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Tangoing with Tracie Thoms

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1

And That's what You Really missed with Jenna.

Speaker 2

And Kevin An.

Speaker 3

iHeartRadio podcast.

Speaker 2

Welcome to and That's what You Really miss podcast.

We have a dear old friend, Tracy Tom's here.

She played Joanne in Rent in the musical movie and then on Broadway.

She has a huge career.

I don't think she needs a huge instruction.

She's a dear friend, wonderful human, and you know she was Endeavor's product.

So that's all I'm gonna say.

I also have an experience together where I have an embarrassing moment that haunts me forever still to this.

Speaker 1

Day that we talk about.

Speaker 2

So I hope you guys enjoy the conversation.

Enjoy Tracy, and thanks for coming to listen.

Speaker 1

Thanks for coming on.

I really appreciate it.

Of course, we just recapped Rent the.

Speaker 3

Movie twenty years ago.

Speaker 2

Lord me and Adam on and he chatted about all the things lovely Adam.

Speaker 1

But yeah, we have a lot to talk about.

I feel like.

Speaker 2

I have a funny story that I have to share with you or a reminder of a memory.

But also I feel like we've never like talked about Wren in the movie and our careers, because like that's not what we usually talk about when we see each other.

Speaker 1

So why would we?

Why would we?

But here we are.

You've done a lot.

You've done a lot.

You've done a lot of film and TV and screen, and you've done a.

Speaker 2

Lot of stage.

Where did it start for you?

And yeah, just where did you get your start?

Like where when did you find the bug for the theater and the screen and the TV and all of that.

Speaker 3

Well, it's kind of weird.

Speaker 4

So my dad worked in public television when I was little, so it was always around the arts on public television when I was young, and then he went to PBS and Discovery and all kind of stuff like that, so it was always rounded.

I don't remember saying my first play or anything like that.

I was just always plays and stuff when I was little.

But there was there was this show when I was a little called Junior Star Search.

I really for some reason, I do not understand why I really wanted.

Speaker 3

To be on Junior Star Search.

I wasn't particularly talented.

Wow, I wasn't.

I was not.

Speaker 4

I was not good as a child, okay, and I was like shy kind of I was shot like a ham but a really weird kid.

I was a weird kid.

But I just decided I want to be on and I didn't even care, which.

Speaker 3

Still man.

So then I was very logical about this.

Speaker 4

I was like, well, if I go on as a dancer, what if I forget my steps or I fall down?

But if I go on as a singer and I forget the words something or a crack or the song.

So but I had this acting segment on there where like a kid would two kids would do the same scene with a celebrity and whoever did it best one, and I went, I could do that.

Speaker 1

Oh my gosh, Okay.

Speaker 4

One of my parents room and said, mom, dad, I want to acting classes and blessed my little heart.

And like I knew it was something I had to learn how to do it because I was already in a dating class and I wasn't very great.

Speaker 3

I can't remember the steps, but I wasn't particularly graceful.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 4

Yeah, I wasn't a flexible kid.

I could kick my leg.

I couldn't do any of it.

So yeah, that's what I wanted to do, and that's why I started acting class.

Actually was acting, singing and dance.

Speaker 3

It was like a it was like a weekend thing.

Speaker 4

Yeah, Okay, I did that, and like I said, I wasn't really good.

Speaker 3

I don't think, but I liked it.

Speaker 1

So, okay, did you ever get on Junior Star search.

Speaker 3

Started the classes?

It's like the bug the.

Speaker 1

I got it, I got it, but you never you know, like I want.

Speaker 3

Did you get on it?

Because googling going to.

Speaker 1

Exactly to like, but I don't.

Speaker 3

Want to do my homework.

Speaker 1

So then did you go to like you just did you continue to study?

Speaker 2

And you went to regular school and then you you pursued this later in life or like was it young?

Speaker 4

Yeah?

Speaker 3

That was called.

Speaker 4

The Baltimore Actors Theater in Telson, and then I switched from that school to the Arena Players, which is downtown, which is one of the oldest consistently run.

Speaker 3

Community theaters in the country.

And so I switched that.

Speaker 4

I did shows there for ten years, okay, and youth theater Arena Players Youth Theater, and then I went to high school.

A lot of my people from that youth theater went to Performing Arts High School.

Speaker 3

I went to a regular high school.

Speaker 2

For one hated it, transferred to the Arts school, got it.

Speaker 4

Then I went to Howard with a Howard University with a minor in theater, you know, communications, hated it switched to fine arts, and then I just, okay, I guess I'm going to be an actor.

Speaker 3

I guess you know, I just didn't know whatever.

But here we are.

Speaker 2

Did you fight the urge to like because you did comms or was that like communication?

Was was somebody telling you, like, oh, do the major in something and then minor in.

Speaker 1

This is a backup, like have a backup.

Speaker 3

Father was like, what are you doing?

And you want to be an actor?

And I'm like, yeah, but what if I don't work?

I didn't have something to fall back on, right exactly, But you're just acting out of fear.

Yeah, do things right?

Speaker 1

Right?

Speaker 4

So that the switch and then I said, now goes to an audition for Julliard.

I went to but I went to a summer program in Oxford to study Shakespeare.

They got the Shakespeare, but the audition for Juilliard and I got it, And so.

Speaker 3

That I m of school.

Speaker 1

Not a lot of people get into Jilliard, you know.

Speaker 3

No, I'm still like, what.

Speaker 1

Stop, You're amazing?

Speaker 5

Uh?

Speaker 1

Okay?

What was your what was your break?

Then?

Where was your break?

Speaker 3

I guess it would be Rents.

Speaker 1

I did I did.

Speaker 3

I did this one show called as If that lasted two episodes.

I remember that one of the bulls Chat.

Speaker 4

Which was like four episodes of Hold off the Air.

But it's kind of a cult cult classic.

I did like two Broadway shows, no one.

It's called a Drown and Crow, right, a hit, but I did it drawn and Crow.

Speaker 1

Drown and Crow what a name.

Speaker 4

I know it was basically a retelling of the Seagull, but we were black and Crow.

Speaker 1

Okay, okay, oh my gosh, the Seagull and then Rent came your way.

Speaker 3

Public over the course of like eight or nine years.

Speaker 1

For Broadway, so you had been in the mix for a long time.

Speaker 3

Just like thank you, but no thank you, but no maybe next time thank you, but.

Speaker 1

No future Broadway replacement.

Speaker 4

Yeah for the four hundredth Joanne.

Speaker 1

And at some point you're like, I'm like stop bringing me in.

Yeah.

Speaker 4

At some point I was like, this is this is gonna be my last audition for this thing, because.

Speaker 3

I'm still understaing for this thing.

Speaker 1

Okay, so then how did you How did the movie find you?

Speaker 3

I went in for the movie.

Speaker 1

Okay, Okay, you know.

Speaker 4

It's kinda le Okay, fine, this could be my actual last time.

I didn't even think it went that well.

Speaker 6

You know.

Speaker 1

I was like, oh, well, just like the others, the others, just like Lion King, just like I eat.

Speaker 3

Billion times and didn't get gusted.

Speaker 1

Okay, that's fair, that's fair.

But you keep coming back, and you know what it paid off.

So you did the movie, and what was the movie like for you?

Speaker 2

Joining a cast that already kind of created something.

I don't assume that it could be like kind of like joining a Broadway show once it's kind of been locked, but in a different, I don't know, a different way.

Speaker 1

Tell me about the experience.

Well, so.

Speaker 4

When I got it, I didn't know it was going to be with the original cast, you know.

I mean I thought there was no way.

I thought it would be a cast of yeah, veryous celebrity you know, very famous people.

Speaker 3

I was like, why are you call me in?

It's going to be Queen Ontifa or someone who's gonna.

Speaker 1

Offer only you know.

Speaker 3

But then I got it, and I walked.

Speaker 4

Forty blocks and called everybody I'd ever met and just screamed on the streets of New York City.

Speaker 1

Yeah, after all that time, Yeah, and then I.

Speaker 3

Found out it was with the original cast, and that freaked me out.

Speaker 4

Then I got to get to see Wicked because I hadn't seen Wicked yet, so I went too Wicked to see a Dina and I just like I was kind of mentally prepared for defind Gravity, I was for the Wisid and I I wasn't prepared for No Good.

I wasn't prepared for the only song I knew was I was like, oh, I don't know, there like eight other songs like that.

Speaker 3

Felting your face off.

Hours of five minutes got it.

But I met her.

Speaker 4

We had a little date.

It was very cute, and then we started rehearsal.

I started like vocal training, you know, voice training with this guy, and I didn't know for sure if I was singing Scenes of Love yet, because you know, Joey doesn't sing that song in the show.

Speaker 3

So I had to singing in the audition just to see if I could.

And then summer long, they're like, yeah, you're just.

Speaker 1

Going to sing it, and I'm like, it's so iconic.

Speaker 4

I was like, this is going to be the biggest, the biggest, like honor to sing this, and also it's gonna be the thing, and people wanted me to sing.

Speaker 1

For the rest of my life, and is it true?

It is the thing that everybody wants to you to sing for the rest of your life.

Speaker 3

I'm like, do you have a sitting I see, I don't.

Speaker 2

I feel like the last time we did Harvest Home benefit, which was probably the last time I saw you, or maybe not, but one of the last times I saw you, and they're like, Tracy, can you do?

Speaker 3

Can everybody sing it?

Speaker 4

How about somebody else?

To the end, it's really hard because it's like the hardest song ever.

And some days I can sing it and some days I feel like it's one of those songs that had Jonathan lived, it might have been like, hey, Jonathan.

Speaker 3

Lowered the song as a week of it all.

Speaker 1

So back to the movie, So you worked with the Dina Yeah, I mean you absolutely held your own.

Speaker 2

It was incredible kind of made you made Joe and your own, Like, how what was that like the collaborative experience, like given that you know they had already created something that you guys were bringing over.

Speaker 3

Luckily it was me and Rosario.

We were both new you know.

Speaker 4

When I got there, Anthony and Adam took me to dinner.

We just want you to know that we're really glad you're here.

We love Freddy, but we're gonna love you too, and it's gonna be great.

And I'm like, I'm terrified.

Yeah, but I had lived with Ren for so long.

Yeah, I remember things about it that they did.

It was their life, you know what I mean, Like it was called in this whirlwind of craziness.

But like I would just go to rehearsals when I wasn't called, just to sit there listening to and sing the songs.

Speaker 3

You or what you own?

Speaker 4

And uh, Anthony couldn't remember his harmony.

Then I was like, you don't remember what you're not?

Speaker 3

Loa, loa, that's what you did?

Speaker 1

Thank you?

Crazy so good.

They rehearsed live.

Speaker 2

Did you guys how did they do the recording and the singing in the did you guys pre record or did you sing all that?

Speaker 4

So we rehearsed every day from like November.

We started rehearsals.

Somewhere in January, I think we started recording the music.

To record the music and then they do a whole comp and they bring it back to you and you listen to it and if you like it, then you then it's locked.

If You're like, I could do better.

I could beat play the same beat the com you know, no no, no, no no no, give me back, well pull the track up.

Speaker 1

Did you did you beat the comp?

Speaker 4

I we listened to Seasons of Love and I was in the I mean we were in the studio.

They played it and I was like, listen to it.

It was just mind blowing me.

Anyway, that was all happening, and Adam Pascal said, if you can touch it, I'll break your fingers.

Speaker 3

Then it's locked and there's lot because there's still something in there.

I'm like, I could have done better.

Tracy, it's done, You're done.

Speaker 2

Done.

Speaker 6

Yeah.

Speaker 4

Yeah, I did have to re record something for that song actually because I did it and they put it together, like, actually, we want you to come back in and send your verse again because it's a little too stilted to loosen.

Speaker 1

Up the yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 7

Five.

Speaker 3

I was thinking, like I was on Broadway at the stage.

Speaker 1

Man, this is movie, right, it's a little different, right, yeah, a little bit.

Speaker 4

And then I had I'd been up all night the night before, and I'm like my voice might be raspy or something, so I didn't prepare.

Speaker 3

They're like today and I was like, I don't know what's gonna sound like, but you might like it.

Yeah, you might like a little heft to the voice.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 3

We did a high seat to day though, and it's fine.

The end is fine.

It's the verse.

I was like, Okay, someone there likely and that's what you hear on the album.

Speaker 1

I love it.

It's a it's a little grifty and like gritty and I and I think that's the movie.

Speaker 3

Yeah, and that's the movie.

Speaker 1

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2

Uh so overall, good experience, kind of mind blowing and surreal to say, yes.

Speaker 3

It was just kind of like magic the whole time.

Speaker 4

Everybody was you know, we all lived in San Francisco for those six months during the movie, so special and yeah, and we also but when we were singing along to the playback, I don't know how you guys didn't want to lave it.

Speaker 3

We can sing full.

Speaker 1

Out, yeah, yeah, but you can tell the effort, you know, yes, definitely.

Speaker 3

So we're singing full, full throat, Yeah, you're singing, but taking real leave.

It took three days to shoot.

By the time we ended up had no.

Speaker 1

Voice, Oh my gosh, because it was all the different Yeah, you know, the setups.

Yeah, in the different locations, right.

Speaker 4

Yeah, but I was squawking, wouldn't he until they said cut because we couldn't hear them say cut because the music.

Speaker 3

Is loud, you know.

Speaker 1

And then you finally made it to broad.

Speaker 2

After the fortieth audition and booking the movie, they said, okay, well let her off broadcast.

Speaker 1

What was that?

Did you have to audition for Broadway at that point?

Please tell me what I didn't?

Speaker 4

No.

After Rent, I did Cold Case.

I got Both Case right when I was coming out twenty years ago.

And after that, I did Divorce Prada, k Pause, and I did Death Proof, the Quan Tarantino movie, and then I did the Broadway show, closed it.

Speaker 1

And that must have been Yeah, And the only reason.

Speaker 4

I did because Merle booked another job Dandridge, and she had to drop out of the show.

Speaker 1

Hey, listen, we'll take it how we can get it.

But you earned it.

Speaker 3

And I was shooting Cold Case at the time, so I was flung back and forth.

Speaker 2

It was a crazy it's all about And but closing Rent is like I remember it's I mean, that show had run forever and it was such a cultural revolution and Broadway history.

Speaker 1

Like to close that show.

What was the last show?

Speaker 3

Insane?

Speaker 4

Like every cast member came back, the whole audience was full of people and our families.

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, everybody came up on.

Speaker 1

Stage and it was just it was probably a five hour show, right.

Speaker 3

Yeah, and we were filming it.

Yeah right, you know, so it's cameras where it was insane.

It was like too much, but what crazy?

But yeah, but it was crazy.

It was crazy.

Speaker 1

What a fun experience.

You made it, you did it?

Speaker 3

Did it?

Speaker 4

Was?

Speaker 1

Was it different doing Joanne in the movie and doing the stage?

Speaker 6

Yeah?

Speaker 4

Yeah, well in the in the movie, we didn't sing We're okay that song We're okay.

But yeah, but you know, you know, D and I are out there doing our thing, and we we just really had a pack to work together and not against each other.

Speaker 3

I mean for.

Speaker 4

Joanne and Maureene just be like, you know, you just you just really lean into their fighting because it's fun, right.

Speaker 3

But yeah, just really lean into the love of it.

Speaker 4

Because I see so many take me or leave these where they're just screaming at each other and it's it's fun.

They're trying everyone trying to out sing each other and they're screaming and I'm like, well, I'm never gonna win that fight because a Dane Monzel b right, be like Joe, Maureene has so much more song.

Right, Maureene has a verse, a chorus, another verse, another chorus, and a bridge.

Speaker 3

And joy I'm waiting for her command, you know what.

Speaker 1

I like.

Speaker 3

I'm just my goal is to meet Maureene, not just you know.

Plus, Mareene has a top notes.

You know, she's the higher.

It's just not I can't think about it that way.

Let's think about it like this, like we're meeting each other.

Speaker 4

I'm just like, you know, so she's singing, sing and singing time how great she is, and it's finally like okay, okay, bitch.

Speaker 3

Wait, just is great.

You're lucky.

Yes, yes, think about that way.

It's not as scary, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4

And if I came in and I was busted one day, but like you know, yeah, I agree that we would sing it lower, not a lower key, but lowers of notes.

Yeah, show showed and C show.

He came in and she was like, I'm busted.

All right, we're going with the.

Speaker 1

C And you guys had agreed on that dynamics.

Speaker 3

Over top of somebody amazing, you know, and it was really great because I really felt like we were a team.

Speaker 2

It's also like what Rent was one of those shows that was notorious for like just you know, you could blow your voice hour singing easily singing, and then you have all these musical kids singing these songs, just screaming.

Yeah, and you have Adam Pascal, who naturally sings screams.

Speaker 3

And rehearsals for the movie.

He would sit there in a chair and just scream these notes.

I know, been touring.

I'm gonna have to stand and con tort my mom.

Speaker 1

He was like, I'm not trained, he said, excuse me, And I'm like, I don't.

Speaker 3

Why are you able to do that or in that way?

You know those chords of steel.

Speaker 1

No, really, it's it's absolutely jarring and amazing.

Speaker 2

But uh but yeah, it's easy to for for singers to come in and be like, yeah, I could blow you know, I could I could you know, scream through Rent?

Speaker 1

You know, like well eight shows a week, so.

Speaker 3

The week hunting now you have no yeah, exactly, nods.

Speaker 2

Okay, we're going back a few steps to del War's pradac all right, you're a part of another cultural revolution.

Touch point, you know, in history and a very important part of my history.

So tell me about that experience, Like, did you guys know, did anybody know?

Speaker 1

Like, no, nobody knew.

Speaker 3

No, I mean I thought it.

Speaker 4

Would be cool, right, Hecummer.

It was Anne's first adult movie.

She had been like Princess diarisesm before then, you know, I mean so right, of course adult movie.

The biggest star in there probably was Adrian from his Entourage show, and it was a relatively small cast.

Speaker 3

Yeah, and uh, we just did.

I worked like four days of the movie, that's.

Speaker 1

It, and then it comes out.

You guys have a great time in those four days.

Speaker 3

It comes out and it's like this phenomenon.

Speaker 1

Truly, they just have no idea, Wow, wow, you know, yeah.

Speaker 4

What's gonna hit.

And also that script kept changing the adaptation from a book, so it kept taking things out and putting things, you know, different things.

And I was supposed of a different another scene.

I was supposed to pick her from the airport at the end of the movie, but then we lost the location of the airports.

Speaker 3

Never shot it, so it's part of the story, but it's not there.

So it looks like after she goes to Paris.

Speaker 6

I'm just like, bye, right right, right right.

It's until I rewatched it this year I was like, oh, got your arc in half?

Oh okay, I was supposed to pick her up, you know, right right?

Speaker 2

Wow?

Speaker 1

Do people recognize you?

Speaker 2

You've done so much now I feel like people like recognize you from Rent or they recognize you from No No one.

Speaker 1

But like it is double was proud of the thing?

Speaker 3

No really now no, oh my gosh, Now I think nine one one is the thing?

Speaker 1

Okay, fair enough, Wow, I think, but it's anything.

Speaker 4

I mean, you know, like I was on that for four years, and people love cocaine, so right now it's usually nine one one.

Speaker 1

So Devil's Product is coming out with a sequel.

Are you a part of the sequel?

I am?

Was it fun?

Speaker 4

It was fun, but very different because it's a phenomenon now, right you can't.

Speaker 3

Shoot anyone on paparazzi and droves of.

Speaker 1

People were you on location?

Where like does everybody knew where you?

Guys were.

Speaker 3

Operazzi?

Speaker 4

Every day the people find you and you look out the window and the whole street is just full of fans?

Speaker 1

What is that like?

Speaker 2

Doing that movie so long ago?

And then all of a sudden, you guys are back, and it's like the phenomenon is still there?

Speaker 4

What is that?

That's so crazy, very trippy because we're all doing this table read.

You know, now the cast is a tripled in size.

All these people are moving now, there's all kinds of creatures are happening.

We're all through on the table with each other like, yeah, the new people.

But then you have five of us, six of us who are original.

Actually more is more of us than that.

There's like some people at little bit parts have come back or they're little moments.

But we're just looking around and everybody was nervous, including Meryl.

We're all just like, oh my god, I can't wow, what is happening.

So it's the same writer or same director, same camera operators.

Speaker 1

Oh I love that family, sir.

Speaker 3

Yeah, the costume designer is different.

Speaker 4

But but the costume designer before had done sex in the city and a costume person now does.

Speaker 3

It and just like that.

So still feels yeah in the world.

So wow, Yeah, it was crazy.

Speaker 1

That's so exciting.

Speaker 3

And I'm like, you have an oscar.

Speaker 2

Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1

Right, everybody's lived like a lot of lives that.

Speaker 3

Were we were just like children.

Yeah, she was really like a child.

Yeah, you know what I mean, she was like twenty two.

Speaker 1

Oh my god, unbelievable.

Oh but that's so nice like that, you know.

Speaker 4

And I was like thirty wow, like forty forty two, forty three something like that.

I just had a birthday, and I'm like, nine fifty.

Speaker 1

You don't look a day over twenty one, So please, you look beautiful.

You're nice, and and you did it nine one one.

You're part of the Ryan Murphy family now, and you've been doing nine one one for a long time.

Speaker 3

Yeah, nine seasons of nine one one.

Speaker 1

Has it been that long?

Speaker 3

Yes?

Speaker 2

Oh my gosh, what a lucky I mean, And not obviously it's all the things, but like shows don't go on that long anymore.

Given that your first few shows were very short, that my first.

Speaker 3

Two and two episodes and that and then Cold Case.

Speaker 2

Was four and a half years, okay, that's fair that you've been on two really great, like hit shows that have run for a really really long time.

Speaker 1

How do you I mean, I can't imagine.

It's like at this point in your.

Speaker 2

Career, you're like, Wow, what a lucky beat to have these things that keep living on right, Yeah.

Speaker 3

Because the industry is broken right now, what is working?

That is booking anything?

Because what is working so everybody can get whoever they want, right.

Speaker 4

Wow, You're like you're working so much.

I'm like, I'm working on projects I booked a long time ago.

Speaker 3

Twenty years.

It ago.

Speaker 1

Went almost tense, so everybody calmed down.

Speaker 3

You're booking.

I'm sending my tapes into the void like takes off and brickets.

Okay.

Speaker 1

And then we do concerts.

Speaker 3

We do benefit concerts.

Speaker 1

That's right.

We love a benefit concert.

Speaker 2

I feel like I see you at every benefit concert we do together, part of the crew, and I still get nervous every time you do, too, terrified every time.

Speaker 1

I don't know why.

Speaker 4

What is that?

Not to name drop, but I'm name dropping, okay, Leslie Oman Junior.

A long time ago, it told me the reason why I'm so scared because I.

Speaker 3

Don't do it enough.

Speaker 2

Ah.

Speaker 1

I feel like we do do it enough.

Speaker 3

No, I don't think so we did what once or twice a year?

Speaker 1

Okay, fair enough?

What are we supposed to be doing like ten a year?

Yeah?

Something?

Speaker 3

I don't know you all the time.

Speaker 2

The depth and breath of your career has been amazing.

I hope you're proud because it's it's truly astounding.

And everybody we speak your name and everybody says such kind things about you.

Speaker 1

You have such a good reputation.

Speaker 2

You work clearly for long periods of time with lots of great people.

What do you hope for in that in the next decade of like work for for you?

Like have you found the thing you love or do you want to keep kind of running the scale of like all the things.

Speaker 3

I'm interesting to see what happened.

I still don't know.

Speaker 4

It's like, yes, I'm fifty, but I don't get cast as fifty year old now you know what I mean.

Speaker 3

You can't, but they know I'm fifty.

Speaker 4

So I get stuck in this thing about auditioning for stuff that I'm just like, I'm gonna play too young for Yeah, No, I am old enough to play the part like I went in.

Speaker 3

For something like I was playing like a parole officer or stuff.

You know, like, no, we're gonna go older and I'm like I'm fifty.

Speaker 1

Yeah, oh my gosh, Yeah that'll be interesting to see.

Speaker 3

Yeah, like if I ever catch up to myself.

Speaker 1

Because you have the like the attitude and Bravado and the wise name like a wiseness to you that you can do that.

It's just like will people believe it because you don't want fifty Yeah?

Speaker 4

Mmmm, So I'm interested to see it, you know, I'm gonna think it's I mean, I'm ready to take public more responsibility that I than I have right now on like a show or something like yeah number because yeah, because and when I'm recurring, so I pop it.

Speaker 1

And out right right right.

Speaker 3

But on the other hand, it's like I would like the series regular money.

Speaker 1

Yeah, is that even a thing anymore?

Speaker 4

And I don't even know if it is a thing anymore actually, like oh yeah, we're just we're not going We're like two people were a serious.

Speaker 1

Right now now.

I know it's so crazy.

What about theater?

Speaker 3

In order me to do theater, I have to really love it.

Yeah, it's just too hard.

Speaker 1

It's so hard.

Speaker 3

It was fun when I was in my youth.

Speaker 1

Yeah, it's such a phase of like it's such a a.

Speaker 2

Moment in time where you're you have to really be in like the best shape of your life vocally and emotionally and energetically to just be able to give that a time.

Speaker 3

So so I love theater, but yeah, you do what to do it.

Speaker 1

You've done it, I've done it.

I have a funny.

Do you remember when we did the twenty four hour place and I the whole thing up.

Speaker 3

I'll bring it up.

Speaker 1

I'm gonna bring it up, because you know what, you can't take yourself too seriously.

Speaker 2

We were at the American Airlines Theater on Broadway, and there's a thing called twenty four hour plays where you everybody gets together, You get put together as a cast.

The writer then meets the cast, They go away for overnight, they write this twelve page play.

You come back, the actors get it and they have, you know, a few hours to learn it and block it and then put it up for an entire Broadway theater.

Tracy and I did this with Rachel Dratch and uh Alicia Whitty, and every time, like all of my stuff was like stacked till the very end.

Yeah, your last twelve pages or like the last like nine to twelve, and we'd be running it and running it and running it, and then all of a sudden we get interrupted and we didn't get to like the ninth move to.

Speaker 4

Another room, because then you don't have to make it fair when you rehearse it, you like keep moving around a different rehearsal spaces so that nobody feels like they.

Speaker 3

Have more space or you have a better.

Speaker 4

Space than me, and we can't bubble, you know whatever.

Yeah, but you just don't understand people always it up.

Speaker 7

I mean.

Speaker 4

Really, the only thing that was interesting about ours with you is that we couldn't figure out how to get back on.

Speaker 1

We just.

Speaker 4

It just.

Speaker 3

Like we think it.

Speaker 2

I think I left you did you just left the same.

I am good luck to you ladies, see you later.

Speaker 3

Sorry, bye.

Speaker 2

My character exits, but I skipped over two pages and so there was no contacts and they're just sitting there and I left.

Speaker 3

We were sitting there like.

Speaker 1

It haunts me to this day.

Speaker 4

It's scary when that happens.

I mean I did it well with Michael Kay Williams where there was this non sequitor.

I mean I had this line and I switched the subject completely, and every every time we rehearse that, my brain was hitch, I'll.

Speaker 3

Just go And I was like, I'm gonna put this up on the stage.

I'm not.

I cannot make this bridge in my brain.

I haven't built the bridge.

Yeah, yeah, and and it came.

The line came, and I was like, here it is.

Speaker 6

I got.

Speaker 3

Just stop that.

I was like, and Michael K.

Speaker 4

Williams, God rest his soul suits me.

I don't know if it's because I told him I think I'm gonna press this up.

Yeah, but he just he just saved me.

Speaker 3

He just asked the question.

And I was like, right, that's where we are.

Thank God.

Speaker 1

No, there was no saving in that one.

Speaker 3

It's like every part of the the joy of it is supposed to.

Speaker 1

Be the pressure and the people know the circumstances.

Speaker 3

And the audience laughed and they said, they go one, am myself, what's happened?

Speaker 1

I know it's very good cause, but man, that is a tough one.

Speaker 4

And even though when we did where I mess up that line, David Lindsay bear from the audience.

He was the writer, so yelled the line out from the audience, I mean yelled it from the you know it's supposed to be I know, you know them the sandwich named Kristen.

Speaker 3

I forget her name, I know it, but she forgot every single line.

Every time they got to her, she was like, what is it?

It's me again, It's me right, And it was hysterical.

Speaker 1

I know because I appreciate it as an audience member.

I love that.

Speaker 2

I love watching people you're falling a hole, yeah, or like in esson L when people break, You're like, I'm waiting for that.

Speaker 1

I'm waiting for that, right.

Speaker 3

But I don't dually do him anymore because of that.

Speaker 1

Oh no, I haven't.

I haven't done one since.

Speaker 3

Yeah, I don't think i've done one since.

Speaker 1

I think I'm good.

Speaker 3

Do them all the time.

Speaker 2

You did say that to me afterwards, You're like, I do these all the time, and it happens every time, so don't worry.

Speaker 3

I think one time I was doing something else, so I didn't have a lot of time the day, so I ended up just being like a dead body.

Speaker 1

You've really done them so much that you didn't even have deadlines.

Speaker 3

I just died, like I came out and said something and died.

I mean it was the whole thing.

I mean, they're just.

Speaker 1

You guys.

Can you've earned your keep there?

So said here we'll throw you a bone.

Here's one line.

Speaker 3

And then you see musicals.

Speaker 4

Oh no, no, no, no no, said the twenty Hours musicals.

And I had lanceforne wrote me and Mandy Gonzalez the song No where the harmony was so complicated and we Rachel Rato was in our sny and she wrote all of her lyrics on her hands and very obvious kept looking at her.

Speaker 2

I mean, that's a whole other thing.

Is like learning a song in that time where the music just moves without you.

It's not you're just going.

It's like an audition that you learn last minute.

Speaker 3

Bad and they filmed it.

Speaker 4

It is on film, me and Mandy Gonzal screaming in each other's faces, clang clang, the notes clang clang, clan.

Speaker 5

Oh oh my gosh, destroyed this harmony And to this day I feel bad.

See, Okay, so you're doesn't captured on film?

Speaker 3

You know what?

Speaker 1

Yeah, that's the I'll take it.

Speaker 2

We ask everybody who is on Glee, which I don't know why you were on Ugly, just saying what is the feeling that Glee leaves you with?

Speaker 1

And so I'm wondering, I guess what is the feeling that Rent leaves you with?

Speaker 2

Since we did recap Rent, even though your career is robust, that's six Ugly about No No Rent?

Speaker 1

What is the feeling that Rent leaves you with your experience.

Speaker 3

Yes, you know, I was supposed a couple of set that day that they did Take Me, Leave Me.

Speaker 4

I was cleared and then I had to work.

That shifted and I had to work and could not go for the filming of Taking Me, and they sang the mess out of it.

Speaker 1

God, yes they did Bummer bummer.

Speaker 4

You know.

Speaker 3

Rent is just like I'm still a Rent fan.

M red Head.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 4

I used to like sign out rooms at Juilliard just to sing Rent songs.

Oh me and my friend Jeff rest his soul.

It's like three o'clock in the real one, you know.

Speaker 3

Just like light my candle, see you there.

Speaker 1

See that's so cute.

Speaker 4

It was very surreal that I was able to do it in the capacity that I did, you know what I mean.

I was just trying to be a fan the swing and the thing on the bus and truck tour, you know what I mean when I was auditioning for it and to get the movie and to do the show on Broadway.

Speaker 3

And I did it.

Hollywood Bowl, I love that one.

Speaker 1

It's like so fun.

Speaker 3

Yeah, Kyler and Vanessa and everybody.

But as I went from playing Memings who played Marine and a lot yeah, I mean Wayne Brady was in it.

I mean, like literally breaking what a time?

Speaker 1

What a time?

Speaker 3

I don't know if I answer your question.

It's just it's just I'm just so grateful, Yeah, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4

Even still I feel like because I only did it for five weeks on Broadway, maybe I feel like I don't have the the battle scars that people have from doing it they did it like years.

Sure, I mean I still kind of like a little bit like an outsider thing.

I'm like, I just popped into the end there, you know.

I mean I didn't really have the whole no no, no, no months thing.

Speaker 3

But but I'm part of it, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1

You're a huge part of it.

I mean, so you put your stamp on Joan for sure.

Speaker 3

So I think so, you know, I and I try to give as much homage to Freddy as I could, know.

Speaker 1

What I mean, and make it yours.

Speaker 3

Yeah, you know what I mean.

But also you know, bring her into it, of course.

Speaker 1

Well it's a joy to see you.

Any excuse, thank.

Speaker 3

You back stage freaking out about what heaven is saying not poler lines or remember lines.

Speaker 1

The amount of times we've been backstage nervous, whether.

Speaker 2

It's singing for Debbie Allen or singing at a gallow with Merlin Seth or you know, all the things, but you give your time back and you're there, and it's it's always so nice to see you and doing that because you're so busy and you know, working and doing all the amazing things.

So it's it's just I'm so grateful for you and thank you for coming on and chatting with us and sharing your stuff.

Speaker 1

And I'll see at the next benefit.

Speaker 3

Concept with some vocals on.

Speaker 7

Yeah, exactly, some great Oh my gosh, oh thank you, Tracy, thank you, it's so fun.

Yes see you you, Tracy Toms, everybody.

I hope that any of that made sense because we were just scabbing and hanging out.

Tracy's amazing, she said, such an incredible body of work as an actress, from you know, nine one one on for ten.

Speaker 2

Years to being Joanne in the movie of Ren and then going on to finish you know, the Broadway run.

And she is I mean when I say like, she's always at every benefit concert that I'm either producing or singing out with her.

Speaker 1

Alongside her, and it's just such a joy.

Speaker 2

She's still so deeply and committed to the community, and she's giving back and also just a lovely human and just wildly talented and of course I wore proud of too.

You will see her in and nine one one is returning in January eighth to all episodes on Hulu.

And thanks Tracy for coming to hang out with us, and that's what you really missed.

Speaker 1

Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really miss pod.

Make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars.

See you next time.

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