1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the thing. 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: Here's how The New York Times has described My guest 3 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: Today a full fledged Broadway star, Broadways reigning Ingenue, Broadways 4 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: Golden Girl, and luminous three different times. Writers called her 5 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: luminous three years in a row. It's hard to avoid 6 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: repetition when it comes to My guest today, because Kelly 7 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: O'Hara is luminous, as you can hear in this clip 8 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: from South Pacific. She is one of the greatest, sweet 9 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: voiced and infinitely bankable Broadway stars of her generation. I'm 10 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: as corney as Kansas and high as a flag on 11 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: the fourth of July. If you'll excuse an expression, irons, 12 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: I'm in lull, I'm in love, I'm in law. She 13 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: worked hard to get there. O'Hara grew up in rural Oklahoma. 14 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: At eighteen, she convinced legendary voice teacher Florence Birdwell to 15 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: take her on as a protegee, as Kristin Chenowith did 16 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: before her. After graduation, she toiled in the trenches in 17 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 1: Wichita and in New York as an understudy. She exudes 18 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: gratitude for how far She's come. The thing is, though, 19 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: despite the Tony, despite selling out Broadway and the West 20 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: End in South Pacific, the King and I Kiss Me 21 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: Kate and more, Kelly O'Hara gets tired of being luminous. 22 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: I made choices to make a living. A commercial musical 23 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: on Broadway is a financial living. That is um. There 24 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: was more than I expected growing up on a farm 25 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: in western Oklahoma. I didn't take the when I did 26 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: the public it was a financial It was de financially difficult, okay, um. 27 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: And so to go do the little not that I've 28 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: been asked or even called in for an audition, but 29 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: to do those little things or wait for the you know, 30 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 1: the TV job, or do one day of a guest 31 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: artist for nothing on a TV show, I've never been 32 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: able to afford to do that. So I keep saying 33 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: yes to the commercial Broadway musical. And the thing is is, um, 34 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: if I have to make those choices, they have to 35 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: be really really great for me. Believe me, if anyone 36 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: had believed in me that I could play something that 37 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 1: was a little bit more gritty than I'm in Love 38 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: with a wonderful guy, I would have jumped at it 39 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: any time in my past. I will never stop wanting 40 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: to do a play or a theater theater. I should 41 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: just say theater. I've always wanted to do a play. 42 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: I've only been asked to do a play like once. 43 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: You know, people say, why don't you want to, you know, 44 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: do more things. I'm not a star. I'm not you know, 45 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: maybe in musical theater whatever. You say that in a 46 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: certain bubble, but not even outside of this range. Did 47 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: you study acting as well? Was acting a big did you? 48 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: It was musical theater you study? No? I got an 49 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: opera degree because that's what my teacher went. Yes, Yes, 50 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: with Florence Birdwell, the premier voice teacher there, and um, 51 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: I wanted my whole life to study with her, So 52 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: that's what I did. Did you break Florence Birdwell's heart 53 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: when you moved from voice to the theater? You know, 54 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: I was on a track to do opera, and I've 55 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: since done some opera and just found very lovely people. 56 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: But in that moment, in my senior of college, doing 57 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: the met audition circuit, I met ugly people. It was 58 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: not for me. If I'm going to make art or 59 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: if I'm going to make art, whatever that is if 60 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to do something that is expressive and communicative 61 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: with my voice, I love to do it with people 62 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: and feel things. And I just literally I remember saying, 63 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: I want to be an actor. I don't want any 64 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: part of that solo ego thing. That's not who I am. 65 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: I want to go inside things and live in them. 66 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: Pass the ball and if it gets passed back to me, 67 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: I'm going to be paying attention and I'm gonna catch it, 68 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna pass it back off quickly. That is 69 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: exciting to me. And I walked into her room one 70 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: day and I said, I told her. I had told 71 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: her I'm not going to go to grad school. I'm 72 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: not going to go to grad school. We had filled 73 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: out all the applications for American Volcal Academy and everything, 74 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: and I said, I'm gonna move to New York. I'm 75 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: gonna go to acting school and I'm gonna be a 76 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: real actor. And I remember I walked in one day 77 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: and she held up the application to a v A 78 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,559 Speaker 1: and she looked me in the eye and she ripped 79 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: it into and she said, go live, Go do what 80 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: you're gonna do. And honestly, she's more of that person too, 81 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: So I didn't break her heart. I think I just 82 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: surprised her um and she has supported me ever since. 83 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: But I I went to Strasbourg for acting here in 84 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: the city right when I moved, literally that fall, because 85 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: I felt that insecurity, the idea that when you're an 86 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: opera singer there is no acting ability in there. I 87 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,239 Speaker 1: wanted so badly to be an actor, and I still 88 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: so badly want to be a better actor. But I 89 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: went to Strasbourg because I needed to have that um 90 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: for myself, you know what I mean. Even if I thought, 91 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: oh I can get into musicals, maybe an act okay, 92 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: I needed it. I needed that label. Honestly, what's the 93 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: one you did with? There was some real acting you 94 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: had to do in that piece. Um. You know. I 95 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,559 Speaker 1: must I must have thought everything was like a major 96 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: acting I'll tell you what. I that the show that 97 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: I didn't I feel like I knew what I was doing, 98 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: or that I didn't speak up as an actor, which 99 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: was sweet smell of success, which was my first big 100 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: role with Let's Go and Brandosha James and stuff. And 101 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: I look back at that as the time when I 102 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 1: said either ship or get off the pot, like do it, 103 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: speak out for yourself or stop this business. I was 104 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: trying to lean on my singing and kind of felt 105 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: like I was in a straight jacket and didn't make 106 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: any choices. It wasn't until things like you know, the 107 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: Bridges of Madison County might have asked for me to 108 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: be the most unlike myself. That was way late in 109 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: the game. I had already done South Pacific and other things, 110 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: but um, that was the one where I felt like, 111 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: I've been here for a while, I've learned a few things. 112 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna trust myself. It's interesting how for myself included 113 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: when I got into the business and nowhere was this 114 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: more uh laid there than when I would do plays. 115 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: Was how much I wanted to please people, and there 116 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: if I didn't want to impose my ideas and say, 117 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: well I want to do this, I want to do this. 118 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: I walked in there going what do you want me 119 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: to do? And I wanted everybody to direct me, and 120 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: I was I was afraid. And then when I got 121 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: into the world, even in small roles, supporting roles in 122 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: films with legendary directors like Mike Nichols, you realize that 123 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: on this mount Olympus. It was the opposite. They were 124 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: looking at you like, well, what do you got? What 125 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: do you want to do? That's why you're here. I 126 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: hired you because of your instincts, and do you find 127 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: there was a bit of that of view that one 128 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: point does Kelly O would turn around and I got this, 129 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: I know what I want to do, absolutely show. I 130 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: really think that It was the Bridges Masson County where 131 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: I said, I'm going to speak up for myself. I'm 132 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,679 Speaker 1: going to try to find my way in, and any 133 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: smart director, anyone who's confident enough in their abilities, will say, yes, 134 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: it's going to be only better if if it's more 135 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: natural from you, if it's coming from you, use your voice. 136 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: You know, I'm going to listen. As opposed to being 137 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: threatened by that um that first job that I mentioned 138 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: sweet film success, the girl before me had been fired 139 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: in the workshops. So I walked in so fearful it 140 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: was my first role on Broadway that I would be fired, 141 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: and I also felt like I would be people have 142 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: already got it wrong once, you know. And I was 143 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: walking in and it was that atmosphere too. It felt 144 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: very much like nobody quite had control and Um, I 145 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: learned Nick Kitner, and it was a bad time. It 146 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 1: was after night, right after anyway, UM, I promised myself 147 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: I would never do that again. I remember actually having 148 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: a conversation in a rehearsal where I was starting to 149 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: feel that where there was a sexual scene between the 150 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: my leading man and we were doing something and I've 151 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: really never told the story. Uh, and we're just going 152 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: to start with it. And Nick said, you know, stop, stop, 153 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: you look like you're mothering him. And I knew that 154 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: wasn't me. And I said, I know how to touch 155 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: a man. I know what I'm doing. And I stood 156 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,079 Speaker 1: up for myself for the first, like literally the first time, 157 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 1: and it had to do with just being a human 158 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: being a woman and I and I felt that in 159 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: my core. I felt like, no, I there is something 160 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: I can bring here. I might not be what you 161 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,719 Speaker 1: want or what other people expect or envision, but if 162 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: you if you have any sense of your own humanity 163 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: or self, that's what you bring, you know, if you 164 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 1: can access it. I literally have to take most of 165 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: my questions down and throw them in the garbage because 166 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: I was expecting a kind of Julie Andrews and you 167 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:11,719 Speaker 1: sent ship and going off the pod you said, I 168 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 1: know how to touch a man. My interview with Kelly O. 169 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: Harris going we're we're very often and we're off roading 170 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: here completely. We're going up into territory. I was unprepared 171 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: to go for it. So I'm ready though, I'm ready. Um, 172 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: But here's what's interesting to me is that we'll just 173 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: get this out of the way, which is in the 174 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: world that you typically inhabit. You're out there and it's 175 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: a fantasy and they want it to be beautiful and 176 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: they want to be And then then now you come 177 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: this famous award winning singer in the theater and when 178 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: you come out there, do you feel like that's the obligation? 179 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: Is like you're hosting an event and you've got to 180 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: give these people this magical evening. I know what you're 181 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: talking about. There is an obligation. This is what we do, 182 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: and you do in order to just you know, get 183 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: up and do it every night for hows a week 184 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: for twenty years. You have to tell yourself. I heard 185 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: once someone say it's either someone's first time seeing this 186 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: theater at all, or it's someone's last time, and so 187 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,199 Speaker 1: it gives you this kind of reason to be, I guess, 188 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: because otherwise you're literally thinking of the grocery list. Sometimes 189 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: when you've sung a song a hundred and seventy five times, 190 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: you know, and you have to kind of find a 191 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: way to connect. I think that I do this for 192 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: very personal reasons. I don't know why it bit me 193 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: a long time ago, because I wasn't raised around any 194 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,359 Speaker 1: of it. Um So sometimes I think about that obligation, 195 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: and sometimes I I lose myself in it in a 196 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: weird way, like I've actually tried to have, you know, 197 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: I try to dig deep and say, what does this 198 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: do to you? That's different, I think sometimes in what 199 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: other it does to other people. I guess I learned 200 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: from it. I kind of fall into it. Even even 201 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: after eight shows a week, I find myself kind of 202 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: dealing with all of this, all of my innards out there. 203 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: And I think maybe it's because overwhelmed when singing a song, 204 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: you almost broke down crying. That's I do. I do 205 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: all the time, and it's so and it can be 206 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: a song of song thousand times and something will just 207 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: a It's how I filter, it's how I process, I think, 208 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: and it's why I'm not quite tired of it. It's 209 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: why I'm not quite jaded by it. Sometimes I am, 210 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: but for the most part I find that I go 211 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: inside it, maybe as opposed to just dealing with it 212 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: all out here. You said that you didn't grow up 213 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: around this. What did your dad do? It's a farmer? Literally? 214 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: Did you just laugh just that you are this queen 215 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: of Broadway? And I found was a farmer. What did 216 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: he farm? We farmed wheat, cattle, and cotton. It was 217 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: in western Oklahoma, very small town that he grew up 218 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: and my mother they met in the eighth grade. My 219 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: dad went back to school when he was forty. He 220 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: went to law school. It was his dream and he 221 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: changed our lives. I was sixteen when he graduated law school, 222 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: and so my last two years of high school we 223 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,839 Speaker 1: had moved to the big city of Oklahoma City, and 224 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: then I was off to college. His mother continues to 225 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: be there. He's my dad's still kept. Yes, and my 226 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: dad and my brothers still run cattle and they're still 227 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: practice what kind of law they He and my brother 228 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: practiced together. They practice a state tax, oil and gas law. 229 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: Because he was a farmer. My dad's first big case 230 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: was fighting like Phillips. Their land had been kind of 231 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: ruined by the oil drilling and stuff. And my dad 232 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: represented he is a dooder and your mom school teacher 233 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: what subject, uh, social studies? It was my dad, my 234 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: dad to social studies. A dear friend of mine, Jeff Ambrassini, 235 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: who I went to high school when I grew up 236 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: with him. He and his wife were in the world 237 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: you're in, you know, striving and then uh he was. 238 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: She was from Norman and they upped and left and 239 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: moved to Oklahoma, and not only for her to be 240 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 1: near her mother, but they got more work in that 241 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: area than they did in New York. Um. I have 242 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: a really good friend that's back there teaching voice and 243 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 1: she does cabaret. She performed in the shows when they're there, 244 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: And Um, New York was like air for me, Like 245 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: the first time I breathed. I remember running down I 246 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: was twenty one, and I remember running down Fifth Avenue, 247 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: darting in between people with my backpack on like I 248 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: was in a car, like I was in rush hour. 249 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: I was alive. I was alive for the first time, 250 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: and I don't really believe that I knew it. What 251 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: was it? About you that felt that way, this is 252 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,559 Speaker 1: the mountain you wanted to climb. Yes, And because I 253 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: loved the vast number of people, different types of people, 254 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: I somehow didn't even matter. Who cares what I did. 255 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: When you grew up in a small town, I was, 256 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: you know, riddled by um. I had really good upbringing. 257 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: I mean I did it was a safe but I 258 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: was kind of riddled by the feeling of being different 259 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: a little bit. It was a chubby kid or whatever, 260 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: and and there was really I was I was a 261 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: chubby kid, and there was this kind of feeling of 262 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: but I still did gymnastics, and I still did flips, 263 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: and I still sang, and there was this feeling of 264 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: you can't do that, you know, or I just felt 265 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: like there was this kind of cap you know, of 266 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: don't try to do anything special or and I it 267 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: wasn't so much like I'll show you. It's more just 268 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: like I need I need the quiet. I need that 269 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: all that to be quiet. And you just come up 270 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: here and whether you make it or not, no one's 271 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: really on your back about it. You're just doing it, 272 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: you know. I've always loved the acceptance, you know, like 273 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: whatever you're into people like, wow, you know whatever your 274 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: thing is now, Scott ellis so I family with I 275 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: went to go visit me to rehearsal, and I was, 276 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: I don't want to say appalled, but I was mildly 277 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: shocked by the mechanics of the rehearsal of the Broadway music. 278 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe. It was like I was at Boeing 279 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: and they were putting a jet plane together, how technical 280 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: it was, and people were they were like okay again 281 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 1: and they're like bot of the botto the pop pop 282 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: up stop, and it was start start. I mean I 283 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: got a headache watching this and how hard they were 284 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: and how precise they were, and how they made them 285 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: do it again and again. I mean I thought they 286 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: were all getting paid just for the insanity inducing repetition 287 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 1: of it. Well you know what you're when you describe 288 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: the musical theater rehearsal, My my heart kind of pounds 289 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: with that. Yes, you know, you say it's like nauseating, 290 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: but that data data stop. But that's not really me. 291 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: I'm not a dancer. I'm not a timed performer. Um, 292 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: which I love. I love that because I'm better at 293 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: They do all do that until you come out and 294 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: then it's a play. Um, when you're rehearsing a musical, 295 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: a big musical, the kind you would do, what does 296 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: a director offer you at this point in your career. 297 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: Any good director is never going to tell you where 298 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: to go, how to stand, where to move. What do 299 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: they tell you? Go, Let's go, let's read the scene, 300 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: Let's see what happens, and then so you get it, 301 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: you get something going on with with the person you're 302 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: working with. Whatever the scene is just like a play, 303 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: and then they might have some suggestions about if you 304 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: entered here, you know, because we've got exiting here. I 305 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,119 Speaker 1: think in a way, musical theater can be more cinematic 306 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: because it's transitions. It's like what comes in between each scene. 307 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: So we need this kind of thing filtering on while 308 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: you're filtering off. So then you have these suggestions of 309 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: how we're going to stage this as far as transitions, 310 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: but within the moment. I think, especially with Bart Sheer, 311 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: who I've done a lot of shows with, we spend 312 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: a lot of time at the table before, you know, 313 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: or in school studying World War two or clown classes 314 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: or whatever it is, that then we're going to put 315 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: into it and then we only spend a few a 316 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: couple of days just moseying around, you know, trying to 317 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: make a scene, and that that's it, that's set. And 318 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: then once we start previewing or whatever, then he might 319 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: say this, this and this, And then once in a while, 320 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: when you're talking about kind of real, you know, the 321 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: acting part of it, again comes to your room and says, 322 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, let's talk about if this is a deeper moment, 323 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: you know, how do you feel about this or and 324 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 1: then we can get deeper. And but there's a lot 325 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: of allowance if it's a good director, if they can 326 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: trust you and you can trust them and believe me, 327 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: there are times when I said, I don't know what 328 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: the hell I'm doing here? You know, can you talk 329 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 1: to me? But I mean, I think that you are 330 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: ready to ask those questions and admit those things when 331 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: you have the director who let you try first, and 332 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: then if you need something you ask does the director 333 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: is embedded in his role? Is the vocal direction or 334 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: is there somebody separate who handles you when you're singing? 335 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I mean Bart bart Sheer wouldn't know what 336 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: to say about. There's the musical director. Ted Spurling and Paul, 337 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 1: Jim and Janni one of the greatest, and what I 338 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: love about him again is just his absolute confidence in 339 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: everyone else's ability. He doesn't control, he doesn't obsess. He 340 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: just he sits there and moves his hand like an 341 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 1: inch high and inch low and just controls it. There's 342 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 1: a lot of time where you're at a piano with 343 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: someone like Jim and and they're talking about how you're 344 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: gonna play the song. Yeah, you're to do it, and 345 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 1: then we're gonna talk to Yeah, we're gonna I'm gonna 346 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 1: bring my way, and then listen. We're gonna all listen 347 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:06,679 Speaker 1: to each other and kind of figure it out. We're 348 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 1: gonna talk about Tempe and whatever. Um. But yeah, the 349 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,440 Speaker 1: music director in a musical is right up there with 350 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: the director and the choreographer or the stager. You kind 351 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: of have a three part team where you have to 352 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: all of those things have to fall in place. Tempo, 353 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: how you transition from scene to scene, which is the 354 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: director's choice, has to also be supported by musical interludes 355 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: that time just right. So it's a it's a big team. 356 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 1: It's not just doesn't sit still, it continually moves Broadway 357 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: star Kelly O'Hara. Another great Broadway leading lady is Patti Lapone. 358 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 1: Her breakthrough role was as Eva Perone in A Vida, 359 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: but on opening night in New York, she didn't know 360 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: how legendary her performance would become. I threw up in 361 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,719 Speaker 1: the sink before I sank. Don't cry from Argentina. I 362 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,640 Speaker 1: got extremely bad notices opening in l A and extremely 363 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,479 Speaker 1: bad this is opening in San Francisco. There was an 364 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: article coming out in Susie Nicko Parker's column the next 365 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: day that I was going to be fired and that 366 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 1: actor's Equity was waiting to clear Elaine Page to take 367 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: my place. I'm dealing with all of this press of 368 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: me being fired and me not being able to sing 369 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: the part, and still going on from my throwing the 370 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 1: s and al came to me and said, we're going 371 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: to laugh about this in twenty years, Patty. The rest 372 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: of my interview with Patty Lapone is in our archives 373 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: at Here's the Thing Dot Org. Kelly O'Hara returns after 374 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: the break. This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to 375 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,680 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing. Kelly O'Hara has been at the top 376 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: of the Broadway game for almost twenty years. Some things 377 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 1: have stayed the same, while others are unrecognizable. Yeah, you know, 378 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: I think one of the biggest ones isn't even a 379 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 1: stage thing. I remember I was doing South Pacific, I 380 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: got pregnant with my first child. I left to have him, 381 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: and I came back to do my next Broadway show. 382 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: I remember that I'm having a meeting and rehearsal about 383 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: social media, about filming, what you could and couldn't film, 384 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: what you couldn't couldn't post, and literally the show before 385 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: that show the idea of having anyone come inside your 386 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: rehearsal room and sharing it with anybody but your team, 387 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: your family. I I thought they were joking, Like I 388 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: literally thought I was being you know, maybe candid camera 389 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: or being punked. I was kind of horrified. Now I 390 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: can be old fashioned. I'm made fun of by all 391 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 1: my friends because I I still kind of live in 392 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,439 Speaker 1: that place of how dare you, how dare you share 393 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: this problem with the world so that they can be 394 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 1: a part of our that because what we bring to me, well, 395 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: that's is that what we're leaning on or were we 396 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: going to lean on? This craft? So that I had 397 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: to really get used to, because then everyone started filming 398 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: all of the rehear souls and they said, oh, this 399 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: is only to teach the choreography or whatever b s. 400 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: You know, that's going to be somewhere, and then there's 401 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 1: going to be the commentary, and then then that's going 402 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: to affect decisions. Why don't we trust ourselves? You know? 403 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: So I actually had to get used to that part 404 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,199 Speaker 1: of theater. When you do these shows, do you have 405 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: a casting approval? Sometimes? I mean, you know, maybe we're 406 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 1: gonna make you do it with somebody you don't want 407 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: to do it with. No, not anymore. And I mean 408 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: all the way back to light in the Piazz, I 409 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,199 Speaker 1: sat in on the auditions for Fabrizio, the guy I 410 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: played I loved and um which is always great opposite 411 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: Matthew Morrison. It's always great to kind of feel, but 412 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: you never see. The thing is that you might shoot 413 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: yourself in the foot because you might think that you 414 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,360 Speaker 1: want to work with somebody and you might be pleasant 415 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: you don't think you don't and then really be pleasantly 416 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: surprised by have someone. How someone works is or comes 417 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: off is very different how they normally are. Sometimes Um, 418 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: I've been pretty lucky. Almost everyone across the board has 419 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: been pretty great to work with for the most part, 420 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: you know, and sometimes I got a choice and sometimes 421 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 1: I didn't. I found that Pacino had the great line. 422 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:09,200 Speaker 1: I interviewed Pacino a million years ago from my college 423 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: favor that I listen to your podcast that's very funny, 424 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: and Paccino said to me that he didn't get involved 425 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: in the cast. He kept his focus on himself, into 426 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: his own thing and let everything take care of itself. 427 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 1: Do you sit there and go it doesn't matter who 428 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,719 Speaker 1: the guy is. Now, that's you know, it might not 429 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 1: matter so much in film, although you really need to 430 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 1: make something with somebody, but there's you're you're you know, 431 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 1: you're getting a close up, you're getting different angles. I 432 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: think in theater there's an element of actually kind of 433 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: being a little bit as opposed to start and stop 434 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: catching some sort of specific thing. In theater, you're kind 435 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,479 Speaker 1: of having two hours of maybe being together. And if 436 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: there was someone I just really I didn't like or 437 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:53,440 Speaker 1: didn't manage that to the extent that there were people 438 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 1: who you love them less than other people you worked 439 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: with that when you did that, it's just something where 440 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: you just have to find a way to just get 441 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:03,119 Speaker 1: through it. Yeah, but I'm terrible at that. I'm so 442 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: emotional about it that I would just maybe not to 443 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: their I mean I would just come in my dressing 444 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: room and just scream and throw things into a pillow. 445 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: When you let me borrow your dressing I can see 446 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 1: there were a lot of dents in the wall and 447 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: a lot of holes in the wall. Though this woman 448 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: is really she's wild, She's a she's a fire cat. Listen. 449 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,360 Speaker 1: I mean, when you have to pretend like you love somebody, 450 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: it's and they're playing, you know, and this is this 451 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 1: wasn't kiss Me Kate? Which is that dressing room? But 452 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: when they're you know, you're doing a musical comedy or 453 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 1: a musical theater piece and someone wants to think they're 454 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: doing Macbeth or you know, they're they're Willie Lohman or something, 455 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: and you're like, come on, you know, we all take 456 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: this very seriously and we're doing our best, but come on, 457 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,680 Speaker 1: get over it. You know that that pisces me off. 458 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 1: Who's the guy you did kiss Me Kate? With? Chase? 459 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 1: We just had I never had to throw things about well, 460 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: all the holes in the wall were about something else. 461 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 1: The the I loved him. I loved him. He glowed 462 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: with a warm, warm and a masculinity and I'm like, 463 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: he had it all. Like a lot of guys want 464 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: to do the masculinity thing and they lose the glow, 465 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. And then those guys who 466 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: come on and they just have they have it all. 467 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 1: He was fantas, don't cut this out. I want him 468 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: to hear this, and I'm gonna tell him to listen, 469 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 1: because I mean, I think he kind of got us, 470 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: you know, a bad rap for somehow he didn't quite 471 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: get acknowledged. And I and I I just I just 472 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: thought he really was such a sweetheart. Whoa is it? 473 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: This guy's great? Um, what's the last straight play you did? Uh? 474 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 1: King Lear? And you did that? I'm looking at you. 475 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I just love this. This is why we're 476 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: so glad you're here. I'm looking at you. When I 477 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 1: think you I'm willing to watch that man right out 478 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: of my hair. Then I go, what do you do 479 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: after that? King Lear? That's exactly what I did. Um. 480 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: I desperately wanted to do something. Besides, I was going 481 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: to wash that man right out of my hair. I mean, 482 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: listen exactly what you assume. Uh. And I think that's 483 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: why Julie Andrews. You said Julie Andrews, Well, Julie Andrews 484 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,680 Speaker 1: just throws f bombs and cut curses all the time. 485 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: She's that's she's I think she must have done that, 486 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: not only her upbringing. But you get so sick and 487 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 1: tired of what you feel is an assumption about yourself, 488 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 1: even if it's true, even if there's a little bit 489 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,399 Speaker 1: of that. And I want to apologize for being, you know, 490 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: so god damn happy to be in love and my 491 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: shows are so genuinely sincere. I want to apologize for 492 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: that because it's what I love to do. I love 493 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 1: to go inside something and really try to make it. 494 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,399 Speaker 1: When I first met you, I was surprised you remind 495 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: me more of like Bob Hoskins than Julie Andrews. I'm like, Wow, 496 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: this chick is tough. Well, I don't know if I well, 497 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: whatever it is, I thought you were. Thank you. I'll 498 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: take that, But I just I think that you I 499 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: wanted to act, I wanted to do Shakespeare did it 500 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: where I did its public Sam Waterson was earlier. It 501 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 1: was not a well received production. There were lots of 502 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: things about it, and when you're doing it, what was 503 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 1: it like for you? I mean, I think that it 504 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: was very strangely imagined. It when you're sitting in notes 505 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: sessions and there's no conversation coming back from the director 506 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:20,359 Speaker 1: Um who has never done a Shakespeare play, but also 507 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,199 Speaker 1: just um. When you make the choice to just be 508 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,199 Speaker 1: silent and never say anything because maybe you don't know 509 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: what to say, your actors start to get a little 510 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,640 Speaker 1: uncomfortable and get wind of Maybe it's not so much 511 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: just silence and and listening, it's more it's well and 512 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: we had great people in the cast. It's where I 513 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: met my great friend Arian Moyad, who I can continue 514 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: I've continued to work with and me too. So I 515 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,679 Speaker 1: think that it was a great experience, but it was 516 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: not well received. And Sam, who was so wonderful and 517 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 1: we all know his Shakespeare ability, he choked on an 518 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 1: apple the night before our first preview for third even 519 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,439 Speaker 1: minutes it went down his whimpipe. The next night he 520 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: had no voice, like zero voice, and so we had 521 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:08,679 Speaker 1: to cancel and we but the next night it was 522 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,719 Speaker 1: so raw and broken and then we had to do 523 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: the show eight shows a week, every night. He never 524 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: regained his voice. He never So it was when Bill 525 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 1: Irwin played the full which was all really fun. You know, 526 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 1: we had these great right, great top people, and um, 527 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: it just it wasn't It just didn't come together. I 528 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: mean you know at the time we were hoping it would, 529 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 1: but you done shake. I mean I was the person 530 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 1: with like raising my like, asking questions, listening to every 531 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: single thing, walking in the door with no and this 532 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: is how I handle myself, with no pretense, no assumptions 533 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: that I'm going to be great. It's all about I 534 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 1: just wanted to hear, I want to learn, I wanted 535 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: to listen. Um. I did the same thing with the opera. 536 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 1: It's like, I just want to do these things. If 537 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: I fall in my face, I guess at this point 538 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 1: I fall on my face, But I just I cannot 539 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: be doing one thing with all the assumptions. With the 540 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: moment you shout there and go I want to do 541 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 1: more of this, Yeah, something definitely, And I've just what's 542 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: the part you want to do? Now? What's a piece 543 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: of you? I'm sure there are several, but what's an 544 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 1: example of when you're dying to do well, I mean 545 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,919 Speaker 1: rosalind or you know, I think there have been a 546 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: couple of even Shakespeare, oh chab Yeah. Sure. You know 547 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: what I really I really would love to do is 548 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 1: I would love to venture into these kind of great 549 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 1: American not Who's afraid of Princition in your Wolf, but 550 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: these these living room American stories or something more contemporary 551 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 1: Augustociage County, you know, these families sitting here. I have 552 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 1: so many ideas for you, well, do something with me, 553 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: so many ideas. Do you find that because you have 554 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: this very well established and very successful queer that you 555 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: just weren't interested in chasing movie roles and TV roles? 556 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: I got this, I mean yeah, I think also I 557 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: had such I had big dreams, in my opinion, but 558 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,719 Speaker 1: growing up, you didn't. I didn't know about all of this. 559 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: I didn't know. And I loved musicals the most because 560 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 1: I was watching movie musicals, not live ones even. But 561 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: I wasn't thinking Hollywood. I wasn't thinking that kind of thing. 562 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: It's I moved here, I started to do it, and 563 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: I guess I probably felt so like I'm doing this. 564 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: I got this is what I always wanted and so 565 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: there was this weird part of me that put a 566 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: cap on well, you know, that would be selfish to 567 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: want more UM. But then of course you realize it's 568 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: all part of it. It's all part of what you 569 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: want to do. And and I started auditioning little bits, 570 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: but I would be doing eight shows a week, the 571 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: shows at night, going in for two seconds. And it 572 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 1: really at that point in my career twenties, early thirties, 573 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 1: it really kind of I would walk in and it 574 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: was just about what I looked like. I could feel it, 575 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 1: I could see the other women in the room, and 576 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: it started to put a dark thing inside me because 577 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: I'm blonde. It was I was going in for those things. 578 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 1: Are you piste off about the career you could have 579 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: had if you weren't a leading lady? I mean, listen, yeah, 580 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: I'm grateful would have had a career if I didn't 581 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: different well, a different um. Yeah. Yeah. But at the 582 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: same time, let me just let me say this. I 583 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: did start working. I did get at kind of a 584 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: big TV show. I didn't get to take it. This 585 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: was a really pivotal point in my life. I was 586 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: doing a Broadway show, The Nice Work If you can 587 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: get it, and the l A studio agreed to shoot 588 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: me Mondays and Tuesdays. They were going to work around 589 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 1: my schedule. Just the third lead ran five years big success. 590 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: I had some producers playing god and just said I 591 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 1: can't do it. We're going to sue you, we won't 592 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: let you do it. And I am stubborn, and I 593 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 1: mean it was. It was conversation over and my way 594 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: of dealing with it as opposed to, well, then f you, 595 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna, you know, leave all you guys and go 596 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,479 Speaker 1: take this was It's not meant to be. I'm never 597 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,800 Speaker 1: gonna audition for television again. This is where I belong. 598 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to do musicals. It's all I can do. 599 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: It's the only thing I'm you know, able to do. 600 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 1: And I did an audition for like four years after that, 601 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: and and it it's in here. Were you miserably the 602 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: entire time? They know? Okay, so no, that was actually 603 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: a really fun time. But I was miserable in my 604 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: little stomach at the people who had made decisions for 605 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: me like that that I couldn't get out of. And 606 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: if it had been one show before with different producers 607 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 1: who get it that this is a career, and that 608 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: you give a little to get a little. I would 609 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 1: have anyway, So I don't find regrets on that because 610 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: I have to get over that resentment, I guess. And 611 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: then I start doing little things here and there. And 612 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 1: I meet Arian Moya and he writes a web series, 613 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,480 Speaker 1: and I do the kind of work I want because 614 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: it's small, it's no money. He teaches me about lenses, 615 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:49,320 Speaker 1: he teaches me about close ups, he teaches me about 616 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: the things I never would have known, and I would 617 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: have gone and done television without any knowledge. Gets me 618 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: an Emmy nomination, and then I start getting things a 619 00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: little by little. After that they're not that thing, and 620 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: maybe it will lean into something else. But I will 621 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 1: always be the person who thinks, maybe I'm done with 622 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: all this, Maybe I'm just going to live in Connecticut 623 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: and raise my kids. What's it like for you as 624 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:12,479 Speaker 1: a mom and every night you're out there, Yeah, how 625 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: did you manage that? I've only managed, but I don't. 626 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: It's not easy and it's no success. And the kids 627 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,959 Speaker 1: coming into the city dinner with you when we when 628 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 1: we were in the city, they came between shows every time. 629 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: Of course, I'm you know, nursing, doing everything you have 630 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: to during the show. Uh four years ago, So you 631 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: left the city not that long ago. Yeah. Um so 632 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: when the baby, when the kids were babies, we were here. 633 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: I couldn't have done it otherwise because they had we 634 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: had I had to feed them, you know all that stuff. 635 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,640 Speaker 1: Um it's getting harder as they get older, because they 636 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: notice more. They want more from me, They need more 637 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: for me, and I want to give it to them. 638 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: So I ten and six, I didn't do a show 639 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 1: after the King and I until until last year. I 640 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: did a very short run of Kiss Me Kate. And 641 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: that short run was really tough. It was really tough. 642 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: Off I'm gone. They come home from school, there's a 643 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: little bit of time, and then I have to get 644 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: in so I can be here early, do my yoga, 645 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: do my quiet, do do everything that I do. Um 646 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: So that that was difficult, But I these are times 647 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: when they come and they go shooting a television show. 648 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: I'm flying to San Francisco. I'm gone for days at 649 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,920 Speaker 1: a time. I'm missing birthdays. That's worse. The thing about 650 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: a Broadway show, the only you know, the thing I 651 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: can say about it that's doable is that it's consistent, 652 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: so I know they know what time Mom's leaving. I 653 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: wake up with them every morning. You know, that's when 654 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: people say, how are you doing it well? The alternate 655 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: is sometimes much harder. If you're lucky, you're admitted midnight midnight, 656 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: and that's and then waking up for the bus because 657 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 1: I got to see them at six thirty, and then 658 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 1: I would go back to sleeve kind of waste your 659 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: day or whatever until they get home off the bus. 660 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: But you just do it, and I it doesn't sound 661 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: too glamorous, but you do it because I want to 662 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: try to do it for them. And you protect your 663 00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 1: voice during the day when you're seeing on stage now 664 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:02,000 Speaker 1: as much as I can. What's called a famous Broadway 665 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: singer who shall remain nameless, and her assistant said to me, 666 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 1: don't call it before twelve. She takes no phone CaAl, 667 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 1: she doesn't talk before noon. I don't have an assistant 668 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: who speaks for me, first of all. Secondly, uh, I 669 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: will speak to you and then I'll rest later. Um, 670 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 1: I protect my voice. If I had laryngitis, would protect 671 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: my voice. But I'm not going to be dramatic about 672 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: what I do. I'm either going to live in it 673 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 1: and enjoy it and have control over my own life, 674 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 1: or I won't do it. Kelly O'Hara, not justin Anginue. 675 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: If the lightmotif of our conversation was O'Hara's drive to 676 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: get serious, dramatic roles to shake her image, the story 677 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: has a hopeful coda. This new project I'm working on, 678 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: I can't talk about it. I'll mention it to you 679 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: and you'll understand. It's the closest thing I've felt to 680 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: letting this part of me out. It's an acting role, 681 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: a serious acting role. This is Alec Baldwin and you 682 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:00,320 Speaker 1: were listening to. Here's the thing, o