This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:19] Heather Bedor: I love that I feel like I'm sitting in the dark. I've got so many lights on in this room, but I'm in my bat cave. So hello, happy post-Tony's day.

[0:31] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[0:33] Heather Bedor: I am very much losing my voice and gaining it back all at the same time. Very much a screaming happening to me most of the time.

[0:47] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[0:48] Heather Bedor: Amber typing away. If you're wondering what the little tap tap tap is if you're not joining us for our video stream, Amber shares to almost all of our 175 fan groups on the Broadway fan club. So you guys can get the live and mostly in person. That being said, welcome to the Broadway fan club's post-Tony's wrap-up party.

[1:23] Amber Brzezinski: Um off to the side, we've got chat. Hey, Livia. Um, that way you can come join us and see if your favorites won or didn't win. But we will establish the rules of don't be a dick. If your show didn't win, it didn't win. It's okay. Like things happen, but there were so many uh difficult decisions that Tony Award uh Tony Voters had to make today.

[1:47] Heather Bedor: I cannot talk. Tony voters had to make that. Um, celebrate theater, just celebrate it. And also just a quick reminder that if you are chatting live with us, we will not see your comment unless you are chatting on the Broadway fan club page chat thread.

[2:05] Amber Brzezinski: Or YouTube.

[2:06] Heather Bedor: Or YouTube thread, yes, exactly. Um if you're commenting in a specific fan group on the um post itself, unfortunately, that does not alert us to your comments. So make sure you're going to be able to do that. We only have 175 fan groups, can't catch up with all of them.

[2:24] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[2:25] Heather Bedor: With that being said, I am Heather, the lovely lady to my left, your right is the one and only Amber. And um, wow, and my computer screen is going crazy because it knows it's ready for the Tony's. Um first and foremost, Amber, where did you wind up watching the show last night?

[2:43] Amber Brzezinski: Uh, just with a couple of dogs on a couch.

[2:50] Heather Bedor: Did you have any favorite moments or not favorite moments?

[2:55] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I really enjoyed the Cats performance. That was like a real standout for me. I actually like got very like emotional in this today climate that we are in, just seeing so many like black and brown trans and queer performers getting to be on the Tony stage for the first time and like share this moment in 2026 when times are kind of tough.

[3:29] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so that like was really just moving, especially because a lot of them I've been like following, like Laomi McCavity. I've been following her. I'm gonna age myself and age the shit out of myself. I've been following her since MTV's, America's Best Dance Crew.

[3:47] Heather Bedor: Oh wow.

[3:48] Amber Brzezinski: So I love that for you. I have certainly like really enjoyed seeing the journey.

[3:56] Heather Bedor: Yeah, it I mean, I definitely think there were a lot of moving moments to it. Um, did not hate Pink's performance as much as I thought I would. Um I enjoyed it's my feelings. I enjoyed it. My whole thing is I knew they're gonna I should have put money on Neil Patrick Harris being there with her, um, and show being there, obviously. I am not the girl who's like, yeah, all the girls. I was like, okay, cool.

[4:23] Amber Brzezinski: But like see, I feel like it was performative, especially because of her controversy with being like a girl's girl.

[4:29] Heather Bedor: Yeah, I get it. Well, I felt like it was like we get it. I will tell you though, I was really happy to see her girl Hannah Cruz pop up there.

[4:38] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, that was nice.

[4:40] Heather Bedor: I could not care about Leanne Michelle popped up. People were freaking out. Um, that's fine. It was not my thing. Um, but it was very much like as Chris Levy puts it, and I agree a hundred percent, the world's longest audition process. Pink should be doing Broadway.

[4:57] Amber Brzezinski: I a hundred percent agree. Um, I still stick by my guns that when Megan Thee Stallion left Moulin Rouge, they should have brought Pink in to replace either. Um, and I'm still hoping we eventually see that or some kind of something fun. Um, yeah, looking at everyone's posts of like Nathan Lane lost, yes, no negativity, correct Jeffrey. Um, I love Lost Boys Performance 100%.

[5:25] Amber Brzezinski: Not Lost Boys Performance. Like they did a digital screen of a three-story set, and I loved every minute. And seeing our friends win was so lovely. And I got to see so many people walking across that stage that I very much adore. So happy with that. Um, should we just dive right in?

[5:43] Heather Bedor: I'm gonna start from the bottom of a list and in no particular order, but the bottom of Playbills list if you want to play along. Um, Amber did a hell of a job last night keeping up with all of our polls that we've been running for the last week and posting who won and who didn't. So um we'll go through these and we'll just sketchy his category just like our pre-tony is Tuesday. How's that sound?

[6:08] Amber Brzezinski: Sounds great.

[6:09] Chris Levy: When they make Moulin Rouge, the musical, the movie, Pink and Star.

[6:17] Heather Bedor: Yes, yes, it was. Um, so uh best book of a musical, the category nominees were The Lost Boys, um, which was David Hornsby and Chris Hoach. Um, Mega Dune, Cinco Paul, Titanic, Marlon Mandel, Constantine Rosulli, and Ty Blue, and Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, Jim Barne and Kit You Can. Uh, the winner being Shmegadoon and Cinco Paul, who got a chance to do two really beautiful speeches.

[6:49] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and I really I'm I'm happy for them. I I think Shmeg's a great show. What about you, Amber?

[6:57] Amber Brzezinski: Um, yeah, no, I think Shmig did really well. Something that I actually like really kind of enjoyed par a couple of shows, is that it felt like a nice variety of winners this year. It felt like like everyone kind of did win a little of this, a little of that, little of this, and like I felt like I did kind of have a little bit of a variety.

[7:22] Heather Bedor: I'm gonna wholeheartedly disagree. Um Rocky got nothing.

[7:28] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, that's why I said par few, like chess. Two strangers, nothing.

[7:34] Heather Bedor: Well, they wanted a couple the the lower category, and that's what I'm saying. Like, I'm like, okay, so like it's nice that like yeah, you got something. I don't know. I don't know, I've tried to look on the bright side.

[7:48] Amber Brzezinski: Um, yes, Jeffrey says go next.

[7:52] Heather Bedor: Go next. Um, game three coming up, so that'll be fun. Uh, best costume design of a play. Now, again, I am very much not the playgirl here. I know Amber. We've we've kind of gone to a couple, but not really. Um, so you had Dog Day Afternoon, Liberation, Fallen Angels, The Ballusters, and August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Not What's a Fallen Angels. Um, I was really happy that they had these beautiful intros before every show that they were performing or nominating, especially with the plays to people could see what the set designs look like, etc.

[8:29] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so I thought that was nice.

[8:34] Heather Bedor: As Amber dies. Uh don't get all choked up and emotional. All right. Um, next category, unless you have someone to talk about best costume design of a play.

[8:44] Amber Brzezinski: No, okay.

[8:46] Heather Bedor: Next category is best costume design of a musical. You had Linda Cho for both Ragtime and Shemega Dune. You had Queen Jean, uh Kat's Joke a Ball, Ryan Park, the Lost Boys, and David I. Renoso for Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show. I personally would have loved to see Ryan Park win with the way that he has designed all these gorgeous costumes with the Lost Boys. But after seeing costuming that Kat's Agelical Ball put out, 100% hands down agree that Queen Jean definitely should have won.

[9:20] Amber Brzezinski: And they are the first trans person to win a Tony, which is amazing.

[9:25] Heather Bedor: Yes. Congratulations, Queen Jean. You are an icon.

[9:29] Amber Brzezinski: Mm-hmm.

[9:30] Chris Levy: says, as opposed to Neil Simon's Joe's Turner's Come and Gone or Cola Skola's Death of a Salesman.

[9:37] Heather Bedor: Um, let's let's take a let's take a detour for a second. Can I just say this Molly Ringwald S gorgeous pink number that Cola Scola was wearing last night? They looked freaking gorgeous.

[9:51] Amber Brzezinski: Say what you want about Cole. They have fashion.

[9:55] Heather Bedor: Okay, when you and I did Red Bucket Follies, do you remember what Cole was wearing?

[10:00] Amber Brzezinski: I don't.

[10:01] Heather Bedor: It was a tinseled Christmas tree dress.

[10:04] Amber Brzezinski: I do.

[10:04] Heather Bedor: Okay, yes, I do remember that. No, yes. Yes. But I will say taking a detour again, losing my voice, and Chris. I know you're in the comments over here. Hi to you and Ned, and I love you both. I heard so many times as I'm speaking, going, what's going on with this person wearing this? I hate this. I was so critical of people's outfits last night. Some people looked like they forgot it was a Tony's. Some people looked like they should have.

[10:34] Amber Brzezinski: Um, there were some really gorgeous moments. Bernadette Peters' boobs looked phenomenal in this red getup.

[10:43] Heather Bedor: I mean, just Leslie Mandel. Holy crap, that gorgeous red sequin dress. I was dying. Um, but there were some costumes, I can't remember who it was that was in Schmigadoon that had the blue sky and white cloud suit. This is the Tony's beautiful outfits are expected.

[11:03] Amber Brzezinski: Casey Levy's dress. I want to find out where it's from because I need it.

[11:08] Heather Bedor: Some other people's outfits, I'm like, what is that? And I don't know. I don't know. How do you feel, Amber? Like Batonies.

[11:16] Amber Brzezinski: To me, it should be like black tie, fantastical outfits.

[11:22] Heather Bedor: Andre de Shields, perfect.

[11:24] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I mean, I agree. I think there was certainly like a lot of well dressed, like Megan Thee Stallion looked killer.

[11:36] Heather Bedor: That dress was so beautiful.

[11:39] Amber Brzezinski: Silver, yeah, gorgeous. Stunning.

[11:41] Heather Bedor: Gorgeous. But yeah, I mean, I think Joshua Henry's outfit, perfect.

[11:49] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[11:49] Heather Bedor: Does anybody see anything like stand out as like not enough?

[11:55] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know. I saw some that I was like, uh and I'm not gonna call any people out like that. But if anybody, I really would like to have my voice. If anybody has a favorite or a least favorite, definitely put them in the comments.

[12:10] Heather Bedor: Um I feel like I should be like best orchestrations was down to Doug Besterman and Mike Morris for Schmigadoon. Our lovely friend Ethan Pop, along with The Rescues, Kyler England, uh, Adrian Gonzalez, and Gabrielle Mann, The Lost Boys, Lux Pyramid for Two Strangers, Carrie Cake Across New York, Brian Eustafer for Chess, Andrew Lloyd Weber, David Wilson, and Trevor Holder, along with uh Doug Shat uh for Cat's Agelical Ball, and the winner was Doug Besterman and Mike Morris for Shemangadoon. Again, when you can recreate this nostalgic golden age of Broadway, but in a new show, that's hard.

[12:55] Amber Brzezinski: That is so hard. Um, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Um, I mean, I definitely would agree. I think that it was or like they really, and it's not just like one specific, I guess, period that they have to dress for. It's like a whole fantasy. Like you have to, I don't know. I don't know.

[13:31] Heather Bedor: Speak your mind. What?

[13:33] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know. My brain is flubber.

[13:36] Heather Bedor: You cannot have flubber brain today.

[13:39] Amber Brzezinski: You cannot have flubber brain. Is your brain on flubbered?

[13:45] Heather Bedor: Not really. I kind of forgot my train of thought. That's fine. Jeffrey is talking about pink costume changes. Um, yes, there were a lot of costume changes, but honestly, I was really happy to see the Peter Pan in the very beginning because it's from the TDF vault, which hello, love that entire warehouse. Uh Olivia said she loved meeting Marissa.

[14:06] Amber Brzezinski: Uh Winnaker. I just did a show with Morissa. Um, I was just helping out with When Playwright's Kill. And Marissa will be on the next Broadway cruise, Broadway cruise for next year. Stay tuned at the end of the show because I have a promo code for you guys for that. If you want to have the opportunity to meet Marissa.

[14:26] Heather Bedor: Okay. Moving right along. Um, best sound design of a musical, Kai Harada for Cats. Winner, Kai Hirata for Ragtime. Adam Fisher of the Lost Boys, Brian Ronan, Feraki Har, and Walter Torbach for Shmigadoon. I'm you're gonna have to talk for a moment as I cough my face off.

[14:48] Amber Brzezinski: Um which category were we on?

[14:57] Heather Bedor: Oh, she's coughing. She's coughing. Was it sound design?

[15:04] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I think it was sound design. Um, so this one was interesting, I think, because Kai Harada was nominated for two categories: Ragtime and Jelical Ball, and they ended up winning for Ragtime. Um, we also had um The Lost Boys, uh Rocky Horror and Shmigadoon nominated, and uh Chris, go to her house and save her.

[15:36] Heather Bedor: Um it looks like that um the sound design went to Ragtime, which honestly I do feel like was the right call because that is another one of those musicals that really just like the music fills the room, like you need that music to envelop you in a specific way for that story to really be as impactful, and I think that it was definitely a well-deserved award.

[16:14] Amber Brzezinski: Um, up next we have best orchestrations. We have I don't know what's going on with me. I think I inhaled dust. We have best orchestrations, uh, Doug Besterman and Mike Morris with Shmigadoon. We have Ethan Pop, Kyle England, Adrian Gonzalez, and Gabrielle Mann with The Lost Boys. We have Lux Pyramid with Two Strangers, Brian Yusuf with Chess, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor.

[16:51] Heather Bedor: Oh, we did. I thought we did sound design. I'm going backwards. So the next step would be best sound design of a play. That's okay. That's okay. Everybody, I just started getting text messages from a lot of people to make sure I'm okay. I'm all right. I'm alright.

[17:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, so we're at best sound design of a play.

[17:09] Heather Bedor: Yeah, I literally was like, Chris, go go, go get there. Uh Justin Ellington, August Wilson's show Turner's Come and Gone, Tom Gibbons, Oedipus, Lee. Um, what is going on with The Fear of 13? Josh Schmidt for Bug and uh Michael Sulimand. I can never say that name right. Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. It went to Death of a Salesman, and I will say Death of a Salesman wound up sleeping. They were the top winner for the entire night with six Tony Awards.

[17:40] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[17:41] Heather Bedor: And then you had a tie for four each at The Lost Boys, Ragtime, and Shmigadoon. Cats took home three, Becky Shaw took home one, Fallen Angels one, Giant one, Liberation one, and Oedipus one. Notice there is no Titanic, no Two Strangers, no Rocky Horror. They won nothing. Not even the earlier tech awards. So real strange. Real strange. I saw it's like I didn't feel it was that spread out tonight last night.

[18:13] Amber Brzezinski: Uh um we move on to best original score music and/or lyrics written for the theater. It's interesting to see this category.

[18:28] Heather Bedor: Lost Boys Our Friends the Rescues, Cinco Paul again with Shmigadoon, and Jim Barn and Kit Buchan for Two Strangers and Shmigadoon won Best Original Score, which again I think it becomes when you're able to recreate these beautiful orchestrations, but it's a new sound and all new orchestrations, but still create that nostalgic feel. It's beautiful.

[18:55] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I agree. I really I'm really happy for it. Alright, uh Olivia.

[19:02] Heather Bedor: Yes, her sound design is amazing. Um I don't know. I think that's a really tough category. But I definitely think Shmig has done. I've been I've been calling Shmigadoon the new Newsies. Um, just with a massive ensemble and the choreo um and everything, just like grandeur and fabulousness. Um, and I've been calling The Lost Boys the new outsiders because hot, sexy people doing rough and tumbly things. Makes sense, right?

[19:32] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, for sure. Two Strangers is a new baby happy end happy ending. I can keep going. I can keep going. You want to take best lighting design of a play?

[19:43] Heather Bedor: Uh nope, because I have like three more things to share too. So you do that one and then I'll catch up. Alright. I'm gonna try to not choke as I do this. I don't know. I'm all choked up, guys. So sorry. Uh Best Lighting Design of a Play. Isabella Byrd, Dog Day Afternoon, Natasha Shivers with Oedipus, Stacey DeRossier, August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Heather Gilbert was nominated for both Bug and The Fear of 13. And Jack Knoll's Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman also won. So very good.

[20:17] Amber Brzezinski: Jeffrey Cohen says, but outsiders won the Tony.

[20:20] Heather Bedor: Yep. Outsiders won the Tony. Newsy's never won. And yes, uh, as we're getting to, there's a lot of people that are not happy with the outcome, but honestly, I don't think it matters who wins the Tony. Like you guys have to remember the Tonys is the night that Broadway sells itself.

[20:39] Amber Brzezinski: It is I always think about it like the Disney parades, like or the Thanksgiving Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It is one gigantic commercial, right? Here's Nature. Well, the Super Bowl there's actually like athleticism happening for four hours or whatever, and it's an actual game. We get to see a beautiful presentation of things that people don't get to see.

[21:02] Heather Bedor: So I remember the first time that I saw Hadestown perform with the Tonys. I had never seen Hadestown, and they did the Wait for Me with the lights. Yes, with the lights. And I can still remember it. And that was I was like, I need to go see Hadestown.

[21:15] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[21:15] Heather Bedor: So it's a hundred percent marketing. So, and as knowing several people in production across the way, um, ticket sales just like everyone was going for it. So, just because your favorite show did not win the Tony does not mean that they are going to close. Um, that was a concern that I saw across the board in a lot of our groups today was oh my god, is so and so show gonna close? Oh my god, is so-and-so gonna no.

[21:43] Amber Brzezinski: Like there are shows that like Beaches, um, Beaches closed early because they didn't get any nominations, they weren't really in the running for it.

[21:54] Heather Bedor: Uh look at Chess. Chess did not get anything. Keep your nasty comments to yourselves, and I'll keep that as nice as possible. But there like Shmigadoon was announced that it was a limited run. You know, there's limited runs that are out there, and if they choose to extend, they choose to extend, and if they don't, they don't.

[22:14] Amber Brzezinski: So we'll move right into best lighting design of a musical. This one kind of cracks me up. This I think was one of Chess's only nominations. Kevin Adams, and they do have cool lighting, but to me it's a stagnant set, it shouldn't really be part of it. Jane Cox um for Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show, Donald Holder for Shmigadoon, Adam Honore for Cats, um, Adam and Donald Holder Lighting Design and 59 Studio for Projection Design in Ragtime, and Jen Shriver and Mike Larden for The Lost Boys, who ultimately took that Tony home.

[22:49] Heather Bedor: So with that being said, I think the Tony went to the right people. Did Michael Arden actually do any of the lighting design? I don't know. I'm gonna have to legitimately ask him. But now he can say he's a lighting design Tony Award winner. Good for him. But that I think went to the right show. Um with no discredit to any other shows.

[23:13] Amber Brzezinski: There's not these crazy special effects of people jumping into uh essentially off of a bridge um or a motorcycle race that is you know a stationary motorcycle. Like there's a lot of stuff that's happening on Lost Boys. You feel like you're in a raw concert, like it's beautiful. The other shows, Shmigadoon doesn't have a lot of lighting changes. I haven't seen Cats. Rocky Horror is an intimate little space. So it's really fascinating to me.

[23:44] Heather Bedor: What do you think, Amber?

[23:46] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I mean, like I said, I feel like we we kind of touched upon it, whereas like this show really uses the lighting to add elements to the story. So therefore, I do think this was like a deserved category, whereas, you know, certain you know, the lighting is wonderful, I'm sure, in other shows, but it doesn't add more to the actual story itself.

[24:15] Heather Bedor: It's just more of an aspect of the show, whereas this I feel like is integrated to amplify the story.

[24:23] Amber Brzezinski: That's a great way of putting it, 100%. Alright, you take the next one.

[24:26] Heather Bedor: Best scenic design of a play.

[24:28] Amber Brzezinski: Best scenic design of a play. We have Hildegard Bachelor with Oedipus, Takisha Kata with Bug, Chloe Lamford, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, David Corinne's Dog Day Afternoon, and David Rockwell Fallen Angels.

[24:46] Heather Bedor: No surprise there. The winner went to Chloe Lamford for Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.

[24:51] Amber Brzezinski: Yep.

[24:52] Heather Bedor: And I wish I would have seen any of these shows.

[24:55] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but from everything I saw with those videos, it does look like Death of a Salesman was gonna be the one to beat.

[25:02] Heather Bedor: Yes.

[25:03] Amber Brzezinski: For sure. Um Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Dots, Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show, Sutra Gilmore, Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, Rachel Hogg for Cats of Jolicaball, and Dane Laffrey for The Lost Boys, Scott Pask for Shmigadoon.

[25:21] Heather Bedor: I can break all of these down very easily. I haven't seen Cats, but from what I've seen of a set design, it literally looks like a club, which is cool. Um Two Strangers. I think the set design is so particular and so smart the way that these suitcases moved and created this entire stage, but it wasn't anything crazy. Rocky Horror, traditional set, felt like you're inside of the movie or the original show.

[25:52] Amber Brzezinski: Love that. Shmigadoon, as you guys got an opportunity to see last night, it is that like immersive 4D set, but it's so freaking smart because if you didn't know what Shmigadoon was and you just turned on the TV and you saw Shmigadoon perform it, you'd be like, I love.

[26:12] Heather Bedor: I love what?

[26:13] Amber Brzezinski: Jonathan Graf. I was watching the Amy Polar Jonathan Graff interview before on my drive here because it's one of my favorite things. I was like, I love because a clip um showed up on my feed from when he's like, well, I told my parents when I was coming out that I'm gay, but don't worry, I'm not gonna be in any parades. And then like last year I was like grand marshal of the New York City Pride Parade, and I'm like elbowing with like a rainbow sash.

[26:43] Heather Bedor: So interesting.

[26:46] Amber Brzezinski: Well, yeah, but I definitely think with Blake Schmig, it's very nostalgic. Um Lost Boys is a three-story set that moves up and down. It's just beautiful. So no surprise there, Lost Boys and Dane Laffrey won best scenic design of a musical.

[27:02] Heather Bedor: For sure. You want to take choreography?

[27:05] Amber Brzezinski: Because I got a lot to say about choreo.

[27:08] Heather Bedor: Sure. Uh so for best choreography, we have Christopher Catelli for Shmigadoon, Eleanor Scott for Ragtime, Annie Taj for Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, and Lauren Yolango Grant and Christopher Cree Grant from The Lost Boys, and the winner of that category was Omari Wiles and Otro Lyons for Cats, the Angelical Ball.

[27:34] Amber Brzezinski: So I'm gonna get so much hate for this. Cats didn't get a chance to see, but from what I saw with Bragtime's performance, I don't care that people are throwing a fit, but they did the same performance that the original performance did. I think it was important and imperative that Ragtime did that. Not a lot of choreo to me, but it's like Sweeney Todd Choreo. Large mass, you know, what did they call it with um Marile We will along the Blob?

[28:04] Heather Bedor: Yeah, yeah, you have like a large group of people moving poignantly and without running into each other, so that's cool. Um Shmigadoon, high kicks for days, uh, cardio all the way, full choreo craziness. Rocky horror, there's some, but it's like acid rock, like letting go and not really have anything. It didn't look purposeful.

[28:30] Amber Brzezinski: Right. Lost voice. And I'm gonna get hate for this, and you guys know I love my Lost Boys. The only choreo that I think should have mattered was the flying, but that's more like special effects, it's not stunts, it's still considered choreo, but it's not enough to outweigh everything else. So I would have personally chosen Shmigadoon because of the en masse of people. Um but cats seem to be interesting. It's the cats, and I'm gonna again get so much hate for this. I'm a huge ally of the community, uh, more than most people will ever know. I have some incredible friends that are drag queens and trans and everything else. Cats is not the kind of show I would go out of my way to see based off of that performance, but it looks like it's a really great show, if that makes any sense.

[29:23] Heather Bedor: That's why it works between Amber and I, because Amber fucking loves cats. Right?

[29:31] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, I also just like love like the classic musicals. Like I I'm just like a Steinheim and Andrew Lloyd Weber, like purists, like I'm a phantom purist, but I think that's I think if you're a theater kid, like you grow up either being a phantom kid or a cats kid.

[29:50] Heather Bedor: Maybe I don't know.

[29:55] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know. I think ragtime. I don't know. We'll get to it when we get to revival.

[30:04] Heather Bedor: Best performance by an actor and leading role in a play. Will Harrison for Punch. Nathan Lane for Arthur Miller's Death of Salesman. John Lithgow for Giant, Daniel Radcliffe, Everbind Thing, and Mark Sean for Oedipus. Again, the only show I have seen on that list was Dan in Everbilliant Thing. Love him. Did not think that he needed to be in this category. But again, I'm gonna get so much hate. Um a lot of people were rooting for Nathan Lane, and I would have loved to have seen that. But I in my heart of hearts, knowing the story of Giant, which if you guys do not know, go look it up. It's gonna be streaming soon. I think John Lithgow getting that, especially with this role and especially today's time. I think that was poignant. And they said, what did I say? 53 years after his very first Tony? That's exactly like that. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.

[31:01] Heather Bedor: No.

[31:03] Amber Brzezinski: All right. Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play. Betsy Adam for Liberation, Mary Louise Burke for the Ballusters, Aya Cash for Giant, Lori Metcalf, Arthur Miller's Death of Salesman, and June Squid for Marjorie Prime. I, again, in my heart of hearts said it's gonna be Lori Metcalf for Death of a Salesman. That's also a very tough role. A lot of people went, no, but it's June Squid with Marjorie Prime because it's such a huge ordeal. Um, you know, to be part of that, and everyone's loving Marjorie Prime. So Lori Metcalf took it, and I was like, should put money on it. Check.

[31:44] Heather Bedor: So, anyways, with that being said, you want to take the next?

[31:48] Amber Brzezinski: Sure. Next up, we have best direction of a musical. We had nominated Michael Arden, The Lost Boys, Lier De Bossonette, Ragtime, Christopher Gately, Schmidune, Tim Jackson, Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, and uh Zelon Livingston and Bill Roller. Angelical ball. Yep, and we know we butcher his name every time because I'm guilty of it too. And he had a full interview on it. I love it. Um I have so many things to say about it. Oh, and the winner of this one was Zelon Levington and Bill Roch for Cats, the Jelical Ball.

[31:57] Amber Brzezinski: So um, anything on that, Amber?

[32:36] Heather Bedor: So, again, having not seen Cats, I'm sure it was great. I hate this category every year because I'm not on the cast. Who are like in it and on it and like give me more. And they're like, So pulling stuff from their performers and actually dictating, but then being like, feed me this emotional journey. Like, I want you to get in the mind. And like they get so in it and passionate. And I've worked with directors who are like, all right, you guys do your thing. I'm just gonna kind of sit back and uh take a couple notes. Can you put your left hand on the right hand there and this on the there? Like, so I don't know how I can't personally judge, and I don't know if he's Tony voters are voting for best direction to be very honest but it's there and cats won it so congratulations to cats i think it was more because it was directed in a way that is so traditionally different than a Broadway musical and it was just so much different than anything we've ever seen before okay all right you want to take the next yeah sure uh next is best direction of a play we had Nicholas Heitner giant Robert Iike Oedipus or Iike I don't know Kenny I know I get lectured about it too it's just like gato a lot of people to say godot and up until last night I would say Oedipus and then I was very much lectured that it's Oedipus Oedipus yeah Kenny Liam the Joe Mantello Arthur Miller's Death of a salesman and Whitney White Liberation and the winner went to Joe Mantena Mantello Arthur Miller's Death of a salesman I think what I'm gonna have to do is sometime this summer I'm gonna have to go I obviously will see my favorite musicals but I think I'm gonna have to go out and go see some of these plays um that are still running for sure for sure yeah all right moving right along.

[35:00] Amber Brzezinski: Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical, Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys, Hannah Cruz, Chess, Rachel Dratch, Richard O'Brien's Iraqi Horror Show, Anna Gosteyer, Shemika Dune, Nichelle Lewis, Ragtime. Obviously, it went to Shoshana Bean, which was beautiful. Um, and when we get to Best Performance by an actress in a play, um, we'll talk about it even more. I was really happy to see Hannah in there. So happy to see her in there. I think we're gonna see so much more coming from her. Did you notice, Amber? There were so many up close like videos of Hannah and her husband.

[35:39] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[35:40] Amber Brzezinski: Every time there was a cutaway, it was like Hannah Cruz. It's like, hi Hannah. It was really great. Um love Rachel Dratt, but was very confused when she was in this category. Because I don't think she's like, she's in Rocky Horror, but like I don't know. It was just confusing to me. Um, Anna, I love Anna Gosteyer, and her role in Shemigadoon is hysterical, and again, haven't seen Ragtime with it, but what do you think?

[36:05] Heather Bedor: I definitely think show won this category, hands down.

[36:09] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I mean, I would have to agree. I think she had the strongest, strongest performance in like uh most demanding role, I would say. And you know what I loved so much when she won is that she gave a shout out to our buddy Paul's Alexander. Oh, like come on. She was like, Oh, you're the best lady man ever. And it was like, I love that because you and I got a chance to know him during water for elephants, and so it was really lovely to see that. And the minute she stood up, and LJ was staying next to her, and he was crying when she won. So cute. They really are such a lovely little family.

[36:50] Heather Bedor: Alright, you're next.

[36:52] Amber Brzezinski: All right. Next up is Best Play. We have the Balusters, David Lindsay Bear, Giant Mark Rosenblatt, Liberation, Best Wool, and Little Bear Ridge Road, Samuel D. Hunter with the winner going to Liberation, Best Wool. There were a lot of people up on that stage.

[37:11] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[37:13] Amber Brzezinski: There are a lot, but there are also a lot of people on that cast. I don't know. Again, I know nothing about it, but I kind of had a feeling it would go to liberation from everything that I've heard. Um, so I'm glad that it I'm glad that it went through. Again, if you guys are listening in, watching live, feel free to put your comments in. Do you think that is the show that should have won for best play?

[37:33] Heather Bedor: Moving right along, we've got Best Performance by an Actor, an actor in a featured role in a musical. You had Ollie Louise Worgie, uh, Andre DeShields, Bryce Pinkham, like can't even talk. Ollie for Lost Boys, Andre DeShields for Cats, Bryce Pinkham for Chess, Banley by Ross, Ragtime, and Leighton Williams Titanic. Umly took this. Um, because everybody put Andre in as the known winner for this role.

[38:07] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and it was like watching the new guard take over for the old guard in a little weird way. See, I feel similarly with Andre and Ali and Hannah and Shoshana, where it could have gone to either performer, but Andre is not in cats for as much of it as well.

[38:33] Heather Bedor: Hannah's not in class until the second half.

[38:35] Amber Brzezinski: Well, that's what I mean. Uh as Ali is in the Lost Boys, like so. And I love my Bryce. Bryce Pinkum.

[38:45] Chris Levy: Best Orin. I'm gonna put it out there. I will continue to put it out there. Um, and Layton Williams and Titanic. Great. Did get to see Ragtime, Benly by Ross, phenomenal performer, anyways. But Ali went up there, and I've seen every interview that's kind of been happening. Um, and Ollie went up there confident, made this I would say politically heavy speech, and I'm glad that he'd said some things, but there's a time and place for everything, and now there's a lot of judgment on him, and um I don't know. I can't really speak on it as effectively as I would like to because I want to keep as PC about it as possible. I think that now there's a lot more eyes on him in a different way because not everybody accepts what he had to say, whether you do or not.

That's your personal belief. But when you use that platform to do that, I think it could hurt you and help you at the same time. So it's hard to explain for sure. But I'm very glad that he won, like literally woo-hooed and um screamed very loudly in the middle of the living room.

[40:02] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, and I will also point out that that is the only big category speech that has been omitted from reposting on CBS's YouTube channel.

[40:21] Chris Levy: Really?

[40:21] Amber Brzezinski: Yes.

[40:23] Chris Levy: I mean based on Aaron've got it out there in CBS.

[40:27] Amber Brzezinski: I'm not that shocked.

[40:29] Chris Levy: Nope.

[40:30] Amber Brzezinski: But also at the same time, did you notice that CBS messed up their bleep during the leading lady marmalade? They instead of his badass chicks. Um, I think they were trying to bleep out ass and they bleeped out chicks.

[40:46] Chris Levy: Um the audio is never right for the Tonys, but the bleeping was real funny last night.

[40:52] Amber Brzezinski: The audio or the honestly, the whole pre-show was bad.

[40:57] Chris Levy: Okay, so pre-show like act one was on Pluto.

[41:02] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[41:02] Chris Levy: And we're sitting in Chris and Ned's living room, and it's supposed to start at 6:30. But we go on to Pluto, and it's like later at 6:45, and we're like, no, now you could not choose.

[41:14] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, Chris dissolved into thinner.

[41:16] Chris Levy: No, I just dropped something. Sorry.

[41:19] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but this went from like okay, 6:30. We missed almost 20 minutes of it because even at 6:45, we still had to go out of Pluto to go back into Pluto. It was so weird, but we finally got into it, but we had missed a couple, like Amber was on it. She's like, I've been posting like we haven't even gotten in yet.

[41:40] Chris Levy: But um, no, let me tell you though, I love Laura Bonante and Titus Burgess. Like, let me this red suit thing with his jacked arms. I'm like, he looked phenomenal.

[41:49] Amber Brzezinski: Phenomenal.

[41:52] Chris Levy: Well, I will say then in the first like few minutes, you did miss Titus coming out and like saying like, oh Mary with my root off, I haven't seen it yet.

[42:02] Amber Brzezinski: Cause I'm not sure.

[42:03] Chris Levy: Well, no, I saw that before.

[42:04] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[42:04] Chris Levy: Yeah, no, I saw that.

[42:06] Amber Brzezinski: Because that was cute.

[42:08] Chris Levy: Yeah, I mean, O'Mary was represented well last night, but also there were some weird appearances.

[42:16] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and I will I will identify one that people thought was weird until I explained it to them, and they're like, Oh, I have no idea. Um, Paul Rudd in the audience, random, Drew Barrymore, also random.

[42:30] Chris Levy: Um I mean, kind of, but also not really, because she does have oh, she does do a lot of Broadway interviews on the Drew Barrymore show.

[42:38] Amber Brzezinski: Sure.

[42:39] Chris Levy: And she does have like a lot of performances and like a lot of well.

[42:44] Amber Brzezinski: She does a lot of press for Broadway.

[42:47] Chris Levy: So I could see why she has an invite.

[42:50] Amber Brzezinski: I would love to see her in a show. Probably not a musical, but in a play for sure.

[42:54] Chris Levy: Like E.T. phone home.

[42:59] Amber Brzezinski: There we go. Next show.

[43:00] Chris Levy: Uh but I will definitely say um seeing my buddy Joey Fatone in the audience looking dapper, but also sitting next to JC Chasse, and everyone's like, is everybody gonna ignore two members of NSYNC in the audience us?

[43:18] Amber Brzezinski: Like, first and foremost, they're both co-producers of Titanic or Titanic.

[43:22] Chris Levy: First and foremost, Joey is literally going back into Engelette, like Fedus is home. He was Roger in Rent. Like, give the man a break. He is definitely a Broadway star.

[43:33] Amber Brzezinski: And JC is in the process of producing a musical about Frankenstein.

[43:40] Chris Levy: Like fine. Like, right, do your research, kids, or listen to us because that's where we'll give you all the information.

[43:47] Amber Brzezinski: I will say though, with the Paul Rudd thing, I did love his Cats cameo with Roman Tagger.

[43:54] Chris Levy: That was yeah, adorable.

[43:56] Amber Brzezinski: If Rum Tum Tugger is gonna flirt with any straight male in the audience member, Paul Rudd is the man to go to.

[44:05] Chris Levy: Wait, nope, you're gonna have to tell me why.

[44:07] Amber Brzezinski: Go on, tell the rest of the class why.

[44:09] Chris Levy: What do you mean?

[44:11] Amber Brzezinski: If it's gonna be any man, straight man, it's gonna be Paul Rudd, but why?

[44:15] Chris Levy: Because Paul Rudd is literally that guy.

[44:19] Amber Brzezinski: How I'm making her mad.

[44:23] Chris Levy: This is fun.

[44:24] Amber Brzezinski: Have you have you not seen the iconic film Clueless?

[44:29] Chris Levy: Oh, I have.

[44:31] Amber Brzezinski: I have.

[44:32] Chris Levy: He's just multiple times.

[44:33] Amber Brzezinski: He's just like a blessing of society.

[44:35] Chris Levy: He's just like a good solid human being.

[44:38] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, so Amber has a heart on for Paul Rudd.

[44:41] Chris Levy: I do.

[44:41] Amber Brzezinski: I do. Paul Rudd has been like a major crush.

[44:45] Chris Levy: He also doesn't age.

[44:47] Amber Brzezinski: That's what I'm saying. But I would say Paul Rudd. For some reason, I started crushing on Paul Rudd when I was like 12, and he looked significantly older than me, but now we look the same age, so I don't understand.

[45:01] Chris Levy: Well, that's fine. That makes sense.

[45:04] Amber Brzezinski: Alright, you take the next one.

[45:05] Chris Levy: Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play. We had Rose Byrne with Fallen Angels, Carrie Kuhn with Bugs, Susanna Flood with Liberation, Leslie Manville with Oedipus and Kelly O'Hara.

[45:18] Amber Brzezinski: Oedipus.

[45:19] Chris Levy: There you go. Kelly O'Hara with Fallen Angels. And the winner was Leslie Manville with Oedipus.

[45:24] Amber Brzezinski: Who flew in from the West E the night before and did not sleep for 24 hours?

[45:28] Chris Levy: Holy crap. Incredible.

[45:30] Amber Brzezinski: And that dress was everything.

[45:33] Chris Levy: Alright. Um of the most troubled categories in Tony's history.

[45:40] Amber Brzezinski: Best revival of a musical.

[45:45] Chris Levy: Very controversial.

[45:45] Amber Brzezinski: Very controversial.

[45:49] Chris Levy: So you had Up for Grabs, Cats Angelica Ball, Ragtime, Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show.

[45:56] Amber Brzezinski: Let's start with some controversy for everybody that's losing their shit.

[45:59] Chris Levy: Okay. Chess was not nominated.

[46:02] Amber Brzezinski: You guys have to remember shows also can submit to what categories they want to be part of.

[46:08] Chris Levy: They weren't in the category. I don't know why. I'm not there. It's fine.

[46:12] Amber Brzezinski: I know why.

[46:13] Chris Levy: Hold on. I will read, I will read to you why.

[46:17] Amber Brzezinski: There's a couple reasons, but go on.

[46:20] Chris Levy: Okay. Hold on. This has been debated, been a debate in our group.

[46:25] Amber Brzezinski: In our group forever and ever and ever and ever and ever.

[46:36] Chris Levy: Thank you. I just wrote it.

[46:38] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[46:39] Chris Levy: And yes, Jeffrey. Barrymore's parents of grandparents were on Broadway.

[46:42] Amber Brzezinski: I know we've got the Barrymore Theater too.

[46:44] Chris Levy: I know. It was just fun to see her in the audience.

[46:47] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, so there were five eligible revivals.

[46:50] Chris Levy: Cats, chess, mama mia, ragtime, and Rocky Horror.

[46:55] Amber Brzezinski: Within the rules, it states that the number of nominees in each of the four best show categories, when there are four, five or four or three numbers.

[47:07] Chris Levy: Shall be determined in the following manners.

[47:10] Amber Brzezinski: When there are five or four eligible shows in a best show category at the Tony nomination meeting, the nomination committee will be instructed to cast one vote each for three eligible shows as nominees on his or her secret ballot.

[47:28] Chris Levy: Right.

[47:28] Amber Brzezinski: The ballot will be collected and tabulated by a representative of the firm.

[47:33] Chris Levy: The three eligible shows with the highest number of votes will automatically be designated as the nominees in the category.

[47:43] Amber Brzezinski: So fourth nominee.

[47:45] Chris Levy: A fourth nominee shall be added in the event that the accounting firm determines that the difference in votes between the third highest ranked show and the fourth highest ranked show is 10% or less.

[48:00] Amber Brzezinski: So Chess and Mama Mia each received more than 10% votes less than Rocky Horror.

[48:08] Chris Levy: Therefore, they went with three in the category.

[48:11] Amber Brzezinski: And I will say, Mama Mia, yes, it was on Broadway as a revival, but I did not consider it on Broadway as a revival.

[48:20] Chris Levy: It was here for like what two and a half months.

[48:22] Amber Brzezinski: It was a tour stop.

[48:24] Chris Levy: It was a tour stop.

[48:25] Amber Brzezinski: So I definitely don't think it should have been there.

[48:28] Chris Levy: Chess, yeah, I think it should have possibly been considered.

[48:31] Amber Brzezinski: Um Rocky Horror, 100% of revival.

[48:34] Chris Levy: Look at the freaking cast.

[48:36] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[48:36] Chris Levy: And look at the performance.

[48:37] Amber Brzezinski: And let's talk about this performance for a second.

[48:41] Chris Levy: Where the hell was Michaela J. Rodriguez?

[48:43] Amber Brzezinski: It is a literal mystery.

[48:47] Chris Levy: I have scoured for 24 hours, and Amber, I'm sure you have too.

[48:52] Amber Brzezinski: The only information that I can find, and I will read this verbatim.

[48:59] Chris Levy: And for those of you who don't know who we're talking about, Michaela.

[49:01] Amber Brzezinski: Um, is um Columbia.

[49:05] Chris Levy: Right.

[49:05] Amber Brzezinski: So some people were like, um, hold on, I'm trying to find this.

[49:11] Chris Levy: Um people are like, well, but Columbia's not in Sweet Transvestite.

[49:17] Amber Brzezinski: No, but Columbia is, and if you want to start that way, you had Harvey Guyana in his Eddie outfit.

[49:25] Chris Levy: Eddie didn't come out in that, yeah.

[49:27] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, he comes out like right like when he breaks through the cooler, right?

[49:32] Chris Levy: But he pointed to the chart with Rachel Dratch.

[49:35] Amber Brzezinski: Like it was it was real weird.

[49:37] Chris Levy: Um, the only other thing I can think of besides this like weird little thing, um, because they say that she was the like Columbia, Michaela J. Rodriguez, was on stage performing the time warp, but I'm like, no.

[49:53] Amber Brzezinski: No, she definitely was not.

[49:54] Chris Levy: It was definitely not there.

[49:55] Amber Brzezinski: Um, which is so weird.

[49:58] Chris Levy: But they also said it was because that she was not nominated.

[50:02] Amber Brzezinski: Uh Rachel Dratch was nominated, Luke Evans was nominated, like everybody else is nominated.

[50:07] Chris Levy: Uh Stephanie Sue, but Michaela was not, so they weren't there.

[50:10] Amber Brzezinski: Interesting.

[50:12] Chris Levy: But Luke Evans coming out and doing his thing and grabbing his butt cheek, got everybody's attention.

[50:19] Amber Brzezinski: 100%.

[50:20] Chris Levy: Let's just leave it there.

[50:22] Amber Brzezinski: Um, definitely consider for the um revival.

[50:27] Chris Levy: 100%.

[50:41] Amber Brzezinski: Then you have ragtime, so you have kind of a cheekier version of Rocky Horror, literally a cheekier version of Rocky Horror, which brings back all this fun nostalgia, and that's great.

[50:41] Chris Levy: Then you have ragtime, which is Chris Levy puts in, um, is a museum piece and a grief.

[50:50] Amber Brzezinski: Like it was so precisely and beautifully done.

[50:53] Chris Levy: It's a hard show to do regardless, and with that entire cast now, it was supposed to be a limited run at Lincoln Center.

[51:03] Amber Brzezinski: Like it's continuously chugging along.

[51:06] Chris Levy: The real question becomes are they going to stay at Lincoln Center?

[51:10] Amber Brzezinski: Because you know, Lincoln Center has their own season.

[51:14] Chris Levy: Are they gonna transfer to one of the many open Broadway theaters?

[51:19] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[51:21] Chris Levy: I mean, we know Evita's going into Winter Garden, but I also know what's going into the Hirsch, but what's going into the lunch when Death Becomes Her closes?

[51:21] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[51:21] Chris Levy: What's going into the Imperial once chess moves out?

[51:35] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[51:36] Chris Levy: Or are they gonna be doing where's Galileo going?

[51:40] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know if they've announced it yet.

[51:41] Heather Bedor: That's a great question. I'm gonna look that up while you talk about why Cats should have been in revival and why you're angry it didn't win.

[51:49] Amber Brzezinski: All right, so most of the comments I've been seeing are that like Ragtime is just a more, oh, they're at the Schubert, um, like pursuant to the times revival, that it's like more of like what we need at this time.

[52:16] Heather Bedor: You're talking about Ragtime or Cats?

[52:18] Amber Brzezinski: Ragtime.

[52:19] Heather Bedor: Okay, and I do feel like that is kind of like rooted in the tropes of the fears of yes, giving black and brown people of color and queer and trans individuals their accolades because especially like I was saying before, like during a time of, you know, Pride Month saying Ragtime is not doing that.

[52:52] Amber Brzezinski: No, I'm saying Ragtime is also doing that, but I'm just saying, like a lot of people that was what their argument was is that Ragtime is more relevant to this time.

[53:02] Heather Bedor: When I, I do disagree with that because, you know, trans people are losing their rights left and right, and it, it's just I, I can see the argument made for both. Let's just say sure.

[53:15] Amber Brzezinski: I definitely think I, I going into it, would I have loved Rocky to do it? Absolutely, would they have? No? I wanted Ragtime to win. Um, you have both Joshua Henry getting damn Tony and making me freaking cry, and Casey finally getting her damn Tony, like I'm so happy for them.

[53:33] Heather Bedor: Brandon Uranowitz would have loved to see if, I mean, do it, but that would have been impossible. Um, I think Ragtime was the safer choice, let's just say it that way.

[53:43] Amber Brzezinski: I don't know if safer is the word. Here's the thing to me, Cats. When I think revival, I think like, okay, when Phantom eventually comes back to Broadway, because God knows it's gonna come one of these days. If you bring me in this half-assed touring Phantom, like we already know the orchestra is gonna be reduced. We already know there's gonna be stuff. But if you again, I'm gonna get so much hate for this. If you brought me in Phantom and set Phantom in a disco, like Here Lies Love, or like you repurposed Phantom into an ice cream parlor, um just weird stuff. Like, if you completely revitalized it and changed it for something as a purist of Phantom, I'm gonna be mad because I want it as a revival to me.

[54:37] Heather Bedor: To me, a revival is a show I've already seen, and now because we're all good little boys and girls and don't watch sign tutorials for professional recordings unless they're available legally, um just a disclaimer, but I get to go back into the theater and experience the magic of a show, like perfect example, All Shook Up. My very first show I ever got to see in New York on Broadway with Cheyenne Jackson. We've talked about this before. If there was a revival of All Shook Up and you changed it from what I saw as a kid, I'd be mad. If you continue to make it beautiful and modify just a sliver of it, just so that something works, or there's a little kink that got moved, but I still got to see that story performed, and from what I remember, that's what I want in a revival.

[55:30] Amber Brzezinski: See, I kind of disagree because like I feel like in the same sense of whereas Romeo and Juliet was incredible, reimagined in this modern day story.

[55:42] Heather Bedor: Some stories wasn't really a reimagined though, because if you think about it, it was very much like Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

[55:48] Amber Brzezinski: Well, that's what I mean. But that was a reimagining. That wasn't historically accurate.

[55:55] Heather Bedor: That's a no.

[55:57] Amber Brzezinski: So I, I feel like it works with some stories, it doesn't work with some. It's, it's not gonna, that style of reimagining isn't gonna work with every show.

[56:06] Heather Bedor: Of course. So you and I are sitting on opposite, you're more of the reimagined revival, I'm more of a traditional revival. That's where I'm at.

[56:14] Amber Brzezinski: Now revival is not, I just feel like if it's like if you're gonna give me a revival and you want to give me something new you have to go all in and really give me something new for sure. So the way that the Tonys work shows are not restricted to how much time must pass between productions. However, the Tony administration committee strictly governs whether production is considered an official revival or just a transfer of an already running off-Broadway show very much like Dead Outlaw and Titanic. Um, running time unlike original productions that often aim for open-ended year song runs, revivals frequently operate as limited runs depending on the availability of high-profile actors or nonprofit theater schedules. So it is really interesting. I would probably drive them crazy if I was a Tony's voter just to be very honest.

[56:14] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, um, I could never be a Tony's voter because I would just have like a full-out panic attack every Tony season. I would just want somebody to be like, I'm so sorry Heather, you are required to see literally every show. Oh no, awful. I would also be like, I don't have time for that, but yeah, it's already stressing me to full-time job. I already have the anxiety, I can't do it.

[57:12] Heather Bedor: All right, you take the next best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play. We had Christopher Abbott for Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Danny Bernstein for Marjorie Prime, Brandon J. Jordan for Waiting for Godot, Alden Ehrenreich for Becky Shaw, Ruben Santiago Hudson for August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Richard Thomas for The Bald Soprano, and the winner went to Alden Ehrenreich for Becky Shaw.

[58:03] Amber Brzezinski: Oh yeah. Gotta love Alden Ehrenreich. Um, I'm gonna respond to Jeffrey's post. Jeffrey um said Death of a Salesman keeps winning, same story.

[58:14] Heather Bedor: Yes.

[58:18] Amber Brzezinski: Beautiful cast, but I will say this one's a little bit darker from everything I've been told.

[58:22] Heather Bedor: Um, that's a little more controversy around it.

[58:26] Amber Brzezinski: Just a smidge.

[58:28] Heather Bedor: Dude, like a sprinkling.

[58:33] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. You had Death of a Salesman, Becky Shaw, Every Brilliant Thing, Johnny Donahoe, uh, Fallen Angels.

[58:42] Heather Bedor: Oh, we can't talk. Every Brilliant Thing was Duncan Macmillan with Johnny Donahoe, because that's in a different line. Fallen Angels and Oedipus, uh, with the winner being Death of a Salesman. Now here's where I'm gonna fuss for a second.

[58:54] Amber Brzezinski: Every Brilliant Thing considered a revival.

[59:00] Heather Bedor: Yeah, wasn't it?

[59:02] Amber Brzezinski: Didn't it? Isn't it like an original story from a while ago?

[59:08] Heather Bedor: It's an off-Broadway show from 2014.

[59:12] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, so that's where my challenge comes.

[59:17] Heather Bedor: But that's also how Gutenberg got into the best revival category.

[59:21] Amber Brzezinski: So off-Broadway. So that's where I go, hmm. Makes you think.

[59:28] Heather Bedor: Right. So all right, you want to take the next? We're almost done, guys. I know we're running over a few minutes, but this is what we love doing every year.

[59:36] Amber Brzezinski: Uh, was best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical. We had Sarah Chase for Schmingadoon, Stephanie Sue for Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show, Casey Levy for Ragtime, Marla Mandel for Titanic, and Christiana Pitts for Two Strangers Carry a Cake. And the winner went to Casey Levy for Ragtime.

[59:56] Heather Bedor: Yes, about freaking time. Um, I got to, I was talking to Chris last night because, you know, Casey's like, thank you to all of the babysitters out there who allowed her to be a mother and mother, essentially.

[1:00:11] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but also I met her when she was doing Frozen. She had just had her kid, and he was really sick for a while. And on last Broadway cruise, when she was on, we talked about it, and um, it's really such a beautiful thing to see her shine and get the respect and honor that she deserves.

[1:00:32] Heather Bedor: Love us some Sarah Chase.

[1:00:34] Amber Brzezinski: Sarah Chase is hysterical, different category in my mind.

[1:00:38] Heather Bedor: Um, not even category, but like different levels of performance. Stephanie Sue for Rocky Horror.

[1:00:44] Amber Brzezinski: Great, but again, I don't think it was at that level. We love us some Marla Mandel.

[1:00:50] Heather Bedor: Um, and a lot of people honestly thought she was gonna take it, but I'm like, there's no way.

[1:00:50] Amber Brzezinski: There's no way.

[1:00:55] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[1:00:55] Amber Brzezinski: Um, with no disrespect to Marla at all. It was just when you have Casey, that's like Bernadette Peters being in the category to me.

[1:01:04] Heather Bedor: So um, and then Christiani Pitts, her talent is freaking ridiculously phenomenal. I'm gonna cough again. I don't know what's going on.

[1:01:12] Amber Brzezinski: Right, but uh wasn't this her first nom?

[1:01:16] Heather Bedor: So I feel like also at that point, like when it is your first nom, it is a little bit harder to, I think a lot of them were at their first nomination, wasn't it?

[1:01:26] Amber Brzezinski: The category, yeah.

[1:01:28] Heather Bedor: But I'm so happy to see Casey do it. Now Jeffrey makes a point in the comments.

[1:01:32] Amber Brzezinski: If she went to Lost Boys, she could have had one twice.

[1:01:34] Heather Bedor: Yes.

[1:01:35] Amber Brzezinski: But I also posted the speech that or the answer that was Shoshana Bean had given backstage. So for those that don't know, once you've gotten your Tony, um you're escorted off into like the press pit.

[1:01:47] Heather Bedor: So you're actually behind, like it's in a different section of Radio City, and you have the media there and it's a press conference. Um, there's a really cute scene of um some of Ragtime learning that Casey had just won her Tony, and like their genuine reaction was beautiful.

[1:02:06] Amber Brzezinski: But Shoshana Bean was talking about her and Casey are very close. Um, they were actually both on the last Broadway cruise together. They are sisters, they genuinely love each other.

[1:02:18] Heather Bedor: Casey made a lot of good decisions to remove herself from Lost Boys. One, it wasn't fun at that point, to Ragtime. She was already in it, but there was no expectation of an extension.

[1:02:32] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so that was a surprise. She thought she was gonna get some downtime with her family, but it says she was able to make the choice to continue with Ragtime.

[1:02:39] Heather Bedor: But show was like something in me told me I should take it, and that's great. But also now both of them are able to win a Tony in the same year, right?

[1:02:50] Amber Brzezinski: So it's like karma really is a thing, and I love that they both were able to do it. Um, also a fun little thing that I saw on the interwebs, and I don't know how you guys feel about this.

[1:03:01] Heather Bedor: I heard that the one in Old Day Pink will be groomed to take over Shoshana's role in Lost Boys whenever she decides to leave the show.

[1:03:12] Amber Brzezinski: Interesting.

[1:03:14] Heather Bedor: I mean, they are best friends.

[1:03:16] Amber Brzezinski: So yeah, a little interesting.

[1:03:19] Heather Bedor: Little interesting. All right.

[1:03:22] Amber Brzezinski: Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical. Well, you love him.

[1:03:26] Heather Bedor: I love him. Nicholas Christopher. Chess literally told him at the stage door if he does not get the nomination, um, we're gonna riot.

[1:03:34] Amber Brzezinski: Luke Evans, Rocky Horror. Look at his butt.

[1:03:39] Heather Bedor: Luke Evans' butt on national TV. So proud of him.

[1:03:42] Amber Brzezinski: Joshua Henry for Ragtime, Sam Tutti for Two Strangers, and Brandon Uranowitz for Ragtime. And Joshua Henry was able to take it.

[1:03:52] Heather Bedor: Hands down, we all knew that was coming.

[1:03:54] Amber Brzezinski: Right. Um, his beautiful about his kids.

[1:03:58] Heather Bedor: Um, so well deserved, and the moment between him and Casey because they were back to back.

[1:04:06] Amber Brzezinski: She waited for him off stage. She waited for off stage, and they both had their moment, and that was a beautiful thing to see.

[1:04:14] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[1:04:15] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I definitely think it went to the right person.

[1:04:19] Heather Bedor: Um, would have loved to have seen any of the other ones there, but I don't think it was their year to do it.

[1:04:25] Amber Brzezinski: So um, yeah. And then we move on to the biggest controversy of the night.

[1:04:31] Heather Bedor: The da-da-da. Best musical.

[1:04:36] Chris Levy: So it was just a small group of us. It was Chris and Ned and Brian and myself, and it was split down the middle. I would have been happy with Shemegadoon or Lost Boys taking the cake. Um, two strangers carry a cake across New York. I was gonna say, or Titanic. Um, but I was like, okay, it's down between Schmig and Lost Boys. So Chris and Ned decided they're gonna be Team Shmigadoon, and Brian decided to jump on Team Lost Boys with me. And I'm gonna say this. I'm not mad that Shmigadoon took the category. I'm not. I think it's so well deserved. I think it's it was it's beautiful, and it kind of proves the shit talkers wrong a little bit. Because when you have the Lost Boys, big, flashy, gorgeous, huge Broadway, spectacular, and Shmigadoon, not that huge of a show.

I mean, big cast, big ensemble, huge dancing, but their set is one level and really not a lot different than like there's stuff that moves in and out, but you're not a three-story set with flying vampires. Very, very different shows, and Shmegadoon still won.

[1:05:48] Heather Bedor: Yeah, that was really cool to see.

[1:05:52] Chris Levy: Yeah, for sure.

[1:05:54] Heather Bedor: So, um, how do you feel about that?

[1:05:58] Chris Levy: I feel good about it. Like, like we were discussing last week, um, that this is a musical that really pulls out all the stops and is a big golden age musical. Like it, it really like when you look up when you look up musical in the dictionary, like Shmigadune is like one of the definitions, like an example of one of the definitions.

[1:06:27] Amber Brzezinski: Mm-hmm.

[1:06:28] Chris Levy: I agree. So, yeah, I feel like it was a tough call, but I feel like it was a good call.

[1:06:33] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, I mean, it's fun. You leave the show feeling fun and revived, and I don't know, it's just it's nice, and the story is silly. And somebody posted on the group, did he just say, or did they just say a lyric in the song about doing something with pigs?

[1:06:52] Chris Levy: Like it's crazy, right?

[1:06:54] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, the cocaine pills are a real thing. Um, but it's such a fun show, it has an all-star cast. Um, our girl Izzy McCallas in it uh from Water for Elephants, but like such a lovely show, and I'm really happy that they won. Like, I think that was a well-deserved thing.

[1:07:10] Chris Levy: Yeah, for sure. And I see everybody in the comments. Totally fine. Was hoping for Lost Boys.

[1:07:18] Amber Brzezinski: Lost Boys deserve it for the stunts.

[1:07:20] Chris Levy: Funny. Okay. I get out, I'll give you that. That's fine. I would have loved to see Lost Boys win.

[1:07:25] Amber Brzezinski: So, guys, I know it. I know it. But here's what I'm gonna say, because I've noticed, and Amber, I'm sure you've seen it all day long too. Just so many negative comments, like, oh, I'm so disappointed in the Tony voters let us down. No, guys, like it takes a lot to become a Tony's voter. And you know what? Your show is still gonna be running, right? It's gonna be going. You know, Titanic is already making their announcements for tour, and this is doing this. I'm sure Shmig's gonna go on tour soon, but like go see shows. I think this is always our whole point is go see shows while you can, right? Because the shows can't continue if there's no butts in the seats. If you can go see a show, if you have the means for it, the funds, whatever, go see them. If you can't see it, go to your local theater.

[1:08:17] Chris Levy: Um, you know, there was this really poignant. Patrick Wilson. Um, was talking about like their regional theater, and like they had all the nominations and all this the regional stuff in Act One. You never know who you're gonna see in a regional theater production. You never know who you're gonna see in your local theater. You have no clue. I'll always bring it back to my buddy Scott Porter, who we met 25, 26 years ago. Um, aging myself really well. We both worked at Panera together, okay. And he was in an a cappella group and worked at the theme parks, and then he started auditioning for stuff, and then he was like in Speed Racer and Prompt, and then this little show called Friday Night Lights.

[1:09:01] Chris Levy: I'm still in the process of unpacking, so I'm covered in dust. It's really fun. But then he was in Friday Night Lights, and then he's like everywhere. Jenny and Georgia, you never know who you're gonna come across. Always be kind, don't be a dick because you never know if the person sitting across from you is gonna be somebody that you can look up and see on stage one day.

[1:09:23] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, um, and Danny Joe just asked, sorry, I came on late and don't know this was asked, but do you think Rocky Horror will last much longer?

[1:09:30] Chris Levy: Absolutely. Just because a show did not, you know, win as much as you think at the Tonys, does not necessarily mean they're gonna close instantaneously. I know so many people that are beyond excited for the Rocky Horror Halloween show. Um, we have so many spooky shows coming in, which as you guys all know is like right up Heather and my alley.

[1:09:52] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, um, this is gonna be a very like spooky season, so I think Halloween is gonna be like a very big time. They're already sold out, their whole runs. We'll have Lost Boys, we'll have Rocky Horror, um, we'll have paranormal activity, we'll have like it'll just be like a spooky time.

[1:09:58] Amber Brzezinski: I'm gonna cough now. Hold on.

[1:10:09] Chris Levy: So, yeah, it's gonna be amazing, but yeah, Rocky Horror's entire run, traditional tickets are already sold out.

[1:10:15] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:10:16] Chris Levy: So if you see something pop open, it's because somebody passed eight of them and they're just hoping for it. I don't think it's going anywhere free. Studio 54 has been really kind of sitting stagnant.

[1:10:27] Amber Brzezinski: Um Olivia makes a beautiful point. Wicked didn't win best musical, it's still running 23 years later.

[1:10:32] Chris Levy: Right. Do you know what won instead of Wicked?

[1:10:35] Amber Brzezinski: I do.

[1:10:37] Chris Levy: Avenue Q.

[1:10:39] Amber Brzezinski: So, like, come on, people.

[1:10:42] Chris Levy: And uh same with um oh my god.

[1:10:51] Amber Brzezinski: Ragtime.

[1:10:52] Chris Levy: Ragtime Lion King beat out Ragtime, like lying, you know what I mean?

[1:10:57] Amber Brzezinski: Like, yep.

[1:10:58] Chris Levy: But I will say it makes me sad because Olivia also says, I kid you not, when at my Tony party, no one cheered when Shmigadoon won. It was dead silence in the room, sadly.

[1:11:06] Amber Brzezinski: Olivia, I would get some new friends. I'm sorry.

[1:11:10] Chris Levy: That I I don't care. I you have to cheer for theater. You just have to cheer.

[1:11:17] Amber Brzezinski: Cheer them on, cheer everybody on. You know, unless you are gonna lose your ass because you made a stupid bet somewhere, then you don't have to cheer because then you're like, shit, now I'm broke.

[1:11:28] Chris Levy: But yeah, I am gonna say my controversial take was you're not gonna love since you um I do feel like first. I hope Shoshana gets better soon. It was a little bit evident to me that she was under the weather. She couple of people last night for several days prior. Um, and I just felt like you know, it you could you could see that she was a little worn down.

[1:12:01] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so still look gorgeous, still look gorgeous, and I I hope you know she gets some super endorphins off that Tony win, and they really help to heal her up soon. Um, but this is a tough week for lots of performers. They're doing like Tony's rehearsals during the day, they're doing their shows at night, like it is very rigorous on their bodies.

[1:12:24] Chris Levy: Um, and I also don't think the Lost Boys performance translated as well on the Tony stage as it did in the show. I don't think the arrangement of the mix of the two songs was that great, and I also just don't think it was able to give me the same feeling I had when I saw it in the theater during the show.

[1:12:58] Amber Brzezinski: It's so hard.

[1:12:59] Chris Levy: That's hard though. It is hard, but I mean, Schmig did a good job. I would have left with it in the classroom, but I know why they did the opening scene, and that's fine.

[1:13:09] Amber Brzezinski: Right, but even Brian was texting me because we were talking about Tony's food. But like when when Lost Boys opened, he's like, is that like the act one finale? I'm like, oh no, that's pretty much the top of the show, right?

[1:13:22] Chris Levy: Right. But they shoved a lot in all at once. So, and I'm really glad that they did that. Really, really glad that they did that.

[1:13:30] Amber Brzezinski: But you know, I mean, I understand. It's always hard too because a lot of people don't realize this, and you and I have talked about it before on the show, and a lot not on the show. Shows have to pay to perform at the Tonys, guys.

[1:13:44] Chris Levy: Right.

[1:13:45] Amber Brzezinski: It ain't free. Not only do they have to pay their performers, they have to pay for the slot. They also have to pay for the entire set. Whether that's you're definitely not gonna transfer over most of your set design.

[1:13:56] Chris Levy: Right.

[1:13:57] Amber Brzezinski: You now have to build a new set. Like it is not cheap to perform at the Tonys.

[1:14:02] Chris Levy: Right, exactly.

[1:14:03] Amber Brzezinski: Exactly.

[1:14:04] Chris Levy: So it is hard.

[1:14:06] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but again, it's the best of the best of the best.

[1:14:10] Chris Levy: And like you have to show off as much as you possibly can.

[1:14:16] Amber Brzezinski: But again, I remember when I saw Hadestown and I was like, I have to go see the show.

[1:14:21] Chris Levy: Right.

[1:14:21] Amber Brzezinski: And I remember when I watched the show last night and I was like, I have no interest in seeing Cats after that performance.

[1:14:27] Chris Levy: Yeah.

[1:14:27] Amber Brzezinski: And I know that's gonna piss off a lot of people, but that's okay.

[1:14:30] Chris Levy: But I loved that the audience got clack fans. Every f every person had a clacker fan under this is a fun fun fact. Everybody had a clacker fan under their seat, and during a commercial break, they were all instructed how to use it.

[1:14:44] Amber Brzezinski: Love that.

[1:14:45] Chris Levy: They got a full tutorial.

[1:14:47] Amber Brzezinski: Love that.

[1:14:48] Chris Levy: A full tutorial. Um, and there's also apparently a DJ spinning life in between commercial breaks.

[1:14:54] Amber Brzezinski: Nice.

[1:14:55] Chris Levy: I wonder if it was Ken Ard, the DJ from Jellicle Ball.

[1:14:58] Amber Brzezinski: Maybe.

[1:14:59] Chris Levy: Who was an original cat.

[1:15:01] Amber Brzezinski: Maybe. Meow.

[1:15:03] Chris Levy: Um, but I will definitely say, like, everyone's like, oh Heather, are you going to the Tonys this year? No.

[1:15:09] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I don't I yes, maybe one of these days I'll decide to go, but it is a very long and exhausting thing.

[1:15:16] Chris Levy: And I'm glad that I have friends that were there, whether they were part of a show or not. You know, I want to make room for people in the shows that are nominated. I'm also not spending almost two grand for a ticket to sit in the nosebleed section of the Radio City musical.

[1:15:29] Amber Brzezinski: Um I much prefer to have a Tony's party with my friends, but we're making stupidly themed food. Umber, I don't know if you saw the video I posted from Chris's house last night.

[1:15:39] Chris Levy: But Chris made rocky horror shrimp cocktail, and then it was on a bed of iceberg lettuce, bitch.

[1:15:48] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so we love that.

[1:15:51] Chris Levy: I made garlic knots sliders, um, chicken parmesan sandwiches, which was awesome. Um, Chris also made corn pudding. He didn't even know corn pudding was a thing.

[1:16:03] Amber Brzezinski: Didn't know corn pudding was a thing.

[1:16:04] Chris Levy: Um, and made some delicious. It was like a whole TV show and song and musical and everything who had it was great up, but corn it was delicious.

[1:16:14] Amber Brzezinski: Um, we also had a wedding cake, like a top tier of a wedding cake that two strangers actually loved that we did it and said they were very happy that we had it.

[1:16:23] Chris Levy: Um I saw lots of top-tier wedding cakes actually posted.

[1:16:27] Amber Brzezinski: Lots of people.

[1:16:29] Chris Levy: Yep.

[1:16:29] Amber Brzezinski: We had blood orange, uh, so we had Santa Carla Um Sunsets, which was blood orange juice and champagne.

[1:16:36] Chris Levy: Um, and of course, we had our schmack race cookies. Because why not?

[1:16:42] Amber Brzezinski: Um, yes, and going into our comments, loved Andrew Lloyd Webber with Meow signs and Anna Wintour.

[1:16:48] Chris Levy: Like they were sitting together just for funsies.

[1:16:52] Amber Brzezinski: Um, I thought that was phenomenal. People were like, oh my god, he actually came in for the Tonys.

[1:16:56] Chris Levy: Yes.

[1:16:58] Amber Brzezinski: He was in New York a lot.

[1:17:00] Chris Levy: Right.

[1:17:00] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but yeah, there were a lot of fun cameos, I guess if you want to put it that way, throughout the night.

[1:17:08] Chris Levy: Um, but I'm gonna talk about the cameo that I was not happy about seeing, and every single time I saw it, I pointed out. Put your fucking phones away. You're at the Tonys like they're generally not supposed to even have their phones on them.

[1:17:26] Amber Brzezinski: Every time it would come in from a commercial break, or they would do a pan over the audience, like when Darren Chris was in the mezzanine, they would pan over, and I'm like, why is there phone screens on?

[1:17:37] Heather Bedor: Come on. Well, you're no theater etiquette these days. No, this is why we can't have nice things. This is why it's perpetuating bad ideas, bad habits. Uh, don't lead by example. Monkey see, monkey don't. I don't know. Yeah, it drove me crazy. I'm happy, like, yes, totally take your picture. I was here at the Tonies, look at some of my seat, here's my playbill, here's my ticket. Congratulations. Put your fucking phone down. That's it. I'll say about that right now.

[1:18:12] Heather Bedor: Anyways, I know we're running over, but this is always our fun show. Um, Amber, anything we want to talk about Broadway news-wise, since now we're technically on summer break for the season, not our season, but Broadway? There's no like fun new shows opening up in the next couple of months, but there's a lot of really cool shit happening.

[1:18:32] Amber Brzezinski: Um, not that I can think of. I'm still just sad that I live here and not in London and I can't see Joy Woods in Cabaret.

[1:18:42] Heather Bedor: Um, but that's really not relevant to this story, but no, not at all.

[1:18:49] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. Also, um, exciting news that Mr. Caroline Bowman, Austin Colby joined Masquerade.

[1:18:59] Heather Bedor: Um, I'm sorry, but like after his show up and standout for Caroline at her singular Sunset Boulevard Norma performance, like show me another Broadway spouse or any performer spouse that is as supportive as Mr. Caroline Bowman.

[1:19:23] Amber Brzezinski: He has a name. Say it again.

[1:19:24] Heather Bedor: Austin Colby.

[1:19:28] Amber Brzezinski: But he loves her so much.

[1:19:32] Heather Bedor: No, but still it'll be hard to see him as like a creepy manipulative phantom man, but what the fuck?

[1:19:43] Amber Brzezinski: However, if anyone could pull it off, I know it's him.

[1:19:47] Heather Bedor: Amber just said the most fighting words, the fitiest words ever. Did you just call Phantom the creepy ass Phantom Man?

[1:19:57] Amber Brzezinski: If you're gonna tell me that the Phantom is not like a creepy man manipulating women, he's not okay.

[1:20:09] Heather Bedor: Eric would never do such a thing.

[1:20:12] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, okay, okay.

[1:20:14] Heather Bedor: Okay, gaslighting.

[1:20:17] Amber Brzezinski: No.

[1:20:18] Heather Bedor: Anyways, I talked about the Broadway cruise for coming up because there were so many Tony Award winners on the last cruise. I won't talk about it again. Um, and I'm give you guys a promo code because that's always really fun. Can I do that for a second, Amber? Can I can I can I can I can I can I can I'm for it.

[1:20:34] Heather Bedor: Can I can I can I can I carry they don't pay me to do this. I just want to see more of our members on there because I would love to do a members meetup. So the Broadway cruise four is happening next year. So they actually skip 2026. It's April 15th through the 20th from Miami to Cozumel, which I got a chance to get a Cosmo last year. Super cool, and Great Stirrup Cay, which is kind of like their private island.

[1:20:59] Heather Bedor: Guys, this is the talent lineup. Yes, some of them have already been on the Broadway cruise before, but it's only gonna get bigger and better. And um, it's incredible. So Laura Bell Bundy. Um, yes, she's incredible. Carrie Butler, and you'll sense the theme in a second. Norbert Leo Butts, Darren Criss, Michaela Diamond, my buddy Norm Lewis, Jerry Mitchell, Carrie St. Louis, which they need to update a lot of stuff.

[1:21:27] Heather Bedor: Mark Shaman, love him, Patty Freaking LuPone. Ever heard of her? You could be like, hey, remember when you said my friend back in unsigned playbill? I should.

[1:21:37] Amber Brzezinski: I should.

[1:21:42] Heather Bedor: Um, Adrian Warren and Marissa Jarrett Winokur. Um, so you also have Will Van Dyke on, and then Gordon Cox will be there, and then my boys, Henry Kapersky and Ethan Christopher love them so very much and super talented. Henry is actually Alan Cumming's personal pianist and does like every kind of cabaret ever.

[1:22:03] Heather Bedor: Um, so you can go on right now, you can book tickets right now. There's a couple of different categories and whatnot um for you to book. I always do an inside stateroom because why not? Um, I'm not spending that much time, guys. It's Broadway 24/7 in there.

[1:22:19] Heather Bedor: It's insane. Like you walk through the cruise ship, and we're it's just us. So it's all theater people. Everyone's dressed to the nines in theater stuff and singing, and like in the casino, there's Broadway showdowns playing. Um, and there's Broadway themed events, and like Norm and I talk about this, but like Norm Lewis is serving you ice cream because that's an event.

[1:22:40] Amber Brzezinski: And then they do the stage tour events, which are kind of cool because what they do is they have my screen just went off funky. Um, they do this um like the different talent is gonna be there, and you walk in and it's like a convention.

[1:22:54] Heather Bedor: So you go in to the stage tour experience and you walk from table to table when you can get things signed and have a conversation, but the talent is also walking around the ship because they're also on vacation.

[1:23:06] Amber Brzezinski: Um, so like my first year when it was Cheyenne Jackson was one of the stars that was there, and also with Norm, Norm is everywhere too, but like you just be walking and be like, oh hey, what's up, Cheyenne? And it's crazy.

[1:23:19] Heather Bedor: Um, but if you guys noticed the lovely ladies from Mama I'm a big girl now are all gonna be on this cruise because they're gonna be.

[1:23:27] Amber Brzezinski: I wonder why they're gonna be doing their show.

[1:23:31] Heather Bedor: So the cool part is with the cruise as well, is that with this one they changed it up a little bit, but now they are including every night. There is a performance, they usually do like these big beautiful Broadway performances um of that specific performer.

[1:23:46] Amber Brzezinski: So like Norm did this wonderful, like it's utterly beautiful.

[1:23:50] Heather Bedor: It's okay. So um, with that being said, if you're interested in joining me on the cruise, I know Amber never wants to go on the cruise because she hates Florida so much and she would burst into sun fire. It's fine.

[1:24:03] Amber Brzezinski: One day I'll dry across on a cruise.

[1:24:05] Heather Bedor: But you can go to the broadwaycruise.com, www.thebroadwaycruise.com. Amber, do you remember when I figured out our promo code?

[1:24:16] Amber Brzezinski: No.

[1:24:17] Heather Bedor: Yeah.

[1:24:18] Amber Brzezinski: Two BFC.

[1:24:20] Heather Bedor: And I used to say all the time, it's two big freaking coupon or big freaking whatever. And she's like, you mean like Broadway fan club? Yep.

[1:24:32] Heather Bedor: So if you go to www.thebroadwaycruise.com and enter refer code, the number two, BFC, like Broadway fan club, you'll get a special promotion. Um that they are running at the time.

[1:24:47] Amber Brzezinski: With that being said, as well, did you see the newest drop on Broadway Drop Shop?

[1:24:52] Heather Bedor: I did.

[1:24:54] Amber Brzezinski: Did you get anything from it?

[1:24:56] Heather Bedor: No.

[1:24:57] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[1:24:58] Heather Bedor: I'm poor.

[1:25:00] Amber Brzezinski: You were poor.

[1:25:00] Heather Bedor: Well, while you pull it up, I'm gonna answer Jeffrey's question. Who is the next Mary Todd?

[1:25:05] Amber Brzezinski: I'm very excited about this one.

[1:25:07] Heather Bedor: Uh, the next Mary Todd after my Rudolph is going to be the infamous Meg Statler, who I don't know if you know. She is um most well known for starring in HBO's Hacks.

[1:25:21] Amber Brzezinski: Um, she is very, very, very funny.

[1:25:24] Heather Bedor: Um, she is just a very good time. Quick witted, sharp, incredible, incredibly funny human being.

[1:25:36] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, human being is definitely one of those things that you want to be nowadays.

[1:25:42] Heather Bedor: Um, I think that she can be whatever she wants to be.

[1:25:46] Amber Brzezinski: That's true.

[1:25:48] Heather Bedor: Um, so talking about Broadway Drop Shop, I pulled it up. So this is a new company that is doing these limited run um drops.

[1:25:58] Amber Brzezinski: You won't know what the drops are until the timer counts down.

[1:26:02] Heather Bedor: But this is the most recent one.

[1:26:07] Amber Brzezinski: So it's like in honor of these shows. Can you see it?

[1:26:12] Heather Bedor: So you have watch out the big bosses here water bottle.

[1:26:17] Amber Brzezinski: Um classified contents, probably water.

[1:26:22] Heather Bedor: Um, and then you have unsinkable pride collection.

[1:26:25] Amber Brzezinski: So Titanic themed buttons.

[1:26:28] Heather Bedor: You can notify.

[1:26:29] Amber Brzezinski: The other one is a mince meat in case that wasn't.

[1:26:32] Heather Bedor: Yes, this is mince meat.

[1:26:33] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, on behalf of Mints.

[1:26:35] Heather Bedor: Yes.

[1:26:35] Amber Brzezinski: Um, but you can actually sign up to get notifications for drops and all sorts of discounts and promotions if you go to our direct affiliate link, https colon slash slash the broadway dropshop.com slash question mark vi a equals the Broadway fan club.

[1:26:56] Heather Bedor: We'll also post it in our group so you'll get all sorts of fun things. Um, as we are one of the first affiliates that was approached to uh Juvis on behalf of our friends, we're happy to help support.

[1:27:07] Amber Brzezinski: So make sure you take care of that.

[1:27:10] Heather Bedor: Anyways, um, I'm gonna be doing a major overhaul of our link tree in the next coming days, and then you guys will see our website being updated.

[1:27:20] Amber Brzezinski: So if you go to WW, I feel like I'm doing housework at this point, the Broadway FanClub.com, you will see most of our groups after this week.

[1:27:27] Heather Bedor: You will see all 175 of our groups, including the most new recent one for paranormal activity.

[1:27:34] Amber Brzezinski: Um, another really great website you can go to where you can listen to all of our previous 91 episodes of the Broadway Fan Club podcast.

[1:27:42] Heather Bedor: Holy crap, 91 episodes. Not even including the special one-off episodes like what we did with Ethan Pop, um, or even with Hannah Cruz.

[1:27:51] Amber Brzezinski: www.onybroadwayfans.com.

[1:27:54] Heather Bedor: Yes, that is the real website to take you directly to our Broadway Podcast Network website. From there, you can actually download any previous episode or listen to them just like you're listening to us now.

[1:28:04] Amber Brzezinski: Probably me dying or Amber dying, because that just seems to be the trend nowadays because allergies are awful.

[1:28:11] Heather Bedor: Um, you know what else that they should go to, Amber?

[1:28:11] Amber Brzezinski: Tell me.

[1:28:11] Heather Bedor: They should go to the Broadwayfanclub.etsy.com and drive you even crazier with your tiny little hands.

[1:28:22] Amber Brzezinski: It's true.

[1:28:22] Heather Bedor: But don't go that crazy right now, because my tummy hurts.

[1:28:25] Amber Brzezinski: I don't feel okay.

[1:28:26] Heather Bedor: Well, not like this very second, but um if you guys face it out like a day or so.

[1:28:33] Heather Bedor: The BroadwayFanClub.etsy.com will take you directly to our Etsy page where we have how many different designs of custom uh braces.

[1:28:43] Amber Brzezinski: Probably like 5,000.

[1:28:44] Heather Bedor: No, that's too many.

[1:28:45] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and we also do custom bracelets for you for your show, for your cast, for your friends, or if you want to drop something off of the stage tour for your favorite performer.

[1:28:54] Heather Bedor: So lots of fun and exciting things coming up. Make sure you stay tuned each and every Monday night.

[1:29:00] Amber Brzezinski: Um, this is our longest episode we've done in a while, clocking in almost an hour and a half.

[1:29:05] Heather Bedor: But we will be here next Monday night at 8 p.m. Eastern. Because every Monday, Broadway's dark, we keep the ghost light burning.

[1:29:13] Heather Bedor: I am Heather, your very tired and faithful servant. That is Amber giving me a finger.

[1:29:21] Amber Brzezinski: One more thing before we go.

[1:29:22] Heather Bedor: Oh god, I said this last week. But again, if you can please follow, like, subscribe on our page, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, anywhere you also listen to podcasts.

[1:29:36] Amber Brzezinski: It does really help us a lot.

[1:29:37] Heather Bedor: We appreciate you.

[1:29:39] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, we love that.

[1:29:40] Heather Bedor: And it'll also help us if you download the episodes from Broadway Podcast Network so that the network goes, hey, people actually listen to you outside of your lives because we drive you guys crazy.

[1:29:50] Amber Brzezinski: Listen to us at the gym or on your cruise or on a plane.

[1:29:54] Heather Bedor: I don't know. We ramble, but we have some fun shit that happens.

[1:29:57] Amber Brzezinski: So lots of fun and exciting things coming up soon.

[1:30:00] Heather Bedor: We are still going to be doing our drawing for our Tony Award-winning uh signed playbill. So make sure that you are doing all of the above, letting us know that you're following us, and uh we'll take care of you.

[1:30:12] Amber Brzezinski: Take care of us.

[1:30:13] Heather Bedor: We're happy to do it.

[1:30:14] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, and I guess we'll throw up a pride contest in the cats group.

[1:30:18] Heather Bedor: Oh, love that.

[1:30:19] Amber Brzezinski: Happy Pride, y'all.

[1:30:20] Heather Bedor: All right.

[1:30:21] Amber Brzezinski: See ya.

[1:30:22] Heather Bedor: See you guys next week.