Episode 307 - Laura Benanti

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And so there was, and I like stopped acting for a little while. And then the next show I went into, I was like, not very good in the show called The Wedding Singer. It wasn't my best work. Yeah. You didn't feel it. And so I just sort of felt like my like beloved industry that like, that welcomed me as a literal child. I was 18, 17 when I got the part. Yeah. I, from like 22 to like 28, I felt like they were like, you're not, you're not a responsible person. It's breaking bread. I would have baked you bread, but, uh, I came in from LA to see you on the plane. You know what? You want to know a secret? Yeah. I did bake one and I put it in my luggage and, and I didn't even think it was a little tight. Okay. And it's in my hotel and it's this flat. It's a panini. It's a panini. It's bocaccia. So I stop at Vesuvio Bakery on Prince Street. I love this. And they do a good job. And you can take that home with you. My family's going to devour that. Thank you. Good to see you. You too. It's been a beat. It has. This is how I want to start because it happened again to me this morning. Okay. I was at the hotel sitting in the lounge and sitting with a friend of mine. And I said, what are you going to do today? And I said, as soon as you say Laura Menante, everybody goes, I love her. Really? Everywhere. That's so nice. Do you feel that? No. No? No, I only, you know, remember the comments on Instagram that are threatening my life. No, that makes me feel really, really good. Thank you for sharing that with me. Yeah, it really is a pretty great thing. And last time I saw you was your show in Mineta, right around the corner. Yes. What's it called? Nobody Cares? Nobody cares. Nobody cares. Such a good show. Thank you. It's better now. I made it better. Oh, really? I made it funnier. It was funny already. It was. You know what's weird about the audible live theater thing that they do is you don't perform it. And you don't take it on tour and then they record it. I performed it zero times in front of a real audience and then they were recording it. Hey, guys, we have a camera that's not working. Oh, no. Which one? We just had a technical snafu here at Breaking Bread. It was a huge snafu. It was huge because it's your camera. No, I said it was for the best because I was 15 minutes late and I ran here, fully ran here. And then like a pack of teenage boys. No, thank you. The scariest. Would not move. They were like four at a time. And then, you know, just like dirty urine covered snow banks. And I was finally like, gentlemen, can you make a path? And they were like and moved out of the way. Yeah, but I was like, I'm that old woman now who's like, excuse me. They're so clueless. They're clueless. And frightening. They're scary. I was down on the subway. And look, I've lost my edge since I've lived in L.A. Sure. I can't handle the cold. Yeah. I think things start too late. I think that too. I think that too. And I was on the subway platform on 4th Street. And I went down and just missed the train. And it goes and it's late at night and it's just four high school like seniors. Yeah. Kids kicking garbage cans and just like just just yeah, just like, you know, banging on the signs. And I was like, oh, yeah, these are the guys. Right. I was like an 18 year old boy. Were you kicking garbage cans when you were 18? This is like when it tips over and you're like, oh, no, these guys are men. Now I'm little Tommy in my hat hiding behind a pole waiting for the next train. And I was like, this is where I'm at now. I don't really like having to walk through these narrow pathways through the snow. It's not good. I almost fell. Yeah. I almost slipped and fell. I'm feeling very... Vulnerable. Let's just say vulnerable. Very vulnerable. It's a vulnerable time. It's really, really true. Yeah, I know. No, I'm like literally like, don't fall, don't fall, don't fall. Oh, yeah. When I was in North Dakota once doing a show like three years ago, my agent booked me in February. Everything's ice. The whole city is just a wall of ice. Oh, my God. I was walking to my show in the city, and I fell so fast that I didn't even have the sensation that I was falling. Right. I had just fallen. You're on the ground. I'm on the ground that fast. And a guy in a pickup truck honks and goes, we'll see you at the show. Stop. He didn't help you. He's literally a pickup truck and he could not pick you up. Not interested. Congratulations on your Paramount show. Thank you. Mayor of Kingstown. It's called Mayor of Kingstown. And you play a badass. I play a corrections officer at a maximum security male prison. In a badass uniform. In a badass uniform. Zero makeup. Only fluorescent lights. And then occasionally they put them under me. Like a hate crime. it is the first time i ever saw a frame of it i was like my it's done my career's over i'll only be hired to play like live action golem oh my god it's scary i can't watch it it's too scary really yeah bad bad things happen that is show yeah yeah well that whole universe what's the guy's name taylor sheridan taylor sheridan who's like running hollywood from like the woods Montana or something. It's only him and Nicole Kidman. Yeah. That's it. That's it. The rest of us are fucked. Yeah. He's the only one like making shows. He's it. I know. Uh, were you in every season? No, I was only in this last season, season four. And then I'll be in the one coming up. Okay. God. Yeah. That's great. How'd you get that gig? I auditioned. You did? Yeah. I auditioned. And then they were like, no, they gave it to like a very hot Latin woman. And I was like, I would have chosen her too. And then I guess she couldn't do it anymore. And they were like, Get the middle aged white lady. She'll be fine. We can tell him we tried. Exactly. She's haggard. She looks like she works here. So, yeah, you don't play badasses. No, you don't play hardcore. No, no. Yeah, because I know what I know of you. The part that I love about you is how quickly you can be so funny. Thank you. You're stand up funny. Thank you. And whenever you see people that are stand up funny. Yeah. being serious in a badass role yeah you just want them to break oh and i do you do and they're like because no one else is yeah serving like i'm like does anybody want to do a bit they're like no is it intense when you're on a set like that when it's yeah it's like a real prison and and what no one told me is that the background artists are mostly formerly incarcerated people which is awesome they're like formerly yeah they're in like a work release program. Like they, they served their time. They're obviously not like violent criminals. And now like part of this show is that, uh, you took your, your, um, nobody cares show, uh, to other places. Yeah. So I redid it. So like I was saying, you know, with the, with the audible thing, the first time I ever was in front of a live audience, they were audio recording it. So that show that I saw it was, they were recording at this little audible. Yeah. They were recording it at the audible theater and then they put it out on their platform, but only the audio of it, which is like an interesting thing to have a live visual medium only list like a radio play, honestly. Yeah. Your show was pretty visual though. Like those slides and like, yeah. So, so I learned so much in like the three shows that I did. And then, um, Amy Schumer was like, I want to do this. Like we need to film it and make it a special. And so then of course you want to make it like an hour. So I cut about 15 minutes. I wrote a new song that I'm like really excited about. And it includes a line. It's there's a song called Good Men where it talks about baking bread. Oh, really? Yeah. Every Sunday they bake sourdough bread. Good men. That's me. I know. I wrote it for you, Tom Papa. So then I did it in Edinburgh and it was totally sold out. It was like a big hit. We did it in London. Then I did it in Berkeley. And then this summer I'm going to do like a proper tour. Really? And then we're going to finally, we're going to film it in probably October. Wow. Yeah. So I'm really, really excited about it. That's really cool. Yeah. I feel like this is the thing I've like been waiting for, for people to like genuinely see that I'm, that I'm funny. Yeah. You're really funny. Well, I appreciate that. It's weird to say that about yourself, but thank you. No, you're like writing your own stuff and writing the songs. And it's a weird trajectory though, because I mean, you've been the Broadway star since you were 18, right? Yeah. And that's such a, you know, you're in all the greatest works of, you know, the stage. Thank you. And then did you always have the inkling like I should be writing stuff for myself? Like that whole run? Or did it come later? No, I always I wrote like songs in high school. Right. And most of them were like silly and funny. And my house was silly and funny. Like my mom is very funny. Oh, yeah. Like we call her giggles at a funeral. because it's so inappropriate where you're just like, you are laughing at the absolute wrong time. Yes. Your joke was hilarious. And that's great. I love grandma's dad. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I sort of was raised to see the world through the lens of a sense of humor. And, but I also, I loved musicals and I wanted to be Julie Andrews. So it was like figuring out. And then I played Agenues for too long. I was playing them too old. um and so yeah i i like i was writing i was right i was like hosting things right so i was hosting like the drama desks and other like award shows like theater award shows or you know when companies hire you to host stuff and i would write it and it went really well and then i was like maybe i'll just keep but it's scary you always had that gear you always had that that thing yeah were your family's performers yeah my mom um and my my dad i also have a step i have two dads but like not in the fun gay way like in the sad my parents got divorced way um they were broadway performers so my mom and my like birth dad were broadway performers and they were and then they split they split but when they got together they were performers yeah broadway performers right right so i always probably wouldn't work out it yeah i mean sometimes it does sometimes but i just yeah not this time and what were their talents like he was so talented yeah yeah i mean he was like gorgeous and had the most beautiful voice and she is like so beautiful and but so funny yeah and like and but it's like adorable like five foot tall blonde like huge blue eyes like really so like you know in like the 60s and 70s they were like stop being funny right you know what i mean yeah yeah yeah what was she in they did a show called brigadoon on broadway she was in um he was in a show called Oklahoma, just like a bunch of like the old school. Right. The big musicals and stuff. Yeah. Wow. So that so you were getting all of that day one. Yeah. When did they split? When I was like a year old. Oh, yeah. OK. Yeah. And so then we moved to New Jersey. My mom stopped acting. Oh, I know. Wow. Did she regret it or did she was she cool with it? His family time. She would never let us know at the time. But I really like one of my earliest memories. I was like five years old and I was coming up the stairs and she was on her tiptoes with her arms outstretched and she was singing like as if to an imaginary audience and it was the first moment of like differentiation of self that I ever had from my mom because you know when kids are little you're like we're one thing yeah and I was like I am me and she is her and she is like a beaming light right and then she just had to be like but she was the most amazing mom right it's gonna make me cry she was the most amazing mom and i never fully understood until i was older what her sacrifice was yeah and then when i had my first daughter i like made her come out of retirement and we do like concerts together oh really yeah really yeah what kind of concerts Just like musical theater. Really? Yeah, just like straight up musical theater. And like, it's like old school cabaret. And she still got it? Oh. Really? And you know what's crazy? The first time we ever did it, my dad, my birthdad came and sat in the front row. No. Yeah. He didn't mean to be in the front row. They put him there. Yeah, that's always a mistake. But she was like the first time she sang in front of people in 36 years. And she just like killed. Wow. And he's there. Oh, that's great. That's sweet. It was sweet. That's really sweet. I know. Oh, because they were probably like in their 20s. They were kids probably. They were 17 when they met. Oh, my God. They were 17. That's amazing. I know. And did he continue? He did. And then he sort of stopped. I don't know if he ever really wanted to be an actor. I think he wanted to be like a football player. Yeah. And then his mom was like, you're going to do this. And he was like, OK. And I don't think he ever really loved it. Yeah. Yeah. So. So did they stick around? Like, did you see him? Yeah. After after the show? No. In life? Yeah. I saw him. I mean, that's a very sweet story that he comes after all that time. Yeah. I mean, he did. Like, you know, I saw him like pretty much like every Sunday, every other Sunday. That's good. And he you know, he lived in New York. So it was like the Emerald City. And when I would come like visit him and see him on Broadway. I saw him do Guys and Dolls on Broadway and you know it was like it's like that weird divorced kid thing where you're like alright Monday through Saturday I'm here and I'm being raised by my dad Sal who I love so much she's a therapist that was a good choice on my mom's part but then on the other then on Sunday it's like a totally different family it's a weird thing oh but man And I know exactly that feeling of being in Jersey, seeing – you could see the city in the distance. Yes. And then once you get into it, and then you're just like, where are we going? What are we doing? This is fantastic. And to be backstage or whatever on Broadway is like – It was crazy. Yeah. You had no choice. Yeah. And it's all I ever wanted to do. I don't remember a time where I didn't want to – And I think also my idea of what the city was was based on like old school musicals, like movie musicals. So I thought I was going to come to town and be like hey kids how you doing And like I had a little bit of that vibe too where people were like no we not You can just talk like a person And I was like I don want to But yeah And so I lived here you know from I worked starting at 18 till you know Is that when you moved in? No, I moved back to the city when I was 18. I played Maria and the Sound of Music opposite Richard Chamberlain. That's so crazy. He was like 70 years old. It was a different time. But he still had it. He still had it. But nobody. It was 1997, which doesn't feel like that long ago. But yeah. And people were like, we're comfortable with this. This feels we're fine. Yeah, this works. Yeah. But I always looked like 45. So you saw that picture of me in my show. Very, very. I wouldn't say you looked it, but you carry I'm sure you carried yourself. No, I actually looked 45. Like I looked older than than I do now. For real. Yeah, I'm going to just text you my headshot from when I was 19. It is so serious. Yeah. And what I have done to my eyebrows, they were just like pencils. I looked like a 1940s. I wanted to look like that. Yeah, right. Like a 1940s movie star. Yeah, come on. But they looked 60 when they were 18. Was it hard to get that role? No, I auditioned for Liesl. And they were like, you are not 16 going on 17. And I was like, but I literally am. And then they cast me as the understudy to Maria. And then when the actress playing Maria left, I took over for her opposite Richard J. That is right. I mean, yeah, that is there. There are many more stories of struggle than that path. Oh, I look back and I'm like, how did that happen? I wasn't a child actor at all. Yeah. It was like we just did to me. Yeah. It was crazy. do you think not to be too hippy dippy about it love it i love hippy but your parents are banging around the spirit of broadway yeah do you think there's any kind of universe kind of you just want it and so you're thinking it and singing and doing stuff in high school and whatever do you think there is a because this isn't nepotism this your parents were out of it and They were kind of doing whatever. But is there something in your mind like the call it destiny, call it the universe? I secreted it. You did. I really feel like I did. I took it so seriously. The way it happened, like I took my high school play so seriously. No one else did. Right. And I had no friends, but like I was very serious about it. And I, you know, the way it happened is there's this regional theater, this like equity theater called the Paper Mill Playhouse. Oh, yeah. I love that place. It's the best. They have something called the Rising Star Awards, which is like the Tony Awards for like local Jersey theaters. Yeah. And they came and saw me do Hello, Dolly! when I was 16 years old. And I won this award. And then they like recommended me to this casting director named Jay Binder. They were like, you should see this girl. She's like doesn't have an equity card. She's never done professional theater. But we think she's really talented you should see her for Liesl and then I went in with like a folded up with like my high school picture yeah and like a folded up resume like in my pocket and they were like do you have anything this is all high school credits yeah well I'm in high school and they were like are you a teacher you're a 40 year old woman yeah and like so it's just crazy that's yeah that is there's there's something to that I think there's like something in the in the arts that is kind of like magical. Yeah. Right. I think for many of us, it was like, you can't picture yourself doing anything else. Like there's no other options. You can make it happen. I literally had, didn't interview a phone interview this morning and they said, uh, what would you have been if you hadn't become a comedian? Yeah. I was like, I just have to make something up because really, yeah, because there's no, I literally think of it as well. If this all stops and I'm retired and they won't let me perform at the nursing home, I guess I'll write articles for the local paper. You know what I mean? Because it's so completely out of your brain of like, what else would I do? I don't know. Die, I guess. Yeah, I guess I'll die. I mean, you were really young when you started. I was young. And I just, yeah, just always from seventh grade, I was like, I'm going to be a comedian. That's so crazy. Once I learned that adults, that that was a job for adults. Yeah. Like I'm running around just making people laugh nonstop. And again, taking it very seriously. Yeah. Writing, like creating props and bits and doing all that stuff. And I was like, I was like, yeah, what grownups can do this. I can continue doing this. Who was like the first comedian where you were like, that's a job. It was George Carlin and Steve Martin in one week. Oh, wow. I heard both albums at my older friends and my friends, older brothers rooms. Yeah. And I was like, what? Like, this is you. These guys are just funny for a living. Like that was a complete education. You worked with Steve Martin. Yeah, I did. And his play, that's where I met Amy too. His play Meteor Shower. It was me and Amy and Keegan-Michael Key and Jeremy Shamos, who's a wonderful actor. And what was that project? What was the premise? It was, I don't know. I don't know to this day. Oh, really? Yeah. I mean, it's like indescribable. It was really sort of like esoteric, weird, funny play where no one really understood what was going on to the very end. Really? And but it was great. Like, I loved it. And I had so much fun. And he's being in a room with him. I was very nervous and never, never cool. Always weird. Always weird. I was always. You were always weird. So weird. And then, of course, Amy's the most relaxed person you've ever met. Yeah. Which could not be more different from my vibe. She is a force. She really is. And very loyal. So loyal. Yeah. Yeah. It's just a just a there is some women in comedy who are so much more badass than any guy in comedy. Sure. Her Rosebud Baker. Rosebud. Sarah Silverman. Chelsea Handler. Wanda. Yes. Like these people, they're just so and it's really I was really trying to like sitting with it. Yeah. I was like, it's because they're just purely honest. There's no like there's no bending or like sacrificing what they believe in. They just completely. Yeah. I don't have that. I want to make everybody happy. And yeah, there's no like, I hope you like this. Right. It's just like this is funny and you like it or you don't like it. And that's on you. Yeah, exactly. Or you're just wrong about that. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. It is powerful. No, I'm like, tell me who I am. well that's why i loved your show so much it was that very honest like i'm killing it but i'm filled with self-doubt at the same time yeah i mean just and like the idea of like just me even doing a one-person show at like the probably the worst time in in our nation's history that i think anyone cares about my story it's like so gross um yeah but i'm like i have no other skills and if i can make you laugh for an hour and take you out of all of this, like then it's best for all of us. Yeah, I know. It's used to think that was like kind of a corny thing, but now I really do feel like it's important. All I watch is stand up now. I can't because I, if I got my Instagram algorithm is just like weighted vests and ice shooting people. I know. And then once you start, I started reposting because I don't really post political stuff, but this is, this is just human, correct human human yeah travesty so i started like have you had people be like mad at you i don't really look at it you don't look okay i don't look when when i'm sure yeah i saw one yesterday it says oh you're a libtard hilarious and it's like 14 followers and it's like yeah you're like you're a bot yeah so whatever you know this is so beyond i'm not talking about your your position on health care. No, this is not fiscal conservatism. This is Nazis. Yeah. This is complete, just horrific. When priests are just like, dudes, what are you doing? A thousand percent. When the Pope is like, what's going on? Yeah. And I will say, like, also my algorithm is like, is like priests and pastors and like religious people being like, how are you doing this in like the name of Jesus? And I really appreciate that because the Crusades, they weren't good. No. You know, so many bad things have happened in the name of Christianity. Absolutely. But to have these people show up and like just macing priests. I know. I'm like, how are people still like, this is good? It's right. Exactly. We're down with this. Right. What part of you can ignore that? Who's watching Lord of the Rings going like, I love the orcs. Yeah. I like what they're doing. It's crazy. Yeah, there's good people on both sides, guys. Lord Sauron, don't love his vibe. He's going to lower the price of eggs. Did you have to deal with a lot of pushback during the Melania stuff? I just did one last night. You did? Yeah, it's one of our funniest ones. Really? Because of the movie? Because of the movie? Because the movie came out? Yeah. They're such good writers. Oh, but yeah. I mean, the Melania, we had to move. My husband and I had to move. The first time it happened, the first time we did it, people were so mad. It was crazy to me. That's insane. And I guess I put my apartment under my name, never thinking anyone would want to murder me for comedy. And then I started getting like crazy, crazy threats. Someone took a picture of me walking my daughter to school. Oh, my Lord. And we were like, we shouldn't live here anymore. Jeez. And literally moved. Yeah. Oh, my Lord. It's so stupid. It's gotten better. Now it's mostly like you're a libtard. You have a big nose. I hate you. I was thinking about that when Trevor with the Grammys, he made a couple jokes and Trump lost his mind. I know. I'm going to sue him. For the side that calls everybody snowflakes. Yes. It's like you can't take jokes. Yeah. Talk about snowflake area. Well, some of the people who love Mayor of Kingstown are like, you know, they're definitely on the conservative side. And they were like, you know, I just started liking you on the show and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I posted a thing where I was like, hey, I feel like you all are very able to separate a male actor, performer, writer, athlete from their objectively terrible behavior. And yet you cannot enjoy my performance because of my opinion. Yeah. I think that's something to look at. Yeah. You know, if you're like still cool with Jared Leto. Like, yeah. Why are you so mad at me? Because I think something. I didn't do anything. That is so insane. It's insane. It's insane. And yeah, especially when you show up and this whole writing staff gives you all of the stuff and you're an actress. But I post a lot of shit on social media. My Instagram is 100 percent. Yeah. Me playing characters, which has been really fun. You had a funny writing these other characters. Oh, really? Yeah. It's because I and like I feel nervous because you all are like stand up comedians. And like, you know, sometimes people will be like, you could be an opera singer. And I'm like, I couldn't. That is a totally different genre. I can't. I it's operatic my voice, but I could never be an opera singer. And so sometimes, too, when people are like, you should do stand up. And my show is kind of stand up. Yeah. But I don't call myself a stand up because that is such a specific thing that you all have done and for so long and have worked so hard at. So it's this weird thing. But like doing sketches, writing these sketches. Yeah. I wrote I have this like character that I do that's like an old Jersey Italian woman. And then I have one that's the Department of Revisionist or the U.S. Department of Revisionist History. I do that. And I have a woman named Tammy who's like a southern woman who's always just out of the shower. So like and they're all political. Right. They're all political. And I write them. So so it's like beyond Melania now. Right. And then I also repost too much. Yeah. Where I'm just like. I know. Exactly. You've got to see this. You've got to see this. 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That's right, your choice of filet mignon, New York strip, or chicken breast in every box for an entire year, plus $20 off your first box and free shipping always. That's butcherbox.com slash papa. Don't forget to use our link. It's a great way to use the service and support our podcast. And now back to the show. That's funny. I must have lost track of your account because I remember when you were just talking directly to the camera as yourself. Yeah. And you forget what like you couched at something like the worst thing ever. That might be the U Department of Revisionist History Oh is that what it is It might be it Yeah But yeah it funny too how they start to not show your stuff like how the algorithm once you get political starts to shift Yeah, a friend of mine who's a black man, black actor, started posting pictures of just like white families instead of what he normally posts. And it was like churning it out. Really? Yeah. We're churning it out. Like all of a sudden, like people were seeing his account. It was going into their feeds. It was going into like their like for you feeds. Whereas his other stuff had been sort of they hadn't seen his account in like a year, even though they followed him. And just maybe that's why I lost your account. Maybe I had the more political stuff I do, the more people are like, why? Like, why aren't you posting more? And I'm like, I'm posting. You're just not seeing it. weird because everything else like you get like all this ice stuff and everything i know it's then that's coming up that's like my full algorithm yeah like it's bad i yeah i literally had that moment last night where i'm like this is i have to stop reposting or something to see anybody else right it's what you click on so it's like yeah the more you click on something just two old people talking about algorithms is hilarious to me also i'm just like lady explaining what algorithms are too. If you click on it. No, and I'm interested because I really am. If you click on it, that's what your algorithm is. If you like it. So I have to go in and like puppies. Puppies. Yeah, everyone goes back to puppies. Unlikely animal friends. That's a favorite of mine. A kitten and a monkey. I get it. Yeah. Great. A lot of good old Catholic guys telling you what to do. Yeah. Do you love New Jersey? Do I love New Jersey? I grew up in New Jersey. Yeah. As did you. Kinnelon? Kinalon. Yeah. Very rural. Very Trumpy. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Very, very, very. Yeah. It's so. Yeah. It's always weird to me that it's all in New Jersey. I know. And we're kind of blue state. It's getting more purple, which I don't love. Yeah. But it's hard because also like people I grew up with where I'm like, but I loved her. I see like their comments on Facebook or whatever. And I'm like, no. which is like who cares like you go to the down to the jersey shore and it's like oh my god who cares everybody's whatever but wherever there's boats there's merch wherever there's boats there's a trump flag there's flags it's like why are you on the sea i don't get that correlation i don't get it and i do not care if you are what you are i don't care what you are politically but now it's like if you are flying that stuff that you're something different this is this is different i mean i've cared a lot since 2016 like i've i've cared even when you were growing up when you were knocking around new york and when you were knocking around nobody knew nobody no one was like nobody right nobody said hello this is my politics is how i introduce myself no that was not the way we live that was more a time of like fiscal conservatism and and also i feel like as white people, we had a very different experience. I do think like my black friends are like, welcome to America. And I'm like, oh shit, you're right. Yeah. That is very true. You know? Yeah. There's a great comedian, Mike Yard. Yeah. Yeah. And he, he's always like, Hey, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We've been upset for a long time. Yeah. Since you brought us over on boats, you know? So it's, it's a very different thing for us. And, and I do also feel like some shame around that where I'm like, but I thought everybody was nice. It's like, right. You're nice to like a 18 year old white girl. Like, of course, people don't understand that privilege is hard. It's hard for us. It's hard to be privileged. It is. I'm glad we're talking about it. It's important. It is important to bring it to the forefront. Nobody, if we could just shine a light on some of the other people that don't have to, don't get pulled over. Don't get pulled over. Yeah. Oh my God. But I don't like the leading with it. I think the thing that's killed it is merch. It literally is merch. But you know what's sad now? The American flag is merch. I feel sad that when I see an American flag, I'm like, you're probably a bad person. We've got to reclaim that. I know. We've got to bring it back. I still fly it. I fly it at my house down at the beach or in my garage. And my daughters, who are in their 20s, I was like, this is cool, right? And they're like, you should probably add some other flags around it. so people kind of know they're not wrong i mean but that makes me so sad this is what we are i'm like at protests we need to have american flags like right honestly the reason i'm so pissed is because i do love my country of course if i didn't care i would just be like whatever right but it does make me really sad that now when i drive around and i see an american flag or with the guys in pickup trucks with the huge american flags on the pickup truck of course yeah i'm like I'm scared of you and I don't like it. Yeah. You shouldn't be. Yeah. It's the, in your face, they're looking for a fight. They're just looking for a fight. Totally. This is a sick way to live. Yeah. I know. It's really just twisted. I know. We do a thing on this program called an uncomfortable moment. Oh, perfect. And this isn't so bad. Okay. I mean, you're creative. Great. And a lot of times this stuff is done in, in private because, uh, You don't want to put someone on the spot to reject you. Okay. But you've been in so many great things on Broadway. Tony's the whole thing. Oh, no. You're always looking for new directions. And look, I know we're going through an era where it's going through an era of it has to be a property already. Yeah. A movie, a cartoon, what have you. This is original, so I know it's a long way to go. But just hear me out. This is an idea for a musical for us. Oh my god, that is... Honestly, first of all, we're gorgeous. Gorgeous, thank you. We should all be models. We have really good skin. I mean, we really should do that. Right? Yeah. We should do a sketch of it. We'd be funny together. I'm baking bread. It's called Breaking Bread with Tom Papa, the musical. Great. A delicious new musical comedy. I honestly, yeah. I don't know what direction. Do you play all the parts? You play all of these parts and I bake the bread? I don't know. You know, I kind of feel like it's collaborative and we should just kind of workshop it. I think we should work it out. I think we should, too. Should we do it at the Comedy Cellar? Everyone's like, put your phones away. It's a three-hour musical. And now something a little different. What's it like to be able to sing? um when i was younger and it was so free it literally feels like flying really yeah but i've had as i've gotten older i've like let myself get out of shape with it because it is a muscle i haven't been on broadway in seven years so when you're doing eight shows a week it's like you're just in shape yeah and i've really let myself get lazy right and so now it's stressful because like I just had a concert at the 92nd street. Why? Oh yeah. And like two weeks before I was like, oh no. And then, um, it's a, that's really stressful. And then it's not as fun. So I've made a commitment to myself now. I'm going to sing every day cause I am happier. You're like oxygenating your brain cause you're breathing more. So it's just good for your mind and emotions. But for me, it's like, it's also similarly to my mom, like shutting down a part of me. Yeah. And I don't want singing to be stressful. I want it to feel like it used to feel. Yeah. So I'm so envious. It's a great feeling. Just, yeah. Do you feel like that on stage? I'm sure. Yeah. I don't think, I don't know, but no, I don't think it's the same. There's enough lettuces to it. That's pretty cool. Yeah. And the, and the, the transfer of emotion. yes that's got to be power that's got to feel great too it's pretty cool comedies you know i love it it's yeah whatever but it's you know you're getting you you're going for the same reaction yeah you want the same you just want laughter yeah that's true you can make them think or whatever but you want laughter that's true and the power of music is just pretty amazing yeah that's why and i know people are like broadway's corny and i'm like well what happened you as a child because i love broadway and like i i make sure yes some of it is corny breaking into song you have to like you know but also like superheroes like you know what i'm saying like we don't fly and we are suspending our disbelief so you can do that if someone's breaking into song yeah but the idea of like really moving someone like hearing the audience cry when you're singing is just like oh my god right it feels so good yeah it's got to you're like i'm important what i did was important because music is so powerful and then you are an instrument you're another instrument yeah and singing with an orchestra is just like bananas that's gotta be it's pretty amazing soaring it's pretty great how do you not cry when you're in the middle of it i cry sometimes you do i make myself cry because i'm so incredible like but you know i do this like i did my fair lady on broadway and so i do this sort of like medley of it and i and not in my comedy show but like when i do concerts around the country oh yeah with like symphonies and stuff right and i call it my fairly oh and you tell stories and right i've seen clips of that yeah i tell stories i call it my fair lady in 15 minutes or less and i and so i go through like all the the whole show of it basically and when you get to the emotional parts it's like my brain remembers like this is when you cry. Yeah. And it's just amazing to do that. Yeah. It just feels so good. I've done things I've done things where, uh, there was like a meaningful part when I would tell a story, uh, that was in the beginning was really emotional for me. It was like talking about an emotional thing, but you get, uh, you get used to it. So you start faking it and then you're done with it. Yeah. But music, I would think, would just still launch you into that space, regardless of your how well you know it. I mean, I'm so emotionally unwell that I I will cry every time I tell a story that taps into anything I might feel right now. I will cry. I could if you told me someone had a baby. Right. And I don't know that. Why is that? Is that unwell, though? It's just a little too close to the surface. My wife is that way. Yeah. Like anything, anything, anything will just, I think my children would probably prefer that mommy doesn't cry so much. Do they do a mom's crying? My, when you're watching TV, my daughter goes here, come the water work. Both of my children are extremely funny. Are they very funny and funny on purpose, which is my favorite kind of funny. Yeah. And my little one who's three, she will workshop a joke. She will tell the joke. She'll see where the laugh is. She'll go, go away. She comes back. And I'm like, you did it. You made it better. She's amazing. Yeah, she's amazing. That's really good. Yeah. My girls are in their 20s now or early 20s. That's crazy. Yeah. So it's like sophisticated funny. I feel like when I started watching your standup, they were actual children. Yeah. Nine and six. Yes. Like when I first. Yeah. Yeah. How many specials have you had? A lot. A lot. I think I'm at like six. That's crazy. Or seven. Yeah. That's so cool. I'm in 30 years. Sure. Right? Yeah. But to have that much material, frankly, to have like six specials. Yeah. But it doesn't stop. Sure. It's amazing. When you think of all these great pieces of work of anything, it's like, how are people still coming up with new stuff? Yeah. There's new stuff. Yeah. There's new perspectives. There's new. What's your favorite musical? What's my favorite musical? Probably. To be in or just to watch. My Fair Lady, I think, is amazing. It's an amazing musical. I also love Into the Woods, which is Stephen Sondheim. I love it. It's dark, but I love it. I do love Sound of Music. Yeah. I do love that they were like, now we're talking about Nazis. In a musical for children. I know. Yeah. Could not be more timely. I know. I just sang Edelweiss at a protest. Really? Yeah. Jeez. I know it's bizarre. I really thought this was all gone. I thought it was all gone. I know. Well, it wasn't that long ago, though. No, it's not. You really think about it. My grandmother was a grown up. Right. During World War II. God. Yeah, that's not that far away. Yeah. God, what a force. Yeah. What an evil force. Just taking different shapes and what have you. What about Sweeney Todd? That was the first musical I ever saw. It was? Yeah, I was a child. Oh my God. And my parents brought me Angela Lansbury. George Hearn. Yeah. And I just, I had no idea what we were walking into. I don't know, 10? That's too young. And was just like, holy cow, what is this? That's a lot of murder. A lot of murder. It was pretty great though. Did you love it? Loved it. that siren that oh yeah every time he slashed their throat i was just like what the this is i like coming here that was your first musical and that your parents were like this is it this is what's gonna but it kind of messed me up a little bit like seeing the drowsy chaperone yeah you're just like come on no more car wheels yeah yeah so for me i i like musicals but i love Sondheim. Yeah. Sondheim is like the is is that's the thing. And it's always dark. That's that's Bach. Yes. Right. Yes. Yeah. Yes. It's always dark. It's when people don't like musicals. I'm like, OK, but Stephen Sondheim. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's different. What else is Sondheim? Oh, my gosh. Sunday in the Park with George. Right. Into the Woods. He wrote actually the lyrics for gypsy oh he did um merrily we will roll along what was it like playing that in gypsy oh amazing it was incredible it was one of the best experience did you know what you were getting my favorite musical yes yeah it was a dream role for me yeah that and eliza do little my fair lady were like dream dream dream dream roles for me why because i love a transit i love an arc uh-huh So Eliza Doolittle goes from like dirt on her face, Cockney selling flowers to like a beautiful, brilliant lady. And like to hit all of the points in between is such a puzzle. Yeah. And Louise goes from like you go from like an 11 year old girl to the most famous burlesque performer of all time. Right. And everything in between. And like the heartbreak, how she was just destroyed by her mother and like closed her heart down. You watch this like open hearted little girl become this like cold, hard businesswoman. Right. And God and playing with Patti LuPone and Boyd Gaines and Arthur Lawrence, who wrote it, directed the musical. It was 92 years old. Jeez. Jeez. I know. Hey, everybody. Big news. The Netflix is a joke festival. the biggest comedy festival in the world, is kicking off in May. May 4th, I think, is the first day, and it runs for one week, and it's got all the biggest comedians in the world coming and performing. Yours truly has a show at the Ebell Theater on May 5th, Cinco de Mayo. I will be doing my solo show, and you guys are all invited. if you can come go to TomPapa.com and get tickets there we want to make a big splash and there's a lot of other shows so we want to I want to get the word out as quickly as possible so you guys don't end up going to see some other lame comedians because that's that'd be horrible so now you know on May 5th you can come see me at the Ebell Theater go to TomPapa.com go through that link that's probably the easiest way to do it I'm also going to be performing with the Dodgers they have a big event I think on the next night and then a bunch of other stuff I'm going to do for What a Joke for the radio show and a bunch of other things we'll keep you posted on that but I just want to let you know about the big show May 5th Cinco de Mayo go to TomPapa.com shape called cascatelli uh very cool guy he was on my radio show once when he was first introducing his pasta and i got to hang out with him and do the sporkful it's a fun podcast about food where you learn about people through talking about food similar to this i guess check out his three-part series tracking down an iconic sandwich in aleppo syria or his story about a new hot dog vendor fighting to protect his turf dan also digs into what it takes to make the perfect ice cream sandwich and whether or not carbs are better for you in europe it's a fun guy fun podcast check out the episode that we did together in new york when i went on the sporkful where we talked about me mostly uh it's probably the best one they've ever done i the sporkful it's not for foodies it's for eaters get the spork full wherever you get your podcasts and now back to the show so when you started going to rehearsals for gypsy yeah uh did it kind of click pretty quickly and you were like able to because i mean that what your tony was right yeah yeah so that like no i was not good for the first two weeks really i was so busy trying to play a child that it was like and arthur lawrence was like really mean to me he was and i shut down when i'm not like a sports person where it's like push me i'm like tell me i'm good yeah yeah even if i'm not then i'll become good so i just like shut down and i was bad and then i quit And then, yeah. And then Patty was like, talk to him and was like, you, she doesn't need that. You don't need to break her down. She's down. You need to like build her up. And so then he's, but then he really, I feel like he helped me become a better actor because he was like, you're showing me a lot of stuff. Just do it. And I was like, oh. Do you think he was like calculated? Like, this is how I'm going to approach this one. I think he comes from an era of you break people down. Yeah. Like that was the time. Like Jerome Robbins. They were just mean. Yeah. And my first acting coach in college was she was an older Broadway dame. And she was mean. Mean. She would smoke cigarettes. But I came from sports. So I was like, I was down with it. Yeah. I guess I'm somewhat sensitive. But in that setting, I was just, just tell me. like be my coach no i'm a soft i'm a soft lady i really like any criticism i'm like you're probably right that feels true so yeah it was really hard how long did you continue with the role after you got the tony we like kind of closed oh really yeah i feel like we only had maybe a few more months because it was 2008 and the crash happened and people were like we're not buying tickets to see Broadway. So we didn't even make it a year. Really? Oh man. Yeah. It was sad. Yeah. That's too bad. I know. Cause my thought was you go from almost quitting and all that stuff. And then all of a sudden you've nailed it. Yeah. The community says you've nailed it. Yeah. What a fun next couple of years that would be. No. Yeah. And it's interesting cause I don't, I think you know this, that I broke my neck. I broke my neck and into the woods. Right. And there was, this was before social media. And like, it was suggested to me that I don't talk about it. So then like the post was calling the producers and they were like, why isn't Larbenanti in the show? And they were like, she's so talented, but we wish she'd show up for work. Like, so people just thought I was an asshole. Yeah. And so there was, and I like stopped acting for a little while. And then the next show I went into, I was like, not very good in the show called the wedding singer. and like it was a good show and I just like kind of wasn't right for it. I was fine. People say I was good. It wasn't my best work. Yeah. You didn't feel it. And so I just sort of felt like my like beloved industry that like that welcomed me as a literal child. I was 18, 17 when I got the part. Yeah. I, from like 22 to like 28, I felt like they were like, you're not, you're not a responsible person. And so. Could you not defend yourself? when those comments were coming out? I kind of did, but I was like a young woman. And at the time, the people recommending things to me were like, just don't talk about it. Just don't answer the questions. Just keep your head down. Because I went right into a show called Nine with Antonio Banderas right after that. And way too soon after I had surgery. Way too soon, like three weeks. And then I missed shows because I shouldn't have gone in. Oh, yeah, yeah. So that became the narrative that you don't show up? She doesn't show up. Oh, come on. I know. Come on. So then to be like getting a standing ovation and Radio City Music Hall from the people, it's gonna make me cry, from the people that I'd always wanted to be a part of. And then I was for a little while. And then they were like, we don't know, to see them like stand. I was like, it felt like coming home again. God, it was amazing. That is amazing. God. And I saw this really interesting interview with the director of Hamnet. Oh, yeah. And I still haven't seen it. Have you seen it? I can't. Yeah. I can't. Yeah. My daughter, who's digested all the arts, is just like, I did. I'll never. I can't again. I think if you were a parent also. It's going to be rough. Yeah. But the interviewer was saying something to her about like award season, right? having to go do all these interviews and it's got to be so beneath you. And she was like, thank you for thinking I'm more elevated than I am. Yeah. But I'm in it and I want to win and I'm doing all the things. Yeah. I'm paraphrasing. But she had a great, she had a really insightful analysis of the award moment, the award shows. Yeah. What did she say? You know, everyone, and here are your nominees. And you're seeing all these killers, all these great people who've all made it. Yeah. And she said, but the difficult thing is everybody that's gotten into this for whatever reason is like, I want to be accepted. I want to be a part of you. I'm and I've I've done the work and here's my thing. Yes. And the minute they say the winner is everybody else is you still don't like me. Yes. I'm still you still won't let me. Yeah. The Sally Field thing. You really like me. You really like me. Exactly. Even though you're the top actor, the top of your game and you've done all the stuff. Yeah. Never really enough. No, I've lost four Tony Awards. And there was one there was one role that I played where I won everything else leading up to it. And my friend Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Right. He texted me right after they announced my category and I didn't win. He took a video of it and I literally they announced her name and I went, oh, wow. out loud he was like laura no that you can't and it's forever now just oh wow and but it is that feeling where you're just like yeah really not bad not me not me when you don't like me anymore yeah yeah and then you feel like you're complaining because you're like of course it's an honor to be nominated of course you would much rather that than not being nominated that's the problem feels better that's the problem with all of it i know it is that if you can just it's even though you can be centered and be like you're up for a role and yeah if i get it fine and then there's always that moment where they make you really want it yes they make you really want it even jobs i haven't wanted that i've auditioned for and they're like they really like you for this then i'm calling my agents every five minutes i know and i'm like don't like it Yeah, I always say they did it to me again. Yes. They made me want it. They made me want it. I know. But I do think, like we were talking about like Amy, I do think there are people who are like, if they don't want me, fine. I know. I'm like, how? What does that feel like? I know. I will never know. I'll never know that feeling. Yeah. Never. Yeah. Yeah, I think they really truly do feel that. Yes. It's incredible. Yeah. If I could have 10% of that. Yeah. I'm getting better with it. I don't know if I'm getting better with it. I think I'm just not putting myself in those positions as much. Yeah. Right. Yeah. You're like, yeah, if you come to me, I'll go. Sure. I'm not I don't have that. Not at a position where I need to go chase all of it. I'm still chasing Tom. No. Yeah, I am. Yeah. Well, especially comedy, because I'm new to it. I'm new to exciting, though. It is. But also, I do feel like I have a lot to prove. I do feel like people are like, OK, Broadway like you're going to do jazz hands, you know? Yeah. So I do feel a sense of like I'm tiptoeing into a world where I'm like, is it OK if I come in as your manager? Please, honestly, as your manager, they're not that precious. And yeah, there's very the landscape of comedy is filled with um unwell people good i'll put right in and uh and the craft of it is not like it's changed you know there's like people coming through social media or coming through whatever and right you know and the people that really are good at it that the pure craft of they're just stand-ups you know and yeah and love it and honor it they'd be happy to see you walk in and and start doing it because yeah, they recognize talent and yeah. And I had a friend, uh, who was like, I never wanted to come in and do it because you guys have been doing it for so long. I don't belong. Yeah. Yeah. So talented. Just walk in. Yeah. That is how I feel though, where I feel like I don't want people to think that I think I'm good enough for this. Yeah. I want you to tell me I am, but I don't want you to think I think that. Yeah. Yeah. There's no way around that. Yeah. Which is such a strange thing. Like, where does that come from? Really? Because like you're you were nailing it as a kid. Like all the all the indicators are saying you're good enough. I think it's my nature. I think that some people were born. I think it's I personally think it's how I was born. I was born like even as a kid, I would always ask my friends, like, are you mad at me? And they were like, now I am. Right. Like, stop asking me that. I'm eight. Yeah. Yeah. So I think I always have that feeling of just like needing the external validation of you're good enough, which has definitely gotten better as I've gotten older. Yeah. But also when I talk about it in my show, playing ingenues for my entire life, like the whole point of being an ingenue is people project onto you. Right. And it is the external validation of like being pretty, being quiet, being wide eyed, being interested, interested in the other person, usually the man. Right. You know, so and I do think you begin to internalize what you do most of the time. Like I spent the majority of my time like on stage playing these people. Right. More than I was myself, frankly. Yeah. So I think in some ways I'm still figuring out who I actually am. Right. You know, and becoming a mother really helped with that. Yeah. Helped ground that a little. Yeah. Yeah. Because I'm like, my children will never like me. So I can't. My thing can't be. I need you to like me. Right. My thing has to be. I know you don't like me and I still like you. You know? Yeah. They also make you think less about yourself. A thousand percent. That was a big blessing. Really, because in the beginning, you're just like me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. Totally. Right. I used to get ready for shows. It used to take me all day. Like, I'm going to wake up. I'm going to steam. I'm going to exercise. I'm going to do a face mask. I'm going to go. And now I'm like, I'm going to wake up and I'm maybe going to take a shower. Right. And then I'm going to be with you guys all day long. And then I'm going to be late to my show. Yeah. Right. Exactly. I feel I'm actually better. I think. Yeah. Right. Exactly. Because I'm less. Yeah. You're not completely in your own. I remember when we were first having kids, I was like, I know it's going to change, but I'll still be able to read the paper in the morning. In the morning. I love that idea Isn't that hilarious? That's cute I really thought I know it's going to be a lot of work They're going to bring your pipe Your slippers I'm going to go get coffee Come back to the apartment Read the paper Then we'll get going Oh my god And I didn't see the paper for 20 years Probably better Probably better than you didn't Yeah, not so bad Exactly So are you filming the next season of? Starting in March It's starting in March So March like 7th I think I go Where's the film? Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh. In February and March and April. That's fun. I mean, they are so nice to me about letting me go home. Like, yeah, I cannot believe how thoughtful they are. That's nice. About trying to make it so that I'm there like the days I need to be there. And then they even will let me go home for like a day. Oh, that's great. And yeah, it's awesome. Quick little flight to Newark. Yeah. Right. A little quick stop. Yeah. I mean, it's a five-hour drive, but I'm like, I can't drive five hours and then see my children. I need to just sleep. No, I'm done with driving. Me too. I'm done. I know. You know, the Teslas now have questionable politics, but a car that's a Waymo, it just drives itself. Yeah, but where is it going to drive you to? Where is Elon going to take you? He's like, how did you vote? And it drives you up a cliff. I don't want that. I don't want that for me. It analyzes your social media before it's going to be. thousand percent yeah no thank you is there any part of you that can look away at this moment my to avoid the stresses no my husband has requested it because he was like your vibe greatly affects our home right because when you are like joyful it's really really joyful And when you are not, it's really not. And this is our children's one precious childhood. Right. And if mommy is crying a lot and like really angry, that's going to affect them. So I've what I've been trying to do is limit my intake of news to like the morning and then like the late afternoon, but not before I go to bed. Right. And not first thing in the morning. Yeah. When you first wake up. And then I just try to find action items because if I'm just doing something, because I think what I used to do or I still do is I punish myself by scrolling because I feel like if I look away, then I'm culpable. and so yeah but it doesn't actually help because the only thing i can really affect is excuse me my home right and then how my children move in the world or how other people move in the world how i treat them so now i'm like i'm going to call my senator i'm going to email my senator i'm going to call my congressman right i'm going to go to the protest i'm going to sing at the protest i'm going to make my stupid funny videos that people the comments are like thank you i needed this. And then I'm going to try and just be a good, kind person. Right. And it's a lot. And I need to be grateful. Like, I think some of that, too, is like I'm like I felt guilty being grateful. Right. And so now I literally it's so cheesy. I wake up in the morning and I'm like, thank you, bed. Thank you, sheets. Thank you, pillow. Yeah. Thank you, sunshine. Because otherwise I'm just living with like Voldemort. I'm just like living in the darkness. And you can't let them win. You can't let it devour you. Yes. I always think of the people that are the closest to it, like all the commentators and the people that are like doing it. But they're able to compartmentalize it. Yeah, like a doctor. Like if you're an ER nurse, you're like, I've seen three children die today. Yeah. And I have to also be a person. Right, exactly. And like they have it way worse. But I think of Colbert. You know, I did Colbert last night. Yeah. That man is saturated in it. Yeah. Like five days a week. Yeah. And targeted. Yeah. And his career is changing. His life's changing. Yes. And he maintains this beautiful sense of there's a light to him and it emanates to everyone. Yeah. It's and I'm like, that's really all I can control. Other than, like I said, that the tangible action items and trying to via social media using whatever platform I have to either make people laugh or say, like, here are also these action items for you. Right. Right. Yeah, that's good. But other than that, it's just like being a kind person because I was rotting away. Like I was rotting from the inside. Yeah. And it's really it's it really is giving victory to what they want. Yeah. I mean, a lot of it, you know, there's there's very real negative things, but there's also a performative element to gobble up good people to make them miserable. They like making those people miserable. Yes. And you can't you got to find a way to jujitsu out of that. Totally. Yeah. I mean, you have to pay attention. Absolutely. Like we said, it's at a human, very basic human level at this point. This isn't about school vouchers or tolls or what have you. Yeah. But yeah, you cannot let it. But it's hard because that's also a privilege. Like and I think about that a lot. I think like I have the privilege of being able to sometimes put it down. Yeah. And so many people don't. And so that is where I'm like, OK, I have to use my privilege in this case for good. Like I'm loving seeing they're called the Fox News is calling it the white wine liberal moms. And I'm like, we have been training as Karens for years and now we can use it for good. We can show up at the restaurant where there's a lot of undocumented immigrants and sit there and wait for ICE to get there and film them. Right. We can do that. Right. You know, we can actually be of service now. Like, yeah, I can ask for the manager, but like in a major way. And so that's funny. And I'm like, good. I'm glad that Fox News is scared of white liberal ladies. It's about fucking time that we like had a more inclusive. Yeah. That feminism became more inclusive. And it was about serving other people. It wasn't the Karen thing of I'm serving me. Exactly. Yeah. Like, let's use it for good. Yeah, yeah. Well, there's a reason that everywhere I go, people say, I love Laura. Yeah. It's it's it's I was looking forward to this all week. Me, too. Me, too. And you are welcome to come to the stand up community. You were given a free pass. Can you hold my hands? I'll wear your backpack and you hold my hands the whole time. That'd be wonderful. Can you imagine people being like, what the fuck is going on? It'd be so funny. Why not? Enjoy your bread. I will. I will give you real bread at one point. I promise you. Thank you. All right.