Arts and Craft
A new chat show that dives into the lives of musicians, filmmakers, performers, and artists from all walks of life, revealing the untold stories and hidden secrets that drive their creativity. Hosted by Nancy Magarill and Peter Michael Marino.
Arts and Craft
Melinda Buckley - actress, comedian, director
Melinda Buckley is an actress, comedian, director, choreographer, and writer who's been seen on Broadway, TV, and film. On this episode we chat about her solo show, “MOTHER (and me),” working in the biz, having a casting director as a neighbor, and a fun Audra McDonald tidbit.
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MELINDA BUCKLEY Broadway and national tours include Crazy For You, A Chorus Line, Raggedy Ann, Sally and Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity. She has performed improv/sketch and stand up all over NYC as well as written and performed several solo shows. Her latest is the critically acclaimed MOTHER (and me).‘One Up! Solo, is a program she designed to guide other artists in crafting their own stage worthy stories. On the other side of the table, highlights include directing Broadway By The Year, with a Tony award winning cast, and choreographing Paramour, starring Len Cariou at the Old Globe. She choreographed Columbia Pictures’ Stuart Little I and II with Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie, the independent film 1999, starring Amanda Peet and Jennifer Garner, and assisted Pat Birch on Working Girl as well as many episodes of Saturday Night Live. Other TV credits: choreographing One Life to Live and award-winning promos for CBS including a Super Bowl spot forGirl Power, named one of the top ten ads by Paste magazine. She assisted Lonny Price (as SDC Fellow) in the filming of Company at the NYP, which starred Neil Patrick Harris, Patti Lupone, Stephen Colbert, Martha Plimpton, Jon Cryer among many others. She has been a creative director, writer, director/choreographer and speaker coach for a diverse range of clients including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Fox, ESPN, Sesame Street, McDonald’s, Microsoft, IBM, American Express, and the Port of LA...to name a few! She is a proud member of AEA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA and SDC.
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Produced and Edited by Arts and Craft.
Theme Music: Sound Gallery by Dmitry Taras.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I just want it to be a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of show where people are just, you know, they get in the car, they get in the ride, they put the bar down, and we're off.
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<v Nancy Magarill>She is an actress, comedian, director, choreographer, and writer who's been seen on Broadway, TV, and film.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>She's written and performed several solo shows, her latest being Mother and Me, currently touring the USA.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Multi-hyphenate Melinda Buckley joins us on today's episode.
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<v Nancy Magarill>My name is Nancy Magarill.
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<v Nancy Magarill>I'm a singer, songwriter, composer, performer, graphic, and web designer.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And I'm Peter Michael Marino, and I'm a writer, producer, creator, performer, and educator.
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<v Nancy Magarill>We are New York-based artists you may or may not have heard of.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And we are here to introduce you to other artists you may or may not have heard of.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>I was talking about, you know, Nancy asked me, as any good co-host would do, logging on to an hour worth of recording.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>How are you, Pete?
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And it had like that kind of like, you don't look like everything's great.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And I was like, oh, yeah, my head is just on a hundred projects.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And then I'm staring at the beautiful Melinda Buckley, and I'm like, oh, she knows what I'm talking about.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>This is, you are a full on independent artist, business person.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>You're all over the freaking place.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Our connection is, you know, one of the things we'll be talking about today, and that is like, we met through the world of solo shows.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Do you want to tell our listeners what that means?
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Cause I'm not in the mood.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, good.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I remember you when you were like, I didn't really know you, but you were running SoloCom.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Like, you know, solo shows were so, the whole landscape was so different, like 10 years ago.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yes.
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<v Melinda Buckley>You know, even, even five years ago.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Good topic of discussion for today's.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yes.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Well, everything changes, right?
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<v Nancy Magarill>I mean, it all.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Amen.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Sometimes the bad stuff goes away too.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Yes.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>That's true.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>That's true.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Maybe some bad solo stuff goes away.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>It's less opportunities to see that, but fewer opportunities to see good ones as well.
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<v Nancy Magarill>But there's some bad stuff right now.
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<v Nancy Magarill>I'm hoping it's going to go away a little faster than.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Than a solo show.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Right.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yes, exactly.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>So yeah, so that's how we, yeah.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>So the, you know, it's just a lot of people that do this and we all kind of know each other and we all support each other's work and we all work with a lot of the same people.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And so you and I sort of, you know, clearly.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Well, I know you, I knew you from SoloCom, even though I never like did anything with it.
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<v Melinda Buckley>And then I, I don't know, I know that I coached with you.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I know that I went with a coaching thing and you helped me with my blurb.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yes, that's right.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Which I still use.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Tell us about your, that show that you're talking about.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Okay, so I have a solo show called Mother and Me, which is ironically about my mother and me.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>What's the subtitle?
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<v Peter Michael Marino>What's the blurb?
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<v Nancy Magarill>I know it's going to be hard for people to figure that one out.
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<v Melinda Buckley>It was a daughter's story of love, loss and goulash.
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<v Melinda Buckley>That was the quick thing.
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<v Melinda Buckley>But yes, so I had done solo shows, but there were always character stuff because I came out of the Groundlings.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>I did not know that.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Is that where you're from?
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Chicago?
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<v Melinda Buckley>No.
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<v Melinda Buckley>The Groundlings are in LA.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I'm sorry.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>But then they came here and they did a Groundlings East thing.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Then it turned in Gotham City.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Those were the days.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Wow.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>It was really, really fun.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Improv was never really my thing, but I love the writing characters and the writing, the scenes and things like that.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I did a solo show called Calendar Girls, and it was all women on different holidays.
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<v Melinda Buckley>It was really fun.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>How perfect for you that you get to embody different voices and characters and all that stuff.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.
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<v Nancy Magarill>What was the point of view?
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<v Nancy Magarill>What were you trying to convey?
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<v Melinda Buckley>There were just-
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<v Nancy Magarill>Was it like a talking head, not talking heads, talking with piece where it was all different kinds of characters, just all different kinds of female characters?
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>It was just like we started on New Year's Eve, and it was just like a really terrible cabaret character on why too gay.
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<v Melinda Buckley>It was right around 2001 and it was this character, and then it went to-
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<v Melinda Buckley>I used to have a really fun skit about like a skit.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Well, they're still our skits.
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<v Melinda Buckley>They are.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Good date, bad date, which was really fun.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I love sound effects.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I love all kinds of things like that.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Like foley, like radio stuff or doing them?
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>No, it was like recorded.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Samples.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Back in the day when you were recording them on your little tape deck, your little cassettes.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>You'd put the pencil in and you'd have to wind it up to just the moment where the cue comes.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yes.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Oh my God.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh my God.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>You kids don't know how good you have it.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Exactly.
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<v Melinda Buckley>But it was just all different women on this.
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<v Melinda Buckley>You had like a lady footlocker, a person who was coming out on Pride Day.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Wow.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>It was basically calendar girls, 12 crazy ass women through one year of craziness.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I think now of course, I think one of the challenges with it was finding that through line, finding that what connects all this, why we just seeing one person after the other.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Now that I've been in this world and teach and things like that, it's like all the ways you could have connected it and things.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Learning about structure.
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<v Melinda Buckley>So Mother and Me is, the reason why I didn't, I used to do character shows and I never wanted to do a solo show that I talked about myself because I thought was so indulgent.
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<v Melinda Buckley>We saw so many people.
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<v Nancy Magarill>It's like, why?
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<v Nancy Magarill>Who wants to hear me?
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>That's what I think is the gift of Matt Hoverman and Go Solo and his particular way of teaching structure was, you're not actually writing about you.
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<v Melinda Buckley>You're finding what the universal thing is and you're writing about everybody.
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<v Melinda Buckley>You're writing about what people can connect to.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>What you're giving an audience.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Right.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Thank God for Matt Hoverman.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>He's LA based or now he's in New York too, isn't he?
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<v Melinda Buckley>Well, he's doing mostly Zoom workshops so he can reach everybody.
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<v Melinda Buckley>But yeah, he took a break.
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<v Melinda Buckley>For a while, I was teaching with him and I remember I was trying to, because he has L1 and L2, both fantastic classes.
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<v Melinda Buckley>When I was, it brought me on as an associate artistic director for a year or something here in New York, and we were trying to do an L3 because what I find-
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Take your show to Broadway with Melinda Buckley, Broadway, Corinne.
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<v Nancy Magarill>So what does L, what does the L stand for?
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<v Nancy Magarill>Is that like level one, level two?
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<v Melinda Buckley>Level.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, I mean, that's something I'm assuming that you understood about this class structure thing because of your time with the Groundlings.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Am I right?
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yes.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>So in this world of comedy even, it's a weird scheming kind of thing that actually works for everyone.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And that is like, you know, if you keep taking these classes someday, you'll have two minutes on that stage.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Wow.
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<v Nancy Magarill>What's the top level?
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<v Peter Michael Marino>So that's why you keep going back, but also because you're learning more, you know?
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<v Melinda Buckley>Well, I think that like maybe in some of the-
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<v Peter Michael Marino>This is the Groundlings.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>I'm not talking about Matt.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>I'm not talking about Matt.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
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<v Melinda Buckley>I think in a lot of these cases, you know, they have a certain philosophy and they have a, you know, these are the fundamentals and until you get those, you can't really take it to the next level of the fundamentals.
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<v Melinda Buckley>You know, it's like taking beginning ballet.
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<v Melinda Buckley>You sort of need to know the positions.
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<v Melinda Buckley>So and with Matt, you know, what's great about it is, you know, he does an L1, which lays out everything that he's going to be talking about in terms of structure and gives you exercises where you learn those tools.
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<v Melinda Buckley>And then in L2, you start applying it to your story.
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<v Melinda Buckley>And then you can take, like me, I think I might, I probably took 10 L2s to finish my story because you just keep working on different sections.
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<v Melinda Buckley>So what I've been doing is, you know, I'm offering like coaching and classes and things like that.
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<v Melinda Buckley>And I try to help people when they have 45 minutes or an hour, because that's when you're really in the weeds, you know, like really figuring out how does this apply to the whole thing.
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<v Melinda Buckley>And that's when I brought Pete in, you taught my students, because people have to understand that, yeah, it's great that you wrote it.
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<v Melinda Buckley>But now what are you going to do?
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, right.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>What's what's what's next?
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<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, sometimes people make people like me, I won't write it unless I know it's happening.
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<v Nancy Magarill>You know, like I need that goalpost to like, ah, it can be very frustrating because you can flounder around, which sometimes is great.
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<v Nancy Magarill>I'm a snowball down the hill creator, so I like to do that sometimes.
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<v Nancy Magarill>But I think when you do have an idea of where you want to go, it's helpful.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>But you're working with folks, you're working with a very wide array of personalities, ages, types and skill levels.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>So you have people who are writers who've never acted.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>You have actors who have never written.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>You've had comics who want to do more storytelling, and you have storytellers who want to do more comedy.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Then you have like, and I want mine to be multimedia.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And then you have that whole type of show.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>There's so many different ways that like for myself, when I was teaching, I taught this solo show classes, level one and two at the pit for, I don't know, five years.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>It was very hard to get to everybody every week.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>You have to be there for five hours.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>You have to make it a retreat.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Because you're dealing with, you know, Nancy's, I'm working with her structure and her writing and what's, you know, and then Melinda, I'm working with like, we don't understand your point of view or we don't really get the character or, there's just so many, oh my gosh, it's a lot.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>So it's a lot for the teacher.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>So clearly it's a lot for students as well.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Because I think people go into this thinking, I'm just gonna write my story and tell my story and it happened to me, so it's gonna be great.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>And what they learn is that that's not true.
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<v Nancy Magarill>So the thing about learning structure, because I just went through and we talked about this.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>Yes, you're doing this as well.
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<v Nancy Magarill>I went with Gretchen Cryer's class.
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<v Melinda Buckley>Oh, yeah.
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<v Nancy Magarill>It's hard for people to tell stories if they don't have a perspective or if they don't have, not everybody has the gift of storytelling, I think.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>That's another skill.
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<v Peter Michael Marino>That's another skill that you need on top of writing.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Absolutely.
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<v Nancy Magarill>And I learned this as a songwriter.
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<v Nancy Magarill>There are a lot of people that write songs that you're just like, you just don't have a way with words.
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<v Nancy Magarill>You know, like I know, I think one of the reasons I was so afraid of going into the solo writing world, I'm a songwriter and a singer and I love writing songs.
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<v Nancy Magarill>I love writing lyrics.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Give me that, you know, two to three minute bit of music and I'm there.
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<v Nancy Magarill>Writing a whole show is a whole other thing.
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<v Nancy Magarill>It's a whole other world.
00:10:54.540 --> 00:11:02.660
<v Nancy Magarill>And it's really interesting in trying to tell the story from other people's points of view, other characters.
00:11:02.660 --> 00:11:07.540
<v Nancy Magarill>There's so many different things you can do, but it's really, it's very challenging.
00:11:07.540 --> 00:11:15.320
<v Nancy Magarill>So I find it interesting that you morphed from working with characters to going into your own story, which we were talking about a little bit.
00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:15.900
<v Nancy Magarill>So-
00:11:15.900 --> 00:11:18.040
<v Peter Michael Marino>But there are characters in that story as well.
00:11:18.340 --> 00:11:18.760
<v Melinda Buckley>Are there not?
00:11:18.760 --> 00:11:19.580
<v Nancy Magarill>Well, of course, right?
00:11:19.580 --> 00:11:20.360
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:27.780
<v Melinda Buckley>Well, it's also my, I personally like a story that's not just a Spaulding Gray sitting at a desk.
00:11:27.780 --> 00:11:30.680
<v Melinda Buckley>That's a wonderful thing if you're that person.
00:11:30.920 --> 00:11:37.240
<v Melinda Buckley>I'm more animated and use different, instead of telling about my brother, I'll become my brother.
00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:40.660
<v Melinda Buckley>Or so the characters are serving the story.
00:11:40.660 --> 00:11:43.360
<v Melinda Buckley>They're not anything, but it just, I feel like it's a-
00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:44.820
<v Nancy Magarill>John Leguizamo does that.
00:11:44.820 --> 00:11:45.380
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:11:45.380 --> 00:11:47.320
<v Peter Michael Marino>Good example, Aaron DeVere Smith.
00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:47.760
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:11:47.760 --> 00:11:48.160
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:11:48.160 --> 00:11:48.700
<v Melinda Buckley>Exactly.
00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:50.080
<v Peter Michael Marino>Two other people.
00:11:51.400 --> 00:11:53.440
<v Melinda Buckley>They're a bunch of people.
00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:56.200
<v Peter Michael Marino>Made Whoopi Goldberg a star.
00:11:56.200 --> 00:11:57.720
<v Peter Michael Marino>And Lily Tomlin.
00:11:57.720 --> 00:11:58.100
<v Peter Michael Marino>There we go.
00:11:58.100 --> 00:11:58.700
<v Peter Michael Marino>We got them all.
00:11:58.820 --> 00:11:59.560
<v Peter Michael Marino>We got them all.
00:11:59.560 --> 00:12:08.220
<v Nancy Magarill>We're going back to that book, that exposure, the extreme exposure book that we were talking about, that Gretchen, on the first day, Gretchen was like, you have to get this book.
00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:13.240
<v Nancy Magarill>And it talks about all the different styles and the different ways of doing that kind of performance.
00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:24.000
<v Nancy Magarill>You know, all the different people who have done it throughout the years and their different styles and the different ways of writing and what person you're writing and how you're dealing with the audience.
00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:28.860
<v Nancy Magarill>And it's challenging because you can try all different things within one show.
00:12:28.860 --> 00:12:29.400
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:12:29.400 --> 00:12:29.980
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:12:29.980 --> 00:12:33.460
<v Melinda Buckley>And I think it really just kind of comes down to you, you know.
00:12:33.460 --> 00:12:36.640
<v Melinda Buckley>And it's so helpful to read all of those different people.
00:12:36.640 --> 00:12:40.880
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, the other one that's great is Charlene Woodward.
00:12:42.260 --> 00:12:44.480
<v Melinda Buckley>She was in the original cast of Aint Misbehaving.
00:12:44.700 --> 00:12:44.880
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:12:44.880 --> 00:12:47.780
<v Melinda Buckley>And then she wrote a bunch of solo shows.
00:12:47.780 --> 00:12:48.960
<v Melinda Buckley>And they're great.
00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:53.340
<v Melinda Buckley>There are that combination of theatrical and telling the story.
00:12:53.340 --> 00:13:05.320
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, she tells these incredible, I think one show was Pretty Fires, and it's about when she was a kid and she went to visit down south, and people were burning crosses in the front yard.
00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:07.260
<v Melinda Buckley>So I mean, it's just a powerful story.
00:13:07.260 --> 00:13:07.640
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:13:07.640 --> 00:13:08.140
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:13:08.140 --> 00:13:08.580
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:13:08.580 --> 00:13:10.060
<v Nancy Magarill>So talk more about your show.
00:13:10.180 --> 00:13:11.200
<v Nancy Magarill>What are you doing with it?
00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:12.180
<v Nancy Magarill>Where are you at with it?
00:13:13.560 --> 00:13:25.700
<v Melinda Buckley>Well, it was at the Fringe Festival, and my friend Barbara Whitman, who has become a Broadway producer, but I've known her since we did Dinner Theater together, and we're really, really close friends.
00:13:25.700 --> 00:13:27.420
<v Peter Michael Marino>Amazing.
00:13:27.420 --> 00:13:38.620
<v Melinda Buckley>I've always had this thing with, because at this point, we all know kind of famous people, and you know, but I never, I go the opposite way of like never wanting to ask for anything.
00:13:38.620 --> 00:13:39.180
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:13:39.180 --> 00:13:52.380
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, and so I said, you know, come to the show with our other friends, and you know, you'll see it at the Fringe, and I think it was like five shows, and she loved it, and she texted me after the show saying, I think it's amazing and I'm going to help you.
00:13:52.380 --> 00:13:52.840
<v Nancy Magarill>That's wonderful.
00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:55.920
<v Melinda Buckley>I was like, oh my God, it was just this kind of like dream.
00:13:55.920 --> 00:14:05.200
<v Melinda Buckley>So she brought on Kimberly Senior, who had just directed the Tony Award-winning Disgraced on Broadway, and got together a team.
00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.240
<v Melinda Buckley>We were at second stage doing a developmental workshop.
00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:09.940
<v Nancy Magarill>That's good.
00:14:09.940 --> 00:14:10.880
<v Nancy Magarill>That's wonderful.
00:14:11.580 --> 00:14:19.220
<v Melinda Buckley>And then we just started like, I saw that they were doing a solo fest in Chicago at Greenhouse Theater, and we submitted it there.
00:14:19.220 --> 00:14:22.020
<v Melinda Buckley>We got in there, so it was in Chicago for two weeks.
00:14:22.060 --> 00:14:35.900
<v Melinda Buckley>And then, you know, all along, okay, so the show is about the 10-year journey of my mom with Alzheimer's, but she was really funny, and it was really important to me that the show be funny, because she was hysterical.
00:14:35.900 --> 00:14:45.300
<v Melinda Buckley>So my friend, James Lassine, who is now Celeste Lassine, had some friends in Provincetown who had started this, you know, fledgling caregiving organization.
00:14:45.580 --> 00:14:51.560
<v Melinda Buckley>They're two wonderful, wonderful people, have started the Alzheimer's Family Support Center of Cape Cod.
00:14:51.560 --> 00:14:53.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh my gosh, that's specific.
00:14:53.900 --> 00:14:56.900
<v Melinda Buckley>Yes, but it is very specific.
00:14:56.900 --> 00:14:59.480
<v Melinda Buckley>It's not connected to the Alzheimer's Association.
00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:01.440
<v Melinda Buckley>They offer all their services for free.
00:15:01.940 --> 00:15:03.300
<v Melinda Buckley>They are amazing.
00:15:03.300 --> 00:15:04.380
<v Peter Michael Marino>Wow, God bless this.
00:15:04.380 --> 00:15:10.080
<v Melinda Buckley>They've been so ahead of the curve with all kinds of treatments and social things.
00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.500
<v Melinda Buckley>And I mean, they're just amazing, amazing women.
00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:15.700
<v Melinda Buckley>So my friend Celeste was like, why don't you go do a benefit?
00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:16.760
<v Melinda Buckley>And I was like, okay.
00:15:16.760 --> 00:15:19.820
<v Melinda Buckley>So we went and I love Melinda.
00:15:19.820 --> 00:15:24.260
<v Melinda Buckley>She just started calling theaters on Cape Cod and she got the Cape Playhouse, you know, which is this major.
00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:25.580
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's a great spot.
00:15:25.580 --> 00:15:26.000
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's a great spot.
00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:27.260
<v Melinda Buckley>It's a great place.
00:15:27.260 --> 00:15:36.840
<v Melinda Buckley>And it just so happened that the executive director was Mark Cuddy, who is also the, was the artistic director of JIVA Theater, who I also happened to go to college with.
00:15:36.880 --> 00:15:37.600
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:15:37.760 --> 00:15:38.820
<v Peter Michael Marino>Where was that?
00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:39.340
<v Melinda Buckley>US.
00:15:39.340 --> 00:15:46.120
<v Melinda Buckley>Amherst, an agricultural school, because when you want to be an artist, where else?
00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:46.620
<v Melinda Buckley>Where else would you go?
00:15:46.620 --> 00:15:47.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>But there is like a slice of meat.
00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:50.820
<v Peter Michael Marino>There's always people who, when you ask, where did you go to school?
00:15:50.820 --> 00:15:58.460
<v Peter Michael Marino>Actor people that you're like, oh, yeah, you went there or you went to NYU or you went to Sarah Lawrence.
00:15:59.800 --> 00:16:03.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's going to be my final Sarah Lawrence.
00:16:03.620 --> 00:16:04.780
<v Peter Michael Marino>I can tell by your clothes.
00:16:05.380 --> 00:16:05.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yes.
00:16:05.900 --> 00:16:08.280
<v Melinda Buckley>So anyway, I hadn't talked to Mark in years.
00:16:08.280 --> 00:16:10.100
<v Melinda Buckley>I had no idea that he was there.
00:16:10.100 --> 00:16:14.540
<v Melinda Buckley>I had no idea that she was calling, but he saw my name and he's like, oh, sure, we'll do it.
00:16:14.540 --> 00:16:24.520
<v Melinda Buckley>And so we did it and I didn't even know if he was going to come and see it, but it was just one of those shows that it was just like an amazing response.
00:16:24.520 --> 00:16:27.740
<v Melinda Buckley>And in fact, somebody wrote about it in this paper.
00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:32.600
<v Melinda Buckley>And then Mark wrote me and he said like, that was amazing and I'm going to put you on the season at Giva.
00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.040
<v Melinda Buckley>Oh, yay.
00:16:35.040 --> 00:16:39.300
<v Melinda Buckley>It was just sort of this like things just were happening.
00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:40.680
<v Peter Michael Marino>Who's the director?
00:16:40.680 --> 00:16:41.600
<v Melinda Buckley>At Giva?
00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:45.860
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, did you go through a series of directors in the development?
00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:48.680
<v Melinda Buckley>Well, Christine Renee Miller was the first director.
00:16:48.680 --> 00:16:49.920
<v Melinda Buckley>She also taught for Matt.
00:16:49.920 --> 00:16:51.740
<v Melinda Buckley>So she was the first director.
00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:58.620
<v Melinda Buckley>And then when we kind of needed, honestly, Barbara's thinking was that I'm not a name.
00:16:58.660 --> 00:17:00.240
<v Melinda Buckley>They needed to, you know, we sort of wanted to.
00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>I was going to play you.
00:17:01.900 --> 00:17:03.300
<v Melinda Buckley>We needed to bring in people.
00:17:03.300 --> 00:17:08.640
<v Melinda Buckley>So that's why Kimberly came in because Kimberly had just directed the Tony Award-winning Disgraced.
00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:11.940
<v Melinda Buckley>She had a connection to Alzheimer's with her family.
00:17:11.940 --> 00:17:13.960
<v Melinda Buckley>We wanted it to be all women.
00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:15.480
<v Melinda Buckley>So Kimberly was the director.
00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:21.900
<v Melinda Buckley>And then once it was sort of set, it ended up that Mark just kind of came in because he was already there.
00:17:21.900 --> 00:17:25.000
<v Melinda Buckley>He directed it in Chicago because she couldn't get there.
00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:26.280
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, so it was just this.
00:17:26.280 --> 00:17:26.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>Synchronicity.
00:17:27.340 --> 00:17:29.700
<v Melinda Buckley>It was all the synchronicity with it.
00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.060
<v Melinda Buckley>So that kind of like launched it.
00:17:32.060 --> 00:17:40.260
<v Melinda Buckley>And from there, you know, we've done, you know, I've done, I've never gone back to Fringes, but I've done like lots of regional theaters.
00:17:40.260 --> 00:17:40.800
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:17:40.800 --> 00:17:42.080
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, that kind of thing with it.
00:17:42.080 --> 00:17:49.400
<v Melinda Buckley>I was just in West Hartford at the Playhouse on Park, which is a lovely, lovely theater and organization.
00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:51.020
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, I can't say enough about them.
00:17:51.020 --> 00:17:56.820
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's really great when you get to go do your show somewhere and like you're meeting a whole new community of people for two days.
00:17:56.820 --> 00:17:57.500
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's it, right?
00:17:57.500 --> 00:18:01.400
<v Peter Michael Marino>We're just gonna get you to know each other and have fun and bye.
00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:02.140
<v Melinda Buckley>And you know what?
00:18:02.140 --> 00:18:12.780
<v Melinda Buckley>My hat goes off to like the Bridge Street guys, John and Steven up in Catskill, New York and Darlene and Sean, the people running the West Hartford.
00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.980
<v Melinda Buckley>These people are doing the, you know, God's work.
00:18:15.980 --> 00:18:16.860
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:18:16.860 --> 00:18:18.700
<v Melinda Buckley>They are bringing theater in.
00:18:18.700 --> 00:18:20.820
<v Melinda Buckley>They're doing these wonderful productions.
00:18:20.860 --> 00:18:22.660
<v Melinda Buckley>It's, they're thought provoking.
00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:24.180
<v Nancy Magarill>They're community engaging.
00:18:24.180 --> 00:18:25.100
<v Melinda Buckley>And they're supporting theater.
00:18:25.100 --> 00:18:26.600
<v Melinda Buckley>They're supporting theater.
00:18:26.600 --> 00:18:30.140
<v Melinda Buckley>And you know, it means, I have to say, there's a lot of great theater, of course, in New York.
00:18:30.140 --> 00:18:37.820
<v Melinda Buckley>I'm not, you know, not going to say that, but I really, my hat goes off to these people that are creating it, you know, and building community in those places.
00:18:37.820 --> 00:18:44.060
<v Nancy Magarill>Do you feel like when you're going out of town, you're getting different responses from different kinds of audiences?
00:18:44.060 --> 00:18:46.400
<v Nancy Magarill>Is it helping you shape your pieces at all?
00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:51.700
<v Nancy Magarill>Or is it just that you're, are you able to see what resonates with the majority of people?
00:18:51.980 --> 00:18:52.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>Great question.
00:18:52.840 --> 00:18:57.600
<v Nancy Magarill>I'm curious to know, like, the strategy or is it just about growing it?
00:18:57.600 --> 00:19:01.240
<v Nancy Magarill>What is the strategy behind going to all these different places?
00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:07.340
<v Melinda Buckley>Well, my strategy is always, number one, I always connect with an Alzheimer's group.
00:19:07.340 --> 00:19:17.900
<v Melinda Buckley>Whether it's the Alzheimer's Association or another caregiving thing, I'm always aiming for there to be a community aspect to this, to talk back, you know.
00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:19.240
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's a whole event.
00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:21.660
<v Peter Michael Marino>They're not just going in and watching down, sitting down and watching it.
00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:28.500
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah, it's an event because I really, I want people to come in to this piece and laugh and cry with me.
00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:38.300
<v Melinda Buckley>Like, they're gonna laugh because, you know, like anybody who goes through any, anything, any kind of illness, there are specifics to it that you only know if you've gone through it.
00:19:38.300 --> 00:19:45.220
<v Melinda Buckley>There are all those moments where you have to laugh because if you don't, you're gonna absolutely lose it.
00:19:45.360 --> 00:19:49.620
<v Melinda Buckley>So, you know, the show really gets people to laugh, but it also gets them to cry.
00:19:49.620 --> 00:19:52.920
<v Melinda Buckley>And I think for some people, that's a service.
00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:54.760
<v Melinda Buckley>It's a service, you know?
00:19:54.760 --> 00:20:01.400
<v Melinda Buckley>So to get to your question, Nancy, what I like to do every time I do the show is I look at where can it be better?
00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:10.440
<v Melinda Buckley>So I don't necessarily tailor it to, oh, I'm going to West Hartford, let me, or I'm going to Arizona, or, you know, I don't really think about it that way.
00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:13.160
<v Melinda Buckley>I'm thinking about like, can I make this section tighter?
00:20:13.900 --> 00:20:15.420
<v Melinda Buckley>Can I make this joke funnier?
00:20:15.420 --> 00:20:22.840
<v Melinda Buckley>Because when you're doing it, you always sense, excuse me, at least I do, there's always a section where you go like, am I losing them here?
00:20:22.840 --> 00:20:25.800
<v Melinda Buckley>And I want it to be like, bam, bam, bam.
00:20:25.800 --> 00:20:34.160
<v Melinda Buckley>I just want it to be a hit it and quit it kind of show where people are just, you know, they get in the car, they get in the ride, they put the bar down and we're off.
00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.340
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, they want to see how we get to the finish.
00:20:36.340 --> 00:20:38.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>They want to see how we get to the ending, right?
00:20:38.560 --> 00:20:43.140
<v Peter Michael Marino>You want them to want to see how is this going to end, not like, when is this going to end?
00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:43.740
<v Melinda Buckley>Yes.
00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:53.180
<v Nancy Magarill>Although, one of the things I love about Hannah Gadsby is you get in the car with her and you're driving at a speed, but the speed changes the whole time.
00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:58.540
<v Nancy Magarill>You don't know, you know you're going to get there, but you don't always know when, right?
00:20:58.540 --> 00:21:00.500
<v Nancy Magarill>Which is kind of exciting, right?
00:21:00.500 --> 00:21:07.940
<v Nancy Magarill>You're like, I'm on the edge of my seat with her because I'm waiting to see when that, she says, the mic is going to drop.
00:21:07.940 --> 00:21:10.180
<v Nancy Magarill>And when it drops, it's like, holy shit.
00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:11.540
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah, right.
00:21:11.540 --> 00:21:19.980
<v Nancy Magarill>So I don't necessarily feel like it always has to be the same pace or that same, you always have that feeling, that urgency of getting there.
00:21:19.980 --> 00:21:22.680
<v Nancy Magarill>I think there can be levels and maybe that's not what you're talking about.
00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:24.240
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, I don't think that we're saying that.
00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:30.760
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, luckily we're not saying that, that everything has to be like the way I talk, you know, put it, put it, put it, put it, put it.
00:21:30.760 --> 00:21:32.480
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah, no, it's not necessarily about pacing.
00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:33.520
<v Peter Michael Marino>Not at all.
00:21:33.820 --> 00:21:44.760
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's about like, yeah, I mean, I always, you know, when I'm directing or whatever a solo show, I'm like, okay, is the ride like this or is the ride like this?
00:21:44.760 --> 00:21:45.480
<v Nancy Magarill>Right.
00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:52.040
<v Peter Michael Marino>I want to, okay, so how do we do that without just talking faster or adding silly music or whatever?
00:21:52.040 --> 00:21:59.680
<v Peter Michael Marino>Sometimes it's like literally just like cutting the fuck out of a section and performing it in just a different manner.
00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:02.580
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's like, whatever, I'm just making things up right now, but.
00:22:02.580 --> 00:22:05.960
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, and that's just to make sure you're keeping people on the rope.
00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:07.540
<v Nancy Magarill>You're keeping them in, right?
00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:10.460
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, it all comes down to storytelling.
00:22:10.460 --> 00:22:14.180
<v Peter Michael Marino>It all comes down to the story, the way it's written, which goes back to talking earlier.
00:22:16.180 --> 00:22:21.560
<v Peter Michael Marino>When you're working on a solo show, chances are, you don't have a lot of experience writing stories.
00:22:21.560 --> 00:22:26.920
<v Peter Michael Marino>So once somebody makes it clear to you, look, here's what your story needs to be.
00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:33.180
<v Peter Michael Marino>Once upon a time, and then one day, and just when everything was going so well, and just at the last minute, and we all have to have...
00:22:33.180 --> 00:22:34.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>That is literally the answer, by the way.
00:22:34.840 --> 00:22:36.440
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's David Mamet.
00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:37.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>He's 100% right.
00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:41.460
<v Peter Michael Marino>There's literally no story ever written that does not follow that.
00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:41.720
<v Peter Michael Marino>None.
00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:42.180
<v Melinda Buckley>Right.
00:22:42.180 --> 00:22:42.700
<v Peter Michael Marino>Right.
00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:46.040
<v Peter Michael Marino>So he's right.
00:22:46.040 --> 00:22:47.740
<v Peter Michael Marino>I'm going to charge for this episode too, Nancy.
00:22:47.840 --> 00:22:49.860
<v Peter Michael Marino>That is really good of us.
00:22:49.860 --> 00:23:00.820
<v Peter Michael Marino>But our job as director and developer is to try to find different ways to sell or to engage the audience with particular sections.
00:23:00.820 --> 00:23:09.280
<v Peter Michael Marino>I know with Amy Marks' show Nice Tits, which is a reconstructive breast cancer comedy...
00:23:09.280 --> 00:23:10.380
<v Nancy Magarill>I actually saw that.
00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:11.660
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh, wow.
00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:20.880
<v Peter Michael Marino>We found that Barbie helped us deliver information that would normally be thought of as didactic, because it's medical stuff.
00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:28.100
<v Peter Michael Marino>So that was a device that we just discovered in the process of looking through the script and going, well, you do say that you were a Barbie fan when you were a kid.
00:23:28.100 --> 00:23:30.860
<v Peter Michael Marino>Maybe she can be your guide through the whole show.
00:23:30.860 --> 00:23:33.720
<v Peter Michael Marino>And then that also gave us comedy.
00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:34.200
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:36.580
<v Peter Michael Marino>But without picking up the pace.
00:23:36.580 --> 00:23:37.320
<v Melinda Buckley>Right, right, right.
00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:42.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>Here's like a little trick that I kind of learned in Edinburgh, which I really think is 100% accurate.
00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:46.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>And it was a European storyteller comic person who said it.
00:23:46.840 --> 00:23:50.880
<v Peter Michael Marino>If an hour long show at the 40 minute mark, everything has to change.
00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:51.880
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.
00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:52.140
<v Peter Michael Marino>Right?
00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:52.860
<v Nancy Magarill>Wow.
00:23:52.860 --> 00:23:54.020
<v Peter Michael Marino>Change it, something.
00:23:54.020 --> 00:24:01.940
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, you watch a Hannah Gatsby or one of those other type of European storyteller or Australian storytellers, you're dying, you're dying.
00:24:01.940 --> 00:24:05.760
<v Peter Michael Marino>You're like, fuck, I'm dying, I'm dying again.
00:24:06.180 --> 00:24:07.500
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's just the best way it works.
00:24:07.500 --> 00:24:09.340
<v Peter Michael Marino>And all the best shows in Edinburgh are like that.
00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:13.120
<v Peter Michael Marino>I literally sit there with my watch and go, yep, 40 minutes in.
00:24:13.120 --> 00:24:29.060
<v Nancy Magarill>You know, it's funny, I was thinking about what we talked about with Daniel Spector the other day about how when young actors are doing a monologue coming into Audition for School to make sure that they have something at the beginning emotion and then they change at the end, basically.
00:24:29.060 --> 00:24:30.360
<v Nancy Magarill>I'm paraphrasing.
00:24:30.360 --> 00:24:39.120
<v Nancy Magarill>So today, I actually, on my way to work, I was looking at a monologue that I've worked on and I was like, I want to take that approach to this and redo this.
00:24:39.120 --> 00:24:42.640
<v Nancy Magarill>It was so much fun to think about, well, how can it change?
00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:46.080
<v Nancy Magarill>Also thinking about taking actions in a different way.
00:24:46.080 --> 00:24:54.920
<v Nancy Magarill>It was really fun to think about that because I do think that's the thing about storytelling and songwriting and everything, is that the art of surprise.
00:24:56.340 --> 00:25:01.000
<v Nancy Magarill>It's the other thing he said about Mark Rylance, that the audience is there on the journey with you.
00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:02.640
<v Nancy Magarill>So they've never been here before.
00:25:02.780 --> 00:25:03.380
<v Nancy Magarill>Right?
00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:08.380
<v Nancy Magarill>And you take them, they don't know where it's going and he's discovering it at the same time.
00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:10.660
<v Nancy Magarill>And that's really exciting, you know?
00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:15.260
<v Nancy Magarill>And I find that as an audience member, that that's when I'm the most excited.
00:25:15.260 --> 00:25:17.880
<v Nancy Magarill>And by the way, I saw Gypsy last night.
00:25:17.880 --> 00:25:18.360
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yay!
00:25:18.360 --> 00:25:24.980
<v Nancy Magarill>And yes, and I thought Audra McDonald is the Mark Rylance of musical theater to me.
00:25:25.020 --> 00:25:25.400
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well put.
00:25:25.400 --> 00:25:30.560
<v Nancy Magarill>I was like, and I've never, I think I saw her in something years ago.
00:25:30.560 --> 00:25:34.140
<v Nancy Magarill>I haven't seen her enough and now I want to watch every fucking thing she's done.
00:25:34.140 --> 00:25:46.480
<v Nancy Magarill>I was so blown away because every moment she is there and she's loving and everything is a surprise or a decision, it's just, it was so wonderful to watch her.
00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:46.760
<v Nancy Magarill>You know?
00:25:46.760 --> 00:25:48.060
<v Melinda Buckley>Did I give you one little?
00:25:48.060 --> 00:25:48.180
<v Nancy Magarill>Yes.
00:25:48.180 --> 00:25:49.360
<v Melinda Buckley>Can I share one little thing?
00:25:49.360 --> 00:25:50.340
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:25:50.340 --> 00:25:52.120
<v Melinda Buckley>I gave Audra her equity card.
00:25:52.120 --> 00:25:53.180
<v Peter Michael Marino>You're kidding!
00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:53.320
<v Melinda Buckley>No!
00:25:54.280 --> 00:25:54.940
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh, I love it!
00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:56.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>Thank you, Melinda.
00:25:56.620 --> 00:25:57.820
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh my God, what happened?
00:25:57.820 --> 00:25:58.520
<v Nancy Magarill>What was it?
00:25:58.520 --> 00:25:59.260
<v Peter Michael Marino>Thank you.
00:25:59.260 --> 00:26:00.320
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, that's so great.
00:26:00.320 --> 00:26:03.220
<v Peter Michael Marino>On behalf of every homosexual in New York City.
00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:05.000
<v Nancy Magarill>Hashtag Audra McDonald.
00:26:05.760 --> 00:26:07.600
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's exactly right.
00:26:07.600 --> 00:26:08.880
<v Peter Michael Marino>Make a note, Nancy, make a note.
00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:11.240
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, I already, believe me, when I edit it, I'll write it down.
00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:18.700
<v Melinda Buckley>So I used to, I, you know, I got into like, so my other career, I was, you know, Broadway, you know, doing like all that stuff.
00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:23.980
<v Melinda Buckley>And then I, you know, to make money, would do industrials and a lot of car shows.
00:26:23.980 --> 00:26:26.740
<v Peter Michael Marino>Because you are a dancer and the dancers come in very handy.
00:26:26.740 --> 00:26:29.520
<v Peter Michael Marino>And you're a character person who also comes in handy at industrials.
00:26:29.520 --> 00:26:30.340
<v Melinda Buckley>Yes.
00:26:30.340 --> 00:26:32.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>And you're beautiful, which also comes in handy.
00:26:32.620 --> 00:26:37.060
<v Peter Michael Marino>Full disclosure, total crush on Melinda, total crush.
00:26:37.060 --> 00:26:40.920
<v Peter Michael Marino>I think you're the second, third guest in the past two weeks that I've said that to.
00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:43.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>Let me just start by saying I am totally in love with you.
00:26:45.300 --> 00:26:46.440
<v Peter Michael Marino>Thank you.
00:26:46.440 --> 00:26:48.280
<v Melinda Buckley>Anyway, we were doing a big industrial.
00:26:48.280 --> 00:26:51.000
<v Melinda Buckley>I was with a production company.
00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:58.900
<v Melinda Buckley>Someone, I think the boyfriend of the choreographer, knew this girl who had just was graduating from Juilliard.
00:26:58.900 --> 00:26:59.300
<v Nancy Magarill>Wow.
00:26:59.300 --> 00:27:01.680
<v Melinda Buckley>And we needed somebody to sing.
00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:05.960
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, it was this whole, there was a whole Olympic theme to the industrial.
00:27:05.960 --> 00:27:07.440
<v Melinda Buckley>It was for Mars.
00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:09.540
<v Melinda Buckley>I don't know if I'm going to get in trouble saying anyway.
00:27:09.540 --> 00:27:10.360
<v Nancy Magarill>No, I don't think.
00:27:10.360 --> 00:27:11.660
<v Peter Michael Marino>The candy company?
00:27:11.700 --> 00:27:12.080
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.
00:27:12.080 --> 00:27:13.120
<v Peter Michael Marino>Amazing.
00:27:13.120 --> 00:27:13.560
<v Melinda Buckley>Yes.
00:27:13.560 --> 00:27:32.300
<v Melinda Buckley>And so, and they had this, there was this big number where they were had, they had all these, Mary Lou Retton, all these, they had all these people come out and do their thing on like all the beams and all this stuff, while someone had to sing one moment in time.
00:27:32.300 --> 00:27:35.220
<v Peter Michael Marino>Wow.
00:27:35.220 --> 00:27:43.920
<v Melinda Buckley>And we auditioned and we auditioned and someone said, I know this girl from Juilliard and Audra came in and sang and got the job.
00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:47.760
<v Melinda Buckley>So, you know, Jim Newt, yep, she got the part.
00:27:47.760 --> 00:27:51.780
<v Melinda Buckley>And I co-choreographed it with Michael Metz, who is the choreographer.
00:27:52.060 --> 00:27:55.460
<v Melinda Buckley>And Jonathan Brielle was the musical director.
00:27:55.460 --> 00:28:02.840
<v Melinda Buckley>Jonathan's doing a lot of stuff with Goodspeed and had a musical about Nora, I think it was called.
00:28:02.840 --> 00:28:11.100
<v Nancy Magarill>Do you miss those days of choreographing and doing that kind of work, or do you feel like you've become like, this was where you've always wanted to be?
00:28:11.100 --> 00:28:16.960
<v Nancy Magarill>Or is it just that this is it's changed because, you know, we get older and we do different things or what?
00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:26.680
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah, I mean, for a long time, I directed and choreographed big, big industrial things, you know, with orchestras and 30 equity cast people.
00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:27.960
<v Peter Michael Marino>And 10 hours.
00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:30.040
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah, yeah.
00:28:30.040 --> 00:28:33.960
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, we did like all these things are so many, so many stories.
00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:40.940
<v Melinda Buckley>And then I think, you know, to some degree, I mean, I'm sure that they still do those things, but the industry kind of changed.
00:28:40.940 --> 00:28:41.720
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.
00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:43.800
<v Nancy Magarill>You know, and they cut the budgets a lot.
00:28:43.800 --> 00:28:46.880
<v Melinda Buckley>They cut the budgets a lot, a lot, a lot.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:49.820
<v Melinda Buckley>And a lot of that work just sort of like went away.
00:28:49.820 --> 00:28:57.700
<v Melinda Buckley>And then I started, because I was already in that world and, you know, I started writing them more.
00:28:57.700 --> 00:29:00.460
<v Melinda Buckley>And then I started creative directing.
00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:04.380
<v Melinda Buckley>So, you know, I've done like those, I've done a lot of like big things.
00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:11.480
<v Melinda Buckley>I did the, Bloomberg does a huge event at the, you know, when the UN is in town and things.
00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:17.640
<v Melinda Buckley>So we did a big climate summit a couple of years ago, you know, with Matt Damon.
00:29:17.640 --> 00:29:20.540
<v Melinda Buckley>And it was Bloomberg that was like running it.
00:29:20.540 --> 00:29:25.520
<v Melinda Buckley>But it was two different, like morning session, afternoon session, Prince William.
00:29:25.520 --> 00:29:31.460
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, he has a thing called Earthshot, which is, you know, a really wonderful, wonderful thing.
00:29:31.560 --> 00:29:38.300
<v Melinda Buckley>It goes around the world and finds where people are coming up with solutions, like real world solutions.
00:29:38.300 --> 00:29:40.020
<v Melinda Buckley>And then he scales them.
00:29:40.020 --> 00:29:41.980
<v Melinda Buckley>He gets them in front of money people.
00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:45.740
<v Melinda Buckley>And then we end, you know, we can do them, you know, bigger, at larger scales.
00:29:45.740 --> 00:29:48.500
<v Melinda Buckley>And this, you know, really, really, really wonderful work.
00:29:48.500 --> 00:29:52.500
<v Melinda Buckley>And it's just so hard to think about it in this current climate.
00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:54.120
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, from this current climate.
00:29:54.120 --> 00:29:55.460
<v Nancy Magarill>And it's only going to get worse.
00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:59.740
<v Melinda Buckley>Anyway, I just, I just sort of like wrap up, whether I missed that or whatever.
00:29:59.780 --> 00:30:01.720
<v Melinda Buckley>Things evolved, I evolved.
00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:09.800
<v Melinda Buckley>And then now I'm just, I'm just, I'm a speechwriter, CEO, coach for, you know, all kinds of different industries.
00:30:09.800 --> 00:30:14.360
<v Melinda Buckley>And I like that so much better because all of that other work was so time consuming.
00:30:14.360 --> 00:30:15.260
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah.
00:30:15.260 --> 00:30:25.020
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, and now I've got like this really great niche with a couple of fantastic clients where I help them with all their press events, all their stuff.
00:30:25.020 --> 00:30:32.640
<v Melinda Buckley>And then I have, you know, my, I've got a little play that's going to be in on the Cape for three months coming up.
00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:35.820
<v Melinda Buckley>And it's also been turned into a podcast.
00:30:37.900 --> 00:30:41.280
<v Melinda Buckley>And, you know, so I have the time to do my creative stuff.
00:30:41.280 --> 00:30:42.620
<v Nancy Magarill>Is it your play?
00:30:42.620 --> 00:30:42.920
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:44.160
<v Melinda Buckley>No, it's not my solo show.
00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:45.260
<v Melinda Buckley>It's a play I've written.
00:30:45.260 --> 00:30:45.800
<v Nancy Magarill>That's great.
00:30:45.800 --> 00:30:50.460
<v Peter Michael Marino>When we're looking at you in your apartment, I've seen two cats, two different cats.
00:30:50.460 --> 00:30:51.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>I believe I've seen two different cats.
00:30:51.620 --> 00:30:53.120
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, I thought I only saw one.
00:30:53.120 --> 00:30:53.680
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh, there's three.
00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:53.920
<v Peter Michael Marino>Okay.
00:30:53.920 --> 00:30:56.040
<v Peter Michael Marino>Unless I was, I literally thought it just changed color.
00:30:56.200 --> 00:30:58.420
<v Peter Michael Marino>When I looked at my notepad.
00:30:58.420 --> 00:31:01.300
<v Peter Michael Marino>And right behind you is a Crazy For You poster.
00:31:01.300 --> 00:31:02.260
<v Nancy Magarill>Yes, yes.
00:31:02.260 --> 00:31:05.760
<v Peter Michael Marino>Which was at the Schubert Theatre, I believe, right?
00:31:05.760 --> 00:31:08.340
<v Peter Michael Marino>And just a quick little sidebar, Nancy.
00:31:08.340 --> 00:31:13.380
<v Peter Michael Marino>It was choreographed by Susan Stroman, who is that choreographer that made me take over The Curtain Call.
00:31:13.380 --> 00:31:14.660
<v Nancy Magarill>Yes.
00:31:14.660 --> 00:31:15.060
<v Peter Michael Marino>Okay.
00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:18.020
<v Nancy Magarill>I thought about The Curtain Calls last night.
00:31:18.020 --> 00:31:23.440
<v Nancy Magarill>That was a conversation with Marlo about, and whoever else it was.
00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:29.340
<v Nancy Magarill>When I watched The Curtain Call last night, I was like, God, this is just the dumbest thing to have Curtain Calls.
00:31:29.340 --> 00:31:31.400
<v Peter Michael Marino>I don't like The Curtain Call for Gypsyettes.
00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:36.080
<v Nancy Magarill>I think it should just be everybody just goes on stage at once and goes, we're done.
00:31:36.080 --> 00:31:37.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>That happens sometimes.
00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:41.140
<v Peter Michael Marino>But you know, it is an opportunity for the performer to thank the audience.
00:31:41.140 --> 00:31:43.060
<v Peter Michael Marino>That is very much what I think you're saying.
00:31:43.060 --> 00:31:44.640
<v Peter Michael Marino>You're saying, thank you.
00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:46.380
<v Peter Michael Marino>You're not saying give me.
00:31:46.380 --> 00:31:47.240
<v Nancy Magarill>That's...
00:31:47.240 --> 00:31:49.660
<v Melinda Buckley>I love The Crazy For You Curtain Call because it was...
00:31:49.660 --> 00:31:50.960
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh, it was crazy.
00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:52.620
<v Melinda Buckley>It was crazy and it was so fun.
00:31:52.620 --> 00:31:53.140
<v Nancy Magarill>What was it?
00:31:53.160 --> 00:31:53.660
<v Melinda Buckley>So it was...
00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:55.960
<v Melinda Buckley>Well, I mean, people did come out and do their, you know...
00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:58.400
<v Peter Michael Marino>It was like vignettes from everything you saw from the show.
00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:00.760
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah, but they came out and they did like different things.
00:32:00.760 --> 00:32:02.360
<v Melinda Buckley>It ended with a big kick line.
00:32:02.360 --> 00:32:03.440
<v Melinda Buckley>It was just fantastic.
00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:05.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>Lasso tricks, you know.
00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:08.420
<v Peter Michael Marino>It was like, yeah, I mean, there's, you know, there's Susan and Mike right there.
00:32:08.420 --> 00:32:11.160
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's their personality all over the place.
00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:18.760
<v Peter Michael Marino>So then let's say, okay, so I'm talking about your poster because you're offered the role of Madam Morrible on Broadway and you start next month.
00:32:18.760 --> 00:32:19.580
<v Peter Michael Marino>Do you say yes or no?
00:32:20.540 --> 00:32:25.280
<v Melinda Buckley>Oh, well, I would love to, I would love to go back to do a show.
00:32:25.280 --> 00:32:26.860
<v Melinda Buckley>I absolutely would love.
00:32:26.860 --> 00:32:32.600
<v Peter Michael Marino>You'd like to have like a year contract in a Broadway, like you think that would, you'd get into that groove?
00:32:32.600 --> 00:32:36.860
<v Melinda Buckley>I think I would absolutely, I think it would also be really dependent on the role.
00:32:36.860 --> 00:32:39.920
<v Melinda Buckley>I would love the role that comes out in Act Two.
00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:41.540
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:32:41.540 --> 00:32:43.800
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's Madam Morrible, I'm telling you.
00:32:43.800 --> 00:32:44.840
<v Melinda Buckley>Exactly, exactly.
00:32:44.840 --> 00:32:49.020
<v Melinda Buckley>It just kind of like steals it, has a number, has a whatever, you know, and then you're done.
00:32:49.240 --> 00:33:01.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>Melinda, I literally just saw a Facebook Memories from like when I was doing Pips Island, and I said like, I love that I'm at the age when they say, we're cutting your song, you go, thank you, Jesus.
00:33:02.980 --> 00:33:09.680
<v Peter Michael Marino>They make it like, you're really going to take it bad, you know, Peter, we know, and I'm just like, what, what, what, we're cutting the song.
00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:11.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>Thank you.
00:33:11.620 --> 00:33:12.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>I have less to do.
00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:19.520
<v Peter Michael Marino>Thank God we became those people.
00:33:19.520 --> 00:33:20.540
<v Nancy Magarill>Yes.
00:33:20.540 --> 00:33:22.480
<v Melinda Buckley>Crazy For You almost killed me.
00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:23.420
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, it was-
00:33:23.420 --> 00:33:24.440
<v Peter Michael Marino>Why?
00:33:24.440 --> 00:33:26.820
<v Melinda Buckley>Because I took over for Beth Level.
00:33:26.820 --> 00:33:27.240
<v Nancy Magarill>And-
00:33:27.240 --> 00:33:29.580
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's a no small feat there.
00:33:29.580 --> 00:33:30.000
<v Melinda Buckley>No.
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:31.400
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, that was the thing.
00:33:31.400 --> 00:33:33.820
<v Melinda Buckley>Everyone loves and adores for good reason.
00:33:33.820 --> 00:33:35.320
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, Beth is amazing.
00:33:35.320 --> 00:33:39.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, and this also really put her in the spotlight at that time as well, right?
00:33:39.540 --> 00:33:42.820
<v Peter Michael Marino>Because she's doing very funny stuff, very big stuff.
00:33:42.820 --> 00:33:43.600
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:33:43.600 --> 00:33:45.680
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, this was kind of like part of the breakthrough.
00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:45.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:33:45.900 --> 00:33:49.060
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, where she, I think it was Drowsy that really put her on the map.
00:33:49.140 --> 00:33:51.960
<v Peter Michael Marino>Well, that's probably how she got Drowsy, in a way.
00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:52.520
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:33:52.520 --> 00:33:54.940
<v Melinda Buckley>I had never been a replacement before.
00:33:54.940 --> 00:34:02.920
<v Melinda Buckley>And a replacement in a big Broadway show like that, you get a week in a studio with, you know, the musical director.
00:34:02.920 --> 00:34:04.880
<v Melinda Buckley>I call them like the tap Nazi.
00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:07.240
<v Nancy Magarill>Dance captain?
00:34:07.260 --> 00:34:08.880
<v Melinda Buckley>The dance captain.
00:34:09.680 --> 00:34:11.440
<v Melinda Buckley>And then you get one put in.
00:34:11.440 --> 00:34:12.600
<v Nancy Magarill>Wow.
00:34:12.600 --> 00:34:13.080
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh my God.
00:34:13.080 --> 00:34:20.380
<v Melinda Buckley>In that show, I mean, if you've seen, like, you know, I got that big number that ends.
00:34:20.900 --> 00:34:24.940
<v Melinda Buckley>I remember, and it was just so crazy how I got the job.
00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:29.180
<v Nancy Magarill>Did you go watch, did you rehearse all day and then watch the show every night?
00:34:29.180 --> 00:34:32.260
<v Melinda Buckley>I didn't watch it every night, but I did rehearse all day and watch it.
00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:39.560
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, and then there were some nights I just had to go and, like, and just kind of, like, absorb and things.
00:34:39.560 --> 00:34:43.620
<v Melinda Buckley>But I can't tell you a funny, I mean, the funny little audition story.
00:34:43.620 --> 00:34:46.060
<v Melinda Buckley>I'll make it, like, really, really short.
00:34:46.060 --> 00:34:49.780
<v Melinda Buckley>So Vinnie Liff, you know, from Johnson Liff, lived in my building.
00:34:49.780 --> 00:34:52.840
<v Melinda Buckley>He was a lovely, lovely, I loved him so much.
00:34:53.220 --> 00:35:02.940
<v Melinda Buckley>But it's odd when you have, like, the major casting director for all the Broadway shows that lives in your building that is kind of your friend, but then you see him at auditions.
00:35:02.940 --> 00:35:04.120
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, right, right.
00:35:04.120 --> 00:35:06.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's like seeing your therapist in the supermarket.
00:35:07.600 --> 00:35:09.660
<v Peter Michael Marino>Exactly.
00:35:09.660 --> 00:35:13.680
<v Melinda Buckley>And there would be these moments where he'd be in the elevator.
00:35:13.680 --> 00:35:17.040
<v Melinda Buckley>And, you know, I'm on the 16th, he was on the 12th.
00:35:17.040 --> 00:35:24.920
<v Melinda Buckley>So, you know, I'm on the elevator, the door would open, Vinnie would get in and he would do things like, I was just thinking about you.
00:35:24.920 --> 00:35:27.780
<v Melinda Buckley>And, you know, and he'd be like, come on, come on, let's get out of the elevator.
00:35:27.780 --> 00:35:29.720
<v Melinda Buckley>And I'd be like, oh, what did I audition for?
00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:31.620
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, I'd be like, all excited and things like that.
00:35:31.620 --> 00:35:34.740
<v Melinda Buckley>And he'd be like, can you water my plants?
00:35:34.780 --> 00:35:35.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh my God.
00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:37.900
<v Melinda Buckley>Oh my God.
00:35:37.900 --> 00:35:39.320
<v Melinda Buckley>It would be moments like that.
00:35:39.900 --> 00:35:40.620
<v Melinda Buckley>You'd just be like.
00:35:40.620 --> 00:35:41.920
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, that's horrible.
00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:42.700
<v Melinda Buckley>Of course I will.
00:35:42.700 --> 00:35:44.120
<v Peter Michael Marino>Of course, yeah.
00:35:44.120 --> 00:35:51.100
<v Melinda Buckley>So then, so we had one of those moments and it was, I was really going through, like I had a bad breakup on New Year's Eve.
00:35:51.100 --> 00:35:52.620
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, it was one of those Januaries.
00:35:52.620 --> 00:35:57.320
<v Melinda Buckley>And, you know, and I was just like so despondent.
00:35:57.320 --> 00:36:05.540
<v Melinda Buckley>And I think in February, I lost like, there was a big job that I had every March that paid all my taxes and things like that.
00:36:05.540 --> 00:36:07.040
<v Melinda Buckley>And that fell through that year.
00:36:07.040 --> 00:36:08.480
<v Melinda Buckley>It was just like everything.
00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:11.800
<v Melinda Buckley>And I get in the elevator and Vinny's like, I was just thinking about you.
00:36:11.800 --> 00:36:12.960
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, no.
00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:17.680
<v Melinda Buckley>And he pulls me out and he says, Susan Stroman is working on a new show.
00:36:17.680 --> 00:36:22.620
<v Melinda Buckley>And he knew I did a lot of industrials and choreographing and things like, and she needs an assistant.
00:36:22.620 --> 00:36:24.240
<v Melinda Buckley>And I want to recommend you.
00:36:24.240 --> 00:36:26.660
<v Melinda Buckley>And I was like, oh my God, yes, yes.
00:36:26.840 --> 00:36:29.220
<v Peter Michael Marino>You were never expecting him that to be the offer.
00:36:29.220 --> 00:36:29.800
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's a no.
00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:30.020
<v Melinda Buckley>Right.
00:36:30.020 --> 00:36:31.400
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's out of left field.
00:36:31.400 --> 00:36:31.620
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah.
00:36:31.620 --> 00:36:36.960
<v Melinda Buckley>And he's like, put a bio, put your picture and resume under my door and I will get it to him.
00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:40.380
<v Melinda Buckley>So I do, you know, I put it together.
00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:45.140
<v Melinda Buckley>I even put like a Valentine's card in because it's closed and I love to work with her.
00:36:45.140 --> 00:36:52.200
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, and I put it under the door and I wait and wait and wait and nothing really happens.
00:36:52.200 --> 00:36:56.280
<v Melinda Buckley>And then all of a sudden my agent calls and says, they want to see you for a crazy for you.
00:36:56.560 --> 00:37:02.340
<v Melinda Buckley>And I was like, oh, and I thought, oh, maybe she got the resume and saw that it was a dancer.
00:37:02.340 --> 00:37:06.420
<v Melinda Buckley>Maybe, you know, I'm putting them together like all these things in my head.
00:37:06.420 --> 00:37:09.760
<v Melinda Buckley>But then I run into Vinny and he's like, oh, I'm so sorry.
00:37:09.760 --> 00:37:11.340
<v Melinda Buckley>I forgot to give it to her.
00:37:11.340 --> 00:37:12.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh my God.
00:37:12.840 --> 00:37:14.860
<v Nancy Magarill>Vinny.
00:37:14.860 --> 00:37:15.660
<v Melinda Buckley>He's not like that.
00:37:15.660 --> 00:37:17.220
<v Melinda Buckley>I think, you know, I don't know what was going on.
00:37:17.220 --> 00:37:17.640
<v Nancy Magarill>He was busy.
00:37:17.640 --> 00:37:19.240
<v Peter Michael Marino>He was casting Crazy For You for Crazy For You.
00:37:19.240 --> 00:37:21.300
<v Nancy Magarill>He was busy casting Tylee is what he was doing.
00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:23.940
<v Melinda Buckley>So I go.
00:37:23.940 --> 00:37:32.920
<v Melinda Buckley>So the audition for Crazy For You is on a day that I can't go because I'm going to pitch, you know, I was beginning to write industrial.
00:37:32.920 --> 00:37:35.660
<v Melinda Buckley>I was pitching a show in Orlando.
00:37:35.660 --> 00:37:37.640
<v Melinda Buckley>So I couldn't go.
00:37:37.640 --> 00:37:43.980
<v Melinda Buckley>And so but I had friends, Michael Durant had all these friends that were in the show and I was like, Oh God, you know, I don't know what to do.
00:37:43.980 --> 00:37:52.320
<v Melinda Buckley>And so I wrote a note and I and I left it backstage saying, like, look, if you can see me the next day, when I'm back, I'll rent a studio.
00:37:53.260 --> 00:37:56.240
<v Melinda Buckley>I'll do everything, you know, because I'd really love to be seen.
00:37:56.240 --> 00:38:01.680
<v Melinda Buckley>And I got a really nice phone call from the dance captain saying, like, no, we unfortunately we can't do that.
00:38:01.680 --> 00:38:02.800
<v Melinda Buckley>So maybe next time.
00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:05.620
<v Melinda Buckley>And I was all like, you know, like so depressed.
00:38:05.620 --> 00:38:09.780
<v Melinda Buckley>And I go to Orlando and I go do the pitch and I did something else.
00:38:09.780 --> 00:38:11.880
<v Melinda Buckley>And I had dinner with my friends at Disney.
00:38:11.880 --> 00:38:14.560
<v Melinda Buckley>And this is the time that you had answering machines, you know.
00:38:14.800 --> 00:38:17.780
<v Melinda Buckley>And, you know, I didn't even bother checking.
00:38:17.780 --> 00:38:23.520
<v Melinda Buckley>And by the time I did, there were like 10 messages saying they didn't find anyone.
00:38:23.520 --> 00:38:25.000
<v Melinda Buckley>They want to see you tomorrow.
00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:26.820
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh my God.
00:38:26.820 --> 00:38:27.960
<v Melinda Buckley>It was like this whole thing.
00:38:27.960 --> 00:38:29.640
<v Melinda Buckley>So I changed my flight.
00:38:29.640 --> 00:38:31.100
<v Melinda Buckley>I left early in the morning.
00:38:31.100 --> 00:38:43.300
<v Melinda Buckley>I had my friend who lives in this building come up, get my tap shoes and my curling iron and leave it at a studio so I could quickly, you know, fix myself up.
00:38:43.560 --> 00:38:45.100
<v Melinda Buckley>I go to the studio.
00:38:45.100 --> 00:38:48.640
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, I go to the theater with my luggage from the plane.
00:38:48.640 --> 00:38:50.880
<v Melinda Buckley>It's between shows on a Wednesday.
00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:55.040
<v Melinda Buckley>They're all there and they put me through, you know, by myself on stage.
00:38:55.040 --> 00:38:56.120
<v Peter Michael Marino>Amazing.
00:38:56.120 --> 00:38:57.800
<v Melinda Buckley>Like all the things.
00:38:57.800 --> 00:39:00.780
<v Melinda Buckley>And at one point they're like, they go, you know, we do the dancing.
00:39:00.780 --> 00:39:01.340
<v Peter Michael Marino>That doesn't happen.
00:39:01.340 --> 00:39:04.280
<v Peter Michael Marino>You don't often get to go on the stage where the show is playing.
00:39:04.280 --> 00:39:04.940
<v Melinda Buckley>No.
00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:06.860
<v Melinda Buckley>That's serious.
00:39:06.860 --> 00:39:11.700
<v Melinda Buckley>They're like, okay, they bring, the musical director brings you over and they're like, okay, drop that long face.
00:39:11.800 --> 00:39:14.720
<v Melinda Buckley>And they're like, and I didn't realize it was a lyric from the song.
00:39:14.720 --> 00:39:17.300
<v Melinda Buckley>So I felt like, am I not smart enough?
00:39:19.900 --> 00:39:22.720
<v Melinda Buckley>Anyway, the long and short of it was they hired me on the spot.
00:39:22.720 --> 00:39:24.180
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, that's so great.
00:39:24.180 --> 00:39:25.360
<v Nancy Magarill>What a great story.
00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:26.680
<v Peter Michael Marino>Charmed life.
00:39:26.680 --> 00:39:34.180
<v Melinda Buckley>And then they like, it was like, you know, all those like follies, like the set prep for the evening show, they all came on.
00:39:34.700 --> 00:39:35.380
<v Peter Michael Marino>Oh, my God.
00:39:35.380 --> 00:39:37.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, it was like a joke.
00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:39.760
<v Peter Michael Marino>It's too unreal.
00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:47.680
<v Melinda Buckley>And a guy in the orchestra, one of the musicians was there and he was writing a book about musical theater and he wrote my story as the full story.
00:39:47.680 --> 00:39:48.740
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, I love it.
00:39:48.740 --> 00:39:49.740
<v Peter Michael Marino>Wow.
00:39:49.740 --> 00:39:51.140
<v Melinda Buckley>I mean, it was like, oh my God.
00:39:51.140 --> 00:39:52.980
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, that's a really good story.
00:39:52.980 --> 00:39:55.000
<v Peter Michael Marino>Good story.
00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:56.160
<v Melinda Buckley>Yeah, that was a really-
00:39:56.160 --> 00:40:00.660
<v Nancy Magarill>That's actually the opposite story of why I originally wanted to start this podcast.
00:40:01.060 --> 00:40:07.520
<v Nancy Magarill>It was more, it was all about like the misses and the crazy stuff that the bad crazy stuff happened.
00:40:07.520 --> 00:40:08.140
<v Nancy Magarill>This is better.
00:40:08.140 --> 00:40:08.820
<v Melinda Buckley>Oh, I got 20 of those.
00:40:08.820 --> 00:40:09.980
<v Nancy Magarill>No, but this is better.
00:40:09.980 --> 00:40:13.060
<v Nancy Magarill>And maybe another time we'll have you come back and tell some of those.
00:40:13.060 --> 00:40:13.820
<v Nancy Magarill>This is better.
00:40:13.820 --> 00:40:14.800
<v Nancy Magarill>This is a great way.
00:40:14.800 --> 00:40:19.360
<v Nancy Magarill>This is actually a great way to end today's episode because this is such a great story.
00:40:19.360 --> 00:40:22.620
<v Nancy Magarill>And it's such a great thing about the wonderful things that can happen.
00:40:22.620 --> 00:40:27.640
<v Nancy Magarill>And you know, and you also made it happen, which is really cool.
00:40:27.640 --> 00:40:27.900
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:40:27.900 --> 00:40:33.980
<v Peter Michael Marino>I mean, you're easy to like, you know, you're responsible, you're, you know, you got the right attitude.
00:40:33.980 --> 00:40:35.560
<v Nancy Magarill>And you got some talent.
00:40:35.560 --> 00:40:37.120
<v Peter Michael Marino>And you got some talent, kids.
00:40:37.120 --> 00:40:38.200
<v Peter Michael Marino>Stick with it.
00:40:38.820 --> 00:40:39.360
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah.
00:40:39.360 --> 00:40:39.860
<v Peter Michael Marino>You're the best.
00:40:39.860 --> 00:40:51.860
<v Melinda Buckley>You know, I mean, I will say that, like, anybody that listening that, like it was just in doing that one extra thing of like sending the note to, you know, like, I mean, there's so many ways to do things.
00:40:51.860 --> 00:40:53.400
<v Melinda Buckley>And I was a big rule follower.
00:40:53.400 --> 00:40:56.420
<v Melinda Buckley>And that was the first time I broke a rule in a way, you know.
00:40:56.980 --> 00:41:03.600
<v Peter Michael Marino>I talk about, in my press release workshop, I say, you know, back in the day, we used to have a thing called the Ross Reports.
00:41:03.600 --> 00:41:05.040
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, God, yes.
00:41:05.040 --> 00:41:07.560
<v Peter Michael Marino>Everybody over a certain age, just to see them nodding.
00:41:07.560 --> 00:41:23.920
<v Peter Michael Marino>Like, we would sit in the living room floor and just take all of our new postcards and all of our, and print out on the word processor, print out, but change the name of the person, and send it, and drink some shitty wine, send it to 150 freaking agents.
00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:28.640
<v Nancy Magarill>I don't know if the word processor was around at that time, I think they were all handwriting.
00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:32.500
<v Peter Michael Marino>I had a word processor, I'm very, I'm very high tech.
00:41:32.640 --> 00:41:33.920
<v Nancy Magarill>I've always been, I've always been.
00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:34.780
<v Nancy Magarill>Yeah, right.
00:41:34.780 --> 00:41:35.480
<v Peter Michael Marino>I am.
00:41:35.480 --> 00:41:36.520
<v Nancy Magarill>Hi, okay.
00:41:36.520 --> 00:41:40.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>Yeah, just because my mic didn't work last night, don't give me a hard time.
00:41:40.620 --> 00:41:42.340
<v Peter Michael Marino>Let's see, now I've lost my train of thought.
00:41:42.340 --> 00:41:43.360
<v Nancy Magarill>Sorry, you were talking about the word processor.
00:41:43.360 --> 00:41:45.560
<v Melinda Buckley>You have the person voice and you had a word processor.
00:41:45.560 --> 00:41:47.420
<v Nancy Magarill>Right, and you were writing, sending things to the wrong.
00:41:47.420 --> 00:41:50.140
<v Peter Michael Marino>And we sent to 150 freaking agents.
00:41:50.140 --> 00:41:56.920
<v Peter Michael Marino>What you should have done is just pick the best 10 for you and focus on them.
00:41:56.920 --> 00:41:57.660
<v Peter Michael Marino>That's all.
00:41:57.660 --> 00:42:04.120
<v Peter Michael Marino>But then, you know, now, people now can Google what does this manager specialize in?
00:42:04.120 --> 00:42:06.500
<v Peter Michael Marino>Back then, you were like, oh, they sound like fun.
00:42:06.500 --> 00:42:08.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>And then it turns out they only do Shakespeare.
00:42:08.620 --> 00:42:19.960
<v Nancy Magarill>I think just on a side note, we're gonna change the name of Google to something else because they're so busy changing names that will, instead of Googling it, actually use quant instead.
00:42:19.960 --> 00:42:21.020
<v Nancy Magarill>That's all I'm gonna say.
00:42:21.020 --> 00:42:22.280
<v Peter Michael Marino>This sounds really sexual.
00:42:22.980 --> 00:42:36.000
<v Peter Michael Marino>Okay, I have an old college friend who, when I call her up once a month or so, to talk to her at the, about 30 or 40 minutes into the conversation, she'll say, all right, I'm gonna let you go.
00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:38.440
<v Nancy Magarill>Oh, I hate when people say that, right?
00:42:38.440 --> 00:42:39.480
<v Nancy Magarill>It's so weird.
00:42:39.900 --> 00:42:43.620
<v Peter Michael Marino>And I hope that she's listening to this and figures out who she is.
00:42:43.620 --> 00:42:46.780
<v Peter Michael Marino>But we are gonna let you go because you're a busy person.
00:42:46.780 --> 00:42:49.000
<v Nancy Magarill>And it is everybody we know that says that.
00:42:50.940 --> 00:42:52.040
<v Peter Michael Marino>Hey, thanks for checking us out.
00:42:52.040 --> 00:42:54.840
<v Peter Michael Marino>Links to today's guests can be found in the show notes.
00:42:54.840 --> 00:42:59.840
<v Nancy Magarill>Don't forget to subscribe, like us, rate us, and tell all your friends about Arts and Craft.
