Video: Alex Edelman Unpacks What to Expect from JUST FOR US

Hi, I'm Richie Ridge

Are you really? Yeah, yeah. Where are we? We're at Russ and Daughters Cafe. If you can't tell from the black and white cookies

And what is this? This is the hot smoke, cold smoke, which is very good. It is Kippard baked and Scottish Smoke, salmon spread, and everything bagel chips

They're very good indeed. And we're doing an interview for what? We're doing an interview for Broadway World, aren't we

Yeah. We're doing an interview for Broadway. For Alex Elliman. For my show, Just for Us

We're just coming to the Hudson Theater, June 22nd, to August 19th

I was going to make a joke. But let's just pick a joke. You can make a joke. You're a comedian. No, no, no. I was going to say..

Nine weeks. Nine weeks. Nine weeks only at... Nine weeks only at the Hudson Theater

from June 22nd to August 19th. Get a ticket. Come see this one

Please. The best. That's really nice. First of all, I am thrilled to be sitting with you here

This is cool. Yeah. At Russ and Daughters. You come here a lot, right

I come to all the appetizing counters. And, yeah, I come here

I have a bunch of favorites. Here at Gertie's, Bernie Greengrass. You know, Laser Wolf Kfar

Those are my Café Pana, which is an ice cream place. But it sells a feel for some reason to me of like an apt-tack

I like any place where there's like silverware clinking in the background? Yeah, totally. That is my vibe

That's my ASMR. This is my ASMR. Just like, just things clinking against other things and like the crunch of like bagel chips and stuff like that

Like, yeah, I'm very... It's a comfortable feeling. The most. I associate it

So you said it's not a deli. What do you call this? It's called an appetizing counter. I love this. Deli is very specific. Deliesies do meat

Yeah. Delicestins do meat. Appetizing counters do like fish and like it's a different, it's a totally different vibe

Like, burning greengrass is not a deli. It's an appetizing place. So I'm very distinct

I'm very distinct about this. And if you say to like Nikki Russ Federman, the woman who owns this place, like, hey, I love your deli

She'll be like, it's not a deli. It's an appetizing counter. I've only going to those from now on

Yes. I mean, yes, it's very appetizing. So, my friend, you're about to make your Broadway debut

excited? Yeah, I mean, it's pretty crazy. Look, I wanted the role of Milky White and into the woods, but they wouldn't let me

You wrote your own show. I wrote my own show. I mean, look, it is. Sometimes people are like, is it a dream come true? I'm like, it's not even a dream

Like, it's so big, it's so beyond whatever could have. It's like, if you were jogging on the street, and eventually someone's like, do you want to jog on the moon

You'd be like, you can jog on the moon. They're like, yeah, you know the moon

And I'm like, yeah, no, it's the thing I've been looking at my whole life. And they're like, well, we know someone who will send you there

And like, it really is, it really is so crazy. I have so much respect and, uh, it's so gross to say

but I have so much respect and admiration for, for so many of these, like, uh, I've seen so many of these shows in so many of these people who are part of this community

Like, I met Danny Burstein the other night, and I saw him in the drowsy chaperone, and I saw him Mulam Rouge

And like, you know, Alex Timbers is the creative consultant on the show, and he's worked on, he worked on Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

which is one of my first favorite shows. And like, people from Spam a lot are around

and people from the producers are, like, Matthew Broderick and Saratislika Parker have come downtown

and, like, it's just being a part of this community that I've always loved and always wanted to be a part of

but never thought of it as possible. It's like a fantasy camp for me

And the other thing is, I'm really proud of the show. Like, a lot of these great works would be incredible

to go into a show, and I'm sure that's something I'd love to do at some point in my life

but to bring a thing that you are proud of To a Broadway house, the thing that audiences have appreciated

and, you know, are now being, now I'm given the chance to let even more people appreciate

It's a really, it's a really, like, it's a really special thing. And I'm being garrulous right now, but, like, it really is

I just can't believe it. It's a lot to take in. It's a lot

Because you went to the theater today, right? Went to the theater today. They're loading out Doll's House

They're loading us in. And it's just like... And you rode your, you rode your bike right

I rode my city bike, yeah, I'm a city bike boy. And so I love a city bike

And it's like, I just, I couldn't believe. I truly, I truly cannot believe this is happening

And yeah, I'm dead pleased by the whole thing. And we walked it, sorry, we went into the theater and like, it's this gorgeous

The seats are really wide and the color palette's stunning. There's Tiffany Glass everywhere

It's like, the seats over human size butts. It's like a really, it's an amazing place

It's like the nicest theater I've ever been in. So the fact that the chance that, you know

to be on that stage doing this for an audience is gonna be like so special Okay no I know Dahl house just loaded out today Did Jessica Chastain and Arine Moyette show you through the theater They did They showed me around Aryan showed me around It was crazy

Although, Aaron was teasing me. He was like, you know, it would really be good to get into your show

And I'm like, what? He's like an Oscar winner. I'm like, oh, that's chill. Thank you. Thank you so much, Aaron

It would be incredible. We could squeeze an Oscar winner into my solo show. That'd be freaking amazing

And I'm leaving. He's like, Daniel Day Lewis, think about it. And I'm like, yeah, but he was a..

He was... He's one of the greatest. He was one of the nicest. He was getting me a little..

He was... He was... You know, Ibsen wrote our play. It's directed by the Great Amy..

You know, the Great Amy Herzog and... I was the dad of the Great Amy Herzog. And, like, it stars Jessica Chastain

Who wrote your piece? And I'm like, I wrote my piece. He's like, wow! Okay! He's like, so it's going from a timeless classic

to like a comedian solo show. That's really... You know, it seems really cool. But my show is..

My show is funnier than Doll's House, I believe. I think it's okay

to say that? Yes. My friend Chelsea's one in the camera and be like, oh, no

But yeah. I think the show is a little funny. I think my show is a little funnier than Nohaus, but it does not have Jessica Chasting

Exactly. So I'm willing to cede that they, I'm willing to seed one of those two things

but it was really cool. And I went to their closing night party the other night

and I hired Darian and Jessica, and I was like, congratulations. What a wonderful run

Get the hell out of here. You know, like. Please leave. But you could do that with friends

They're really, genuinely, I went to go see Doll's House, and they brought me on state afterwards

and they were showing me how to play the room. And there's something that, not to get too technical

I love the craft of this. Like, I love, people think a solo show, you just throw it up and off you go

but no, it takes a lot of, like, thought and preparation. You know where you're standing, you know how you're delivering

you're playing to everybody, and in the theater, you're making a huge space

feel very intimate and fun and rollicking to give it the sort of energy of a

to give it the energy of a comedy show in this really salubrious venue is a really

it takes a lot of intention. And so they were like walking me through

because their show takes a lot of intention also. And so like being sort of getting my first taste of that community

and getting my first taste to brought my fans. Like I went to like, I went to the Tonys the other night and a couple people outside

And we're like, we got tickets to your show. Like, that is really cool. I met Linman and Miranda Miranda the other day

Like, this is the, for me, this is like the best, you know

I hope it never ends. It will end. It's not going to end. You will be back. I hope so

But for now, like, this is so cool. Okay, talking about the size of that room, you started this in a UK pub, right

Yeah, a pub behind a shoe store. Wait, where was that? It was in Kentish Town, which is like above, near the tube station, Kentish Town

And it was this really, um, This really gorgeous, gorgeous, tiny little bar

and there were 12 people there. And I was like, you know, I've done this thing. But, you know, comedy is really humble beginnings

You need a workshop at, you need a road test in front of people. I did it at a vegan restaurant called Olock in L.A.

the storytelling night called On Cabaret. I would mix it up there a little bit

In the Soho Theater on Dean Street, which is a really beloved comedy institution. And, yeah, I road tested it in Melbourne and Edinburgh

and it did well at festivals, but the theater. The theatrical version of it didn't really elevate until Mike Barbiglia

who's got his own many, who's done a few shows on Broadway himself

You know, he got a hold of it. He's like, you should think about this and think about this

and those elevations really sort of pushed us to the next level

And that's when we went up in New York. Okay, let's talk about Mike. He's one of my favorite comedic storytellers

I mean, there's no one better than him. He's Spalding, he's Spalding Gray, but without the, um, being dead part

He's like, really, really, he's so, It was so, so funny. Yeah

And I was watching, I went to the Lincoln Center Archives the other day to look at some of the old theaters

and what Mike and Spalding have in common. They have this beautiful, they bring a sense of dynamism

to their performances even when they're standing completely still. And Mike is, Mike's truly like a master craftsman

You've seen the shows. Oh, many, yeah. Oh, they're so good. So he's one of your dearest friends

Let's talk about what he offered advice and like honing this for Broadway

because I know he works a long time on his shows. Oh, I work, I mean, yeah, you do, too

This show's taken like four and a half years. This show's been, this show's crazy

This show is so, this shows the longest relationship I've ever had, you know

Like, it's been in, except with my parents. I've been with them about 10 years

and so we'll see how I guess. But yeah the show the longest relationship I had And so Mike really works on his shows and he works it out at the comedy seller which is where thanks to him and Noah Menstey who run it that where I work out now too

And so it's where I sort of shave the edges off my shows and, like, you know, trim the bottom a little bit and figure out how things work

But Mike gives notes that only probably 10 or 15 people on the planet would know to get

And so having that, you know, Mike saw the show at the Lortel

You put it up for one night at the Lortel to sort of see what it might look like on a stage

And I invited everyone I'd ever met. I think I've told anyone this. Anyone I've ever met

And then they came, because it was a hometown show, all my friends were like, bah. And I got off stage and Mike was like B to B minus

I was like, be mine, it's the better if you tried this, this, and this

And so we had some shows coming up in England and like rural England

And I pulled the show apart with my director, and then we sort of, we did the hard work of like t it down

and trying to rebuild, not from the bottom up, but from sort of like 50 to 60% up

And it was really painful, but we really got there. And it was because of Barbiglia

Brabiglia is only given like 15 to 20 notes on the show, but every note has been big and very holistic

and really like smart. It's what you'd expect from like, and also, like you said

he's one of the great comedians. Like, it's like one of the heads on me Mount Rushmore being like, you know what you should do

Like that's what it is. So it's been critical. No, he's, like I said, he makes it all seem so effortless and it's not

No, it's so hard. But that's the... That's the skill. Yeah. But even any astute observer looking at that, be like, that looks effortless, that's probably

really hard. It's like any novel, right? Or any great novel. You look at it and you're like, oh, gosh, this is very dense or a lot of ideas

It all seems cohesive, but, like, there's a lot of different fun things being pulled in

And it's fun. Like, my show is more than anything else. It's a funny show. And, like, that's the number one thing

You have to look after the funny. And Mike understands that so well

And so, like, having that, having someone who understands plays and solo shows and writing

but also understands funny. Yeah. So they can give you notes without ever wanting you to compromise what is funny

But also, the show's had lots of input from a lot of people. Like, every comedy legend that comes ask them for a note

Do you know this? Yeah. Now, you've had some great people come to see your show. Just give some names

Drop some names. Seinfeld came and Steve Martin came and Saratiska Parker came and Ben Stiller came and Billy Crystal came

Wow. I mean, I'm leaving out some big ones, but Manny Azenberg came

I know that's not like, oh my God. The guy I produced it. And he was like, you know what? He's an idol of mine

Oh, my God. And millions of other people. Yeah, he's like Neil Simon. He's like Neil would have really liked it

So I was like, I was levitating. But it's really cool. And everyone who comes, I go, what do you think about

Even when Colbert came, everyone gives really great notes, really specific notes, thoughtful notes, thoughtful, very respectful, very helpful

Steve Martin offered a line. And I was like, I don't know about that. And then I tried it the next night and got a huge laugh

And I was like, well, it turns out Steve Martin knows what he's talking about when he talks comedy. Do you know they're in the house

Did you know that Steve was, well, I'm sure everyone was looking at Steve? No, no, no. No, no. No, no. No

Yeah, but would they come to your show? Yeah, because what happens is you go backstage and everyone's weird and you're like, who is it today

Who's it going to be today? And they're like, they're like, the prime minister of France is here

Okay, guess we'll do the show for the prime minister. He hasn't

Matt Cullen has not come. But, you know, like it's coming. He'll come down. Look, Broadway, you never know

Broadway, it is really cool and really special. and also, you know, but the non-mega icons who have come have been really incredible

I wait outside after every show. I talk to anyone who wants to speak to me. You're really generous with your fans

I think that's really great. I mean, they're not, they're, they bought a ticket, and it's a conversation

And so I get to talk for the first hour and a half, but also, like, very eager to, although face-to-face

Like, I really like the face-to-face conversation. where we can talk in real time

There's a generosity of spirit that people show you in a face-to-face conversation

And the show has been formed by, first, my director, Adam, Brace

Let's talk about Adam. Okay. Working with him. Yeah. What's it like being in a room with him

where there's no audience there? Like, do you... Well, we sit across a table like this

Okay. There one table in Soho in London And Adam drinks a cider and I drink a white beer and we just I throw things at him and he asks provocations and laughs and goes you know that a bit like this thing and then we

sort of pull the show together and that's how we've done every show we've done every show that

way all three of my solo shows have happened to that one table at the Soho hotel in London

and Adam was the associate director of the Soho Theater where I work out on my shows

and was just the most beautiful, brilliant comedy mind and theatrical mind, a dramatur

He would call himself a directurge, or a directorg, dramaturg. I mean, like, he was a director and a dramaturg

so it was a really beautiful relationship. And one of my closest friends for, yeah

I love these new phrases I'm learning from you today, besides what this place is called

and how you're putting a director in a dramaturg together. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he's a really special mind

Now, without giving too much away, how do you describe the show

Um, uh... I went to this meeting of white nationalists in Queens, and I sat there for like an hour

and eventually someone's like, I'm sorry, but this guy's a Jew, and I'm like, yeah, I'm a Jew. And so, like, that's the whole show, frankly

I mean... Although they kill me at the end. No, a lot of people not... No, I was kidding. Um..

But yeah, I went to this... It's a comedy show about, you know, identity and... Yeah

and assimilation, and, like, but it's a comedy show. It truly, I always tell people it's a comedy show with

we've had no complaints, generally. Like, people, this is a show that people seem to generally really enjoy

because it's, I think people right now want funny so much. Yeah

They want funny first, they want something that's propulsive. But it also, for people who don't love stand-up comedy

it's got a theatrical heft for people who find theater sometimes a bit hefty

It's got the light touch of comedy. So, like, it's a real comedy theater blend

which I think is got just enough for people from both camps, which I really like. I like work that is, I like work that can have valence to everyone

Like, the show is Jews have really found, have really enjoyed the show

because it's an expiration of a world that they find not often to be talked about

And non-Jews really like the show because it's like, it's funny. Because it's funny, and people can empathize with a really

or people can enjoy a story that, with the help of many people

is Walt Hold. So, like, we've had that, and it's been a really delightful, easy

you know, accessible project for Jews and non-Jews. I'm like, so happy with this

mass appeal, this piece of work. What are you looking forward to the most

All kidding aside. I got to be honest. Yeah. I love all theaters

that I've been lucky enough to perform the show in. To perform the show in a theater where the seats

are comfortable, and people are really like, I'm gonna be a professional community

it's gonna be like a professional audience. Like the conditions are right in a Broadway house

Like it's like, most theaters are really beautiful, but they're like, they're like mid-range luxury cars

Like the person who has the car, like they're doing well, they have a nice professional job and like

it's very, you know, middle class, and it's one of their two cars. They have two cars and a garage to put it in

that's most theaters. But like, by the way, the pub above a shoe store

is like an edsel. Like, it's like a disgusting thing that doesn't move, and it's where your show starts

But this theater is, like, the Rolls Royce. Like, I'm going to get, like, a microphone with the best sound

I'm going to get, like, an audience that is, like, air-conditioned correctly

and sat correctly and quiet correctly. And, like, it's going to be a really fun, comfortable environment to do the show

And also just doing the show on Broadway, as soon as I get on stage

and have had the chance to do my... Probably is... Like, it's..

It's where they do Chicago. That's my, like, top thing. But, like, Broadway, there's so many

and so many great comedians have gone to Broadway. Like, Robin Williams is a part of the show, who I talk about in the show a lot

He did his shows on Broadway, and Whoopi did her shows on Broadway. And, like, I ran into Whoopi for the first time

a couple of weeks ago, or two weeks, maybe even less than a week ago

And she was very encouraging. She's like, I heard about this show. She's like, that's what happened to me in 1982

Her show went to Broadway. It started in these small venues. And so just getting to be

I'm very conscious of tradition. I'm very conscious of... instead of be part of this tradition of Broadway

I'm really gonna, like... You know... I'm not very jaded. I really get a chance to, like

to sort of, like, take it in. It really will be enough to do it. We will be there, Broadway, we'll be there

Opening night. Oh, my God, please, please come on. Just so you know, have the best nine weeks. Oh, thank you so much

The best Alex