This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:19] Heather Bedor: Yay, technology. When we finally come back from our weird May break, we're gonna start calling it the May matinee, right, Amber? Life is weird. Well, I mean, I don't know if you can tell. I'm in a new environment. My little screen that everyone thought was a real library is leaning against the wall, and you don't even want to see what the other side of this laptop looks like. My move went atrociously, like got scammed by the movers. Like legit, they would not take my furniture off the truck unless I sent them money. It was bad. So I've been living in boxes for weeks. Plus, I had fringe. Oh, it's a mess. But hi, good to see your beautiful face.

[2:01] Heather Bedor: Yeah, so you've seen Ragtime and Cats. I've seen the rest of the category.

[2:01] Amber Brzezinski: Hi, I'm looking to the side because I'm doing the thing that we do.

[2:01] Heather Bedor: Yeah, I can hear you. Can you hear me?

[2:01] Amber Brzezinski: That thing you do.

[2:01] Heather Bedor: I think we might be on a delay, but we're gonna make it work. And hello, Olivia. Hello, Jeffrey. Um, I also know Chris Levy is listening in because I talked to him about 10 minutes ago. But this is, I don't know, Amber. I think our pre-Tony's Tuesday tradition has to be one of my favorites.

[2:01] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[2:01] Heather Bedor: So I'm pretty confident in how I'm feeling.

[2:01] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[2:01] Heather Bedor: Well, and you've seen the one show as far as best musicals. I haven't seen. Actually, I think you did. Did you see Ragtime?

[2:01] Amber Brzezinski: No.

[2:04] Amber Brzezinski: Oh no. No, I haven't seen Ragtime.

[2:07] Heather Bedor: Okay.

[2:11] Amber Brzezinski: Okay. So, but I don't know. Um, it's so weird because I feel like we haven't done a Monday in forever. And like I had my whole New York trip, which is crazy. We did the Janus Jam, which was so incredible. Um, but we've had like a great interview with Ethan Pop in the interim, and we've got some really cool interviews coming up very, very, very soon, including Tony nominated, and maybe by the time this specific person I'm referring to is on the show, Tony Award winning. Um, so this is gonna be a really great. I don't know. I love this is like our new season. Um, because we are 10 days away from celebrating our second year anniversary. Isn't that nuts?

[3:02] Amber Brzezinski: I know, crazy.

[3:05] Heather Bedor: That is insane. But you want to just hop right into it and I can go category by category. If you guys are tuning in, please, pretty please feel free to get all up and down and dirty up in the comment section. Um, if you're tuning in, syndicated, whether it's through Broadway Podcast Network, um, or everywhere that you're listening to your podcast, feel free to comment too, because you can always comment whether you're on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, whatever you want. We are here. If you guys have questions. If you think we are completely out of our minds with our favorite nominees, tell us. This is our favorite part of the show because everybody has their favorites, and everybody gets really competitive. This is our Super Bowl, guys. And I'll be going over to Chris and Lance again on Sunday.

[3:57] Amber Brzezinski: On that note, if you can all do us a huge favor and where else you listen to podcasts like Spotify, Apple, things like that. If you can give us a follow, rate and review, we would love that. We would love to hear more from you guys. That would be super helpful for us, so we can hear what you like, what you don't want to do.

[4:20] Heather Bedor: That's a great point. And Amber, do you know that on Broadway Podcast Network, they can actually download our episodes?

[4:29] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[4:30] Heather Bedor: So if you're going on a flight or you're gonna go somewhere where you don't have great reception, you're going on a cruise and you want to listen to us yammer on because people love us. But you can actually download episodes. So if you go to www.onlybroadwayfans.com, that'll take you right to our Broadway Podcast Network website directly to our channel, and you can download episodes from there instead of just listening to them live. So if you have a favorite episode, if you're like, I cannot believe how crazy this Heather girl is, I need you to hear this. That's fine. We're okay with that. Um, and Amber and I might have another fun little thing that's coming up. Stay tuned in the show because there's another great partnership that we have. Um, that's really exciting and just starting to get itself on its feet. So I think we're, this is gonna be a fun episode. But yes, great point, Amber. Do you want to jump right in? Are you good for this?

[5:23] Amber Brzezinski: Uh yeah. So um, we were discussing the possibility of maybe putting out like a poll with each category in the group. Um, what do you guys think of me posting like a live poll while we talk about each category? Um, and then y'all could vote. Um, you can share it amongst your friends, we can share it everywhere. Um, so that will also be happening. So keep an eye out for that. Well, uh yes while we talk about each major, we're probably only gonna do like the major categories, of course, because we don't have a hundred million years, but um we'd love to know um you know your thoughts as well and we also jabber a little bit, so um I know we haven't gotten a chance to talk between me being sick, you being sick, my move, your work, fringe like I feel like I haven't talked to you in like 20 years.

[6:24] Heather Bedor: Yeah, so um we're we'd love to know your predictions and we can definitely go from there and see what everyone thinks. Well, Amber, I know that we talked about this last year, and I feel like we've got this whole thing down, but do you have any plans for the Tonys?

[6:44] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I actually don't.

[6:48] Heather Bedor: I will be dog sitting all weekend.

[6:51] Amber Brzezinski: Love that.

[6:52] Heather Bedor: Um, so I will be trying to earn some extra doll hairs.

[6:58] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and returning back from that extravaganza.

[7:06] Heather Bedor: Love that for you. Um, I am going to Chris and Ned's, as I was talking about before, and um I think it's gonna be Chris, Ned, myself, and our lovely friend Brian, who's texting me right now, and love him. I am trying to find this information, but we are gonna have um, so Chris is very much like you and I, very much has to um yeah. Didn't you do like themed food last year? I remember that.

[7:36] Amber Brzezinski: Uh-huh.

[7:38] Heather Bedor: So we've been playing back and forth with like different foods. So we're gonna do Rocky Harsh Shrimp on an ice combined because it's rock shrimp and iceberg lettuce. So Rocky Horn and Titanic. Um, he is making corn pudding. He didn't even know corn pudding was a real thing. He's gonna make corn pudding. Um, he has ordered the top tier of a wedding cake for two strangers. Um, and I of course have to do something vampire-y. Um, but I am gonna make um garlic, not chicken parmesan for lost boys and skewer it, stake it. Um, so we're gonna have a good time with it. It really is like just my favorite time of year. It truly is. It's gonna be good. I'm really excited for it. Um, yeah, it'll definitely be really fun and really just great to see what the awards, how the awards go.

[8:45] Amber Brzezinski: Well, I mean, here's the thing too. We haven't really talked about this. How do we feel about Pink hosting?

[8:53] Heather Bedor: For those of you that don't know, Pink is gonna be hosting the Tonys.

[8:56] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, I have mixed feelings.

[8:59] Heather Bedor: Uh, you can speak on it first before I speak if you'd like.

[9:04] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I would have loved to see her come in after Megan Vistalli from "La La Land." Like we've talked about that. I'm really gonna be fascinated to see her perform with an all-star cast from "Chicago" to celebrate the 30th anniversary. Um, it's weird to have somebody, and again, she is Shoshana Bean's best friend, so that kind of helps, but it is kind of weird that she's not this well-known Broadway person hosting the biggest night on Broadway.

[9:32] Heather Bedor: I'm not sure I'm mad at it. I mean, I do feel like it is the direction Broadway is going lately with like stunt casting.

[9:51] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, and will she get the numbers?

[9:55] Heather Bedor: Uh yeah, absolutely. Um, I'm waiting for an announcement of her coming in and doing something on Broadway. I'm waiting for more from her daughter, which I think is really the push for her doing this.

[10:10] Amber Brzezinski: Absolutely. See, I've never really liked Pink. I've always thought she was kind of a mean girl. Um, I always thought that was kind of like the image that she was like putting out there. Like she was always like kind of like I'm not like the other girls. I'm like a, I'm not a bimbo. I'm not like a, she's a tough, she's a tough bitch.

[10:34] Heather Bedor: Yeah, but it didn't come across as like uplifting to women. It came across as negative.

[10:45] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so I'm not like a huge Pink fan, and I get it, like people change, it was a different time, people evolve. Uh, but I don't know. I just feel like she's always left a bad taste in my mouth.

[10:57] Heather Bedor: I completely understand that. Like it is kind of weird.

[11:01] Amber Brzezinski: Um for sure. Um, I don't know her, but I will say my very first hair modeling gig was by the wonderful Daniel Dowd, who actually did her hair and turned her hair into the camouflage.

[11:16] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[11:17] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so that was cool. But I'm curious to see how it goes. I am very excited to see um as Jeffrey puts out, is she going to fly?

[11:28] Heather Bedor: I think she'll definitely do something aerial silks, like she does, she's all sorts of crazy.

[11:34] Amber Brzezinski: I love it. Um like even at like Madame Tussauds here in Orlando, like her wax figure is like suspended on like a trapeze.

[11:43] Heather Bedor: It's cool, right? I think it'll be showy, like showmanship-y. I think that'll be great.

[11:48] Amber Brzezinski: Right. I think it's gonna be a lot of energy. Ariana DeBose, I think just kind of phoned it in the last couple of times.

[11:56] Heather Bedor: But my favorite is either gonna be Neil Patrick Harris. I honestly I can't even say or I think my favorite host is Neil Patrick Harris.

[12:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, he just really, I remember when "Be More Chill" was nominated and he was singing Neil in the bathroom and he was standing in the bathroom stalls.

[12:15] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[12:15] Amber Brzezinski: That was years ago.

[12:17] Heather Bedor: Right. So I don't know. Sound off. Like, do you guys have a favorite host? Like, what do you guys think is gonna be coming through? Um, as far as like what should we expect? But I definitely think it's gonna be entertaining and uplifting.

[12:32] Amber Brzezinski: The Chicago anniversary like celebration, I think that's gonna be really cool. The Mormon anniversary is gonna be very cool. Mormon anniversary. I love Misa Mormons, especially after this event that just occurred. Like it's not crazy that I was right there. Yeah, it's gonna be like huge. Um and then Misscast had Nikki James singing, I believe. Like it's just been like a really wild. I almost feel like this is Broadway community time to come together because of all the weird shit that we've been dealing with.

[13:09] Heather Bedor: Yeah, for sure. I really think so. Um, talking about the Chicago special for a second, because I do want to talk a little bit about it. Yes, besides pink, but also, and this is only for the CBS, not the Pluto TV. I don't know if it'll be playing differently, but on CBS for the Tony Awards, it's gonna be Queen Latifah, which is super cool, pink, Julianne Hough, Whitney Lovett, Alex Newell, Adrian Warren, quote, and more. So it'll be really kind of fascinating. Um, but I'm here for it. Like, let's just do the damn thing.

[13:43] Amber Brzezinski: Um, should we go into and remind people of the top Tony categories and who is yeah, we might just we might as well nominate it? Do we want to go into that? What do we feel like show off?

[13:56] Heather Bedor: Get this show dive right in, baby.

[14:02] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know. See, this is part of my problem, is that I don't have a lot of brain fog, so I don't remember like words and phone numbers, so I think that's the right expression.

[14:13] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[14:15] Amber Brzezinski: On the road. Get the show on. Get the show on the road.

[14:20] Heather Bedor: Yes. Um, all right. So full list of nominees for bet um, you know what? Let's just go category by category instead of just listing them off and going back. So for best play, now I am self-admittedly not a playgirl. I will see a play, but I am not. Um, I've seen one of the nominees. That's it. So for best play, there's a ballast, giant, liberation, and little bear ridge road. As I can't speak so effectively of it, um, with what I know, I'm gonna say it's either gonna be liberation. I've heard great things about liberation as well, or giant. Um, I've heard, I feel like it's gonna either be the Balosers or Liberation. I've heard great things about both of those shows.

[15:07] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, so and you know, if you guys are have seen the plays, tell us what you think. Um, it'll be really interesting. And the poll is officially up on the Broadway fan club group, so you can go um make your vote. Perfect there. Yes, we're gonna be doing live voting now, and then during um the Tonies, we'll be posting live updates. Um, you know, we're gonna save best musical for last, but let's go into best revival of a play.

[15:34] Heather Bedor: You have Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Oh my goodness, hold on one second. Give me one moment.

[15:39] Amber Brzezinski: You're fine.

[15:40] Heather Bedor: I need I need to fix something really quick because it's like this isn't gonna fly with my batteries at 56%. So until that dies, we're good. Somehow the page isn't the page is the the page isn't like friendly in the group. So it's making me approve the posts in the group.

[16:05] Amber Brzezinski: I love that.

[16:06] Heather Bedor: So for those that don't know, like I it's really fun. So our uh my new friend Jillian, uh, shout out to her. She's great. She didn't realize that we have our podcasts and our groups. And I was talking to one of our members today. He's like, Yeah, I really love what you guys do with this group. It's super cool. And I'm like, Yeah, you're in like 10 of our groups, dude. He's like, Wait, what? We run 175 groups.

[16:26] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I love seeing like people in the wild, and they're like, Yeah, hey, uh, like I like podcasting groups that I'm in, they'll be like, I just moved here like to this area. Like, does anyone want like want to be friends? These are my hobbies, and I'm like, Yeah, looks like we have a lot of things in common, including the fact that you are an active member of many of my groups.

[16:51] Heather Bedor: Well, and as of today, we also have the new paranormal activity show fan group.

[16:56] Amber Brzezinski: Oh my gosh.

[16:58] Heather Bedor: So that's exciting.

[16:59] Amber Brzezinski: Well, this isn't all right, and that's why. Well, that's okay. My laptop is just dying quickly, and the charger's not working because this is what happens when it moves. So we'll get through these quickly. While Amber is doing some tech support on our back end, that sounds dirty. Let's go into best revival of a play.

[17:15] Heather Bedor: So again, we have Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Becky Shaw, Every Brilliant Thing, Fallen Angels, and Oedipus. I would love to think that every brilliant thing would be the winner of that category, but that is a strong ass category, and from everything I'm hearing, it's gonna either be Becky Shaw or Death of the Salesman. I've heard that both of them are really strong contenders. I think I mean this was definitely an off Broadway and play season for Broadway.

[17:46] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, for sure. All right, let's go to Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

[17:53] Heather Bedor: My heart, Nicholas Christopher for chess, Luke Evans for Rocky Horror, Joshua Henry for Ragtime, Sam Tutti for Two Strangers, and Brandon Uranowitz for ragtime. Um, I'm going to very much say I would love it to be Nick or Luke, but I know it's gotta go to Joshua Henry. I know it's really it has to.

[18:22] Amber Brzezinski: It absolutely has to. Um, okay. So we agree on that one. Best performance by an actress in a leading.

[18:30] Heather Bedor: Oh my god, my battery is literally just went from 34% to 30. I'm sorry, guys. This will be fun tech tech day. Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical, Sarah Chase for Megadoon, Stephanie Sue for Rocky Horror, my girl Casey Levy for Ragtime, Marla Mandel for Titanic, and Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers. To me, it's a no-brainer. It's Casey.

[18:57] Amber Brzezinski: Um I agree. But I keep, but I keep hearing, and Chris Levy will be very mad when I don't say it, but I keep hearing that Marla should be taking it with Titanic. So I very much think it's gonna be Casey. Um Sarah was great, Stephanie was great, but Casey as Mother, calm on. I know. Come on. I know. And Christiani is phenomenal in Two Strangers, but I don't think it's at that level yet.

[19:26] Heather Bedor: Yeah. All right. Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play. Also, if my battery dies in my laptop, I'm gonna go right on to my phone. Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play. Will Harrison for Punch? Nathan Lane for Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. John Lithgow for Giant, Daniel Radcliffe for Everbind Thing, or Mark Sean for Oedipus. I would think maybe Nathan Lane, but John Lithgow portraying that in Giant. That's a freaking tough role, y'all.

[20:01] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[20:02] Heather Bedor: Tough role. Um, if you don't know about the show, do a little bit of research on it. I'm not gonna bring the show down right now. Holy crap. So I would love to see a bit of John Lithgow. It's gonna have a pro show.

[20:15] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[20:20] Heather Bedor: Yeah. Um, I believe so. Yeah, that's what they announced. All right, best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play. Rose Byrne for Falling Angel, Fallen Angels, Carrie Kuhn for Bug, Susanna Flood, Liberation, Leslie Manville, Oedipus, and Kelly O'Hara for Fallen Angels. I've heard Kelly is amazing in that show.

[20:43] Amber Brzezinski: But I really said I have heard Kelly is amazing in that show.

[20:50] Heather Bedor: What'd you say?

[20:54] Amber Brzezinski: I all I heard, oh, all I heard was in that show. Uh that Kelly is phenomenal.

[21:01] Heather Bedor: Oh, I bet. I keep hearing it's gonna go to Roseburner Carrie Kuhn, though. So we'll see. We didn't begin about best revival of a musical yet, right?

[21:13] Amber Brzezinski: No, nope.

[21:14] Heather Bedor: Lisa Wolf says Leslie. Leslie Manville for Oedipus. I you know, I've heard it. That's a strong category, so it's possible.

[21:23] Amber Brzezinski: Well, for sure. All right. Yeah. All these categories are very good.

[21:32] Heather Bedor: The Lost Boys.

[21:35] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. So for Best Book of a Musical, you've got The Lost Boys, Shmigadoon, Titanic, and Two Strangers. Alright, let's see. What do you think, Amber?

[21:55] Amber Brzezinski: As I'm trying to pull up StreamYard on my phone because my laptop is dying. Um, I don't know. I've heard see, I've only seen one of the three, but I've heard like really strong compelling arguments for three of the shows.

[22:19] Heather Bedor: Okay, technology. This is fun. Can you hear me? Can you hear me?

[22:27] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, but you gotta go out of one. I keep going out of the other one. There we go. Okay, I promise I was trying to. This is fun. Love technology for us guys. Love technology here. All right. Let's see if this'll work.

[22:44] Heather Bedor: Okay. I think for book. It's tough. It is very tough. Um, as much as I would love Lost Boys to do everything, it's based off of an IP. To me, it I think it should go to Two Strangers. Right. I really think it should. Tight everything Shmigadoon based off of IP, Titanic based off of IP. Are they written well? Absolutely. Two strangers, an original show. To me, that's what's supposed to win Best Book.

[23:16] Amber Brzezinski: Right. Even though I do feel like Shmigadoon in a way is kind of original.

[23:25] Heather Bedor: Yeah, of course. It is still based on shows based on musicals. I feel like it does also have like that golden age musical vibe that people do.

[23:40] Amber Brzezinski: No, a hundred percent. I think Chris is also on that train too for Schmig.

[23:46] Heather Bedor: Yeah, so that's that's what I'm hearing a lot of.

[23:49] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. So then you then we go into best original score, music and or lyrics written for the theater.

[23:57] Heather Bedor: Right. And to me, I'll explain almost exactly what you're saying, is what I think for best original score, but I'm stuck. So you've got Death of a Salesman. Right. You have August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, which I really haven't heard much about. Maybe it's just the circles that we run in. The Lost Boys, as much as I would love to see Gabe and everybody at the rescues get that. Shemigadoon, Cinco Paul, as Chris and I were talking last night, because Chris, as you guys might know, Chris is the piano player that uh went viral with our video that he did the Operation Mincemeat stuff in the lobby of the Grand Flirtan and played some phantom stuff. I'm still waiting for the ragtime remix, Chris. I know you're listening. Yes, he and Ned are having dinner right now, listening to us. Yeah, we're on. Um, but Lost Boys has an incredible score. It's I wouldn't say the word catchy, but it's memorable.

[25:03] Heather Bedor: And it goes and it lives and it has this rock vibe, and like it you've seen the show now. You live through these experiences. The band is playing, this is happening, they're flying. Like, holy crap. Shmigadoon. I think the way that Chris put it is yes, it's pulled off of, you know, based off of different move like musicals, but in the writing for the score, they had to pull out of thin air this creation of this classic golden age of Broadway musical, like the 1940s style big band. They had to recreate an old sound with a new concept.

[25:43] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[25:48] Heather Bedor: That's a great way of putting it. I wouldn't even say recreate. They had yeah, but yeah, so I as much as I would love to see my friends the rescues hit it for Lost Boys, I think it's gonna go to Schmigadoon. Yeah, I really do, and I'm not mad about that either. It's a phenomenal show.

[26:06] Amber Brzezinski: Right. It is a phenomenal show.

[26:09] Heather Bedor: Um, let's move on to our next category. Best scenic design of a play. So you have Oedipus, Bug, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Dog Day Afternoon, or Fallen Angels.

[26:28] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know enough about these to weigh in. But from what I've heard, it's either Dog Day Afternoon or Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.

[26:39] Heather Bedor: Yeah, I've just heard like such good things about the production itself or Death of the Salesman.

[26:47] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[26:48] Heather Bedor: Um yeah.

[26:55] Amber Brzezinski: Next category. This I think I hate to say is I still have my two, my two main. So it's between Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, Cat's Angelical Ball, The Lost Boys, or Shmigadoon.

[27:19] Heather Bedor: I would love to think it would go to Lost Boys with a three-story set.

[27:24] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[27:24] Heather Bedor: And that's beautiful. But then I go, Shmigadoon, which is really the sleeper cell of the Tonies, I think. Um, because they recreated or created this nuanced vibe that is emulating old school Broadway, but they did it perfectly. Um I know you haven't seen Schmig yet, right?

[27:53] Amber Brzezinski: No.

[27:54] Heather Bedor: So they have it, it's a stagnant set for the most part, but they have all the drops and the back box drops, but they have that gazebo, which is like on everything, but it it's 2D, but it's usable. They stand on this gazebo. It's like you're watching a movie. It's just it's so well done. Um, but I still think it's gonna go to Lost Boys. It has to, yeah.

[28:20] Amber Brzezinski: It has to.

[28:22] Heather Bedor: All right, so now again, I hate to be that like I don't know the plays well enough. I don't best costume design of a play, dog day afternoon, liberation, fallen angels, the ballasters, August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

[28:41] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know. All I can say is I feel like the tough part is is that a lot of these plays costuming is very specific. Not even specific, but just like almost time, like a time period, yeah.

[29:01] Heather Bedor: Costume instead of like creative, like creative, like you have to wear like a glitz to the glam, not even a glitz to glamour, but like a pizzazz costume, but like a zz, yeah, yeah.

[29:18] Amber Brzezinski: Well, and then we move on to best costume design of a musical, which is one of my favorite categories because I work on costuming for a lot of stuff. So you have ragtime, and Linda Cho is not only ragtime, she's also Shemingadoon too. Ragtime, Shmigadoon has those classic costumes. I did not see Jellico Ball, but from every picture, photo, video, everything, I think it's a no-brainer. I would love uh to see it take costumes, but I am also very obsessed with Ryan Park's design for the Lost Boys, yeah.

[29:55] Heather Bedor: Yeah, but I think that doesn't match Pitor, ball, ball gown, ballroom, nothing.

[30:03] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[30:04] Heather Bedor: And I think because of the way that the costumes play into cats, the jellico ball and change the story. Amplifies the situation and amplifies the costuming.

[30:20] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[30:21] Heather Bedor: Whereas Lost Boys, it's it's there. It's expected. There, it's expected. It's 80s. We know what we're gonna get. So beautiful. I want my instructor design my whole life. But yeah. That's the jellicle ball. You go in thinking you're gonna get a cat, and you get this incredible couture, yeah.

[30:44] Amber Brzezinski: Like fabulousness.

[30:46] Heather Bedor: And you know, it hurts me to say anything the lost boys is doing is not gonna win, especially in one of my favorite parts of it. But I definitely think it's gonna be gelical ball for sure.

[30:55] Amber Brzezinski: I sure hope so. Happy pride, especially to July.

[30:59] Heather Bedor: Yeah, happy pride month, everybody.

[31:02] Amber Brzezinski: Some pride month, happy pride.

[31:05] Heather Bedor: Okay, so my friend Brian, not Brian Brian, my Brian, but I was like, I've got lots of Brian's, but my dear friend Brian um is with his partner at Rocky Horror as we speak and put posted a picture of the Pride bill, and I was like, fuck, can you grab me one, please?

[31:22] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, it's so pretty.

[31:24] Heather Bedor: Pick it up off the floor, like I want one too. Like yeah, yeah.

[31:27] Amber Brzezinski: So uh, because I've got all the playbills, but I like the pride bills.

[31:34] Heather Bedor: I love a pride bill.

[31:35] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I know you know.

[31:37] Heather Bedor: All right, well, I love an any anything special play bill.

[31:41] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, I did buy the ragtime special one on eBay.

[31:44] Heather Bedor: I'm not surprised at all but also yeah i get it i love it we love a good playbill um all right let's move on to best lighting design of a play did we do best costume of a musical that was what we just went through best costume okay um i'm i'm talking i'm copying you're fine you're doing amazing um you're doing great oh it's like my concussion's gone and you're no i literally like i'm it's it's bad like i'm at work i've worked in the same place for seven years and i like i people are like what's your phone number and i'm like uh one the number one apple it's all right it's also a stress thing guys like it is very okay to not be okay right now that's why we love doing these episodes because we're like hey it's stupid and it's silly but it's important to us especially one in the industry two for our fans three for our members and our group and our community because this is what gets us excited because we can celebrate others' accomplishments and achievements so why not Shane hates me saying it but I don't care gotta gas them up a little bit yeah all right let's move on to best lighting design of a play you have dog day afternoon Oedipus August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone Bug the Fear of 13 and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and if you notice people this is a sixer yeah.

[33:17] Amber Brzezinski: So yeah, you have to you you have to notice that that must have been a tough narrow down if they added well and Heather Gilbert is nominated for both bug and The Fear of 13.

[33:29] Heather Bedor: Right. But from what I'm hearing, fear of 13, Death of a Salesman.

[33:34] Amber Brzezinski: Right. I've heard Fear of 13 is amazing.

[33:39] Heather Bedor: Yeah. Yes.

[33:41] Amber Brzezinski: Um, all right. Here is where, again, as Amber puts it, it's a sixer. Cause it is best lighting design of a musical. This is tough too. And I'm gonna I'm gonna talk my way through each one of these that I have seen. Amber, I need you to talk your way through cats, and then we can try to figure out rag time. So you've got chess.

[34:05] Heather Bedor: Here is the way my brain works on chest. Yes, the lighting is very dramatic. You have that really cool open square space, like the board that suspends over and drops and moves and pinning stuff.

[34:16] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[34:16] Heather Bedor: Um, and you have the columns on either side that go between the chess pieces and the missiles, which is fine. I don't I see it more of like a concert presentation, yeah, that's like just a constant light. So I don't think that it's gonna take that category. Rocky horror, also very stagnant. It's got different things, spotlight here, a flicker of a light here. Nothing like from what I've seen of like the show itself, it just seems dark and not very it is pretty dark. I will say that the creative lighting that they had to do, as anybody that's ever seen Rocky Horror with a remover stage Show, movie or stage show. There's a scene with like Frank that goes into the bedrooms. The way that they did that, that was pretty good, but also, like in our shadow cast, we used to light it with a flashlight.

[35:14] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[35:14] Heather Bedor: So, like that's cool, but is it enough? To me, no. Then you go to Shemigadoon, which again, bright for 90% of it. Right. I don't see anything creative lighting for that. Amber, can you touch on cats?

[35:33] Amber Brzezinski: So Adam Horn uh, I believe is how you pronounce his name is a nominated for cats and alongside Donald Holder for ragtime. Neither of us have seen ragtime, which makes me sad, but the tickets have been impossible to get. But how was the lighting at Cats?

[35:51] Heather Bedor: Um, it was really good. Um, because Cats is I would say closer to what people want from Rocky horror.

[36:14] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[36:14] Heather Bedor: And like in a sense where they want people to be like screaming and yelling, and like oh sure, you know what I mean?

[36:24] Amber Brzezinski: Like the audience participation wise, it's for the gays, it's for the gays.

[36:30] Heather Bedor: They have a full band on the stage, there's like stage seating, they're like to get you, they're engaging with you, so there's like a lot of like engagement and Rocky can do that, but I think people from the warnings that they've seen online that are not necessarily true. People are hesitant.

[36:51] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[36:54] Heather Bedor: You know, like, and I don't think we've talked about it, but when I went to Rocky, I spoke with the incredible house management team. Holy crap, they're incredible there, guys. Incredible. And I'm like, what's the official word on this? Like, what like is our callbacks allowed? Like what's allowed? Right. She's like, absolutely. We encourage them, but and that was like the week. Yeah. Well, you know, it was like the week after we had Linus O'Brien on the show, and it was like, Don't be a dick. Like, read the room, don't be a dick. And you know, that's our favorite thing here at Robby Fan Club. Don't be a dick.

[37:27] Amber Brzezinski: Right. But if you're going to sing, like the girl that sat next to me the whole freaking first half.

[37:36] Heather Bedor: Don't.

[37:37] Amber Brzezinski: I did not come to hear you sing sweet transvestite.

[37:40] Heather Bedor: I heard he came here to hear.

[37:44] Amber Brzezinski: That's hard to say.

[37:45] Heather Bedor: Luke Evans has Frank Inferter in my face singing sweet.

[37:51] Amber Brzezinski: That's what I came here for. So please shut the fuck up. Thank you very much.

[37:55] Heather Bedor: But like it's allowed. Just read the room.

[38:00] Amber Brzezinski: They are written in, like Rachel Dirac is a criminologist.

[38:04] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[38:05] Amber Brzezinski: People started to get a little bit more.

[38:06] Heather Bedor: And it was again, Studio 54, decent sized venue, but pretty intimate.

[38:12] Amber Brzezinski: People were shouting from the back.

[38:14] Heather Bedor: Right.

[38:15] Amber Brzezinski: And it was fine. And she was actually feeding back into that.

[38:18] Heather Bedor: And they have like different things that they can do. Or when you call Janet a bitch, Stephanie Sue like has this eyebrow raise that cracks you up.

[38:27] Amber Brzezinski: Right. And it's just like, or slut or whatever. And then Andrew Durand, I freaking love, and I think he deserves every kind of everything coming his way.

[38:35] Heather Bedor: But like when you call Andrew Durand an asshole, or when he goes super asshole when he takes his glasses off, they live for those moments. They are looking for that. They are hungry for that. Don't be afraid. Just read the room and don't be a dick.

[38:48] Amber Brzezinski: Right, exactly. Um, however, it is like it's stunning, it's gorgeous, it's a huge disco ball. It like gets you in this like club vibe atmosphere, like of what you want to be in.

[39:04] Heather Bedor: But like having seen Lost Boys a few hours earlier, or like actually, no, I didn't see it on that day. Like, I just feel like Lost Boys is gonna take it in that regard.

[39:15] Amber Brzezinski: 100%. Um, Olivia said, Did you get the free souvenir fan at cats, Amber?

[39:20] Heather Bedor: Do you want me to do it?

[39:21] Amber Brzezinski: Amber did, but then Amber left it behind.

[39:26] Heather Bedor: Amber left it, but Amber found something even better. Do you want to tell the people what you felt?

[39:35] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so yeah, I was like grabbing my stuff, getting out of the theater. I was like walking out of the theater. I thought I put the fan in my backpack, it must have fallen out. Um, and on my way out, I like was walking through my aisle and I saw this on the floor, and I was like, hello, somebody, somebody any.

[40:05] Heather Bedor: So I was like, I'm not gonna let this go into the trash.

[40:09] Amber Brzezinski: No, you rescued it from the trash.

[40:12] Heather Bedor: So I got a thing, and I have so many clack fans. Like, I'm a I go to drag shows all the time.

[40:18] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, that's fair. So, yes, and also my allergies are so bad, so I'm chugging water like a crazy person. So, and you got Jen and Michael Arden, bless his heart.

[40:29] Heather Bedor: Lost Boys. I think Lost Boy is 100% is gonna take the lighting.

[40:33] Amber Brzezinski: 100%. Yeah.

[40:34] Heather Bedor: Because the flying the lighting for the train track scene alone.

[40:42] Amber Brzezinski: Well, again, I think that the costume in cats are very similar to the lighting in The Lost Boys where propel the story. This actual thing helps accentuate the story and really amplifies this part of the show.

[41:02] Heather Bedor: Think about like the motorcycle scene, not to give anything away. There's a motorcycle scene in Lost Boys.

[41:08] Amber Brzezinski: It's stagnant, like it's not really moving. But because of the lighting, it's like the rumble of the outsiders.

[41:15] Heather Bedor: Right. I keep saying The Lost Boys is the new outsiders.

[41:20] Amber Brzezinski: Right. Same. Hot sexy cast, huge ensemble, incredible powerhouses, known IP from the 80s. Rabbit fan base. Holy crap. I knew I was already a fan because I've been a fan for six years. Um, before this ever happened, but I am such a mega fan now, especially having the opportunity to know the cast, know the crew, know the production team, know the musicians, like everybody that is that to me is like the show I know the most people that are part of it, and I'm so freaking happy about that because they are some of the kindest, most humble people I've ever encountered.

[41:58] Heather Bedor: Speaking of show, Shoshana Bean just got her freaking Sarde's portrait. Holy crap, is it gorgeous?

[42:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. Well, it's not Leah Michelle's weird thing, but from what I heard, the artist that did Leah Michelle's got fire.

[42:14] Heather Bedor: Yeah, we Leah Leah Michelle made sure of that.

[42:18] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know if it was her doing. I don't think it was like officially her, but I think that was like one of the second straws that started to break the camel's back.

[42:28] Heather Bedor: I'm sure. And as somebody who frequently goes to Happy Hour at Sardies now, like it's definitely a weird thing.

[42:35] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, it's weird.

[42:37] Heather Bedor: All right. Best sound design of a play. We've got August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Oedipus, The Fear of 13, Bug, and Death of a Salesman.

[42:48] Amber Brzezinski: Again, I don't know enough about it, but I just keep hearing Death of a Salesman is expecting to make almost a full clean sweep.

[42:55] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[42:57] Amber Brzezinski: And then we go right into Best Sound Design of a Musical. Uh Kai Herada has both Cats, the Jellico Ball, and Ragtime.

[43:06] Heather Bedor: Right.

[43:06] Amber Brzezinski: Adam Fisher for The Lost Boys. Brian Ronan for Brian Richard O'Brien's Soraki Horror Show. And Walter Charbotch uh for Shavega Dune, which hey Amber.

[43:18] Heather Bedor: Yes.

[43:19] Amber Brzezinski: Um, you want to interview Walter sometime this week?

[43:22] Heather Bedor: Sure, why not? I have free time.

[43:26] Amber Brzezinski: But I can't do it on, I can't do it on Thursday.

[43:29] Heather Bedor: No, I know.

[43:30] Amber Brzezinski: Um I don't know why.

[43:32] Heather Bedor: Why?

[43:33] Amber Brzezinski: Because I'll be at the Water for Elephants tour.

[43:38] Heather Bedor: Yay! Wait, then you can say hi to my friend Tyler.

[43:43] Amber Brzezinski: Tyler is Walter.

[43:45] Heather Bedor: Okay. Yes, and tell him Heather from Fringe says hi, and he'll giggle. Um, but yeah, so we've actually been extended the opportunity to have Walter Tarbach on our show. Um, so that is our very next Tony nominated um interview coming up. So stay tuned for more details about that.

[44:03] Amber Brzezinski: Um best sound design of a musical. I'm gonna again go between my top two contenders. Shmangadone really took me by surprise. Did not think of I mean, I love the TV show, didn't think I was gonna love the the Broadway musical of it, but I did.

[44:19] Heather Bedor: I think Rocky Horror's great, but I don't think they did enough with it. Ragtime as Chris was saying, it's not a reimagining, it's just it's like a uh museum piece.

[44:32] Amber Brzezinski: Right. I don't know cats enough. Lost I will say, um actually no, I'll wait till we get there. Never mind, you go.

[44:41] Heather Bedor: It's fine. I think Lost Boys is probably gonna take the spot, at least to me, because they've gotta fill the entire palace and the way that they play the speakers in different places, and that there's speakers and stuff throughout the palace that make you feel like you're inside of the show instead of being presented. The show is incredible.

[45:00] Amber Brzezinski: Right, and that it's like a live band.

[45:05] Heather Bedor: Yeah, like for a lot of people, they don't know that the lockboys is the band that's the new iteration of the show. Those boys all play those instruments. That's not like a live concert performance every night.

[45:20] Amber Brzezinski: Every night. And day when there's a money.

[45:23] Heather Bedor: Correct. All right, best direction of a play, giant, Oedipus, the Ballusters, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and Liberation.

[45:34] Amber Brzezinski: I feel this has gotta go to Giant or Liberation, but I think Giant's gonna take it.

[45:41] Heather Bedor: It's a hard ass show. What do you think, Amber?

[45:48] Amber Brzezinski: Uh I don't really know because again, I haven't really seen much of the plays, but I've I've just heard such great things about liberation.

[46:00] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[46:00] Amber Brzezinski: And Oedipus, honestly, because that was a transfer from the West End. Like I've heard really, really good things about that in the West End.

[46:09] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[46:10] Amber Brzezinski: But I haven't heard much about it here.

[46:14] Heather Bedor: I haven't either. I haven't either. But we'll see how it goes.

[46:17] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[46:18] Heather Bedor: All right. We move on to Best Direction of a Musical. The lovely Michael Arden for Lost Boys. Lear De Bessanae for Ragtime. Christopher Catelli for Shemigadoon. Tim Jackson for Two Strangers Carry a Cake across New York.

[46:36] Amber Brzezinski: I'm never gonna be able to say that. Um Zalon Levington. This is why I do not say people's names anymore.

[46:42] Heather Bedor: And Bill Rauch for Cat's Dilicle Ball. Um I think this is kind of an anything game.

[46:50] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[46:52] Heather Bedor: I really do.

[46:53] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, they're all really tough categories. They this is probably the toughest, one of the toughest.

[47:01] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[47:02] Amber Brzezinski: But I'm gonna say I would love to see The Lost Boys take it.

[47:10] Heather Bedor: I would also really love to see Tim Jackson take it for two strangers because that is two players for the entire show, and it's a lot.

[47:19] Amber Brzezinski: Very true. I actually just saw like a TikTok the other day that was like uh Broadway's New Year's Sea just dropped, and it was like someone at Two Strangers in the beginning, and like the suitcase was just spinning on the circuit, yeah, yeah.

[47:37] Heather Bedor: It was so funny. Love that.

[47:40] Amber Brzezinski: All right, best choreo.

[47:44] Heather Bedor: I have a very specific reason for it. Best choreography, Christopher Cotelli for Shemegadoon, Eleanor Scott for Ragtime, Annie Taj for Rocky Horror, Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons for Catsadella Cabal, Lauren Yolongo Grant, and Christopher Cree Grant for The Lost Boys.

[48:05] Amber Brzezinski: I love my Lost Boys. I don't think it's a choreo heavy show.

[48:10] Heather Bedor: Um except you have flying.

[48:14] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. That's where I think it might a little bit.

[48:18] Heather Bedor: Cats, you have all of that crazy beautiful dancing, but isn't it a lot of it improved?

[48:26] Amber Brzezinski: No.

[48:27] Heather Bedor: Okay. So that makes me feel better. But I look at Schmig because of Izzy's Isabella McCollum, her performance just in the classroom scene where she, if you guys see the video where she looks like she's freaking Mary Poppins, and they're tap dancing, and this giant freaking ensemble is all on the same foot and step.

[48:51] Amber Brzezinski: There's so many moments like that in Schmigadam.

[48:54] Heather Bedor: Okay, but can I just say something really quick that 100% unrelated?

[48:59] Amber Brzezinski: Absolutely.

[49:00] Heather Bedor: Paul Alexander Nolan. Love him.

[49:05] Amber Brzezinski: The bottom.

[49:07] Heather Bedor: Musicals that have a song in it named Wild.

[49:15] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, that is very much not related, but also very true.

[49:19] Heather Bedor: I mean, it's kind of related. It's in Lost Boys, and I'm going to see Water for Elephants on Thursday.

[49:24] Amber Brzezinski: It's very much related.

[49:25] Heather Bedor: And his last one. I didn't realize Water for Elephants was playing in sh in Connecticut.

[49:28] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, it's like the last on our Broadway tour.

[49:31] Heather Bedor: That makes sense.

[49:32] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, that makes sense.

[49:33] Heather Bedor: I'm so happy you get to go.

[49:36] Amber Brzezinski: But yeah.

[49:37] Heather Bedor: Are you working it?

[49:38] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[49:39] Heather Bedor: Um, I heard Wild in the Lost Boy show, and I was like, oh, Paul.

[49:44] Amber Brzezinski: Paul.

[49:48] Heather Bedor: You have a little you have a little theme here in your show.

[49:51] Amber Brzezinski: You have a theme, Paul.

[49:53] Heather Bedor: You have a theme. Um I will also, I I just is a tough category.

[50:02] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[50:04] Heather Bedor: And I love me some Rocky Horror, but I don't think it belongs in it.

[50:04] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[50:04] Heather Bedor: I don't.

[50:13] Amber Brzezinski: So that's the only thing that I could see. The Lost Boys has those beautiful flying flights. But I think Schmigadoon, I've been comparing it to that. It's funny. The Lost Boys is the new outsider, Schmigadoon, as far as like the dance breaks are.

[50:28] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[50:31] Amber Brzezinski: All right. Best orchestrations. I think you pretty much know exactly where I'm going with this.

[50:37] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[50:38] Amber Brzezinski: Um, Doug Besterman and Mike Morris for Schmigadoon. Our lovely friend Ethan Pop plus The Rescues, Kyler England, AG, so Adrienne Gonzalez, and my lovely friend Gabriel Mann for The Lost Boys. Um, Lux Pyramid for Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, Brian Yusuf for Chess, Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder, and Doug Schott for Cast Delicaball. Orchestration wise, I would love to see it go to The Lost Boys 100% because I love every person as part of that team.

[51:14] Heather Bedor: But again, as my lovely friend Chris Levy states, Schmigadoon had to create this nostalgic trance of music out of thin air.

[51:27] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I think it can go between both. I would love The Lost Boys to take that 100%.

[51:35] Heather Bedor: 100% for those that don't know The Rescues, please look them up on Spotify. They're lovely. I've listened to them for quite some time. My favorite song is "Haunted." They have these beautiful harmonies. They were not ever expecting to do a Broadway show. They're this little indie band. Like Michael Arden loves them so much, and he was keeping them in the back pocket for The Lost Boys. And I think it was a perfect alignment because it has a little bit of that 80s synth pop because they wrote it in, but it's beautiful and it's eerie and mysterious and gorgeous. So that's my feelings for best orchestration. What about you, Amber?

[52:13] Amber Brzezinski: Those are words coming out of my mouth. I mean, I would have to agree. I feel like it is kind of like Schmigadoon or The Lost Boys game at this point.

[52:25] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[52:26] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, for sure. I mean, it could be a whole maybe happy ending thing that happened last year where we were like, maybe Happy Ending is gonna close. You should go see it. And then, like, they freaking swept the Tonys.

[52:37] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[52:40] Amber Brzezinski: All right. Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play. Betsy Aiden for Liberation. Mary Louise Burke for The Ballusters. Aya Cash, Giants. Lori Metcalf, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and June Squibb from Marjorie Prime. I know nothing about any of them, guys. I'm gonna say it's probably gonna be Lori Metcalf because she's been the one that's been on the top of everyone's list.

[53:02] Heather Bedor: Yeah, I have no idea either, to be honest. Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play, Christopher Abbott, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Danny Burstein. I love him. Marjorie Prime, Brandon J. Durden for Waiting for Godot. Um, or Gato as a correct spelling, as I'm sitting here with my water bottle and should pronounce it properly. Alden Ironwright for Becky Shaw, Ruben Santiago Hudson, August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and Richard Thomas for The Ballusters. Um, I don't know. I love Danny so much that I'm just gonna say Danny Burstein.

[53:40] Amber Brzezinski: Honestly, same just because, like, again, most of the time. And we're allowed to do that. It's an hour game. Most Tony nominated actor in history, just finished a show with most Tony nominated actress in history. Like, for me to have seen them both on stage together with Joy Woods, my favorite Broadway actress in history.

[54:06] Heather Bedor: We really do love Joy.

[54:08] Amber Brzezinski: My favorite Broadway show. Like, I don't know, it's just like a lot. I don't want the ding. I don't like that. Um, Lisa says, Alden. All right, Lisa. We love that. Let's see if you get that. Because I think it's fair. I do agree. Becky Shaw was great too.

[54:26] Heather Bedor: Yeah, I keep hearing Becky Shaw's phenomenal. And Jeffrey says, Ruben's on Diego Hudson. So we'll see. And I will say Jeffrey sees a lot more plays than I do.

[54:34] Amber Brzezinski: And that you do.

[54:35] Heather Bedor: Same. All right. Let's move on to Best Performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical. You've got the one and only lovely Shoshana Bean, um, who I had the pleasure of meeting on the last Broadway cruise. And she had like no line waiting for her, which was so weird. And we had a very nice conversation, like because they do the stage tour experience. By the way, guys, I will have a promo code coming up for the next Broadway cruise for, which is next year. Um, Hannah Cruz, uh, Amber just did our repeat episode because we love that episode so much with Hannah at Backstage while she was getting ready for the show, which is phenomenal. Um, Rachel Jatch for Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show, our friend Anaga Steyer for Schmigadoon, and Nishelle Lewis for Ragtime. It has to go to Shoshana.

[55:32] Heather Bedor: Yeah, as sad as it makes my heart about it not going to Hannah.

[55:38] Amber Brzezinski: Of course. Because the Chess early closing, and she's really only on stage for such a short time.

[55:49] Heather Bedor: She freaking screwed captivating for that short time. Like it just I really the last we're seeing of Hannah. This is gonna be like the next her name. I mean, look at Nick Crispo.

[56:02] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, they're onwards and upwards from here.

[56:05] Heather Bedor: A thousand percent.

[56:06] Amber Brzezinski: A thousand. They held their own against Aaron and Leah. And even look at Bryce. I love me some Bryce, he's not gone anywhere.

[56:13] Heather Bedor: No, for sure. Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical. You've got our little baby, Ollie Louie Porchy.

[56:23] Amber Brzezinski: I love him.

[56:24] Heather Bedor: I don't because you and I saw Tommy at very different times. When I saw Tommy, he came out at the stage door after everybody had left. Like he was just leaving. And we just sat and talked.

[56:36] Amber Brzezinski: So I didn't see Tommy.

[56:39] Heather Bedor: Oh, you didn't see Tommy?

[56:41] Amber Brzezinski: Closed. Suddenly.

[56:42] Heather Bedor: Oh, that's right for my ticket.

[56:46] Amber Brzezinski: That's right. I remember little baby Ollie like coming out and just being super shy. And he, I think it's still very much when he's at the stage door, if he's stage touring, he's so kind. But I think it becomes overwhelming. I just experienced this. I was at the Banana Ball game this past weekend at Wide World of Sports. And you have, and for those of you who don't know, Banana Ball, it's a Savannah Bananas, and it was this league that was created. It's like baseball. It's all the sexy baseball players that do like these TikTok videos and viral videos, but it's actually baseball, and you can enjoy the game too. And a lot of these guys that have this huge social media presence are terrible in real life with all the fans coming at them. So I get it. I get it.

[57:29] Heather Bedor: All right. So you've got Ollie. You've got Andre De Shields for Cats. As we were just talking about Bryce Pinkham for Chess, Ben Levi Ross for Ragtime, and Layton Williams for Titanic.

[57:42] Amber Brzezinski: Right. I struggle with this category, probably the most. Because I can go through every single thing. Ollie, up and coming, new generation. Um, propelling his career so much. And that is a strong, strong, strong, strong everything role. Performance wise, singing wise, you're flying and performing. Like, come on. Andre De Shields, yes, he has Tony. But that is, you know, do you pay your respect to a man who this is a strong show for him? Um, but do you do it because he's Andre De Shields, or do you do it for the role he's doing? Bryce, I love me some Arbiter. The Arbiter is my favorite role in Chess, right? Is it at that level of Andre and Ollie? No. Right. Ben Levi Ross, clearly, Ragtime is one of those triumphant shows.

Is it enough? I don't know. And here's a sleeper cell, Layton Williams. I don't think Layton is going to take it. But Layton in Titanic was a sleeper cell for me. Absolutely a sleeper cell. But I do think it's gonna come down between Ollie and Andre. What do you think, Amber?

[59:05] Heather Bedor: I agree. Um, and I also agree with you that I hope it goes to Ollie. Um, Andre definitely like puts his all into Cats, but like Ollie is performing on a much higher level.

[59:25] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I know you said I was frozen. I think it's when I go into a screen somewhere else, it just freezes me at a weird angle.

[59:32] Heather Bedor: Yeah. Iceberg won Olivier, Jeffrey.

[59:38] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, Layton did win the Olivier. That's a hundred percent correct.

[59:41] Heather Bedor: A hundred percent. Let's see. Tamara. I look, I love Andre, and it was interesting to me because he's so different than his personality in that role. His presence is so undeniable.

[59:54] Amber Brzezinski: A thousand percent.

[59:55] Heather Bedor: When I was at the, was it the 2000 show of Hadestown last year, Amber? Is that what it was? And I met him. He was just, he's every role he's on has been this strong, tough badass, even when he was Hermes. But he's so kind, like he's so cool. But when that man is anywhere in the vicinity, everyone's like you can feel the royalty coming. Like he oozes respect.

[1:00:22] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:00:25] Heather Bedor: Oozes it. All right. My free is weird now. All right. We're gonna get to these toughy categories here. Toughy categories. Best revival of a play. Between Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Becky Shaw, Every Brilliant Thing. I think we did we already do a best revival. Just get it.

[1:00:43] Amber Brzezinski: But we still have to do best revival of a musical, best play, best musical, right?

[1:00:50] Heather Bedor: Uh, we have to do best revival of a musical, and I think just best musical. I think we did best play. All right. Best revival of a musical, the category that pissed everybody off.

[1:01:01] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:01:03] Heather Bedor: Cats, the Jelly Cabal. Yeah. Ragtime, Rocky Horror. Yeah. Even though I haven't seen Cats, this has to go to Cats.

[1:01:12] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:01:12] Heather Bedor: Completely reimagined. Timely, important, historical. Still the show that we love, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's work.

[1:01:22] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:01:23] Heather Bedor: Like Ragtime is my shit.

[1:01:27] Amber Brzezinski: I know you love Ragtime.

[1:01:28] Heather Bedor: Almost more than Coracline. However, Cats is so inspiring and so different. I, it yeah, I don't know. It's just doing something different than anything else. But I have to I have to read you this post that I screenshotted from Threads earlier today.

[1:01:50] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[1:01:51] Heather Bedor: This was a thread post from Mary Kate Morrissey, who you all might famously know as a former Elphaba from Wicked. She's a wonderful performer. Um, she's fabulous, she's like off the charts talented. Okay. I screenshotted this earlier today around noon. She posted this at midnight last night. Can you believe that The Lion King won over Ragtime for Best Musical? Meaning that if Cats wins Best Musical or Best Revival, Ragtime will have lost both times to a show about cats.

[1:02:43] Heather Bedor: Yeah, so that I think is just a very important point that we should all acknowledge.

[1:02:49] Amber Brzezinski: Noted.

[1:02:50] Heather Bedor: Poor ragtime.

[1:02:51] Amber Brzezinski: Poor ragtime.

[1:02:52] Heather Bedor: But also ragtime.

[1:02:54] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:02:55] Heather Bedor: Go cats.

[1:02:57] Amber Brzezinski: Go cats.

[1:02:58] Heather Bedor: Like, you know.

[1:02:59] Amber Brzezinski: All right.

[1:03:01] Heather Bedor: The internet has spoken.

[1:03:02] Amber Brzezinski: And if there's anything we do love, like this, like what was the first viral thing on the internet?

[1:03:09] Heather Bedor: Cats.

[1:03:10] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:03:11] Heather Bedor: Or oh my god, shoes.

[1:03:13] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:03:13] Heather Bedor: So, like, you know.

[1:03:15] Amber Brzezinski: These shoes rule.

[1:03:16] Heather Bedor: Okay. Um, my brain is not, it's squishy.

[1:03:20] Heather Bedor: And now the grand Tetron of categories.

[1:03:25] Amber Brzezinski: Ugh, this one scares me.

[1:03:27] Heather Bedor: Scary.

[1:03:29] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[1:03:29] Heather Bedor: I'm gonna justify each one of these. Best musical Lost Boys, the big flash bang, a bajillion dollars invested, huge ensemble.

[1:03:42] Amber Brzezinski: It is a big flashy Broadway show that we all love.

[1:03:45] Heather Bedor: Right. Right?

[1:03:46] Amber Brzezinski: Shmigadoon, also based on an IP, but a newer IP.

[1:03:52] Heather Bedor: Outstanding ensemble, recreated and brought the nostalgia of Broadway back.

[1:03:58] Amber Brzezinski: Titanic.

[1:04:02] Heather Bedor: I love Titanic, and I'm very appreciative that I got to meet so many people at the St. James and whatnot.

[1:04:10] Amber Brzezinski: And Marla's lovely.

[1:04:12] Heather Bedor: And the musicians are incredible. I don't think it belongs in the category.

[1:04:17] Amber Brzezinski: Don't shoot me, please.

[1:04:20] Heather Bedor: It's great, but it's a stagnant set, and the improv is incredible. And yes, Marla is running this whole thing, and she's writer, producer, director, every she's incredible. I don't think it's at the level everything else is at.

[1:04:36] Amber Brzezinski: And again, I feel like it lost a lot of the intimacy going into a bigger theater.

[1:04:44] Heather Bedor: Yes, but the bigger theater is also not selling anything past the front mezz.

[1:04:48] Amber Brzezinski: They closed off the mezz, there's no balcony.

[1:04:51] Heather Bedor: Right, but it is harder for the I don't want to say like riffs to connect.

[1:05:02] Amber Brzezinski: No, I agree.

[1:05:03] Heather Bedor: Riffs to connect.

[1:05:05] Amber Brzezinski: I a hundred percent agree.

[1:05:06] Heather Bedor: And again, please, Marla, we love you. I think it did better off Broadway.

[1:05:12] Amber Brzezinski: I'm excited that it got its chance to go on Broadway so it can tour.

[1:05:16] Heather Bedor: Right. I don't necessarily think that it's it's not it's not that big show.

[1:05:22] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:05:22] Heather Bedor: And maybe it's because I saw it off Broadway, and then it to me, it's very much like Dead Outlaw.

[1:05:28] Amber Brzezinski: Dead Outlaw off Broadway.

[1:05:31] Heather Bedor: Holy crap, it was selling out, it was this massive thing. It transfers to Broadway, and poor Andrew Durand has a show for a month.

[1:05:40] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:05:41] Heather Bedor: That's where I feel a Titanic shift was. And it's a great show, guys. It's a fun show.

[1:05:46] Amber Brzezinski: The cast is freaking stacked.

[1:05:49] Heather Bedor: Holy crap. And it's hysterical. Um, moving on to Two Strangers Carry a Cake across New York.

[1:05:56] Amber Brzezinski: When we had Nick Flayo on the show, I was like, I have no idea what the show is. I don't know. It sounds interesting.

[1:06:01] Heather Bedor: And because Nick was on the show with us last year, I was like, you know what? Next time I'm going to the city, I'll play the lottery for it.

[1:06:08] Amber Brzezinski: I saw it and I was like, this is so cute. But it's maybe happy ending, but it's different than maybe happy ending.

[1:06:17] Heather Bedor: Sam Taddy and Christiani Pitts are phenomenal. They're carrying their weight of the entire damn show.

[1:06:25] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:06:27] Heather Bedor: Maybe if Lost Boys wasn't part of the season, I think Two Strangers would have more of an opportunity to take the category.

[1:06:37] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:06:38] Heather Bedor: I think with the popularity of the shows here and the fan base and the amount of star power behind things.

[1:06:50] Amber Brzezinski: I think this category is going to Lost Boys.

[1:06:54] Heather Bedor: Yeah, probably.

[1:06:55] Amber Brzezinski: And I'm not mad about it. But I think that everybody should have their chance to fight, but I think it's an unfair advantage in a good way.

[1:07:08] Heather Bedor: But I know a lot of people are upset about that, and that's frustrating.

[1:07:14] Amber Brzezinski: So I think that handles all of our categories.

[1:07:17] Heather Bedor: Yeah, that's that's all of them.

[1:07:19] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:07:21] Heather Bedor: So we'll see. And then Amber is posting all those the polls now.

[1:07:26] Amber Brzezinski: Whatever.

[1:07:27] Heather Bedor: People are voting, and now I am posting in the group a link to the or the page, a link to the group.

[1:07:38] Amber Brzezinski: So if you are only listening to the podcast, you know how to access the group.

[1:07:44] Heather Bedor: Actually, I'm also going to post it here in our banners.

[1:07:55] Amber Brzezinski: What are you trying to post in our banners?

[1:07:57] Heather Bedor: A link to the Facebook group, which is our Broadway fan club group.

[1:08:05] Amber Brzezinski: Yep.

[1:08:06] Heather Bedor: So they can just do this one, which is www.thebroadwayfanclub.com. You guys will see both our Facebook page and our Facebook group, both called the Broadway Fan Club.

[1:08:18] Amber Brzezinski: You can also see a majority of our other groups that we run. Again, www.thebroadwayfanclub.com. We are the world's largest fan-based platform for Broadway and Off-Broadway fan communities with over 9 million incredible community members.

[1:08:35] Heather Bedor: And you know what Amber's been busting her butt doing. Make sure you guys check out is our Etsy shop, which I think she's gonna put a Tony's one up there, maybe, or post Tony's, the Broadway fan club.

[1:08:38] Amber Brzezinski: The Broadway Fan Club.etsy.com. Um, I literally decorate my wrists with different bracelets anytime that there's a show going on because they're so much fun. We've had our Lost Boys one up for quite some time. Umber just put up some really pretty ones for just in time, which I love. Love, love.

[1:09:06] Heather Bedor: She spends that that's that's where she spends her tiny little fingers every night. So make sure you go check that up. I even had to get a big you know the old Jaws.

[1:09:18] Amber Brzezinski: We need a bigger boat.

[1:09:19] Heather Bedor: I needed a bigger, I needed a bigger stand.

[1:09:24] Amber Brzezinski: Well, and that also brings us to our most recent partnership with the brand new company. And this is also how you can enter to win signed playbills from the nominated Tony nominations for best musical.

[1:09:40] Heather Bedor: If you navigate yourself to HTTPS colon slash slash the broadway drop shop.com slash question mark via B I V I A equals the Broadway fan club.

[1:09:54] Amber Brzezinski: You must go through this link and register with this link. You will be entered to win a prize pack with signed playbills from different best musical nominees for this season.

[1:10:07] Heather Bedor: What is the Broadway Drop Shop? You asked the Broadway Drop Shop.

[1:10:11] Amber Brzezinski: Very specifically, I will read you exactly what it is, but I'll tell you it's something.

[1:10:22] Heather Bedor: Oh, you're gone.

[1:10:25] Amber Brzezinski: Can anybody hear me?

[1:10:27] Heather Bedor: I'm here.

[1:10:28] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, now you're back.

[1:10:30] Heather Bedor: Oh no.

[1:10:31] Amber Brzezinski: Did I disappear?

[1:10:32] Heather Bedor: You did.

[1:10:33] Amber Brzezinski: You were gone.

[1:10:34] Heather Bedor: Let's see if it works.

[1:10:37] Amber Brzezinski: Hold on. Stand by.

[1:10:41] Heather Bedor: You talk amongst yourselves for a second. I'll be right back. Let's see what's going on.

[1:10:44] Amber Brzezinski: Can you hear me now?

[1:10:45] Heather Bedor: I can hear you.

[1:10:47] Amber Brzezinski: Weird.

[1:10:58] Heather Bedor: Now you're gone.

[1:10:59] Amber Brzezinski: Well, I can see you, but I can't hear you if you're talking.

[1:11:02] Heather Bedor: Um oh my god, thanks to all of you that have been voting. I see your votes coming in. That's awesome. We really appreciate you guys showing your opinions.

[1:11:13] Amber Brzezinski: Can't wait to see um what you guys uh come up with and how accurate we are.

[1:11:22] Heather Bedor: Yes, I can.

[1:11:24] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, wait, can you hear me now?

[1:11:28] Heather Bedor: How about now?

[1:11:29] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:11:31] Heather Bedor: For no, now I cannot.

[1:11:36] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and also thank you everybody for liking, sharing, asking questions on my post from a few weeks ago about um sending in playbills that we did. Because that seems to be very well liked amongst our followers.

[1:11:56] Heather Bedor: So thank you yeah i'm here engaging with that.

[1:11:59] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, hello i don't know what's going on anyways broadway drop shop brand new every so often there will be brand new surprise drops of different Broadway inspired merch all limited release um it is some of our closest friends who shall not be renamed uh who have created this and it's really fun because keep the mystery alive all limited released items um but get started on the ground floor a release has not happened yet it is coming soon it'll show you the countdown it'll show you the timeline and then it's once it's gone it's gone so again make sure you sign up through https colon slash slash the broadway dropshop dot com slash question mark vi a equals the Broadway fan club and you'll see some more posts there directly in our uh groups so you can get on the train um if you're not following us on Instagram you can go to at the B Wave fan club unless you're watching us on Instagram now we love that and as Amber and I were talking about at the top of the show if you get an opportunity to go to www.onebroadwayfans.com you can also download any of our previous episodes this is episode number 90 it's probably more like 96 because we've had some special episodes but we're close to a hundred guys and we can't wait to show you what's coming up for episode 100.

[1:13:24] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[1:13:26] Heather Bedor: All right Amber how you feeling about this I'm feeling good keep voting, keep writing, reviewing, following, liking.

[1:13:34] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[1:13:35] Heather Bedor: Um, like and subscribe. The more you interact with us, the more more stuff we get that we can give to you.

[1:13:42] Amber Brzezinski: That's how we keep this little train a chugging.

[1:13:44] Heather Bedor: Yeah, so we'll we'll see y'all on the flip.

[1:13:49] Amber Brzezinski: I'm so excited because by the time we see you guys next Monday, we'll know all the winners.

[1:13:53] Heather Bedor: Also, keep tuned to all of our groups. The groups that have winners in them will post directly. Otherwise, our main page for the Broadway fan club page, group, and Instagram will be the place to see all the updates for all the Tony winners.

[1:14:08] Amber Brzezinski: If you were unable to catch it or you just want to stay up with the fun, we also would love to see your photos from any Tony's parties or anything that you've done.

[1:14:15] Heather Bedor: And your pride playbills, share your pride playbills.

[1:14:18] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, share your pride playbill, share your pride, happy pride month.

[1:14:22] Heather Bedor: Yeah, for sure. We love you guys. We've had a little bit of a longer episode tonight because it's been so long. And um, hey, not too bad. And I'm on a cell phone because you know, technology, we love that for us. But um, we really appreciate you guys sticking with us.

[1:14:39] Amber Brzezinski: Generally on Mondays, it's when Broadway is dark, but we keep the ghost light burning anytime we damn well, please.

[1:14:44] Heather Bedor: Right, Amber.

[1:14:46] Amber Brzezinski: True, we do what we want.

[1:14:48] Heather Bedor: We would do what we want. Happy Tony's week, everybody. We will see you next Monday.

[1:14:54] Amber Brzezinski: Stay well, go vote. Amber, I'll see you in the green room.

[1:14:58] Heather Bedor: I will see ya.

[1:15:00] Amber Brzezinski: Bye, everybody.

[1:15:01] Heather Bedor: Bye.