October 21, 2025 • 31 mins
In this episode, Michelle celebrates the upcoming one-year anniversary of Death Becomes Her! From long rehearsal days and vocal stamina to funny on-stage mishaps and unforgettable audience reactions, Michelle takes us behind the curtain of her life as Viola Van Horn. She shares the lessons she’s learned performing eight shows a week, what keeps her grounded, and how faith and discipline fuel her craft. Plus, Michelle gives love to Kelly Rowland and the “Boy Is Mine” tour, while reflecting on the joy of community both on and off the stage.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Checking In with Michelle Williams, a production of
iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. Hey there, welcome to checking
in with Michelle Williams. Yes, that's me. I am Michelle.
Thank y'all so much for tuning in this week. Last
(00:23):
week's episode was pretty pretty spectacular. I love when guests
come on and especially in celebration of you know, when
you've worked hard for something and you see the fruit
of how hard you worked, especially with great teams and
producers and all that good stuff. But shout out to
(00:45):
Ruth and Boaz Devon Franklin for coming on last week.
I'm excited pretty much about this week. This week I
will be in celebration with the cast and crew of the.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Broadway musical Death Becomes Her.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
As y'all know, that show has had me in a
choke hold for the past year and a half.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I'm not complaining one bit.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Okay, But this week, Thursday, October twenty third, we've been
on Broadway a year. October twenty third of twenty twenty
four was our first Broadway preview. And Broadway previews are
they're different from the actual official opening night and post
(01:40):
official opening night. So previews basically is like, you know,
you're actually still putting the show on its feet. You've
probably rehearsed it for a couple months, and then previews
are basically you know, you're inviting people to see something
that's possibly not finished. But there are people that have
(02:03):
come to see Death Becomes Her two and three times.
There are some folks that have seen it thirteen times.
They have flown all the way from California to see
Death Becomes Her and they can tell you from the
first day of the preview to now the significant changes and.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Growth of the show.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Previews are exhausting because you're rehearsing during the day and
then you do a show at night. Then the next
day of rehearsals, it's basically correcting or omitting what doesn't work.
A lot of cuts are made during previews. I know
(02:46):
someone is in a Broadway musical now that's going through
previews and you know one of the scenes were cut
that they were so excited about.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
And so previews are cool, but.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
They also su especially if you're part of the ensemble
and they gave you a line or two and then
it gets cut.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I know there were.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Portions of some viola dialogue I play Viola van Horn.
By the way, by the way, let me shout out
Death becomes her, Megan hill Ty, Jennifer Samark, Christopher Seber,
Torri and Everett and Josh Layman as principal actors of
Death becomes her, and our amazing ensemble that are just incredible.
If I name names, I will shout out my understudies
(03:35):
Johanna and Simone incredible, incredible. But yeah, back to previews
and what they consist of. I'm exhausting literally to rehearse
during the day, do the show at night, and you
do that. I think we did it for like three
weeks straight or something. It was exhausting. And then opening
(03:56):
night is basically when no cuts can be made. After
official opening night that's called is basically when the show
gets locked. You cannot make any more changes. Okay, people
are tired, and it's probably expensive to continue because you
(04:18):
got to pay people to rehearse. Okay, this ain't no,
This sain't no. You got to pay people to rehearse. Basically,
you pay people to rehearse and they still get paid
to do the show that night. So's it's a pretty
gruelling process. But we got through it, and then official
(04:39):
opening night, I believe was like November twenty first. So
many great things have happened in this New York run,
Lots of performances in promo Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Gosh, I was sick as a a dog. Hear me,
that flew hit me.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
But we got out there and did the dang thing
that Thanksgiving morning, and I came home and went to bed.
I didn't have no Thanksgiving. Okay, your girl was s ick. Sick, Okay,
now the performance was sick, honey, we ate okay, we
ate down. But AnyWho, So that was great. God, gosh,
(05:33):
so many opportunities Today Show. Speaking of the Today Show,
we will be on the Today Show to celebrate one
year of Death becomes Her this week, so look out
for our promos and postings about that. I'm excited about that.
You guys have been with us like every step of
the way. Y'all's love and support has been a phenomenal.
(06:00):
I know I've grown so much just in the last year,
you know, and doing eight shows a week. There are
just certain muscles that you know, get exercised daily. Literally,
my vocal cords are strong. I have yet to have
a vocal issue, Thank you Jesus. That probably just comes
(06:25):
from singing in the church, and any vocal issues I
was going to have, I probably would have already had them. Okay,
so we thank God for that. But you know, Broadway
eight shows a week is no joke. So you know,
I know, Meghan Hillty, you know, was out for about
(06:46):
a month with some I don't know the exact issues,
but there were some vocal issues. But she came back
stronger than ever and has been killing it. The announcement
was just made today that her last show I think
is January sixth of twenty twenty six, I think something
like that. But yeah, she's been killing it and things happen.
(07:10):
Our anatomy is different. Everybody's vocal cords everybody. Everybody's different,
everybody's technique is different, everybody's training is different.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
My training was in the church, okay, as a sopratto.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
So my role as viola van Horne, especially my songs,
I really get to kind of lean into them church
vocal cords, you know. Of course, with some technique that
I've learned along the way that I really believe is
has helped to sustain me all of this time. I'm
(07:46):
not saying that I don't get hoarse and experiencing like
vocal fatigue. Every now and then I'll make an alternative
vocal vocal alternative in the melody of us of one
of the songs. I make sure that it does not
take from the intensity or the or what I don't
(08:10):
want to take away from what's written necessarily. But if
I know, yo, I got eight shows to do this week,
and by show five and I'm like, yo, I want
to get through the recipes three the best way possible.
Sometimes I'll option down, but it's still gonna be killing.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Okay, I know, and I warned you.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
There's an option that I do instead of starting the
riff in a higher note, I'll run up the scale
versus down a scale.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
So it's it's it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I love Julia and Noel are our lyricists and and
and music who give us the freedom to do what
we need to do. Like the other week, En for SamArt,
who plays Helen, she did something so amazing. I was like, girl, yes,
(09:09):
so yes, people do what they need to do to
conserve energy, to conserve vocal cords, and so you know,
those of you that I've come to see the show
a couple of times, you know, listen out for some
of those options that aren't necessarily on the cast recording,
because sometimes it takes having to do an option so
(09:32):
that the person can make it the rest of the week.
So I think that's pretty cool. But so many great
things have happened with the show. Tony nominations, all kind
of awards and like over shucks, over thirty three types
of nominations, something crazy. It has been absolutely bonkers what
(09:59):
this show has done, the progress that we've made, And
so my prayer is that this show stays around.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
A long, long long time.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
And I think everybody that has come far and near
to see the show, if you have not come to
see the show yet, come hang out with us. You
can go get your tickets at Broadwaydirect dot com or
you know, you can. I know some people go to
(10:29):
Rush they get their tickets, or however people get their tickets,
come on and see the show. It's phenomenal. We have
a blast up there. Somebody was telling me the other night, Michelle,
you look like you're having fun up there, and oh no, no,
not only me, she said, she said, everybody looks like
they're having so much fun up there and even like,
no matter how tired you are, you know, we have
(10:52):
fun up there. It's just something about this amazing cast
and all the people, the carpenters, props, all the maze wardrobe,
everybody that makes this show go.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It's been brilliant.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You know. There have been times well where there have
been some automation issues. Okay, well what's automation. Automation are
the people that make sure that the scenes and there
are certain parts of the stage that move where it
looks like like like there are no stage hands necessarily,
(11:30):
you know, pushing a lot of props on stage. It's
run by automation, and so it's it's there are times
where the staircase got stuck or you know, the contour curtain.
You know, it's been it's been some Even those are
(11:50):
fun because I feel like the audience gets to be
let in on human error and then when you overcome it,
the audience just erupts in a roar and just so supportive.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So most people that come to Broadway shows, you know,
a few people it's their first time coming to a show,
but the majority of the people have been to show
so they know that accidents happened, things happen on stage.
My voice cracked the other day, by the way, it
was given snap crack a pop.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
I just wanted to say that. I was like, oh
my gosh, I hope nobody heard that.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
As I'm saying, you know, people people love human stuff
because it makes them feel like, oh my gosh. You know,
you get to see like beyond the perfection, you know
what I'm saying, of human error.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
And so or forgetting lines.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
I remember I used to butcher eyewarn, do you because
the song changed lyrically from Chicago to the Broadway production,
so our aready had the version from the Chicago showing
up Death Becomes Her.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I had that in my blood. Same with Sampra Viva.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Sampviva on Broadway is not the version that was in
the Chicago version of Death Becomes Her.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
So I had to get used to.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
But oh, let me let me not hype myself too much,
because this week I beiven forgot the words or something.
Shout out to Kelly Rolling by the way, who forgot
the words and catered to you. Y'all listen it happens,
by the way. Let me let me put a pause
(13:38):
on all things. Death Becomes Her? For a minute, is
Kelly rolling not serving body? I da YadA YadA yadda
on this tour?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Like what is she thinking? And I mean that in
a good way.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Congratulations Sis, Congratulations to everyone on the Boy is Mine Tour, Brandy,
Monica Money Long, who else is going to?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Jamal Roberts.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
I'm sure I'm missing a person or two because I
do Coco Jones. Yes, congratulations are not to my sister Kelly.
Now she shows showing out. I cannot wait to get
to see this show. Okay, speaking of Kelly, Kelly, you
(14:36):
know was probably my biggest cheerleader in doing Death Becomes
Her because she Death Becomes Her is one of her
favorite movies of all time. And she said she had
so many questions like, how are y'all gonna do this?
How are you gonna do that? How are you gonna
how are you guys going to take what's in the movie?
How are you gonna translate that to the stage? And
(14:58):
we did, and you know, so shout out to Kelly
for she was like like making sure that my butt,
you know, is in this show.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So shout out to her, and shout out to this tour.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
I believe it's, you know, her first time kind of
going on tour in the States in a very very
very long time. And I was like, Kelly, you know,
you got go show people the legend that you are.
You know, go show people why you are Kelly. You
know what, Roland. I didn't say, Dan, I didn't say
I didn't say the word choice. But you got to
(15:38):
show the people every now and then, you got to
pop out and show them. You know what I'm saying.
You've got the songs, You've got the presence, you you
got what it takes. And so I'm excited that she's
on tour. Shout out to one of my close buddies,
Rex Hardy.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
That's her music.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Director, tim My g the homie for forty years, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
So yeah, so I had to segue to that.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I just wanted to shout out miss uh, miss Roland
on her tour. Thank y'all for bearing with me as
I go down rabbit holes. I think, thank y'all so much.
All right, so back to death becomes her. Oh my gosh,
(16:35):
It'sabella Rosseelni did come to see the show, and it's
a Bella Roseelena. She originated the role of Liso in
in the movie Death Becomes Her. Basically, Viola van Horn
is who I'm playing that role of Liso, but she
(16:56):
was renamed Viola.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
In the music.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Pretty cool, right, She has come to see the show.
So many folks have come, so many people are still
showing up. I'm excited for people to see the show, y'all.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Y'all know who came to the show and I wasn't there.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Cynthia Arrivo came to see Death Becomes Her and I
was out sick. She sure did, and she ain't had
time to come back. I wonder why promoting Wicked one
and Wicked two is.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
About to come out.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
So I thought that that was very very cool. Amber
Ruffin was at the show the other night. But even
folks like Cardia Brown, you know who, I can't wait.
She's an amazing, amazing person. She's got a restaurant in
the Charleston, South Carolina Airport that I can't wait to
(18:03):
get into. A matter of fact, she just won an Emmy. Yep,
she won an Emmy two time award winning chef.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
How cool is that?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
She's got a cookbook that's about to come out called
Make Do with What You Have? That's coming out November eleventh.
I actually pre ordered mine, and I'm really excited about
this cookbook, y'all, because mother, I be y'all, I have
uber eated so much while I've been in New York City,
(18:41):
you know. Now, I'm gonna say the other day though,
I did some greens in my slow cooker.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Okay, did them got that smoke turkey? Put them? Oh, y'all?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
And y'all, these greens were like I got the ones
where you still got to scrub them and soak them
and clean them and chop them, and y'all, these were
I felt like I was my grandmother when she would
get her neighbor had this garden and he would give
her big old bags of fresh greens.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Y'all.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I was scrubbing and picking out stuff that looked like
bugs were stuck to it. I was like, do I
want to go that fresh again? Like these greens, y'all,
they they it looked like they just came out of
the ground, right, So which is good? I mean, I
look at what my grandmother did. She scrubbed and soaked
(19:38):
them for a while, and so yeah, those greens were very,
very very good. So I'm proud of myself for doing that.
Someone had to show me how to turn on the oven.
This oven is very I love the newer ovens and
the newer stoves, y'all. I hadn't turned the oven on
(19:59):
them probably a year until last week. Don't judge me.
That's another conversation. I just when they showed me how
to do it, I felt like I felt so remedio.
I felt I felt dumb. I'll say that I absolutely
(20:19):
felt dumb. So yeah, I'm just naming some some recent
people that have come. I had some friends from my
hometown and Rockford that came to see the show.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It's been great. It's been great.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
So many friends have come, you know, who don't want
all the fanfare, who don't want pictures, who don't you know,
and that has it's been just to have the support.
And again thanking a lot of y'all who listened to
this podcast, who have showed up, who have come to
see this show. You know who you are. I absolutely
adore you. I absolutely thank you. Some of you guys
(20:58):
came to our album sign y'all. We have a whole album.
I am on an original recording of a broad Way
musical that is up for Grammy consideration.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
How awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
To be up for Grammy consideration, right, So I hope
folks voted so that we could get the nomination. There
are process, there's a process to the Grammys. So much
music is submitted just to even to be considered to
be on the next ballot that's narrowed down.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
There are like three ballots.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
By the way, I think I'm giving y'all tea that
I'm not supposed to be giving y'all via the Recording
Academy that I am a voting member of. Y'all google
the process. I just I want to make sure I
didn't give away though secret information. Shit, y'all, don't wrap
me out if I did, because it was not intentional.
(22:06):
It was not intentional at all. Don't do that. I
did not mean to tell it. But there is a process,
and I pray that we make it to the ballot
of nomination. Okay, that would be absolutely beautiful. Yeah, so
it's been great. What else has been going on during
(22:26):
this year of Broadway? Oh my gosh, actors equity, the
negotiations with the Broadway League, there was a threatened Broadway
strike possibly, I mean, and the act the Musicians Union.
You know people are fighting for you know, better healthcare,
(22:50):
better humane schedules, and I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Listen, eight shows a week.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Crazy, and some folks are doing eight shows a week.
And when you're a part of on an ensemble, you're
called then to rehearse a lot, especially when there's a
new put in. A put in a new put in
is a new person who joins the show, you know,
to make it fair to the new person in the show,
(23:20):
it's only right for them to rehearse with other people
that they're going to be performing with.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
So again, it feels.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Like preview days where you rehearse in the day and
then do a show at night, and so that can
be very, very tiring. So I'm all for the as
far as the more humane schedule. And again you are
welcome to go look up everything that that entailed. But
you know, as of Friday, there was a tentative agreement reached.
(23:52):
I'm not privy to what that agreement was just yet.
I don't think any of us have are privy to
that just yet. I think we will know this week
what that is. So, but this show has been absolutely
life changing. I think I've made some lifelong friends. Broadway
(24:17):
is just a community. It's a safe place for people
who might feel like different or overlooked or just again different.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You know, is a safe place where us.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Theater goofballs and weirdos and we love to get together
and do what we do every single night. You know,
it takes a lot of discipline. I do absolutely nothing.
I am going to see Robert Glasper at Blue Note
before this month is over. He's doing his October residency
(24:54):
that he's been doing for the for some years, and
I want to catch him.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
I want to do that again.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
It's just the discipline of you know, I had some
folks here from my hometown and I really couldn't see
them much because it's the energy that you put out
and then try to recharge and go do a show
at night. Because y'all don't pay to see people tired.
You don't pay to see somebody who can't sing their parts.
You don't pay to see somebody you don't pay for that. Now,
(25:25):
unless a person is just sick and vocally or just
sometimes you're mentally spent, sometimes you just you can't do
it and listen. I'm all for that, that's okay. I
understand the feeling, but I try to keep myself up.
I try to take care of my body, you know,
and utilize the support that I have to take care
(25:45):
of my body right and I want to give my
best and right now I've had to sacrifice a lot.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Of hanging out.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
It hurts my feelings, it hurts other people's feelings, but
it's not personal. It's literally. You know, you gotta take
care of yourself. Guys, you have to take care of yourself.
And there will be I can always go to brunch,
but I'll have to go to brunch another time. I can,
(26:14):
you know, I can always go to the movies. You
just gotta go to the movies another time.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Even my days off, which are Mondays, sometimes those aren't
days off, but the ones where I get that's my
time to just replenish and I just know what my
vocal cords just to like not be swollen and tired.
A day of no talking and singing, just one day
(26:41):
on a Monday, does my voice amazing. I am looking
forward to everything that death becomes her is going to do.
You know, people are wondering, is it going to go
to London's West End? I hope it does. I'd actually
love to be a part of it. I believe Death
Becomes Her is touring this not of Lord, this fall.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
We're already in this fall.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
In the fall of twenty twenty six, So get your
coins ready for that. Death Becomes Her will be going
on tour. But I want to see you while I'm
yet still here on Broadway and you've got a while.
I have yet to tell people when I'm leaving, but
(27:28):
you'll know, you'll know, But it's it's not anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
You have time, okay.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And thank y'all for all the New Yorkers for just
showing us so much love. And again to the people
who fly in from out of town, thank y'all for
the love and support of Death Becomes Her. I pray
this show goes on three to five more years. It's
a lot of hard work, and baby, a lot of
(27:56):
money has gone into this show.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Producers have just been amazing.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
The director Chris Gatelly and Mark Meyer, our company management,
our stage managers, Rachel Mackenzie, Lee Luke, Emma, There's so
many people I couldn't name. The lady who dresses me
night after night, who takes such good care of me, Ali,
(28:24):
I love her, She's my sister. Like we are locked
in for life. That's my dog, Like I love I
just I love these folks. That's why they haven't been
able to.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Get rid of me.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
It's for a number of reasons because I'm dope. And
then secondly, I love it. You know what I'm saying,
So it's reciprocal. The love is reciprocal. So I just
wanted to take time to celebrate Death becomes Her. We
turn one years old on Broadway October twenty third, and
(29:00):
we wouldn't be able.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
To be here if it wasn't for you. Guys.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Know that. I love y'all so much, and thank y'all
for tuning in to this special edition of Checking In
and I will I'll talk to y'all again next week,
but for right now, enjoy this episode.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Hey, y'all, go to that tour. Go to the Boy
is Mine Tour. Okay, all right, love y'all.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Checking In with Michelle Williams is a production of iHeartRadio
and The Black Effect. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Welcome to Checking In with Michelle Williams, a production of
iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. Hey there, welcome to checking
in with Michelle Williams. Yes, that's me. I am Michelle.
Thank y'all so much for tuning in this week. Last
(00:23):
week's episode was pretty pretty spectacular. I love when guests
come on and especially in celebration of you know, when
you've worked hard for something and you see the fruit
of how hard you worked, especially with great teams and
producers and all that good stuff. But shout out to
(00:45):
Ruth and Boaz Devon Franklin for coming on last week.
I'm excited pretty much about this week. This week I
will be in celebration with the cast and crew of the.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Broadway musical Death Becomes Her.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
As y'all know, that show has had me in a
choke hold for the past year and a half.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I'm not complaining one bit.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Okay, But this week, Thursday, October twenty third, we've been
on Broadway a year. October twenty third of twenty twenty
four was our first Broadway preview. And Broadway previews are
they're different from the actual official opening night and post
(01:40):
official opening night. So previews basically is like, you know,
you're actually still putting the show on its feet. You've
probably rehearsed it for a couple months, and then previews
are basically you know, you're inviting people to see something
that's possibly not finished. But there are people that have
(02:03):
come to see Death Becomes Her two and three times.
There are some folks that have seen it thirteen times.
They have flown all the way from California to see
Death Becomes Her and they can tell you from the
first day of the preview to now the significant changes and.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Growth of the show.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Previews are exhausting because you're rehearsing during the day and
then you do a show at night. Then the next
day of rehearsals, it's basically correcting or omitting what doesn't work.
A lot of cuts are made during previews. I know
(02:46):
someone is in a Broadway musical now that's going through
previews and you know one of the scenes were cut
that they were so excited about.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
And so previews are cool, but.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
They also su especially if you're part of the ensemble
and they gave you a line or two and then
it gets cut.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I know there were.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Portions of some viola dialogue I play Viola van Horn.
By the way, by the way, let me shout out
Death becomes her, Megan hill Ty, Jennifer Samark, Christopher Seber,
Torri and Everett and Josh Layman as principal actors of
Death becomes her, and our amazing ensemble that are just incredible.
If I name names, I will shout out my understudies
(03:35):
Johanna and Simone incredible, incredible. But yeah, back to previews
and what they consist of. I'm exhausting literally to rehearse
during the day, do the show at night, and you
do that. I think we did it for like three
weeks straight or something. It was exhausting. And then opening
(03:56):
night is basically when no cuts can be made. After
official opening night that's called is basically when the show
gets locked. You cannot make any more changes. Okay, people
are tired, and it's probably expensive to continue because you
(04:18):
got to pay people to rehearse. Okay, this ain't no,
This sain't no. You got to pay people to rehearse. Basically,
you pay people to rehearse and they still get paid
to do the show that night. So's it's a pretty
gruelling process. But we got through it, and then official
(04:39):
opening night, I believe was like November twenty first. So
many great things have happened in this New York run,
Lots of performances in promo Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Gosh, I was sick as a a dog. Hear me,
that flew hit me.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
But we got out there and did the dang thing
that Thanksgiving morning, and I came home and went to bed.
I didn't have no Thanksgiving. Okay, your girl was s ick. Sick, Okay,
now the performance was sick, honey, we ate okay, we
ate down. But AnyWho, So that was great. God, gosh,
(05:33):
so many opportunities Today Show. Speaking of the Today Show,
we will be on the Today Show to celebrate one
year of Death becomes Her this week, so look out
for our promos and postings about that. I'm excited about that.
You guys have been with us like every step of
the way. Y'all's love and support has been a phenomenal.
(06:00):
I know I've grown so much just in the last year,
you know, and doing eight shows a week. There are
just certain muscles that you know, get exercised daily. Literally,
my vocal cords are strong. I have yet to have
a vocal issue, Thank you Jesus. That probably just comes
(06:25):
from singing in the church, and any vocal issues I
was going to have, I probably would have already had them. Okay,
so we thank God for that. But you know, Broadway
eight shows a week is no joke. So you know,
I know, Meghan Hillty, you know, was out for about
(06:46):
a month with some I don't know the exact issues,
but there were some vocal issues. But she came back
stronger than ever and has been killing it. The announcement
was just made today that her last show I think
is January sixth of twenty twenty six, I think something
like that. But yeah, she's been killing it and things happen.
(07:10):
Our anatomy is different. Everybody's vocal cords everybody. Everybody's different,
everybody's technique is different, everybody's training is different.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
My training was in the church, okay, as a sopratto.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
So my role as viola van Horne, especially my songs,
I really get to kind of lean into them church
vocal cords, you know. Of course, with some technique that
I've learned along the way that I really believe is
has helped to sustain me all of this time. I'm
(07:46):
not saying that I don't get hoarse and experiencing like
vocal fatigue. Every now and then I'll make an alternative
vocal vocal alternative in the melody of us of one
of the songs. I make sure that it does not
take from the intensity or the or what I don't
(08:10):
want to take away from what's written necessarily. But if
I know, yo, I got eight shows to do this week,
and by show five and I'm like, yo, I want
to get through the recipes three the best way possible.
Sometimes I'll option down, but it's still gonna be killing.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Okay, I know, and I warned you.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
There's an option that I do instead of starting the
riff in a higher note, I'll run up the scale
versus down a scale.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
So it's it's it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I love Julia and Noel are our lyricists and and
and music who give us the freedom to do what
we need to do. Like the other week, En for SamArt,
who plays Helen, she did something so amazing. I was like, girl, yes,
(09:09):
so yes, people do what they need to do to
conserve energy, to conserve vocal cords, and so you know,
those of you that I've come to see the show
a couple of times, you know, listen out for some
of those options that aren't necessarily on the cast recording,
because sometimes it takes having to do an option so
(09:32):
that the person can make it the rest of the week.
So I think that's pretty cool. But so many great
things have happened with the show. Tony nominations, all kind
of awards and like over shucks, over thirty three types
of nominations, something crazy. It has been absolutely bonkers what
(09:59):
this show has done, the progress that we've made, And
so my prayer is that this show stays around.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
A long, long long time.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
And I think everybody that has come far and near
to see the show, if you have not come to
see the show yet, come hang out with us. You
can go get your tickets at Broadwaydirect dot com or
you know, you can. I know some people go to
(10:29):
Rush they get their tickets, or however people get their tickets,
come on and see the show. It's phenomenal. We have
a blast up there. Somebody was telling me the other night, Michelle,
you look like you're having fun up there, and oh no, no,
not only me, she said, she said, everybody looks like
they're having so much fun up there and even like,
no matter how tired you are, you know, we have
(10:52):
fun up there. It's just something about this amazing cast
and all the people, the carpenters, props, all the maze wardrobe,
everybody that makes this show go.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It's been brilliant.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You know. There have been times well where there have
been some automation issues. Okay, well what's automation. Automation are
the people that make sure that the scenes and there
are certain parts of the stage that move where it
looks like like like there are no stage hands necessarily,
(11:30):
you know, pushing a lot of props on stage. It's
run by automation, and so it's it's there are times
where the staircase got stuck or you know, the contour curtain.
You know, it's been it's been some Even those are
(11:50):
fun because I feel like the audience gets to be
let in on human error and then when you overcome it,
the audience just erupts in a roar and just so supportive.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So most people that come to Broadway shows, you know,
a few people it's their first time coming to a show,
but the majority of the people have been to show
so they know that accidents happened, things happen on stage.
My voice cracked the other day, by the way, it
was given snap crack a pop.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
I just wanted to say that. I was like, oh
my gosh, I hope nobody heard that.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
As I'm saying, you know, people people love human stuff
because it makes them feel like, oh my gosh. You know,
you get to see like beyond the perfection, you know
what I'm saying, of human error.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
And so or forgetting lines.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
I remember I used to butcher eyewarn, do you because
the song changed lyrically from Chicago to the Broadway production,
so our aready had the version from the Chicago showing
up Death Becomes Her.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I had that in my blood. Same with Sampra Viva.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Sampviva on Broadway is not the version that was in
the Chicago version of Death Becomes Her.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
So I had to get used to.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
But oh, let me let me not hype myself too much,
because this week I beiven forgot the words or something.
Shout out to Kelly Rolling by the way, who forgot
the words and catered to you. Y'all listen it happens,
by the way. Let me let me put a pause
(13:38):
on all things. Death Becomes Her? For a minute, is
Kelly rolling not serving body? I da YadA YadA yadda
on this tour?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Like what is she thinking? And I mean that in
a good way.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Congratulations Sis, Congratulations to everyone on the Boy is Mine Tour, Brandy,
Monica Money Long, who else is going to?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Jamal Roberts.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
I'm sure I'm missing a person or two because I
do Coco Jones. Yes, congratulations are not to my sister Kelly.
Now she shows showing out. I cannot wait to get
to see this show. Okay, speaking of Kelly, Kelly, you
(14:36):
know was probably my biggest cheerleader in doing Death Becomes
Her because she Death Becomes Her is one of her
favorite movies of all time. And she said she had
so many questions like, how are y'all gonna do this?
How are you gonna do that? How are you gonna
how are you guys going to take what's in the movie?
How are you gonna translate that to the stage? And
(14:58):
we did, and you know, so shout out to Kelly
for she was like like making sure that my butt,
you know, is in this show.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So shout out to her, and shout out to this tour.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
I believe it's, you know, her first time kind of
going on tour in the States in a very very
very long time. And I was like, Kelly, you know,
you got go show people the legend that you are.
You know, go show people why you are Kelly. You
know what, Roland. I didn't say, Dan, I didn't say
I didn't say the word choice. But you got to
(15:38):
show the people every now and then, you got to
pop out and show them. You know what I'm saying.
You've got the songs, You've got the presence, you you
got what it takes. And so I'm excited that she's
on tour. Shout out to one of my close buddies,
Rex Hardy.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
That's her music.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Director, tim My g the homie for forty years, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
So yeah, so I had to segue to that.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I just wanted to shout out miss uh, miss Roland
on her tour. Thank y'all for bearing with me as
I go down rabbit holes. I think, thank y'all so much.
All right, so back to death becomes her. Oh my gosh,
(16:35):
It'sabella Rosseelni did come to see the show, and it's
a Bella Roseelena. She originated the role of Liso in
in the movie Death Becomes Her. Basically, Viola van Horn
is who I'm playing that role of Liso, but she
(16:56):
was renamed Viola.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
In the music.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Pretty cool, right, She has come to see the show.
So many folks have come, so many people are still
showing up. I'm excited for people to see the show, y'all.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Y'all know who came to the show and I wasn't there.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Cynthia Arrivo came to see Death Becomes Her and I
was out sick. She sure did, and she ain't had
time to come back. I wonder why promoting Wicked one
and Wicked two is.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
About to come out.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
So I thought that that was very very cool. Amber
Ruffin was at the show the other night. But even
folks like Cardia Brown, you know who, I can't wait.
She's an amazing, amazing person. She's got a restaurant in
the Charleston, South Carolina Airport that I can't wait to
(18:03):
get into. A matter of fact, she just won an Emmy. Yep,
she won an Emmy two time award winning chef.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
How cool is that?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
She's got a cookbook that's about to come out called
Make Do with What You Have? That's coming out November eleventh.
I actually pre ordered mine, and I'm really excited about
this cookbook, y'all, because mother, I be y'all, I have
uber eated so much while I've been in New York City,
(18:41):
you know. Now, I'm gonna say the other day though,
I did some greens in my slow cooker.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Okay, did them got that smoke turkey? Put them? Oh, y'all?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
And y'all, these greens were like I got the ones
where you still got to scrub them and soak them
and clean them and chop them, and y'all, these were
I felt like I was my grandmother when she would
get her neighbor had this garden and he would give
her big old bags of fresh greens.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Y'all.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I was scrubbing and picking out stuff that looked like
bugs were stuck to it. I was like, do I
want to go that fresh again? Like these greens, y'all,
they they it looked like they just came out of
the ground, right, So which is good? I mean, I
look at what my grandmother did. She scrubbed and soaked
(19:38):
them for a while, and so yeah, those greens were very,
very very good. So I'm proud of myself for doing that.
Someone had to show me how to turn on the oven.
This oven is very I love the newer ovens and
the newer stoves, y'all. I hadn't turned the oven on
(19:59):
them probably a year until last week. Don't judge me.
That's another conversation. I just when they showed me how
to do it, I felt like I felt so remedio.
I felt I felt dumb. I'll say that I absolutely
(20:19):
felt dumb. So yeah, I'm just naming some some recent
people that have come. I had some friends from my
hometown and Rockford that came to see the show.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It's been great. It's been great.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
So many friends have come, you know, who don't want
all the fanfare, who don't want pictures, who don't you know,
and that has it's been just to have the support.
And again thanking a lot of y'all who listened to
this podcast, who have showed up, who have come to
see this show. You know who you are. I absolutely
adore you. I absolutely thank you. Some of you guys
(20:58):
came to our album sign y'all. We have a whole album.
I am on an original recording of a broad Way
musical that is up for Grammy consideration.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
How awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
To be up for Grammy consideration, right, So I hope
folks voted so that we could get the nomination. There
are process, there's a process to the Grammys. So much
music is submitted just to even to be considered to
be on the next ballot that's narrowed down.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
There are like three ballots.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
By the way, I think I'm giving y'all tea that
I'm not supposed to be giving y'all via the Recording
Academy that I am a voting member of. Y'all google
the process. I just I want to make sure I
didn't give away though secret information. Shit, y'all, don't wrap
me out if I did, because it was not intentional.
(22:06):
It was not intentional at all. Don't do that. I
did not mean to tell it. But there is a process,
and I pray that we make it to the ballot
of nomination. Okay, that would be absolutely beautiful. Yeah, so
it's been great. What else has been going on during
(22:26):
this year of Broadway? Oh my gosh, actors equity, the
negotiations with the Broadway League, there was a threatened Broadway
strike possibly, I mean, and the act the Musicians Union.
You know people are fighting for you know, better healthcare,
(22:50):
better humane schedules, and I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Listen, eight shows a week.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Crazy, and some folks are doing eight shows a week.
And when you're a part of on an ensemble, you're
called then to rehearse a lot, especially when there's a
new put in. A put in a new put in
is a new person who joins the show, you know,
to make it fair to the new person in the show,
(23:20):
it's only right for them to rehearse with other people
that they're going to be performing with.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
So again, it feels.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Like preview days where you rehearse in the day and
then do a show at night, and so that can
be very, very tiring. So I'm all for the as
far as the more humane schedule. And again you are
welcome to go look up everything that that entailed. But
you know, as of Friday, there was a tentative agreement reached.
(23:52):
I'm not privy to what that agreement was just yet.
I don't think any of us have are privy to
that just yet. I think we will know this week
what that is. So, but this show has been absolutely
life changing. I think I've made some lifelong friends. Broadway
(24:17):
is just a community. It's a safe place for people
who might feel like different or overlooked or just again different.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You know, is a safe place where us.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Theater goofballs and weirdos and we love to get together
and do what we do every single night. You know,
it takes a lot of discipline. I do absolutely nothing.
I am going to see Robert Glasper at Blue Note
before this month is over. He's doing his October residency
(24:54):
that he's been doing for the for some years, and
I want to catch him.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
I want to do that again.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
It's just the discipline of you know, I had some
folks here from my hometown and I really couldn't see
them much because it's the energy that you put out
and then try to recharge and go do a show
at night. Because y'all don't pay to see people tired.
You don't pay to see somebody who can't sing their parts.
You don't pay to see somebody you don't pay for that. Now,
(25:25):
unless a person is just sick and vocally or just
sometimes you're mentally spent, sometimes you just you can't do
it and listen. I'm all for that, that's okay. I
understand the feeling, but I try to keep myself up.
I try to take care of my body, you know,
and utilize the support that I have to take care
(25:45):
of my body right and I want to give my
best and right now I've had to sacrifice a lot.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Of hanging out.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
It hurts my feelings, it hurts other people's feelings, but
it's not personal. It's literally. You know, you gotta take
care of yourself. Guys, you have to take care of yourself.
And there will be I can always go to brunch,
but I'll have to go to brunch another time. I can,
(26:14):
you know, I can always go to the movies. You
just gotta go to the movies another time.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Even my days off, which are Mondays, sometimes those aren't
days off, but the ones where I get that's my
time to just replenish and I just know what my
vocal cords just to like not be swollen and tired.
A day of no talking and singing, just one day
(26:41):
on a Monday, does my voice amazing. I am looking
forward to everything that death becomes her is going to do.
You know, people are wondering, is it going to go
to London's West End? I hope it does. I'd actually
love to be a part of it. I believe Death
Becomes Her is touring this not of Lord, this fall.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
We're already in this fall.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
In the fall of twenty twenty six, So get your
coins ready for that. Death Becomes Her will be going
on tour. But I want to see you while I'm
yet still here on Broadway and you've got a while.
I have yet to tell people when I'm leaving, but
(27:28):
you'll know, you'll know, But it's it's not anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
You have time, okay.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And thank y'all for all the New Yorkers for just
showing us so much love. And again to the people
who fly in from out of town, thank y'all for
the love and support of Death Becomes Her. I pray
this show goes on three to five more years. It's
a lot of hard work, and baby, a lot of
(27:56):
money has gone into this show.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Producers have just been amazing.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
The director Chris Gatelly and Mark Meyer, our company management,
our stage managers, Rachel Mackenzie, Lee Luke, Emma, There's so
many people I couldn't name. The lady who dresses me
night after night, who takes such good care of me, Ali,
(28:24):
I love her, She's my sister. Like we are locked
in for life. That's my dog, Like I love I
just I love these folks. That's why they haven't been
able to.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Get rid of me.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
It's for a number of reasons because I'm dope. And
then secondly, I love it. You know what I'm saying,
So it's reciprocal. The love is reciprocal. So I just
wanted to take time to celebrate Death becomes Her. We
turn one years old on Broadway October twenty third, and
(29:00):
we wouldn't be able.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
To be here if it wasn't for you. Guys.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Know that. I love y'all so much, and thank y'all
for tuning in to this special edition of Checking In
and I will I'll talk to y'all again next week,
but for right now, enjoy this episode.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Hey, y'all, go to that tour. Go to the Boy
is Mine Tour. Okay, all right, love y'all.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Checking In with Michelle Williams is a production of iHeartRadio
and The Black Effect. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
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