted on Instagram that someone was referencing this Dorothy moment in the Wizard of Oz?

[5:54] Kevin Bianchi: Which like, sure, feels like a reach to me because it's like in that moment of the Wizard of Oz, she's like fainting. Like she's not waving goodbye to somebody. She's like, she's literally like about to pass out at the hands of Elphaba. So I don't know if maybe that's the reference.

[6:07] Quincy Brown: But side by side by side, it was a very cute reference.

[6:10] Kevin Bianchi: Side by side by side. It's very cute. But I do love that they are going to have seemingly like their own like signature because you would imagine then like that's going to show up several times.

[6:18] Quincy Brown: Right. And I would hope that we see the origin of the forehead wave.

[6:21] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. And I'm also imagining Elphaba, not to like rip everyone's hearts out, but I'm imagining now like when she's about to melt at the end and she pulls the big thing across, she does a little wave goodbye. Like maybe she's like, I'm melting. And she like does it on the way down.

[6:35] Quincy Brown: Oh, interesting. Kevin.

[6:38] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[6:39] Quincy Brown: I like that. For context for the listeners, if you don't know what we're talking about, in the Ariana and Cynthia friendship featurette that Wicked Movie put out.

[6:47] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[6:48] Quincy Brown: There's a scene where you see they clearly have some sort of inside hand wave moment where they put their hand to their foreheads and like wave at each other.

[6:54] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[6:55] Quincy Brown: I also noticed, and this was so cute. Well, number one, it was like the friendship featurette really drove home like, oh, there's going to be like scenes, like hearing those like conversations that we know so well happening at a pace other than like, pink goes good with green, this and that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, like.

[7:18] Kevin Bianchi: Because you know what there's weirdly not a lot of in Wicked?

[7:20] Quincy Brown: Book scenes.

[7:21] Kevin Bianchi: Book scenes.

[7:22] Quincy Brown: It's three hours of the most beautiful music you've ever heard with a little bit of boop, in between. Settle down, class. We got 30 seconds to get through three pages of dialogue and all of it's important later. So pay attention.

[7:41] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, I love seeing the like, uh, when they're at the wizard, the say something, say something, that little back and forth was very cute to see.

[7:48] Quincy Brown: Yes. It's, I just like, love to see, I think you're going to know what I mean when I say this is that it's like both of their performances feel, they're not like musical theater characters. Like they feel like they're just playing people as like dumb as that sounds. Like it just feels like this is like a regular movie performance. There's not because there's like so much camp around them that they're, it's like, they don't need that.

[8:18] Kevin Bianchi: Which I will say is jarring. It's like jarring for me to see and feel that as I watch all of this.

[8:23] Quincy Brown: Yeah. Agreed.

[8:24] Kevin Bianchi: I'm excited to see how it lands as, as a full length movie.

[8:29] Quincy Brown: Yeah. Yeah. Especially with Cynthia, with, with Elphaba, it's like, we're so used to, no, I'm not seasick. Yes, I've always been green. No, I didn't eat grass when I was a little girl. And like now to see it where she's like, do I have something in my teeth? Like so paced and like, yeah. Oof. I can't wait.

[8:51] Kevin Bianchi: Kevin, who are we talking to today?

[9:53] Quincy Brown: Today, our guest is the one and only, honestly, a staple of capital W Wicked, the one, the only Laurel Harris.

[10:04] Kevin Bianchi: Laurel Harris is like one of these Elphabas, Quincy, who's been around reliably forever. Like, I feel like it's, she's just one of those names.

[10:15] Quincy Brown: 2010.

[10:16] Kevin Bianchi: 2011. Well, let's look at our, our notes that we have here. Back in 2011, Laurel made her Wicked debut in the second national tour as the Elphaba understudy replacing Christine Dwyer. In 2012, she was in the ensemble of the Evita revival on Broadway. We love an Elphabita. Then in 2014, she was back in Wicked second national tour, replacing Jenny Denoia as principal Elphaba. After that in 2016, she was in In Transit on Broadway. I loved that show. Also in 2016, she was in Beautiful on Broadway as the understudy for Carol, Jeannie, and Cynthia. In 2018, she made her Wicked Broadway debut as the Elphaba standby popping in and out all year because that's the kind of girl she is. In 2019, she was in Jagged Little Pill on Broadway as Jill and the Mary Jane Healy understudy.

In 2023, she was back out on the second national tour as the Elphaba standby replacing Friend of the Pod Emily Kristen Morris. Then in September of 2023, she was an emergency Elphaba cover on Broadway. And now this year, she is back on Broadway with Wicked as an Elphaba standby and to fill in lead. So she's definitely I want to say I want to say like giving Jenny Denoia giving Jenny Denoia is it's like Jenny Denoia retired from Wicked. She goodbye Yellow Brick Road-ed-ed-ed. And then Laurel Harris was like, hey, what's up Wicked? I'm around. I got the chops. What do you need?

[11:58] Quincy Brown: I will also say I saw Laurel last September on the same day that we interviewed Mackenzie Kurtz, who filled us in that Laurel was going on that day. As a surprise, she was like hot off the press Laurel. She like got the text while she was talking to us.

[12:11] Kevin Bianchi: Oh my god. And she was sensational.

[12:17] Quincy Brown: Oh my god. The sentimental men universe. I've totally forgot that that happened to you. Quincy, do you have a stuck on SJB for me?

[12:25] Kevin Bianchi: I do stuck on SJB. I'm sure we all seen the video of SJB singing So In Love from Kiss Me Kate in this gorgeous outdoor indoor London venue with tropical trees and a piano behind her. It was actually very beautifully shot and composed, I thought.

[12:50] Quincy Brown: I do too. Yeah. She sounds delicious. It's it was like so nice to see her locked in in a role again. I guess since my most recent touchpoint with her is the concert we went to at 92nd Street Y.

[13:01] Kevin Bianchi: Right, where she was just just Steph. She's just Stephanie. She's just Steph. Mother. Yeah, and just like seeing like actress Stephanie was very, very, very nice. When does Kiss Me Kate close?

[13:15] Quincy Brown: I don't know. I'm such a fan of her voice on this music, though. It fits her like a glove. Because it's like I always feel like this role in Kiss Me Kate is like surprisingly rangy. Like you really need to be like a soprano and a low, low alto comfortably in this role. And she has it. To me, she is like such a different voice than I feel like has been professionally cast in this role in recent memory. And so it's very nice to hear a fresh take on how to sing this role.

[13:50] Kevin Bianchi: You mean like as opposed to like Kelly O'Hara and like Maren Maisel?

[13:54] Quincy Brown: Yeah, I think like a Kelly interpretation of this song versus a Stephanie interpretation of this song are two beautiful but very different interpretations.

[14:01] Kevin Bianchi: Totally. Totally.

[14:03] Quincy Brown: Kiss Me Kate runs until September 14th. So on the West End, tick tock time, actually, not really plenty of time. Wow, this year is really zooming by.

[14:11] Kevin Bianchi: I know. I know. We're gonna blink. We're gonna vote. We're gonna watch the Wicked movie and then it's gonna be 2025. We're gonna go home for Christmas.

[14:22] Quincy Brown: In between, we're gonna come see the Outsiders.

[14:25] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, yeah. You know what we're doing in the bootleg version of the Broadway of the Broadway, you know, we're doing for the spring musical. Can I guess?

[14:33] Quincy Brown: Yeah, I didn't pick it. I feel like this is going to be such a fun segment on the podcast is the school updates from the school now. Yeah. What's like, give me a hint.

[14:42] Kevin Bianchi: It is not not related to Wicked.

[14:46] Quincy Brown: The Wizard of Oz? No.

[14:49] Kevin Bianchi: Are you doing the Wiz? No. Not not related to Wicked.

[14:54] Quincy Brown: That was maybe a shitty clue. It's not in the Oz multiverse. But it's not not related to Wicked.

[14:57] Kevin Bianchi: Like Pippin?

[14:58] Quincy Brown: No. I'll just tell you, we can't put this on the podcast anyway, because oh, kids listen, they'll know. Oh, but we're doing.

[15:08] Kevin Bianchi: That's a good kids show. It's a good middle school show. Yeah, it'll be fun.

[15:11] Quincy Brown: Wait, so are you in charge of like directing choreography, casting all the things?

[15:15] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. You can't like bring in some?

[15:17] Quincy Brown: We can. And there's like a dance teacher at the school like they have dances and elective so we can use them for help.

[15:23] Kevin Bianchi: Wow. All right, let's get into the interview with Laurel Harris.

[15:39] Quincy Brown: Laurel Harris, thank you so much for joining us on Sentimental Men today.

[15:44] Laurel Harris: I'm so happy to be here. Thank you!

[15:47] Quincy Brown: Wait, we have to so Kevin and I were just talking in our intro that you are one of those iconic legacy Alphabuzz who is just in and out of the show.

[16:00] Laurel Harris: Currently here in room 10. The standby dressing room.

[16:06] Quincy Brown: Yeah. How long have you been there?

[16:08] Laurel Harris: Well, in this current time, it's been six days. So sometimes I come for like a day or a show or a week or a month. We just, you know, we never know.

[16:20] Quincy Brown: You always say yes. You always say yes to Wicked.

[16:23] Laurel Harris: Okay, so let's go back. How did Wicked the musical come into your life as a person?

[16:28] Laurel Harris: Well, originally, I saw the show when it first opened in 2003. I was lucky enough that my parents used to take me to New York every Christmas and we would see shows. And of course, I wanted to see Wicked because that was a hot ticket. And of course, they were completely sold out. And I literally went back to the box office and I begged them. I said, is there anything at all else that on the floor? I don't care. And they miraculously found one ticket in the balcony. And my parents were so sweet. And they said, go take it go. And so, yeah, I saw Dina fly and I saw Kristen yodel. And it was incredible. And I remember, you know, when the curtain came down after Act One, I was just in complete tears and amazement.

And yeah, I get emotional just thinking about it, because that was a really pivotal moment for me in my journey in this career. And I remember I called my mom and I said, I have to do this one day. I have to try. I have to try. And to this day, Elphaba's lyric, until I try, I'll never know, is something that I live by. It means so much to me. And every time I sing that lyric, I'm thinking about, you know, 20 year old younger me up in the balcony watching Dina. And I certainly never thought I would get to be in Wicked. And I certainly didn't think I would get to be playing Elphaba in her shoes on the Gershwin. And wow, it's just been an incredible, incredible journey. So yeah, that was my introduction to Wicked was 20 years ago, almost 21 years ago now.

[18:13] Kevin Bianchi: So when you first saw it, you were already on the I'm going to be a performer path.

[18:17] Laurel Harris: I was. I knew that it was something that I was passionate about. And I wanted to pursue, but I still was a little bit uncertain. I was actually juggling between going into performing arts and going into medicine. And I come from a family of medical professionals, and it's something I'm still very passionate about. And then I saw Wicked and I was like, no, I got to I got to do this. I got to do this first. I got to at least try, you know. So I'm very grateful for that experience. I'm very grateful that I got to see that show. I got to see Wicked in that moment, because I really do believe that it was the final indicator for me that this was the path that I was meant to take. And it really has meant such such an enormous.

It's just been such an enormous part of my life. And it means so much that I have been able to play this role so many times and come back to it over the years, because every time I get to a moment and define gravity, I literally look up to where I sat 20 years ago. And I'm thinking about that. I'm thinking about whoever is sitting in that chair in that moment and hoping that I'm somehow able to inspire them to pursue whatever dream they may have, you know. And it's just such an opportunity to be able to play this role and not to mention the incredible women who have played this role and that I've looked up to. And, you know, the iconic just powerhouse women. The company.

[20:00] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, it's just absolutely amazing.

[20:01] Laurel Harris: Yeah, it is. It is. It's really special.

[20:03] Kevin Bianchi: Was your family supportive of your decision to pursue performing given the medicine context?

[20:07] Laurel Harris: Yes, they really were. They were a little upset when I declined. I got into Duke University and they were a little upset that I turned them down. I was like, no, I'm going to theater school. I'm going to Michigan. Um, they're like, I can't believe you turned down Duke. Who are you? Um, so I had something to prove. You know, I was like, OK, I'm like really committing to this. No, but they they have always been so incredibly supportive of me. And my parents have seen the show literally over 100 times. They've lost count.

[20:44] Kevin Bianchi: God.

[20:45] Laurel Harris: One of the last times they came. So they're the biggest Wicked fans.

[20:47] Kevin Bianchi: They're the biggest Wicked fans.

[20:48] Laurel Harris: They were here last month. They came, they flew up on a whim from North Carolina and still brought me flowers. And it's just so sweet. There was one of the last times they came. My mom was like, so I noticed in the governor's mansion scene, the chandelier seemed a little bit lower than usual. And I was like, mom, wait a minute. Are you kidding me right now? But she is.

[21:15] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, I'm obsessed. You know, all the kids.

[21:17] Quincy Brown: We have to have your mom on. I feel like your parents could co-host the podcast.

[21:21] Laurel Harris: Like mom on to chart your alphabet and how it's progressed over the years.

[21:25] Quincy Brown: Oh, it's true. No, they will tell me acting choices. Oh, I really liked how you changed this little nuanced moment. I'm like, oh, wow.

[21:36] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[21:39] Quincy Brown: That's amazing, though, because it's like in what other like thinking about having a career as an actress, like there's no other show that you could be in that they could come see a hundred times.

[21:49] Laurel Harris: Nothing else. There's no other opportunity for you, an actress to be in a show your parents like enough to come to it a hundred times.

[21:57] Quincy Brown: I know it's wild. I know. And that's that's crazy. That's why I feel so grateful for this show and this role and the opportunities that I've been given, because it really is such a special and unique opportunity, like you're saying, to be able to grow in a role for all these throughout these years. And also that Wicked is I mean, it is never it will always be running. I'm like, it's going to outlive all of us. You know what I mean? So for it to always to always be here, but always having these iconic characters and the women playing them and getting to really morph and evolve with them as you age and as you grow older. And so it's yeah, it's wild. I'm just really happy to still be doing this 14 years later, 13 years later.

[22:48] Kevin Bianchi: So we want to on that note, I want to dive into your first ever audition for Wicked. But before we do that, we want to challenge you to try and document your journey from the first ever contract to now as best as you can, because we tried it in the intro. We tried. I don't think we did it. Like we've lost track a few times along the way.

[23:08] Laurel Harris: Same.

[23:09] Kevin Bianchi: And if you can't do it, we're calling mom.

[23:17] Laurel Harris: Oh, yeah, she probably has it all written down. She's like, actually, it was 2010. Well, you know, what's funny is I had a feeling y'all were going to ask me this. So literally, I was going through old emails today to find my first initial contract with Wicked and it wasn't 2010. It was 2010 when I auditioned and when I signed my first contract, but I didn't actually begin rehearsals till 2011.

[23:41] Kevin Bianchi: Okay, so.

[23:42] Laurel Harris: So yes, I initially joined tour two in 2011 as the Elphaba and Nessa Rose understudy. And then when there was still a tour one.

[23:53] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, yes, exactly. And then I was there for a year and then I left to make my Broadway debut in Evita. And then I came back to Wicked tour one in 2013 as the standby.

[24:08] Quincy Brown: Oh, okay. We missed that.

[24:09] Laurel Harris: That's wrong.

[24:10] Kevin Bianchi: That's okay. I know. Listen, I had to go through my calendar.

[24:17] Laurel Harris: Okay. And then, yes, I did that for a year. And then in 2014, I went to play the role full time on tour two.

[24:24] Kevin Bianchi: 2014 did the role. Between 2015 and 2018, I did Beautiful and In Transit and Jagged Little Pill. And then in 2018, I finally came.

[24:37] Quincy Brown: And there was no Wicked in those three years.

[24:40] Laurel Harris: No, no, no Wicked in those three years. So 2018 is when I first joined Wicked at the Gershwin standing by Broadway.

[24:48] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[24:49] Laurel Harris: And then 2019, I did more standing by and then I left for Jagged and then the pandemic. And then I came back to Wicked in 2023 last year.

[25:01] Quincy Brown: Gotcha.

[25:01] Kevin Bianchi: So you were not part of the Omicron Brigade?

[25:06] Laurel Harris: No, actually.

[25:07] Kevin Bianchi: Which feels surprising.

[25:08] Laurel Harris: Well, I feel like I probably would have guessed. I got a call.

[25:11] Kevin Bianchi: So not the Omicron Brigade.

[25:14] Laurel Harris: Gotcha. I did get a call about two months after my son was born when there was the Elphipalooza going on with the ridiculous COVID in the building. And I respectfully said, I don't think I should enter that building right now with a two-month-old baby. But thank you so much. It sounds a little intense back there.

[25:35] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, it was a little intense. So I'm very glad they asked me back after that whole thing. Because, of course, I was like, oh, no, I don't want to upset anybody. But yeah, it was just too, I couldn't risk it. You know, it's my newborn. It's not the moment. So yeah, and then this year, it's been pretty cool. Because I came back to the Gershwin for a little bit, filling in here and there. And then I got to go back on tour, which was wild, last year for nine months. And I hadn't been back on the road since I was there full time. So to go back a decade later, it was pretty cool. Because a lot of the cities I'd been to before, and some of the dressers were the same that had been there 10 years ago. And that was really special to see them again. And I had my toddler with me on the road. And he got to know.

[26:21] Quincy Brown: I was going to ask.

[26:24] Laurel Harris: Yeah, he called some. He still calls them his friends. Where are my friends? It's so sweet. And so and he knows Wicked so well. Like Hotel de Sitters. Mommy's at Wicked. Mama's green. Mama's a witch. He knows all these things, which is really cool.

[26:40] Kevin Bianchi: Mama's a witch.

[26:41] Laurel Harris: Mama's a witch. He practices his cackle daily.

[26:44] Quincy Brown: Oh my gosh.

[26:46] Laurel Harris: It's pretty cool.

[26:48] Kevin Bianchi: Having done TOR as principal and then TOR as standby. How is that different for you? Especially now you're at such a different stage in your life. I can't imagine principal with a toddler would have been a fun TOR experience.

[27:02] Laurel Harris: Right? Yes. I know. Well, it's so funny because I think there's definitely a way to do that. And it would be that my husband would have to be the nanny. But my husband's on the Mamma Mia tour right now. So honestly, the hardest part of last year was that we were on separate tours and like, you know, tossing a baby back and forth between who's got him in which city. But it's definitely possible I would, you know, I would have him come with me or try to find some full time nanny to come. I remember Jen Gambatese did that with her baby. And her mom was with her the whole time. And that's how she was able to do it. But yeah, it's definitely, you know, it's wild, because after playing the role, and then coming back to standing by, it's so much I don't ever want to say easier, because Elphaba is an incredibly difficult and challenging role.

But I will say that some of the pressure is taken off, because you know what it's like to do the show eight times a week. And now that I have had that experience, I've told so many people, gosh, I feel like the standby should always be someone who's played the role, because I think it benefits the show, the full time Elphaba, the standby, if it's someone who has played the role, because you just have a different perspective on what that job means of standing by.

[28:20] Kevin Bianchi: Well, so that's interesting. Are you still because you've been with the show for so long? Are you sitting backstage when you stand by with a little bit of anxiety? I'm like, Oh, God, I could have to go on? Or are you kind of just settled into it?

[28:31] Laurel Harris: No, I'm settled. And it's really nice. It's really nice to have that peace about it. And to really get to enjoy every time I go on now, I like I truly enjoy getting to play this role now. And it's not that yes, the stakes are high, of course. And there's an adrenaline will always be there. But I will say, you know, at this point in my career, and with my history with the show, it really is so much fun. And I just feel so grateful every time I get to play it now, which is really nice. I still feel like I've climbed Mount Everest afterwards.

[29:05] Quincy Brown: I just want to say it's so nice to hear.

[29:08] Kevin Bianchi: It's so nice to hear somebody saying that they have fun playing Elphaba. It's so often it's like we hear not in a completely negative way. But like you're saying, there is so much pressure, especially when you're new to the role new to the world machine that is wicked, though the the organization that is wicked. And so to to be with it long enough and to have I mean, you've had so many parts of your life happen through your journey with this show that now it's like the show probably feels in a way so much smaller than it did in 2010.

[29:38] Laurel Harris: And that's I would imagine that's kind of what allows you to be like, yeah, I'm not that nervous. Great. I'll do that. I can do the show. I'll jump in.

[29:50] Laurel Harris: Well, you know what it is? It's like the one constant that I've had in my career and in many ways in my life. And so I always equate coming to Wicked as coming home. And like it literally is. I mean, wow. It does feel it feels like such a part of me. And and I feel like Elphaba is such a part of me and I'm a part of her. And it's like she's just kind of always there. And so, yeah, I always say it feels like coming home. And it really does. So it's like it's it's so funny to say this because I have it, you know, I have a two year old now and I'm like, oh my God, I get to Wicked. And I'm like, oh, I just have to play Elphaba. Oh, thank God. This is so much easier. You know, I know how to do this.

[30:42] Kevin Bianchi: I know how to do this. I'm good at it.

[30:45] Laurel Harris: This has been the same for 14 years.

[30:47] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, right. Exactly. People trust me. I'm good at it. I don't have to ask any questions. I mean, yes, I'm still learning and growing. But I'm like, oh, wow. Who knew? Who knew that being a parent would be so terrifying and wonderful? But, you know, it's different. And it's yeah, it's it's wild because it really is like this place that I come to. And I feel I feel safe. I feel safe here. And I and I and the relationships that I've made and maintained, you know, for 13 years. That is so special to me, too, because I walk into this building or I go, you know, on tour and most of the crew is still the same. And, you know, I've watched their kids grow up and and now they're watching me become a mom.

And and and some of my best friends come from this world. I mean, Kara Lindsay is literally I move when she moves. We were neighbors in Washington Heights. Then she moved to Jersey. So I was like, peace. We got to go to Jersey. You know, but it is most of my community is from this show. So so it's not just a show and it's not just a job. It's it's it really is. It's become part of my world, part of my, you know, reason for being in New York and remaining here for for so long.

[32:03] Kevin Bianchi: Okay, so tell us about the first ever audition for Wicked back in 2010, I'm assuming.

[32:09] Laurel Harris: Okay, so this is a funny story. I initially went in for Wicked probably in 09 or even 08. And I was so nervous that I completely bombed the audition. And I was like, cool, I'm never going to go in for that again.

[32:25] Kevin Bianchi: And what were you going in for then?

[32:26] Laurel Harris: I was going in for the under the Elphaba understudy. Yeah. And I don't even remember where like what capacity. But I remember I had to sing Defying Gravity and I got to the end and I was so nervous. I was like literally shaking. And, you know, it was just not a good situation. So I was really sad about that. Cut to this is so random. But I ended up becoming Janine Tesori's the nanny for her child, who has since become one of my closest and dearest friends. They were one of my bridesmaids at my wedding. And Janine played our processional. And she's become like a second mother to me. And so anyway, she took me under her wing. She asked me if I wanted to be her assistant on Shrek. So I was out of town with them in Seattle and kind of like taking notes for her during the show, but also watching her child.

And it was just so cool. Something really amazing to do right out of college. And it was through her that I got another audition because she took me to the opening of Last Fall, the play. And Lisa Luguio happened to be sitting in front of us, who's the associate director of Wicked. And good old Lisa.

[33:38] Kevin Bianchi: We love Lisa!

[33:39] Laurel Harris: Lisa was also at my wedding. And Janine was like, Lisa, you should see Laurel for Elphaba. And I kicked her leg because I was so embarrassed. And I didn't have an agent at the time. And so she was looking out for me. And Lisa's like, oh, yeah, sure. Set up an appointment. Call Telsey. These are the days where you just call Telsey. And she's like, call Telsey. We'll see her Monday. And so I called Telsey because I didn't have an agent. And it was so weird because I remember being like, hi, Lisa Luguio told me to call you and you would see me for Wicked somehow, someway, sometime. And so I guess it was just perfect timing.

[34:21] Kevin Bianchi: She's like, I've heard that before.

[34:22] Laurel Harris: Yeah, I was like, what? Yeah, right. You would have my underwear all the time.

[34:24] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, exactly, exactly, exactly. Said who? Janine Desiree-Wett. And so, yeah, it was just like random timing. And I feel like the stars were just all in alignment because I guess they happened to be having auditions the next week and they happened to be looking for somebody. And so I went in that next week and I did the same material. And I was like, I'm never going to get this. I bombed it last time. I'm just going to go in and have fun. And people always say, like, try to have fun. And that's, you know, I'm like, yeah, really? OK, it feels like you want to have fun. But ultimately, it is it is a job interview in a way, you know, and especially for something that you so deeply want. So it's it's this weird dichotomy of having to, like, pretend you don't really want it.

But really, you're like, oh my God, I got it. So but yeah, I really was able to kind of remove myself and my you know, the demons that we all have as artists and just allow myself to go in there and live it, you know, and like really try to bring myself to it. And I think I don't know how or why, but I was just able to really release all of that. And I'll never forget in the room. Lisa said, wow, you've been waiting to do that for a long time, haven't you? And and I was like, yeah. And then I got to do Wicked, like it's wild. And and it's pretty cool, too, because I've only had one other. I had to go in one more time before taking over for standby because I remember I was in Evita and then they wanted me to come in like for a work session before taking over for standby on tour one.

I remember it just felt so big and it still feels big, but there's a way that I'm able to kind of separate myself a little bit from it in terms of it being this like unreachable, huge, historic, you know, epic character, because I feel like if anyone kind of sits back before a show and thinks about the history of this and Wicked and they'd probably like freak themselves out. So you have to kind of be like, all right, I'm just going to go play this role like I know how to do and I'm going to be present and I'm going to listen to my scene partners on stage. And I'm really just I'm just going to listen, you know, and be very, very present. I know I keep saying present, but really in the moment and allowing myself to breathe and feel this show, which is going to be different from the next show and different from the past show.

So I'm really grateful that I was able to slowly find my way into Elphaba. I will say that since becoming a mom, I feel everything changes and your perspective changes and there's a deeper connection that I have to Elphaba now that I couldn't have even thought about before I had a child. And I think part of it, too, is just doing other shows in between having a perspective on the industry, having a perspective on our world and our politics and life and the pandemic. My God, you know, that shifted so much. And so I think all of those things play into how this role is really versatile in terms of how the actor can approach it and how really, you know, the more life experiences you have, the more for me grounded it's become and real.

And Lisa always says gravitas and deeper, but I know what she means now. It's like I didn't really get it before because I was still coming from this like very youthful place and like Wicked's my first thing and after, you know, my college experience. And so it was different. And now I can really understand, you know, what she means about that. And I do think, too, you know, like you were saying before, in terms of your players, the show is always changing depending on who's around you. And I've learned so much from watching other Elphabas and from playing with so many different Glindas. And those women have also helped me find this character and this version of Elphaba since we all get to have the liberty to play it so freely and obviously within parameters.

But I really give credit to all the women who played Elphaba before me and and all the Glindas that I've gotten to play opposite and even the Fieros. You know, it's like we all kind of help each other fine tune these really interesting and multilayered characters. So I think, you know, my history with the show has helped that evolve as well.

[39:16] Kevin Bianchi: You know, your perspective on the role is really reminding me of Jackie Burns in the sense where she was another one who did a lot, a lot of contracts and by the end of it had really settled in and was just comfortable and playing in the role. She was able to pinpoint a specific contract where that switch happened. And the role was just fun for her. Do you have a era that you were like, oh, Elphaba is just Elphaba now? It's not Elphaba. Elphaba!

[39:41] Laurel Harris: Yeah. Totally. You know, I think I think there's two moments for me. I think when I took over the role full time, that was where I really, for the first time, felt ownership because I was doing it eight times a week. And it was, you know, it was like the role was entrusted to me to to make her come alive in a way that that made sense, obviously, within the context of the show, but with also within my body and my technique and being able to figure out how to do it eight times a week, not only acting wise, but emotional acting wise, but vocally as well in a healthy way. So I would say that. And obviously that just builds your confidence to like, oh, OK, I'm I'm the one they want right now. So then you're able to really take that on and and feel that that, yes, pride, but also responsibility of leading the show, really committing to the character, making it your own.

And like I said, finding a way to make it honest and truthful and come to life every performance. So I would say that. And then I would say, I know I keep saying this, but after having the child, like, I will never forget the first time getting to play the role after having my son. Once I did that and proved to myself that I could still do it and and was able to to access that part of myself that, frankly, I had I had lost due to the pandemic, due to the isolation of of motherhood, which is a real thing, the isolation of parenthood in general, but especially during a pandemic when you can't have a lot of people around. So I think after that performance, I was able to really celebrate. And and yeah, I think since that show, it's just been like, oh, I'm so lucky I get to do this. And it really is like it's a it's an experience of gratitude and joy.

[41:45] Quincy Brown: It's an experience of gratitude and joy.

[41:47] Laurel Harris: Every performance.

[41:48] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, it really is. Has there ever been a point in your Wicked journey where you thought maybe this should be my last contract?

[41:56] Laurel Harris: No.

[41:57] Kevin Bianchi: No. In fact, I'm still I'm still waiting for my Gershwin full time contract.

[42:08] Quincy Brown: Is your hope like would you like to be doing it full time at the Gershwin?

[42:13] Laurel Harris: Yes. One thousand percent.

[42:15] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, we would like that, too.

[42:16] Laurel Harris: Thank you. I would love that. I did get to see you. We had Mackenzie Kurtz on last September and we were wrapping up and I was like, oh, I'm seeing the show tonight. And she was like, well, hot off the press. I just found out Laurel Harris is going on.

[42:30] Quincy Brown: I love that.

[42:31] Kevin Bianchi: Oh my gosh.

[42:32] Laurel Harris: That might be my first show back.

[42:35] Quincy Brown: I think it was.

[42:35] Laurel Harris: It was a very exciting. It was.

[42:37] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[42:38] Laurel Harris: That was the pivotal moment. You were there for it, Quincy.

[42:41] Quincy Brown: I could enjoy Elphaba. Fear and yeah.

[42:51] Kevin Bianchi: Wow, that's really cool. It was so exciting to find out that you were going on that night because you are such a legacy Elphaba that I was like, God, I finally am getting my opportunity to see her. But also you sing the role so ferociously and you have such a witchy quality to the way that you sing this score that just really it's very Wizard of Oz, Wicked Witch in a way that is a nice through line to see in Wicked.

[43:17] Laurel Harris: Thank you. I really appreciate that. I can't believe you were there that night. That's wild. That's wild. Because that is definitely a performance I will never forget.

[43:27] Kevin Bianchi: How would you say your interpretation of the character has changed from day one to where you're sitting now? What were you trying to bring to Elphaba when you did it full time the first time? And what would you say you're trying to bring out in the character now?

[43:41] Laurel Harris: You know, the thing that has always drawn me to Elphaba is her activism and her fight for the marginalized communities and animals and environment and, you know, whatever the underdog is and whatever that represents. And so I feel like that part of me I was able to really easily access through Elphaba. And I still am. I think that's the part that draws me to her the most is the true fight for rights, something that I'm very passionate about. And I think that has continued. That's kind of like the core of Elphaba for me. And I will say that through the years, what has also continued to grow is just her humanity and her the way that you can relate to her, the way you can relate to anyone and just being true good people of good people, good citizens of the world, seeing each other as real humans, seeing each other, seeing our.

I mean, it's a lot of like every election that we're talking about, right. But like seeing the commonalities, seeing the human qualities and people. And I feel like I've really been able to see just what makes her so compassionate and what makes her so relatable on multiple levels. And the thing I've also found is her humor. She has so she has such wit and dry humor. And I've loved getting to explore that because I think that a lot of times people just assume like Linda is the funny one. But Elphaba has a lot of humor and character. And so that's been really fun to find that too, which goes hand in hand with her, you know, humanizing her and making her personable and relatable because she's never trying to take anything to. Yes, she takes things very seriously, but she uses humor as a way to juxtapose those really heavy moments, especially when it's personal to her.

[46:01] Kevin Bianchi: We were talking before you joined us about we were talking about it in context of seeing all these trailers for the movie and seeing how Cynthia, her deliveries are very like, do I have something right? No, I'm not. Like, they're very subtle, but it's like you're saying we know that the way they like it to be on stage is like, no, I'm not teasing. Yes, I've always been great. No, right, right, right. And it would be so easy for that to just be anger.

[46:08] Laurel Harris: But really, everything she's saying.

[46:10] Kevin Bianchi: Yes, exactly. She's making jokes. They're just coming out.

[46:13] Laurel Harris: Yeah, right. Exactly. Right. No, I didn't eat grass as a child. Like, come on.

[46:19] Kevin Bianchi: Exactly.

[46:21] Laurel Harris: No, it's so true. It's so true because they're not, you know, one dimensional characters. They're real. They're they're real people that have so much to offer and so many layers like like we all do. So that's what's been fun. I think, you know, finding all of those layers and not so one note because I think when I first learned Elphaba, yes, I was thinking like angry, screaming. Everything is at this, you know, and it's like, actually, no, like there's a lot of nuance there. And if you're screaming the whole time, you're not going to have any like fear. I wouldn't even be interested in you because you'd be like, OK, chill out a little bit. You know what I mean? So, yeah, it's been interesting to hear you say that because you do have using the flight portion of Defying Gravity. You have options and riffs that aren't even like the standard options and riffs that you hear other women saying, like it is very unique and bespoke to you, but it works, you know?

[50:52] Kevin Bianchi: Cool. Thank you. I was going to say, I feel like that kind of looseness within especially the two lead roles is like a fairly recent thing too because I feel like the shows I mean, if we put on our historian hats like the first like what we call like the Golden Age, it's like you had all of these like legends and it almost feels like the show was kind of trying to figure out what the blueprint was as it became clear that it needed to be duplicated.

[51:22] Laurel Harris: Totally.

[51:23] Kevin Bianchi: Then you had this middle section where it was like very by the book performances, I feel like. And I feel like you lived and worked through that.

[51:34] Laurel Harris: Totally.

[51:34] Kevin Bianchi: And now I feel like in the last like five or so years, you're starting to see like, oh, like she's a very interesting choice to play Elphaba or like or like, oh, she's bringing like even like Alex Socha right now. It's like she is playing Glinda in a way that I've never seen Glinda played on stage.

[51:51] Laurel Harris: Totally.

[51:52] Kevin Bianchi: And I would argue is not the type that you would think to cast Glinda as.

[51:55] Laurel Harris: Right. Exactly.

[51:56] Kevin Bianchi: Yes. Yes. Exactly.

[51:57] Laurel Harris: Exactly.

[51:58] Kevin Bianchi: But then is now giving inspired line readings that we who have seen the show a million times have never heard before, you know?

[52:03] Laurel Harris: Exactly. Oh my God. There's something that literally today on the monitor, I was like, that is so good. And it's hilarious. And I've never heard it that way before. And I, you know, thousands of times I've heard the show.

[52:15] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, it's pretty cool. And it's remarkable because it just continues to bring a new life to the show, you know, so it's only servicing the show as a whole. It's only continuing to make it, you know, alive and real. And like we talk about present, very, very present to the moment.

[52:32] Quincy Brown: All right. You got to get out of here. But the final question, are you a wizard and I defying gravity or no good deed alphaba? It can mean whatever you want it to mean. All we ask is that you explain why.

[52:45] Laurel Harris: Okay. Wow. What I think I am or what other people think I am.

[52:51] Quincy Brown: It only matters what you think you are.

[52:53] Laurel Harris: Okay. I think I'm a wizard and I.

[52:56] Kevin Bianchi: Rare.

[52:57] Laurel Harris: I know. Rare. Tell us why.

[52:58] Laurel Harris: I know. Well, it's funny because most people say I'm a no good deed.

[53:06] Quincy Brown: Oh, interesting.

[53:07] Laurel Harris: And you're defying gravity in my head.

[53:10] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, thank you.

[53:12] Laurel Harris: Oh my God. That means a lot because I am so stressed every time I get like running to the levitator. Please, God, let me get in the levitator. Thank God I've never had a no fly show. Knock on wood. But that is. Yeah, I'm always so stressed.

[53:30] Kevin Bianchi: Well, after all this time.

[53:31] Laurel Harris: Wow. I know. Right. It's a miracle. Okay. Talk to us.

[53:34] Laurel Harris: I, I just feel I just feel so connected to her because it's the one moment that we it's the first moment we really get to see her so vulnerable. And I feel like in that moment is when I'm connecting to when I was sitting in the balcony at the Gershwin. And so it just feels very full circle to me. And it also feels like it feels like I'm able to communicate to the youth of the world, kind of like channel the next generation of artists through that song, because that is when Elphaba is at her youngest and most vulnerable moment. It's also it's also the only song where we really get to see her feel joy, true joy and and the possibilities. And so for me, optimism. Yes, optimism, hope. For me personally, gosh, I just talking about the joy of this role that that's such a joyful moment to get to sing that song.

And I will say it has changed because I also used to be a no good deed Elphaba like that was my that was my jam. And it does feel good to really like put all of your angst and anger and despair and, you know, fuel into that moment. So I do think like singing wise, No Good Deed is still my favorite song to sing. But I think acting wise, I would say Wizard and I.

[55:04] Kevin Bianchi: How is Wizard and I singing wise for you? Because all the women say it's criminal that they have to sing that off the bat.

[55:10] Laurel Harris: Yes, I have always heard that my whole life. And people will be like, God, don't you hate Wizard and I, it's so hard to sing that. And I don't know why it's it is like the I don't want to say easiest song for me to sing, but I will say out of the three out of out of Wizard and I, No Good Deed and Defying Gravity, Wizard and I is the easiest song for me to sing vocally.

[55:35] Kevin Bianchi: Vocally.

[55:35] Laurel Harris: Yeah. What's crazy is our last episode was Seikan Sangblo and she had a similar feeling about Wizard and I, but that is so rare for everyone we've spoken to.

[55:43] Quincy Brown: Yeah, I know. And I'm so curious. We're like 50 girls in and there's five people who've answered the Wizard and I. Like, I can't imagine starting your first song is Defying Gravity or No Good Deed. You know, that's like, yeah. But at least Wizard and I, it's a nice build up.

[56:00] Laurel Harris: Wizard and I works you up to it.

[56:01] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Yeah. It's like in a very like mixy place and then you have some belt and then you're like back to mix world and then you have a belt. A little warm up if you want it. You know, I don't know. I feel like I'm like singing it wrong. I'm loving this redemption era for the Wizard and I on the podcast.

[56:18] Laurel Harris: Yes.

[56:19] Kevin Bianchi: But I feel like clearly something must be wrong with me. I'm like singing it incorrectly.

[56:22] Laurel Harris: There's something definitely wrong with how I sing that song.

[56:24] Kevin Bianchi: But yeah.

[56:36] Laurel Harris: This has been so much fun. Thank you for doing this.

[56:39] Quincy Brown: You all too. Thank you so much. I love what y'all are doing. It's awesome. And just so you know, like you are so beloved in this community. Everybody talks about you all the time.

[56:50] Laurel Harris: No, it's true.

[56:51] Quincy Brown: So thanks for doing what you do, because, you know, it's important on every level, on all levels, every aspect.

[56:58] Kevin Bianchi: So fun.

[57:01] Quincy Brown: Thank you so much.

[57:03] Kevin Bianchi: You've been listening to Sentimental Men. We'd like to say a big thank you to our editor, Anthony Abitangelo. And a special thanks to Michaela Reynolds and Julia DeMarzo, our photographer and logo designer. And of course, thanks to everyone at the Broadway Podcast Network. You can find Sentimental Men on Instagram, TikTok, and X at sentmenpod. Or you can email us at sentmenpod at gmail.com. Till next time, I'm Quincy.

[57:30] Kevin Bianchi: And I'm Kevin.