Up next in 10
Tonys Talk: The Stars of TOOTSIE Reveal Backstage Secrets, Onstage Mishaps & More!
4K views
Oct 31, 2022
Tootsie is bringing audiences to their feet every night at the Marquis Theatre, and its partly because of the extraordinary talents of its Tony-nominated stars. Santino Fontana, Lilli Cooper, Sarah Stiles and Andy Grotelueschen have all earned nods for their hysterical performances in the 11-time Tony-nominated hit. All four of them have been a part of the production since it opened in Chicago last year, and as they all attest, life is still far from boring at Tootsie.
View Video Transcript
0:00
Welcome to Backstage with Richard Ridge. I'm in the Tony Awards suite at Sofitel NYC, which is the official hotel for the 2019 Tony Awards
0:10
And I'm sitting with the four Tony-nominated stars of the hit musical Tootsie
0:14
Please welcome Santino Fontana, Lily Cooper, Sarah Stiles, and Andy Grodelucian. Thank you all for visiting me here in the Tony Awards suite
0:30
I had your creators here the other day. I had Scott Ellis where Lily is, Robert Horn in the middle, and David Yazbeck here
0:38
What a nightmare. We're sorry. Were they throwing rolls? David started outside
0:46
I'm going to sunbathe for five minutes. Yeah. Yeah. It was hilarious
0:50
I said, Scott, what are you going to do? I said, I'm only the director of the show. I'm not going to reel these other two in
0:57
It was hilarious. When they're together, you can't. They're currently working on ADD the musical
1:02
It's a two-person show. They're doing it. Well, let's get into that. What is it like
1:06
I mean, you're in this. This is one of the most hilarious musicals. I told you I was back there again at the matinee yesterday
1:11
I had the best time at Tootsie. I mean, you're living in the world created by David Yazbek, Robert Horn
1:17
and of course your director, Scott Ellis, and choreographer Dennis Jones. What's it like living in the world of Tootsie
1:24
Somebody go. It's wacky. It's fun. I don't know. We're having so much fun
1:30
Yeah, it's fun. It's definitely fun. It's fun. We like it. We're enjoying our time
1:37
No, we are having a great time. We do feel super lucky to be a part of this
1:41
And also, I mean, how can you not? The audiences, they go crazy every night
1:46
They tip over in their seats and scream with laughter. That's awesome
1:50
Yeah. We're lucky. It's true. It's a great thing to be in something that is this funny and with a cast of people that
1:57
are so good at what they do and to be able to, I mean, they kind of kid around because
2:02
I'm out there most of the time. So I'm able to kind of gauge how it's going and I can tell every audience is slightly
2:10
different, of course, but we always get them at the same points, which is fascinating to watch
2:15
and kind of great because it's undeniable. You can't, I know, they don't know what's going to come, and I do
2:21
and it's great to get to see everybody come in and out and be like, how's it going today, how's it going tonight
2:26
And I'm like, watch. And this is one of the things that I love about this, though, is because, you know, in addition to your wonderful acting
2:32
and transformational skills, you're also... Did you notice the judgment? That's what sarcasm is
2:39
You're also, you are the emcee of the evening. Yeah, it's a weird hybrid
2:44
it is. And so sometimes when we walk out I get to read on your face
2:48
how it goes. It's true. I don't enter really until like 30 minutes
2:52
into the show. Yeah, I know. I counted. 30 minutes I'm alone
2:56
That's when we leave. We go away for 40 minutes and play cards. And sometimes
2:59
if the audience isn't particularly lovely which they never they're always lovely
3:04
Are you going down this road? Are you going down this road? If it happens or if we're not
3:08
particularly great which we're always perfect but she'll finish like she'll finish your song
3:12
or they'll leave or Julie Olsen will come to me and they'll say goodbye and I'm like, don't go
3:17
Don't go. Why does everyone leave, Herbie? Why does everyone leave? You get that
3:25
It's true. But it is kind of like it's both Carol Burnett and
3:29
I remember seeing those shows with Nathan Lane or Andrea Martin or Martin Short. You see those shows that are
3:34
kind of hybrid. Zero Mostel. There are so many of those classic musicals or comedies
3:40
where that lead character is both, it has to be in the scenes, but it's also stepping in for the audience often
3:46
So I'm surrounded by people who often say insane things. Yeah. And the audience and I, yes, your hair is hiding it
3:55
But I'm stepping in then for the audience as well to recognize, wait, what did you just say
4:04
That's insane. And then we move on with the scene. That is true, yeah. Yeah
4:08
It's great. It's super fun. It's so awesome. And the backstage life is really great too. We like each other
4:12
Which doesn't always happen either. You can tell that on this show
4:16
You were all in the trenches. It's got to be so hard to put together a brand new Broadway musical
4:21
It is. I'm sure it's like baking a cake. You want to put all these ingredients, then you think it's going to taste great
4:26
And there were a lot more ingredients at certain points. Different ingredients. Savory, sweet, spicy
4:34
But it must be so great, because we know friends who went to Chicago to see the show and loved it there
4:38
but it must be so great to have had the opportunity to work on this show out of town
4:43
do your changes, and come into New York. What was Chicago like for everybody
4:48
Chicago felt more like a vacation to me than it did work
4:52
We got to work on this show. We got to work on this show that we loved, and we had a great time
4:59
and we also got to explore Chicago and hang out on rooftops and things
5:05
Hot tubs. so it was I loved it and it was really cool
5:10
being able to develop relationships with each other and then come back
5:14
to New York and already have already know each other so well
5:18
you can't really fake chemistry and I feel like we all have this
5:21
really unique special chemistry with each other that reads on and off stage yeah
5:28
it was great I love Chicago yeah because you know this is a movie
5:32
everybody loves but it was a movie written at a different time And then you have the genius of Robert Horn entering into the picture
5:40
She wasn't born. Yeah. We were. She wasn't born. You were born back here
5:45
I was born that year. I was trying to protect them. Okay. No, I'm kidding
5:49
We have the two old ones on this side of the back. You look great. Great, thank you
5:53
You both look great. No, but it must be really great when you first got this. I mean, Robert Horn did such a beautiful job with the book of changing it the way the movie was
6:01
I mean, what was it like working with Robert Horn and having him, like, perfect stuff on it
6:05
you that must have been so great because he created all these comic moments for you dude you
6:10
should talk yeah yeah he he loved sandy he loves sandy so much that he just loved writing for that
6:19
character and he would send me text messages constantly started in chicago and they be so deep full of like 10 different jokes for one moment at a time and I would choose which ones I wanted to try that night and that happened all the way through previews
6:39
up until we froze the show. So he is just, he's so accessible in that way and he wants to collaborate with you, he
6:45
wants your opinion about it, and he's really excited about it. Like he's like a little kid
6:51
He loves the script, he loves these people. He wants to take care of them and make sure that they're shown in the best light and give them the best opportunities to make people laugh
7:02
And that's a cool thing. Writing the book of a musical is the hardest thing
7:06
One of the hardest things to do. And people don't totally understand what goes into that because it's complicated
7:12
But what he has done is, you know, it's remarkable. Not only just to write a book of a musical that works both on a comedic level but also on a story level and an emotional level
7:24
and then the adaptation and dealing with what we're dealing with. So it is a huge triumph of what he has accomplished
7:33
We know that. We've all been in those readings of musicals where you're like
7:37
ooh, what's going on? Lily, for your character, I love what he's given you
7:43
because everybody can relate to you that's sitting in that audience or someone who's been through a relationship
7:48
or trying to find their way into a career and where that balance is
7:52
and then you meet Dorothy Michaels, and all of a sudden you see this person. What was it like working on her
7:58
I feel so close to her as an actress. I feel like my character of Julie and Lily Cooper are very similar to one another
8:07
I have this great song in Act 1 called There Was John, which is about all the sacrifices that she has made as an artist to do what she loves
8:14
and it just feels so honest and real and true. And it was a great process with Robert Horn on discovering her because it was 100% a collaboration
8:29
You know, we would talk on the phone before rehearsals would even start just about developing her as an actress and as a character and making sure that she had a full arc and, you know, motives
8:40
And so it was really a hands-on collaborative communication. And you don't get that all the time
8:46
So it felt like a really unique experience and it's all very meta actors playing actors and and
8:52
So it was I just they're really enjoyed it and it feels like I'm sort of representing
8:57
us on stage Andy for you your role hilarious I guess you have to be given lines
9:10
Working with Robert Horne just perfecting this what's been like for you? Well, again, as Sarah said, there's just so many different versions of things
9:20
And I remember before rehearsal even started, when we were just doing workshops
9:24
and he would sit outside with a laptop, and it was just a PowerPoint, or looked like a PowerPoint, in his Word doc, that was like
9:33
these ten jokes can all go in there. So which one will it be? Okay, great
9:37
But then also the process of finding what works is also finding what doesn't work
9:42
which is really, really lovely. and vulnerable and sometimes awful. You get like one shot to try this new joke out in front of 1,500 people
9:54
And I also dropped something when I tried to deliver it. And that's the one time that will live
10:01
But I laughed. Yes, for the wrong reason. There was a Gandhi joke that I was like, we're going to try that tonight
10:07
It's going in. Okay, good luck. It's the one second I'm off stage right before and he told it
10:11
And it was just like. Yeah, and I could not say that scene used to be like a whole birthday party first scene and then now then it became just the three of us
10:22
And so that one got rewritten a lot and we run that before every single show because we had to because we never
10:30
knew what was going on All the time But he's a comic genius. He's the writer who would have been with like I'm a Sid Caesar show Absolutely
10:40
Or even SNL where it's like, oh, this didn't work in the dress rehearsal
10:45
Two seconds later, here's five that are even better. Yes. Isn't that crazy
10:48
I used to have lines in my lunchbox because he was, I'm like, listen, I'm fine
10:53
Or in the menus, I was like, I'm fine changing all of this, but you've got to help me out
10:59
Because I will not remember. I'm thinking about my wig and the corset
11:04
So my lines would be in the menu or in my lunchbox. Yeah
11:09
Hidden all over the place. All right, talking about the corset and the wig
11:14
you're nonstop on that stage. You kick the show off as Michael. And the interesting thing, yesterday watching this show
11:20
everybody falls in love with Michael through all the stuff you go through with the auditions. And then Dorothy walks in, and you start to sing that song
11:27
and you empower that whole entire room of women, and you do that number. You watch the whole show shift
11:32
They just fall in love with you, and they're like, we're just going to take this journey with Dorothy Michaels now
11:37
Yeah. It's a great, it's so much fun to do. And it's also just a great gift to get to play somebody who, like you said, Dorothy is the person everyone wants to walk into the room
11:52
And to get to play that part, you know, it's a great thing to get to breathe life into
11:57
And because she always will stand up for people and stand up for what's right
12:02
But she also has a sense of humor. And she's, you know, it's great
12:06
That's a great thing. All right, so when you first started working on this character
12:11
was it the corsets and the clothes and the wigs and the glasses
12:15
Because it seems effortless to you now. Well, it takes a village of people backstage
12:20
Brian Stramwasser and Lauren Galatelli and Margot Lawless and Sarah and Laura and Jesse and Joe and Michael Ferguson and Emily
12:27
There are so many people behind the scenes making sure that Dorothy has eight wigs per show
12:32
and making sure that they all look great and making sure I have all my right costumes and nothing is ripped and nothing
12:37
I mean, it is, it's, um, I think there's like 27 costumes
12:41
But it's also like everyone on stage too, like making sure everything's okay. Oh god
12:45
You have to do this on stage. And I remember this moment in Chicago where a lot of times your dress would be like undone
12:50
so I'd have to secretly snap the dress and then, you know, do all these things
12:53
This one, you quite literally get a minute out of the game. Yeah, yeah. Oh, right
12:58
Yeah Or there will be times And there will be times I mean just the other day there was something something I think there was a little mini malfunction with one of the things and I just did this I never turned around in that scene You know it keeps you on your toes definitely
13:12
And, you know, yeah, we've had a lot of rehearsal with it, thank God
13:17
Yeah, so I was going to ask you, working with Scott Ellis, brilliant director, I mean, like I said, this show moves, this is like comic genius up there, and that, you know, that train starts at the second that show begins and it ends, and everyone is
13:28
on their feet at the end having the time of their life. I mean, what's it like working with Scott Ellis
13:33
I love Scott. I mean, I had met him three years ago up at New York Station Film working on something
13:38
and I just got along with him because as great as a director he is and how often times his
13:43
work can be invisible, you don't see what he actually did and put together, and so you're
13:48
actually focused on the story as opposed to what it looks like
13:55
That's a rare skill. And above and beyond all of that, he's just a good man
14:01
A great man. And I feel really lucky to, you know, be a friend, think of him as a friend
14:08
And also, he's a great collaborator. He's just very smart as a collaborator, which is rare
14:16
Yeah. And he says often that his most important job is putting people in a room together
14:22
And figuring out the right sort of combination of people to create the best product
14:26
And I think he's so, so good at that. And like you said, the show moves
14:31
Once it starts, we're on this train. But he also allows us to breathe and live in moments that makes the comedy and makes the story hit home so much better
14:42
And it's because he trusts us, we trust him, and we're able to play around and work with these moments and really find them
14:50
I find too that he he gives you a long leash initially
14:57
like he doesn't step in and start noting you right away he really
15:02
goes take it to wherever you want to take it which for Sandy was like
15:08
I went to some really bizarre places all the way through Chicago and he was like keep going
15:14
keep going keep going then we got back to New York and he was like alright I'm gonna start editing some of this stuff down and bringing her back to
15:22
Earth and it was so lovely because I was like God you just let me go because well
15:27
yeah because I wanted to see how far you could go and then we're gonna figure out how to you know give her a little earth too and and also I will say this
15:35
making him laugh in the rehearsal room is the best feeling and we all wanted to
15:42
do that because when he really laughs he laughs but he won't just laugh at anything like he will
15:49
he's a hard laugher and it has to be really funny and so and he did that he did do that a lot in
15:55
rehearsal but getting him to do that was really it's hard satisfying for you working with scott
16:01
terrible no there has to be one someone has to tell the truth and andy decided to be no no come on he's great in addition to all of
16:11
generosity and things and his shrewdness he is really really funny and he also can wrangle those
16:17
two 14 year old boys that made the show. Yes which is important. A.D.D. the musical they're working on it right now. They started. I mean honestly there was many times in our
16:27
rehearsal when like we would be working on something and Scott would just shut up! That happened a lot. He's like we were rehearsal only for a certain amount of hours right we had to get something done
16:41
Then there's the Yazbek. Yeah, they're the same. Let's just talk to David
16:45
I mean, what a score he has given all of you. These are all beautifully character-driven songs
16:49
besides the other things he has given you. What's it like living in his world of the score of David Yazbek
16:55
I have recently been listening in a different way to the show because we've done it enough times
17:00
and now I feel like there's some space, and I'm listening to things that I haven't heard before
17:04
And we're sitting on top of this amazing orchestra, and I'm just hearing every night all kinds of new things
17:09
that I didn't know were there before. We get that great overture
17:13
It's pretty special. It's something that adds to the fact that our show feels like a very old school classic
17:20
comedy musical because we get that overture and an on track. You don't really hear that a lot anymore in musicals and we give the time to it which
17:29
I think is so important. And it's an extension of the book. It's an extension of the stories within those songs are all character and all comedy songs
17:39
You know, not all of them, some of them aren't, but... Oh, the Pell's are beautiful. Yeah
17:43
Just gorgeous. Yeah, it's all helping to tell the story, which I think is..
17:48
And they all work so well together. I mean, that's what's the most important thing
17:53
Oh, I said they should go on the road together with Scott directing the show. That's what I said to them the other day
17:57
I don't know that they'd ever come back. Could you just tell one funny thing that maybe happened during a performance or something else
18:05
Oh, God. Sorry. There's so many so recently. Well, the doorknob. We have so many problems with that door
18:13
There's a door. There's an evil door. It gets beaten up. What about the bleeding? I'm always bleeding
18:18
Yeah, he's always bleeding. He's superglued. I'm fine. His finger closed the other day. Are you serious? You know what
18:22
That's how it was invented. World War II. Look it up, people. You know what? I'm fine
18:26
Super glue? Yes, I don't mess around. What do I want? Medium glue
18:30
I want super glue. Keep it on my arm. I will say we have a text message chain with everybody in the cast, the company
18:39
pictures of Dorothy's nails and eyelashes. They're everywhere. They get on the bottom of shoes
18:50
They're all over the place. She's unstoppable. She's unstoppable. It's totally disgusting
18:56
I don't have to tell you. So that's what's everywhere. It's the fingernails, right? Yeah
19:00
I mean, there have been so many. I know. I don't know how to... It's just too many
19:04
I don't even know. We should write a book. We should write a book. Well, what has happened on..
19:09
What's been the weirdest thing that's happened on stage? Remember when Reg didn't say the word this? He just stamped his foot
19:15
He forgot to say the first word of a sentence, so he said, it's a Ron Carlyle show
19:21
And I was like, and the entire ensemble started laughing, and I was like, it's just, we're in front of the curtain
19:25
and I was like, oh God, he didn't say the first word. And so then I have to repeat it
19:30
and I say this opening number is benign and dishonest and I just went opening number and then I say it again and then the whole ensemble turned around and including Reg and then at the end I said
19:45
open numbers benign and dishonest directed by an inept derivative hack and musical sucks
19:52
I remember listening to it and being like, has everyone lost their time
19:56
What is going on? They lost it. And the crew did, too
19:59
That was the best thing, because I came to get my props and I was like, what happened? She's like, I don't know
20:04
I just dealt with it. That's what happened. You're very good at dealing with..
20:08
I love that stuff. Yeah, strange things that happen. I mean... The doorknobs
20:14
The wall. The people in the audience eating the ice and the chips and the picnics in the middle of the house
20:22
But the glasses. We love you. Which glasses? You timed the scene to the set piece
20:27
When you timed your scene to the set. Oh, yeah. That was really good
20:31
Oh, that was fantastic. I thought so, too. It was magical. It was impressive
20:35
What was that? Yeah, I'm going to explain it. It was word-worthy. It's so fun to listen to people knowing things that they're talking about, isn't it
20:41
It's great for TV, too. Let's tell this story. Jumps are the funniest
20:45
We have to explain that. So we're told, right before we go on stage, Annie and I, we're told, listen, so poor Matt
20:51
Lacey, who's the gentlest, nicest stage writer. He's like, just so you know, the set's not going to move down at the same time
21:00
And you can tell he's looking at us terrified and so apologetic
21:05
And we're like, okay. And he's like, so you know what I mean
21:09
Like, it's not going to come down. We're like, yeah, okay, Matt, what do you want us to do
21:14
We're going to stop the show? No, fine. So we're like, we have no idea what that means, but we know it's going to take a long time
21:18
So we finish the, she throws water on my face. or vodka, sorry
21:22
She goes vodka on my face and then the set, literally, he's not lying
21:26
It didn't move. And it's like, so we have like four lines before the scene
21:30
the set has to get all the way down stage to where we are
21:34
before she can enter. She's in the middle hidden in a box
21:38
I just have to mention no one told me that was happening
21:42
And I was inside the box having a panic attack. Which is so shocking
21:47
That she would have any neurotic reaction to being trapped Keep going
21:51
So the set is moving. It's not a box. She's behind a door. I was in a box
21:55
No, it's a box. It's a box. You can't get out. It's a box. The character is not inside a box
21:59
The character is behind a door. And it feels like a box, so it's a box. Just to explain to people who haven't seen the show
22:04
Especially for her. Don't trigger her. So the set is moving incredibly slowly
22:09
And I'm like, Matt was not lying. This set is not moving. And I'm wiping my face
22:14
And let's do it. So Andy just stretches out. We all stretch out the sentences and add words
22:19
laughing and also laughing ha ha ha ha there's also music until there's no music
22:25
it's over so the set's here I'm almost done I'm almost done
22:29
the vodka is still dripping down his face till he left oh okay okay
22:37
so I had a little setback I've conquered more difficult challenges than this
22:44
there's two lines coming that's all we have I still haven't moved
22:48
She's still in the box. She's taking Zoloft in the box, which is totally fine
22:52
And if you need it, you should. So she keeps coming. Yes
22:56
And I'm saying... You're smushing me. Sorry. So set's still coming. Still coming
23:00
Go. Yes. Yes. More challenging things are possible. A penguin can rotate their heads
23:09
I think about 360 degrees. Yes. But only once. Set stops. Finally
23:16
Laugh. She walks through the door. And no one knows, but afterwards we were like, that was really good
23:23
That was impressive. No one would know. Well, my final question is if you could sum up the best part of the experience
23:30
I see there's many of these. What's the best part of the experience of working on Chutzee
23:36
There's so many. It's just a joyous, you know, it's joyous in the house to be able to get that many strangers laughing. Yeah
23:48
together is a rare thing and then to be so happy with the group of people that
23:54
we are doing it with is even more rare so you know it's so satisfying to love
24:00
something so much and to hope that people love it just a fraction as much
24:06
as you do and realize that they not only do but it surpasses your expectations
24:11
it's hard to describe the joy that that brings you. It's amazing
24:16
Thank you, Jim. Absolutely. I feel like we end the show with a dance all together
24:21
and we keep dancing off that stage into the wings. It's really, it's so much fun
24:26
Yeah. And I think that there's something really, really lovely just in the community of the audience
24:31
There's something about this piece which feels classic and old but also new and fresh
24:36
And there's a really kind of lovely intergenerationality about it. Which is rare
24:42
Yeah. You give so much joy, like I said, leaving the theater. When the Tootsie sign comes down, you come up
24:47
Everyone is out there. Everyone is on their feet. Every audience member has a smile on their face and just giggling out onto 45th Street, 46th Street
24:57
It's such a great thing. You're all working at the top of your game
25:01
I mean, I wish you could all step out of yourselves and watch what you give an audience
25:05
I mean, it's so great to see what you do. and I thank you so much for coming to the Tony Suite today and sitting with me
25:10
Thank you for having us. Putting you all on the couch together like this tight-knit little family
25:16
He's pushing me, friends. Look at that. He's pushing me. It's like a cramped sleepover
25:30
I won't let you down Because you believe in me And now anybody can see
25:41
I'm really alive I won't let you I like what she's doing
25:51
I like what she's doing I like what she's doing I like what she's doing
25:59
I like what she's doing You
#Broadway & Musical Theater
#Events & Listings
#Music & Audio
#Musical Films
#Performing Arts
#Vocals & Show Tunes