This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Quincy Brown: The guy I was with at the time was absolutely humiliating.

[0:05] Kevin Bianchi: Red flag. Red flag. He also gave me paper plates for my birthday. Another red flag.

[0:11] Olivia Valli: Yeah. The bar is truly in hell.

[0:22] Quincy Brown: My name's Quincy. And my name's Kevin. And this is Sentimental Men from Theaterly. We are here to talk and maybe scream about our favorite women in musical theater.

[0:36] Kevin Bianchi: I'm alive. Oh, I didn't know you were going to start with Sali and I was expecting Sunset Boulevard.

[0:40] Quincy Brown: No, that's overdone. We've moved on.

[0:45] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, I feel like it's a classic. Kevin, let's talk about the fact. Hi, everyone. Hey, y'all. Let's talk about Titanic.

[0:50] Quincy Brown: Okay, so we saw Titanic. It was your second time seeing the show. First time at the Daryl Roth Theater.

[0:56] Kevin Bianchi: Yes, my first time seeing the show at all. And we didn't really debrief, I realized, like we talked after, but we didn't talk about the show. I went in, though, big Celine Dion fan and somebody who this was maybe inappropriately my favorite movie in 1996 when I was in kindergarten.

[1:16] Quincy Brown: So I had a blast. I mean, it was tailor-made for me.

[1:22] Kevin Bianchi: No, it really was because I have never seen the movie and I knew the Celine Dion hits. But when I saw it at first, it was like a big introduction to the plot of Titanic and the back catalog of Celine Dion. And I loved, loved, loved and have since been turned into a Celine Dion fan. Still have not watched Titanic, though. Work.

[1:38] Quincy Brown: Well, we'll get there. That's a commitment to watch that movie, though. You have to have like a whole afternoon. It's like three and a half hours.

[1:42] Kevin Bianchi: Also, just like don't sit down to watch movies. I realized about myself.

[1:46] Quincy Brown: I know I'm trying to do that more, too. I go to the theater. I go to the theater. But we went to Titanic because former Elphaba's Nicole Parker and Lindsey Heather Pierce are currently starring together in the musical. And what a treat to see them on stage together. A treat for my eyes, a treat for my ears, a treat for my spirit.

[2:09] Kevin Bianchi: And we'll get to Lindsey Heather Pierce. This podcast always does. It always comes back. I have to say this part when it was announced, I was like, oh, my God. Yeah, that is a perfect role for Nicole Parker to play. And seeing her in it, it played to every single strength that she has. It was so perfect for her.

[2:27] Quincy Brown: Yeah, because it's like she gets to improv. She gets to do impersonations. The singing is so good. You know what I mean? And to sing as well as she does and maintain the impression was so, so good. I love seeing. I also was like, this is a hard thing. I think Titanic. It's so silly, goofy that you're not really paying attention to the technique that is going into it all. But both Rose and Selene in Titanic are tough things.

[2:56] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, they're up there wailing. I mean, truly, there is gonna be a Wicked to Titanic pipeline because I feel like Wicked is like a factory for Selene's and Rose's. And it's already I mean, we had Mark Evans, we had Carrie St. Louis.

[3:09] Quincy Brown: I was gonna say as we know that the Rose pipeline is for Glinda's and Elphaba's because it does kind of live in that like magic sweet spot, I think.

[3:16] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, also perfect in her role is Miss Lindsey Heather Pierce, who I loved because first of all, crystal clear bell tones up in that Selene Dion range. But she also so good because I feel like Rose has to be like the straight person in a lot of the comedy. And she has to like kind of be the punchline of a lot of the jokes. And I think it takes like a really charismatic person to like support the other actors in that way. I thought she did such a great job.

[3:50] Quincy Brown: I loved seeing her do choreography in the show. Because we didn't get it as Elphaba, you know?

[3:57] Kevin Bianchi: No, man, she said don't forget, I did Anything Goes on national television. I can bust a move. I did What's New Buenos Aires.

[4:04] Quincy Brown: No, it was and I think I commented this or retweeted it or something. But it really was super thrilling to see two Elphaba's just having fun on stage together. Yeah, belting their little hearts out, but having so much fun, laughing, breaking character. Like it was really a treat.

[4:27] Kevin Bianchi: I want to go see Titanic. Yeah, my favorite moment from Nicole was somebody had late seating, like somebody came in after the opening number, and she took a minute to like explain everything that had happened in detail to this person as they were sitting down. I mean, it was just like and to see that kind of play when we know these ladies from a role that is so precise and is so you know, there's very little wiggle room for playing and is very serious and heavy is great. I loved it. I loved it. More pipeline. We'll be back. More pipeline. More, more, more. Any former Elphaba can go in as Celine. Yeah, baby. I want honestly, I want on a gas tire to do it. I want Jessica Voss to do it too.

[5:09] Quincy Brown: Oh, Jessica Voss would be great. Yeah. All right. We'll see. Titanic's gonna run forever. It better. It better. So today's guest.

[5:14] Kevin Bianchi: Yes. Tell us. We'll circle back to Titanic. Tell us who it is.

[5:18] Quincy Brown: Today we're speaking to Miss Olivia Valli, the current principal Elphaba on the second national tour of Wicked, but the only national tour currently playing in the States. Take us through her resume.

[5:30] Kevin Bianchi: Okay, so Miss Valli back in the day, she graduated college and she booked her first job, which was Wicked, the second national tour where she was the understudy to Elphaba. She did that from 2016 to 2019. Then in 2021, she was on the first national tour of Pretty Woman singing her face down boots as Vivian.

[5:55] Quincy Brown: The titular Pretty Woman. I've seen a different world. I can't go back. Insane. Kevin, do you remember, I don't know if you remember this, when I was interning for you that summer was the summer that Pretty Woman was on Broadway and we were sitting in the office one morning and they had just performed on the Today Show. I think it was the Rodeo Drive number. And I watched that number on my computer and turned my chair around and asked you if I could go to the box office and buy tickets. Because that number sold me.

[6:28] Kevin Bianchi: I remember that with crystal clarity. That is so funny. Get out of here.

[6:34] Quincy Brown: Ah, to be young in New York City.

[6:38] Kevin Bianchi: You're still young in New York City.

[6:42] Quincy Brown: Young in California right now. Anyways.

[6:45] Kevin Bianchi: After that in 2021, Olivia went into Jersey Boys Off-Broadway as Mary Delgado, who is in fact her real life grandmother. She got to play her grandma on stage. For anyone who doesn't know, Olivia is Frankie Valli's granddaughter.

[7:01] Quincy Brown: Yeah, she's royalty. She's Jersey royalty, baby. Like to me, she is Princess Charlotte. And then in 2023 this year, Olivia has made her triumphant return to the second national tour of Wicked as the principal Elphaba. And snaps. How lucky are we that she did?

[7:19] Kevin Bianchi: I mean, she has had a career from the get-go.

[7:22] Quincy Brown: She's killing it. Killing it.

[7:23] Kevin Bianchi: Slaying the house down.

[7:24] Quincy Brown: Slaying the house down. And singing her. I mean, I cannot. I'm out of ways to say that this bitch can sing.

[7:31] Kevin Bianchi: I know. She really has a sensational voice.

[7:33] Quincy Brown: Yeah.

[7:34] Kevin Bianchi: And it's such a great tone, too. I love, love, love, love, love.

[7:37] Quincy Brown: Mm hmm.

[7:38] Kevin Bianchi: Before we get into the interview.

[7:40] Quincy Brown: Yeah, bring me into this SJB.

[7:41] Kevin Bianchi: Can I give you a Stuck on SJB? It's been so long, I feel like, since we've done this.

[7:45] Quincy Brown: I know. I know.

[7:46] Kevin Bianchi: For my Stuck on SJB, keeping on brand, on trend, in theme, keeping in theme, I would like to direct our attention to a video of Stephanie J Block singing My Heart Will Go On at one of those outdoor symphony concerts that the ladies do.

[8:02] Quincy Brown: Mm hmm.

[8:03] Kevin Bianchi: What I want to start by saying is, it's impeccably sung. However, I was scrolling through the comments, and everyone was pointing out the fact that she was not singing the correct lyrics in a fun way, in a very, she's not singing the right words, but she's singing the house down kind of thing. If I had not read the comments, I would not have noticed that the lyrics were not correct, because that is how I sing My Heart Will Go On. I don't know the actual precise lyrics, but I know the melody. I know the chorus.

[8:28] Quincy Brown: You know what they kind of sound like.

[8:30] Kevin Bianchi: That's kind of all you need to know.

[8:32] Quincy Brown: Yeah. I know the emotion that it evokes.

[8:33] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[8:34] Quincy Brown: So SJB, it does not matter that the lyrics were not correct, because I didn't know this. It starts very tiny. It's a real masterclass.

[8:39] Kevin Bianchi: She's storytelling.

[8:40] Quincy Brown: It starts very tiny. Yeah, baby. She's not giving you the full throat yet. And she's also, it's like such a great SJB performance, because it's all the classic gesticulations and intonations.

[8:51] Kevin Bianchi: Yes.

[8:51] Quincy Brown: She does a, love can touch us one time.

[8:56] Kevin Bianchi: Yes.

[8:57] Quincy Brown: And last for a life. And it's just like.

[9:00] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, a whisper.

[9:02] Quincy Brown: It's really quintessential SJB.

[9:06] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

[9:06] Quincy Brown: And it works so well for this kind of song.

[9:08] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, this kind of like soapy, romantic song. Yeah.

[9:12] Quincy Brown: It did make me want Celine Dion biomusical starring Stephanie J. Block.

[9:20] Kevin Bianchi: I'm there for it. But I also, if we can't get the funding.

[9:23] Quincy Brown: Or do we just put her in Titanic?

[9:25] Kevin Bianchi: I'm also here for Stephanie J. Block in Titanic, because Stephanie's so funny. She could do that. You know what I mean? Like she's so good with an audience.

[9:34] Quincy Brown: I feel like she would be terrific.

[9:37] Kevin Bianchi: If she went into Titanic.

[9:39] Quincy Brown: It could, it would transfer.

[9:41] Kevin Bianchi: It would transfer.

[9:42] Quincy Brown: Circle in the square, baby.

[9:43] Kevin Bianchi: It actually would. It would really work. And to see her in that like blonde wig that the Celines have to wear, it would be incredible.

[9:50] Quincy Brown: It would be great.

[9:50] Kevin Bianchi: So it starts very tiny. She's giving us classic SJB.

[9:53] Quincy Brown: Oh, she does another like a this hand to the chest a lot.

[9:56] Kevin Bianchi: Shall we go for it?

[9:59] Quincy Brown: Which is great. But then when she gets to the belt.

[10:04] Kevin Bianchi: Full belt, full pingy, pingy crystal clear belt that cuts right to your heart.

[10:12] Quincy Brown: It is so, so good.

[10:14] Kevin Bianchi: The necklace in actual Titanic is not that big as it is in Titanic, right?

[10:18] Quincy Brown: No, I mean, what is the joke about it being as big and tacky as it is in Titanic? Because in Titanic, he says it's like the biggest diamond of its like kind or something like that. Like it is supposed to be a huge diamond, but not that big.

[10:33] Kevin Bianchi: Also, what I'll say while we're on the topic of Titanic, I think I'm a perfect case in point.

[10:38] Quincy Brown: If you haven't seen Titanic, you can still very much enjoy.

[10:40] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, yeah.

[10:42] Quincy Brown: So get thee to the Daryl Roth Theater.

[10:43] Kevin Bianchi: It's funny because it's funny, you know,

[10:46] Quincy Brown: It's funny because it's gay.

[10:48] Kevin Bianchi: I have like one more thing I have to ask you about before we go talk to Olivia. And that is since we've last spoke, we have now seen Cynthia leaks from the set.

[10:59] Quincy Brown: I'm not happy. I wanted it to be special.

[11:02] Kevin Bianchi: That said, I have all of them saved on my phone.

[11:05] Quincy Brown: So I am.

[11:07] Kevin Bianchi: Here's the thing. I feel like when the Ariana leaks happened, though, it leaked in a way that had some grandeur to it. Like we kind of saw a number being performed and heard vocals. With Cynthia, we're getting these like grainy photos.

[11:20] Quincy Brown: Okay, the one that I did really love, though, is the one where she's like holding the broom.

[11:26] Kevin Bianchi: She's in the like black leather.

[11:28] Quincy Brown: Long skirt, dock situation.

[11:31] Kevin Bianchi: Cigarette.

[11:34] Quincy Brown: And I was like, what is happening on that set? And maybe it wasn't a cigarette. Maybe it was something else. I don't know. Whatever it was.

[11:42] Kevin Bianchi: Hanging out.

[11:45] Quincy Brown: It reads as a cigarette in the photo. Like she doesn't have the coat on. So like her arms aren't painted like it's just her hands, I think. Because it's like between setups or something.

[12:06] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, sure, sure, sure. I'm sorry. That wasn't sensitive of me.

[12:08] Quincy Brown: Well, Quincy, let me tell you in that photo, she doesn't have the jacket on and you can see that she's like only painted to here.

[12:14] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, that's funny.

[12:15] Quincy Brown: Yeah, it's a funny picture.

[12:16] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, my eyes would not actually clock the difference between the green and brown if they were next to each other.

[12:22] Quincy Brown: Okay, okay.

[12:24] Kevin Bianchi: It's the cross I bear.

[12:26] Quincy Brown: I'm happy to be here to help.

[12:27] Kevin Bianchi: I love the micro braided hair.

[12:29] Quincy Brown: It's gorgeous.

[12:30] Kevin Bianchi: And I think the green is really reading well, too. I was nervous how it would like if it was going to come across well for a movie, but it works.

[12:36] Quincy Brown: I agree. Because it's a little more saturated than it is on stage, which I like because they're kind of setting the movie. They're like leaning into The Wizard of Oz, which is a very saturated movie.

[13:19] Quincy Brown: At Universal, like, a wicked section with, like, a defying gravity roller coaster. That would have to be major mainstream acceptance, which I'm not sure this musical movie will get. Well, after I just pitched a whole cinematic universe.

[13:35] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, you're like, maybe it'll be the next Marvel.

[13:38] Quincy Brown: Shut up. Okay, let's get into our interview with Olivia Valli.

[13:44] Olivia Valli: Thank you so much for joining us on Sentimental Men today.

[13:50] Quincy Brown: Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.

[13:52] Kevin Bianchi: We're so excited. I feel like we should start by acknowledging that we have similar podcasting journeys because we both started our podcast during the pandemic when we were unemployed. During the panorama, the Pandora Express, you know. Are you still doing yours?

[14:09] Olivia Valli: No, we're not. You know, just we became quite busy.

[14:13] Quincy Brown: Yeah, are you busy?

[14:14] Olivia Valli: We're not busy at all. I actually just, like, travel for free, you know what I mean? I travel with vibes.

[14:22] Quincy Brown: Okay, so we start every interview by asking, how did Wicked the Musical come into your life as a person?

[14:30] Olivia Valli: Well, I was not a musical theater girly when I was growing up. I knew about Rent because of the movie. I knew about Hairspray because of the movie. That's me.

[14:41] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, I love that.

[14:46] Olivia Valli: And then Wicked, and I was like, it was like in middle school and we, you know, choir, like, you know, you're like, wow, what's this music? It's so good. And they're like, listen to the recording. And we did and I was like, this is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard. And like, I can't believe people sing like this and I can't believe like big voices can sing like this and like be so monumental in theater. And then growing up, I like did theater for fun, and I was a sporty kind of girl, but I didn't really know my place. And then I saw Wicked in 2015 and Teal Wicks and Katie Rose Clark were my Elphaba.

[15:22] Kevin Bianchi: What an iconic first duo.

[15:24] Olivia Valli: Yeah. And I was like, stuck with you. Truly. I was like, I cried the whole time. Like the minute the first note from the orchestra started playing till bows. I was ugly crying and I could cry now thinking about it. Everyone around me was like, is this girl okay? And like the guy I was with at the time was absolutely humiliating.

[15:51] Kevin Bianchi: Red flag.

[15:54] Olivia Valli: Red flag. He also gave me paper plates for my birthday. Another red flag.

[15:59] Quincy Brown: Olivia.

[16:00] Olivia Valli: Yeah, like the bar is truly in hell. Oh my God. I'm like weeping and I was like, I have to be Elphaba. I have to be in this show. How? And then I went to school at Montclair State University, received my BFA in musical theater, Jersey girl through and through, sticking to the brand. And I auditioned for Wicked my senior year of college through my former agency. When we did our senior showcase, they were like, actually they're having auditions. You should go in. So I went in and then I did a workshop as well and they were like, okay, you're too young. And so a year later after Wedding Band singing, I auditioned again and covered Elphaba for three years on the national tour.

[16:53] Kevin Bianchi: Okay, wait, I feel like we breezed through this journey. You weren't a theater person at the get-go.

[16:59] Olivia Valli: No.

[17:00] Kevin Bianchi: So how did we, but were you a music person? Like where did the connection come in?

[17:04] Olivia Valli: I always wanted to be a pop singer and I like love singing my whole life. Like my mom told me that I would correct her on pitches when I couldn't talk, but she would sing things wrong. And so I would start to cry but hum it back to her in the right key and the right notes.

[17:21] Quincy Brown: Stop.

[17:22] Olivia Valli: Yeah, and she was like, I was like, wow, I was kind of an asshole. Like this kid. Like my God, she's correcting me on pitches. Like this is wrong. What's happening? And I just started singing as a kid and then I started to do theater in middle school, but I was like, this is fun. But like, I don't know. We did like Schoolhouse Rock Junior. So I wasn't like jazzed about theater. Yeah, I was like, this is like fun and cute. And then in high school, we auditioned for Beauty and the Beast and I was the only freshman with a callback, only freshman with a lead. And I was Mrs. Potts, 65 years too young.

[18:07] Kevin Bianchi: We live last love in these conditions. Trying to be a mother as I am a child myself.

[18:15] Olivia Valli: But you got the song.

[18:17] Kevin Bianchi: The song.

[18:18] Olivia Valli: The titular.

[18:23] Kevin Bianchi: The titular song.

[18:30] Olivia Valli: And then it wasn't until my junior year of high school when I was Mama Rose, 50 years too young. These roles. I received my first standing ovation and I was like, not because like I got a standing ovation. That's like the coolest thing in the world. I was like, what's this? But it was really more the fact that like people were so immersed in this story and so taken away from their everyday life and so moved to their feet by what was happening in front of them that I was like, I need to do this. I need to tell stories. I need to take people on a ride and move them to another place and have them think about this show, whether it be for five minutes or for three years afterwards, like it is a living and breathing thing and it is one of the most powerful things that people can do is to tell a story.

And then so I decided to go to school for musical theater because I also still didn't know how to do any of it. So I was like, well, I like to sing and I guess I got to go to school. So I'll audition. Right? Like were you in classes or anything prior to that?

[19:28] Olivia Valli: No, I had no formal training of singing, acting or dancing until I went to college.

[19:33] Kevin Bianchi: Went to school.

[19:34] Olivia Valli: Yeah, and you went into a BFA program?

[19:36] Olivia Valli: Yeah, and it was the only school I auditioned for.

[19:40] Quincy Brown: Work.

[19:40] Olivia Valli: Wow. I literally.

[19:43] Kevin Bianchi: 100% success rate.

[19:45] Olivia Valli: Literally. I was like, you know what, you miss a hundred of the shots you can't take and I only took one, so.

[19:51] Kevin Bianchi: But that's got to be nerve-wracking showing up to a BFA program having never like actually studied theater.

[19:56] Olivia Valli: It was terrifying. I showed up in sweatpants and a t-shirt and sneakers for the dance call and all of a sudden I'm at a ballet bar. I was like, what am I doing? It's only looking at the people in front of me and like looking around and mimicking them and miming them. And I just went in and I was like, I know how to sing and I think I know how to tell a story and I'm really going to lead with this. The dancing will worry about later.

[20:21] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, sure.

[20:23] Olivia Valli: I was accepted. It was one of 20 people and 700 people audition that year.

[20:28] Quincy Brown: Wow, and it was like I was said I'm auditioning for college. I'm going to audition for one because I don't know what I'm doing. And if not this then I'm going to take class for a year and audition again and do a better job at knowing how to audition.

[20:43] Kevin Bianchi: It's also expensive. Like it's like at least $5,000 if you're auditioning for every school and traveling everywhere and doing that like it's just a lot.

[20:52] Olivia Valli: Yeah, and yeah, I didn't have the money to do it. And so I was like, I'm really just going to take this shot and if I meant to do it, I'm going to go for it. So I got in and the director of the program was like just letting you know you got in because your voice and your acting the dancing honey atrocious and I was like aware, like fully aware. Thank you so much.

[21:15] Quincy Brown: Oh my goodness.

[21:16] Olivia Valli: It's cool. So then you auditioned for Wicked your senior year.

[21:20] Kevin Bianchi: I'm not an actor. Is that normal because that to me seems extraordinary.

[21:25] Olivia Valli: It was a little extraordinary. So in every in some programs you do a senior showcase where you go to New York you prep like two minutes of material and I prepped two songs because musical theater school and you sing in front of casting directors, directors, agents, managers and everything.

[21:44] Quincy Brown: And so I say what were your showcase songs pulled from?

[21:48] Olivia Valli: Not pulled. Sorry. That was one of my options safer the first like I know I will be in trouble safer from First Date and then the key change starting at fly fly away from Catch Me If You Can.

[22:02] Kevin Bianchi: Work.

[22:03] Olivia Valli: And I'm about her belting I start and then I got quite a number of agency and manager and every so other appointment and the agency I signed with at the time I was still like in interviews and everything and this person really wanted me and so he was like I got you an audition for Elphaba and I was like what Wow, excuse me. He was like, yeah, he was like they're looking for covers. I got you an audition. You should go in and I was like, oh, okay sounds good. And so I made it.

[22:38] Olivia Valli: Yeah, the first couple of rounds and they really liked what I was doing, but I was just I was so inexperienced and they said, you know, let's give her time. And so I did Wedding Band singing for like a year and just kind of like was auditioning and everybody around me was booking and I was like the girl with like the 14 agent appointments and other people had like one or two and everybody else was working and like well, what's she doing? Was she a flop? Was it luck? And in a way I was like kind of it was luck like really realistically speaking and it was really heartbreaking and I felt a sense of shame because you know back then like and in a way still musical theater school is extremely competitive and can be extremely toxic and what they teach people is not healthy depending on your professor and the school you go to and so I really felt this sense of shame even though I was like, I know I can do this.

I just need the right shot and I kept getting no's but I kept going to finals and I was like every no leads me to my bigger yes, and then finally I got the call after auditioning me again to cover Elphaba on the national tour and that was my first job where I got my equity card and like the biggest learning curve of my life.

[24:00] Quincy Brown: I was going to ask you because we've spoken to a few other Elphaba's who went right into their professional career in Wicked and specifically on the road. Can you speak a little bit to what kind of learning experience that is?

[24:11] Olivia Valli: It's a combination of learning how at 22 to survive by yourself on the road like terrifying. Geez, I didn't think about that. It's a lot. It's very overwhelming like you leave everything you've known behind and you are like thrust into this world and into a machine that's already working and you're this little tiny cog that's like being put in and like suddenly you have to find friends. You have to figure out how to do your job well, if you can do the job well manage your money be responsible be safe on the road. It really felt as you're getting dropped into these cities all over the country, right?

[25:34] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah and restarting every week.

[25:36] Olivia Valli: Yeah restarting every week every month and you know, you're figuring out yourself and you're growing up too. And I think that's the thing that was the hardest is like giving myself the grace to grow up and make mistakes as a person and in the professional world, but also giving myself grace because I would see other people be people and just grow and make mistakes or thrive or do this that or the other thing and I would give them that grace but not giving myself that grace because I did this from 22 to 25 like the pivotal years that you are like forming your frontal lobe and like learning how to.

[26:07] Olivia Valli: To make everybody's lives easier through doing this and, you know, taking the self and the ego out of it and thinking about more, how can we all help each other? Because even as a cover, I understood very quickly because of joining Wicked so young that you cannot do this without anybody else. You all need each other. There is nobody more important than the next person. We are all important. And that's front of house. That's the janitors. That's the people who clean the Elphaba bathrooms every single night after they degreen. Like it is really an entire team of people to make this thing possible. And the gift is being here. Especially on tour. Especially on tour. You have to create a family, but you also have to have time for yourself and time to decompress because on tour, you're with each other all the time.

So like to say no to things is also okay. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll see you at the next event that's gonna happen in three days. Like, I'm gonna live. When you think back on your time on tour, especially just starting out on tour, is there a specific difficult lesson that you learned that you're grateful for now? The gift of patience. I wanted to be Elphaba so bad. I wanted to be bumped up to stand by so bad. But I also did my job every night, because my job was to be in the ensemble. But if I could tell younger me, and I worked really hard, and I was like, one day it's gonna happen. But when it didn't happen in my time, I was like, it's never meant to happen. It's never gonna happen. And I left being like, well, it's just never gonna happen.

But at least I got to do it. And I wish I could tell younger me that you are so young. There are so many things you have to experience. Go touch the grass. There are things outside of Wicked that are like, also equally important and magical and help shape you to get you ready. And yeah, patience of knowing that if I had been standby, like at 25, I might not have been ready. If I had been Elphaba, I might not have been ready and that everything happens perfectly in its own time.

[28:22] Kevin Bianchi: Mm hmm. Yeah. Because that first contract was your mental roadmap, kind of like, I'm going to do understudy, then I'll get bumped up to standby, and then I'll do principal.

[28:29] Olivia Valli: Absolutely. Absolutely. And so when it didn't happen like that, and the team was very much like, we want to see you be Elphaba, we want to see you be standby, like they were all rooting for me. And I would be rehearsed often. And there was a lot of conversation about it. But it just never happened. And I was like, crushed. And I think it's okay to say that. And it doesn't mean I failed. Because I still did it. No, my first job was Wicked. And I had to also learn that as well. Like, just because you don't get what you want doesn't mean you're failing. It just means like, that was your lesson. That was the gift of just being there. And that what we do is on borrowed time. And I wish and even though I was there for three years, that's a lot of borrowed time.

You know, the gift is just to be able to do it. And that so many people want to be where I'm at, as a cover. And especially now, but like, just like stop and like smell the roses and like take the time to really enjoy what you do.

[29:32] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. So how much were you going on as Elphaba in that first contract? You were there for a while?

[29:37] Olivia Valli: I was there for a while. I went on 11 times, which is a lot for an understudy.

[29:41] Kevin Bianchi: Okay.

[29:42] Olivia Valli: But I was also rehearsed often. So like, there was a point in time where I wasn't rehearsed for like three months. And I didn't go on for seven months. And I got the call to go on. And I was just like, all right. Like, this is the job. It'll be fine.

[29:55] Olivia Valli: Yeah, I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing. I, you know, you have to compartmentalize, like it's really just a rehearsal with people.

[30:02] Kevin Bianchi: Right. But was there a layer of I want to be promoted. So when I go on, I'm going to try and slay the house down so that people hopefully like me enough.

[30:11] Olivia Valli: Absolutely. There's a lot of that. I was like, I'm gonna give it my all, every option, every riff, which I was doing, doing. Like, I think my last show as Elphaba, not a single written note was sung. It was the Wicked Megamix.

[30:32] Kevin Bianchi: As you should. The Wicked Megamix.

[30:36] Olivia Valli: Yes. And it's just every option.

[30:39] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, no one can sing the melody.

[30:46] Olivia Valli: That's the rule. No melody.

[30:47] Kevin Bianchi: No melody, just vibes.

[30:52] Olivia Valli: So as an understudy, when you went on as Elphaba, was there anything surprising in terms of difficultiness? Or were you chilling?

[30:59] Olivia Valli: In a way, I was chilling. I think the biggest issue for me was blowing it out too much. Because I'm chilling. So I could just sing away, do the thing, but not conserve and think about strategically how to still slay the house down, but also keep it consistent for eight shows. And so I think that was my another big lesson is to learn how to be a smart performer and a smart musician and a smart vocalist. And that doesn't mean I'm holding anything back. It just means I am strategically doing this so that everybody is getting the same product and it's still going for it.

[31:46] Kevin Bianchi: Right, right. And that's part of that corporate theatership too, is it's like you have to be consistent. And I think that that is a word that we don't hear very much people say, but it's like that's the gig is to like consistently meet people's expectations.

[32:02] Olivia Valli: Exactly. And consistently do the job you have been asked to do by your directors, by your creatives. And how can you deliver that every single night? It's very cool to like, and I was there so I can speak from experience. It's very cool to be able to do all the things and go crazy and then do the thing. But then, you know, could I do that the next day? No, I would give it all away and then I'd go back to the ensemble and I was hoarse because I was not being smart. Now as a 30-year-old adult doing this, I can still give the options, give the riffs that are approved by the team. Emphasis on approved by the team. Okay, no one can yell at me.

[32:50] Kevin Bianchi: My favorite scenario in my imagination is like an Elphaba will send an email with a voice note attached to the music director being like, can I do this? I was thinking about this for this Saturday night. I'm feeling great. One word back, no.

[33:07] Olivia Valli: Yeah, literally. Or like the thumbs down reaction. Just a red receipt, no response. Literally. And they're like, cute. Okay.

[33:14] Kevin Bianchi: Let's talk to the higher ups about that.

[33:20] Olivia Valli: Oh my goodness. Okay, so then you did your first Wicked contract and then you went on to play Vivian in Pretty Woman. Do you feel like having that opportunity to lead a different Broadway musical prepared you to then come back as Principal Elphaba?

[33:27] Olivia Valli: A thousand percent. It is the same amount of stage time. Like, Vivian doesn't leave the stage. She leaves the stage for two minutes of the show in all of two hours and 10 minutes. Whereas Elphaba has around, like, collectively, like 15 minutes, I think.

[34:07] Kevin Bianchi: Okay.

[34:07] Olivia Valli: But somewhere close, like somewhere. Little fact check. Yeah. Correct. But it helped me learn stamina. It helped me learn how to physically be aware of my body at all times and vocally be aware of my body at all times. And also how I'm saying lines, because that's the thing that can kill you in a show. How to deliver. That's what we hear from the Elphabas, too. The yelling is what actually ruins the voice. It's the yelling. And for me, I am lucky enough to have a pretty large voice that I know how to just place it. And it's not yelling. It's just placing it a little more forward. And it sounds like it, but I'm fine.

[34:35] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah. Without adding, like, vocal tension.

[34:42] Olivia Valli: Right. Which is smart. Great. Because, like, yelling is not acting. Yelling is not storytelling.

[34:48] Kevin Bianchi: Oh, put it on a t-shirt.

[34:52] Olivia Valli: I knew that would get covered.

[34:52] Kevin Bianchi: I was waiting for the response from Kevin.

[34:52] Olivia Valli: And I have to remind myself of that. And there are ways to get emotional and to, like, explode and to do all those things without screaming. Because the minute you yell, if I hear somebody yell in real life, what? Checked out.

[35:09] Kevin Bianchi: Very emotionally mature of you, Olivia.

[35:11] Olivia Valli: Thank you. It's the jersey in me or else, you know, it gets a little weird. But I had to think about it, like, if I'm listening to someone yell the whole time, I don't care about this story. I don't care about what's happening, because now I just know that she's yelling. Now what? I'm just listening to her yell.

[35:32] Kevin Bianchi: I'm just listening to her yell and I'm listening to her sing loud. And it's like this, like, wall of sound being thrown at me for, like, two hours and 45 minutes. I think I'm good.

[35:43] Olivia Valli: Do you know what I mean? Yeah.

[35:45] Kevin Bianchi: So I had to learn. And that's also what consistency is learning how to not yell the whole time and being able to do that's what lends to consistency as well. Because if I'm yelling the whole time and singing fine, it's not going to work. So I had to learn how to give a consistent emotional story without compromising the story itself by yelling and compromising myself without yelling.

[36:11] Kevin Bianchi: How did Pretty Woman happen? What was the audition process like for Pretty Woman?

[36:15] Olivia Valli: Crazy. Let me tell you about it. It was like, everything started to open right after the pandemic. And I had like, three auditions. And I was like, this is weird. Okay, so I sent a self tape in for Kit. Yeah, I'm like belting Rodeo Drive, living my best life.

[36:37] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, that could work. Yeah.

[36:39] Olivia Valli: Yeah, sure. I have the attitude for it. Everybody's like, you have the attitude for these tough roles. I'm like, yeah, but then like, no. Like, so good and cute. Um, yeah. So I go into my callback, because I got one, lol. And I sing it out. And I'm with the team, except for Jerry. I'm with Will Van Dyke, DB Barnes, and Rusty Mowry. And they asked me to wait outside. And all of a sudden, they come out with a packet. And it's the Vivian packet. And they're like, we think you can handle this. Will you come back tomorrow? And I was like, no, I can come back the day after. They wanted me to learn three sides and three songs.

[37:24] Kevin Bianchi: Sure.

[37:24] Olivia Valli: And obviously, I'm going to memorize them, because it's the chance to leave a national tour. And I don't want to be like this the whole time. Yeah, I mean, so for saying that, thank you. I think a lot of people would be like, yeah, I'll come back this afternoon if you need me to. Yeah, and I used to be that person. And I learned that the more you advocate for yourself in those kinds of ways, like, actually, no, like, that's not really great for me. I can actually do it like this. And even in a rehearsal process, like that kind of doesn't really work for me. But how can we get there? It creates more communication. And it's not a fear based system. It's more of like a how it allows the people that I'm talking to, an opportunity for me to trust them.

And it also creates trust and a bond, even if it's two seconds of like, hey, I actually can't do that. It's a lot for me. It checks in with everybody that like, we're all people and we're all doing this, right? It reminds everyone to be like real. Yes, to be really real.

[38:25] Olivia Valli: And so I just feel like it just helps and like I'm not going to give a bad audition, you know, like that's only going to make me have a bad audition. And so I just said, like, I need the day to learn it. And they said, Absolutely. So I learned it. And it was like, I had like 12 to 17 hours to learn it all was crazy. And then so I went back and I sang it all. And then I went back the next day and had the dance call. And Jerry Mitchell was in the room. And I went in to do a work call. And then I went back to do partnering. And then I went back again, and sang for the whole team and did all the sides for the whole team. And so it was like craziest, like three to four days of my life. I have never been back to back like that.

Oh, yeah. Oh, my god. Like back to back to back. You went to pretty woman camp. Yes, boot camp. I was like, Oh, god, this is crazy. And so I then then a week later, I got the call that I booked it and I led and opened a national tour and originated a role for a national tour, which is like, the coolest thing so early on in your career, too. Yeah. Yeah. I was like, I'll take that. That's not.

[39:48] Olivia Valli: Then. Did the Wicked principal? Was it an ask? Did you go back into audition? How did that happen? Well, we initially called for Wicked Broadway. And we were like, Hey, what's going on? Gotcha. Because that would be really cool. And they said, Yeah, there's already out. And it was and we were like, Okay, and they were like, but we're actually really liking the idea of her for the tour. And at first, I was like, I don't know if I want to tour. I've been touring for Yeah, you've been touring for forever. I just realized nine years of my career, which is all of it. I have been on the road. All of my 20s. Oh, wow. Yeah. So I was like, I don't know if I want to tour and kind of over it. Yeah. And they were like, Well, have her come in.

And I was like, Well, they do like Wicked treats their people really well. I love Wicked. I grew up with Wicked like, and like, if I'm gonna leave for a tour, and it's like my swan song of touring, it's Elphaba. Yeah. You know what I mean? Right. So I said, Yeah, I'll go in. And I went in and I saw Celia at the audition. And it was me and her. And I was like, Okay. All right. Now what? And so I went in and I had like a half hour to 45 minute work session with Dan Michique and Lisa Guio. And it was on Valentine's Day. I said, Happy Valentine's Day to me getting matcha latte leaving. And a week later, I got the offer to be Elphaba. And I couldn't stop crying. Like every time I would talk about it. And I didn't really want to talk about it. Because you know, I wanted to keep it on the down low. Because be chill.

[41:36] Olivia Valli: Yeah, be chill. Because also, like, I know that like, I don't want to talk about it too much, or I'm going to get too overwhelmed. So I was like, Okay, we'll keep it chill. We'll keep it chill. But every time I was like, What are you up to? I was like, I'm gonna be Elphaba. But did it feel overwhelming after covering it for so long, and then also leading another tour? In my mind, it feels like it'd be perfect timing to then go and lead the Wicked Tour as Elphaba. In a way, I was like, Okay, I'm ready. I know how to do this. I know how to lead a tour. Right. But then going back to it, like, so much had changed in five to six years of Wicked and how they want to do Elphaba. And I was like, we're all really ragging on the fact that I did this once or twice, because this is a lot. Oh, my God.

[42:27] Olivia Valli: Yeah. Wait, talk a little bit more about the differences that you were noticing in when you returned. A lot of music differences. They really wanted acting first, which, obviously, we love. Yeah. Musically, not as many riffs anymore. And I was okay with that, because it lends to storytelling. And I think that it's amazing to have the mega mix of Wicked. But at Wicked, at its core, it is an incredible story. And it's layered, and it's deep, it's emotional. And so there is power in just like adding what works for the singer best. And sometimes it's not 85 million riffs. It is like holding the one riff and then like, you know, telling the incredible story or holding the lines or seeing how the dynamics in a song change for an Elphaba and how they elevate it through their storytelling.

[43:21] Olivia Valli: Yeah, because I think ultimately, what makes Wicked work is that what's on the page is so good. Yes. Right. The page does the work for you. Right. The extra is like the little razzle dazzle. And everything else is really just like so strong to begin with. The blocking didn't really change. A couple of blocking things changed. But a lot of story for me changed and how they wanted it because I had done it for so long. They really wanted to shake me up and like not have me like be on autopilot. So we it's really good. It was really helpful. And leading a tour and having life experiences allowed me to shake it up because I wasn't a kid anymore. I am now a woman doing this. And I can tell this from a younger perspective, which is like a lot of Act One and now me now as a woman in Act Two, having seen the celebrations and the heartbreaks of life and seeing how people can let you down and seeing how you can forgive and how you can allow yourself to love.

And it was really great because Celia and I had three weeks of working with Lisa. And it was like, she's such a wealth of knowledge. The whole team is like there's just 20 years of knowledge and they know how to take every single actor and go, okay, this is what's going to work for you. They just like see it the minute you run on stage at this point. It's like it's really a skill like that's really fascinating. It's just like, and I mean, every department, every director, every everything is just like so, so good. And it's amazing to watch them like work and like be able to say like this works for you and that works for you. Like they just make it magical.

[45:13] Olivia Valli: Yeah. How would you describe your portrayal of Elphaba first contract versus second contract? How has it evolved? Personally, it went from a lot of having to prove myself a lot of looking for validation, a lot of like, I can do all the riffs. I can do everything. I can do this. I can do this. And feeling like maybe there's a time where I can do this to now knowing that I can and that I don't need the validation. I'm the second understudy in history to go from understudy to lead and bypass standby. Only me. Who is the first? Educate us.

[45:51] Olivia Valli: Work. Wow. We are the only two people in history to have done it. That's fabulous. I'm obsessed with that. It's so cool. Okay, wait, I do wonder though, I do think, are we forgetting Casey Levy in this? Was she ever a cover? She was Broadway understudy, and then she went to LA lead. Was she a standby in the middle of that, though? She might have been. I think she was a standby. That will actually fact check because I'm curious. Regardless, it's a small club.

[46:22] Olivia Valli: It's a sleigh regardless. To be one of three or one of two is like, unbelievable. Yeah. And those three are great names. Like to walk amongst giants. I feel like that all the time. I wear like Lindsay Pierce's defying gravity dress. Does she know that? Yeah. I've had so many of the witches through my time covering and through now, just be so helpful. And Lindsay said this thing to me. She's like, I will literally be holding you as you sing this. And I was like, I am too emotional for this. And I'm wearing all of my understudy boots. So like there is also and they crossed out grounded in that. Yeah. There's also that foundation of like, I am literally wearing the foundation of my hard work every single night.

It's really cool. Like you can see 16 gently scratched out and just one because we all have numbers for laundry. And so I just see that every single show before the start of the show and before the start of act two. And I'm like, I literally did what I wanted to do. I could cry. I like talking about this is so emotional. It's so many years of dreaming about this so many years of like walking back like coming back to Wicked and being like, I know these halls. I know these boxes. I know these people. But so much has changed. And I have also changed. How fucking cool is this?

[47:53] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah.

[47:54] Quincy Brown: Yeah. It's wild. It's really wild.

[47:56] Olivia Valli: Well, yeah. So did you have any healthy mentors who you really leaned on for advice throughout your process? Could be first contract, second contract? First contract, a lot of it was Mary Kate Morrissey and Jessica Vosk. A lot of it. Jackie Burns coached me on my material for my audition. So Jackie Burns is in there. Oh, really? And then now, obviously, Lissa, we still text, we still check in. Like, I love her. I love her. Lindsay and I will talk and she offers me advice. Also MK still we still talk Alyssa and I talk. Alyssa Fox and I talk and Jessica still like it really is this sisterhood. And there's also like, I really appreciate that all of them came to me first being like, I know you've done this.

But there's also this mutual understanding of even though I've done it once or twice, like, I'm still learning so much all the time. Like, I'm finally learning what's working for me in week seven of doing this. And they say it takes two months to figure it out. And now I finally have my groove. And so.

[49:06] Olivia Valli: Yeah, like, what were your major hurdles having to do it every day now? Oh, the shock of my body, like physically doing this, like, being able to take care of my body, seeing where there's tension in my body to get rid of it, so that I can deliver vocally being a technician, like putting it in first gear, putting it in third back in second and back. Yeah, like, knowing how to maneuver it every single day was really hard. It really is just a shock to the body because it's so intense, you have to be an Olympian to do it. Like anybody who covers stands by or is Elphaba or Glinda, like you really are just like this mathematician in your head. You're this athlete every single day. Like, I like have like salt supplements to replenish my salt levels because you need that in order to recover your tissue, which also helps your voice.

Like, I have like, look at you scientist, the science sciences around here. Like, you have like, you have like your nutrition, and then you have your supplements, and then you have the things you can and cannot do. So like in colder cities, I won't go out because the cold will zap everything out of me. But in hotter cities, like I can go out on a Sunday night and have a really good time and be chilling. You know, for me also, lifting weights and running really helped. Because you have to get your body warmed up, especially for a two show day. I'm like running on the treadmill before a two show day. It just helps. And I like don't feel zapped of energy. I'm just like, ready to go. And then when I do Wicked, I'm like, well, I just ran.

So like running is harder to me. Because I'm not a runner. But all of a sudden, I am. It's crazy. So I think like, going back to your last question about like how now my Elphaba has changed. There's just more of a developed story because there's so much knowledge. Do you feel like is there something to getting the physicality?

[51:14] Olivia Valli: I think it's about being under control that allows you to focus more on the acting of it all.

[51:44] Olivia Valli: You have to remember to like put your chest up and also like keep your spine straight and you can't have your hips be compromised. So once that becomes muscle memory, smooth sailing. But you have to be that physically aware, like holding the broom. If your forearm gets too tense, all of this gets too tense because then your biceps are tense, your traps are tense, and then your throat is tense. Yeah, so it's for me being so acutely aware of my body at all times to be like, oh okay, I can deliver this eight times a week. And then now since it's muscle memory, I'm like I can do the things I want, I can sing the things I want, and I can be running and I'm good. So I just have a more full-bodied Elphaba now.

[52:33] Quincy Brown: Before you started this principal contract, was there something that in your head you were like going into this, I want my Elphaba, I want to make sure I check this box with my Elphaba?

[52:38] Olivia Valli: I really wanted to make sure that you could see Elphaba's overwhelming power throughout the whole thing. And because she has this overwhelming power, you're watching somebody overcome their own fear of themselves because everybody has told them that they are not enough. I really wanted my Elphaba to be more nuanced. There are specific things like I'll look at my hands sometimes in the show and it's not because I'm like I'm so powerful. It's either I can't believe Madame Morrible touched my disgusting hands that everybody has deemed awful or like my, who would I, or like I'm not that girl. I'll look at my hands because I'm like I can't believe I touched his face. My hands are not worthy of that. And then in act two, I barely look at them because now I know that I am worthy and I am powerful.

[53:42] Kevin Bianchi: Oh my god, I love that.

[53:49] Olivia Valli: A lot of nuance, a lot of like watching somebody become so overwhelmingly powerful and then know when to step away, right? And allow the sacrifice of, you know, what has happened to me cannot happen to my best friend. And now I have to, we all have to live with this now, but other people can also be powerful in their own ways now and change things for good in a different way, in ways that I couldn't. And that I've done enough and surrendering is not weakness, it is also power. So like in "No Good Deed," when she says, "All right, enough, so be it," then it's like, fine, I am wicked, but also I'm done. Right? Yeah, stalemate, I'm done. The plan is in motion, I'm leaving, I cannot do this anymore.

[54:39] Quincy Brown: Wow, damn, Olivia.

[54:46] Kevin Bianchi: Okay, so I do feel like this is a natural segue to the question: are you a wizard in "Defying Gravity" or "No Good Deed" Elphaba? And it can mean whatever you want it to mean. All we ask is that you explain why.

[54:50] Olivia Valli: I am a "No Good Deed" Elphaba, always have been, always will be. Why? You know, one, if we're going to talk like the one that's the most comfiest for me, "No Good Deed" vocally. But I also have always known since I was younger because of my life experiences that sometimes everything you do cannot be good enough for somebody. And I know what betrayal feels like, I know what heartbreak feels like, I know what loss feels like in a way that is so intense that you don't know what to do with yourself anymore. I also think that for me that is the song that is like Elphaba's true power because "Defying Gravity" is her discovery of her true power, right? So "No Good Deed" is everything that encompasses her and the moral questions we ask when we do help people and it doesn't work out.

Did I do this for me? Is this a savior complex? Am I really a good person? Like those reflective thoughts that we have. Yeah, I've always resonated with that because I always want to be a better version of myself no matter what. And also just I think those are the questions we should ask people: are you actually nice or are you good? Because there's a difference. And it's "No Nice Deed," it's "No Good Deed" because anybody can be nice, but people don't know how to handle good.

[56:19] Quincy Brown: The lines are dropping in this episode, Olivia.

[56:25] Kevin Bianchi: I know, come on BFA.

[56:32] Quincy Brown: Wow, okay, work. We've literally been frantically typing things that you've been saying into this crazy town.

[56:35] Kevin Bianchi: Oh my goodness, Olivia, this has been so much fun. Thank you for coming on.

[56:43] Olivia Valli: Awesome, truly you have dropped wisdom in this episode.

[56:51] Quincy Brown: I know, thank you.

[56:57] Kevin Bianchi: Confucius, Miss Olivia Valli.

[57:05] Olivia Valli: Not Confucius.

[57:13] Kevin Bianchi: Do you know Confucius?

[57:20] Olivia Valli: Yeah, I know Confucius. I don't know how big of a deal, what a name to pull out.

[57:28] Quincy Brown: Oh my god. But I do agree, Olivia was giving like grandmother willow, like wise old sage just casually dropping insane lines that belong on a pillow.

[57:40] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, like but also like deeply profound thoughts that she has had about this show and this role. I had such a good time talking to her.

[57:44] Olivia Valli: Yeah, me too. It is really crazy to think about how long she has been on the road.

[57:55] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, I would hate that.

[58:01] Olivia Valli: But I do imagine you get to a point where like you have it down and you can start to like, if that's your normal life, then I imagine you can build a life on top of touring.

[58:05] Kevin Bianchi: Yeah, it's so exhausting though. Like anyone I know who tours has just been like, it's so hard because it's like yes, you can build the foundation of like, you know how you operate on a travel day and like what your routine is and all of that. But then like all of the elements about your job are changing every right two weeks. Like you're learning it in a new space and you're like dealing with different weather and different allergies and your dresser is changing every two weeks. And like it's, yeah, you have to be so, it's like on the road you almost have to be able to teach other people how to help you.

[58:28] Olivia Valli: Yeah.

[58:34] Kevin Bianchi: On the flip side, I could also see that being a positive because I think something I'm learning about myself is that I really can't live the same day over and over again and I need some sort of variation day to day in order to feel like life is worth living. That got very heavy at the tail end of that, but I do think that's a very healthy realization to have.

[59:02] Quincy Brown: Wow, anyway, are you okay?

[59:04] Kevin Bianchi: I'm great.

[59:07] Quincy Brown: Okay, yelling is not acting. That to me was the first line of hers that got me good. Once she said that, I was leaned in. I was like, okay, she's got punch lines and she's got pearls of wisdom.

[59:14] Kevin Bianchi: We're on like a slight delay, so as soon as she said it, I was like, oh, Kevin's gonna react to that. And I looked at you and you hadn't reacted yet, but then you did.

[59:19] Quincy Brown: It's so good. It's like, I wish everybody got told that. That should be a merch item: "Yelling is not acting." Do we have to give her a cut?

[59:27] Kevin Bianchi: Well, no, don't make the merch something somebody else said.

[59:32] Quincy Brown: That's Olivia Valli merch.

[59:35] Kevin Bianchi: It's such a nugget of wisdom. But yeah, and I love what she had to say about like sometimes the power comes from in the softness and sometimes, you know, it's the introspective moments that hold the most weight and using that as a way to keep the audience's attention because you're bringing them up and down emotionally. It was really nice to kind of geek out on the acting of it all with her. It's been a minute since we recorded these episodes, so we've been a little bit out of practice, but to kind of delve in in that way felt really good.

[1:00:03] Quincy Brown: It did feel good. It was good for my heart. I loved when she was talking about the ripple effect of the physicality of the role, like the one example she gave about like if she's tensing her forearm while she's holding the broom, that tenseness can travel all the way up and affect her throat. And it's like we hear so many people say like the role is so hard physically and you have to be in great shape and you have to really know your body, but to hear it about how much it resonates and how it's like even something that you don't even think of as a physical element that would affect your voice because you're not huffing and puffing holding that broom, but the intensity of it can affect your voice. I just thought that was really interesting to hear her take that idea kind of a level deeper.

[1:01:12] Kevin Bianchi: I also thought "surrendering is not weakness" is like the perfect way to describe "No Good Deed." Yeah, we've heard other ladies that we've talked to describe it similarly, but the way she distilled it into that phrase resonated with me a lot.

[1:01:23] Quincy Brown: Me too, me too, because I think it also removes a layer of, I think one way you could play "No Good Deed" is to play it as like Elphaba is leaning into being the villain, into the bit, into right, into the identity that has been put on her. But to make the opposite choice that it's like you're surrendering, then that kind of takes away that layer of it and it's like I'm just removing myself, like you all do what you're gonna do, I'm just done. Like that this is a decision I'm making for myself that like I don't need to prove this to you anymore. And it almost like takes it out of that villain space and more into like she was saying, like a totally powerful moment for her too.

[1:02:10] Kevin Bianchi: God, I loved how thoughtful she is about this role and she was so chill about how thoughtful she was too. Like she would just like say something super insightful through her and we'd both be like, whoa.

[1:02:29] Quincy Brown: Before we go, of course, just gotta say if you enjoyed the show today, please rate us on whatever platform you're listening to. Extra points if you give a review, extra extra points if you tell a friend. And we would really appreciate it because every little bit helps the pod get bigger and better. So we will catch you next time, and that is all I have to say for today. Goodbye, Quincy.

[1:03:00] Kevin Bianchi: Bye.

[1:03:05] Quincy Brown: You've been listening to Sentimental Men from Theaterly. This episode was produced by Quincy Brown, Kevin Bianchi, and the team at Theaterly. Thanks to Anthony Abitangelo, the most swankified podcast editor in town, and another thanks to Micaela Reynolds for making us look downright osmopolitan in our new key art, and to Julia Dimarzo for our logo design. If you want to get in touch, send us an email. We love to hear from you. You can reach us at sentmenpod@theaterly.com. That's T-H-E-A-T-R-E-L-Y. You can also connect with us across social media on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at sentmenpod. Thanks for tuning in. Till next time, I'm Quincy.

[1:03:54] Kevin Bianchi: And I'm Kevin.

[1:03:57] Quincy Brown: The heart of the ocean, is that a Titanic reference? That's the necklace.