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Broadway Goes to the Hamptons with Broadway Out East on Backstage LIVE
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Oct 26, 2022
Watch as he chats with Jessica Vosk, Elizabeth Stanley, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, and Justin Smith- part of the team that will bring Broadway to the Hamptons this summer with Broadway Out East. Calissa's Their Water Mill hotspot (1020 Montauk Highway) will host a series of performances by some of Broadway's most talented stars.
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0:00
Welcome to Backstage with Richard Ridge
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Broadway Out East debuts this summer, welcoming some of Broadway's biggest stars to the Hamptons
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at the chic Mediterranean restaurant, Calissa. So please say hello to Grammy Award winner
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and current Tony nominee, Elizabeth Stanley, from Jagged Little Pill. Grammy nominee, Jessica Vosk from Wicked
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Musical director extraordinaire, Mary Mitchell Campbell, and the series producer, Justin Smith
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concertmaster of Dear Evan Hansen. Welcome everyone. Yay! This feels like Broadway's Brady Bunch, doesn't it
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I know, I want to look at everyone and like, hi, how are you? First of all, it is so great to see all of you. First off, congratulations to all of you
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First off, how are you all and where are you all? So let's see, I'll start with Elizabeth Stanley
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Where are you and how are you? Hi, I'm doing well. I'm in New York. I'm in Harlem. And I'm feeling pretty good today. Grateful to have some AC, you know
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Well, I want to give you a big congratulations. I think I saw you at the very beginning of the pandemic. Since then, Grammy Award winner, Tony nominee, and now Mama to be, right
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Yes. Yeah. There's a lot going on right now. you're all zenned in like yes there's a lot going on right now at a concert jessica where are you and
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how are you i am in west new york comma new jersey um so i'm right on the other side of the hudson
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so i can swim to manhattan but i choose not to and today i'm doing pretty well myself you know
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it's like it's becoming a busier time the rest of the year seems to be quite busy but i think um
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it's nice to feel the rev up a little bit. Beautiful. Mary Mitchell, where are you
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Hi. Well, I'm actually currently in Watkinsville, Georgia, at my brother's house
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doing some family things, but I will be back in New York next week, obviously. And I'm doing very well because I'm getting to see all of your beautiful faces, and it's making
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me really happy. That is great. Justin. I'm well, too. Where are you? I'm in New York City
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I'm in Manhattan on the Upper East Side in my apartment, about to hop in my car and drive out to the Hamptons for our first concert
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I am nervous and excited and I can't believe it's real. It's finally here after all these hours of work
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Well, let's talk about this. Congratulations to all of you. This is such wonderful news. How excited are all of you for Broadway Out East
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Justin, I'll start with you. How did this all come about? How did you put it all together? Well, about exactly a year ago, my good friend, who is the managing partner of the hospitality group that owns Calissa, invited me to put together a band of my Broadway music friends to start playing live music at his restaurant
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So I put together a trio and a guitarist from Moulin Rouge and a bassist from Mrs. Doubtfire
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And we just started hanging out there playing music. And right away, really from the first note we played, I could see that we could do more than mere dinner music in this place
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Calissa has a gorgeous, elegant outdoor dining area, and it would be perfect for concerts, and indeed it will be
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People were electrified just to hear. We were just playing pop and rock covers, and people would come up crying sometimes
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They were so in need of a live artistic experience with real people
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And so I think people are going to lose their minds when they come to our concerts and see this incredible, unbelievable lineup that we've managed to put together
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I mean, it's just incredible. Oh, wait until they get Broadway in the Hamptons
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You think their heads exploded during just hearing this. Wait until they hear this group
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Jessica, how excited are you to be doing that concert again, especially out there
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I'm very thrilled. I actually, you know, it's been a while since we've done a real live concert
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I mean, later this year, I'm playing Carnegie Hall, which is like the only the big the big thing that's happening this year
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So I'm doing kind of a little pre Carnegie Hall tryout of a couple of songs for the Hamptons
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You know, am I hoping that I get a housewife or two? Yeah. Am I you know, do I want like, you know, who's going to who's going to be there
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Am I also going to eat some Greek food? I just feel like it's going to be such an adventure
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I love doing stuff like this. I love the fact where we can really use the audience
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as another member of the band. I've always felt that way about experiences like this
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and live concerts and Mary Mitchell knows because we do so many of these together and have done so many of these together pre Roro And it just nice to be able to have people to talk to in the audience and to have things to bounce off of And we haven had that in so long And I think it something that exciting for us
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as the performer and also for the patron who's coming to watch the show. And the Hamptons is so
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chic. I just feel very excited and glittery. Elizabeth, for you, I mean, how excited are you
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be doing a live concert, taking, I mean, I'm sure, you know, your partner in crime's going
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with you. I mean, you know, tell me how excited you are. I'm super jazzed. Yeah, I've done
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a couple live concerts this summer and it's, it has been some of the most special performing
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I feel like I've done in my whole career. Like, I think I was very nervous before the
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first one thinking, you know, is the audience going to have these high expectations? I haven't
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seen anything in a long time. And I felt like they were so present and so grateful
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to be like communing together and sharing this theatrical experience. And it was just that was really special
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And then on top of it to be performing while I'm pregnant is also, it's such a fleeting time
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And so I'm grateful that I have the chance to do it and to talk about it and laugh about it and sing about it
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and try and breathe through it. So, yeah, I'm super excited. And like Jess said, the Hamptons feels like
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oh, look at me, I'm performing in the Hamptons. I love it
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Mary Mitchell, for you, I mean, you're musical directing these two beautiful ladies acts
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I truly am the luckiest. I also happen to be close friends with both of them
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And I have been for a long time. And it's, you know, I'm also really lucky
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that I really get to work closely with people I genuinely love
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And we get to create together. And both of these ladies are such amazing artists
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And we get to create like in the moment, which is my favorite thing. So it's, I would say every performance they do is very special because it's really one of a kind
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Yeah. But what I love is I know you worked a lot during the pandemic, but it must be great
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Like the gates are open again. Everything's starting to open. You're like, oh, I'm putting two big concerts together with two leading ladies
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It's true. I've been working a lot, but at home in my pajamas. So I'm really excited to be like among people
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It's very exciting. You know, Elizabeth, I want to ask you, I asked Kelly O'Hara when she was pregnant
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because she did a lot of concerts when she was having her kids all during
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like, you know, third month, fourth month, fifth month, sixth month, seventh month
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Has it changed the way you sing or the way you breathe? Yeah
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Yeah, you know, I think I, knock on wood, I'm lucky I have a very long torso, short legs
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but a long torso. So I think I have room for my lungs and a baby in there in a way that many people
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don't. But this concert will be my last one. I'll be nine months pregnant for the Calissa
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a concert. And so, you know, I may need to take some shorter phrasing. We'll just see
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But yeah, I think like that again is what I have felt like with other audiences is
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they love being a part of that process, you know, instead of being like
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she didn't hold that phrase as long. Like everyone's like, oh my God, wow. That's
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it's amazing to watch people, you know, do what they do no matter what state they're in. And
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if that's been a lesson we learned this last year, I mean, more than ever, I feel like it's
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something we've all embraced. Yeah. You know, fans have missed this. I mean, they love the
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virtual. Don't get me wrong. I mean, they've become very connected to a lot of people
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but, you know, they follow your journeys like on Instagram and social media and watching your
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virtual concerts. Now they'll get to see you like they can have a cocktail. They can have
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incredible Greek food. I love Greek food. So, I mean, I can only imagine. Justin, I know how
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fabulous this restaurant is because I've had so many friends when I told them I was doing this
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interview, they're like, oh my gosh, I'm going out to Calissa. It's some of the best food and one of
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the most beautiful restaurants. Now to add in the ladies and everybody else you have on this roster
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it's going to be so exciting. Totally, totally. It is really wonderful food. And I think they
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boast the largest list of rosé in the Hamptons, which they're very proud of. And for people to
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come to our early sets, they'll be treated to a glass of uv on their way out the door and they
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can hang out. And the Calista is rather expansive. And so there's, there really is a lot of room for
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people to hang and party after the concerts. It's gonna be great. Okay, so Jess and Elizabeth
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what can your fans expect? Like what kind of music are you pulling out for the Hamptons concert
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What can you tell us All right I doing some new material because Mary Mitchell who also conducting and orchestrating my Carnegie Hall concert this November um we we sort of nailed down
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a set list. And I think I haven't done a lot of these songs before. I would say majority of them
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are going to be new rep. So we thought we would bring a couple of those with us, which is, um
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the show is called My Golden Age. So they are songs by, you know, completely baller
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badass women like Linda Ronstadt, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler. So it's like the
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gambit of who I consider the golden age of, you know, growing up and listening to music and who
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I really connect with the most. So there's a couple of new things in there. And then there's a couple
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of like, amazing pop things, you know, for the kids. And, and then, of course, like some Broadway
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standards that we just can't miss. And we'll have a guitarist and backup singer. And it's just going
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to be probably more special than I think, because I can't really put together what it's going to
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feel like yet, because I haven't done one of these in so long. But I'm psyched to do kind of a rainbow
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of things and a lot of stuff that people haven't heard. And it's going to be different from the first concert to the second concert. It's two completely different concerts that we're doing
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And some fierce duets. I have a duet partner, too. Oh, very exciting
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Elizabeth, what kind of material are you pulling out? Oh, P.S. I want to go to Jess's concerts
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They sound so good. Yeah, I'm definitely giving a nod to some 90s pop
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There's some Indigo Girls and U2 and R.E.M. And of course, a little bit of Alanis
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And then I have some Broadway-centric things too. and a lot of fun storytelling
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I like to make fun of myself a lot. So hopefully that'll be fun for the audience as well
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Yeah, and it will just be the one woman band, Mary Mitchell and me
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So it'll be pretty intimate. I think that's been my experience with this concert. It's really personal
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I would like to go. Yeah, see, now Jessica's going to go to yours. Great, we'll just do a train z's
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I just love that what everyone does, they all do different, but you all make magic. You know what I mean? No one's act is the same
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You all do different things. So Mary Mitchell, what is it like creating with these two wonderful
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women and like being in the room with them, talking through songs and just creating art
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together? It is honestly, it is truly the best. It is truly the best because both of them
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are so creative. They have a lot of ideas, but they're also so collaborative
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And that to me, like being able to go with your friend into a creative space and play, there's genuinely nothing better
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Like I love rehearsal processes so much. And I think they're both making so much magic and they're both so authentically themselves, which I just think is what's going to be so exciting for an audience
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Now, Jess, I want to talk to you because what an incredible roster. Talk about some of the other people who are part of this series
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I mean, what an incredible lineup you have during this summer. Well, so we start tonight with Clay Aiken, who we all know from American Idol and beyond
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And then Elizabeth and Jessica Follow show thereafter. On August 5th, we have Lily Cooper, who we saw most recently on Tootsie, on Broadway in Tootsie
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After that, Brandon Victor Dixon, who I don't think gives concerts like this very often
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He is making a completely new thing for this. And so we're very honored that he chose to accept our offer
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Then we have Broadway's super couple Orfei and Andy Carl and Joshua Henry
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follow, which is very exciting. He is going to do a concert, just Joshua and his guitar
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He'll be singing some songs off his new record. And I don't know what else
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We have certainly not told our artists what to sing. They get to sing whatever pleases them
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But he'll be coming down in a solo show, which is going to be cool. And then we close with Mr. Titus Burgess on September 2nd
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And so it's just a stupendous lineup. I can't believe they all said yes
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I still can't believe it. It's going to start to feel real tonight. We're so honored and grateful that these amazing artists are choosing to come out to the Hamptons and share their music and their stories and themselves with our people out there
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It's going to be great. because everyone's been sort of shut in for 15 months
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creating art any which way you can. That's what's great about creatives
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I've spoken to all of, I've spoken to Jess and to Elizabeth during this. I mean, people took their closets apart
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and made sound studios in there. I mean, you know, special, you know, self-tapes
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and they turn their living rooms or, you know, hallways into oh this is where I gonna do my virtual concert I mean creative people can do anything because I think when we all went to theater camp growing up it was sort of like it didn matter where you made art It just that you made art you know
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and you could be creative, but it must be so exciting now to go to like the Hamptons
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beautiful air and water and this beautiful thing. It's like Dorothy going through that door
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you know, to find Oz. It's like, oh my gosh, we're going out somewhere else to do a live concert
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Ladies, have you chosen outfits yet? I mean, this is a great question richie i i definitely have a glittery ensemble that i would like to
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to wear out there again you know if it does if it like somehow brings like a housewife there who
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like wants a glass of vuv and wants to be like wow look at her she looks like a disco ball
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that's great um so there's there could be a there could be a very glittery disco moment
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or I could go subtle. I really don't know. This is all too exciting
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Maybe it's one outfit for the first concert, one for the second
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I don't know. It's very exciting for me. Elizabeth? Oh, God, Jess, keeping us on our toes
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I don't know. I must. You totally know. What can you think now, Elizabeth
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What can you think? That's right. I posted on Instagram, I don't know, like not too long ago
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like I have about three dresses that fit and this is one of them. And if you come see me in a concert
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I'll probably be wearing one of these. So I have one that I love that I will probably wear
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but then I have a backup that I'm like, if that is getting too small, this Moomoo will definitely fit
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Mary Mitchell, have you chosen a different type of outfit you want to wear? I will be in black
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Chic. I'm always in black. Yes, yes, she is. And Mary Mitchell will tell you
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that I really like to include her in the show as far as dialogue is concerned
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which as she nods right now, she's cursing me in the back of her head
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But I can't help it because Mary Mitchell is so incredible that I like to either put her on the spot
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or just ask her questions during the show that she just doesn't like to answer
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So, but that's why she's the best. And also not for nothing, Elizabeth, it's so impressive and cool that you are concertizing while like actually making a person
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So that is it's really incredible, actually, to think about. I can take care of a dog and some plants
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And this is like it's very cool, you know, watching someone you admire so much as an actor and a singer and a performer to be able to do something like that
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so-called right at the end of the gestation. Thank you. Yeah, I mean, here's to hoping it
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all works out, you know? And it will. Of course. You're going to have a showbiz baby too. Get ready
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just so you know. Well, there was, oh, I don't know if I want my child to go in a show business
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I have a strange feeling your child's going to go in a show business. Dustin, what I also love about this, I know the tickets are like, the tickets start at $75
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But a portion of these proceeds from the ticket sales will go to all these local Hampton nonprofits
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That must make you feel so great. I know, including the Bay Street Theater, the Children's Museum of the East End and the Hamptons Community Outreach
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How does that make you feel? Well, we're very proud to partner with those organizations to support them
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And every organization that relies on the congregation of people, whether they're for profit or nonprofit, especially if they're nonprofit, needs all the help in the world right now
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And so we're we're just happy to help those local organizations as they in turn help drive some audience to us
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It's a it's sort of a partnership, really. But we're happy to offer some financial support for sure
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I want to get you in your car because I know you are driving from New York to the Hamptons for your first sound check tonight for Clay Aiken
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So once again, Broadway's brightest stars will come to Calissa for showstopping performances each week now through September 2nd
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I believe that Elizabeth Stanley is on July 22nd and Jessica Bosk is on July 29th
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Like I said, it runs through September 2nd with that incredible array of performers
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Tickets start at $75. Once again, a portion of the proceeds from these tickets go to local Hamptons nonprofits
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including the Bay Street Theater, the Children's Museum of the East End, and the Hamptons Community Outreach
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More information can be found by visiting calissahamptons.com slash Broadway Out East
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Thank you all for dropping by today. It is so great to see your smiling faces
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You're about to make art all over again. We love you all at Broadway World
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Take care, everyone. Have some great concerts and we'll see you soon. Thanks, Rachida
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