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Richard Jay-Alexander Talks Streisand, Chenoweth, Peters & More on Spotlight on the Arts
Nov 9, 2022
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0:30
First up, award-winning actress Karen Stevens
0:34
award-winning playwright Michael McKeever, and my favorite theater critic, Bill Hirschman. And I won an award, too
0:42
And award-winning theater critic Bill Hirschman. Sorry. I should have. And our special guest today
0:52
currently a producer and a director. He's been many, many things, but we'll talk about that, too
1:00
Meet Richard J. Alexander in the hot seat Today we're going to talk about divas because we've spoken about everything else
1:11
Okay, I want to concentrate on all the divas that many of the divas that you direct for example
1:19
Barbara Streisand Kristen Chenoweth and Bernadette Peters just to name three Why you
1:29
You know, that's a really good question. Why me? It's very very funny. I'll tell you a story that happened right here in South Florida
1:35
I was walking on Lincoln Road and the phone rings. Hello. Hi, this is Richard J. Alexander. Yes. Hi, this is Bette Midler
1:41
Who is this really? It's Bette Midler Who is this? It's Bette Midler and I'm on the set of Stepford Wives. Will you talk to me, please
1:47
And you know, she was about to fire her current director of the tour and blah blah blah
1:51
And so she flew me up to New York, but I don't know how they get your phone number I mean, it's not like I've chased anybody actively, but word of mouth
1:57
I don't know, maybe, you know, but the thing I do, you know, you're using the word divas
2:03
and of course, none of the people I work with actually think they're divas or like that word
2:07
in particular, and I think of operas when I think of divas, but the interesting thing about what I
2:12
have found myself in the midst of, you know, miraculously, is that I work with actresses who
2:19
sing, you know, great singing actresses, and I work with people who were catapulted out of theater
2:25
and so that's a very interesting equation to be in. I mean, Barbra Streisand has to be the theater's greatest ever export
2:31
and Kristen Chenoweth's nothing to shake a stick at and Norbert Midler, who was in Fiddler on the Roof
2:36
and everybody I work with, pretty much Bernadette, you know, is a singing actress
2:41
and so I think that's why these sort of really palpable and exciting marriages have taken place
2:47
You've been catapulted, that's the expression, out of theater too in order of or going backwards, Les Mis, not in it
2:57
but of course, associate producer still today. I don't want to talk about residuals, but I'd love to know
3:06
That's my business. Even if you go back to Bernadette, I was a stage manager and assistant director of Song and Dance
3:14
That's how I met her, and I remember I was in awe of her. I loved Mac and Mabel. I was in high school when Dames at Sea, when I got the album
3:20
Don't forget, Broadway cast albums used to be essential. They used to be essential. People did not have MasterCard and Visa
3:26
People didn't come to New York to see stuff. So if they heard about their friend who went to see Music Man or Sweet Charity or you know
3:32
whatever, they bought the Cast album. And that was the essential way you learned musicals until they got to your local group
3:37
Or if you were lucky enough, they came to a touring production to a Lowe's downtown or
3:43
something like that. So to meet Bernadette Peters, I remember I was in this really private workshop and I
3:48
was like, oh my God, I love her. I love her. I love her. But of course she can't do that
3:52
and quiet and you do your job and stuff like that. And eventually, you know, she came around asking
3:57
And, you know, fast forward, you know, is when she did Carnegie Hall
4:01
And I had Bernadette Peters to thank for my concert career because when she said she wouldn't do Carnegie Hall without me
4:07
that was a big commitment. And that was back in 96 or 97
4:12
And then the rest happened. It just came tumbling on me because it was such a defining show
4:18
And the other thing Bernadette Peters taught me is truth and that everything I built my house on is truth
4:23
If an act is great, it should be world-class. It's not like this is for New York audiences
4:27
because they're so smart and snappy. This is for Europe. You do one show, and it's got to play all over the world
4:32
Just like a good play. I mean, you know this or a great performance. The interesting thing about Barbara
4:36
is that the whole world met her as Fanny Bryce because if they didn't see her
4:40
she's one of the only actresses who played her own role in the film. If you look at Mame, it was Lucille Ball
4:46
If you look at Hello, Dolly, it was Barbara and not Carol Channing. If you look at Gypsy, the great, great merman that everybody talks about, it was Rosalind Russell
4:54
Barbara Streisand could not be replaced as Funny Girl. And so I hang my hat on these things, you know, and I'm passionate about it
5:02
I mean, you should see us all working. I mean, I remember crying once at a record party going
5:06
I wish everybody could sit across on the couch from Bernadette when we're working or be in Grandma's house with Barbara and I and Jay and Bill Ross, you know, the conductor
5:14
And I don't know. This is where these shows are built. Kristen Chenoweth came down here to Florida
5:18
we built dames for PBS in three days with Mary Mitchell Gamble playing records and CDs and
5:24
tapes and I don't know, like I'm nuts. And you know, if there were things available today when
5:29
I was 10 years old, I used to have to go to the Salve Public Library, a little suburb of Syracuse
5:34
a little ship box of a town. I say that lovingly because it was a great ship box to grow up in
5:38
but I got my albums at the library and they'd call me up and go, Dickie, you know, Golden Rainbow
5:43
just showed up. What's that? It's got Steve Lawrence, Niddy Gourmet. I ran down. And I think
5:48
that's why i know every word to every song you know he needs me now my arms can feel it he needs
5:54
i mean i know every song from every musical ever and i can sing them for you how did you start i
5:59
mean what's your history what led you to this point did you start out as a performer yeah my dad
6:05
my dad was a cpa and an educator and he was a wonderful churchgoer and he used to help them
6:11
with their high school musical but long before high school musicals were voguished named you know
6:15
But we had a full orchestra, high school level, and you would go and you would do these musicals
6:21
And we were the Little League of the Pompeian Players, the big church downtown. We used to have David Merrick send them the sets and costumes from Broadway
6:28
Like I did Hello, Dolly! on the Broadway sets and got scouted for Promises, Promises on Broadway by Jerry Windsor
6:33
It was crazy. We had full orchestras. We recorded them. I have them on vinyl, me playing J. Pierpont Finch
6:38
I was nuts. But anyway, my dad threw me in the auditorium at 10 years old, and I saw a production of Bye Bye Birdie
6:43
I didn't know that I had good pitch or anything like that
6:47
but when my hairs, the few I had on my arms at 10, stood up, when the horn, you know
6:51
hi, you Hugo, hi, you stupid, ba-da-da-da-da-da, oh, and I was like, I was electrified
6:57
so I ran to the library and got the album. I was nuts, and my parents also belonged
7:01
to the Columbia Record Club so I heard a lot of studio recordings of like Doris Day and Robert Goulet and Annie Get Your Gun Preposterous but fantastic You know what I saying And so because that what they used to do So I learned my show tunes backwards like Steve and Edie
7:14
You have the cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom with truth. That is culture, dear. That reeks whenever I'm near
7:20
You know, and I'm just like, so when I got to play Finch and I learned the song and I go, where's that part
7:25
So I learned my show tunes like backwards, you know, two on the aisle
7:29
and my mom loved Tony Bennett and Sarah Vaughn. So I was a little nuts
7:34
And I used to put on shows in my garage and torture my sister playing Eliza Doolittle
7:38
in My Fair Lady, and we were so popular. She played it or you played it? No, she played it, and I'd whip her into shape
7:45
And so the shows were such a big hit, we had to move down the street to a two-car garage
7:49
Wait, were you producer-director back then? Yes, I was in control. I was the David Merrick of my street
7:56
I was doing it all, and I would play anything that anybody else couldn't. including girls, which I was very, very, very good at
8:02
It's very funny working with these women in my life who I love and adore them all
8:07
and I wish everybody could be me for a day sometimes in these things. But, you know, to talk to Barbara
8:12
I go, Barbara, do you want to just make them scream and just go, touch, step, touch, step, you know, give her a move
8:18
And by the end of the tour, it's dot, dot, dot. You know, and it's just so thrilling
8:23
because it's like giving permission to do something. Nobody needs permission, but, you know
8:29
gosh, the high heels are killing me. Well, then take them off. Really? Can I do that
8:33
Things like that. Or Bernadette saying, I love Joanna, that Stephen Sondheim wrote
8:37
but it's about a girl. And I go, so? Nobody's going to think you're a lesbian. Let's do it. And then you get a standing ovation. I mean, it's just..
8:43
How did that first, say, leap of faith happen from you being a stage manager and Bernadette Peters
8:50
Well, I'd seen her act a lot, and I saw her with Peter Allen. I went to Vegas and stuff like that
8:55
But it's, I don't know, it's something about trust and taste. And when you talk about material and you see things
9:01
sort of like Cameron McIntosh took a gamble on me. When he met me, he had seen a production of Amadeus
9:05
that I directed for the Mirvishes in Canada. And because I was in the original Broadway cast
9:12
And so I directed three of the tours. And he thought it had a Euro feel, but he had a hunch about me
9:18
But he didn't hire me right away. This was in the era of telex. There wasn't even faxes yet
9:22
So he asked, he said, I will pay for your theater going
9:25
and you can bring a friend and go to the theater, and I'll pay for your tickets, but you have to write me a review
9:30
but it's got to be before the show opens. So I would review the shows, and my batting average was really about 92.8%
9:36
I remember that figure very, very clearly. And then the rest is history
9:41
When you work with these women, I'm sure what a lot of people want to know is
9:44
what is it, is there a commonality among these women that you work with
9:49
and what is that commonality? besides talent, which goes without saying. I've never been asked that question, but as you were saying it
9:56
I was just thinking about Kristen, who grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and is adopted
10:00
Barbara, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where that Brooklyn bridge must have seemed like it would connect to Oz on the other side
10:07
Or Bernadette, who grew up in Queens, and her father drove a bakery. Maybe it's all because we were all middle class, middle-lower class, actually
10:14
I don't know, scrappy, hungry. I don't know, but we knew what we wanted
10:19
You know, a lot of times, and you all know this on this panel, people always say, do you have any advice for my kid
10:24
Or my grandchild's so talented. No, your grandchild's not talented. And that's just the God's truth
10:29
Because, you know, I sang him and he stinks, so give it up. But you can't say that, of course
10:33
But the bottom line is there shouldn't need to be advice. All of you had your callings
10:39
We were unstoppable trains. If you look at, you know, there was just, there was no way it wasn't going to happen
10:44
You know, I failed algebra three times. And in New York State, you have to take the regents exam
10:48
So I would go home and cry to my father and go she's making fun of me She said you know I failed the regents three times and and she goes Richard you're not I grew up as Dickie
10:56
Dickie Fernandez, so when they call me Richard it was very serious business You know Richard you're not applying yourself. I go. What does this have to do with show business
11:04
And she goes don't be ridiculous. We used to call her mouse miss Van Ostrand. I love you
11:11
But I knew what I wanted to do you know what I'm saying
11:15
saying? So my dad, who was an educator, I had terrible grades. I didn't care about anything
11:19
but show business. I was doing theater with black people downtown. This was unheard
11:23
of. I was in a very little white community and I'm doing the Me Nobody Knows and taking
11:27
a bus downtown. You know, with ethnic people in this fantastic show
11:33
with songs like Cockroach Crunch, playing Carlos with that terrible song, The Tree
11:38
You know, with those terrible letters with Catherine. But I was in downtown theater. You know what I mean
11:41
I was taking a bus and coming home late and everybody thought I was going to be killed. But I would sneak to New York, they had students standby for a 1680 round trip, and I would
11:50
tell my parents I was going to work on the horses at the fair, you know, with my friends
11:53
And if I missed that 10-10 home, I would have been screwed good. And I could have been murdered in New York, you know what I mean
11:59
But I took the plane to the East Subway train, to the Q33 bus, I saw a matinee of a musical
12:05
and I only saw the first act of whatever I saw at night because I had to get back to the plane
12:09
And my parents and I was home in bed at night, and nobody knew I'd ever been to New York City
12:13
Back it up. Back it up. These women that you work from, what is it as far as equality that they share
12:19
I'm getting off on a tangent from the divas. These are great extensions
12:27
But what is it that it is like working with them? Is there a commonality
12:32
Do they bring something to it? For instance, we're talking about divas, but in fact, they're not divas
12:38
Explain. Well, they don't behave like divas, and all of them, all of the people I work with
12:43
every single person, or I don't work with them. I've kicked a couple people to the curb, but we won't name names
12:48
Because I would love to, but we won't. You'll get sued. No, I won't get sued. They can't sue me. She already tried ones
12:53
I won't. Anyway, the point is it's the work ethic. Do you know what I'm saying
12:59
Nobody goes in, like, swinging wide. Everybody cares so much. And like I said, I think truth is the
13:05
commonality. You don't just sing songs because you can. You sing songs because you must
13:09
Somebody will tell me a story, or and I'll go, God, that's such a great thing
13:15
Even working with Norm Lewis now or when I worked with Brian Stokes Mitchell
13:20
I was so known for women, I had to start working with men. And then I worked with Ricky Martin, thank God
13:24
because we're both Latin. But it's always about truth and telling a story
13:30
and not just doing show business. Show business doesn't fly anymore. Those days are gone
13:35
And also the sad thing for me is, I worked on that NBC show with Rosie
13:39
that was supposed to be the nighttime variety show, And the template that we agreed upon that we were going to proceed with was great
13:46
It's not what the show ended up being, but I would love to see an Ed Sullivan show
13:50
I would love to see, you know, what she wanted to do was Ed Sullivan combined with Carol Burnett
13:56
and it just didn't fly that way. But I don't know. You know, Broadway used to feed the hit parade, you know, and it sort of all stopped with memory, you know, from Cats
14:05
It just doesn't happen anymore. But everybody used to sing the same songs in the 50s and 60s
14:09
Broadway was a very healthy feeding ground and it was the arrangers that were king You buy buy Tony Bennett singing the song or Stephen Eadie or so Don Costa Sinatra you know but they all sang the same songs you know
14:21
Any idea why that's why? I think it's just not there. I mean, it's not there. Not even Rent provided it. Les Mis didn't provide a hit. Nobody recorded really on my own
14:30
And by the time Aretha Franklin got her hands on, you know, I dreamed a dream, it was he had a dream, you know, and she totally like flipped it into something else, which I loved, you know what I'm saying
14:38
but it just wasn't the song, you know what I mean? And then there was the movie, which..
14:43
So unopinionated. What do you really want to do? I'm a big fan of Sirius XM on Broadway
14:53
and every time she comes on singing that I Dreamed a Dream, I go, she couldn't get a job in a high school show
14:57
If you're not watching it, seriously, seriously, she could not. It's terrible
15:02
It is terrible. Terrible. And I love Hugh. I love him. Hugh, I love you
15:08
Richard, what are you going to do next? I mean, what is there to conquer? Well, there's a lot of things, actually
15:12
I would love to do my own Broadway show from scratch, but it's interesting
15:17
I'm sort of not smart enough. I'm not an intellectual. I'm very visceral, and I have to be inspired
15:22
I read a play once that was about Elizabeth Bishop. I don't even read poetry
15:26
I didn't even know who the hell she was, but I loved the play. I loved it
15:30
I loved the lover, Lata. I loved the Petropolis of Brazil. I got that story like crazy, and I called Amy Irving, who was the person who had sent
15:37
it to me and I remember that she was sending it to me to recommend a director and I said
15:42
who's going to direct this and she goes well I was thinking you and I thought good answer
15:46
and I I was terrified of it because I'm so known for musicals but I flew to Brazil to see the
15:52
production that was so successful by Marta Goish and it's native Portuguese and and it was nothing
15:58
like what I saw in my head and we had a huge success with it but I'm not like I don't have
16:02
a little novella under my arm meeting with a rock group you know going to bring it to Broadway
16:06
I don't have a little novella under my arm. I thought you did
16:13
You know, meeting with a big rock band, you know, like American Idiot or, you know, Spring Awakening
16:18
I'm not smart enough to do Spring Awakening, but I sure loved it. But I'm not that smart. I'm just like, I'm entertaining and I love theater
16:25
And listen, I know my Shakespeare, my Ibsen and my Shaw. I am educated
16:28
There's no question. But I'm just not a smarty pants. I'm really not. So what do you bring? Seriously
16:33
I bring my entertaining self. No, no, no. I'll tell you. When you sit down with these people, what is it that you bring to the party
16:40
I know how to be funny, so I take dialogue of theirs, and then you make it funny, and then you Bernadette eyes out
16:45
because she's got a cadence. Barbara's got a delivery and a cadence
16:50
Bette Midler is rat-tat-tat-tat-tat. A lot of people think Bette Midler is camp, but she's not
16:55
She's vaudeville. That is a skill set. What she does is skill
16:59
She's also got soul. She's got truth. You know, she can do a lot of stuff
17:04
so does everybody I work with. You know, Bernadette Peters, the pathos in that voice
17:08
I mean, there are people that, you know, they just opened their mouth and they were born to do musical theater
17:12
When I first heard Kristen Chenoweth in a thing called, what was that first Kander and Ev musical she did
17:18
Steel Pier. And she was in a bunk bed or something. And I hit that voice and I went
17:22
oh my God, this girl's a star. Like you just know when you heard Bernadette Peters on Dames at Sea, you just know
17:27
Peter, patter, what's the matter with me? It's delightful. You know what I mean
17:33
I sit here, the radio, and I don't even know who the hell's singing. Who the hell is singing all these songs
17:38
Who's singing? And everybody's screaming like Rock Idol and American Idol. People don't understand
17:43
And when I audition people, which I do all the time, and I've discovered more people really than anybody alive
17:48
In those 10 years of Les Mis and Phantom and Saigon, we cultivated it because you had to feed the monster, right
17:53
So I went to Disney World. I went to Opryland. I went to Branson, Missouri
17:58
I went to everywhere and had people move to New York because they never dreamed they would move to New York with a job
18:04
You know what I mean? But people think Eponine, for example, is about, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
18:09
It's not. It's about, you know, and now I'm all alone again, nowhere to turn, no one to go to
18:14
If those words aren't true from the very beginning of Eponine out in the street after she delivers that letter to Valjean
18:19
you know, on behalf of Marius, who she loves, and she's in love in her own mind
18:24
then, you know, it doesn't work. So I don't care about the big notes
18:28
Everybody's so busy screaming all the time. Subtlety and nuance are two of my favorite words
18:34
You directed it last summer. Yes, at the Muni. At Muni. Which was pretty damn good
18:38
Was it really? Yeah, it was definitive. Yeah, I heard about it. Yeah
18:42
Listen, I took Lea Michele to the Hollywood Bowl to do Eponine because I discovered her
18:46
when she was eight years old. She played a little Cosette, a very cute story. She was at an audition with her friend and her friend was terrible
18:52
I go, what do you do? I said some stories like that. Is that funny
18:56
I go, what do you do? She goes, nothing. I go, well, do you sing? She goes, sort of. So she sang for me, and I cast her in a New York second
19:02
and they never spoke again, those two kids. Oh, wow. You've got such great passion
19:08
What is your favorite role? Producer, director, casting, working in a cab race
19:12
It's so funny. Like, I've produced records. Like, people go, what do you do? I don't know why
19:16
I don't know how I happened. You know, you don't go to school for what has become of me, you know
19:21
You go to school to learn and get a background. But, like, for example, when I got called by Jay Landers at Columbia Records
19:27
and said, Johnny Mathis is doing a Broadway album. We need you. What does that mean
19:32
So I flew out there, and I met with Johnny Mathis, and I came home in the car, and I was crying
19:36
I was crying. And every day at work, I was crying. I got hired, and I dropped the track off in the mailbox every night
19:41
and then he'd come in and do it, and I'd just cry. And he goes, are you all right? I go, yeah, I'm okay
19:46
I'm with Johnny Mathis. Or Barbara, or even my dog JoJo, when she was alive
19:51
Barbara goes, bring her out. Take a play with Sammy. I'm like, oh, my God, what if these dogs don't get along
19:55
So, of course, they did. And Barbara sings live. Now, JoJo had been hearing Barbara on the stereo for years in New York
20:02
And she goes like this, and she walks up and goes like this. Like, is that you? And Barbara picked her up
20:08
It's amazing. I have a lot of great stories, but they're all pretty much full of love and adoration
20:13
And I think it's important, this idea of diva or whatever, it doesn't exist, but I'm a fan of whoever I worked with
20:21
That's crucial. Because if I had their talent, I'd go, God, this is what I'd like to see
20:26
I'm a pretty good audience and I see everything also. I feel like that's part of my job
20:30
I listen to all kinds of music. I listen to The Killers this week. Like, this is my job. Sometimes you just find a song out of nowhere
20:37
You know what I mean? Like, today I loved I Can Cook, too, on the way here, and I know who I'm going to give it to
20:41
And I hadn't heard it. It was 1959 and it was Nancy Walker. But I know who should do it. I don't know. Is that kooky
20:48
No, that's kind of genius, I think. You know? Or if you think of Barbara, if you think about her career
20:53
You know, she took a Depression-era song that was, you know, adopted by the Democrats for their anthem
20:58
Later, you know, happy days are here. And she takes it. I love that
21:05
And she's been singing it through her whole career. But if you look at one of those TV performances, I can't remember which one it was
21:10
She did it as a scenario where the stock market crashed and she had no money
21:15
She was broke. So the guy bringing her the champagne and she throwing you know cares to the wind And she putting down an earring and they bring another bottle and an earring and the fur That theater and somebody like me sees that I was nuts
21:27
I remember riding home from the shopping center, there were no malls back then
21:31
to see happening in Central Park because I read in the paper
21:35
that she was going to be on. When I first heard her from the record club, the Funny Girl album came, the Broadway album
21:41
came. I'm doing my homework and I hear, go ahead and the shiny cornet
21:46
And I'm like, who's this? And so I'm fascinated and I go, oh my God, they left an A out of her name
21:51
You know, it's wrong. You know, already I'm looking at copy and stuff
21:55
I was nuts. How did that relationship come about? It came about very fantastically
22:01
I was in Amadeus and Amy Irving was in it with me. Or I was in it with her
22:08
She came to work one night and she goes like this, oh, I turned on some Jewish thing today with Barbra Streisand
22:12
I'm like, you what? And I go, what Jewish thing? She goes, Yentl, I go, Yentl the Yeshiva Boy by Isaac Bejia, the singer
22:18
I said, Amy, you've got to go up there and read with her. So Amy did. She listened to me
22:22
This is my 40th birthday movie. She actually tells the story. And she goes up there
22:28
She gets the part. And then Barbra Streisand insists, Corman, come to take her and I to dinner at Orso
22:33
Like, I'm not even 30 years old, right? And I'm sitting there at dinner. She's got the fur hat on and everything like that
22:38
I'm like, I was. So fast forward 13 years and I'm now going to turn 40 and her producer says you got to
22:48
meet this guy and so I go to the apartment on the Upper West Side. I got out of the cab five blocks early
22:53
My palms were sweating. I was freaking out. Right? And nobody was there, not the manager, not her record producer
22:59
I said look at that. She comes bouncing down the stairs and goes like, hi, I'm Barbara
23:02
And I was like this, Richard, it's now or never. And I went, hi, no kidding. and
23:09
I don't know that was a gamble actors make choices right absolutely and I was an actor
23:17
I guess so why did you choose South Florida well I'm Cuban
23:21
for starters my mom is from Havana and my dad is Spanish American
23:25
and I've been coming here my whole life so my house I bought about 22 years ago
23:29
so I've always had it and it's just recently in the last two years that I gave up LA and New York
23:33
and I love it here and I love the community and I love, I support everything, you know
23:38
I don't like that word support. I hate arc. I hate journey
23:42
I hate all those words. But, because I like to be entertained
23:46
I don't want to support anybody. I'd rather be home in my underwear reading magazines, seriously. But there's a vital community here, you know
23:53
and I want to be a part of it. And also, you know, I can't make a living here
23:57
so I have to go to the world and come home to enjoy it. But I do enjoy, I have a wonderful bunch of friends here
24:04
and I love going to the theater and I love going to, I go to karaoke every Monday night
24:09
Do you really? I love that you go to the theater here and can remember. Yes, yeah
24:12
Well, Charlie, we share Charlie Cinnamon, so we're probably, you know, shoulder to shoulder a lot of time
24:17
Of course, we are. But I'm going to catch up with all your works and stuff, you know
24:21
No, but I'd like to also support the ballet. We've met at the ballet. Yeah, the ballet, the opera
24:25
I mean. Yeah, all the summer programs. You're fair to everybody. But I want to see this
24:29
I want to hear about this possible Broadway show. I think there is something there
24:34
I just had a meeting with a big lawyer in New York a few days ago, so let's see
24:39
We'll keep our fingers crossed. I want that one with my name on it, you know
24:44
But like I said, I'm not a smarty pants, so we'll see. But this show already exists
24:48
You need an associate producer then. Yes, who's that? There you go
24:52
Would that be you? But in terms of whoever asked which role, I don't have, I don't, it's really weird
24:58
I don't need to be defined. I can go into a TV studio and feel comfortable
25:02
I can, I mean, I've done everything. I've been really, I'm over-blessed, so I have not been shy about giving back
25:08
I have been, in fact, I'm ferocious about giving back. Which is great. Here's a question
25:12
Is there anything that you haven't done that you'd like to? Or have you pretty much done it all
25:16
Not really. Can I tell you a little joke? I can't figure out why Madonna can't act, and I'm sure I can get her to act
25:22
Now, it's vanity. It's total and utter vanity because we've been looking at her in blinks and edits and
25:28
boom, you know, things for years. But why can't she act? Like, she needed to take the time to learn how to act, and then the equation would be complete
25:36
I get so disappointed. She was great desperately seeking Susan and never again
25:40
So my vanity tells me I could do the job, but I don't know
25:44
This is what you would like to do. Yeah. Amazing. I feel like I could get it out of her
25:49
Is that crazy? You want to be back on stage again? Oh, sorry? Do you want to be back on stage
25:53
Oh, I'm on stage regularly. I'm on stage all the time. You know, I do benefits and stuff like that
25:57
Oh, there's tapes of me everywhere. If you want some for the show, I'll give you. Well, we need something
26:02
It's pretty funny. To cover all the... But it's... The two obscenities, the one, never
26:08
Did I swear a lot? Yeah, no. Only three times. Oh, okay. But that's okay, right
26:12
It's allowable. You're fine. That's okay. I'm not going to be bleeped. It's a school district production
26:16
I love this, you guys. I wish the show was longer. God, Iris, in the old days
26:20
I think you gave me a two-hour special, you know, in my backyard with the dog
26:25
You don't need us. We would just be Richard J. Alexander. No. But together, what you guys represent is pretty remarkable
26:32
You know what I mean? I'm my own, like, parade. I don't know. It's tragic. Turn that line somewhere
26:36
It's tragic. I love a parade. Right, right. The thing is, I think he would like to be on the panel permanently
26:42
That's what I think he would like to be. No, no, no. I would be, too. Just specific ones. You'd throw me off
26:46
Like censorship. You'd all throw me off. No, we want to get a word in edgewise. Did anybody not ask me a question
26:54
Well, you know what? I'm very animated. I get it. But I did sort of answer
26:59
Oh, you were wonderful. I sort of answered. I sort of answered. You just described yourself, and you thanked us
27:04
and I'm very appreciative of you being here again. Plus, I watched you last night
27:07
And we know that a million people are going to see the show like before if you have anything to do with it. And that's important to us, too
27:13
And I want to tell our audience how important you are to us
27:18
Really, really, we couldn't be here without you. And I hope you have a good time, because that's what we have
27:24
And I think you can see it's kind of contagious. We hope it comes over so that you will continue to join us
27:31
where, everywhere, every week, right here at Spotlight on the Arts. Oh, and to find out what's going on in South Florida all the time
27:39
just go to floridatheatreonstage.com. There's so much happening. Please go to the theater
27:45
Continue to watch us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you
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