October 28, 2024 • 14 mins
Kevin McHale stops by to talk about his podcast and upcoming stage production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee".
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the Mercedes Benz interview lounge.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Wow, how many.
Speaker 3 (00:03):
Years ago was it when we got to know Ardie
Abrams on Glee?
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Of course?
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Kevin McHale, do you still get people asking you like,
oh my god, a miracle happened.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
You're out of the wheelchair.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Now single day?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Do you really?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Every day?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Kind of makes you look like a lawyer.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Or just a really good actor. Actors are the worst.
You see how we can justify anything. I make it
about ourselves.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
But you could be with us, Like when we apply
from New York to uh, let's say Miami, you could
get on first in your wheelchair because people believe it,
and then it's the miracle flight and they all get
off the flight without the wheelchair.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
In Io when we started Glee, when we started doing press,
I did get the extra large rooms that were made
for actual chairs. I was like, you guys, give this
to somebody who needs it. This is not I am
so sorry to be the one to tell you.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Check in to a hotel room and you can you
actually roll your wheelchair into the shower if you wanted to,
and if someone rang the doorbell, a light would flash.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
You have the party room.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
You did well Kevin, You've got so much going on.
I want to get to all of it. Of course,
your co host with Jenna on That's what you really missed?
The Glee recap podcast and right here on the iHeart Network.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Thanks you keep it in the fan.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I like that.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
And you guys just wrapped up your fourth season and
the podcast is what yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yes today, yesterday? I don't know what day it is,
but yes, we got through four seasons of Glee. Not
everybody did, but but we did for a second time,
and we're really enjoying it. It's been a really really
fun experience. We've been I think surprised by how much
we've been enjoying it. And getting to interview people who
(01:49):
worked in front of the camera and behind the camera
and sort of like a group therapy session every week.
It's been really nice.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
And I love hearing that for you. I mean, a podcast,
unlike what we're doing now, you can take time with it.
You can you can let things open up and hear like,
our interview is almost over.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I hate that.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
That's right, you know. I imagine though if I was cord overstreaked,
the interview would probably be thirty minutes longer. Well, family.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Co comes to visit us all the time. You don't
come to visit us all the time. Right now, I
feel like Cord has a residency. I don't know, Like,
how do I get to be every every time I
see Coord it's like, oh yeah, it was just with Elvis.
Really my phone is my phone's here, it's not ringing.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Okay, Well, from now on you you will be first
to be invited because here, I gotta be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
When I'm with Cord, we're usually drinking, so I don't remember.
I guess there's more about Core than it does about us.
Well no, yeah, all of us. But Cord does a
lot of impressions. But you actually do a Chord impression,
do you?
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Is it true?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I'm no, Cord is like the master of impressions. I
would force him to do the impressions.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Okay, yeah he does.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I would get us in trouble, like I anytime you
would do Christopher Walk and I would be like losing
it in scenes.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
So yeah, I am.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I'm a Cord instigator. So I'm it's probably not good
to have us in the same place at the same time. Okay,
I'm just a massive fan of it. So I get it.
I get why you love him, I get why he's family.
He's the best.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Okay, all right?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, by the way, if he's turning us on, Kevin
McHale is here and we're about to talk about Wow,
his soon to be stage presents in the twenty fifth
Annual Putnam County Spelling Be one of my favorite shows
of all time.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You seem nervous. What's wrong with that?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
A live show? I'm not like you. You're all used
to a live show. You do this every day, your veterans,
you know, the live show. I do a podcast for
that very reason. We can edit it, you can.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
We have our amazing producer, Sam's here now. She can
cut around and make us sound like we can form
complete sentences.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah. It's good to live in a life where you
they can fix all your problems in post.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yes, but that's right you.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Want to be.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It's like you can mess up as many times as.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
You want, and I'm sure you never did, so you're good.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Never, I'm going to get back to I'm going to
get back to the podcast. You're very interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You were talking about how you just wrapped up talking
about season four and now you're going to start talking
about season five. Of course, season five is the season
where we're Corey at Montieth passed away, and so I
can't imagine what it was like then and how you've
all been processing it together, because you guys are all
still pretty close right up to current day times. I mean,
(04:21):
where are you with that? And how how are you
going to approach this on your podcast?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
You know, it's we are definitely learning as we go.
I do have to say I'm not just saying it
because I'm here. The iHeart team you know, around us
has been very very supportive this entire time in terms
of do whatever you want, make this show look how
you however you want it to look. And so I
think approaching these episodes coming up, we're being very considerate
(04:48):
of that, considerate of considerate of our feelings. We don't
know how we're going to feel going into it, but
we do know that there's no pressure to make it
seem a certain way, if that makes sense, and no,
I got it. I mean, and the good news is
is that through you know, tragedy and grief and all
that we've had such a we have a really big
family and you know, Cord You've talked to a lot
(05:08):
of us. We're all very close, all very protective of
each other, and so that is helpful when you go
through you know, hard times like that. And so I
think going through the next stages of the show, we're
just constantly checking in with each other, especially me and Jenna,
being like, does it feel okay if we approach it
this way? Does it feel okay if we've approach it
(05:28):
that way? What does what do we want this to
look like? And that's very nice.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I wonder how many shows are as close as you
guys are all these years later, Like you know, a
lot of shows say, oh, yeah, we hang out, we whatever,
But you guys really seem like you still have this
special bond like you all grew up in the world together.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
You know. Yeah. I don't know if it's normal. I
just know it's normal for us, and even people who
were only on the show for a brief period of time,
we see them and it feels like we're family. I
don't know what it is. I think when you've created
something that like had no business working like it did,
and something that touched so many lives, I think that
(06:07):
bonds everybody. And unfortunately, through hard times. There's a little
trauma bonding as well, but it is again, it's it's
it is really nice to have sort of a deep
bench when it comes to that support.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well, Gandhi, Danielle, when this show's done, you will never
hear from me again.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
That's right, I believe you will.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Chord, Cob, you've got this hard on for Cord.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I didn't mean that way of Itandhi, who does it
have that face?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I know?
Speaker 5 (06:40):
Okay, So you guys are about to talk about Corey
monteeth in this in the new season, and numerous people
have passed away from that cast.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Do you guys feel that there is a curse?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Do you just feel like it's damn, this is coincidental. No,
we we make jokes about a curse, which makes a
lot of people uncomfortable. Yeah, the amount of times we've
said some things, ever and gets really quiet, like no, no,
you understand if we don't laugh about this, like we
will all just be sad because it's insane. It is
really crazy. I don't believe in curses. I am not superstitious.
(07:11):
I don't know if any of us are. I think it. Unfortunately,
it is just a lot of horrible coincidences and accidents,
and it's a big cast of a lot of young people,
and things happen. I think things happen on other shows
as well, and you're working with crew members, and things
happen to crew members. You're not necessarily hearing about that.
But I just think, you know, a lot of unfortunate,
(07:34):
really horrible accidents do happen.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So you're not sprinkling like holy water on yourself every
day when you want to.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
No, I do quite the opposite. Every time I get
on a plane with my boyfriend, I'm like, you, sure.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Well, that sounds like a very healthy, fun relationship. That
just the sheer numbers of the people in the cash
Look at the Kennedy family, they say they're cursed.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Well, it was just eight thousand Kennedy, right.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I mean, you know, it doesn't serve anybody to I
think think of it in that way. It's like if
we were sitting here being doom and gloom about, like,
oh God, I can't go outside, I can't then nothing,
we would have no life. I think it's just a
matter of circumstance. And unfortunately, it's a lot of those
horrible things did really happen, and it's terrible for their
(08:23):
families and for us as friends and coworkers. But no,
we do not let that sort of like dictate our
lives or think there's some sort of curse.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
So talking with Kevin McHale, of course, about to be
starring in the twenty fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in DC.
One of my favorite favorite stage plays shows of all time.
You see the original absolutely, But Jesse Tyler Ferguson, you've
actually been working with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on this, have you?
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Have you not?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
I've spoken to him a little bit about it. We
all thought he was showing up every day for rehearsal too.
He is coming through. He's too rich to be doing that.
Modern family has syndicated a billion times over. He can't
stoop down to our level. He's been very helpful. I
actually ran into him at a we're doing an event
(09:13):
for the upcoming election, right before I came to New
York to start rehearsal, and he was just a you know,
he's a bundle of joy. He's so nice and was
just so excited. It's very scary to like step into
a show all those people. I don't know if people
know this, but the original cast basically created all of
these characters themselves from improv and so it wasn't like
(09:37):
they all just got hired to do a part that
was written for them. So we're stepping into the shoes
of these characters that were created personally by the people
who originated them. No pressure, no pressure. So I'm trying
not to think about that. But luckily seeing him early
on in this process did sort of relieve that pressure
for me, at least, because he said, like, they've all
(09:58):
talked to the original cast and are just so excited,
And I can imagine from their perspective how exciting probably is,
like something that they created is still living on and
so many people love the show and have done the
show in high school or in college, or have seen
the original production in its many forums, and so I'm
just very excited to get to play in that world
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
How cool, We'll congratulations, break break all of your legs.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
So when Kevin McHale was back in the day doing
an incredible job with the character Artie Abrams on Glee,
we had the entire glee cast in our theater downtown
in our Tribeca studios, and we set it up with
a classrooms with all the school desks and the big
chalk board. Well, for some reason after we did that,
that chalkboard disappeared. You stole our chalkboard. I want that
(10:44):
back absolutely. How did you get that out of there?
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I haven't seen no idea? But it was in my
garage for the past fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Why why would you take a chalkboard?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Well, Jenna and I have been co parenting it because
the chalk illustrations were mostly myself and Jenna and so well,
that's beautiful and someone clearly spent a lot of time
and talent on that. So we need it, but we did.
I heeart. Actually in a full circle moment, I heart
helped us use it part of our annual like snixs
(11:16):
Miss thing we do in honor of Ni Rivera to
donate it and raise money for the charity Sports in
Lak So help us get rid of it as well.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
When you first got it, did you steal it or
did you ask for it?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
That doesn't matter. Oh, I know it was in my garage.
I don't know how it got there.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Well, the good news. It's one last thing. We had
to move uptown.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
When we came up jog and I could not get
I Jenna and I'm like, do you want it now? Like?
Why do we still have this thing? Fifteen years? And
it was huge, it was gigantic, I don't know, chalkboard. No,
it was like in my garage underneath all this stuff,
and somehow it still remained intact. I don't I was
happy to give it away.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
And I'll tell you something else about Kevin McHale. And
this is a mind blowing moment. He and I are
both from McKinney, Texas.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, how we made it out, I don't know we
made it out.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
It must be in the water. I don't know we did. Wait,
do you think only two famous people from mckennex. I'm
a radio guy. I'm not famous.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Kevin McHale, Please, you're a national icon. The icon's usually
dead anyway. Yeah, we made it out though a kid
growing up in Texas? How long did you live in
Texas when you're until I was fifteen or sixteen. I
grew up in the fino Ish area, right right, Okay,
that's so cool. Yeah, there you're look that a lot
of my family is still there.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Yeah, they get cars or electricity.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
The Kevin.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
When does twenty fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling to be
kicked off? When is it officially going?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
October eleventh is our first show? Opening night technically is
October thirteenth, and then we just have a week of
shows until the twentieth.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So congratulations.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
If you're in New York, if you're in the c
or nearby, come see us at the Kennedy Center. It's
such a talented group of people. I'm going to have
to figure out how to be a professional actor and
how to not laugh while I'm on stage the entire time, because,
like Beanie Feldstein and Tarren Kellum are just the funniest
team in beings I've ever witnessed.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
And I bet you're gonna you're gonna kill it, You're
gonna own it.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
It's a great time. I've been having the most fun
and rehearsal, So I hope people just come and laugh
and sing and cry, and you know, it's a merry
ninety minutes.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
It's an amazing, amazing script. It's an amazing show. Everyone
hop on Amtrak and head on down to DC. Twenty
Daniel Partner comes and here on the iHeart Podcast Network,
and that's what you really missed, the Glee Recap podcast.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I just got how you got the title.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
And they you know, you know what it's you got there.
Eventually it's the beginning of every Glee and here that's
right for how you really are a fan?
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Thank you, Kevin. I'm sorry, I'm not there to spike
your little booty. You'll be very bad. He walked in,
but even before.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
The interview started he was bitching him, moaning about how
we have court Over Street and Darren all the time
on the show.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
We need even get to Darren.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Okay, anyway, if you're a big fan, I know you are.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
The Glee Recap podcast, it's called and that's what you
really missed on Iheard or wherever you get your podcast,
and make sure you'd listen in with Kevin mckillan and
Jenna's it's great and it's great having you here.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I mean, thank you very much for having me. It's
always great to be here.
From the Mercedes Benz interview lounge.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Wow, how many.
Speaker 3 (00:03):
Years ago was it when we got to know Ardie
Abrams on Glee?
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Of course?
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Kevin McHale, do you still get people asking you like,
oh my god, a miracle happened.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
You're out of the wheelchair.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Now single day?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Do you really?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Every day?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Kind of makes you look like a lawyer.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Or just a really good actor. Actors are the worst.
You see how we can justify anything. I make it
about ourselves.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
But you could be with us, Like when we apply
from New York to uh, let's say Miami, you could
get on first in your wheelchair because people believe it,
and then it's the miracle flight and they all get
off the flight without the wheelchair.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
In Io when we started Glee, when we started doing press,
I did get the extra large rooms that were made
for actual chairs. I was like, you guys, give this
to somebody who needs it. This is not I am
so sorry to be the one to tell you.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Check in to a hotel room and you can you
actually roll your wheelchair into the shower if you wanted to,
and if someone rang the doorbell, a light would flash.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
You have the party room.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
You did well Kevin, You've got so much going on.
I want to get to all of it. Of course,
your co host with Jenna on That's what you really missed?
The Glee recap podcast and right here on the iHeart Network.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Thanks you keep it in the fan.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I like that.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
And you guys just wrapped up your fourth season and
the podcast is what yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yes today, yesterday? I don't know what day it is,
but yes, we got through four seasons of Glee. Not
everybody did, but but we did for a second time,
and we're really enjoying it. It's been a really really
fun experience. We've been I think surprised by how much
we've been enjoying it. And getting to interview people who
(01:49):
worked in front of the camera and behind the camera
and sort of like a group therapy session every week.
It's been really nice.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
And I love hearing that for you. I mean, a podcast,
unlike what we're doing now, you can take time with it.
You can you can let things open up and hear like,
our interview is almost over.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I hate that.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
That's right, you know. I imagine though if I was cord overstreaked,
the interview would probably be thirty minutes longer. Well, family.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Co comes to visit us all the time. You don't
come to visit us all the time. Right now, I
feel like Cord has a residency. I don't know, Like,
how do I get to be every every time I
see Coord it's like, oh yeah, it was just with Elvis.
Really my phone is my phone's here, it's not ringing.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Okay, Well, from now on you you will be first
to be invited because here, I gotta be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
When I'm with Cord, we're usually drinking, so I don't remember.
I guess there's more about Core than it does about us.
Well no, yeah, all of us. But Cord does a
lot of impressions. But you actually do a Chord impression,
do you?
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Is it true?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I'm no, Cord is like the master of impressions. I
would force him to do the impressions.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Okay, yeah he does.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I would get us in trouble, like I anytime you
would do Christopher Walk and I would be like losing
it in scenes.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
So yeah, I am.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I'm a Cord instigator. So I'm it's probably not good
to have us in the same place at the same time. Okay,
I'm just a massive fan of it. So I get it.
I get why you love him, I get why he's family.
He's the best.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Okay, all right?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, by the way, if he's turning us on, Kevin
McHale is here and we're about to talk about Wow,
his soon to be stage presents in the twenty fifth
Annual Putnam County Spelling Be one of my favorite shows
of all time.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You seem nervous. What's wrong with that?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
A live show? I'm not like you. You're all used
to a live show. You do this every day, your veterans,
you know, the live show. I do a podcast for
that very reason. We can edit it, you can.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
We have our amazing producer, Sam's here now. She can
cut around and make us sound like we can form
complete sentences.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah. It's good to live in a life where you
they can fix all your problems in post.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yes, but that's right you.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Want to be.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It's like you can mess up as many times as.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
You want, and I'm sure you never did, so you're good.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Never, I'm going to get back to I'm going to
get back to the podcast. You're very interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You were talking about how you just wrapped up talking
about season four and now you're going to start talking
about season five. Of course, season five is the season
where we're Corey at Montieth passed away, and so I
can't imagine what it was like then and how you've
all been processing it together, because you guys are all
still pretty close right up to current day times. I mean,
(04:21):
where are you with that? And how how are you
going to approach this on your podcast?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
You know, it's we are definitely learning as we go.
I do have to say I'm not just saying it
because I'm here. The iHeart team you know, around us
has been very very supportive this entire time in terms
of do whatever you want, make this show look how
you however you want it to look. And so I
think approaching these episodes coming up, we're being very considerate
(04:48):
of that, considerate of considerate of our feelings. We don't
know how we're going to feel going into it, but
we do know that there's no pressure to make it
seem a certain way, if that makes sense, and no,
I got it. I mean, and the good news is
is that through you know, tragedy and grief and all
that we've had such a we have a really big
family and you know, Cord You've talked to a lot
(05:08):
of us. We're all very close, all very protective of
each other, and so that is helpful when you go
through you know, hard times like that. And so I
think going through the next stages of the show, we're
just constantly checking in with each other, especially me and Jenna,
being like, does it feel okay if we approach it
this way? Does it feel okay if we've approach it
(05:28):
that way? What does what do we want this to
look like? And that's very nice.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I wonder how many shows are as close as you
guys are all these years later, Like you know, a
lot of shows say, oh, yeah, we hang out, we whatever,
But you guys really seem like you still have this
special bond like you all grew up in the world together.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
You know. Yeah. I don't know if it's normal. I
just know it's normal for us, and even people who
were only on the show for a brief period of time,
we see them and it feels like we're family. I
don't know what it is. I think when you've created
something that like had no business working like it did,
and something that touched so many lives, I think that
(06:07):
bonds everybody. And unfortunately, through hard times. There's a little
trauma bonding as well, but it is again, it's it's
it is really nice to have sort of a deep
bench when it comes to that support.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well, Gandhi, Danielle, when this show's done, you will never
hear from me again.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
That's right, I believe you will.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Chord, Cob, you've got this hard on for Cord.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I didn't mean that way of Itandhi, who does it
have that face?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I know?
Speaker 5 (06:40):
Okay, So you guys are about to talk about Corey
monteeth in this in the new season, and numerous people
have passed away from that cast.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Do you guys feel that there is a curse?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Do you just feel like it's damn, this is coincidental. No,
we we make jokes about a curse, which makes a
lot of people uncomfortable. Yeah, the amount of times we've
said some things, ever and gets really quiet, like no, no,
you understand if we don't laugh about this, like we
will all just be sad because it's insane. It is
really crazy. I don't believe in curses. I am not superstitious.
(07:11):
I don't know if any of us are. I think it. Unfortunately,
it is just a lot of horrible coincidences and accidents,
and it's a big cast of a lot of young people,
and things happen. I think things happen on other shows
as well, and you're working with crew members, and things
happen to crew members. You're not necessarily hearing about that.
But I just think, you know, a lot of unfortunate,
(07:34):
really horrible accidents do happen.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So you're not sprinkling like holy water on yourself every
day when you want to.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
No, I do quite the opposite. Every time I get
on a plane with my boyfriend, I'm like, you, sure.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Well, that sounds like a very healthy, fun relationship. That
just the sheer numbers of the people in the cash
Look at the Kennedy family, they say they're cursed.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Well, it was just eight thousand Kennedy, right.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I mean, you know, it doesn't serve anybody to I
think think of it in that way. It's like if
we were sitting here being doom and gloom about, like,
oh God, I can't go outside, I can't then nothing,
we would have no life. I think it's just a
matter of circumstance. And unfortunately, it's a lot of those
horrible things did really happen, and it's terrible for their
(08:23):
families and for us as friends and coworkers. But no,
we do not let that sort of like dictate our
lives or think there's some sort of curse.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
So talking with Kevin McHale, of course, about to be
starring in the twenty fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in DC.
One of my favorite favorite stage plays shows of all time.
You see the original absolutely, But Jesse Tyler Ferguson, you've
actually been working with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on this, have you?
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Have you not?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
I've spoken to him a little bit about it. We
all thought he was showing up every day for rehearsal too.
He is coming through. He's too rich to be doing that.
Modern family has syndicated a billion times over. He can't
stoop down to our level. He's been very helpful. I
actually ran into him at a we're doing an event
(09:13):
for the upcoming election, right before I came to New
York to start rehearsal, and he was just a you know,
he's a bundle of joy. He's so nice and was
just so excited. It's very scary to like step into
a show all those people. I don't know if people
know this, but the original cast basically created all of
these characters themselves from improv and so it wasn't like
(09:37):
they all just got hired to do a part that
was written for them. So we're stepping into the shoes
of these characters that were created personally by the people
who originated them. No pressure, no pressure. So I'm trying
not to think about that. But luckily seeing him early
on in this process did sort of relieve that pressure
for me, at least, because he said, like, they've all
(09:58):
talked to the original cast and are just so excited,
And I can imagine from their perspective how exciting probably is,
like something that they created is still living on and
so many people love the show and have done the
show in high school or in college, or have seen
the original production in its many forums, and so I'm
just very excited to get to play in that world
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
How cool, We'll congratulations, break break all of your legs.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
So when Kevin McHale was back in the day doing
an incredible job with the character Artie Abrams on Glee,
we had the entire glee cast in our theater downtown
in our Tribeca studios, and we set it up with
a classrooms with all the school desks and the big
chalk board. Well, for some reason after we did that,
that chalkboard disappeared. You stole our chalkboard. I want that
(10:44):
back absolutely. How did you get that out of there?
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I haven't seen no idea? But it was in my
garage for the past fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Why why would you take a chalkboard?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Well, Jenna and I have been co parenting it because
the chalk illustrations were mostly myself and Jenna and so well,
that's beautiful and someone clearly spent a lot of time
and talent on that. So we need it, but we did.
I heeart. Actually in a full circle moment, I heart
helped us use it part of our annual like snixs
(11:16):
Miss thing we do in honor of Ni Rivera to
donate it and raise money for the charity Sports in
Lak So help us get rid of it as well.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
When you first got it, did you steal it or
did you ask for it?
Speaker 2 (11:30):
That doesn't matter. Oh, I know it was in my garage.
I don't know how it got there.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Well, the good news. It's one last thing. We had
to move uptown.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
When we came up jog and I could not get
I Jenna and I'm like, do you want it now? Like?
Why do we still have this thing? Fifteen years? And
it was huge, it was gigantic, I don't know, chalkboard. No,
it was like in my garage underneath all this stuff,
and somehow it still remained intact. I don't I was
happy to give it away.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
And I'll tell you something else about Kevin McHale. And
this is a mind blowing moment. He and I are
both from McKinney, Texas.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, how we made it out, I don't know we
made it out.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
It must be in the water. I don't know we did. Wait,
do you think only two famous people from mckennex. I'm
a radio guy. I'm not famous.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Kevin McHale, Please, you're a national icon. The icon's usually
dead anyway. Yeah, we made it out though a kid
growing up in Texas? How long did you live in
Texas when you're until I was fifteen or sixteen. I
grew up in the fino Ish area, right right, Okay,
that's so cool. Yeah, there you're look that a lot
of my family is still there.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Yeah, they get cars or electricity.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
The Kevin.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
When does twenty fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling to be
kicked off? When is it officially going?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
October eleventh is our first show? Opening night technically is
October thirteenth, and then we just have a week of
shows until the twentieth.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So congratulations.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
If you're in New York, if you're in the c
or nearby, come see us at the Kennedy Center. It's
such a talented group of people. I'm going to have
to figure out how to be a professional actor and
how to not laugh while I'm on stage the entire time, because,
like Beanie Feldstein and Tarren Kellum are just the funniest
team in beings I've ever witnessed.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
And I bet you're gonna you're gonna kill it, You're
gonna own it.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
It's a great time. I've been having the most fun
and rehearsal, So I hope people just come and laugh
and sing and cry, and you know, it's a merry
ninety minutes.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
It's an amazing, amazing script. It's an amazing show. Everyone
hop on Amtrak and head on down to DC. Twenty
Daniel Partner comes and here on the iHeart Podcast Network,
and that's what you really missed, the Glee Recap podcast.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I just got how you got the title.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
And they you know, you know what it's you got there.
Eventually it's the beginning of every Glee and here that's
right for how you really are a fan?
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Thank you, Kevin. I'm sorry, I'm not there to spike
your little booty. You'll be very bad. He walked in,
but even before.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
The interview started he was bitching him, moaning about how
we have court Over Street and Darren all the time
on the show.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
We need even get to Darren.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Okay, anyway, if you're a big fan, I know you are.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
The Glee Recap podcast, it's called and that's what you
really missed on Iheard or wherever you get your podcast,
and make sure you'd listen in with Kevin mckillan and
Jenna's it's great and it's great having you here.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I mean, thank you very much for having me. It's
always great to be here.
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