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[0:00] Quincy Brown: Um, listen, we know it's been a long time. And I'm not gonna say we have apologies for it, because I think, like, life just started doing life's thing. However, we have never once forgotten about you sentimentals. No, I was thinking about this because where we were last summer to where we are this summer. Sure. Like, we both just have very summer heavy jobs now that we didn't have last summer. I don't know. I was really trying to have fun this summer. And I semi accomplished that. I feel like good for you. I was trying to have no fun. And I also My name's Quincy.

[0:42] Kevin Bianchi: My name's Kevin. And this is Sentimental Men. But keep your thumb away from that skip button because we're here to talk and maybe scream about our favorite women in musical theater. So excited to be here again. We're back, baby. We're back and we're about to be back. No, yeah, this is a fun little like interlude. But we're about to be back with a capital B in a fun way that we're going to talk about more at the end of this episode. Yeah, correct. Uh huh. So you got to listen. So stay tuned. Yeah, that's a deep tease for you all. This is a big episode of Sentimental Men, everybody. So really? Yeah, that's gonna be great. I can feel it. Before we get into Hi, we saw Into the Woods. We're going to talk about that. Is there anything you wanted to discuss before we transition into that? Quincy, I do know that people have been asking for a field report from when you saw Alyssa Joy Fox go on as Elphaba recently.

[1:37] Quincy Brown: Yeah, so I saw Wicked recently, my friend Mark was moving out of the city. He's moving to New Jersey. He's not moving like across country or anything. But it was fun. He like did a big weekend. One of the final things that he wanted to do was see Wicked. And I was like, Yeah, obviously, I'll see Wicked. And he was like, Okay, I'm gonna buy like good seats to Wicked. Is that going to be okay? And I was like, Sure, Mark, because you're leaving, I will like buy a premium seat to Wicked, which I genuinely don't think I've ever done for Wicked on Broadway. I bought a premium seat to Wicked on Broadway. No, baby, I've never bought a premium seat to anything. So we went, Alyssa Fox was on, Talia was out.

So I still need to see Talia. We still need to go. So yes, I was glad in the sense that that meant I got to, I am going to get to see Talia for the first time with Kevin. And also, Alyssa Fox is an iconic Elphaba who I have never seen who I feel like it's important for history that I have seen at some point in life. Yeah, I'm jealous. Kevin, this cast was actually so, so good. So good. Brittany Johnson was Glinda. Sharon Saxe was Morrible. Clayvon Derricks was the wizard. James D. Gish was Fiyero, which I will get into. Jordan Barrow, who I feel like we've been friendly with online, was Bach. Clifton Davis was Dillamon, who was my first Dillamon on tour in Hawaii. Whoa. And then Mikayla Renfro was Nessa Rose.

Alyssa Fox, it was so cool to see a performance of Elphaba that has just been meticulously crafted. Every moment, every acting beat, every riff, every vocal choice, you could tell. Everything about it was so like, oh, she knows this role. She is comfy in this role. She is smooth sailing, chilling. It was really something to behold. Oh, I should also mention that friend of the pod, Danny Quadrino, is currently in the show. He sure is. So I got to see him. But he and I were talking after the show about how, again, just perfectly crafted and meticulous Alyssa's portrayal of Elphaba is. Yeah. It's a real treat that she's back on Broadway standing by for Elphaba. I don't even know where to jump to.

Clayvon Derricks as The Wizard. Here's the thing. I know we're on a podcast called Sentimental Men, famously named after The Wizard's iconic song, Sentimental Men. I will say that typically when The Wizard is on stage, I disengage a little bit, at least. You know, but his portrayal of The Wizard is so it's very like southerly grandpa vibes.

[4:22] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, I love. And like that to me. Take it from an old man. That's why you like it. Take it from an old man. But yes, in Wicked, that vibe does work. And he plays it so like the evilness of The Wizard isn't evil with this portrayal. It's very much like, oh, this is just a man who is doing his best and maybe fell into this highly regarded position, but like is kind of a bumbling fool with a good heart. Well, and like that's how you play a villain, right? Like you don't play it like a villain. There we go with the dramaturgy. I'm primed and ready for an Into the Woods conversation. Oh yeah, shit. Moving on to James D. Gish as Fiyero. Okay, here's how I would describe the look and the vibe of his Fiyero. Okay. It's as if Andy Karl and Aaron Tveit had a child. And then that child had a child with Derek Klena. That would be James D. Gish as Fiyero.

[5:33] Quincy Brown: Wait, I feel like that makes so much sense. He has the suave machismo that an Andy Karl, Aaron Tveit baby would have. Now sprinkle over that the youthful energy that Derek Klena brought to Fiyero. Okay. And you have James D. Gish. And I really hope I'm saying his name correctly. Remember when we had Mark Evans on and he was like, talking about how it's like hard to cast Fiyero because it's like you have to treat the character like he's a leading man. But even though he's not the leading man of the show, and it's probably so easy to let Fiyero fade into the background of the story. Yes. The entire cast of Wicked right now is very, very solid. The production as a whole is very solid. It was so great to see.

Because realistically, I haven't seen it since we went for reopening. I feel like that's an embarrassing thing for me to admit on this pod. No, but same, right? Same. We were going to go and Brittany started and then we heard that there was going to be a new Elphaba soon. So we were like, well, we should wait and see both of the new ones together. Brittany was great, too. I feel like we've just talked about Brittany on this podcast, or I mean, we obviously interviewed Brittany, but I know what you mean. All right, shall we move into Into the Woods? Sure. Which, Kevin, I feel like was a real moment for you.

[7:05] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, it was. Tell the people why. Undeniably so. Well, okay, so what is your relationship to Into the Woods? If I'm being honest, I probably didn't know it until junior year of high school when that was my, oh no, senior year of high school. It was my senior musical. And I go through auditions, and I really felt like it was my time to be the baker. I was feeling like that was it. I was so excited. I was going through auditions, doing the whole thing, feeling I'm a senior. I'm obviously getting the baker. Cassis comes out. I got Cinderella's Prince and was very upset about it. Like, very upset. Which, in retrospect, who fucking cares? So I marched into Mr. Duvall's classroom, and I was like, wait, what happened?

Why didn't it? And I had just played my junior year. I played Anthony and Sweeney Todd, and then I played Sammy Fong in Flower Drum Song, so I was feeling very on my shit. And so I was like, what happened? And he was like, Quincy, you were just better suited for Cinderella's Prince. Also, Cinderella's Prince actually sings, and the baker doesn't. So this is kind of a compliment, if you think about it in that way.

[8:04] Quincy Brown: Which, at the time, I took as a compliment. In reality, he was probably just like an adult trying to get this 18-year-old kid to shut up. So that was it. And then I played Cinderella's Prince, and it was a great time. I had a lot of fun. I also had a girlfriend during that era, and she was on the costumes crew. And so we would go and make out in the stairwell during tech and shows and stuff, which is so funny. But yeah, that's mine. That's mine. And then I saw Into the Woods when Alice Ripley did The Witch at Town Hall, and Kate Shindle was the baker's wife, and Betsy Wolfe was Cinderella. I'm trying to think of who the princes were in that. They had to be splashy, right? Yeah. I'm going to Google it, because I feel like that's probably important. Wait, this production was insane.

[9:53] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, read it off. Lee Wilcoff, waitress in Little Shop of Horrors as Mystery Man. Susan Blackwell as the voice of the giant. Caitlin Houlihan as Little Red. Oh my god, Jordan Matthew Brown as Jack, who I think is a sentimental man, not to put words in his mouth. Oh my god. Oh my god, the princes, Kevin. Tell me. I'm not ready. The princes in this production were Zach Adkins as Rapunzel's prince and John Riddle as Cinderella's prince. How did I forget that? No. How did you forget that? So what is, before we jump into the Into the Woods that we saw, what is your experience, background knowledge of Into the Woods, Kevin Bianchi?

[10:42] Kevin Bianchi: I also was not really aware of it until my junior year of high school when it was the musical. Were you in it? I was. I did Into the Woods twice in high school. Can I guess? I would guess it was Jack. And I could see you as Cinderella's prince as well. So at my high school, I auditioned, and I was called back for Jack and Cinderella's, well, and the princes. It was one callback for both. And I was like, I'm the only one who can sing Giants in the Sky. It's going to be me. It certainly was not me. I was, in fact, Cinderella's prince. How tall were you in high school? I was as tall as I am now. You were? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was Cinderella's prince. I feel like I knew this about you. I don't think I knew that about you.

No. Oh my god. Well, this is cute. And then the next year, I did Into the Woods again at a youth theater group, like a community theater group. And that time, I was called back for the Baker and Cinderella's prince. And I was like, I feel like this is it. Because it was a very similar situation where I was like, I'm the oldest I can be to be in this theater group. And I really nailed it.

[11:56] Quincy Brown: You're feeling your oats. But also, I was like, Cinderella's prince is on the resume. So maybe from a production point of view, it's easier because I know the material already. He's thinking that at his youth production. Yeah, I'm 17 years old. I'm standing in cargo shorts and flip flops. So wait, what'd you get? I'm going to actually be a little upset if you got the Baker. No, I was Cinderella's prince again. Okay, good. So we both never played the Baker? Mm-hmm. I'm sorry. That wasn't a good friend moment of me. I would have been so happy for you if you got to play the Baker. No, I'd have been the same way with you, though. It's okay. No, okay. So in my high school, it was our fall musical.

They cast it at the end of the year before. And so then you had to learn it over the summer because we didn't have enough time right when school started. But when we came back to school in the fall, we got a quiz on the lyrics of the opening number because they're so specific. Like, to have, to get, to kill, to keep. So we got a quiz and we had to pass the quiz before we could, like, come to rehearsal.

[12:08] Quincy Brown: Oh, there's a third part to my Into the Woods relationship. My goodness. Because in college, in musical theater college, I had a teacher who you would spend the whole semester doing one scene into a song. And for that whole semester, we did the scene into It Takes Two. Gotcha. This teacher made us memorize the punctuation in all the songs. This is why I am the way I am. She made us memorize the punctuation in all the songs and we would have to sing it in class, be like, you've changed, period, pause. You're daring, pause. You're different in the wood, period, pause, pause, pause. This is why I am the way I am.

[13:45] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. And so I am, I would say, intimately familiar with this material because it was like, I had to, like, literally study it. Well, and it's your favorite musical outside of Wicked, right? Is that correct? It is, yeah. And Stephanie J. Block is your favorite theatrical performer. So it was a real moment for you to see her in this production, in this show. Yeah, yeah. What I will say about Into the Woods as a show, though, and this was my thought when I saw it at City Center, I was like, oh, this show now hits way harder and deeper and sadder, second act in particular. And then when I was watching it with you on Tuesday, I was like, oh my God, yeah, this show does hit me deeper now than it did maybe five years ago. But this isn't even the deepest it's gonna hit me in my lifetime. Because I'm sitting next to this ancient hag.

[14:10] Quincy Brown: Oh, see, and that hasn't even clicked for me.

[14:12] Kevin Bianchi: Well, it's not a timeline.

[14:17] Quincy Brown: Okay, so when I saw it at City Center, No One Is Alone really got me at City Center. And when I saw it with you, No More, I was almost near tears.

[14:26] Kevin Bianchi: Well, we're going to circle back because I have songs to sing about Sebastian Arcelus.

[14:34] Quincy Brown: Sure, sure, sure. Okay, wait, yeah, let's work through. How do you want to work through this, Kevin? Okay, I want to hit anybody in the new cast that we want to talk about. And I want to stop at Sebastian. And then I want to build up to Stephanie.

[14:48] Kevin Bianchi: Should we talk about Katie Garrity, who is doing a short little stint in the critically acclaimed Into the Woods before she comes to Broadway and Juliet?

[14:56] Quincy Brown: Yeah, I thought she was great. And I was most like extra interested because Julia Lester is my friend's sister. So I like know her and I loved her. And I was so excited about seeing her at City Center. And so I was like, extra interested to see how the new Little Red was going to be. And I thought she was great. She's so funny at like, the moments between the jokes, like the pregnant pauses right before a punchline or like, building up the suspense for the joke. I thought she did such a good job.

[15:25] Kevin Bianchi: What I thought was cool was like, Julia Lester was actually a revelation in this part. And like, it was like a star turn. Yeah. And like, I was like, so happy to see her doing legitimate outside acting jobs outside of High School Musical The Musical The Series, which by the way, I love. So that wasn't a dig at High School Musical The Musical The Series. I run stream season three. But it was like, so cool to see her outside of that world. And like, killing it. So good. And with Katie, it was like, okay, she's replacing Julia Lester, who was like, acclaimed in this role. And what she did with the role was, what is the word I'm looking for? It was like a toast to Julia's performance and honoring that performance, but doing something same but so different that it was so good in a different way. You know what I mean?

[16:21] Quincy Brown: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel like that's like, like across the board, that's kind of like the, the dragon for this new cast, because it's like, you have to kind of like, fill the shape of the character that has been built for the production. But like, do it with your own charisma.

[16:41] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. And it was cool. Because it was like, there were acting moments because I think the part of Little Red, just in general, can maybe be a little bit predictable. Once you like get the vibe of what the actor is going to do with it, you're like, okay, then these lights aren't going to read exactly that way. And with her, there were moments where I was genuinely laughing out loud.

[17:01] Quincy Brown: Yeah. So high praise for Katie Garrity.

[17:03] Kevin Bianchi: Agreed. Co-signed. Harkening back to our discussion earlier, should we talk about Andy Karl?

[17:06] Quincy Brown: Yes, please. Let's. And he was great. Like across the board. He was great. So funny, like Perfect Prince, whatever.

[17:12] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Andy's chemistry with Stephanie in moments in the woods was standout because we forget that you are both funny actors.

[17:18] Quincy Brown: Yes. Actors and actresses.

[17:26] Kevin Bianchi: Yes. Like they had like genuine LOL moments in moments in the woods. What I do love about this Into the Woods production, they all feel very friendly with each other. And so it's like, in scenes like that, it's like, it just looks like they're two friends like goofing around. Especially to think that that was the first night of them doing it. I was like, if you guys have these comedic beats, like nailed out and nailed one, that's amazing.

[17:52] Quincy Brown: Yeah. Also, while we're speaking about the men, I do think it's worth noting and the comedy and like the playfulness, it's worth noting that Joshua Henry is like having the time of his life in this show. I could not have this conversation without talking about Joshua Henry's voice. So beautiful. He has such a beautiful, legit voice that I'm like, thank you. And he doesn't need as Rapunzel's prince. He doesn't need to give that, but he does give it because he knows he has it and he knows it sounds good. You know what I mean? It's giving me Monet exchange on all stars, like just out of nowhere, the most beautiful voice you've ever heard.

[18:26] Kevin Bianchi: Where you least expect it. And it was a good reminder of like, oh, he's a Tony nominee for Carousel, lest we forget. Joshua Henry, if you're listening to this, get Stephanie Jeanette Block to do one of your backstage acoustic mashup breakdown arrangements. I would love Moments in the Woods mashed up with a Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande song. Can we talk about Chris Rodriguez as Cinderella? Because she nailed like the physical comedy of the role.

[19:02] Quincy Brown: Like, well, and I'm just like, I'm glad she's doing this because she is getting the opportunity to flex, I think, her acting ability in a way that like, we haven't gotten to see from Kristen in a while. And it is good. And it's really fun to see her. She really gets to like, work the crowd a little bit. Seeing her like, hold us all so captivated while she's like, crawling down the stairs.

[19:30] Kevin Bianchi: Sure.

[19:30] Quincy Brown: Such a star moment. Like, we were all, it was like, in Sweet Charity, there's a scene where she makes a sandwich and she eats it. And it's like, famously, it is a scene that like, the actress drags out and out and out and out as long as she can, just like doing business. And Krista Rodriguez was giving that.

[19:48] Kevin Bianchi: Um, like the eating scene in Hello Dolly.

[19:50] Quincy Brown: It's that, yes. It's like, she was giving me that type of control over the audience. It was like, there were just so many line readings where I was like, oh, that was like an inspired take on that line.

[20:02] Kevin Bianchi: I agree. This whole production is just not like, playing into the fairy tale vibe. I think that like, frees everybody up to really be like, like, take these kind of like, fresh deliveries of the lines that maybe wouldn't fit in like, a fairy tale.

[20:18] Quincy Brown: Which is necessary, because it's such a stripped down, bare bones production, you need the acting to be giving. Otherwise, it's like, okay, what are we doing here, you know?

[20:30] Kevin Bianchi: And for the record, everyone's acting is giving in this production.

[20:33] Quincy Brown: It is giving.

[20:34] Kevin Bianchi: I think it's time that we should talk about Sebastian Arsalus as the baker.

[20:38] Quincy Brown: I think it's time. Oof, okay. Here's what I will say. I've never seen Sebastian perform live.

[20:44] Kevin Bianchi: Okay.

[20:45] Quincy Brown: I don't know what I was expecting. I don't know that I necessarily had expectations, other than the fact that Stephanie J. Block would not be married to a flop, obviously.

[20:58] Kevin Bianchi: Like, obviously.

[21:00] Quincy Brown: Yeah. He was, and we're going to talk about SJB.

[21:05] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[21:06] Quincy Brown: I left this show, and I'm sorry to Stephanie J. Block, I left this show in love with Sebastian Arsalus.

[21:15] Kevin Bianchi: 100%.

[21:16] Quincy Brown: It was like, whoa, where have you been all my life? I could not have prepared myself. Like, as perfect as we all knew that Stephanie J. Block was going to be as the baker's wife, he met her there. Like, he was as perfect as the baker. And like, I understood that role in a way I never have. Sebastian Arsalus as the baker is something to write home about.

[21:43] Kevin Bianchi: It was impeccable. Yeah. Like, something that I noticed about the baker for the first time, or two nights ago watching him, is that the baker spends most of Act One being the straight man for everyone else's big moments. Like, he like sets up the punchlines, or like he is the punchline, or like, he's there, like even like justifies the beans. It's like, that's like her moment, and she's there, like supporting her in that moment. He kind of like endears himself to us so much in Act One. And then when you get to Act Two, and it's like, he's the focal point, he is like the big emotional devastation. It's like, you're so right there with him.

[22:30] Quincy Brown: To me, it was like the acting and the line deliveries. And like, there was just like, the way that he plays this part is like, you just want to like, you know?

[22:39] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[22:39] Quincy Brown: It's so, not intimidating at all, but so cute. Totally understand why someone would marry this person. So grounded, and so kind. Like, his baker felt very like, on my sleeve vibes, you know?

[22:55] Kevin Bianchi: Yes. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[22:57] Quincy Brown: And then like, no more. I said earlier that like, no more to me, this performance that we saw was like, my emotional like, oh, I might cry during this. I don't know. It was so perfect. And that's not even taking into account the like, natural chemistry that comes along with playing Baker and Baker's wife with your actual spouse. What you were saying earlier was like, the baker kind of has to be the straight man for every other character in this show. Because I think the other roles in the show are characters, and the baker is kind of like, the real human in this part. He's like the everyman. Sebastian brought a depth to the everyman that I think is very special and very unique to his portrayal. And I also like, don't ever want him to leave Broadway now. I'm like, wait, can you do everything, please?

[23:41] Kevin Bianchi: My literal like, first thought at intermission is I was like, I want the two of them to make a career out of going into shows together. I would buy premium tickets to any show that the two of them because it was like, it was like magic.

[24:02] Quincy Brown: Yeah, it was magic. And obviously very special to see real life couples, Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arsalus be the Baker and Baker's wife together. Should we start talking about Stephanie J. Block, who we have not seen live since the Cher show pre pandemic.

[24:12] Kevin Bianchi: Was that pre pandemic?

[24:13] Quincy Brown: Yeah. Yeah, 2019. That's really crazy. And I was in college, Kevin, when we saw him. I was but we young child. Oh, my God. Oh, which by the way, listeners, my shtick when I was interning for Kevin, was that I would always make fun of his age, which kind of has continued to be my shtick with my relationship with Kevin in general.

[24:30] Kevin Bianchi: I will I think it's good to let everyone know that this summer I had an intern at my job.

[24:48] Quincy Brown: Yeah, this is good to let people know. This intern would always make jokes about my age.

[24:54] Kevin Bianchi: Me at the ripe age of 25 was getting made fun of. How old were you when I met you, Kevin?

[24:59] Kevin Bianchi: Summer 2018. So I was 26 that summer. Okay, yeah. So kind of Wow, kind of similar. Yeah. Ooh, fun. My intern made fun of my old age all summer long. And I have to say it's not fun. The jokes and whatever are okay to stomach. But it's like the moments when you realize that they genuinely don't know a pop cultural reference or cultural reference that you think is commonplace. That really caused you to do some deep introspection. And like, I understand that this is just like kind of the first step in the rest of my life. But like it is. It has been really jarring and upsetting also to be the quote unquote old person in a situation because I feel like I've built a personality. Yeah, I built a personality about being like the young, hip, cute one.

And that's not that's very quickly. Not cute. Oh my god, that's crazy to say. All I'm saying is I got a taste of my own medicine this summer. And it wasn't fun. So I do have to apologize to anyone who I've ever made feel old through my jokes. It was a shtick. It was a joke and I don't mean it and I take it all back and I I'm going to try not to do it to people who aren't Kevin because I think I'm going to continue to do it to Kevin.

[26:15] Kevin Bianchi: Thank you. I'm glad that now it's a bit and not a behavior.

[26:18] Quincy Brown: Anyways, Stephanie J. Block is the Baker's wife and into the world.

[26:21] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, all of this to say we have not seen her on Broadway together since the Cher show famously during Quincy's undergraduate era. So what Okay, previously, it's for me, it's just the Cher show and falsettos live. The first time I saw her live was falsettos and then the Cher show. And there was something kind of cool about seeing her in a musical theater role that has been canonically established for decades.

[26:49] Quincy Brown: I love when Stephanie J. Block originates something I love when she creates something, but she is so good at a revival. Like you know what I mean? Like she is so good at taking a role and and making it Stephanie J. Block. Because she did like when she does a city center concert, it's the same thing. It's like, oh, you are finding Oh, I saw her in Brigadoon.

[27:17] Kevin Bianchi: You did. All of this is to say is she took on the mountain that we all know to be the Baker's wife. And I feel like we have to start by saying the curtain came up.

[27:24] Quincy Brown: Oh, my God.

[27:28] Kevin Bianchi: And if you've seen this production of Into the Woods, you have each couple standing, Stephanie and Sebastian are center stage, and then you have the two other couples stage right and stage left.

[27:36] Quincy Brown: Yeah, each of them is in a little spotlight.

[27:38] Kevin Bianchi: Before the man in Cher, we're going to call him.

[27:42] Quincy Brown: The narrator.

[27:43] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Before the narrator says, once upon a time, the show hadn't begun yet.

[27:50] Quincy Brown: That was Stephanie J. Block on stage. She was drinking in every moment. She was like fully feeling the moment I am back on Broadway.

[27:58] Kevin Bianchi: I mean, what would you say a solid at least like a minute and a half at least of just people screaming, losing their minds?

[28:07] Quincy Brown: This is such deja vu, because I feel like a year ago.

[28:11] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, no, but it was a year ago because Wicked reopened on the Tuesday after Labor Day last year.

[28:18] Quincy Brown: We saw Stephanie J. Block in Into the Woods on the Tuesday after Labor Day this year.

[28:22] Kevin Bianchi: So cute. So this is a tradition now. So pencil me in. I wonder what we'll see next year.

[28:29] Quincy Brown: It's got to be, we have to see an Elphaba in something. That's the rules from now on.

[28:34] Kevin Bianchi: I feel like next year it's going to be, oh, you know what we're doing next year?

[28:38] Quincy Brown: What?

[28:41] Kevin Bianchi: That I think is going to time out perfectly. We're going to see Eden Espinosa and Lempicka on Broadway.

[28:47] Quincy Brown: Oh! Next September. I love it. That feels right. So yeah, so she comes out. They all come out, big applause. She's soaking it in. And I think they all kind of were because it was everybody's first night.

[28:52] Kevin Bianchi: Sure. Maybe I was only looking at a shaving. We were very hyper-focused. I think it's safe to admit. But no, it was a really sweet moment. And then Quincy, the very first little I wish that came out of her mouth, I knew. And I was like, we're in for it. We're in for a ride. I think because summer was doing its summer thing and life was so busy, I hadn't really had a second to think about what it was going to feel like to see Stephanie J. Block doing a brand new role on Broadway that we haven't seen her do before. We're about to watch this entire production and Stephanie J. Block is the fucking baker's wife. What a gift. Truly, what a gift. And truly, she was like, listen, it's been rough for everyone. She said, I'm going to let you boys have it. Here's one for me.

[29:44] Quincy Brown: No, you know when she said this one's on me is when she full chest belted Justifies the Beans, which was the first time we got a belt from her during that. At that point in the show, that was the first time we got a belt from her, right? It was so okay, because you know that Stephanie J. Block can build to a moment. Literally, as soon as she started with the like, and maybe they're really magic, who knows she was doing the thing where it was like, I'm almost going to belt, but then I'm not. I'm almost going to belt and then I'm not. And then she took that big breath and she could have held us there for a minute.

[30:25] Kevin Bianchi: And that clip has gone viral. Someone released an audio of it and everyone's like talking about it. And it truly was just like, Justifies the Beans came out of her mouth. And I was just like, there it is. Like, yes, I mean, it was. This is it. This is why you cast Stephanie J. Block as the baker's wife. It's for this moment. Magic. We all love the baker's wife. It's like communally, we decided that that's like one of the roles to judge an actress by. But it doesn't all that moment doesn't always need to be a belting moment. And it's fun. And it's like a very difficult vocal moment because it like sits on a lot of people's breaks. And like, it's tricky to navigate. So to hear her just be like, not only do I have this, but I have extra. She's like, we're not going to fuck around with the mix. We're just going to do this.

[31:15] Quincy Brown: If the baker's wife chooses to belt that note, is that the highest belt that we get from the baker's wife in Into the Woods?

[31:23] Kevin Bianchi: I think so.

[31:24] Quincy Brown: I think so, right? Yeah. Someone let us know if we're right. So I'm glad she chose to belt that note.

[31:29] Kevin Bianchi: Did she? And again, show stopping applause, hoots and hollers, hearkening back to Sebastian just like standing there very patiently letting the baker's wife soak in the glory.

[31:42] Quincy Brown: Oh, another Stephanie Sebastian dynamic that I love that I didn't clock the first two times I saw this production. So I think it's a Stephanie Sebastian specific moment is when Sebastian would struggle to untie his apron knot and Stephanie would just fucking pull it and be like, come on. Like even if that's staging, it felt so like familiar to them. Like it just felt so much like their energy and it like established them as the baker and baker's wife so well.

[32:09] Kevin Bianchi: Okay, so should we talk about moments in the woods? One, I hated watching her die after. Like that was tough and I forgot that that was going to happen. Somebody sitting behind us. It wasn't even like shock. Oh my God. They were like, oh my God, I forgot.

[32:21] Quincy Brown: Which, okay. In that case, I did. I also forgot. I think everyone forgets that that's about to happen because you just watch the baker's wife, like have her moment and then what? She gets stepped on. It catches you off guard. Crazy. Probably by design. Moments in the woods happens and it was like a perfect moment because it's just SJB on stage alone. What was that? And moments in the woods is like, you like follow her on this journey of thinking like trying to keep her thoughts straight. I would love to see Stephanie J. Block's script. You know, there's underlines, asterisks. I bet we could get her to send us a picture of her script.

[33:04] Kevin Bianchi: I bet we could. If we ask nicely, I bet we could. So moments in the woods is always kind of regarded as like the capital A acting song. We come for the voice at Justifies the Beans and we come for the acting in moments in the woods. Stephanie J. Block found ways to sing that song that I never would have imagined. She was like coming in with the full belt. Like she was giving us like Edwin Drood low notes. She was giving us the Pirate Queen belt. She was pulling out like a pretty airy mixy. It was so good. It was like the Stephanie J. Block tour de force performance. And to me, that was like the biggest takeaway I had from this evening where I was like, Stephanie J. Block is like, she's it, baby.

[33:54] Quincy Brown: I don't think this is going to happen just because there's another show that's coming to the St. James that we all know about. But it's like, to me, this production of Into the Woods could run forever in the same vein as the way that Chicago is running forever by just keep casting interesting people and all this stuff.

[34:09] Kevin Bianchi: Who the people want to see.

[34:10] Quincy Brown: Exactly. And it can work because the material is there. The material is good. Quick little contracts.

[34:13] Kevin Bianchi: Yes. Give me Idina as the witch. Or honestly, at this point, the baker's wife. The way that this production is like trending, I would take her as either. Also, I feel like if Into the Woods was an easier show to learn, not to say that Chicago is not difficult, but like people are more casually familiar with Chicago. Whereas like Into the Woods is such a complicated score to learn. I kind of think with Into the Woods, it's harder to cast the reality TV star. It's easier to cast like a theater name.

[34:44] Quincy Brown: A celebrated diva.

[34:45] Kevin Bianchi: Yes. Because like they're more likely to like get the material down quickly. Because I was thinking that too. I was like, the way that these like Broadway contracts and everything work, like you know that this new cast probably had like two weeks max to rehearse for this production. And like, that's crazy to learn a Sondheim score in that big show.

[35:02] Quincy Brown: That's a big show to learn. Yeah.

[35:04] Kevin Bianchi: But everyone go see Into the Woods. Stephanie J. Block is fantastic. Sebastian Arcelus is fantastic. The entire new cast is amazing. This production is great. It's just like, it like hits the spot in a way that I think, oh, I was talking about this with friends. I think following the pandemic, Broadway and theater in general kind of like went to this like comfort show place where it's like, we brought back Waitress. We brought back Kinky Boots. We're casting these like theater stars in Into the Woods and it's a concert production. I feel like theater right now is very like comfort shows in the way that people talk about Broadway post 9-11 where it was like the Hairsprays, the Mamma Mia's of the world just to like bring joy.

[35:40] Quincy Brown: Wow. Yeah. Everyone is just kind of trying to like stick to what they know and be comfortable. I think because the world is in such turmoil right now.

[35:54] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. If you treat yourself to one thing, it's Stephanie J. Block as the baker's wife. And you get the added bonus of Sebastian Arcelus as the baker.

[36:05] Quincy Brown: Even if you look at, which I feel like this is all we should talk about it, but even if you look at like Lea Michele playing as a funny girl, it's like that is like.

[36:11] Kevin Bianchi: It's a comfort food for some people the same way that Stephanie J. Block in Into the Woods is comfort food for me. You know what I mean? Everybody's getting something.

[36:22] Quincy Brown: Yeah. Something they love. Oh, we have to talk about before we move on. Okay. So we left Into the Woods and someone came up to you and mentioned and was like, Oh my God, when I heard Stephanie do that wicked riff, I knew you two were going to talk about this on the podcast. And I heard that from a distance and I was like, yeah, wicked riff. I also was like, what wicked riff? Yes. And then online people were tweeting about the wicked riff. And I was like, wait. And Kevin and I had like casually discussed as we were walking to the subway, like, wait, I didn't hear a wicked riff. So I knew that at least the two of us were on the same page about a wicked riff.

[37:01] Kevin Bianchi: Yes. When would it have happened?

[37:04] Quincy Brown: I've done some extensive investigative journalism into this and I understand what has happened now. What has happened is that Justifies the Beans, Stephanie sang it a little slower than usual, right? Like she really gave it like a big bravado moment. And so when you hear those notes drawn out, they're very similar to one of the alternate melody options that they give the girls for Defying Gravity.

[37:15] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, interesting.

[37:38] Quincy Brown: And so people were hearing Justifies the Beans and they were also hearing I'm flying high defying gravity, which is famously an option.

[37:47] Kevin Bianchi: Wait Kevin, that sounds crazy.

[37:54] Quincy Brown: I cannot believe that people would hear like that to me. Doesn't make sense. What I think really what is happening is that it's just like, Stephanie has like a one of a kind voice and she has such a like a signature way of like phrasing music that it was like easier to connect those two like very discreet melodies. I think it was just like she was belting and it sounded like more like wicked than it normally does.

[38:24] Kevin Bianchi: What's happening is people are conflating Stephanie J. Block belting with wicked. So the first time she belted it into the woods, people were like wicked. I don't know, but it spread like wildfire. I mean, I also love that like, whatever, let that be lore. I think that's like fun and fresh. So whatever. That's fun. Sure. Stephanie J. Block did a wicked riff at her opening night of Into the Woods. You heard it here last.

[38:49] Quincy Brown: Should we move into the big news?

[38:59] Kevin Bianchi: Into some exciting things to share with the class. While this is a bonus episode for the month of September, we are coming back in full force in October. This time with a fun...

[39:15] Quincy Brown: With a friend.

[39:22] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Yeah. Kevin, do you want to talk about it? We are coming back in October, but Theaterly is going to be joining the Sentimental Men family. Have Theaterly ever heard of it? The hip new Broadway site for Gen Z. We are big fans of what Theaterly is doing because they're kind of building a cool, different, vibey, theater loving platform. Like they feel like a really like fresh, friendly, social way of like theater reporting on theater, which is like very aligned with what we try to do.

[39:50] Quincy Brown: Yeah. As quote unquote normal life is resuming, Kevin and I are finding that we need a lot of time to produce this podcast in the way we want to. And Theaterly has so graciously offered to help us produce this podcast and keep it running in a way that will be beneficial to all of you listeners.

[40:10] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. So they're going to be able to help us not only sustain the podcast that we have built, but they're also going to be able to help us grow it in a way that just like Quincy and I have reached our bandwidth. So we could not take on some of the ideas that they have. So I mean, there's some really exciting stuff.

[40:34] Quincy Brown: Yeah. Like we're already talking about like regular live shows, which I think will be fun. We love an era here at Sentimental Men and we're very excited for this one. Our Theaterly era, their Sentiment era.

[40:46] Kevin Bianchi: All right. So we'll see you all in October for Wicked Month.

[40:53] Quincy Brown: Oh my god. We're happy to be back. Genuinely, like it felt very good to record another episode. It's been too long.

[40:57] Kevin Bianchi: I know. Felt like oil can, you know, unsqueaking.

[41:04] Quincy Brown: I played the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.

[41:07] Kevin Bianchi: Wait, I literally, oh, I did play the Tin Man. I also played the Lion.

[41:12] Quincy Brown: Did you play the Tin Man and Lion too?

[41:15] Kevin Bianchi: No, I never played anybody. You'd be a good scarecrow.

[41:18] Quincy Brown: I went as a scarecrow for Halloween in first grade.

[41:22] Kevin Bianchi: Me too. Probably around that age as well.

[41:26] Quincy Brown: So you were, you were dressing as a scarecrow for Halloween when I was doing Into the Woods in high school. And then I was making out with my girlfriend in Into the Woods in high school when you were getting your first job, maybe.

[41:31] Kevin Bianchi: In what year? 2015.

[41:35] Quincy Brown: Or yeah, yeah, yeah. I guess. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The job that you would eventually hire me in.

[41:39] Kevin Bianchi: Wow. Look at that. For sure. Look at that.

[41:43] Quincy Brown: Okay. Bye everyone.

[41:49] Kevin Bianchi: Bye.

[41:49] Quincy Brown: You've been listening to Sentimental Men. This episode was produced and edited by your hosts, Quincy Brown and Kevin Bianchi. You can reach us at sentimentalmenpod at gmail.com or on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at sentmenpod. Thanks to Julia DiMarzo for our thrillifying artwork. And thanks to you for tuning in. Till next time, I'm Quincy.

[42:05] Kevin Bianchi: And I'm Kevin.

[42:09] Quincy Brown: And as a Cinderella's prince, I was. Sure.

[42:12] Kevin Bianchi: Very impressed. If you carried the torch well. This is like the stupidest thing to say, but I was like, Quincy, you were such an idiot in high school for saying this line in that way. You should have done it like Andy Karl on Broadway.

[42:18] Quincy Brown: Yeah, yeah, yeah.