Eric Bergen joins us live to talk about starring in Boop on Broadway, honoring comedy legend Joan Rivers with a star-studded Peacock tribute, and how working the merch stand helped launch his career!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Live from the Mercedes Fenz Interview Loud.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Good morning, Hi.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Eric, Hi, how are you doing? Never better? I don't
know what time it is. I don't know how you
people do this.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Okay, So Daniell's had something very disparaging about you. I'm
going to tell him because sometimes like sometimes you'll get
like days and times of interviews confused.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yes and uh to me, me or people in general.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Oh you so Danielle Daniel says, no, he knows exactly
what time and what day's supposed to be.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Someplace you want to make a grand entrance, you diva.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Oh, I mean I.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Did the thing that you know Marilyn Monroe always did,
which is that she was going to an event. She
got out of the car a block early, and then
she just ran the rest of the block so that
she when she got there she had this like thing
going on.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
But you smell like a train. No, I just got
in a subway because I was running late.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, yes, exactly, that's what I'm more.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Od rat, that's right.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Eric Bergan is here, of course, starring in Boop the
musical on broad Way and many other things in our
lives that we love. And I don't care what time
you get here. As long as you get here.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm here. You can reach me. But the thing.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Like a carpet man, what does that?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
That's it. Let's go with that.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
That was good, Like a carpet man, for sure.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
No, no, no.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
The guy who wrote the carpet was across the desert
like an arab Ban.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yes, yes, something like that.
Speaker 5 (01:22):
The guy who rode the carpet was a laddin.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Oh that's right, like.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
A ladin man. Hey, so yeah, Boop is doing very well.
We love the Boop on the Broadway.
Speaker 5 (01:31):
You're fantastic in the Boop on the Broadway.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
I like you better than Boop.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It's it's so fun. I mean I didn't. I never
thought in a million years that I would be in
a Betty Boop musical on Broadway. That was like not
on my bingo card. I mean I made the same
sound when they said do you want to do this
Betty boot musical? I was like, are you kidding? And
that was just my allergies. It was it was really like,
I didn't. I didn't think this would be as good
as it is. It is so much fun. It is
(02:00):
our our leading lady, Jasmine Amy Rodgers who's up for
a tony on on Sunday Night. It's she's giving an
unbelievable kind of Lucille ball esque performance and we have
the most fun. The music was written by David Foster,
who you know, of course, is David Foster and has
written every produced, every hit in the world.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
And it's just, uh, it's just stupid, goofy.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
You saw it, You play it, You play an ass, yes,
a bit of a sleeve.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Well, I play a guy who is the sanitation guy
here in New York City who is deciding to run
for mayor, and as it turns out, he's a bit
of a corrupt politician. I mean, where do they get
these stories. I don't know corrupt politicians would ever happen
only in a musical. So you know, it's uh, it's
just kind of a wild, zany story that has a
(02:47):
lot of heart. I mean, for me, the best part
is I look out into the audience. I see ten
year olds, I see ninety year olds and everyone in between,
and everyone leaves with this kind of goofy, silly smile
on their face when they leave.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
It's it's just incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Let's talk about the the awards Sunday Night. Yeah, we're
talking about to Tony's. Yes, Danielle has always wanted to
and now she has been invited to be on the
Red Car.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Oh my god, I'm so excited for iHeart Broadway. We're
going to be already a Broadway. We're going to be
there with Deanna on my camera. And are you going
to be there?
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I'm not going to be there.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
If you don't stop, I'm going to be pissed.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Why are you not going to the Tonys because because
I didn't go right.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Exactly, no normally got you know this year, I mean
we Boop was not nominated for Best Musical. And the
rule is the well, the kind of rule. They say
it's a rule, then they break the rule. The rule
is unless you are nominated for Best Musical, then you
don't get to perform on the Tonys, right, And they
say that's the rule, And then I guess they break
the rule. And there's other shows that are not nominated
(03:46):
for Best Musical that are performing.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
Yeah, that is true. There's a lot of musicals that
are performing that we're not nominated.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah, okay, hold on a second, A bunch of drama queens. Literally,
I mean I do believe. I mean, there's always drama
in the background at the Oscars totally, and the Grammys definitely.
Tonys have them tenfold. Well, it's because it really is
that the biggest commercial Broadway has. So every show is
(04:12):
you know, every Broadway show is dying to get on
the show. And the thing is you have to pay
to perform on the Tonys. That's not a scandal.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
That's just there's production costs that the shows have to
pay to kind of rebuild their set for the radio city.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
Is it the same for the Grammys and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I don't know how it works. Those are expensive productions.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, but I think I don't know. I really I
don't know how those work. I just know that the Tonys,
the shows have to pay a fee to perform. Once
they're invited to perform, they have to pay.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Can I ask another question?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Please?
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Why is it?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
That was a question?
Speaker 5 (04:44):
Sorry? Okay, there there's a petition for you guys to
actually perform if the show is already set. Yeah, how
could they even do that? How can they even fit
you guys in like that?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Listen, there are genius producers on the Tony Words. Their
longtime frien of mine, and they they look they have
the hard job. They have to they have to follow
these quote unquote rules, but they also have to make
a great television special at the end of the day.
And that's what's you know that. I know that they
have that job. So I don't know how they do it.
I would love that they put us on, but you know,
it is what it is. It's part of it's part
of uh, it's part of the gig. I suppose the
(05:17):
fans are very sweet and the fans are doing this
petition to get us to perform, But I don't know.
I think if we were to perform, it wouldn't be
my song anyway. So I'm still gonna be in my
pajamas in bed no matter what. So that's where you're
you don't be watching from home. You're gonna hang.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Out with There's there's the party afterwards.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
There's like the late night after party going to I'll
probably take a nap because we have a matinee that day,
so we I'll probably go home, take a nap, and
then put on the Tucks, but like the Tucks half undone.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Because it's the after party. I'll just pretend that I
want So you put on and then destroyed the look.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah exactly. I have a list of things Eric wanted
to talk about to.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Oh no, that's I just was. That was just things
that you know, was.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
No, we're going to the list.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
It is there a shopping list. I got to go groceries.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Okay. The Cast album, produced by David Foster, I mean
on Friday, comes out this Friday. Yes, I think you
guys were sent my song from the album. I don't
think we got that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You didn't get that? Well, didn't I just sing it? Sure? No,
it's before nine.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I don't sing before Oh it's literally nine exactly nine
am right now.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Great stories about working with David Foster in the studio. Oh,
I do wait, I gotta tell you a nice guy.
He seems very evil to me. No, he's the great.
Go ahead, He's the greatest. Here's the best thing about
David Foster. He does This is my favorite story to tell.
So I was in the studio recording my song, and
of course he produced the Cast album and I get
in there and he's really encouraging and he's like you
(06:35):
you notice immediately why he has sixteen Grammy Awards. He
is like a master at getting a vocal performance out
of you.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
He's so genius. Give us an example.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
He would just say, I would finish a vocal take
and he would go, man, that is that is fire.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
That is that is one of the best vocals.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I've heard it, and I've been there like really, oh my god,
because I did not feel confident in the in the
vocal booth, especially with David Foster. But he makes you
feel brilliant. And then I did one vocal line. He's like,
that's not it. Now try it again, try it like this,
and I did it.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
That's not no.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
One more time I tried it. He's like, yeah, you know,
there's just a better let me just pull.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Up the demo.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And he pulls up the demo and he starts to
play the demo and uh, it's like really good and
it kind of sounds like a like a Michael Boublay voice,
which is fitting considering that David discovered Michael Boubley. And
I was like, well, that's really good. Who did you
get to sound like booble And he goes Boobla The
demo singer from my song was Michael Boublet. Normally it's
(07:39):
the other way around. So so I just copied Michael
for for this. Not a bad person to copy, not
a bad person to copy at all. Okay, what else
is on your list?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Were going to talk about the Jones Rivers.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Thing that's not quite yet list.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I didn't have demands. I was just giving you ideas.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Oh you sell boo the boop tonya words controversy that
you kind.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
Of did that.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I did that. Yes, we've gone through the thing.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Okay, let's talk about the Joan Rivers tribute. Yes, I
want to see that. It's on Peacock Box, on Peacocky
of course, huge fan of Joan Rivers.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yes, I.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Had a fight with her.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Oh boy.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
She was on the phone and HAROLDO. Rivera was in
the studio, wow, and I was on the God Rest
her soul. And I said to her, Hey, we're running
a little bit late, so you have a choice. You
can either be on with Heraldo or you can just
wait a little bit and we'll put you on. After
she starts yelling at me, you can't put me on
with Heraldo. He's so serious blah blah blah blah, I'm
(08:35):
funny blah blah. So you know what I said. Oh,
and then I guess we just don't have time for you.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
Click.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
She hung up. She was the queen of everything.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Joan was rumbered to have a temper from time to time, okay,
and tell you how it was. And she did it.
She cracked all over, Daniel. But that's okay, that's fine.
We're still going to a tribute to her. Talk about
the tribute though, because I want to see this.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
So what we.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Decided to do. It had been ten years since Joan
had passed, and she was a longtime supporter of God's Love,
We deliver my favorite charity here in the city, and
we decided to do a tribute to Joan, and we
did at the Apollo last year, and we filmed it
for NBC. So I got to produce this special for
NBC and it's now streaming on Peacock. It's It has
(09:18):
Chelsea Handler and Nicki Glazer and Patton Oswald and Michelle
Betew and Randy Rainbow and Joel McHale. Everyone's in the
Sarah Silverman, Jean Smart, everyone's in this thing paying tribute
to Joan and it's just an incredibly funny evening of
great stand up, of tribute to her, material and It's
really incredible how how much she inspired so many of
(09:39):
today's top comics, and this show is just incredible. Everyone
just showed up to to to pay tribute to her.
She's she's really a I was about to say a
living legend, but she's not. She's It's called Joan Rivers,
a dead funny All Star tribute and it's streaming on
Peacock Apartment. I was never at no, I was never
I think you're still for sale or is it someone
(10:00):
by it? Apparently it's haunted. They're saying Joan Rivers is
haunting her apart.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Well, yes, oh my god.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I would love if I was buying Joan River's apartment
and I was paying that price. I would want her
to haunt you demand it.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah, that's kind of part of the part of the
buying price.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I think.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Yeah, she was amazing now she was amazing, and the
jokes still work.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Aubrey Plaza does a hilarious section and in memorium section
of jokes you just can't tell anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I saw that, Oh, I saw that from from the special.
It's so funny.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I mean really, and I can't believe she told them.
I can't believe she told them. I know, I can't
believe we the NBC let it on air. Hey, so
what are you doing next?
Speaker 1 (10:33):
When am I doing this?
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Because you seem like the kind of I was always
kind of looking down the turnpot.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I mean, you're you're booping now. Yeah, I'm booping now.
And that goes until they tell us not to anymore.
And uh, what am I doing next?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Well?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
This this I have the have nothing you know I do.
I just can't talk about it yet. I'm doing it
very very fun. I'm going I think back to television,
I think for something.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So that would be awesome.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah, that means I can, you know, actually pay for
a car down here as opposed to the subway.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
You know, you know, if you're a guest on our show,
we can send a car for you.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Oh well, guess what didn't happen this morning? That wow?
Because we don't believe that's the way.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
We don't offer unless you ask.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Oh, is that how it works? We save money?
Speaker 6 (11:17):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
But you go to a party too, like you don't
bring a gift unless somebody says, please bring a gift.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, I understand.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Oh, I just got to sign eight fifty seven, eight
fifty Okay, we have to look at a clock.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
I mean with this new thing. The times you've been
on our show before, Eric, Yes, you weren't actually on
the air, so it didn't matter. We weren't actually alive.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It never matters when we're on the air.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
It was just to make a wish thing for me.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
No, no, sorry, we didn't use some clocks, but now
we do. That was great, hey, Eric Bergan, go ahead,
rapid fire.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Okay, Well, I actually have questions because now we're seeing
so many movie stars and TV stars entering the Broadway realm.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Are they getting paid tons of money because you sort
of just reference like, oh, you're on Broadway so you
can't afford a car. Does Denzel Washington show up for
free or for a very low budget getting a massive
massive amount of money.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Washington, Denzel's doing very well. But Denzel is paid appropriately
for what that show brings in and for the attention
that it brings Broadway, and for the attention that you know,
what I always think about is the restaurant's next door.
Everyone benefits as as this city is still rebuilding.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Everyone.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
When when Denzel and George and all those people come
to Broadway and it brings in people who would never
come to a Broadway show. It helps everyone, and that's
what I think about. So every dollar he's getting he deserves.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
But I got Wait. Doesn't it piss you off?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Though?
Speaker 5 (12:41):
When they say things like the George Clooney Show or
that show made more money.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Oh, this is my big this is my big thing.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
They say that, like, oh, Broadways having its biggest season ever,
more money than ever, you know, doubled the the whatever
is last year. Yes, Well, if your tickets are nine
hundred dollars for one show, then yes, And it doesn't
It still means that the other shows are still trying
to bring in an audience. Our tickets to Boop are
not nine hundred dollars. You can get you get the
Boop is very affordable. But yeah, so I'm kind of
(13:08):
torn in one way, I feel like that, but the
second way, I'm also thrilled that, you know, he's doing it.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
So Danielle and I were lucky enough to get a
little cameo roll in Aladdin and we loved it.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
It was so fun.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Oh my god, do people appreciate the cameo like walk
ons like that?
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Are they in the cast?
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
These clowns from the radio station are here to ruin it.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Was it for a charity?
Speaker 6 (13:27):
No?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
No, well then then yeah, they're not big fans. Well, no,
it's not that, it's just that. Did they have did
you have to do like a quick rehearsal with the cast?
Speaker 6 (13:39):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Yeah, they really didn't like.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
That, and they were so nice.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Did you bring bagels or anything?
Speaker 7 (13:43):
No?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Oh, well, then guys, what are you doing?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
I didn't think about that. They're so sweet. There's so nice.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
You're gonna put them on the morning show.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
They're nice, David, damn.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Okay, there's cross promotion going on.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Oh okay, never mind. Sorry, there's maybe there's an iHeart
thing happening that we don't know.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Let's talk about you.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Your rapid fire questions did not go down well with Elvis.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Don't worry. I'll get till them. We're going. We're going
around the road. Madam Secretary.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (14:11):
How many seasons?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Six seasons? Six seasons? Yeah? You did?
Speaker 4 (14:15):
You love doing Madame Secretary?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
The greatest, greatest job of my life. Change my life.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And if you've ever wondered who this guy is, Eric Bergen,
you know him. You know who he is because of
that role yeah, that was the big show, that.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Show, and then I went right from there to the
final season of Bull and those two things. Whenever I'm
in an air I mean I'm in an airport in
the middle of the country. That is where I'm most
famous because because of Bull. It's so funny. But yeah,
Madam Secretary, it changed my life. It was the greatest,
greatest seasons in the world, the greatest show in the world,
and and we just had the greatest time Talleoni and
(14:49):
everyone there.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
But Broadway was really where you started. That was your
first passion. I mean you actually sold you sold T
shirts on Broadway.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I did.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I sold when I was in high school. I sold
the counterfit t shirt. No, no, no, they were at the show.
I sold a T shirt to prints at Wicked one time.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
I bought a T shirt. What's it like?
Speaker 4 (15:07):
What's it like as someone who's so so so into
Broadway in the experience to start out selling shirts in
that theater you're there every every night. I'm assuming somebody
gave me the advice.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
You have to get in the room, like just you
should be able if you have a passion for one
kind of thing, learn how to do every job. Because
there's no shame. If you're working at the merch counter,
if you're working on stage, if you're working spotlights, whatever
it is, be part of it. You'll eventually get to
where you want to get to if it's right for you.
But get into the room. So my thing was, Oh,
(15:40):
I walked up to I didn't have a I didn't
know anyone inside the building. But outside the show they
had a little merch stand and I said, how do
you get a job working here? And they gave me
a thing. They told me who to contact, and I
was hired like two weeks later. And that way I
got to see the show. So every time the show
began and the merch people would go to lunch or dinner,
whatever it was, because I didn't want watch the show again,
(16:00):
I would go and watch the show. So I got
to see these shows like fifty sixty times, and that
was my real training. I mean, I got to see
Kristin and Idina do Wicked, you know, over and over.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Look of that and so learning everything, which is definitely
paid off for you because Eric is much more than
an actor. You had produced many, many fundraising shows, especially
during pandemic when we're trying to keep Broadway Alive.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Eric was calling me and like, we want to do
the show. I'm like, well, no one's going to come
to your show because they're all very masks. But also,
you know, you produce. You did this John River special
yes on Peacock as well, so you you really have.
You got into the room and you learn everything, not
only in the Broadway theater room, but also now to
(16:42):
the TV show.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
I learned everything from I have no formal training. I
would I would go and I would become a sponge.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
And I would just absorb it all. And I had
a lot of great teachers along the way. I mean,
I just learned from from the masters.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
When I was living in Las Vegas doing Jersey Boys,
I got to know h the band and the people
at the Barry Manilow show, and I got to know
Barry himself. And you can learn everything from watching that
group about entertainment and how to put on a show.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I mean, it's just genius.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
The vocal training vocal me yeah no, no, no, no, no, no,
well maybe it's time.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Yeah boy, thank you, thank you. This is how you
find out yes, okay, just one to ten.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yes, Backstage drama in general with Broadway shows.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Where are we at?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Funny enough? Ten boob zero? Really?
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Yeah, we're a nice group, and you know how to
lie about it. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I always forget that.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
No, no, no, in this particular case, I'm not kidding. It's
so much fun. It's just the greatest teneration. Oh my god,
it's just did you say the S word?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
No?
Speaker 5 (17:47):
He almost did, but I don't think he did.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
He didn't show show.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
And I don't believe what you said because the Aladdin
cast they are fabulous.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
That's not what they said about you.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I believe it.
Speaker 7 (18:00):
I'm getting kind of a questionaire saw you You were fantastic.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Yes, you stole and you waited outside the stage door
for an hour from my autograph the homes, that was weird.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
You've been doing this for years. Do you have a
standard warm up routine before every show? Do you me
me me, me, me, me me or.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (18:19):
But yeah, I kind of, I mean yes and no.
I always forget in this show because I have eleven
minutes on stage and it's nothing that requires any kind
of you know, like I said, formal training. I mean,
I'm just making a complete fool out of myself. So
this show, what happens is I think today's the day
I'm gonna start to warm up, and then I forget
too and I get on stage and everything hurts. I
mean everything, everything hurts. It's there's a great line that
(18:41):
Eline Stretch always said when she opened her One woman show.
She walked on stage dragging a chair, and she says,
she takes a big breath, big sigh, and she goes,
it's like the prostitute said, It's not the work, it's
the stairs.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
And that's how.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
And that's how I feel climbing up to my my.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
My dressing room every every day.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Yeah, okay, let's see where this is going to go.
Hello Marcus, Oh my god, so you you and Eric
Bergen were childhood friends.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Yeah, we went to like the same like off Broadway
musical workshops and to summer camp.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Marcus Richardson, Yes, oh my god, Oh god, Okay, Marcus,
go ahead, spill the tea.
Speaker 6 (19:28):
Oh no, no, Eric, Eric was destined for where he
is now. He was like, oh, this is what he
is meant to be doing. And I'm listening to the
Morning Show as I always do on my way to work,
and here Eric. So I just sexted. I was like, oh,
my god, hi to Eric, you know, it's the years.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
It's been a long time.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Marcus and I were in an off Broadway theater company
together with incredible group of actors, one of whom was
Sebastian Stan who's now you know, yes, and we had
a great time.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
And it's true. We used to listen to Elvis Durant
in the morning Ze Morning Zoo. That was it.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Yeah, Oh my god, and my god, we were obsessed
with like Iifful sixty five, Blue Dabad that was our
that was our era and maya case of the X
I'm trying to think of, like all of our songs.
We would listen every morning as we you, as we
went to school, but that was like our r so
we would like listen to that stuff and then we
would do show tunes at night in the afternoon. So Marcus, yeah,
(20:23):
Marcus and I go back a long time to Applause,
a great theater company here in the city. So if
you have kids who want to do theater, Applause is
a great place to go.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Hey, Marcus, what are you doing now? Did you stay
in the business or did you make an exit?
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Where are you now?
Speaker 6 (20:37):
No, So, like my parents were very supportive of being
in the arts, but my parents were like, you have
to go to college and get it, you know, a degree,
so right out of college, instead of going back and
trying to make it in the business, I stayed and
hire it. So I've been working in higher education. I
worked for K and A for over almost twenty years.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Now.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Wow, well, I'm so glad that you you called in.
That's excellent and you should have seen Eric's face when
he saw it was you. He almost ran out of
the room because I'm sure there's some embarrassing story you're
not telling. And look how fast Marcus just hung up. Yes, gods,
we lost the line there, so sorry. Okay, hear you, Marcus.
(21:18):
Thank you so much for listening. Thanks for calling in.
That was awesome.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Bye, love you go.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
Thanks my friend who's online next for him, this is
your life.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It's my mother.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Text message. It's so good to hear that Boop tickets
are affordable. I used to be able to go to
multiple shows a year when I was in high school
because I would use student rush money whatever. Now as
an adult, I can't do that. It's so much. They
are expensive.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Yeah, come to the boot Box office.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
We have tickets as as love as forty dollars sometimes
and you can sit up front. We have these rush tickets,
but even the non rush tickets are affordable. It's a
small theater. Every seat is great, and there's you know,
go to the half price booth at TKTS Booth and
Times Square. Broadway is more affordable than you think it is.
It's still more expensive than it should be, but it's
more affordable than you think it is.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
Okay, if you can go the same day to get
tickets to Sometimes people cancel like last minute, or they
have last minute tickets, and if you can go by yourself,
sometimes you can get an even cheaper ticket. That's right yourself.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
So let's say someone's listening to us in Miami right
now and like, I want to go to New York.
I'm gonna go see your show. But I've never been
seeing a Broadway show in my life. What is, in
your opinion, just no more than three titles the starter
kit where you have to start your very first shows. Yeah,
musicals in New York City. We'll give you three.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
And I don't mean this as a plug for own show,
my own show, but Boop is an old fashioned Broadway
tap dance spectacular with all of these three D effects
and comedy and great songs. So start there because it
really is the very definition of Broadway. You want the
modern definition of Broadway and the kind of the the
boundary pushing stuff. Obviously Hamilton, and then I don't know,
(22:53):
go see a great play. I don't even I don't even.
You know, plays come and go so quickly. I saw
good Night, good Luck. That was fantastic. God, I don't
even know what to say. Okay, then Glengarry Glenn, Oh,
you know what? In Chicago. Chicago is still on Broadway,
and it's incredible.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
I did think that the quintessential Broadway musicals with lots
of lights and movement, like you, I think that's a
my opinion, a great way to start.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
It's a great way to start. It's the it's the
what is it, the gateway drug to Broadways. Definitely Boom.
Chicago is still great after all these years. And Hamilton,
they're all fantastic.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Death becomes her Best.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Oh, and you know what, this maybe happy ending that
that Darren is doing is just so gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
We had a good time watching.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
It was so weird seeing Darren on stage because I've
known him for so many a year, right, and I
totally forgot it was him. I guess that's yeah, that's
the compliment. Did you see that outlaw off Broadway? And
it's so it's great.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
It's weird, it's kind of a bizarre story, but it's great.
And Andrew Durand is a friend and he's not up
for Tony on Sunday Night as well.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
It's so great.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
And Operation Mincemeat and Juliet love them got a.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Wrap on Danielle shout out, Oh.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
You see. Though you think you've seen a lot of shows,
Danielle has seen three times been show and you and
you've been in Aladdin. I know I recognized you from somewhere.
They hate us, one loves no one loves Broadway more
than Danielle. And that's why the fact that she's going
to be on the red carpet at the Tony's is
just like, oh my god, this is who's going to.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Call security first?
Speaker 5 (24:23):
You'll be quiet.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Eric Bergan of course starring in Boop all eleven minutes
of it. It's a very good eleven minute but then
tells you it's those eleven minutes are so powerful.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
That's right. You think it lasts forever. It's true.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Well, I get to do it twice today, so I
actually am going to have twenty two minutes until.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
All right before you leave. Yes, you can make an
instant request. You can hear any song you want to hear.
What what do you want to hear? All right, let's
go back to Let's go back to uh where we started.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Let's do the right ky,
Live from the Mercedes Fenz Interview Loud.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Good morning, Hi.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Eric, Hi, how are you doing? Never better? I don't
know what time it is. I don't know how you
people do this.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Okay, So Daniell's had something very disparaging about you. I'm
going to tell him because sometimes like sometimes you'll get
like days and times of interviews confused.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yes and uh to me, me or people in general.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Oh you so Danielle Daniel says, no, he knows exactly
what time and what day's supposed to be.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Someplace you want to make a grand entrance, you diva.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Oh, I mean I.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Did the thing that you know Marilyn Monroe always did,
which is that she was going to an event. She
got out of the car a block early, and then
she just ran the rest of the block so that
she when she got there she had this like thing
going on.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
But you smell like a train. No, I just got
in a subway because I was running late.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, yes, exactly, that's what I'm more.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Od rat, that's right.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Eric Bergan is here, of course, starring in Boop the
musical on broad Way and many other things in our
lives that we love. And I don't care what time
you get here. As long as you get here.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm here. You can reach me. But the thing.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Like a carpet man, what does that?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
That's it. Let's go with that.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
That was good, Like a carpet man, for sure.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
No, no, no.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
The guy who wrote the carpet was across the desert
like an arab Ban.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yes, yes, something like that.
Speaker 5 (01:22):
The guy who rode the carpet was a laddin.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Oh that's right, like.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
A ladin man. Hey, so yeah, Boop is doing very well.
We love the Boop on the Broadway.
Speaker 5 (01:31):
You're fantastic in the Boop on the Broadway.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
I like you better than Boop.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It's it's so fun. I mean I didn't. I never
thought in a million years that I would be in
a Betty Boop musical on Broadway. That was like not
on my bingo card. I mean I made the same
sound when they said do you want to do this
Betty boot musical? I was like, are you kidding? And
that was just my allergies. It was it was really like,
I didn't. I didn't think this would be as good
as it is. It is so much fun. It is
(02:00):
our our leading lady, Jasmine Amy Rodgers who's up for
a tony on on Sunday Night. It's she's giving an
unbelievable kind of Lucille ball esque performance and we have
the most fun. The music was written by David Foster,
who you know, of course, is David Foster and has
written every produced, every hit in the world.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
And it's just, uh, it's just stupid, goofy.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
You saw it, You play it, You play an ass, yes,
a bit of a sleeve.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Well, I play a guy who is the sanitation guy
here in New York City who is deciding to run
for mayor, and as it turns out, he's a bit
of a corrupt politician. I mean, where do they get
these stories. I don't know corrupt politicians would ever happen
only in a musical. So you know, it's uh, it's
just kind of a wild, zany story that has a
(02:47):
lot of heart. I mean, for me, the best part
is I look out into the audience. I see ten
year olds, I see ninety year olds and everyone in between,
and everyone leaves with this kind of goofy, silly smile
on their face when they leave.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
It's it's just incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Let's talk about the the awards Sunday Night. Yeah, we're
talking about to Tony's. Yes, Danielle has always wanted to
and now she has been invited to be on the
Red Car.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Oh my god, I'm so excited for iHeart Broadway. We're
going to be already a Broadway. We're going to be
there with Deanna on my camera. And are you going
to be there?
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I'm not going to be there.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
If you don't stop, I'm going to be pissed.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Why are you not going to the Tonys because because
I didn't go right.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Exactly, no normally got you know this year, I mean
we Boop was not nominated for Best Musical. And the
rule is the well, the kind of rule. They say
it's a rule, then they break the rule. The rule
is unless you are nominated for Best Musical, then you
don't get to perform on the Tonys, right, And they
say that's the rule, And then I guess they break
the rule. And there's other shows that are not nominated
(03:46):
for Best Musical that are performing.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
Yeah, that is true. There's a lot of musicals that
are performing that we're not nominated.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah, okay, hold on a second, A bunch of drama queens. Literally,
I mean I do believe. I mean, there's always drama
in the background at the Oscars totally, and the Grammys definitely.
Tonys have them tenfold. Well, it's because it really is
that the biggest commercial Broadway has. So every show is
(04:12):
you know, every Broadway show is dying to get on
the show. And the thing is you have to pay
to perform on the Tonys. That's not a scandal.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
That's just there's production costs that the shows have to
pay to kind of rebuild their set for the radio city.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
Is it the same for the Grammys and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I don't know how it works. Those are expensive productions.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, but I think I don't know. I really I
don't know how those work. I just know that the Tonys,
the shows have to pay a fee to perform. Once
they're invited to perform, they have to pay.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Can I ask another question?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Please?
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Why is it?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
That was a question?
Speaker 5 (04:44):
Sorry? Okay, there there's a petition for you guys to
actually perform if the show is already set. Yeah, how
could they even do that? How can they even fit
you guys in like that?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Listen, there are genius producers on the Tony Words. Their
longtime frien of mine, and they they look they have
the hard job. They have to they have to follow
these quote unquote rules, but they also have to make
a great television special at the end of the day.
And that's what's you know that. I know that they
have that job. So I don't know how they do it.
I would love that they put us on, but you know,
it is what it is. It's part of it's part
of uh, it's part of the gig. I suppose the
(05:17):
fans are very sweet and the fans are doing this
petition to get us to perform, But I don't know.
I think if we were to perform, it wouldn't be
my song anyway. So I'm still gonna be in my
pajamas in bed no matter what. So that's where you're
you don't be watching from home. You're gonna hang.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Out with There's there's the party afterwards.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
There's like the late night after party going to I'll
probably take a nap because we have a matinee that day,
so we I'll probably go home, take a nap, and
then put on the Tucks, but like the Tucks half undone.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Because it's the after party. I'll just pretend that I
want So you put on and then destroyed the look.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah exactly. I have a list of things Eric wanted
to talk about to.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Oh no, that's I just was. That was just things
that you know, was.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
No, we're going to the list.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
It is there a shopping list. I got to go groceries.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Okay. The Cast album, produced by David Foster, I mean
on Friday, comes out this Friday. Yes, I think you
guys were sent my song from the album. I don't
think we got that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You didn't get that? Well, didn't I just sing it? Sure? No,
it's before nine.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I don't sing before Oh it's literally nine exactly nine
am right now.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Great stories about working with David Foster in the studio. Oh,
I do wait, I gotta tell you a nice guy.
He seems very evil to me. No, he's the great.
Go ahead, He's the greatest. Here's the best thing about
David Foster. He does This is my favorite story to tell.
So I was in the studio recording my song, and
of course he produced the Cast album and I get
in there and he's really encouraging and he's like you
(06:35):
you notice immediately why he has sixteen Grammy Awards. He
is like a master at getting a vocal performance out
of you.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
He's so genius. Give us an example.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
He would just say, I would finish a vocal take
and he would go, man, that is that is fire.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
That is that is one of the best vocals.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I've heard it, and I've been there like really, oh my god,
because I did not feel confident in the in the
vocal booth, especially with David Foster. But he makes you
feel brilliant. And then I did one vocal line. He's like,
that's not it. Now try it again, try it like this,
and I did it.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
That's not no.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
One more time I tried it. He's like, yeah, you know,
there's just a better let me just pull.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Up the demo.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And he pulls up the demo and he starts to
play the demo and uh, it's like really good and
it kind of sounds like a like a Michael Boublay voice,
which is fitting considering that David discovered Michael Boubley. And
I was like, well, that's really good. Who did you
get to sound like booble And he goes Boobla The
demo singer from my song was Michael Boublet. Normally it's
(07:39):
the other way around. So so I just copied Michael
for for this. Not a bad person to copy, not
a bad person to copy at all. Okay, what else
is on your list?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Were going to talk about the Jones Rivers.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Thing that's not quite yet list.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I didn't have demands. I was just giving you ideas.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Oh you sell boo the boop tonya words controversy that
you kind.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
Of did that.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I did that. Yes, we've gone through the thing.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Okay, let's talk about the Joan Rivers tribute. Yes, I
want to see that. It's on Peacock Box, on Peacocky
of course, huge fan of Joan Rivers.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yes, I.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Had a fight with her.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Oh boy.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
She was on the phone and HAROLDO. Rivera was in
the studio, wow, and I was on the God Rest
her soul. And I said to her, Hey, we're running
a little bit late, so you have a choice. You
can either be on with Heraldo or you can just
wait a little bit and we'll put you on. After
she starts yelling at me, you can't put me on
with Heraldo. He's so serious blah blah blah blah, I'm
(08:35):
funny blah blah. So you know what I said. Oh,
and then I guess we just don't have time for you.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
Click.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
She hung up. She was the queen of everything.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Joan was rumbered to have a temper from time to time, okay,
and tell you how it was. And she did it.
She cracked all over, Daniel. But that's okay, that's fine.
We're still going to a tribute to her. Talk about
the tribute though, because I want to see this.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
So what we.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Decided to do. It had been ten years since Joan
had passed, and she was a longtime supporter of God's Love,
We deliver my favorite charity here in the city, and
we decided to do a tribute to Joan, and we
did at the Apollo last year, and we filmed it
for NBC. So I got to produce this special for
NBC and it's now streaming on Peacock. It's It has
(09:18):
Chelsea Handler and Nicki Glazer and Patton Oswald and Michelle
Betew and Randy Rainbow and Joel McHale. Everyone's in the
Sarah Silverman, Jean Smart, everyone's in this thing paying tribute
to Joan and it's just an incredibly funny evening of
great stand up, of tribute to her, material and It's
really incredible how how much she inspired so many of
(09:39):
today's top comics, and this show is just incredible. Everyone
just showed up to to to pay tribute to her.
She's she's really a I was about to say a
living legend, but she's not. She's It's called Joan Rivers,
a dead funny All Star tribute and it's streaming on
Peacock Apartment. I was never at no, I was never
I think you're still for sale or is it someone
(10:00):
by it? Apparently it's haunted. They're saying Joan Rivers is
haunting her apart.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Well, yes, oh my god.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I would love if I was buying Joan River's apartment
and I was paying that price. I would want her
to haunt you demand it.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yeah, that's kind of part of the part of the
buying price.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I think.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Yeah, she was amazing now she was amazing, and the
jokes still work.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Aubrey Plaza does a hilarious section and in memorium section
of jokes you just can't tell anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I saw that, Oh, I saw that from from the special.
It's so funny.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I mean really, and I can't believe she told them.
I can't believe she told them. I know, I can't
believe we the NBC let it on air. Hey, so
what are you doing next?
Speaker 1 (10:33):
When am I doing this?
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Because you seem like the kind of I was always
kind of looking down the turnpot.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I mean, you're you're booping now. Yeah, I'm booping now.
And that goes until they tell us not to anymore.
And uh, what am I doing next?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Well?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
This this I have the have nothing you know I do.
I just can't talk about it yet. I'm doing it
very very fun. I'm going I think back to television,
I think for something.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So that would be awesome.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah, that means I can, you know, actually pay for
a car down here as opposed to the subway.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
You know, you know, if you're a guest on our show,
we can send a car for you.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Oh well, guess what didn't happen this morning? That wow?
Because we don't believe that's the way.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
We don't offer unless you ask.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Oh, is that how it works? We save money?
Speaker 6 (11:17):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
But you go to a party too, like you don't
bring a gift unless somebody says, please bring a gift.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, I understand.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Oh, I just got to sign eight fifty seven, eight
fifty Okay, we have to look at a clock.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
I mean with this new thing. The times you've been
on our show before, Eric, Yes, you weren't actually on
the air, so it didn't matter. We weren't actually alive.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It never matters when we're on the air.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
It was just to make a wish thing for me.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
No, no, sorry, we didn't use some clocks, but now
we do. That was great, hey, Eric Bergan, go ahead,
rapid fire.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Okay, Well, I actually have questions because now we're seeing
so many movie stars and TV stars entering the Broadway realm.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Are they getting paid tons of money because you sort
of just reference like, oh, you're on Broadway so you
can't afford a car. Does Denzel Washington show up for
free or for a very low budget getting a massive
massive amount of money.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Washington, Denzel's doing very well. But Denzel is paid appropriately
for what that show brings in and for the attention
that it brings Broadway, and for the attention that you know,
what I always think about is the restaurant's next door.
Everyone benefits as as this city is still rebuilding.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Everyone.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
When when Denzel and George and all those people come
to Broadway and it brings in people who would never
come to a Broadway show. It helps everyone, and that's
what I think about. So every dollar he's getting he deserves.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
But I got Wait. Doesn't it piss you off?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Though?
Speaker 5 (12:41):
When they say things like the George Clooney Show or
that show made more money.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Oh, this is my big this is my big thing.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
They say that, like, oh, Broadways having its biggest season ever,
more money than ever, you know, doubled the the whatever
is last year. Yes, Well, if your tickets are nine
hundred dollars for one show, then yes, And it doesn't
It still means that the other shows are still trying
to bring in an audience. Our tickets to Boop are
not nine hundred dollars. You can get you get the
Boop is very affordable. But yeah, so I'm kind of
(13:08):
torn in one way, I feel like that, but the
second way, I'm also thrilled that, you know, he's doing it.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
So Danielle and I were lucky enough to get a
little cameo roll in Aladdin and we loved it.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
It was so fun.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Oh my god, do people appreciate the cameo like walk
ons like that?
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Are they in the cast?
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
These clowns from the radio station are here to ruin it.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Was it for a charity?
Speaker 6 (13:27):
No?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
No, well then then yeah, they're not big fans. Well, no,
it's not that, it's just that. Did they have did
you have to do like a quick rehearsal with the cast?
Speaker 6 (13:39):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Yeah, they really didn't like.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
That, and they were so nice.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Did you bring bagels or anything?
Speaker 7 (13:43):
No?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Oh, well, then guys, what are you doing?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
I didn't think about that. They're so sweet. There's so nice.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
You're gonna put them on the morning show.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
They're nice, David, damn.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Okay, there's cross promotion going on.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Oh okay, never mind. Sorry, there's maybe there's an iHeart
thing happening that we don't know.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Let's talk about you.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Your rapid fire questions did not go down well with Elvis.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Don't worry. I'll get till them. We're going. We're going
around the road. Madam Secretary.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (14:11):
How many seasons?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Six seasons? Six seasons? Yeah? You did?
Speaker 4 (14:15):
You love doing Madame Secretary?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
The greatest, greatest job of my life. Change my life.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And if you've ever wondered who this guy is, Eric Bergen,
you know him. You know who he is because of
that role yeah, that was the big show, that.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Show, and then I went right from there to the
final season of Bull and those two things. Whenever I'm
in an air I mean I'm in an airport in
the middle of the country. That is where I'm most
famous because because of Bull. It's so funny. But yeah,
Madam Secretary, it changed my life. It was the greatest,
greatest seasons in the world, the greatest show in the world,
and and we just had the greatest time Talleoni and
(14:49):
everyone there.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
But Broadway was really where you started. That was your
first passion. I mean you actually sold you sold T
shirts on Broadway.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I did.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I sold when I was in high school. I sold
the counterfit t shirt. No, no, no, they were at the show.
I sold a T shirt to prints at Wicked one time.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
I bought a T shirt. What's it like?
Speaker 4 (15:07):
What's it like as someone who's so so so into
Broadway in the experience to start out selling shirts in
that theater you're there every every night. I'm assuming somebody
gave me the advice.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
You have to get in the room, like just you
should be able if you have a passion for one
kind of thing, learn how to do every job. Because
there's no shame. If you're working at the merch counter,
if you're working on stage, if you're working spotlights, whatever
it is, be part of it. You'll eventually get to
where you want to get to if it's right for you.
But get into the room. So my thing was, Oh,
(15:40):
I walked up to I didn't have a I didn't
know anyone inside the building. But outside the show they
had a little merch stand and I said, how do
you get a job working here? And they gave me
a thing. They told me who to contact, and I
was hired like two weeks later. And that way I
got to see the show. So every time the show
began and the merch people would go to lunch or dinner,
whatever it was, because I didn't want watch the show again,
(16:00):
I would go and watch the show. So I got
to see these shows like fifty sixty times, and that
was my real training. I mean, I got to see
Kristin and Idina do Wicked, you know, over and over.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Look of that and so learning everything, which is definitely
paid off for you because Eric is much more than
an actor. You had produced many, many fundraising shows, especially
during pandemic when we're trying to keep Broadway Alive.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Eric was calling me and like, we want to do
the show. I'm like, well, no one's going to come
to your show because they're all very masks. But also,
you know, you produce. You did this John River special
yes on Peacock as well, so you you really have.
You got into the room and you learn everything, not
only in the Broadway theater room, but also now to
(16:42):
the TV show.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
I learned everything from I have no formal training. I
would I would go and I would become a sponge.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
And I would just absorb it all. And I had
a lot of great teachers along the way. I mean,
I just learned from from the masters.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
When I was living in Las Vegas doing Jersey Boys,
I got to know h the band and the people
at the Barry Manilow show, and I got to know
Barry himself. And you can learn everything from watching that
group about entertainment and how to put on a show.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I mean, it's just genius.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
The vocal training vocal me yeah no, no, no, no, no, no,
well maybe it's time.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Yeah boy, thank you, thank you. This is how you
find out yes, okay, just one to ten.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yes, Backstage drama in general with Broadway shows.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Where are we at?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Funny enough? Ten boob zero? Really?
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Yeah, we're a nice group, and you know how to
lie about it. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I always forget that.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
No, no, no, in this particular case, I'm not kidding. It's
so much fun. It's just the greatest teneration. Oh my god,
it's just did you say the S word?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
No?
Speaker 5 (17:47):
He almost did, but I don't think he did.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
He didn't show show.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
And I don't believe what you said because the Aladdin
cast they are fabulous.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
That's not what they said about you.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I believe it.
Speaker 7 (18:00):
I'm getting kind of a questionaire saw you You were fantastic.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Yes, you stole and you waited outside the stage door
for an hour from my autograph the homes, that was weird.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
You've been doing this for years. Do you have a
standard warm up routine before every show? Do you me
me me, me, me, me me or.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (18:19):
But yeah, I kind of, I mean yes and no.
I always forget in this show because I have eleven
minutes on stage and it's nothing that requires any kind
of you know, like I said, formal training. I mean,
I'm just making a complete fool out of myself. So
this show, what happens is I think today's the day
I'm gonna start to warm up, and then I forget
too and I get on stage and everything hurts. I
mean everything, everything hurts. It's there's a great line that
(18:41):
Eline Stretch always said when she opened her One woman show.
She walked on stage dragging a chair, and she says,
she takes a big breath, big sigh, and she goes,
it's like the prostitute said, It's not the work, it's
the stairs.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
And that's how.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
And that's how I feel climbing up to my my.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
My dressing room every every day.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Yeah, okay, let's see where this is going to go.
Hello Marcus, Oh my god, so you you and Eric
Bergen were childhood friends.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Yeah, we went to like the same like off Broadway
musical workshops and to summer camp.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Marcus Richardson, Yes, oh my god, Oh god, Okay, Marcus,
go ahead, spill the tea.
Speaker 6 (19:28):
Oh no, no, Eric, Eric was destined for where he
is now. He was like, oh, this is what he
is meant to be doing. And I'm listening to the
Morning Show as I always do on my way to work,
and here Eric. So I just sexted. I was like, oh,
my god, hi to Eric, you know, it's the years.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
It's been a long time.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Marcus and I were in an off Broadway theater company
together with incredible group of actors, one of whom was
Sebastian Stan who's now you know, yes, and we had
a great time.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
And it's true. We used to listen to Elvis Durant
in the morning Ze Morning Zoo. That was it.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Yeah, Oh my god, and my god, we were obsessed
with like Iifful sixty five, Blue Dabad that was our
that was our era and maya case of the X
I'm trying to think of, like all of our songs.
We would listen every morning as we you, as we
went to school, but that was like our r so
we would like listen to that stuff and then we
would do show tunes at night in the afternoon. So Marcus, yeah,
(20:23):
Marcus and I go back a long time to Applause,
a great theater company here in the city. So if
you have kids who want to do theater, Applause is
a great place to go.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Hey, Marcus, what are you doing now? Did you stay
in the business or did you make an exit?
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Where are you now?
Speaker 6 (20:37):
No, So, like my parents were very supportive of being
in the arts, but my parents were like, you have
to go to college and get it, you know, a degree,
so right out of college, instead of going back and
trying to make it in the business, I stayed and
hire it. So I've been working in higher education. I
worked for K and A for over almost twenty years.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Now.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Wow, well, I'm so glad that you you called in.
That's excellent and you should have seen Eric's face when
he saw it was you. He almost ran out of
the room because I'm sure there's some embarrassing story you're
not telling. And look how fast Marcus just hung up. Yes, gods,
we lost the line there, so sorry. Okay, hear you, Marcus.
(21:18):
Thank you so much for listening. Thanks for calling in.
That was awesome.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Bye, love you go.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
Thanks my friend who's online next for him, this is
your life.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It's my mother.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Text message. It's so good to hear that Boop tickets
are affordable. I used to be able to go to
multiple shows a year when I was in high school
because I would use student rush money whatever. Now as
an adult, I can't do that. It's so much. They
are expensive.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Yeah, come to the boot Box office.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
We have tickets as as love as forty dollars sometimes
and you can sit up front. We have these rush tickets,
but even the non rush tickets are affordable. It's a
small theater. Every seat is great, and there's you know,
go to the half price booth at TKTS Booth and
Times Square. Broadway is more affordable than you think it is.
It's still more expensive than it should be, but it's
more affordable than you think it is.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
Okay, if you can go the same day to get
tickets to Sometimes people cancel like last minute, or they
have last minute tickets, and if you can go by yourself,
sometimes you can get an even cheaper ticket. That's right yourself.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
So let's say someone's listening to us in Miami right
now and like, I want to go to New York.
I'm gonna go see your show. But I've never been
seeing a Broadway show in my life. What is, in
your opinion, just no more than three titles the starter
kit where you have to start your very first shows. Yeah,
musicals in New York City. We'll give you three.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
And I don't mean this as a plug for own show,
my own show, but Boop is an old fashioned Broadway
tap dance spectacular with all of these three D effects
and comedy and great songs. So start there because it
really is the very definition of Broadway. You want the
modern definition of Broadway and the kind of the the
boundary pushing stuff. Obviously Hamilton, and then I don't know,
(22:53):
go see a great play. I don't even I don't even.
You know, plays come and go so quickly. I saw
good Night, good Luck. That was fantastic. God, I don't
even know what to say. Okay, then Glengarry Glenn, Oh,
you know what? In Chicago. Chicago is still on Broadway,
and it's incredible.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
I did think that the quintessential Broadway musicals with lots
of lights and movement, like you, I think that's a
my opinion, a great way to start.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
It's a great way to start. It's the it's the
what is it, the gateway drug to Broadways. Definitely Boom.
Chicago is still great after all these years. And Hamilton,
they're all fantastic.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Death becomes her Best.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Oh, and you know what, this maybe happy ending that
that Darren is doing is just so gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
We had a good time watching.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
It was so weird seeing Darren on stage because I've
known him for so many a year, right, and I
totally forgot it was him. I guess that's yeah, that's
the compliment. Did you see that outlaw off Broadway? And
it's so it's great.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
It's weird, it's kind of a bizarre story, but it's great.
And Andrew Durand is a friend and he's not up
for Tony on Sunday Night as well.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
It's so great.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
And Operation Mincemeat and Juliet love them got a.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Wrap on Danielle shout out, Oh.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
You see. Though you think you've seen a lot of shows,
Danielle has seen three times been show and you and
you've been in Aladdin. I know I recognized you from somewhere.
They hate us, one loves no one loves Broadway more
than Danielle. And that's why the fact that she's going
to be on the red carpet at the Tony's is
just like, oh my god, this is who's going to.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Call security first?
Speaker 5 (24:23):
You'll be quiet.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Eric Bergan of course starring in Boop all eleven minutes
of it. It's a very good eleven minute but then
tells you it's those eleven minutes are so powerful.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
That's right. You think it lasts forever. It's true.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Well, I get to do it twice today, so I
actually am going to have twenty two minutes until.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
All right before you leave. Yes, you can make an
instant request. You can hear any song you want to hear.
What what do you want to hear? All right, let's
go back to Let's go back to uh where we started.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Let's do the right ky,
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