This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jeff Kready: Hi, I'm Jeff.

[0:01] Lexi Rabadi: I'm Lexi.

[0:02] Amanda Jill Robinson: And I'm Amanda. We're a part of Operation Mincemeat. And you're listening to The Art of Kindness.

[0:05] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to The Art of Kindness, where we have compassionate conversations with artists from all areas of the entertainment industry who are using their voice to spread joy and make this big spinning planet in the universe a better place to be. I'm Robert Peterpaul, and I'm so glad you're here.

[0:22] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, friends. Today, I am in the Welcome to Times Square studio. And I'm so delighted to welcome three brilliant performers from Broadway's wildly inventive and Tony Award-winning hit Operation Mincemeat. Amanda Jill Robinson is an actor, musician, writer, arranger, and co-creator of the comedy duo podcast, Learning Through Laughter. Jeff Kready is a Broadway veteran whose credits include The Great Gatsby, Company, Les Misérables, Billy Elliot, and most recently, The Phantom in Masquerade, which I still got to see. And Lexi made the leap from meat pies in Sweeney Todd to Operation Mincemeat. Together, they bring one of the most surprising true stories of World War Two to life eight times a week. Well, some do seven. You'll hear more about that later. Without further ado, let's chat with the outstanding cast of Operation Mincemeat, powered by Welcome to Times Square.

[1:49] Robert Peterpaul: What if it was a surprise ASMR podcast? That's the only way to do that.

[1:53] Jeff Kready: If you're up late enough on TikTok, that's all you see.

[1:58] Amanda Jill Robinson: It's been a long time.

[2:02] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, let it rip.

[2:02] Jeff Kready: Oh, it kind of does it for me. I don't know about mouth sounds.

[2:09] Amanda Jill Robinson: I don't know about the mouth sounds.

[2:18] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, friends. I'm coming to you live from the Welcome to Times Square studio. And you guessed it, the heart of Times Square with folks that were born to lead. Let's mincemeat today's guest. Sorry, I went there. The stars of Operation Mincemeat. Welcome.

[2:33] Jeff Kready: Thank you.

[2:34] Lexi Rabadi: Hoping for a pun.

[2:35] Amanda Jill Robinson: And you nailed it.

[2:40] Robert Peterpaul: That should be your Instagram bio. Hoping for a pun.

[2:47] Robert Peterpaul: Jeff, Amanda, and Lexi, for the sake of audio listeners, I thought we could do a little round robin, if you wouldn't mind, just please going around introducing yourselves, saying who you play in the show, and then just casually like the usual introduction, share your definition of kindness.

[3:06] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, the usual. Yeah. Like what kindness means to you. So, I mean, I'm at the top of the alphabet. I am. I am. Thanks, Mom. I'm Amanda Jill Robinson. I play Colonel Bevan and others, many others. And gosh, to me, kindness, it is a selfless act of connection from the heart, like an offering of connection, but from the heart.

[3:24] Robert Peterpaul: That was beautiful. Thank you.

[3:25] Lexi Rabadi: Wow. Almost as beautiful as Lexi's shirt.

[3:27] Amanda Jill Robinson: Lexi's shirt, that's a heart. It's kind of epitomizing that definition.

[3:31] Lexi Rabadi: Thank you, Keith Haring. This shirt was also a gift. So I feel like kindness is energetically woven into its fabric.

[3:37] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, I love that. Yes, gift giving.

[3:41] Lexi Rabadi: What do you want to go next?

[3:42] Amanda Jill Robinson: Well, sure. My name is Lexi Rabadi. I am a standby over at Mincemeat. I cover Jean Leslie and others, many others, Colonel Bevan and others and you and Montague and others. Kindness. It's a dream job. Kindness. I feel like kindness has to begin with true, capital P, presence. And true presence can't help but blossom into empathy, I feel. And kindness is like empathy actualized. It makes me think of that beautiful word, sonder.

[4:19] Jeff Kready: That is, I love that word.

[4:20] Lexi Rabadi: It's probably a big Scrabble word. It's just a pretty one. And I love what it means. It's like when you look at a stranger, like someone across from you on the subway, and you're suddenly struck by and overwhelmed by the understanding that their life is just as rich and nuanced and complex and whole and unknowable and valuable as your own. And I feel like when that extension of self and consideration of other transcends your own inner world and influences the way you operate in the world we all share, that is true kindness. It's like a mode of operation or a level of consciousness.

[5:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: Operation kindness.

[5:05] Jeff Kready: Operation kindness.

[5:06] Lexi Rabadi: Come on, with the wordplay. You're killing me.

[5:10] Amanda Jill Robinson: That was beautiful.

[5:11] Jeff Kready: Oh, thank you.

[5:12] Lexi Rabadi: I will do a deep dive of sonder in the root of it when I get home or possibly on the train, maybe right now. No, because I need to hear Jeff's, my friend.

[5:20] Jeff Kready: Hi, I'm Jeff Kready. I play Hester Leggett and others. And I think that kindness is a generosity of spirit, isn't it? It's like an openness. And I really like, yeah, tying that to empathy. It's knowing that others have needs and trying to fulfill those needs. So I love that we're here talking about it and connecting it to the arts. It's wonderful.

[5:41] Robert Peterpaul: It's so beautiful. Thanks for being here. I'm so excited. I saw the show last week and I am obsessed. It was so good. I don't know how you keep it all in your big, beautiful brain. It was hilarious. And then the touching moments really took me by surprise, threw me around. And then I came back and I laughed again. Thank you for entertaining me. Thank you for sharing your definitions of kindness.

[6:04] Robert Peterpaul: I thought just to kind of level set for those listening at home that maybe don't know the show and were living under a rock like me. Who here do you think could give us the shortest log line, the shortest, most accurate log line in the least word count?

[6:26] Jeff Kready: Is this a competition?

[6:27] Robert Peterpaul: I don't know. It's kind of turning into that on The Art of Kindness.

[6:32] Amanda Jill Robinson: Famously, Operation Mincemeat is a true story, a World War Two story about a real-life operation that took place that tried to trick Hitler into moving troops from an important area to an unimportant area. And that is what the story of our show is about. It was a successful operation that you wouldn't believe it. Now, if you read it, you think it was made up.

[6:49] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, but it really did happen. And we are honored and privileged to tell that story.

[6:54] Jeff Kready: We try our best.

[6:55] Amanda Jill Robinson: You succeed.

[6:56] Jeff Kready: That was great.

[6:57] Amanda Jill Robinson: You succeeded in that intro.

[6:58] Jeff Kready: Yeah, well done.

[6:59] Amanda Jill Robinson: That's good. You didn't give anything away.

[7:00] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, yeah, true. That covers it without really covering. And there's a lot of stuff from this zany story that's not even in the show.

[7:06] Jeff Kready: It's true. There were things that were so wild that if it was included, no one would believe it, even though it's already it's pretty unbelievable.

[7:13] Amanda Jill Robinson: I mean, the Ian Fleming thing right at the top, you're sort of like, oh, I need like Ian Fleming really wasn't.

[7:20] Jeff Kready: He really was.

[7:21] Amanda Jill Robinson: Sure.

[7:22] Jeff Kready: It's so wild.

[7:23] Amanda Jill Robinson: Sure as heck. I love that. I might be stealing that.

[7:26] Jeff Kready: Please do.

[7:27] Amanda Jill Robinson: I love it.

[7:28] Jeff Kready: The other people that were involved were split lip and then they split. They got out of here. They took New York City by storm with this show after being in the UK, obviously. And I'm curious about the process of you all then coming in, because it was this big announcement. There's a lot of fanfare surrounding the new American cast of this beloved ensemble. I guess, Jeff, to start, was there any sort of callback chemistry read in the room? Because you all work so well together. But I know there's no time for that.

[8:00] Jeff Kready: No, there wasn't for us. Some of the cast members like Amanda will tell you was they were already here. They had been involved with the production already. I was one that was not.

[8:06] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah.

[8:07] Jeff Kready: But it was having the writers in the room for this audition. That was a little nerve-wracking because, you know, they were doing the show at night and then there they were in our audition and to walk in and do the material that they had been working on for the past decade. That was quite nerve-wracking.

[8:19] Amanda Jill Robinson: But I can imagine it was really, really cool to have them there and their feedback. And they were so generous in the way they handed the show off to us. I've never seen anything like that on Broadway. You know, normally you try and keep it real quiet when the original cast goes away. But this was so generous and there was so much fanfare. It was wonderful.

[8:37] Lexi Rabadi: It was a celebration.

[8:38] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah. Oh, I love that. Well, Lexi, did they give you any overall advice on making the roles your own? Because I know you were there, Amanda. So I'm sure you got some advice as well. But what did they say? Because replacing is so hard. But this almost felt like it was still original. It just wasn't was a new group of originals coming in.

[9:00] Lexi Rabadi: Yes. I felt I don't know how you felt, Jeff, but I felt very liberated to do service to the piece, but kind of use myself as the instrument to do so. And inherently me as the instrument, as the vessel that is going to be my own without having to try to make it my own, if that makes sense. But they really were generous is a perfect word for it when it comes to sort of letting the piece live on beyond them.

[9:30] Jeff Kready: Yeah.

[9:31] Lexi Rabadi: And I think, well, I think, Amanda, you have such a different experience because you were on stage with them as writer and co-star. But for us, I just felt this amazing amount of respect and also that they were just ready to sort of lovingly hand it off.

[9:47] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, I love that. Lovingly hand it off. Well, how did you view that generosity, Amanda? Because you kind of have this unique perspective where you saw it happen.

[10:00] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yes. I mean, it was beautiful to be a part of and to watch. It's always, you know, they were so generous. They were so encouraging. You know, working with them as an understudy last year, you know, we're doing our best to honor their choices and their work so that when we do, you know, rotate on, we're able to keep that standard and that, you know, those stakes that they've masterfully created. I just can't even believe that that even happened. It is mincemeat. But so then being given the gift of stepping into the role and having the permission to kind of shed whatever sort of, you know, fantastic scarves we may have adorned metaphorically and make it our own, it was great. And then the send off in the switch, it was unbelievable.

[11:00] Jeff Kready: I almost didn't go to the audition for this show because when I first got the appointment, I knew that I was so different from Jack, you know, typewise. And I knew that I couldn't do what Jack did, you know? So I told my agent, I was like, I don't think that this job is probably mine. And I think I don't want to waste anybody's time. And he was like, no, no, no, they're open to other interpretations. You should go. And they really were. I knew that I always tell like college kids, this kind of thing, just go in and do the best version that you can do. But this was like the first time that I really listened to that advice.

[12:00] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah, trying to do what somebody else had already done.

[12:01] Jeff Kready: Because you see, you see what's been created and what it is. And you're like, well, gosh, I mean, that's not me. Or I would do this differently, or it sounds different in my voice. But it didn't that didn't matter. You know, like our vessels can tell any story. And this show allows so many different kinds of people to slip into these roles. Because I mean, what he had, who knows how Ian Fleming was when he was creating his people?

[12:30] Amanda Jill Robinson: What is it a half demon half showgirl sound like as a spills resistant, you know, anyone can step into it.

[12:36] Robert Peterpaul: So you're touching on something that I find interesting as an actor, which is making choices, because we hear that note a lot. And I think it's never fully explained. And it means something different to everybody, right?

[12:48] Jeff Kready: Yeah.

[12:49] Robert Peterpaul: Making a choice to me could be a perspective to someone else that could be putting on a funny hat. And that just is the choice. What do you each think making a choice is as people that are playing so many different characters in one show?

[13:02] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, my gosh. I think this piece is like such a treasure trove for making choices. It's so fertile. And it's impossible to read it to see it to play inside of it and not have the spark of impulse of choice. And I think it can go either direction with this one. Like, you can kind of go outside in or inside out, because there's so much physical comedy. And you can just see how, you know, lifting an elbow really high informs that character, or like squatting really low or whatever that is.

[13:51] Robert Peterpaul: There's so much permission is such a beautiful word, Amanda, to play and explore with that and see how it impacts you. And then Inside Out, there's so many beautiful resonant messages and themes that are almost impossible not to relate to and to bring yourself to and to allow that to kind of be like, unfolded from within. There's definitely a vehicle, some of those lines. Yeah. Inside of it. Oh, yeah. And the sneaky themes. I mean, you might come to the show to laugh and maybe experience history in a fun way. But there's so many great themes that come across as, to me, acts of kindness. And I think one great act of kindness in the theater is when an understudy or a standby goes on, and everybody has to sort of rally around them.

I wonder if either of you and of course, you experienced it on the other side can share maybe an act of kindness that happened to you during I mean, my what I'm beating around the bush here is the mishap stories. I mean, when something went wrong, what was sort of the act of kindness that you feel like lifted you up if anything comes to mind? Has anything ever gone wrong on stage?

[14:53] Jeff Kready: Never, not one time ever before. No, I mean, it's pretty flawless. It's pretty fail proof.

[14:59] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah, this show. No, there's so many things that can go wrong. I mean, just let's do it. Oh, Sunday, when the oh my god, the tarp fell down. Oh, it was a big reveal of kind of a magic trick in some way. And it's funny because two places at once about 600 times at least. And that was the first time that's never happened before thing had happened like the staircase bar. It Yeah, it was it was that tarp. When you're going on to the dock, we were on together and we could not get on that set to get it was in slow motion. We were watching in slow motion. And there's nothing to be done. There's nothing. And you just saw the tarp just float to the ground. And then revealing all of the magic happening behind me.

And we were laughing and I was like, what is happening right now? I'm kind of leaning talk about choices, leaning into the new choice. In that scene, Charlie, one of the other characters is embarrassing himself. And typically, our characters play this sort of like, what the heck is this guy talking about? A little jaded a little but that night we were so amused so hard that we had to play it. Yeah, this guy was talking to the crate and like what? So it brought a whole new color and I'll never forget that. The audience loved it, too.

[16:23] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, yeah. And I think that makes me think of kind of an act of kindness around mishaps and in general is laughter. And especially in this show, we are within reason, of course. Yes. Kind of allowed to laugh at those moments and like lean into them. And there's an awareness. I feel like the audience, they're just here for the ride. And I mean, they're radical acts of kindness for towards us when something does go wrong. I mean, they just embrace it. I feel like it fuels them even more. And, you know, the whole room's level of glee is like through the roof. We need that. So then you're like, fine, great. What else can happen? You know, it brings relief with the instant forgiveness, instant forgiveness.

[17:11] Jeff Kready: I was just going to say, Jeffrey, that's what you have to have in a show like ours that goes so fast. If something doesn't go 100 percent, then you have to just instant forgiveness. You've got to let it go. That's the only way because there's five things that are going to happen in the next second.

[17:20] Amanda Jill Robinson: Well, that's so true. And that's a skill I think a lot of performers forget, is that even in an audition, when something goes wrong, a lot of casting directors and directors want to see that because they want to see how you're going to recover, especially in a show like this. I mean, if you then stood there like really upset about the tarp and were like, God, like, damn it, that tarp, like everything's ruined. And that impacts the rest of the show. That to me is ego. You can't kind of like release your ego of the shame of that moment. But kind of like being able to lovingly poke at it, shine light at it, give a giggle, say whoopsie daisy and move on.

[17:59] Lexi Rabadi: Give a giggle. That was silly, wasn't it? You have some great phrases today. I mean, you all are. I think that's so true. I wonder just to kind of like get into this acts of kindness flow here. I have a silly flash round. It is called Operation Kindness. I didn't totally make that up when I said it before. I'm going to say a phrase. Please respond with the first answer that pops into your head in a fast fashion. OK, OK. Yes, there's no timer. Are we going in like an order?

[18:28] Jeff Kready: Yeah, we could start.

[18:31] Lexi Rabadi: We'll see what happens. It's very it's I don't know what it is. I made it up. So it's probably silly. I know my heart is. I can't read. Act of kindness from a crew member.

[18:42] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, Eric, hiding things, hiding props, which doesn't sound like an act of kindness, but actually it makes our day.

[18:49] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, I love that favorite prop that was hidden. Can you show it out over here?

[18:53] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, I said it was a flash round. Oh, OK. It's it's the it's the latch that that Monty has to take on the blackboard. Anyway, it's a very specific latch and he hides it every night and Julia has to find it. It's a great game.

[19:10] Jeff Kready: That is the best. I love it. Keeps you on your toes. OK. Act of kindness from a co-star that you've received.

[19:17] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, the first thing that comes to my mind is I was going on a little mini vacation and I came up to my dressing room after the show and our co-worker and friend Robert had left a little sweet Post-it note with a chocolate truffle that just said, enjoy Dave Matthews. And I was going to a Dave Matthews concert and it's not an onstage act of kindness, but it's just kind of like an extension of that friendship and thoughtfulness, you know, just such a sweet widowed being.

[19:46] Amanda Jill Robinson: Well, there's research that shows not to geek out that those little things are actually what matter the most. It's not just written on a home goods pillow. OK. Act of kindness from an audience member.

[19:54] Lexi Rabadi: From an audience member. Could be like a stage door. It could be a stage door. Oh, yes. OK. Last year. No, this year. Gosh, what are the months? In January, right before there was the changeover, I had gone almost the entire year without performing Jean, which was my second cover track. I was Bevan and then Jean and then Monty. And I was like, that'll never happen. I'm the colonel. The colonel's in the basement and Jean's a sprandle. That'll never happen. I was terrified. And then it happened. I got the call and they wound up going on for seven shows and I was so nervous. But I was completely shocked at the one of the first stage door experiences doing that track was this group of young middle school girls who came with a school trip.

They were almost in tears and they just said how much they were moved by this like girl power. Go get them. Stick it to the man. Kind of spit fiery character that I got to play. And that I mean, that doesn't happen when you're playing the colonel. So I was just shocked by that kind of visceral, immediate response by like the kinds of young, youthful future of America that like needs to see this the most beautiful.

[21:10] Amanda Jill Robinson: And that was my first time seeing the show. The first time I saw it was her first performance on as Jean. In my mind, she's Jean. I was so beautiful.

[21:16] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, that was a trip. That's wild. It goes back to what you said, that we can all be vessels for all different stories. You're my Jean. So yeah, that's wild.

[21:29] Jeff Kready: OK, pick up the pace here. We're gonna just throw some at you.

[21:34] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, yeah, that wasn't fast at all.

[21:40] Jeff Kready: Oh my God. It was molasses. It's just because there's a lot of us today. So I'm trying to sleep. It was beautiful. I love it.

[21:44] Robert Peterpaul: For each of you, just throw out a word. What do you think makes a kind leader? Because the show has a lot to do with grace.

[21:53] Amanda Jill Robinson: Humility.

[21:54] Jeff Kready: What's the word for listening skills?

[21:56] Lexi Rabadi: Listening skills.

[21:57] Jeff Kready: Auditorially advanced and empathetic.

[22:05] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah. Beauty, grace.

[22:12] Lexi Rabadi: And now we're not even about kindness. Now is the squiggle on the poster really referencing Hitler?

[22:20] Jeff Kready: Yes.

[22:21] Lexi Rabadi: Yes. That's wild. Do newts fear death?

[22:23] Jeff Kready: No, I hope not.

[22:25] Lexi Rabadi: No, no, I don't think so.

[22:31] Jeff Kready: I pray that they don't win.

[22:38] Amanda Jill Robinson: Well, one of the acts of kindness for audience members, again, seeing the show are the sneaky themes, I think. And underneath all the hilarity, there's such a theme of identity, which we touched on. Y'all have a lot of identities in this show. And I'm wondering, speaking of rapid speed, sometimes you're switching characters so fast. I wonder if you all have any shortcuts you could share into a new character? Like, is there a certain word, a phrase, a physicality that kind of snaps you each into a character?

[23:01] Jeff Kready: One thing that we talked about in rehearsal was figuring out where the character carries their center of gravity. And especially early on, when we were trying to navigate these quick changes, it was about, OK, I know where I don't necessarily even remember what my next line is, but I know where my gravity is going next. If it's here or if it's here or if it's here. And that helped me so much in these rapid, quick changes.

[23:32] Lexi Rabadi: Wow. Yeah, that's brilliant. That's probably helpful, too, if you're just rehearsing in a rehearsal room as an understudy. Sometimes maybe only with the stage manager. I don't know.

[23:38] Amanda Jill Robinson: Absolutely. I'm sure all those levels help you kind of place the lines. Yeah. Physicality, faces, voices. And another thing that they talked about was the scale at which we are playing per character, like the kind of core five rests at a more human scale. It's a little elevated, but it's more accessible. And all the others, the crazy ones like the half demon, half showgirl, for example, is probably at a 10, a peak 10 as far as, like, cartoonism goes. And that's very helpful, too, I find.

[24:13] Jeff Kready: Yeah. The less time that we have with those characters in order to make them memorable, you've got to have that kind of extreme, almost like a flashbulb.

[24:19] Lexi Rabadi: Yes. Visual image.

[24:24] Jeff Kready: And it is different when you're playing real people. You know, it's different when you're doing a show that's entirely make-believe. You don't feel the same sense of responsibility that they feel, I think, in our show, because these are real people with real lives. And while we do play some of them as caricatures, it's all a means to an end for the story. It's never making fun of. It's all in service of telling the story in a fun way, in a memorable way so that this story can live on. But ultimately, it is a responsibility and it's an honor to get to play real people.

[25:01] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah. Well said. And it's interesting, too, because the show grapples with that acknowledgment of identity in such an interesting way. In the end, it's like the Loud Monty's versus the folks like Hester, who even when putting the show together, they couldn't find enough on because they just disappear. And then this show, in a sense, is the acknowledgment. So to take that very seriously is beautiful.

[25:26] Robert Peterpaul: Well, I guess while we're here, Lexi and Jeff, well, and you as well, when you were playing Jean, Jean and Hester, they display this contrast of pushing boundaries that I also found interesting. You know, one is kind of resigned but still pushing within the system and another one's like a spitfire and ready to go and sort of bring their new perspective in. What have you each taken from the show about how to use your voice, I guess, in the rehearsal room, in your life?

[25:47] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, that's really nice. Whoa, that's an amazing question. Whoa, that's an amazing question. I take so much from the Jean and Hester dynamic and kind of exactly what you just laid out. There are ways in which being loud and flashy gets work done and there are, in fact, ways in which being patient and wise, you know, it's like the tortoise and the hare in some ways, can get the job done as well. And I think a lesson that we can take from the Jean and Hester dynamic is that it's about balance. It's about trusting yourself. It's about never using a blanket statement like, always do this or never do that, right? But it's about kind of that capital P presence again, like bringing yourself wholly and authentically into a space, being present with the people that you're with and the situation at hand and responding accordingly rather than like white knuckling your way through something or telling somebody else how to do it your way.

I think Jean gets to be a sponge throughout the show and that is a huge factor in her arc is that she's taking so much in and all of these scenes often she's the one with the least lines while so much is happening around her and she's observing so much in the same way Hester is, but they are responding inherently differently and then they get to kind of like squeeze each other's sponges onto each other. But overall, I think the underline is to advocate for yourself.

[28:43] Jeff Kready: What is it about this balance between selflessness, no recognition, but also advocating for yourself and knowing your worth? And that is a fine balance that I think Hester and Gene together create and strike with their song "Useful." Because that message is, you know, what matters is that we do something useful.

[29:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah, I just think that's a beautiful takeaway for anybody getting to see the show. Yeah, I think in this world, too, where I don't know if being useful is underrated in a sense, but it's sort of the finished product is what we celebrate a lot of the time.

[29:19] Lexi Rabadi: It's such a great song. And it's also not lost on me now that there's the other side of identity, which is the way everyone else in these very silly moments sometimes is labeling your character. And then when you actually speak up, you get to write the story because by the end, we see you also differently. And I think that's such a cool, I don't know, it's not lost on me. And I wonder if that would have been a great lesson to teach your kids as an elementary school teacher.

[29:43] Jeff Kready: I just needed to throw that in somehow. I was an elementary music teacher my first year out of college, and I thought that's what I was going to do with my whole life. And then one thing led to another. And now I've been here for 20 years. I never would have imagined truly.

[30:01] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah, I feel very lucky to get to work with people like this and to get to tell a story like this. It's yeah, it's a wonderful life's work.

[30:11] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, my God. You're also lovely. I mean, just experiencing you here today. And I feel like that must make for such a fun backstage. Not that you're backstage at all, really.

[30:19] Jeff Kready: It's not really a princess track show.

[30:22] Amanda Jill Robinson: No, no, no. That's the one kind of sad part of the show is that we don't really get to hang out.

[30:29] Lexi Rabadi: Is there like a fight call or anything?

[30:31] Jeff Kready: We're so busy.

[30:32] Amanda Jill Robinson: No, it's true.

[30:36] Lexi Rabadi: No, it's like right before we get, you know, like, oh, my gosh, we'll circle up. And we literally run past each other like two times or we just go.

[30:49] Jeff Kready: We walk past and high five like it's the backstage traffic is so crazy.

[30:54] Amanda Jill Robinson: Happen on stage before we're off stage and can talk about it.

[30:57] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[30:58] Jeff Kready: Half the time we forget.

[30:59] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah.

[31:00] Lexi Rabadi: Right. Remember the thing that happened an hour and a half ago and I haven't had a chance to say to like check in about it or also acknowledge that.

[31:07] Jeff Kready: Yes.

[31:08] Amanda Jill Robinson: What about that moment? I guess speaking of these things happening where there's someone you're a fan of in the audience. Have you had those moments during this run?

[31:14] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[31:15] Jeff Kready: Ben Affleck was here.

[31:16] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, yeah.

[31:17] Lexi Rabadi: I didn't realize until the end.

[31:19] Jeff Kready: He's like, I had no idea. He's very tall. And that was and that was the show where in the middle of "Dear Bill," which is a song that I sing that's very quiet, very poignant.

[31:30] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah, mesmerizing.

[31:31] Jeff Kready: And in the silence of "Dear Bill," a phone rang very loudly. And instead of going on, I just stopped. And the band kept going and then they stopped because they realized and poor Joshua, he was so confused. He was like, I thought something was really wrong, but I just wasn't going to finish the song with that. So I just waited for it to finish. And then after it was quiet, then I finished the song.

[32:02] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, chills.

[32:03] Jeff Kready: And Ben very he raised his hands and clapped very loud at the end of it. It meant a lot.

[32:11] Amanda Jill Robinson: Mr. Affleck.

[32:13] Lexi Rabadi: Mr. Affleck.

[32:14] Jeff Kready: And then Patti LuPone came out and was like.

[32:17] Lexi Rabadi: Actually, we had another great phone moment also dealt brilliantly by Jeff.

[32:25] Amanda Jill Robinson: I only wish I had said.

[32:27] Jeff Kready: And we were all like in the pitch scene. We're in the office and our set has telephones all over it. And the phone went off.

[32:34] Lexi Rabadi: And it went off like twice, maybe.

[32:38] Jeff Kready: The first time we were like, we were like, I hear it moving on. We'll let it pass. But it also did us a favor because it wasn't like a ringtone. It sounded like an old-timey phone.

[32:45] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yes, like a true ring.

[32:48] Jeff Kready: And so it happened a second time. I just went over and answered the phone on the wall.

[32:52] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[32:53] Jeff Kready: And then said, call back later. And that just, yeah, that ripped.

[33:00] Amanda Jill Robinson: It was so good.

[33:01] Lexi Rabadi: I think we need like a theater board game. It's like Monopoly, but you get one free phone pass.

[33:06] Jeff Kready: Yeah.

[33:07] Amanda Jill Robinson: Unspoken rules that we learn.

[33:09] Lexi Rabadi: It's like you can all handle that frustration once. And then it's like, all right.

[33:12] Jeff Kready: There's literally one rule when you sit down. It's to watch and shut off your phone.

[33:16] Amanda Jill Robinson: But that's so exciting.

[33:18] Lexi Rabadi: OK, this is a bit morbid, but I wonder for each of you on a different note, if someone found your briefcase or your backpack washed ashore, what would be in it?

[33:27] Jeff Kready: Oh.

[33:28] Amanda Jill Robinson: And I thought it would be fun if you answered for each other.

[33:31] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, OK.

[33:33] Jeff Kready: Wait, that is fun. Amanda, what do you think would be in Jeff's briefcase?

[33:41] Amanda Jill Robinson: And you can say if she's correct.

[33:43] Jeff Kready: Wow.

[33:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, gosh. What would be in Jeff's briefcase? OK. Gosh. Is this after like a lifelong lived or is it like now?

[33:53] Jeff Kready: I guess it's like iconic items when you picture this person.

[33:56] Amanda Jill Robinson: Well, perhaps there would be like a very brightly colored pair of sneakers.

[34:03] Jeff Kready: Oh, yes. That's true.

[34:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: That's true. And and lots of pictures of his beautiful children and majestic cats and enchanting wife.

[34:13] Jeff Kready: Absolutely.

[34:14] Amanda Jill Robinson: Brilliant adjectives. And then.

[34:16] Lexi Rabadi: How many cats?

[34:17] Jeff Kready: Two.

[34:18] Amanda Jill Robinson: And they're stunning. I took a screenshot of the picture that you would put on Instagram of your cats on the wall. They were that beautiful because I had to show Emily. So that and then perhaps I don't know, maybe like the sheet music from your very first professional audition.

[34:33] Jeff Kready: Oh, that's good.

[34:34] Amanda Jill Robinson: How's that?

[34:35] Jeff Kready: That was great. So thank you.

[34:37] Amanda Jill Robinson: That was really good.

[34:38] Lexi Rabadi: I also have two cats. So we'll show each other after that.

[34:42] Jeff Kready: Well, Jeff, I guess now we're going to pass it to you.

[34:45] Lexi Rabadi: What would you say?

[34:47] Jeff Kready: Who did I assign? Who isn't? What's in?

[34:50] Lexi Rabadi: Well, let's see.

[34:51] Jeff Kready: Who is it?

[34:52] Lexi Rabadi: Who is it?

[34:53] Jeff Kready: I'm like, don't don't don't.

[34:59] Lexi Rabadi: Lexi is so eclectic and and good at so many different things.

[35:04] Jeff Kready: I know you because you're also a musician, like in your own right. Not just like a musical theater musician, like you're an actual musician.

[35:12] Lexi Rabadi: So there would be your music in there.

[35:14] Jeff Kready: There would be.

[35:15] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, you're beautiful.

[35:16] Jeff Kready: Dog pictures of.

[35:17] Lexi Rabadi: Wait, what's your dog?

[35:18] Jeff Kready: Layla.

[35:19] Lexi Rabadi: Sweet.

[35:20] Jeff Kready: Great. And probably something with Sweeney Todd involved.

[35:27] Lexi Rabadi: Because maybe there is a person in my back.

[35:30] Jeff Kready: She attended the tail.

[35:31] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[35:32] Jeff Kready: Yeah. Razor.

[35:34] Lexi Rabadi: Probably.

[35:35] Jeff Kready: No, but also I think hers would be filled lovingly with notes because this is a very beloved person by anybody that meets her. So I feel like it would be filled with love notes.

[35:42] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, I mean, you can't just say that.

[35:49] Lexi Rabadi: Wow.

[35:50] Jeff Kready: We did.

[35:51] Amanda Jill Robinson: That's so sweet.

[35:52] Lexi Rabadi: That was really nice.

[35:53] Jeff Kready: Wow.

[35:55] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[35:56] Jeff Kready: And they'd be real. They wouldn't just be one.

[35:57] Lexi Rabadi: Someone wrote.

[35:58] Jeff Kready: Although yours feels so real that you write in the show.

[35:59] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:01] Jeff Kready: Can we stop on that for a second?

[36:03] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:04] Jeff Kready: Sorry. That was one of the best things I've ever seen in that production.

[36:06] Amanda Jill Robinson: Another show about meat.

[36:07] Lexi Rabadi: Yes.

[36:08] Jeff Kready: It's not minced.

[36:10] Lexi Rabadi: Well, it kind of is minced.

[36:11] Jeff Kready: It takes place in London.

[36:12] Lexi Rabadi: So weird.

[36:13] Jeff Kready: Yes.

[36:14] Amanda Jill Robinson: That's the only shows you do.

[36:15] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:16] Jeff Kready: From here on out.

[36:17] Amanda Jill Robinson: Another true story.

[36:18] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, my God. Do you know the Daniels?

[36:20] Jeff Kready: Daniel Marconi.

[36:21] Lexi Rabadi: Daniel.

[36:22] Jeff Kready: Yes.

[36:23] Lexi Rabadi: Yes, of course.

[36:24] Jeff Kready: They're lovely, talented men.

[36:25] Lexi Rabadi: Yes.

[36:26] Jeff Kready: And if only every show could have that big of a pit.

[36:28] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, what a blessing.

[36:29] Jeff Kready: What an absolute blessing that was to get to be a part of that.

[36:30] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:31] Jeff Kready: And to sit in the pit during the show.

[36:32] Lexi Rabadi: If you had a moment off.

[36:33] Jeff Kready: Oh, my God.

[36:34] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:35] Jeff Kready: Wow.

[36:36] Lexi Rabadi: Sit in the pit.

[36:38] Jeff Kready: Yeah.

[36:39] Lexi Rabadi: That's your children's book.

[36:40] Jeff Kready: Sit in the pit.

[36:41] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:42] Jeff Kready: Just the perspective of that.

[36:43] Lexi Rabadi: And you're also obviously you're all musicians, but like such a great composer. Are you sort of the within the cast, the go-to MD to check in on things?

[36:45] Jeff Kready: I mean, I know there's a real MD.

[36:46] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:47] Jeff Kready: Yeah.

[36:48] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[36:49] Jeff Kready: Yeah.

[36:52] Lexi Rabadi: I was like, I feel like you wrote something in your bio about wearing so many different hats.

[36:54] Jeff Kready: I do wear hats.

[36:56] Lexi Rabadi: Genders.

[36:57] Jeff Kready: Yeah, in the shows.

[36:58] Lexi Rabadi: Yes.

[36:59] Jeff Kready: Yes.

[37:00] Amanda Jill Robinson: OK. Well, maybe not. Maybe just I'll call you when I have an audition and I need help.

[37:02] Jeff Kready: Yes.

[37:03] Lexi Rabadi: But we didn't do one suitcase, which is yours.

[37:04] Jeff Kready: Oh.

[37:05] Amanda Jill Robinson: So I think we're going to give that to Lexi to do.

[37:06] Lexi Rabadi: OK.

[37:07] Jeff Kready: Well, we're all going to get to it.

[37:08] Lexi Rabadi: We're all going to get to it.

[37:09] Jeff Kready: So I'm going to give it to Lexi.

[37:10] Lexi Rabadi: And then I'm going to give it to you.

[37:11] Jeff Kready: Are you going to give it to me?

[37:12] Lexi Rabadi: I'm going to give it to you.

[37:13] Jeff Kready: I'm going to give it to you.

[37:14] Lexi Rabadi: OK.

[37:16] Jeff Kready: Oh, yeah.

[37:17] Lexi Rabadi: Angels.

[37:18] Jeff Kready: Let me think.

[37:19] Lexi Rabadi: I feel like you have you would have like cozy things in there like a really lovely pashmina.

[37:20] Jeff Kready: Sure.

[37:22] Lexi Rabadi: The rocks.

[37:23] Jeff Kready: And like yes crystals, rocks, like lovely, good vibe thing.

[37:23] Lexi Rabadi: I love your grampy.

[37:24] Jeff Kready: Thank you.

[37:24] Lexi Rabadi: Love you.

[38:22] Jeff Kready: Have a great day.

[38:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: Um, what else is on this?

[38:26] Lexi Rabadi: It's so sweet.

[38:26] Jeff Kready: On your counter there.

[38:28] Lexi Rabadi: I'm picturing like leaves.

[38:30] Jeff Kready: She's got.

[38:32] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, but this fall, you best know.

[38:32] Jeff Kready: It's just stunning and like beautifully color coordinated.

[38:37] Lexi Rabadi: It's really like a visual manifestation of her soul.

[38:43] Jeff Kready: OK.

[38:43] Lexi Rabadi: Another good one up in there.

[38:45] Jeff Kready: Wait, speaking of art, I know a lot of the theaters backstage or even in the alleyways have, I forget which theater it is.

[38:50] Lexi Rabadi: They have the one with the iron.

[38:52] Jeff Kready: He does the iron art.

[38:53] Lexi Rabadi: That's in.

[38:54] Jeff Kready: Oh, which theater is that?

[38:56] Lexi Rabadi: No, I know.

[38:56] Jeff Kready: And he's been there for years.

[38:57] Lexi Rabadi: Is there anything at the Golden backstage like that?

[39:00] Jeff Kready: That's debris work. You know, there's not enough room.

[39:04] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, there's not enough room or time again.

[39:07] Jeff Kready: Like, I really find that we.

[39:10] Lexi Rabadi: Nobody.

[39:10] Jeff Kready: I don't even think.

[39:11] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, there's nothing like leftover from other shows.

[39:14] Jeff Kready: No, like within the backstage.

[39:15] Lexi Rabadi: I mean, I wonder if in the baseball.

[39:17] Jeff Kready: Oh, yeah.

[39:18] Lexi Rabadi: We never go down there.

[39:19] Jeff Kready: We're not.

[39:20] Lexi Rabadi: What about ghost vibes? Are you getting the sense that the Golden is haunted?

[39:23] Jeff Kready: There's some dead puppets, I think, from Avenue Q.

[39:26] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, where do you think?

[39:29] Jeff Kready: Yeah, no, definitely in the basement.

[39:30] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, God, I wonder.

[39:32] Jeff Kready: Spooky, scary.

[39:33] Lexi Rabadi: Spooky, scary.

[39:35] Jeff Kready: No, it's a great house.

[39:36] Lexi Rabadi: You know, normally it is a playhouse.

[39:38] Jeff Kready: It's not normally a musical house because it's so intimate.

[39:40] Lexi Rabadi: It's a smaller.

[39:41] Jeff Kready: It's the smallest Broadway stage you'll ever see.

[39:45] Lexi Rabadi: Teeny tiny.

[39:45] Jeff Kready: So small.

[39:46] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah.

[39:46] Jeff Kready: But it's so lovely and perfect and intimate.

[39:50] Lexi Rabadi: And it's just right for this story.

[39:52] Jeff Kready: It's perfect for this story.

[39:53] Lexi Rabadi: And even if you are in the very back row, you feel like you're close enough to the actions.

[39:57] Jeff Kready: Yeah, it's the definition of no bad seat in the house.

[40:00] Lexi Rabadi: It's so true.

[40:01] Jeff Kready: It's a great house.

[40:02] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, get those tickets, everybody.

[40:03] Jeff Kready: Well, speaking of the house, I feel like we should give them a shout out.

[40:06] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, absolutely.

[40:07] Jeff Kready: Any acts of kindness from the ushers, the people at the bar.

[40:11] Amanda Jill Robinson: Oh, my gosh. When I was first watching the show a ton from the house before I had debuted, they would always...

[40:20] Lexi Rabadi: They're amazing.

[40:21] Amanda Jill Robinson: They would find us an empty seat or seat us in the cozy little, not so secret, right out in the open, actually, side part.

[40:30] Lexi Rabadi: The little awkward chairs.

[40:31] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yeah, where you could watch. But I remember chatting with all of them saying like, I'm going to do that one day and I'm really scared and excited. And they were so, so supportive.

[40:43] Lexi Rabadi: And now every time I see them, they're like, yeah, girl.

[40:48] Amanda Jill Robinson: I feel like there was a bond formed.

[40:50] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, totally.

[40:51] Amanda Jill Robinson: I'll never forget one of the first times I was watching one of the ushers said, oh, which role are you going in for? And I was like, for Hester. And she said, oh, no. Are you funny like that?

[41:05] Lexi Rabadi: And I was like, I don't know.

[41:06] Amanda Jill Robinson: You're going to have to be funny like that.

[41:10] Lexi Rabadi: OK.

[41:12] Jeff Kready: She was not convinced.

[41:13] Lexi Rabadi: Oh, my gosh.

[41:14] Amanda Jill Robinson: That's hysterical.

[41:19] Lexi Rabadi: How many times do you think you watched the show before?

[41:22] Jeff Kready: Oh, gosh.

[41:23] Amanda Jill Robinson: I only probably watched it about a dozen times.

[41:26] Lexi Rabadi: Yeah, maybe same.

[41:28] Jeff Kready: Yeah, something like that. I purposefully didn't want to watch it too many times. I needed to for traffic.

[42:34] Lexi Rabadi: I think kindness is really about being present and being aware of the people around you. It's about taking that moment to check in with someone, even if it's just a smile or a nod.

[43:04] Robert Peterpaul: Absolutely! And in the world of theater, that sense of community is so important. How do you all cultivate that kindness within your cast?

[43:34] Lexi Rabadi: We really try to support each other, especially during those quick changes. It can get chaotic, but we always make sure to lift each other up and help out whenever we can.

[44:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yes! And I think it’s also about celebrating each other’s successes, no matter how small. We have a lot of fun together, and that camaraderie really shines through on stage.

[44:34] Lexi Rabadi: Exactly! And when something goes wrong, like a set piece falling or a missed cue, we just laugh it off and keep going. It’s all part of the experience.

[45:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: Right! And those moments can actually bring us closer together. We learn to trust each other more, and that builds a stronger bond.

[45:14] Lexi Rabadi: And it’s also about being kind to ourselves. We have to remember that we’re all human, and mistakes happen.

[45:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yes! Self-compassion is key. If we can be kind to ourselves, it makes it easier to extend that kindness to others.

[45:34] Lexi Rabadi: And I think that’s a great lesson for everyone, not just in theater but in life.

[45:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: Absolutely! Kindness is universal, and it’s something we can all practice every day.

[45:54] Lexi Rabadi: Whether it’s holding the door for someone or just asking how someone’s day is going, those little acts can make a big difference.

[46:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: And they don’t take much effort! It’s about being mindful and intentional with our actions.

[46:14] Lexi Rabadi: Yes! And I think that’s what makes our show special. We’re not just performing; we’re creating a space where kindness can thrive.

[46:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: Exactly! And that energy translates to the audience, too. They can feel the positivity and the love we have for each other.

[46:34] Lexi Rabadi: And that’s what makes live theater so magical. It’s a shared experience, and kindness is at the heart of it.

[46:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: Definitely! And I think that’s why people keep coming back to see shows. They want to be part of that community.

[46:54] Lexi Rabadi: Yes! And it’s a reminder that we’re all in this together, supporting one another through the ups and downs.

[47:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: And that’s what makes it all worthwhile.

[47:14] Lexi Rabadi: Absolutely! Kindness is the thread that weaves us all together.

[47:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: And it’s something we can carry with us beyond the stage, into our everyday lives.

[47:34] Lexi Rabadi: Yes! It’s about creating a ripple effect of positivity.

[47:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: And I think that’s what we’re all striving for, to make the world a little brighter.

[47:54] Lexi Rabadi: Exactly! And it starts with us, right here, right now.

[48:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yes! So let’s keep spreading that kindness, both on and off the stage.

[48:14] Lexi Rabadi: Absolutely!

[48:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: And I hope our listeners feel inspired to do the same.

[48:34] Lexi Rabadi: Yes! Let’s all commit to being a little kinder today.

[48:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: I love that!

[48:54] Lexi Rabadi: And remember, it doesn’t have to be grand gestures.

[49:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: Exactly! Small acts can have a huge impact.

[49:14] Lexi Rabadi: And they can brighten someone’s day in ways we might not even realize.

[49:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yes! So let’s keep that kindness flowing.

[49:34] Lexi Rabadi: Absolutely!

[49:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: And let’s encourage others to join us in this mission.

[49:54] Lexi Rabadi: Yes! Together, we can create a kinder world.

[50:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: And that’s what it’s all about!

[50:14] Lexi Rabadi: Yes!

[50:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: So let’s keep the conversation going and inspire others to be kind.

[50:34] Lexi Rabadi: Definitely!

[50:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: And thank you, Robert, for creating this platform to share our thoughts on kindness.

[50:54] Lexi Rabadi: Yes, thank you!

[51:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: It’s been a pleasure to chat with you both.

[51:14] Lexi Rabadi: Absolutely!

[51:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: And I can’t wait to see how our audience responds to this message.

[51:34] Lexi Rabadi: Yes!

[51:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: Let’s keep spreading that positivity!

[51:54] Lexi Rabadi: Absolutely!

[52:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: And remember, kindness is contagious.

[52:14] Lexi Rabadi: Yes!

[52:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: So let’s keep that chain going.

[52:34] Lexi Rabadi: Definitely!

[52:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: Thank you all for listening!

[52:54] Lexi Rabadi: Yes, thank you!

[53:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: We appreciate your support.

[53:14] Lexi Rabadi: And we hope you feel inspired to be kind today.

[53:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: Yes!

[53:34] Lexi Rabadi: Until next time!

[53:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: Bye!

[53:54] Lexi Rabadi: Bye!

[54:04] Amanda Jill Robinson: Thank you!

[54:14] Lexi Rabadi: Thank you!

[54:24] Amanda Jill Robinson: Take care!

[54:34] Lexi Rabadi: You too!

[54:44] Amanda Jill Robinson: Bye!

[54:54] Lexi Rabadi: Bye!

[55:04] Lexi Rabadi: Bye!

[55:14] Amanda Jill Robinson: Bye!