This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Adam Kaplan: Hey guys, this is Adam Kaplan and Tommy Bracco and you're listening to Broadway Besties.

[0:15] Tommy Bracco: Welcome to the Broadway Besties podcast where real-life Broadway best friends come together to share life conversations, laughs, secrets, memories, and more about their lives on stage and off. From favorite theater-going experiences to fun facts about one another to rapid-fire trivia questions, Broadway Besties is a podcast committed to promoting positivity, laughs, and love. Hi, Tommy.

[0:30] Adam Kaplan: Hi. My name's Adam.

[0:32] Tommy Bracco: My name is Tommy. We're some Broadway Besties.

[0:50] Adam Kaplan: Aw, that's cute. We always just give each other shit, so whenever you say anything remotely sweet like, we are Broadway Besties, it's so weird to hear.

[0:55] Tommy Bracco: Well, because also your form of endearment in terms of talking to me, like if someone does something, you're like, oh, you piece of shit, right? So I guess—

[1:03] Adam Kaplan: That's how I show my love. Yeah. If I really love you, I call you a piece of shit.

[1:08] Tommy Bracco: Which is so messed up. There's only a few people in my life that I call that.

[1:13] Adam Kaplan: I know, when you were doing Big Brother—

[1:18] Tommy Bracco: I call Nick a piece of shit.

[1:22] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, and I was watching the live feeds, and I was so mad, A, because I was watching the live feeds of Big Brother, and B, because you called him a piece of shit, and I texted our friends, and I was like, he better watch his back when he comes back to town because I was so pissed off.

[1:36] Tommy Bracco: I know, I love Nick. I do, I do. I love Nick, but there's no history there.

[1:40] Adam Kaplan: Right, right, right. You're the OG piece of shit.

[1:45] Tommy Bracco: Oh, thank you. I think that'll be on my gravestone.

[1:48] Adam Kaplan: Here lies Adam Kaplan, the OG—

[1:50] Tommy Bracco: He's a piece of shit.

[1:52] Adam Kaplan: The OG piece of shit. How did we meet, Tommy?

[1:54] Tommy Bracco: We met doing Newsies. Adam joined the company in 2012, correct?

[1:59] Adam Kaplan: 2013.

[2:01] Tommy Bracco: Okay, sorry, got it. I'm glad that you think that I was there earlier. I joined just before the year mark.

[2:06] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, well, you guys opened in what, March of 2012?

[2:09] Tommy Bracco: Yeah.

[2:09] Adam Kaplan: And then I joined in January of 2013, and then started rehearsals in February.

[2:15] Tommy Bracco: Got it. Yeah, we met doing Newsies.

[2:17] Adam Kaplan: I know. It's crazy that that was—

[2:21] Tommy Bracco: Eight years ago?

[2:23] Adam Kaplan: Yeah.

[2:23] Tommy Bracco: Long time, that's insane. Seven years ago, eight years ago?

[2:26] Adam Kaplan: I always add a few. It's better to add the years, that way you don't feel as old, or you—

[2:30] Tommy Bracco: Explain to me your justification as opposed to adding years.

[2:34] Adam Kaplan: If the years are longer, that means that you're older, so I don't think that really holds water.

[2:37] Tommy Bracco: I know, I know, I know, but it makes sense in my head. Let me explain it. It goes hand in hand with the fact that I've been saying my dog is way older than she is for years now, just to mentally prepare myself for when she does pass away. I'll be like, oh, well, I actually think she's 12, but I've been saying that she's 16 for about four years now.

[2:57] Adam Kaplan: So have you been saying that you're 33 for years?

[3:00] Tommy Bracco: I do say that I'm over 30.

[3:02] Adam Kaplan: But you're not, we're 29.

[3:04] Tommy Bracco: I know, I know, but I like to rush things so that I'm in the place where it's already rushed when I finally actually get there.

[3:11] Adam Kaplan: I think you were the only person I've ever met that is like, I like, I say I'm older than I am. Most people take years away.

[3:17] Tommy Bracco: No, I know, I literally, because I don't, I want it to sink in, so that when I do actually get there, I feel like I've been there for forever.

[3:24] Adam Kaplan: So when you're approaching, like, when you're pushing 90, you're like, guess what, everybody, I'm actually 86.

[3:30] Tommy Bracco: I'm 110.

[3:30] Adam Kaplan: I know, it's the opposite.

[3:31] Tommy Bracco: No, I would say I'm older.

[3:34] Adam Kaplan: Yes!

[3:37] Tommy Bracco: I say I'm older.

[3:39] Adam Kaplan: Yes, you say you're older. Okay, so you say, right, right, right. So if you say you're 90, but you're telling everyone you're 90, and they throw you a 90th birthday party, but you're actually like 86.

[3:50] Tommy Bracco: Well, I don't know if I can go that far, Adam. Jeez, that's a little extreme, don't you think?

[3:55] Adam Kaplan: Also, I don't know what's going to be happening when I'm 90.

[3:59] Tommy Bracco: Hopefully, we have our combined 90th birthday party.

[4:01] Adam Kaplan: Yes, we will.

[4:01] Tommy Bracco: Because Tommy and I are born a day apart.

[4:04] Adam Kaplan: Yes!

[4:05] Tommy Bracco: The same year, we're born a day apart. I'm August 9th, and he's August 8th.

[4:10] Adam Kaplan: I'm older.

[4:12] Tommy Bracco: By one day. He's older. Sorry, not by one day, by four years. He's older by four years, everyone.

[4:20] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Isn't it crazy to think like our mothers were in labor, like a day apart, having baby usses?

[4:28] Tommy Bracco: It's pretty, actually.

[4:29] Adam Kaplan: That's insane. Like, I know your mom. I love her. Like, to think like she's having baby Adam the day after my mom had baby me.

[4:37] Tommy Bracco: And knowing your mom, while my mom was probably in labor, as opposed to being in the hospital, she was cooking dinner for your entire family.

[4:43] Adam Kaplan: Oh, she probably was. She had a C-section.

[4:46] Tommy Bracco: So did my mom.

[4:48] Adam Kaplan: Wow. Look at this. It's fate.

[4:50] Tommy Bracco: Oh, I don't think I know that.

[4:51] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, I didn't know that.

[4:52] Tommy Bracco: It's fate. It's, uh...

[4:54] Adam Kaplan: Fate? Faith? Fate.

[4:55] Tommy Bracco: No, not fate. Definitely not fate.

[4:58] Adam Kaplan: I don't know. I don't know. Whatever. It's fate.

[5:03] Tommy Bracco: But there's a Yiddish word that I'm obsessed with that I've been using recently.

[5:05] Adam Kaplan: It's Besheret.

[5:07] Tommy Bracco: Okay, say more.

[5:08] Adam Kaplan: You teach me.

[5:10] Tommy Bracco: Besheret.

[5:10] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, technically I think it's spelled like B-E-S-H-E-R-E-T, like Besheret.

[5:17] Tommy Bracco: Besheret.

[5:18] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, exactly. So it means, uh, meant to be.

[5:21] Tommy Bracco: So it's Besheret.

[5:23] Adam Kaplan: That's really cute.

[5:24] Tommy Bracco: The fact that we do Newsies together.

[5:26] Adam Kaplan: Oh, you piece of shit.

[5:27] Tommy Bracco: That was cute. That was cute. Besheret.

[5:30] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, the fact that we do Newsies together.

[5:32] Tommy Bracco: You add like the little accent of the second E in there, it's just like a hint of it.

[5:36] Adam Kaplan: Just a hint of it.

[5:36] Tommy Bracco: Besheret.

[5:37] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, good.

[5:38] Tommy Bracco: Right?

[5:38] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, it's good.

[5:41] Tommy Bracco: I know.

[5:41] Adam Kaplan: I can teach you some Yiddish words because when...

[5:44] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, why don't you teach me some Yiddish words and I'll teach you some Staten Island words.

[5:48] Adam Kaplan: Right, because they're both legitimate languages.

[5:51] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, they are.

[5:53] Adam Kaplan: Is Yiddish a real language?

[5:54] Tommy Bracco: Yes.

[5:55] Adam Kaplan: Oh, okay.

[5:57] Tommy Bracco: Guys, this is... these are the kinds of things that we just keep in a trove and we'll pull out for his 94th birthday.

[6:04] Adam Kaplan: Yes. I'm so glad this will be documented.

[6:07] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, me too.

[6:07] Adam Kaplan: My stupidity.

[6:08] Tommy Bracco: No, it's endearing.

[6:11] Adam Kaplan: Thank you.

[6:13] Tommy Bracco: But yeah, no, you have taught me Italian.

[6:17] Adam Kaplan: Yeah.

[6:18] Tommy Bracco: Italian words.

[6:18] Adam Kaplan: Which ones?

[6:19] Tommy Bracco: Well, I'm supposed to... it's not fried calamari, right?

[6:23] Adam Kaplan: Correct.

[6:24] Tommy Bracco: It's galamad.

[6:25] Adam Kaplan: How would you spell that?

[6:26] Tommy Bracco: I know how you would spell it. I would spell it C, like calamari.

[6:30] Adam Kaplan: I would spell it out, actually, how it's spelled, but you would smell it.

[6:32] Tommy Bracco: Spell it.

[6:35] Adam Kaplan: G-A-L-A-M-A-D.

[6:39] Tommy Bracco: M-O-D.

[6:40] Adam Kaplan: So close.

[6:41] Tommy Bracco: Oh, thank you.

[6:42] Adam Kaplan: And what did he win, folks?

[6:44] Tommy Bracco: Nothing.

[6:44] Adam Kaplan: So close!

[6:45] Tommy Bracco: Um, galamad.

[6:46] Adam Kaplan: Galamad.

[6:47] Tommy Bracco: And...

[6:47] Adam Kaplan: Use it in a sentence.

[6:49] Tommy Bracco: Ma, where's the galamad?

[6:51] Adam Kaplan: That's perfect. He did a Bronx Tale. That's why he's so good at this.

[6:54] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, except when I was auditioning for a Bronx Tale and I told Tommy that I was—

[6:57] Adam Kaplan: Okay, here we go. I know where this is going.

[6:59] Tommy Bracco: Yikes!

[7:00] Adam Kaplan: He said to me, yeah, no, you're not right for it. It's not your show.

[7:04] Tommy Bracco: I was wrong. I stand corrected.

[7:06] Adam Kaplan: Booked it. Let's put it out there in the world. Adam can play an Italian very well.

[7:12] Tommy Bracco: Thank you.

[7:13] Adam Kaplan: It's because he's a good actor, because he's not Italian.

[7:16] Tommy Bracco: I'm not Italian.

[7:17] Adam Kaplan: No.

[7:18] Tommy Bracco: There's nothing about him that's Italian.

[7:19] Adam Kaplan: No.

[7:20] Tommy Bracco: Or Staten Island.

[7:20] Adam Kaplan: Though I think when they were, uh, when I was auditioning for the show and Chaz, because when they were doing it initially at Paper Mill, they were pretty dead set on having authentic Italians.

[7:31] Tommy Bracco: Right.

[7:31] Adam Kaplan: So De Niro and Chaz, they were really, they wanted it to be, to feel authentic.

[7:37] Tommy Bracco: Right.

[7:37] Adam Kaplan: So I think that when I was auditioning, they, I think they asked the casting director, they're like, is he at all Italian? And they're like, yeah, I think maybe his mom's partially Italian. My mom is not Italian.

[7:50] Tommy Bracco: Aw, I don't care what she is. I fucking love her so much.

[7:53] Adam Kaplan: She is the best.

[7:54] Tommy Bracco: I'm cursing.

[7:55] Adam Kaplan: I'm sorry.

[7:55] Tommy Bracco: Is that bad?

[7:56] Adam Kaplan: Can we beep it?

[7:58] Tommy Bracco: Okay.

[7:58] Adam Kaplan: Just let me know when you're planning to curse and I'll just, I'll make the noise.

[8:04] Tommy Bracco: No.

[8:08] Adam Kaplan: Okay.

[8:08] Tommy Bracco: We keep getting sidetracked.

[8:10] Adam Kaplan: What, um, what were we talking about?

[8:12] Tommy Bracco: We met.

[8:12] Adam Kaplan: What do we need to cover?

[8:13] Tommy Bracco: What do we need to talk about?

[8:14] Adam Kaplan: I don't know. The fact that we met doing, we met doing Newsies.

[8:17] Tommy Bracco: Yes.

[8:17] Adam Kaplan: What do you have? Do you have a memory of us meeting in Newsies?

[8:22] Tommy Bracco: No, I don't.

[8:22] Adam Kaplan: I don't have a memory of us meeting in Newsies as I just remember.

[8:27] Tommy Bracco: I don't know. Honestly, I really don't know. I guess like, I don't remember anything ever.

[8:33] Adam Kaplan: Honestly, I have the worst memory in the whole entire world.

[8:36] Tommy Bracco: Yeah.

[8:36] Adam Kaplan: You have a good memory.

[8:37] Tommy Bracco: I do remember specific moments, times.

[8:40] Adam Kaplan: I don't.

[8:41] Tommy Bracco: I just remember Newsies was fun.

[8:45] Adam Kaplan: Yeah.

[8:45] Tommy Bracco: But then I'll mention something and you'll be like, oh yeah.

[8:49] Adam Kaplan: Yes.

[8:49] Tommy Bracco: That's how my brain works.

[8:50] Adam Kaplan: Right.

[8:51] Tommy Bracco: I need the help.

[8:52] Adam Kaplan: Okay.

[8:53] Tommy Bracco: I don't know, though, if I have a specific. I was so overwhelmed meeting everybody because I remember everyone was coming. I walked in the building and everyone was coming for a fight call and everyone like piled down the stairs and was going onto the stage and I like shook hands and shook hands and shook hands and said hi to people. But yeah, I mean, we got like immensely closer after during Newsies and then after Newsies. And I mean, since then, I have been Broadway besties.

[9:22] Adam Kaplan: Oh, very cute.

[9:24] Tommy Bracco: Yes.

[9:25] Adam Kaplan: And then and because we are very similar. That's like something about us. We're both Leos. We like to grab life by the balls. We are very driven, dedicated, hard workers, close to their families, close with our families. We have a lot of similarities. And I think that's why we became so close.

[9:43] Tommy Bracco: But if but we're also there is also part of us that's like the like the odd couple.

[9:51] Adam Kaplan: Absolutely.

[9:52] Tommy Bracco: Like my mom's like frickin frack.

[9:54] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, I know. So, you know, Tommy and I were just traveling on a couple of weeks ago to sing in a benefit concert in Oregon and we had so much fun. But whatever Tommy and I try, we travel together a lot because we're either going to perform somewhere or teach together. We actually haven't traveled somewhere just for fun.

[10:14] Tommy Bracco: August, we're going for our birthday.

[10:17] Adam Kaplan: We're turning 30.

[10:18] Tommy Bracco: Sorry, I'm turning 30 or turning 34.

[10:20] Adam Kaplan: Right. But but whenever we whenever we travel together, it is like it's I know I just love teasing you and I love busting your balls the whole entire time. It's so much fun.

[10:30] Tommy Bracco: I know one time, Tommy, I was so we were teaching in Buffalo and I was so tired on the plane ride home. My favorite travel story ever on the plane ride home. I'm so tired. I don't want Tommy like I just want him to leave me alone. I wanted to take a nap. He wants nothing to do with me. And I just love pushing his button. So I'm like, OK, let me just direct you in a short film. Right? Because that is exactly what you want to do on an hour flight from Buffalo.

[11:00] Tommy Bracco: Absolutely.

[11:01] Adam Kaplan: New York. So I said to him, rub your hands together. Look side to side.

[11:04] Tommy Bracco: First, you were like, can you stop being difficult, please? Can you just can you just like rub your hands together and then look to the camera?

[11:09] Adam Kaplan: And I was like, fine, I'll just that one bit. I'll just do that one bit. And then I did it. And you were like, OK, great. Now what I need you to do is I need you to like I need you to look at just like give me a look and give me a humph, a humph, like right. Pissed off. Aside. And then you're like, OK, great. Now I need you to get up and dance.

[11:31] Tommy Bracco: Yeah.

[11:31] Adam Kaplan: By the end of the plane ride, he was literally dancing with the flight attendant. Meanwhile, he's cracking up in his seat to himself because he's just made a music video to I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas starring yours truly. It was the it was the whole entire plane was obsessed with us by the end of the ride. They were all in on it.

[11:49] Tommy Bracco: In my brain, the last three rows were right. We had some fans, but we were sitting in the back.

[11:57] Adam Kaplan: Yeah. As we always do. But there were some people in the front like, what the hell is going on back there?

[12:03] Tommy Bracco: Now they loved it.

[12:04] Adam Kaplan: They loved us. They wanted to be in our video, but we said no.

[12:07] Tommy Bracco: Right.

[12:08] Adam Kaplan: That's what it was. We said, yeah, we didn't have time or, you know, they didn't make too much. They weren't in Newsies. Um, do you have a do you have a favorite, uh, memory together?

[12:18] Tommy Bracco: Hmm.

[12:20] Adam Kaplan: Do you want me to remind you of one?

[12:22] Tommy Bracco: I know. Actually, I'm like, don't ask me questions like that. That has makes me have to recall specific times. Uh, honestly, I just I really loved the last trip in Oregon.

[12:33] Adam Kaplan: We had so much fun.

[12:34] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, we did.

[12:35] Adam Kaplan: We had a really good time.

[12:37] Tommy Bracco: Our 24th birthday party.

[12:38] Adam Kaplan: Our 24th birthday party was the best day of my life.

[12:42] Tommy Bracco: Truly the best day of my life. If you ask me, what is the best day of your life?

[12:45] Adam Kaplan: Tommy Bracco.

[12:46] Tommy Bracco: The best day of my life is our 24th birthday.

[12:49] Adam Kaplan: Me, you and steel.

[12:50] Tommy Bracco: Ryan steel.

[12:50] Adam Kaplan: We had a trio.

[12:52] Tommy Bracco: Yeah.

[12:52] Adam Kaplan: 24 trio. You could look at the hashtag on Instagram, hashtag 24 trio. And it looks like the time of our lives.

[13:00] Adam Kaplan: It truly was. We were at the perfect age. We literally had like over 300 people come to our birthday party. We rented out a rooftop, the Hudson Terrace, right? That's what it was? We rented the Hudson Terrace.

[13:12] Tommy Bracco: Hudson Terrace, right on the water. We had a DJ. We had literally our own rooftop party. It was insane. It was like a wedding.

[13:19] Adam Kaplan: Well, also because I had to, as I do in terms of our relationship, I like, I organized. Tommy's like, all right, I want to do this. And I'm like, okay, I'll organize it. That's like, that's how it works.

[13:29] Tommy Bracco: Yes.

[13:30] Adam Kaplan: And he knows that I love doing it.

[13:33] Tommy Bracco: Yes, thank God.

[13:35] Adam Kaplan: I love doing it, but I also love to gripe about it and be like, this is so difficult.

[13:41] Tommy Bracco: No, you really don't gripe about it too much.

[13:42] Adam Kaplan: Oh, thanks.

[13:43] Tommy Bracco: You don't. And then I always offer to take the load off your hands, but you always say no.

[13:49] Adam Kaplan: I always say, yeah. I'm always like, let me do something. But I know deep down inside, he's never going to say yes, he's just going to continue to do it. And that's exactly what I want. But I have to at least offer.

[13:59] Tommy Bracco: Offer.

[14:00] Adam Kaplan: So I don't look like a complete asshole. But I was, sorry, but I was so nervous that you were, uh, because I had to put my credit card down to hit like the drink minimum. And I was so nervous that we weren't going to get enough people. So we invited everybody, everybody we knew and people we didn't know. We're like, come to our birthday party. And then one of the bartenders asked if he could, uh, bring, his friend was having her bachelorette party. And so like he busted out sparklers and we had like a bride, a bride in the corner with her friends and Tommy's there's literally sparklers. We had a stage, there was a stage in the middle of the whole entire.

[14:39] Tommy Bracco: And also, and also what was also so great about it is we, we closed and we were closing Newsies like two weeks later. And I think that the entire company was just ready to have a night out. Um, and just, that never happens anymore. Like if you, if you, at this age, if you try and get a group of people to come out for your birthday, it's more like stop by, have a drink, say, I love you and go home. It's like, it was the perfect age. Everyone, the whole entire Broadway community was there. Honestly, I can't believe we're talking about our 24th birthday so long on this thing, but it was so great. It really was truly one. It was the best day of my life, but also Newsies the, the entire cast was there because of the fact that we all were obsessed with each other.

I know we were, we hung out every, every day to the point where my friends, my best, my other best friend, Lila basically had to say, um, Adam, like you enough, enough, like we're also here. Don't forget. And I was like,

[15:37] Tommy Bracco: I remember that. Yes. She was like, don't forget your school friends.

[15:41] Adam Kaplan: Yeah. Cause you were forgetting your school. I was forgetting my school friends because I was on Broadway. I was on Broadway and I was having the time of my life. It was the best. I know it was. Yeah. But then you and Lila met doing another show and so it all decreased together. I love Lila. Yeah. I know. It's really fricking cool. We're very lucky. And then we also, um, we also teach together a lot.

[16:03] Tommy Bracco: Yes, we do. Um, and Tommy and I have a company together called Lion Arts. Why is it called Lion Arts, Tommy?

[16:08] Adam Kaplan: Because we're both Leos and we love everything that a lion represents courage, bravery, um, strength. And that's what we strive to teach our students. Yeah. And we wanted to create a, a pride, a group of young artists who could support each other because a group of lions is called a pride. And I love that we were both obsessed with that when we found that out. Um, but we should tell everyone Lion Arts is having another intensive and we'll have info on our website, which is lionartsnyc.com. I'm so excited. I can't wait. We haven't done it in so long. It's going to be so fun.

[16:41] Tommy Bracco: You were locked in a house.

[16:45] Adam Kaplan: I know. I know. And you were busy too.

[16:47] Tommy Bracco: Yeah. I was bouncing all over the place, but, but it's good. So we're coming back together so that we can finally, I'm so excited. I really, I can't wait. Um, the most embarrassing thing that we can reveal about each other. Shit. I don't know. What do you, what's embarrassing?

[17:09] Adam Kaplan: I mean, you can think of a billion things, but I, none that I would care to have on public record.

[17:19] Tommy Bracco: Yeah. Same. I mean, yeah, Adam made out with my cousin on a New Year's Eve, like a few years ago. And that was the worst him off.

[17:28] Adam Kaplan: Oh, I hated it. It made you so mad, so mad, so mad. I still get so mad when I think about it.

[17:37] Tommy Bracco: Yeah. And, but she's the best. I know, but she's a girl. I know. Anywho, moving on. Can we go back to talking about Newsies a bit?

[17:50] Adam Kaplan: Yeah. I think that what made Newsies such a phenomenon was that the relationships that the Newsies in the story Newsies have was reflective to the ones that the cast had off stage. We truly were. And, you know, we might not see each other as much, but we still are like a family. We are such a brotherhood. Whenever we see anyone, we just like, it feels like we've picked right where we left off. Yeah. And you know, that's, that's what it was. We were so many of us were making our Broadway debuts together. Adam and I made our Broadway debuts together. I was doing Newsies from Paper Mill. He joined the company shortly after we opened on Broadway. I actually feel like he was in the original cast and I always forget that.

But yeah, that Newsies was the best. It really was. That's why it had, you know, that's why it became what it was. They made a movie about it, that these things don't happen for just every show. But Newsies was special. It really was that cast was special. So I think that's like a big reason why, you know, yeah, why we came together.

[19:03] Tommy Bracco: No, some of them, I mean, you know, Michael Fatica is one of my best friends and, you know, that was from Newsies. But for me, it was, I mean, obviously it was a huge, huge moment for me. I remember seeing Newsies when you guys first opened and sitting in like one of the lotto seats all the way on the side. And it's so funny because as an, as an actor, and especially when I was first starting out, I had a hard time not watching shows and saying, okay, I could be that track. I could be out there. I could do this. And I remember just sitting back and being so blown away by it all that I didn't think that at all, because I was, the idea of me being in that show was unfathomable to me. So I remember when my agent sent over the appointment, it was for the Jack Kelly understudy that also had to be, you know, one of the Delancey brothers and in the ensemble, they were like, you know, if you want to pass, we can pass.

And I was like, okay, you know what? I'll give it a shot. And I think probably what helped me is that most of the Newsies when they were auditioning had to dance first, but for, I guess that for them, it was really important to find a strong Jack Kelly understudy. And so I sang first and I read first. And because of that, I think that they were like, all right, let's try to make this work. And it did.

[20:22] Adam Kaplan: I also have to say, you really are a good dancer.

[20:25] Tommy Bracco: Thanks, Tommy.

[20:26] Adam Kaplan: You really are. So, you know, you got to give yourself more credit.

[20:29] Tommy Bracco: But I'm not, you know, I'm not a Jess Leprado. I'm not a David and Jacob Guzman, you know.

[20:35] Adam Kaplan: But you are Newsies caliber. You were great in the show.

[20:39] Tommy Bracco: Thanks.

[20:39] Adam Kaplan: I've seen you dance. You're really good.

[20:41] Tommy Bracco: Well, that aside, it was, you know, huge. And yeah, I mean, I then I got to play Jack like 30 times.

[20:51] Adam Kaplan: I know. That was amazing.

[20:54] Tommy Bracco: Then I got to play Davey like 10, 12 times. We performed at the White House. There's this awesome picture of Tommy and I at the White House.

[21:05] Adam Kaplan: I love that picture.

[21:06] Tommy Bracco: And it's so it is it's just so encapsulates our friendship.

[21:11] Adam Kaplan: Encapsulates. Yeah, that's what I meant to say. Because it's us at the White House. I'm dressed in like the Jack Kelly costume. You're in your spot. Well, you're Tommy Boy spot. Yeah, you're in your Newsy outfit. And like, I've just got my arm on your shoulder. And we're just like, this is ridiculous at the White House. On the same stage that Fifth Harmony performed on Camila Cabello, Normani, they performed on the same stage that we did. Freaked out.

[21:36] Tommy Bracco: I do have a story about the White House. So we're at the White House. We're performing on this stage that they've set up on like the Great Lawn in the back. It's ridiculous. And this was the Obama White House. So it's ridiculous and everything is just majestic and pristine and beautiful. And so on the day that we're performing beforehand, we have a meet and greet with Michelle and Barack.

[22:04] Adam Kaplan: Yep.

[22:05] Tommy Bracco: And we're in the green room.

[22:08] Adam Kaplan: I actually think it was called the green room.

[22:12] Tommy Bracco: Maybe we met him in the green room, which was in the back. But one of like the banquet halls that was right attached to it.

[22:16] Adam Kaplan: No, we met him in that one room. That was in the back of the...

[22:21] Tommy Bracco: It was right in the back of the White House.

[22:24] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, it was in the back of the White House. But that like room is actually...

[22:28] Tommy Bracco: I think it was like painted or maybe it was the blue room. It was beautiful.

[22:31] Adam Kaplan: It was gorgeous. Okay, wait, I have a story about that too. But we're...

[22:36] Tommy Bracco: I'll tell that one. We walk in to meet, you know, the president and the first lady. And Michelle gives us like all big hugs. And she's like, oh, so you guys are the Newsies. I was watching you rehearse earlier. And Barack goes, you guys look like you're in good shape.

[22:55] Adam Kaplan: Yeah.

[22:55] Tommy Bracco: I was like, okay, thanks. And then I'm standing next to him in the picture. And we're looking out at the back of the White House. And you see a view of the lawn and all the monuments. You can see like the Washington Monument, the Jefferson. It's crazy. And all I could think to say to Barack Obama at that moment was, what a great view you have. And he goes, can't beat it.

[23:19] Adam Kaplan: Oh my God.

[23:23] Tommy Bracco: Can't beat it.

[23:25] Adam Kaplan: So that was my encounter.

[23:27] Tommy Bracco: That is so funny. Okay. But then we get out of the White House.

[23:32] Adam Kaplan: Yes.

[23:32] Tommy Bracco: And we're like about to go back to performing. And the people from Disney Theatrical are there and they're filming us. And they're like, what happened, guys? Like, tell us about it. And Tommy goes, we met Connie Britton. And I went, and the president.

[23:48] Adam Kaplan: I love Connie Britton.

[23:50] Tommy Bracco: I love her in American Horror Story, Nashville, Friday Night Lights.

[23:55] Adam Kaplan: Freddie versus Jason. She is so good and so talented.

[23:59] Tommy Bracco: 9-1-1. I love her.

[24:01] Adam Kaplan: She's truly one of my favorite actresses. And I love the president too. He was amazing. I loved meeting him. But Connie Britton, you can't beat Connie Britton.

[24:11] Tommy Bracco: And also, let me just say like why these people were there. It wasn't just like...

[24:15] Adam Kaplan: It was this event.

[24:18] Tommy Bracco: It was the Easter Egg Roll.

[24:20] Adam Kaplan: Yeah.

[24:20] Tommy Bracco: So they had athletes and actors and musicians. So Fifth Harmony was there. And you also were so obsessed with taking a kissy lips photo with Camila Cabello.

[24:30] Adam Kaplan: Which I have.

[24:31] Tommy Bracco: I frick. And now she blew up. And now she's the biggest star. And I said it. When was the White House? When was this?

[24:37] Adam Kaplan: April of 2015.

[24:39] Tommy Bracco: He's so good with dates. How does he remember that? That's insane.

[24:44] Adam Kaplan: I don't know if we've ever gone...

[24:50] Tommy Bracco: I don't think we've ever gone in for the same role.

[24:53] Adam Kaplan: But even if we did, I wouldn't give a shit.

[24:56] Tommy Bracco: I'd be like, great. Also because we're so different.

[24:59] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, yeah.

[25:01] Tommy Bracco: No, but it's so nice. I mean, I was in L.A. for a little bit this fall. And Tommy actually came to visit a few times because his other best friend, Debbie, is out there. But I...

[25:14] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, it was just so nice to be able to call you and vent.

[25:20] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, I think it goes back to like our mentality. We're very similar in the way that we work and the way that we navigate through this business.

[25:30] Adam Kaplan: We're the kind of people that if something doesn't work out, we move forward.

[25:35] Tommy Bracco: I feel like Adam always knows exactly what to say. He always knows the right thing to say whenever I'm having a bad day. And I think I do a good job at doing the same thing for him.

[25:45] Adam Kaplan: Something also that you do for better and for worse is you play devil's advocate.

[25:52] Tommy Bracco: This is true. This is true, I do. And I think that you...

[26:02] Tommy Bracco: Because when you're venting to your best friend, you're just like, oh God, can you just agree with me? And sometimes I'm like, can you please just stop and just listen to what I'm trying to say to you right now? But for whatever reason, with you, when you offer another opinion, even if it is something that you don't agree with, because you also do that sometimes, you disagree with me for no reason. But I think it's helpful to have a voice of reason that sounds like he's from Staten Island, and that you just like to listen to. Oh my God, I'm Staten Island Jiminy Cricket.

[26:37] Adam Kaplan: Oh my God. I never thought, I wouldn't consider you my conscience.

[26:41] Tommy Bracco: I'm your conscience.

[26:42] Adam Kaplan: No, no.

[26:43] Tommy Bracco: Is it conscious or conscience?

[26:45] Adam Kaplan: Conscience.

[26:46] Tommy Bracco: Got it. We learn something new every day here, folks. Yeah, and also something that I learned such a long time ago, not a long time ago, in college, is your friend's successes are not your failures, or somebody else's success is not your failure. And I mean, there's no one who is a bigger cheerleader than you and Leela.

[27:15] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, absolutely. A hundred percent.

[27:18] Tommy Bracco: And it's nice. What we have is really special, and I don't take it for granted.

[27:23] Adam Kaplan: No, me neither.

[27:25] Tommy Bracco: Piece of shit.

[27:25] Adam Kaplan: Oh, that's so sweet.

[27:31] Tommy Bracco: Now it's time for some questions from the Best Friends Challenge, brought to you by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

[27:39] Adam Kaplan: Okay, the options are, always have the perfect outfit for every occasion. Know what everyone thinks of you.

[27:47] Tommy Bracco: One, two, three.

[27:48] Adam Kaplan: Always have the perfect outfit for every occasion.

[27:51] Tommy Bracco: Who on this planet would want to know what everyone thinks of you? That sounds miserable.

[27:56] Adam Kaplan: It would just make you insecure, unhappy, or question or overthink everything.

[28:02] Tommy Bracco: Thank you so much. This has been Broadway Besties.

[28:06] Adam Kaplan: Wow, what if we just agree on everything?

[28:08] Tommy Bracco: We won't.

[28:11] Adam Kaplan: Okay, the options are, be able to heal anyone by licking them. Have a robot bodyguard.

[28:19] Tommy Bracco: Ready? One, two, three.

[28:22] Adam Kaplan: Be able to heal anyone by licking them.

[28:24] Tommy Bracco: Absolutely, if I could be like Jesus healing people, that sounds great to me. I mean, sure, for me, yeah. I don't care what I have to do to heal them, I'll just heal them.

[28:34] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, the power to heal is amazing.

[28:36] Tommy Bracco: It's unbelievable. You could cure diseases.

[28:38] Adam Kaplan: Right.

[28:39] Tommy Bracco: Have a robot bodyguard.

[28:40] Adam Kaplan: No, I don't need any bodyguard, robot or not. I could take care of myself. I'm from Staten Island.

[28:45] Tommy Bracco: He's tough. I was in a Bronx tale.

[28:50] Adam Kaplan: Do you want to read this one?

[28:51] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, be able to make popcorn by rubbing your elbows together, or be able to roll into a ball and bounce off things.

[28:58] Adam Kaplan: Got it. Oh, God. One, two, three.

[29:02] Tommy Bracco: Be able to roll into a ball and bounce off things.

[29:04] Adam Kaplan: Sounds so much fun.

[29:05] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, except, oh my God, I don't want that for you.

[29:08] Adam Kaplan: I don't want that for you.

[29:12] Tommy Bracco: I feel like I might try this later.

[29:12] Adam Kaplan: You already bounce off things.

[29:14] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, I might try this later. We were in the lobby before we even got upstairs and Tommy was like turning in the chair to the point where the guy at the front desk was like, please stop.

[29:26] Tommy Bracco: I'm actually going to try to roll into a ball and bounce off things later. So that sounds really fun.

[29:30] Adam Kaplan: Great. Can we save that card? Because I'm going to take a photo with it and then practice.

[29:34] Tommy Bracco: Great. And then when you hurt yourself, I'll lick you and you'll be healed.

[29:37] Adam Kaplan: Oh, man, that never happened.

[29:42] Tommy Bracco: All right. Ready? I'll read this one.

[29:45] Adam Kaplan: We have, have a dog sense of smell, own a small island in the South Pacific.

[29:51] Tommy Bracco: One, two, three.

[29:52] Adam Kaplan: Own a small island in the South Pacific.

[29:55] Tommy Bracco: Yes.

[29:55] Adam Kaplan: I would, of course.

[29:57] Tommy Bracco: Absolutely. We're looking for a place to go for our 30th birthday. If anyone has any recommendations, please DM us on Instagram.

[30:01] Adam Kaplan: And if anyone owns a small island in the South Pacific.

[30:05] Tommy Bracco: If anyone owns an island and wants to lend it to us. We want to come. We'd want to come. And we'd have a great birthday party there.

[30:13] Adam Kaplan: If you have an island in the South Pacific and you are willing to lend it to us for our 30th birthday, we will perform our two man version of Disney's Newsies for you.

[30:26] Tommy Bracco: How does that go?

[30:27] Adam Kaplan: How does, what is it?

[30:28] Tommy Bracco: Okay. What would the two man version of Disney's Newsies be?

[30:30] Adam Kaplan: You know, I don't remember Newsies at this point.

[30:33] Tommy Bracco: Oh, I could do it all. I could say the whole show right now.

[30:38] Adam Kaplan: Let's see.

[30:38] Tommy Bracco: Where are you going? Morning Bell ain't rung yet. Get back to sleep. I want to beat the other folks in the street. I ain't been walking so good. I quit your griping.

[30:46] Adam Kaplan: Oh, I miss it.

[30:46] Tommy Bracco: Okay. So I could be Jack. You could be Crutchie.

[30:49] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, that actually would be good.

[30:51] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, we could do it.

[30:52] Adam Kaplan: That makes sense.

[30:53] Tommy Bracco: All right, cool. And then I guess I have to be Catherine too.

[30:59] Adam Kaplan: Right.

[30:59] Tommy Bracco: Because for continuity's sake, I got to stay as Jack.

[31:01] Adam Kaplan: Right.

[31:02] Tommy Bracco: And I'll be Pulitzer.

[31:03] Adam Kaplan: Great. I can do Meta because I could do that too.

[31:05] Tommy Bracco: Yes. Yes. That's perfect. I'll, I'll, I'll bounce around. I'll be, I can be Roosevelt.

[31:10] Adam Kaplan: Should you be Davey too?

[31:12] Tommy Bracco: Jack and Davey. That would be really funny. Because there was one show, uh, where there was a two show day where I did Davey for the matinee and Jack for the evening.

[31:21] Adam Kaplan: Yep.

[31:21] Tommy Bracco: And I had to focus so hard because there's a scene that, there's a scene that was just the two of them. So here's how it goes. Once we win and we will be winning, make no mistake, we'll be what we're already. Like I had to think of, it was like, who am I right now?

[31:36] Adam Kaplan: That, I don't know how you did that. That's actually a huge deal.

[31:40] Tommy Bracco: It was fun. I know that should have like, people should have written articles on that.

[31:45] Adam Kaplan: Thank you.

[31:46] Tommy Bracco: Right? I mean, that's kind of a huge deal.

[31:49] Adam Kaplan: But people do that all the time.

[31:50] Tommy Bracco: Really?

[31:51] Adam Kaplan: I mean, like if you, people go on for Hamilton and Burr.

[31:54] Tommy Bracco: In the same day?

[31:56] Adam Kaplan: I think, probably. I don't know.

[31:57] Tommy Bracco: That's really hard.

[32:00] Adam Kaplan: Thanks.

[32:01] Tommy Bracco: Food for thought.

[32:02] Adam Kaplan: That's not food for thought, right?

[32:03] Tommy Bracco: I mean, it could be.

[32:04] Adam Kaplan: You could write an article.

[32:05] Tommy Bracco: Yeah, let's write an article on the people that have had to, the understudies that have had to play both lead roles in the same day.

[32:12] Adam Kaplan: I would love to hear about that experience.

[32:19] Tommy Bracco: Great. So if you own an island in the small island in the South Pacific, and if you've played both Glinda and Elphaba in the same day, please contact us.

[32:29] Adam Kaplan: Amazing. All right, last one.

[32:32] Tommy Bracco: Okay. Do you want to read it?

[32:34] Adam Kaplan: This is literally...

[32:36] Tommy Bracco: I didn't read them yet. I'm just going to say this. I'm going to just disagree. So that way we can pull out one of those other cards.

[32:42] Adam Kaplan: Okay. Tommy, would you want to be able to eat as much as you want without getting sick or gaining weight?

[32:49] Tommy Bracco: Yes.

[32:49] Adam Kaplan: Or be a world famous painter of sad clowns?

[32:55] Tommy Bracco: I'm going to... One, two, three.

[32:57] Adam Kaplan: Be a world famous painter of sad clowns.

[32:58] Tommy Bracco: No, I'm just trying to disagree with you, but you're trying to do the same thing.

[33:08] Adam Kaplan: No, I really feel the same way about the food one. That would be amazing.

[33:12] Tommy Bracco: Okay. But let's just do a we disagree card. Because we want to see what it's like.

[33:16] Adam Kaplan: Do you watch The Good Place?

[33:18] Tommy Bracco: No.

[33:18] Adam Kaplan: There's like that...

[33:19] Tommy Bracco: Kristen Bell, right?

[33:20] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, but her house is like filled with sad clown painting.

[33:23] Tommy Bracco: Oh, all right. Boop each other on the nose and whisper, you're my little bunny.

[33:29] Adam Kaplan: Here we go.

[33:31] Tommy Bracco: I feel like I hate this so much.

[33:33] Adam Kaplan: Ready? No, don't touch me.

[33:35] Tommy Bracco: No, you have to do it. You have to go like that.

[33:37] Adam Kaplan: Oh, I thought both of our noses have to touch.

[33:39] Tommy Bracco: No, we can't. Okay, just so you guys know, Tommy came over and tried to put his nose on my nose.

[33:45] Adam Kaplan: Yeah.

[33:46] Tommy Bracco: No, you got to like go boop.

[33:47] Adam Kaplan: Boop.

[33:47] Tommy Bracco: And go with my finger. You're my little bunny.

[33:50] Adam Kaplan: Okay. Was that so bad?

[33:53] Tommy Bracco: Boop. You're my little bunny.

[33:55] Adam Kaplan: Thank you, Adam.

[33:56] Tommy Bracco: I know.

[33:57] Adam Kaplan: Okay. Well, smile as widely as you can at each other for 10 seconds.

[34:00] Tommy Bracco: I actually love this one.

[34:03] Adam Kaplan: Okay.

[34:04] Tommy Bracco: One.

[34:07] Adam Kaplan: Please give me a video of this. This is amazing.

[34:10] Tommy Bracco: Okay, okay. This is amazing.

[34:13] Adam Kaplan: Okay, so we have to smile at each other.

[34:15] Tommy Bracco: Are you videoing?

[34:16] Adam Kaplan: As widely as we can for 10 seconds. You got to count it.

[34:18] Tommy Bracco: Someone's got to count.

[34:19] Adam Kaplan: Okay. All right. One, two, three.

[34:23] Tommy Bracco: Okay. We have to smile as widely as you can at each other for 10 seconds. Ready? One, two, three.

[34:42] Adam Kaplan: Boop. You're my little bunny.

[34:45] Tommy Bracco: That was so painful, actually.

[34:48] Adam Kaplan: I did not like that.

[34:49] Tommy Bracco: Yeah.

[34:49] Adam Kaplan: I have a little headache.

[34:54] Tommy Bracco: I like to end things positive. It's clear that you guys are real-life Broadway besties, for the record. Let's just end it by saying one thing you sort of admire about each other, or a small thing that the other person does that really means a lot to you.

[35:13] Adam Kaplan: Okay. Something that I love about Tommy is he is really able to see the good in people and always looks for the positive. I think that sometimes I'll get frustrated by something, or I'll get annoyed, or I'll be mad about something that some person did. And Tommy really does... It's not necessarily even looking out for the little guy, but he tries to look at the world through another person's shoes, and walk in another person's shoes, then another person's eyes, and see the positive in them, and see the good in a situation. And if I'm mad about something, he's like, nope, all right, we're going to make the best of this. We're just going to have the best weekend. It's going to be fun. It's going to be great. Whatever. We get to sing and dance for a living. You know, if something is getting me down, Tommy's always able to find the light in the situation, and I love that.

[36:14] Tommy Bracco: Thank you. That's really sweet.

[36:20] Adam Kaplan: I have nothing.

[36:20] Tommy Bracco: No, I'm just kidding.

[36:22] Adam Kaplan: Oh God.

[36:22] Tommy Bracco: No, I'm just trying to compete with that. I feel like that was a really good one. There's so many things that I love about Adam. So many. I love how he goes above and beyond for his friends and his family. I love how much he loves his family. That's amazing. Not a lot of people are close with their family, especially not like Adam. The way he loves his mom, his dad. Anyway, but I think that it's all around. It's his heart, honestly. Adam has the best heart. He really does. He is just a good person all around. And it shows in every single thing that he does in his life, the way he lives his life. It manifests in what he does for other people, how he takes care of himself, which is also very important. Adam has a good heart. He's a good person. And that's what I love about Adam the most.

[37:27] Adam Kaplan: Thanks, Thomas.

[37:29] Tommy Bracco: Thank you. That was the best. Love you.

[37:32] Adam Kaplan: I love you.

[37:34] Tommy Bracco: Well, this has just been like us hanging out. I didn't even feel like we recorded a podcast. We just were reminiscing about our lives and dates and our future 90th birthday party.

[37:45] Adam Kaplan: I can't wait for it.

[37:46] Tommy Bracco: I can't wait either.

[37:49] Adam Kaplan: Yeah, thanks.

[37:50] Tommy Bracco: Hey, everyone. Thanks so much for listening. If anyone listened to this, this is literally just us hanging out. It's so much fun. But if you guys want to keep in touch with us, you can follow our socials. I'm at Tommy Bracco, and he's at Adam S. Kaplan.

[38:07] Adam Kaplan: Right?

[38:07] Tommy Bracco: That's right. You got it right.

[38:09] Adam Kaplan: Scott.

[38:10] Tommy Bracco: Scott. Yep.

[38:11] Adam Kaplan: Adam Scott Kaplan.

[38:13] Tommy Bracco: Well, not Scott. It's Adam S. Kaplan.

[38:14] Adam Kaplan: Correct.

[38:15] Tommy Bracco: Yes. And if anyone's listening and they're an aspiring musical theater performer, we are having our Lion Arts Theater Intensive. We'll be working and we'll be bringing in other performers as well. It's going to be an amazing intensive weekend. So I'm really excited for that. Check out LionArtsNYC.com for more info if anyone wants to join us. Or go to our Instagram handle at LionArtsNYC. Join the pride.

[38:41] Adam Kaplan: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Broadway Besties podcast, part of the Broadway Podcast Network.

[38:45] Tommy Bracco: To find more information about the show, please be sure to visit bpn.fm slash broadwaybesties.

[38:53] Adam Kaplan: This episode is produced by Alan Seals and John Zitoon and edited by Derek Gunther.