Jennifer Gambatese

Jenn is such a sweetie! Liz and I had a great time chatting it up with Jenn over dinner like old friends. This interview is by far the longest and I have to thank LIZ for typing it up for me!! Enjoy everyone!

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Christina: So start off easy, are you doing anything other than Hairspray right now?

Jenn: I just finished a reading. Well not just finished probably... gosh when was that... November. It was a reading called "Devil in the Flesh." They're changing the name. It's really beautiful; it's set in World War I in Paris, and it's a young girl who married the guy her parents wanted her to and then he goes off to the war, and then she falls in love with a young student and they have an affair and she gets pregnant and the whole nine. (laughs) But it's beautiful it won the Richard Rogers Developmental Award and so we did it at the York Theater and John Carafa directed and Jim Poulis played my Ramon (laughs) and who else was in it... Adam Monley was Jacque. It's beautiful music and it was I think they would present it as a one act. It's not a long piece, but it was fun. It was fun to do something totally different from Hairspray. It's a well... Hairspray is really a period piece but it's pop, but this was really dark and different acting muscles. But that's kind of it... just auditioning for commercials and stuff, try to make a little extra dough. (laughs)

Christina: Sounds good when did you realize you wanted to become a performer?

Jenn: I went to a day camp when I was, I don't know I guess it was kind of 4th grade; 3rd or 4th grade and I went to a summer camp. It was drama camp but you would have art class where you were making the props for the show and you would have dance classes where you would learn the routines and at the end of the summer you would put on a show. So the first year we did Tom Sawyer so, I was a white washer of the fence, so we made our jumbo paint brushes and stuff. I was doing those things and church musicals and other things and I always loved it. But I loved school too and so my English teachers wanted me to be a writer and my science teachers thought I would have quite a career in biology, but this is what I wanted to do.

Christina: Yea I had a similar sort of thing, everyone wanted me to go into math.

Jenn: Yea, well you're doing the computer thing now so that's kind of cool.

Christina: Yep and I love it! Alright, next question, who were your influences?

Jenn: Um well, when I went to NYC I ended up meeting a teacher who changed my life, her name is Lauri Peters and she taught the Sandy Meisner technique and she actually started the Meisner studio, the Meisner extension at NYU. And she kind of opened me up to a whole new way of approaching my work. She was a major influence for me. Then from studying Meisner, I'm just a big fan, after I started studying the technique I would find out that all my favorite performers had studied with Sandy. Dianne Wiest and Diane Keaton and Mary Steinburgen. Just these wonderful actors who are just so... just so real ya know? We just saw the new Jack Nicholson movie with Diane Keaton and she's brilliant in it. I just I adore her and I saw Dianne Wiest in Salome last year. I'm trying to think Broadway wise like singing... oh I love Judie Kuhn and who else I'm kind of like a loser (laughs) because I was never like, you guys are probably so much more up on Broadway and theater more than even I am to this day. And even Hollywood I have people's work that I like but I'm not really good with names all the time and I also just wasn't that Broadway knowledgeable until I started doing it (laughs). Sounds kind of weird but I love Alice Ripley and all those great voices.

Christina: I wont make you name every one you know.

Jenn: Yeah. I'm a big fan of Sutton Fosters, big fan

Christina: So originally you were Brenda then you left the show practically at the height of its popularity for "A Year With Frog and Toad." Talk about that decision and that experience

Jenn: Well, that was, that was a tough decision because I had this awesome job that was a sure thing (laughs) and security and I was going through a hard time in my personal life last year. So there were big changes happening I was getting divorced (laughs) and all these things and then I had been auditioning for things and nothing was really happening. I mean I was very happy as Brenda but of course I wanted a chance to do more. And so I went in for WICKED for Nessarose the sister and I would get good feed back but nothing was happening and then I guess it was February that I went to audition for "Frog and Toad" and I didn't know anything about it. I knew it had had it's in carnation in Minneapolis with the Children's theater and I was like "oh a kids show!" And then I went in and I got the script and I just fell in love with it I just it was so endearing. And even though it was for kids, it didn't talk down to them it was very... it had all this humor for grown ups, but the heart of this story was this wonderful friendship and it was a chance to do all these different characters. Like, a mouse and a squirrel and a mole. I was like "when will I ever have a chance to do this?" So yeah, I went in and I don't even think I had a call back it was the most fun audition I ever had. I got to be a little, little frog. That was my favorite moment alone in the woods and I think that's what I did at the audition it was so much fun, and it all happened very fast. But I did, I kind of took a few days to go through the pros and the cons the security thing was a big, big con (laughs) but I just sort of trusted that it would be ok. I felt so positive about the show itself and I was like I have to be a part of it. There was only five of us so it was a really great experience.

Christina: yeah I saw "Frog and Toad"

Jenn: yeah wasn't it great?

Christina: yeah it was a good show:

Jenn: When people tell me at the stage door "oh we saw Frog and Toad" it always makes me so happy. So yeah, I kind of went through the pros and cons and I decided to take the risk, and I'm so glad I did for so many reasons but not the least of which is that, I'm not sure if I hadn't left if I would have gotten to take over for Kerry cause you never know if they’re gonna bump up an understudy.

Christina: right

Jenn: So it was... it was just a totality positive experience for me. And I was nervous and Hairspray was great because they had brought in the girl they had hired to play Brenda on the tour, Alli Mauzey. She's such a sweet heart.

Christina: They kept bouncing her around back and fourth.

Jenn: Yeah, well they brought her in and initially they kind of left it open-ended whether she would go back on tour because I think the producers of Hairspray knew the likely hood of "Frog and Toad" staying open (laughs). More then I did probably. And so they where very, very nice and were gonna let me come back as Brenda, so she could still go on tour. But I had to tell them by a certain date ya know obviously because they had to get another replacement if not, and so it was very close I mean the Tony awards and the closing of "Frog and Toad" but I was able to tell them yes I would like to come back as Brenda. Then Kerry got her big news that she was going to go across the street. And I auditioned some time, lets see "Frog and Toad" closed June 15th and I started Penny rehearsals July 15th, so somewhere there at the end of June, I went in to audition for Jack and Jerry at 9:30 in the morning because you know I had never had gone on because Kerry had never missed and once I had left for "Frog and Toad" she was out cause I think she was doing a pilot or something. SO, I didn't mind going in to audition and I did it, I auditioned and I was on my way to visit my friend Gavin Creel to go see his opening night of Bounce in Chicago. So I audition and I went to the airport and by the time I got off the plane and he had met me at the airport, my agent called and it was a very exciting day.

Christina: So now that you're back in the role of Penny how does your portrayal differ from Kerry's?

Jenn: well I'll be honest , I'm sure it does but I would say not a heck of a lot because she was so brilliant and even when I was just covering her I would just look at her work and say "those are the choices I would make. That is who that character is" so you could probably tell me more then I could because you see it from out front. I don't know I was very much aware of not reinventing the wheel. I mean sometimes I think people can shoot themselves in the foot by doing that I mean they want to make that character their own but it's like if you're following in the foot steps of someone who was just brilliant...

Liz: yeah

Jenn: why would you? I mean that's who the character is so I love Kerry Butler. She made my job very easy (laughs)

Christina: So in what way, if any, do you relate to your character?

Jenn: oh dear I'm the biggest Goober of all time so I guess my take on Penny... she's awkward but she has enthusiasm. There are moments where she's shy but, she kind of goes for it ya know? She kind of goes for Seaweed she just puts herself out there and I think that's something I have in common with her so what if you look like a big goober? I mean people usually find it kind of charming. I think as big a dork as Penny is, I find her very winning she's very... unashamed I guess (L)

Christina: Given the current political atmosphere how important is the message of the show?

Jenn: Well I mean I think aside from the current political atmosphere it's, it's such a timeless message. I think even if we weren't going through such a hard time I think it's so important just to reiterate again and again like that what we have in common is so much more important than what our differences are. But for particularly now I feel so blessed to be a part of saying that message over and over again and what was really cool my cousins came in around Thanksgiving and they brought their little girls, and that was fun for them to see me in it but their mom said the best part was that they didn't understand racism. They're 6 years old, ya know 8 and 6 years old and they were so confused like why? Why did they.. Why aren't the allowed to dance together? But you know I think it's great though, for kids that age to see that this really did happen and it wasn't that long ago. I mean 1962 wasn't that long ago. My parents where almost 20, I mean teenagers.

Christina: yea mine to

Jenn: So it's kind of amazing, but I think the show, the message of the show, but also the generosity of the show... its so great when we collect for Broadway Cares because the show leaves people feeling so good about life and just sharing love and sharing joy. We raise a lot of money it's really great!

Christina: That and Harvey is very pushy about it.

Jenn: well yeah he works it he works it

Christina: Ok, tell us one thing whether it be by act of law or act of God, what would you out law and why?

Jenn: hmm, well it's sort of the reverse actually I would love to see gay people have legalized marriages, I mean I have so many friends that are so special to me and it makes me so sad to think that if they found someone that they wanted to spend the rest of there lives with and all that that entails, that they couldn’t. Living together with the same rights that heterosexual couples have. There are the domestic partner laws and whatever but they have to jump through so many hoops and it's like I would definitely like to see that happen and I think it will I def... well

Liz: I hope it will

Jenn: I hope it will

Liz: you know what I see it as, I see it as relating to Hairspray as it's pretty much that but relating to sexuality instead of color,

Jenn: very very much

Liz: it seems like we didn't learn anything

Jenn: and if you go back 20 years before Hairspray takes place it was religion or ethnic origin with Hitler and the Jews so there's always somebody to pick on. Like if Sammy Davis Jr. was gay then (laughs) he would have had (laughs)

Liz: everything, he would have covered it all (laughs)

Christina: If you could change one thing about your self what would it be and why?

Jenn: Oh God there's a whole list, but if I could only pick one I've made a lot of headway in this but I would just like to relax more, like kind of kind of go with the flow, not worry about things so much, just kind of trust it. (laughs) I get real kind of uptight and anxious about things and I have to sort of talk my self "ok it's all gonna be fine" (laughs) so I wish I as a little less that way.

Christina: Tell us one thought or story about the following people that you work with... Jackie Hoffman

Jenn: oh, oh ok... um I'm getting such a cramp in my side I don't know what's happening (laughs). As I stretch, Jack Hoffman a story or anecdote about her.

Christina: or just your opinion

Jenn: oh I adore her, I just saw her Hanukkah spectacular. She's so smart and she's so funny and I just I would love nothing more for her to be a big star. I really I think she is so unique and there's not anybody else like her. I can't say enough good things about her. She's wonderful.

Christina: Alright. Chester?

Jenn: Chester, Chester he's phenomenal. He's, he's a true entertainer in every sense of the word. He's just tireless, his energy level is like so high and he gives his all every show. He knows how to hook an audience, he uses all his magnetism and all his charm to kind of just reel them in. He's fantastic, and so multi-talented really.

Christina: He spoke well about you too.

Jenn: aw that's nice,

Christina: um Kathy?

Jenn: Oh, she's the hardest working women in show business, I just don't know how she does it. And she stays so positive about stuff, I mean it's been hard lately because this Flu has ravaged our cast oh my God it was horrible I missed five shows I had a hundred and four fever. What's interesting, the people who have gotten sick it's kind of been split down the middle whether they got the Flu shot or not so there you have that. Kathy she's been working so hard, the other day she was at her other job the soap from six in the morning to six at night.

Christina: wow

Jenn: and just came straight to work and does it, and I just... I am in awe of her. I just don't know how she keeps it up and I worry about her actually because adrenalin gets you so far and then it's like oh my god but even when she doesn't feel well she is still.... I mean she’s got amazing technique. She's just so strong she's just such a strong, strong actor. It's great I Love her .

Christina: What's it like have a relationship with someone in the cast? (Peter Matthew Smith)

Jenn: Well I'll tell you it was the most pleasant surprise (laughs) we had been friends for a long time and like I said I was going through a really hard time but it's great. Ok I'll tell you the little inside story. We had been friends for a long, long time and then he was spending a little more time with me cause I was so down, every day was such a struggle for me last winter, I was just so down, and so people would say because usually I'm just so smiley and people would say `we miss you' and so he would say hey lets go get your new softball mitt, spring is coming and things like that, and sure enough it was just kind of slowly like noticing each other in sort of a new way, but nothing was ever said when I was Brenda cause I was like oy vey, I don't know about seeing some one in the show and also I wasn't so sure about seeing someone period at that point but then when I got "Frog and Toad" he was the first person I wanted to tell and I was like ok that's interesting and it was because he was the person I wanted to share the good news with and also I thought, "I wont be working here if I take this job" (clears throat) I wont be working here any more and we could see what happens. (clears throat) This is the remnants from my flu by the way, (clears throat) I'm always clearing my throat. Phlegm! Um so yea he was the first person I wanted to tell and then we talked and so then finally the discussion was had and it was very sweet he was just... just waiting for me. He was very respectful of the place that I was in so he was just waiting for me to decide and so then we did start seeing each other before I left for "Frog and Toad" cause it was like well I'm leaving so it's alright. (laughs) But that was a good thing it is hard sometimes cause you're with each other you see each other every day but it's not the same as quality time so you have to make sure to build that in but we love it, it's great, for us. (laughs) But it was good that in the beginning part of our relationship I was doing another show so we could see is this for real, and it was! (laughs)

Christina: So tell us something embarrassing or little known about yourself.

Jenn: Oh God, something embarrassing, like a performance?

Christina: Or little known

Jenn: Or little known, hmm. Well, embarrassing, oh, I totally, ok this is a good one. Cause it's Hairspray related, I went into the white room big time. You know what that is going into the white room?

Christina: yeah

Jenn: I, it was the day we where starting Broadway cares collecting and me and Shoshana and Peter headed it up, cause Katie Grenfell used to do it and she was marvelous at it, but it was kind of, not easy for her but she wasn't on stage she was a stand by so it was easier.

Christina: Right, she had more time.

Jenn: So the three of us were like 'alright, we can do this if we do it together.' But it was really overwhelming when we were gonna start, we didn't really know what we were doing and organizing everything. SO the day we were collecting, the first day, it was a matinee and Shoshana and I are in the dodge ball clump before I go "Hi Tracy" and we're like ok we need one more person to do a bucket, we're going through everything that we have to do. Which normally we stay kind of in character, but we were really into this conversation cause we were nervous about the collecting. And then the next thing I know Adam is like Penny and I look at him and then I look over and I realize...

Liz: You missed your cue.

Jenn: Yeah(laughs) But it probably was only a split second that I was late in going over there but when I turned and Kathy and Chester where kind of standing there looking at me. I panicked, I was, I thought how long have then been waiting? So I run over to her and I was like "hi Tracy" and then I can't remember anything else. Like nothing else and it was horrible I was going .. um ... Hi .. um .. how are you. And just my heart was racing and she's looking at me and she like trying to feed me the lines. She's like how do you like my hair cause then I say ya know "Think of it as a testament.."

Liz: Right

Jenn: Did not help at all(laughs) So, "So how do you like my hair" I was "um your hair is great" (laughs) And then finally, finally I looked and I saw Chester and, and I just went "Hello" I was mortified. Everyone said it was only, it felt ten minuets but it was like probably not even a minute but it was that feeling of just. Uh it was really bad, it was bad. That's my, that's my embarrassing Penny story. And then I was so mad afterwards I was so mad at my self, cause that's never happened to me and hopefully not again. (laughs) But I mean a little bit but never like that. Where I was literally floundering ya know and so intermission I was, I just wanted to cry I was so ashamed (L) and felt I was so unprofessional. But then Harvey was cute in the Motormouth scene he pretended to go off, just to make me feel like it happens to everybody. And it's happened to him I've seen it happen to him and actually at the same point it happened to Kerry once but not like, not as dramatic. It was just she just missed the cue but she didn't go into the white room of all white rooms. So, it happens it's what makes it live theater and everyone was like "it doesn't matter you're Penny"

Liz: Yeah, that's what I was just thinking

Jenn: She's like scattered

Liz: She doesn't know what's going on anyway

Jenn: Kind of doesn't matter.

Christina: yeah Matt once forgot a bunch of lines and said he took like five minutes off the show and I was like for someone who hasn't seen the show they probably have no idea.

Jenn: It's true, it's really true and you have to remember that. I had a friend, when I came back from having the flu, I was just like. I mean it's horrible when you don't feel at your top performance, I mean whether it's the flu or just there's so may little things that can effect your singing voice and...

Liz: A trachea infection

Jenn: Yeah that was October and that's how come I didn't get the flu shot because I had had this trachea infection so they put me on antibiotics. So then if you've done antibiotics your not supposed to do the flu shot, and I'm and I'm usually very, very healthy so it's very frustrating and my friend is like that’s what we performers do. We think our performance is going like this ::moving hand to show each end of the spectrum:: good and bad and it's really going like this ::moving hand on the scale very slightly:: You know what I mean, your bad is not...

Christina: Not bad

Jenn: (laughs) It's just part of doing it everyday, it's hard. But if you're a perfectionist it's really hard to accept that. Ya know that's what I was saying if I could change about my self, I just wish I could let things go a little easier. Cause I'm very much like uh! It need's to be great all the time! (laughs)

Christina: Yeah, when I asked Chester about you he was saying that you like to talk, in the beginning you liked to talk you your character with him and he was like yeah we’ll do whatever. Whatever works.

Jenn: Yeah, yeah well he was kind of funny I'd never worked with somebody like him. Well cause Gavin when we did "Fame" that's just how we are, we like to sort of like kind of create the thing together and Chester's like an entertainer. So he was like, we were almost going into the show and the choreographer was like "well you said you where gonna maybe do this split thing" and he was like "yeah, yeah I will" and we where like "well can we see it?" like (laughs) and he was like ya know "I don't like to give away my.." and it's funny it's true he loves to like surprise the cast, he loves to just, it's awesome. It's really especially with that character it's really fun. Like when we do "Run and Tell That" I never know what he's gonna do and it's really great it keeps it in the moment and I think we're good for each other in that way. He keeps me that way and maybe I keep him on point a little bit (laughs) it's funny.

Christina: Ok next question is rant. We like to hear people complain so this isn't really a question. It's a chance for you to bitch bout whatever is bothering you whether it's weather or traffic or what ever you want. It could be a minor annoyance or a big problem.

Jenn: Um ranting, ranting you should have been with me this morning cause I was a real bitch this morning. No well just because, well like your sick so I missed five shows so that really fuckin pissed me off. Ya know cause I don't wanna miss and Kerry never missed so I'm always hard on my self. Although I know she got it to so you know it's a bad flu season if like Kerry Butler misses a show. Cause she's so strong. And, and I mean I shouldn't have been surprised I got it cause because I was running around to the court house because of divorce paperwork and it was very stressful emotionally and I think that's when you become vulnerable to being sick when you're just oh my god, like just worn down, just beat down (L). So anyway so then it's just it's hard to get your momentum back, like if you’re, I mean, I was 104 fever and shaking, I almost went to the hospital, if the fever didn't break, I was ya know? And it's, it's so hard to go back into the show cause it's the lights and the people and your like oh my god. And so then I was really grumpy this morning cause I just didn't want to go to work. I just I was I don't know whats gonna come out of my throat today and I was tired and cranky and Peters moving so we're ya know. Life has a way of just piling up on you sometimes. But that being said since last year like as hard as everything I've gone through personally has been. Like everything happens for a reason and I'm so happy in the place I'm in now, just in my life and I guess I wouldn't be in this place if I hadn't gone through everything I went through so. That's kind, and you never know what God has in store for you how could I have known that I would go to do "Frog and Toad" and I would get to come back and be Penny Pingleton. Like I never, that was not, I couldn't have dreamed that, how often does that happen.

Christina: Not too often

Jenn: Ya know to be in, for me, everything I was going through last winter and spring to be in two Tony nominated Musicals that's really wow. So I try to look at that stuff rather then my ranting stuff. But I do, oh ask Peter I (laughs) I let loose.

Christina: I think ranting is normal that's why I ask that question.

Jenn: I could rant, I had to run all these errands before the matinee and all these random people decided they wanted to tell me there life story. I was like wow I must have had a sign that said tell all to me. It was so funny I felt I was in a movie I did. The one guy could hardly speak English and then the other guy was going on about baby Jesus in the manger and he's like I'm not crazy he kept announcing it to all the people. I'm thinking if you have to keep announcing it maybe. (laughs)

Christina: What do you think about the new dancing they added to the show?

Jenn: Well it was stressful when it went in because I was doing that reading I was telling you about and so I had to do that during the day and then I had to do this rehearsal to learn this new choreography. At first I was like oh my, I was really upset about it actually, not because I mean just because you have to you have to learn something into your muscles that you haven't done but because I don't know when I saw it when we saw the run through of the tour I kind of felt it was sort of out of the rest of the, I just remember Jack would talk about like the innocence of the show and how all of this has to come from the heart and I was like all of a sudden they're kind of dancing in unison I was like that's kind a weird. (laughs)

Christina: I think it doesn't look like it's from the rest of the show it looks like it's from a different time period for some reason

Jenn: Ya see ok that interesting

Christina: It looks a little too happy maybe too.

Jenn: a little like I'll say what I said when I saw it I was like I don't know it just felt all of a sudden it was like Nsync or something. Like, ya know this choreographed thing but then I will say I have converted mostly because of the swap that we did with Terron and Chester. I do think it's good to have the road company and the Broadway thing as similar as possible so that if you have emergency's or whatever you can trade in an out pretty easily. But so maybe they could have made the tour what it was, ya know what I mean.

Liz: That's what I said, I said why are they changing the Broadway one to the tour.

Christina: Well I think they usually try things out on the tour and then decided whether to bring it to Broadway. Like they did that with a few of the jokes that they changed.

Jenn: yeah, yeah they did it with the jokes and I think they did it with other shows to like Urinetown.

Liz: I just have a question where is the dancing changed?

Jenn: At the end of "Without Love", sort of when they run off the towers.

Christina: when they come off the scaffolding

Liz: Oh ok. But isn't everyone on the tower thing with the levels?

Christina: It was kind of where they where slow dancing.

Jenn: Yeah sort of acting and it was sort of different for Tracy and Link and for Penny and Seaweed and now it's kind of group dancing.

Liz: Oh, so do you not do the without love, love, love thing with your arm up and all?

Jenn: Ya I do, but its actually harder that was the other thing like all of a sudden you work something into your voice from certain positions and now your jumping around (L) So that was another thing I was like oh my gosh ya know.

Christina: I was telling Matt, like as much as I love seeing you do this really random ballet move in the middle of the show, (laughs) it just so doesn't fit. It's like Hairspray, Hairspray, West Side Story, Hairspray.

Jenn: It's funny see, but that's good to get a perspective from somebody.

Liz: Did they add in any other Jokes besides the congress one?

Jenn: Scatter and Dodge

Liz: It's not the police thing anymore?

Christina: Well they still mention the police thing but it's said differently.

Jenn: It's said differently and the two ensemble boys join in and then Matt say's "come on Fender try and act like a grown up" before Jackie says "Ha-ha special ed" (laughs)

Christina: When he usually says "Come on Fender knock it off"

Liz: yeah, ok I get it (laughs)

Jenn: But it's sort of come on Jackie gets the laugh anyway there's no need to make an extra line.

Liz: I don't like that they changed the congress joke I know that was from the tour but I like the musicals one the "We do musicals"

Christina: Yeah I think it got laughs more

Jenn: Well I'm behind the scrim, well not the scrim but the wall before the Madison and I think it gets more of a laugh well more consistent laugh then musicals. Although musicals use to get a huge laugh when we started the show cause we used to have a hipper crowd.

Liz: It took me a few times seeing the show before I actually realized what he was saying (laughs) cause I never understood what he was saying

Jenn: Yeah sometimes it's hard cause of the sound and then the special-edness(laughs). Stooie his name is Stooie.

Christina: I like those sort of self reflecting kind of jokes. Rocky Horror had something like that where Dr. Scott would said "I knew he was in with a bad crowed but it was worse then I had imagined" and then the audiences response would be "actors".

Jenn: Oh (laughs)

Christina: And then the cast would give the finger to the audience

Jenn: (laughs) that's funny that's cute, yeah industry inside jokes.

Liz: There's one thing that I don't like that they change the name of the High school in the show and so everyone has a P on for the gym scene and for the movie Penny wore a P the whole time.

Jenn: Well I guess Paterson Park is one in Baltimore, so I guess John, John Waters

Liz: Yeah but it was different in the movie I think it begins with an M

Jenn: Yeah probably for that very reason of the P to make it, but they weren't gonna do that whole P. Like I thought that was funny in the movie where she always has to wear the P and it was red (laughs) oh god.

Liz: you know what's not cool I got the script, cause one of the things I won was the script and now it's different.

Jenn: Oh, yea but yours will be worth more then

Liz: yea and it's autographed by Marc and Scott and...

Christina: you need to bring it here and get it singed by the cast

Jenn: yeah we can do that for you

Liz: well I have a scrap book for all the Broadway shows I have seen and I made a hairspray page with a picture of you and me in a Giant flip wig

Jenn: oh cute like the curtain

Liz: yeah and I have a heart with a picture of me and matt that says I love link it's cute.

Jenn: aw. Is that the picture from the flea market?

Liz: We didn't take a picture at the flea market

Jenn: we didn't ?

Liz: no

Jenn: see I have no clue

Christina: See I brought a camera because I don't have a picture with you

Jenn: oh good, but you were there though weren't you there?

Liz: where?

Jenn: at the flea market

Liz: yeah, remember I came up to you and was like oh your Penny!

Jenn: But we didn't take a picture?

Liz: no

Jenn: ok... we where talking about something before we where talking about the pictures and now I can't remember. Scrap book your scrap book,

Liz: Sorry I didn't mean to cut you off

Jenn: No, no , no no, there was something I was gonna say about all that Scrap books and matt and (Laughs) oh well it'll come back , maybe (Laughs)

Christina: we where talking about the script before that

Jenn: Oh yeah definitely bring it by we can get it signed , it takes a while sometimes to get everybody to do it but.

Liz: ya know what else I won and I was using it as a purse... I got the lunch box.

Jenn: Oh cute I think that's cute, Kerry Butler has little lunch boxie kind of purses

Liz: I`ve seen people do it before. I don't know if you remember but at the flea market I was looking for an I love link pin

Jenn: Oh the big one

Liz: well any one, well I wrote to Hollie Howard and because we had taken a picture at the flea market and she remembered and she sent me one

Jenn: Aww, she's such a sweet heart, yea I don't even have one of those big ones, I got one of the little ones.

Christina: bobble head ones?

Liz: yeah that's the one she sent me

Jenn: oh that's the one she sent you oh good

Liz: yeah and then I got a big one they where selling them at the merch stand

Jenn: at where?

Liz: the stand at the show

Jenn: Oh, oh good

Liz: and then I got a little one I won it, it was in the prize pack

Jenn: oh, that's cute

Christina: you should wear them all at the same time

Liz: I will Matt's last show, I wish this was a pin (shows mirror)

Jenn: oh where did you get it?

Liz: it was in the lunch box

Jenn: I watch Corny Colleens show on WZZT! OH My God I want it! We got the lunch boxes for opening night but mine, we never got this. I've never seen this I love that it says WZZT on it!

Liz: Yeah it also came with the Dynamites magnet and the magnet that says Girl Power on it with all the female leads on it. Did you get that?

Jenn: No! I've never seen any of these things. What are you talking about? This interview is over!

Liz: Also the trading cards

Jenn: Oh yeah those are funny, we always tease Corey Reynolds cause he looks kind of gay in his picture, it's funny he's doing really well though, he's doing movies and stuff so you never know.

Christina: Yeah, I saw him at Scarespray.

Liz: Are you a fan of Harry Potter or did you just dress up for Halloween?

Jenn: I love Harry Potter, and you're right it was you who said that you think Herminie and Ron would end up together but Peter is so Harry. Like sometimes we would cast shows like books, so whatever it would be like if we did this who would be who? Um we've done it I forget who we said would be Ron at work, we do it at work. but if we where to cast this who would be who and I was always Hermioney so. That's what we did.

Christina: now here is a question. Do you think the people who need to hear the message of the show are actually attending the show?

Jenn: Oh, probably not, but that's probably more indicative of the larger problem of the cost of Broadway show I mean these ticket prices are so high. I mean that's what was sad about "Frog and Toad" I mean if you...

Christina: it's a kid's show

Jenn: yeah if you're a family and you want to bring your two kids, the mom, the dad and the two kids and ya know, even if there not the $100 even if there seventy bucks. How do you do that? Ya know and I do think that question is very poignant and it's really address a large issue and I don't really know how that would be solved. I mean the cost of running a show is like a lot. And I don't I mean ya know aside from the Harvey's and the, I'm trying to think of others.

Christina: Bernadette Peters

Jenn: Yeah the Harvey's and the Bernadettes and the Melanie Griffiths and the Antonio Bandareses. Like the salaries... I mean we make our union has fought for us to make a nice wage but when you factor in the cost of living in Manhattan the cost of just voice lessons cause you still do all those things it's, it's hard it's really hard. So I would certainly, I would love for the ticket prices to be less so that more demographics can come but I hope that wouldn't mean a pay cut for us. Because yeah you take out 10% for your agent and blah, blah, blah it's in the end it's hard to come out ahead. Ya know, but I do think um hopefully as the show continues to run for years and years and if it ever goes up on the boards at TKTS which hopefully wont be for a long time but you know that message, and eventually that it'll be like Grease every summer stock will do it, every high school, I mean couldn't you see this in a high school? In fact last year we had a video tape of I forget how we got the tape, but it was these um little girls like there dance recital and they did a `you can't stop the beat' taping and they had watched like they must have seen the show and got the program because they had a little Brenda and everything. So you just know that the message will get out there but it might take a while to get to the people who really need to hear it. Now you said you saw Footloose right do you know when? Well you said you saw me in it so it had to be the last six months.

Liz: yea I don't know I just remember it was the second Broadway show I ever saw.

Jenn: Oh yea what was your first

Liz: Grease, my parents took me for my 13th birthday

Jenn: Oh , how old are you know?

Liz: 18

Jenn: aww, oh god, and your how old?

Christina: 21. I never saw Footloose.

Jenn: My family didn't get to see "Frog and Toad" well like my mom and dad, and my nephew he's 5 yea, no 4 and I sent him the CD and stuff and everyone wanted to see it. Wasn't it great, you didn't get to see it did you?

Liz: no

Jenn: Oh my God it was great, it was so cute, Like I mean I'm glad it worked out really well for me but I, I just keep thinking if they had opened in the fall and not in the spring, or even in the summer but in the spring every family has 50 million graduation parties and stuff to do. But in the summer and the fall and the fall would have been tough to do but then could you imagine "Frog and Toad" right now? Christmas time, Merry Almost Christmas the snow ballet, oh it's so sweet it was so sweet. Like the whole show it just made you smile, like it and it was just 90 minutes. God it was the best job ever (laughs) it was and the kids their faces, of course there squirming and there's chitter chatter but then they would quiet down and they would just... Oh god it was just. I like kids though. Jackie Hoffman, her worst nightmare, but she came to see me in it! She hates children it's so funny she loves old people but she hates children.

Liz: One time I saw the show she was walking down the line signing autographs and as she was going she was saying "If you don't want me to sign things just tell me, it's ok I can take it" (laughs)

Jenn: She's so funny

Christina: Usually it the opposite usually someone walks by and you wish you had stopped them.

Jenn: ya know I have to say that's a funny phenomenon because I mean now more and more I just assume people would want my autograph but it took me a while sometimes if people don't ask I didn't want to you know assume so I'll just kind of walk away, but then I was like oh no there probably just shy to ask. Especially now with this part but when I was Brenda I never stopped.

Christina: Ya know I was so pissed at Matt the other day because he was going to a party and he stopped to talk to me but he walked by like two seven year olds and didn’t sign there play bills. I wanted to smack him.

Jenn: yeah it's kind of your duty

Christina: I was like, I see you every other day, they may never see you again.

Liz: Actually when I went to see Millie for my Birthday, for my Birthday I bought my self a ticket to see Hairspray and my parents bought me a ticket to see Millie and after the show my friend and I waited out side the theater for about an hour to meet Sutton. Then someone came out and said oh she left. She just jetted right after the show. My friend was kind of pissed but it wasn't to bad for me because Kerry Butler had seen the show the same night as I had and she came out the stage door and saw me and walked over to me and gave me a big hug so that was cool.

Jenn: Oh she's so good, Kerry's great about just remembering things.

Liz: yeah

Christina: anything else I didn't ask that you want to talk about?

Jenn: yeah, oh I don't know I'm gonna take a nap! (laughs) no I don't know, any requests? You know Sebastian Bach too?

Christina: Yeah I met him whenever Jekyll and Hyde was out.

Jenn: I heard he was good in it

Christina: much better in that then he was in Rocky Horror.

Jenn: oh yea?

Christina: Well I love Rocky Horror, this is the only show I have seen more than Rocky Horror

Jenn: Oh really

Christina: I've seen it, tonight was 19

Jenn: Oh my God that’s great

Christina: that embarrassing (laughs)

Jenn: No, no it's good hey you could have much worse hobbies then enjoying a Broadway show. I know who else did I know one of the one of the Hairspray fans was big on Rocky Horror uh Seth, Haven't seen him in a long time actually.

Christina: Seth yeah.. All of us psycho fans sort of know each other (laughs)

Jenn: no he's a sweet boy, he's a very sweet boy I mean I haven't seen him in a long time but he always very nice.

Christina: At Rocky Horror every one knew each other and like 30 people would show up for SRO tickets or nobody would.

Jenn: that's funny yeah cause I went we didn't do standing room but we did rush ticket to see my friend Denise Summerford she took over for Colombia I think but I had seen it once before then so I had seen Alice, she was so funny. She was so funny, she's great I wanted to get her CD I hear it was really good.

Liz: Hairspray is the first show I have actually gone crazy about and seen more then once.

Jenn: Oh yea

Christina: If I like a show, I'll see it more then once normally three is my number.

Jenn: so that would be like which shows?

Christina: Take Me Out, Jekyll & Hyde I saw 3 times.

Jenn: Have you guys seen Peter go on as Corny?

Christina: I haven't

Jenn: oh he's really good. He's gonna play Tony in "West Side Story" in Pittsburg so he couldn't get a leave of absence but he had all of his vacation time so he's gonna use it. It's funny, the first, you were saying the first Broadway show. The first Broadway show that I saw, I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio but I had a cousin who lived here so we came to visit and we saw "City of Angel" and Dee Hoty and Greg Edelman and I worked with them now. So you just never know what little turns your life is gonna take. Yeah that was a cool thing my very first Broadway show was with Dee Hoty who's from Cleveland originally and who was in the first Broadway show I ever saw. And then I was on the stage with her it was kind of crazy. And then my dance partner in that show for the prom scene was this boy Bryant Carrol who is from that drama camp I told you about he was Tom Sawyer. Like we didn't figure it out until I had already been in the show for a while and I was like your from Cleveland huh, and I was like did you ever do shows and then he said the Willoughbyy Fine Arts Center and I was like, I looked at him and all of a sudden like he became nine years old again and I was like oh my God you were Tom Sawyer and he was like yea. And I was like I said my first lines ever to you. It was, "I'll give you my marbles if you let me white wash your fence." I do believe I said white warsh. "If you let me white warsh your fence" and then we were on Broadway together and another girl from that same camp is in "Boy From Oz" Jennifer Savelly, she's a dancer. Have you guys seen Fame on 42nd st.?

Liz: No I haven't

Christina: I went to the Fame school I should see it

Jenn: You did you went to LaGuardia oh my God

Christina: Yeah, But not for acting but I did go there

Jenn: yeah, yeah but you went to the one, the same building now

Christina: yeah

Jenn: the movie was the old building right

Christina: Right, but yeah Fame was our Prom song. I didn't like that movie when I first saw it.

Jenn: Well it's so, so of it's time ya know so 1980

Christina: Yeah

Jenn: My sisters were so, my sisters are considerably older then I and Fame is sort of the first big job I got. First in Europe and then here and they weere so psyched because that was, they lived for Fame the TV show (laughs) it was cute. And now actually only one of them has seen me as Penny it's like the more I do sort of the less exciting, and they’re all happy for me but it's like before it was oh we’re going to NY and now it's like oh well get there. But I should say to them ya know "Frog and Toad"!! (Laughs) Ya never know. I mean I don't think we're in any danger of that with Hairspray.

Christina: I don't think so

Liz: It's always sold out

Jenn: I know, is it still really hard to get tickets?

Liz: Well a lot of people have trouble because they are tying to use ticket master or whatever but I don't normally have trouble because I go to the box office, If you go to the box office there's no problem.

Jenn: yeah

Liz: Random question when did you start wearing glasses? Cause I know you didn't originally did you?

Jenn: kind of like maybe a month or so into it

Liz: Cause Kerry didn't wear them right?

Jenn: No, Jack and everybody thought it wasn't a big enough change so.

Liz: I like them.

Jenn: I like them too. At first it was strange, it changes things when you wear them on stage so I was kind of annoyed but now I love them, I love them! I think it adds a whole dimension but now my hair isn't hardly red anymore.

Christina: I noticed

Jenn: I was wearing Kerry's wigs forever. I had been in the show for months maybe and then finally my wigs came and when they first came they were way to red.

Christina: The finale one?

Jenn: Well no the finale wig... Uh there has been so may wig dramas they dyed it and it was Ronald McDonald for a while I don't know if you saw that but it was really red. Yeah it was really red like no color found in nature (laughs). But when they made the new ones even the first look was really very red and with my coloring it was too glamorous. It's like she's supposed to be kind of mousy so I wrote a letter to the company and was like thank you so much they're so beautiful but we had talked about making them a little darker, browner red. Then they came back brown practically but they've kind of reddened up. Do they look kind of reddish?

Christina: yeah they look kind of red.

Jenn: Well I should get going really

Christina: Well thank you for letting me interview you, I had a good time.

Liz: I have to admit I was actually really nervous

Jenn: Why here at dinner?

Christina: She was nervous about coming

Jenn: Oh my Goodness

Liz: Yeah I was really nervous about coming here

Jenn: Really, that's very sweet, please don't be nervous because as I said I am the biggest goober of all time.

Liz: yeah well the first time I meet Kerry I was so nervous I swallowed my gum so.

Jenn: That's so funny I can't image anyone being nervous to meet Kerry or me. we’re both such... (laughs)

Liz: Well now that I have met you and saw how cool and really nice you guys are I'm fine.

Christina: I'm really glad we did it.

Jenn: I am too it was fun. I have no idea what I said and if it's all retarded please delete. It very well might be but I hope I made some sense.

Christina: I'm sure you made sense!

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