This is Frosted Tips with Lance Bats and iHeartRadio podcast What's going on Everybody? I'mrew Liche, a member of ninety eight degrees, the Season two Dancing with the Stars Champion. It was only eighteen years ago, and I've done a couple of Broadway shows. I have, you know, kind of been on reality TV a little bit. And today I'm hosting Frosted Tips, and I thought it would be only appropriate if I interviewed the person who, back in nineteen
ninety six was responsible for giving me my first Frosted Tips. Yeah. She This is my beautiful wife, Leah Lasha.
Thank you, Jill, thank you so much. Thank you. So.
How you doing today?
I'm great.
How are you? I'm doing great. I'm great. So I'm going to ask you a couple of questions.
I'm slightly terrified.
Well, the reason I wanted to interview you today is because there are certain times as married couples where you, I'll say we, but married couples in general might not necessarily be as open and honest with each other as they possibly could be, and not necessarily in a negative way, just more of a you know, maybe not give compliments when compliments might be deserved or might not be like, oh, you know, that really does get on my nerves, you know,
you know those kind of things. So I thought I might be able to take this opportunity to get you on the record talking about how awesome I am.
So this is why I'm here.
That is the only reason is to feed my ego and make me feel great about myself.
You're not friend, I will be completely honest.
I'm sure you will be. So let's just not daily diet. Let's just jump jump right into it. So what is it that you remember about our meeting? How do you how do you remember our meeting?
Like us? Yes? Like who else?
What do you remember about me and Lance's meeting? You weren't there?
What?
No?
Me? Okay, well we were we were really young. I mean so the first time I met you, I was I was ten. We were ten? Yeah?
What grade?
Fifth grade?
Fifth grade?
Yeah?
Fifth grade?
Where I mean the the biggest visual that I have is English class or that might have been seventh grade. I can't I don't remember. I do know that what Drew may want some people to know he was a new Kids on the Black fan and would which I was to listen? That was my first concert. But he was a skateboarder, and he would skate in his driveway listening hang in talk.
No, you weren't even that barely. You are telling a story that Nick told me.
Well, I mean I remember, I remember you skateboarding. I remember you like running down the hallway with like, you know, your backpack on one.
Shoulder, very dashingly handsome.
Dashingly handsome. I mean like I have like bits and pieces like memories from you know, ten eleven, twelve. But then I think, I mean, I remember when we first started dating, which was we were juniors in high school.
Okay, so I'll lead you a little bit.
Oh please lead me.
I'll try and do it subtly.
Okay.
When when was the first time that we went out? So terrified? But do you not remember?
I mean, that's what I'm saying, is like junior in high school.
No, the first time we went out.
Oh, oh, are you're talking about when I dumped you?
No, that was time we went out. The first time we went out. I was in the sixth grade. Okay, jeez, clearly not enough. So we were in the sixth grade, and we were we were both part of the Cincinnai Ballet Nutcracker, right.
And then I and then I broke up with you.
Yeah, but it was more like so she was going out on the road to be a part of a touring production of a theater show, and she left town in the sixth grade, and so it was it was more like, you know what, I can't do a long distance relationship. You know, I think it is his best if we take a break. That that wasn't really like a dump. That was really like a breakup. That was more just like, you know, I'm gonna be gone for Yeah, you spread your wings, all spread mine and we'll see.
You know, if you love something, let it go and if it returns to you. It was meant to be kind of thing. So then that was the sixth grade. Seventh grade, I banged up my knee and I was on I was on crutches, and we had an in school performance at the symphony. Like we were going to go see the symphony, and I mean, you remember every detail I do. And we were going to the symphony. And before we went to the symphony, I said, hey, Leah, you want to go out with me? She said, sure,
left you that'd be great. You're dationally handsome. Why wouldn't I want to go out to you? Yes, And then when we came back from the symphony back to school two hours later, she told me that she didn't want to go out with me anymore. And she just told me. So, do you remember that? Yes, So that was where the first two times we went out. Then the third time we went out after you know, like.
I don't remember the third die.
The third time we went out was wed juniors. Oh okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, I do remember that. Yeah, so if she remembers that one, that's well, because that we were together.
Yeah, you know, as the story goes.
Yeah, So you know, then from junior year on, we've been on many many journeys together and you know, seeing the world, and I had two beautiful children, and you know, now they're grown up and you're just gonna be stuck with me all over.
I like being stuck with the act, just the two of us.
All right. So so we started dating as juniors in high school. You started, you know, you went to college. You quit college because you got hired, yes, as a dancer by the Radio City Rockets.
Yes.
At that point, do you remember what I was doing?
Yeah, you were working on an ambulance in New York gold Stars.
She remembers that she doesn't remember us going out, but she remembers she remembers my job. All right, So when once you started working for Radio City, and then I started with driving the ambulance and I got the beep on my beeper from Nick. He was in LA. I was driving ambulance to New York. He beat me, and I pulled the ambulance over. I went to a payper and called him back and he said, hey, we're starting this group. I want to join, And I said yes, and I left New York where you were as well.
What what was that thought process like for you?
Like, I mean I think I've always been a big dreamer, you know that. So for me at that age nineteen twenty twenty one, I mean, the world is at your fingertips, So what an amazing opportunity. I mean I don't even I don't even think the thought and it shouldn't really when you're young, like that like cross your mind of like oh man, this is a big jump, Like what if it doesn't work, I say, go all in. So I was thrilled. I was excited for you. I mean I was I was clearly sad that we weren't going
to be this is what he wants. I was trying every night. No, I was. Of course I was sad, and we were long distance for years.
But how sad?
So sad? Just one so so so so so.
Sad, so sad.
No, of course it's hard. And then we kind of bounced from like coast to coast and I'd be working in LA and you were in New York, and then vice versa, and then you guys, we were in Asia all the time. I feel like, so that was you know, that was a little crazy. But then we got married really young, like now I will get that, and I'm like, I can't believe we I mean we were twenty four.
Yeah, but yes, we were twenty four, but we had already been together for eight years absolutely, so yeah, all right. So when I moved out to LA and I started, you know, singing before we even got signed, did you have any idea of kind of what you were like signing up for? Like now, no, I does anybody? No, I mean I had no idea what I was signing up for.
So no, and I and I say this all the time, like the world was the pop world. You know, boy band and pop groups and all of that. I mean it was. It was a wildly fun time and crazy. But I can't imagine, like I always think, like we didn't have social media, we didn't have that added stress. So I just remember the time being fun. But you know, did I like being on our honeymoon remember that?
Yeah?
And we had to come back like what like two days early from our honeymoon. Yeah, because the guys had a video that they needed to shoot. So I think that it's, you know, it's a little give and take when you're in the business. I mean, I think once you get older, you can kind of, you know, be like, hey, I'm gonna set some boundaries. Now. Obviously when we started having kids, there were a lot more boundaries that we set.
But when you're young, you're kind of like you're jumping at any opportunity, you know.
Yeah. So once once things started happening, like once we got signed, once single started coming out, once you know, people started adoring you. Adoring might be an understatement loving.
I mean with the fact tat with the one year out, remember that.
It's so cute, that's how it works. Still got it, folks. No, I mean like once once things start blowing up for us, and and how did how did that affect.
I mean, to be honest, as a as a young girl, it was hard. I mean it was hard. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard. I mean, I even though I mean it's crazy to see that. Like, I think we had a really good relationship, like in those early stages, which I think again about all of the things that were added onto our plate where the relationship could have just crumbled right the long distance, the
the fans, the girls, all of that. But I mean I had some nasty things said to me, and I think sometimes, you know, in those early stages, I apologize for those things. I'm just kidding, no, But I mean I also think, like me, No, I think that the guys I mean ninety eight obviously is family, and so I feel like, you know, I always felt safe in that bubble. But yeah, you have to you have to have thick skin. I hate that term, but you do.
I mean you do.
You have to be able to kind of, you know, brush stuff off.
But you have great skin.
Thank you.
You were dancing, you were performing, you were living your dream, and you were dancing for music videos and rockets and radio sitting and all that stuff, and I was doing my my very you know, sophisticated boy band dancing.
It's sophisticated because I choreographed it.
So yes, yes, So if you could put if you could put your one of your other dance numbers from your career on me and set it and set it on me? Who are you laughing? Which one? Would it be?
Like? Anything?
Yes?
Okay, so definitely I would put you in a pair of Laduca heels three inch I can do, and I would have you do. I mean, name a combo that that we do here at the studio. I would have you do that.
But oh, you have me to do one of these, not even like back like I thought you were going to throw it like.
Oh no, I would have to do something now like really current, throw yourself around on the floor, roll around, kick your legs all that, because that would be we should do that anyway, because that would be good. I just want to see what it looks like. But I also think if you're if you're talking back in the day, I would put you one hundred percent in a Rockuet kick line all right.
For the record, my leg would not go very high you would you would be on the end. I fully, fully yes, because the short so it's especially the same because I'm short, i'd.
Be on the end.
I mean i'm too, but I will say that because of my army experience, I can hold I can hold a formation. I can I can if I can do it in combat boots, I can do it in eels.
Come on, I feel like we're going to need to try this, Okay, Okay, Well, that would be the challenge I would have, because I think a lot of people don't understand how incredibly difficult it is to work in that line like that.
It's hard on shoulder to shoulder. I got this, gotta use your peripher roll legs ninety oh, then higher, and I know what that foot would look like. It would probably be sickle turn it. It's okay, it would work out. Okay. Now there's some people that will kind of say, all right, you guys have had kind of like this this storybook, you know, romance, and my response that would be like, yeah, she's married to me. Of course it's been fantastic for her.
I mean people might even say it's like a movie, like made for like movies, you know, the high school sweetheart stuff, the boy that did good.
The boy that.
You know what I'm saying. All right, So if they made a movie about us, who do you think would play you? And in return? And in return, but even more importantly, which dashing leading man would play me?
And it's like our life story.
I mean, you can pick an era, you know.
The Okay, Well, I mean I don't know. I honestly never really thought thought about this, but I'm I'm kind of I'm I'm obsessed with Pink, you know that, So I can only hope that I'm as much of a badass as she is. I also love Lady Gaga, so that would be like right in there. So Pink, Lady Gaga, if you want to play me, that'd be fantastic. You. I don't.
Who would you have play you?
I want to hear, actually kind of want to hear what you think?
He'll be good?
All right?
So if mm hmm for somebody to play you, I would say, like, like like a Rachel mcaddam's kind of but like I think that's like, okay, I think that would be a good fit. So after we were married for a while and we were living in La We lived in La for how long we started having a family and you know, Dance with the Stars. It happened, and you know, I had already done Brent, and we were like, all right, where's our where where's our life? Like, what's our life? And we decided we were going to
move back here to Cincinnati, big back home. What do you think was the main reason for you.
To makeamily being part of a community, like I love our I love our community here, And I think that that was probably not that we didn't like have our tribe of people from the industry that that we adore and still miss, you know, not living close to But I think I was pregnant with Hudson and Izzy was three and a half and so so and who is Izzy our oldest daughter who is now yeah, in in college.
And then wis Hudson our son, our beloved son, who was fourteen, our freshman in high school, freshman in high school soccer and lacrosse player, which is crazy, No, I think I think for me, we always said we were super close to our grandparents, and it was weird to even think about that we were going to be so far and removed from them, and it was just going to be kind of like oh here, you know, Grandma, Grandpa visiting. You know, if we're lucky five times a year,
you know, I mean, whatever it is holiday wise. So yeah, and I'm still like, I'm very very happy that we made that decision.
And once we moved back to Cincinnati, you know things I'm not going to say, it was like, oh.
No, it's a big, big decision, lots of adjustment.
Yeah, and we took our time, we talked to people, we tried to figure it out loud. I you know, every time I talked to Tumbrs around still, I'm like, hey, you're the reason I felt good moving back home, because he was basically like, you can work from anywhere, you know, you got to take care of your family and make sure that your your family is the priority. So thanks Tom. And then on top of that, once we came back, we were always trying to like, all right, how do
we how do we make a difference in Cincinnati? How do we make a change. How do we find out who we are in this in this community? Because LA and Cincinnati they might sound like they're very very similar, you know, but there there there are some differences. Feel other than Cincinnati losing to LA in the Super Bowl, which I'm still we can't talk about. I'm still bitter about I can't talk about that. Yeah, So you know, we moved back, we started Lache Arts, which is our
nonprofit which has been going for twelve plus years. Now, what type of change and difference do you feel like that has made in our lives?
Well, I think that I think the biggest change like when you start out to do something like that and just what you said like a like a give back mentality, and it was more of like us getting involved with the performing arts high school that you know, we graduated from Nick and Justin graduated from and you know, it starts like that and then all of a sudden you realize that you're getting more than you could have ever
imagined out of something like this. And so I think for us we kind of just not kind of we still to this day pour our hearts and souls into the share arts because we do we believe in this next generation of artists. And so you know, when I look back, I don't think that that's ultimately like I didn't know at that time that that's what we would be doing. So and then it's turned into our musical reveless.
Yeah. So in twenty eighteen, as part of a Lache Art's theater class, you know, we wrote we had our students right down on pieces of paper ways that they felt like they weren't being seen, or they weren't valued, or they were discriminating against and we were just going to drop them on the hat and shake them up and honymously and have people pull them out and then they were going to have to put themselves in someone else's shoes.
Yeah, was empathy exercise.
Yeah, so from there, how did labels come out of that exercise?
Well, again, it was one of those things where we had no idea what would come of it. And then as we were reading those pieces of paper and crying and for like, for me personally, I can one percent say that the one that I read about my uncle says that I belong in the kitchen and that's where women belong. Is where I said, I'm sorry, like this is actually this is actually happening. So I felt like I was maybe a little out of touch with what
was going on. And so I don't know, I well, you know how I think I think art moves people. I think we can you know, learn from it. And grow from it. And I think from that, with the permission of that first class, which was the first cast of label lists in twenty eighteen, we started to create
a show. And even then it wasn't like we didn't set out to be like, oh, we're going to we're gonna build a musical right and then it and I say this all the time too, like the best stuff happens organically and naturally and it just it just happened and it makes sense.
Yeah. So in twenty eighteen, we had all covers. You know, we had literally every every every song, every subject that we were trying to tackle, we used a cover song
to try and highlight it. You know, we used like a Rachel plattin fight song is like the closer, We used who Said by Selena go Man he was Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, And you know, there's just a variety of different of different songs since then, you know, we went from you know, fourteen sixteen covers to seventeen songs, but over sixty percent of them now our originals, so and.
Written by our friends that are songwriters in the industry. So it's actually also really cool because we get to work with our friends.
Yeah, So Jamie Jones from Off for One wrote a song. Paul Duncan, who is a very good friend of ours, very successful songwriter, written for Yeah. He wrote I don't even know what the count is now or co wrote with me many songs. Aaron Space, who is another friend of ours, wrote a song, and we still have a couple of covers in there. But how do you feel like putting the original music into the show has has changed the trajectory of it.
Oh, I mean the show, and the show has grown immensely from that. So I feel like because when you start to write your own material, then you're actually really locking into that story you're telling. So it's so great right to match it up with covers, and that's exciting because people know the songs, and like you said, we still have some covers in there. But I think when you start writing those original pieces, you're really tapping into
those stories. So each cast member has a story in the show, and it's a wide variety of everything from classism, bullying, racism, homophobia, the list goes on mental health. And so I think that when you're really truly listening to that person's story or monologue, if you want to say in the show and then it goes into that original song. There's nothing like it.
So as we go through all these different stories of the cast, is there I mean, I know I have ones that have that have hit me very, very hard. Is there one one story that kind of stands out to you as either like very moving or opened your eyes, brought you something.
I think that they I mean, I have to say this, that they've They've all taught me lessons in different ways. And each new cast member that comes in and you know, tells their story and the show, you know, you you start to look at the world differently, and that's the whole point of the show, right is to put yourself in their position and walk in their shoes. So obviously, I I mean sexism self worth is huge for me mental health. But I I think learning so much over
the years would be Alyssa's story. And Alyssa is in a wheelchair and just really I think dives in to her story of you know, see me for who I am. I'm I'm I'm a person. But then the well I adore her, but the day to day learning from her in the rehearsal process of I mean, I was guilty at the very beginning. And I will say, and this is how you learn and grow of you know, people are moving set pieces around and Alyssa said, what about me?
I can do that, and so it just kind of it changes your mindset and it changes the way you know, you view things. So I would say, I would say Lissa's story, Yeah, yeah, I would agree she's a badast.
Yeah. I mean I think there's like I catch myself still like there's certain things that I think as society we're all kind of still learning and you know, adjusting to and you know, saying all right, male cast members or female cast members, and you know, so just being like, oh, you know, making it more inclusive to you know, a non binary or people that might not identify with one or the other, or just male presenting female presenting pronouns, being more aware of that, and.
Also just asking a question. I feel like I've learned so much from the cast and this you know generation of artists where they're just like, if you have a question and you don't know how to address something, or you don't know how to ask it, just calmly, just just ask how how would you how would you like me to address you. It's that simple. And I think I think people when they start being fearful of things, right,
they shut down. And well, that's why I love the show is I feel like it brings topics to light in a very creative way and you leave the theater going I can do that. I can, I can have more empathy and it can be a better person.
Yeah, and I mean I think, yeah, there's definitely stories that have hit me, you know, harder than others, but like just musically, like coming from like a song, a song point of view, Clearly, the finale together is better. I mean every time I he cries every time I do. There's something about that song and when the cast comes together and they sing it, there is such a sense of community and love that it. Yeah, it makes me
cry every time. And I've seen the show hundreds and I could, I could, I think about it hundreds and hundreds of times. But then if I look at at the you know, the show as a whole. I mean you Are Seen, which is a song that kind of that kind of goes with with a list of story. I'm really proud of that one. I love the message of that one. But there's the song Hands, which talks about how you know, we're all making it's in our hands. We have we have a choice, like we can, you know,
we have two options. And so that song to me always, you know, makes me makes me think and feel because musically, I feel like the arrangement is very beautiful and that the lyrics are great, but I feel like just the way the cast comes together and sings it together, that one always always gets me emotional too.
I love hearing that you get emotional too from it, because there's nothing better than, you know, working and giving your heart and soul again to the writing and the music and the choreography and then feeling super proud of it.
And when we were talking about songwriters, there's we love you know one out and that's Yeah, a former student of ours at Lache Arts who is an aspiring songwriter kind of a prodigy. We we were looking for a song to replace Beautiful by Christian Aguilera in the show, and we went to her and she was eighteen at the time, senior in high school. And the whole tead, Yeah, the whole song is about you know, self worth and when you look in the mirror, what do you see?
How do you feel? How do you feel about like the pressures of you know, society and having to do with beauty and what is what is the right size? What is the right number? What is you know? All that stuff? And she wrote a song that is so moving and inspirational. Yeah, well, well, well beyond her years, that song is so Yeah, so I hope she's as proud of that song as she should be. All Right, So we've been working on labels for over six years now.
Is there one moment that stands out to you as like that is that is that moment of pride, that is where yeah, something something happened where you just one I mean, yeah, what what is? What is that that biggest moment?
I mean it's so hard to answer because again when we started, never knew how much work. I mean, I knew it would be hard, don't get me wrong, but just all the ins and outs of like producing and directing and choreographing and songs come in and out and what works and what doesn't, and proud moments each each phase. I'm proud because you know, catapultsy to the next level.
I think performing the show in New York and an off Roaway theater in November was one of those moments where deep down while I was crying and like hugging our team, and you know, the audience just kind of like leapt to their feet and there's nothing better than that,
and the energy in that room was incredible. But to have just that little tiny dream, little tiny tiny dream, and then to push push, push, push, and then to get it to that that point is I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.
For me, there's you know, it was one moment during one performance, and it was during the finale of this last run Sinanta Plaus in the park and the finale was going on, and it was getting like we were into the It was in the bridge and then it was building out of the bridge and and the whole cast was coming forward, and this one lady that was kind of sitting like a little bit house left and I was at the sound booth and and Leah was Leah
was right there too. This one lady literally just jumped out of her seats mid song, like the song was still going on, and she literally just stood up and put her hands towards towards the cast, like giving all her love and energy back towards them. And then one by one, the entire audience started popping up and literally it was a standing ovation before the song song was
even over. Yeah, people were up out of their out of their seats, like literally just giving so much love and energy to the cast where it made me like like, you're like, holy shit, and.
Then we I have to say this to you and I have to interject that, like the cast is so brave and courageous and so to see to see their reaction when something like that happens too. I mean we've both been on stage as well, and so I can't imagine what that is like to receive that. And then I don't know if you remember that the one woman jumped up and grabbed in a in a you know,
polite way. I was like, do we need security, but just was so moved needed to hug one of the cast members, I mean stage like so yeah during the show. So I was like, oh, we might need to bring in security out, but that or yeah, it's it's yeah, like we said, so proud, it's amazing, all right.
So we just finished up a run at the playoffs in the Park. We just did a showcase in New York City at Chelsea Table on stage Yeah, we have a couple of things this fall. We're starting to book out dates for a spring of twenty twenty five. If there is one thing I love this question. There's one thing that you want LABELSS to do, to accomplish, to to be a place that you wanted to be performed, Oh, be performed, be performed? Yes, Like where where is that dream? What is that dream scenario?
World domination?
Okay, thank you, doctor Evil.
I just believe in the message so much so I'm torn, And I know you're going to say one place. I can't pick one place because the you know, Big Dream obviously is Broadway. Why why wouldn't it be that would be incredible to just have the show sit down in York. There's just that's just pure magic. But I also think touring it is so important because the whole point of the show is to get people to think outside of
the box. So I think the best way to do that is touring it all of the country, all over the world, right, and then I and then third the West End London. I would love that. I would love love that so so so basically the answers everywhere.
So this is this is I think everybody's kind of getting a glimpse into what I deal with on a daily basis. So I ask a fairly simple question like where would you where do you see the show going?
That's not a simple question.
That's simple.
No, it's not because if I answer just one place, like, that's not what I want.
But it basically becomes oh, we're just going to take over the world. That that is what? That is?
What?
Why not? I get? Yeah, So it's not just there's never just a simple answer. And you know, people are always asking, you know what what how do you guys work together? So how do you how do you how do you view our our our working relationship?
Okay, so I do think that we I think we work well together.
Do you well, yes, no, I absolutely do. I think.
But you're like, how do how.
Do I view it?
Like in in the process, in the room and the Yeah.
Just so so everybody understands, we produce label less, we direct label less. We produce it together. We directed together. I write most of the the monologues. We have a couple other writers on it, but mostly me. You do all the choreography except for the racism section, which which is my best friend. Yeah, we have multiple songwriters meeting one of them. Then we also are the fundraisers, we are the tech crew, We are whatever whatever has to be done for the show.
Now that's the story.
We we do it. So it's not just like, oh, we go to the office together and you.
Know, it gets it gets stressful.
Is that you're saying, Yes, I'm just trying to let everybody know that it's not just like this, oh one of us is in sales and the other one's distribution. No, it is like and it's also the time.
We would be lying if we said that the time we would be lying if we didn't say that. There were times that we were.
Like like, right now.
Well I can sell when you're mad, and Mike, one of our cast members, says, it actually does a really great Yeah, we'll have.
To do it for you.
But like when Drew gets mad when we were on tour in the fall, and there were there were sometimes that were very stressful getting the set up, you know, in time and all that fun stuff, and you would put your hands on your waist and just do the pacing during sound check and then the and then like walk up stage and then do the I was like, it's pissed, he's pissed, and so you have to, you know, keep it calm, keep it gone. And then I got him a snack. It didn't help.
How simple minded am I? It's like it's like like Mango from Blazing Saddles, Mango bad unless you give like Mongo.
Like well, diet cokes sometimes help.
Yeah, some times, but not always.
Pissed and rightfully, so you were pissed.
We don't even need to go into all that things were happening. Yeah, yeah, But honestly, I feel like we work well together because we there's a mutual respect for each other's contributions and skill set and what we bring to the table. But I think also we are complimentary to each other in the way that we approach situations. Like you are very much a big idea person. That's why you were like, oh, what how do you want
the show World Domination, Broadway, West End Boom. You know, I am much more of a You're more macro in your thinking like big, and I'm more micro, like, all right, what are the fifteen steps that have to happen to
get to you know this first this first goal? And I feel like because we were not both just dreaming big, I mean, yes, we are, but we're able to compliment each other because if I was, if it was just on me, I would just literally be so caught up in all the little details just to get to the next show that I couldn't be focusing on what the long term goal is. And you we are more long term goal and you know, so you know, some of the details might not be quite as important, you know.
So I feel like because we're kind of ying and yang, it works. So a lot of our cast members in labels started off in the Lache Arts program, so we've been working with them and training them. Clearly, now the cast has expanded. We got people from literally all over the globe at this point. But if you had to give those young performers, those young cast members one bit of advice for you know, kind of taking on this industry and their life in this industry, what would be.
Again, I don't have just one answer, So I'll go listen more. I mean, I think that's that's advice for myself too. I think when you when you listen, you
you learn so much. But also to take every opportunity you know and put your best foot forward so you know, you never know how you leave one job, how it's going to affect that next job because this industry is so very small and we all know each other pretty much, I mean, just right, I mean I think and then and the third thing is, and I didn't do this at nineteen or twenty because you know, it was probably too nervous or scared or whatever. But that networking matters, right, Yeah, I think.
As long as you don't do it in a douchey way.
Yeah, yeah, not in it, not not in that.
God.
No, I just think that, like, you know, if you're if you're in that work environment, you're doing not only good work, but and you also treat people the way you want to be treated, you know. I think I think we've been lucky in that for the most part. That you know, we have for the most part cast members that want to be in the room and want to be a part of something that is, you know, an original musical. Yeah.
I think for me it would be you know, don't don't tie your own self worth two? Which what job? Oh god, you're working, you know, I mean I think that's like.
That's what you do, that is what you do in your twenties.
So let's be real, honestly, yeah. I mean I think back in all the time, I was like, all right, so you know it is you know Bastery and Sync in US and you know, oh, they sold this many. I'm like, oh man, we gotta we got to sell that many now. And then it's like all right, there's there was that. And then if you didn't get there, you're like, oh man, or if your song didn't go number one, your song went you know, broke top ten,
but you know somebody else it didn't. It didn't achieve what you would initially hope to would achieve, you know, not carrying that that weight of like yeah, it just wasn't good enough, I'm not good enough, or you know, take it one step further, like auditioning. You know, it's there's so many different reasons why things can work or
not work. And so if you just train and you work hard and you you do your best you can in that room or whatever job, whatever job, interview, you know, if you don't get it, you you have to be okay with all right, I did everything I could. It just didn't work out this time. As opposed to carrying that.
Yes, that weight, I just think in your twenties, it's so hard to hear that.
Well, I'm staying I'm still in my twenties.
M M. Yeah, yeah, you just reminded me of and he I don't even know if he remembers saying this to us because it was years ago, but I say it all the time Donald Baison when he said stay in your lane, and at the time, I don't even nobody was referencing, but I say it all the time. I'm like, just stay in your line, just stay in your line. Do you work on you right?
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I agree.
Mind your business. Now.
When we when we started this interview, I said, one of the reasons why I wanted to interview you was because there might be some some opportunity to get straight no bs answers to to some things.
No, did I succeed?
No, not really. You kind of danced around a couple of things. But there is there's one question that I'm kind of curious because we've been together for geez, how long we've been married for twenty four years? Been together for well, it'll be twenty four it'll be twenty four years. Yeah, we've been so that means we've been together for thirty two years.
Good Lord, all mine together for seventy five years.
All right, now in those thirty two years, you know me fairly well. Is there is there anything? And I know probably not, but is there anything I do that just really annoys you?
Like?
Is there is there one? Is there one thing?
That? There are two things that's like and you're not going to say what? No, I get the two things right now. The you know this, and so do all the guys. Drew whistles and it is like I want to claw his face off.
I'm a really good whistler. I'm just I'm just saying no.
See it actually makes me. I get so annoyed because it's like a yodel whistle no like no, it's bad.
As Billy Joe. Billy Joe's got a whole intro. You know, it's all whistling, but it's.
Always in the car. He's also started to add this weird like foot tap with the yodel.
You don't even know you do that with the yodel.
Yoda whistle whistle, yoda, a yoda whistle with a foot a strong foot tap while we're driving. I literally I want to I see red. So that's the first thing. The other thing, and I bet you there are other people out there that are in relationships with people and they do this Drew somehow. It's always at night, will take like his socks off and leave them right by the door of the bedroom. That is odd to me. I'm like, can't you take those socks and put them in the hamper? But I mean, I get on our
son about that song. I don't put it in the hamper. I don't understand. It's like and so in the morning, I'm like, what are the socks for? Are they no?
No?
Are the sock are you can put them on again?
Like?
Are they're dirty? Or you can put them on again? Are you saving them? No?
I probably wore the socks into the bedroom and as opposed to walking like down back down to the hamper, I just took them off there. Okay, So and in the morning you walk past them and leave them. Well, I was planning on coming back and getting them. I'm sure just my eyes. It was dark in the room. I didn't see them.
This is not a one time occurrence. I'm this is this is easily three or four times a week, easily, And so I'm like, I just want to know.
I don't know if I changed my socks three or four times a week.
So you take them off, you put them right there by the door, you get in bed, you wake up in the morning, you walk past them. So then when I go back in the morning, because I always make the bed every morning, I'm like, what do I do with these? What I do with these socks?
And what do you do with them?
Put him in the hamper? But why there it is?
You know what to do with it. I don't know.
There it is.
They don't bother me, sitting right there bother me. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. I don't know. And there there is one conversation that we've.
Try and get the industry under the with the socks.
Damn you, Drew, you can't put your socks in the hamper. Curse you to hell. No, We've had this conversation for a long long time, and it's it's a common conversation that a lot of married couples have. And you know, it's the whole toilet seed thing. And so my I get it. Why can't you put the toilet seat down? I get it. You don't feel like that's because because
the toilet seats always down. So my question is, if it is up to me to always put the toilet seat down when you're done, why can't you put it up?
I'm not doing that?
Why not?
It's just it feels wrong.
So if I'm saving saving you from from either having to touch the toilet sea or not looking and falling into the.
Toilet, but who's to say that if I do that and I put it up and get it ready for you, how do I know that you're in the next one? But what if it's not me?
How do I know you're going to be the next one? But yet I still have to put the thing down.
You're ridiculous.
I'm just saying it. If it's a partnership, if it's fifty to fifty, if I got to put it down, why can't you put it up?
I can get down with other things. But that to me just sounds I mean, I get what you're saying, but it's not it's just not gonna happen.
See, it's not fair. This is this is not this is not right. But you love me, I do. I'd love you more if you put the toilet set up, all right. So, a lot of a lot of our experiences in the industry have have kind of been around different reality shows, you know. So there was there was one. There was one reality show that we were on, were on. There was one that I was on dancing, you know. There were been other ones that we participated in. Our families done a ton of them, you know. There was
Nick and I did one about, you know, building a barn. Right, So if you and I as a as a married couple, we're competing on a reality show, which one do you think it would be?
Can you do? Can you do the one you've done before? Because I feel like we'd crushed Dancing with the Stars?
Okay?
Is that? Yeah?
Yeah, no, we we we would except for neither of us a ballroom dan, So we would just be like doing us but we wouldn't be like, oh and doing the chowhaw, you know. It would be like, yeah, we would just be out there, you know, kicking ass and taking names. Okay, but so a different way. Let's take that one off the table. What is there another one?
I feel Okay, I love the like amazing race stuff, but I know that I would be.
So stressed out. Yeah I don't really. I do necessarily think like you're great at many things, almost everything.
That would be good at that. I feel like I would.
I would be dirty. I would playing in the mud and doing all that.
That kind of episode where they're walking through Madrid, like looking for a certain statue. Yeah, that's what I want to do.
Okay, I don't know.
I like the traveling aspects and trying to figure out like what plane, what train, what right? Like that I think we would be good at.
Yeah. So no, I don't want to no naked and afraid.
Oh my god, no, please know that would no alone, No, that would be horrible.
Homestead Rescue we could do.
Oh we do like Homestead Rescue.
I'd have to grow my mustache out more, you would, I do?
You think that show's fascinating? But I don't know. That's not like a it's not like competition. No, it's like just like helping build, which I think is pretty cool. Yeah.
So this year we are celebrating twenty four years of marriage, which means next year is twenty five. Now we're already you know, talking about, Okay, what are we gonna do for our twenty fifth anniversary? It's a big one. But if we look back in the past, is there one Is there one date.
You're gonna say one again. I hate doing just.
One trip or moment that you know, one one room, antic moment that you can like, We've.
Had so many amazing trips. I don't know how to pick.
What is there one that is like your favorite, like one scenario when setting one spot that you're.
Likerew, life is about me.
That is why.
That's why I married him. Okay, so we are going to do something big twenty five. We will. We just have to plan that.
We have to plan.
But I like when stuff is like loosely you know what I mean, like a loose plan, like loosely scripted, loosely scripted. And then I mean because I think because we're always so busy and everything is so scheduled all the time that when something is just like hey, we got the whole day, like when we were in Dublin comes to mind, like when it's like we only have nowhere to be, we have no schedule to keep and what are we in Dubling for? Okay, we were there because he was working, but we were working.
I was doing name that too, Yeah, and I competed against how from from Backstreet and I won. All right, I'll continue with your.
Story, Okay, so.
No.
I mean, I just I like days where it's kind of like it just just kind of flows right. Like one of our favorite dates, and I know it's not like this big, like you know, grandiose thing or travel thing, because I don't think it needs to be is we were downtown Cincinnati and it was snowing and it wasn't planned and we had we had like a staycation kind of thing planned downtown.
And it was Valentine's Day, I remember.
And one of our favorite restaurants here in Cincinnati Soto. You know, every nobody could get to the restaurant because it was like blizzard conditions, and so we were there and we just kind of like walked past the street and we had the whole place to ourselfs and we just it's the it's the best restaurant. And we sat there and just had a nice bottle of wine and good food and just like nowhere to be And I think, I don't know, connection like that is awesome.
That was actually my favorite date that I was going to say that you didn't know that I did, But it was just like that, like it was so romantic, Like the city was so quiet, because anytime you're in an urban area and it's snowing. It's just quiet. It's you know, you look up at the street lights you see like the snow falling. And then it was literally right across the street from like the hotel where we were staying for our staycation, and we literally walked in
and this place is impossible to get into. It's always crowded, it's always packed. And we literally walked in there and there was like nobody in there and we just sat down. We sat at the bar and yeah, it was awesome. We sat at the corner of the bar, so it was like we were just sitting like this the whole time, just like eating and drinking and just relaxing and just and nowhere to be and know where to be. Yeah, it's the best. I think that, I think that would be.
So what we're I think what we're getting to summing it all up is the fact that we need to do more of that.
But that's laughing, more vacation.
Because everything is so planned, not gonna happen for a second. But maybe we need.
To make it and we'll make it a priority. I'll make it a party. All right. Well, I want to say thank you for letting.
Me interview you.
Thank you for for making your agent, you know, make this happen. Leah Lache and agent I. I hope that the interview was as insightful and riveting for you as it was for me, and I wish you nothing but the best in the years to come, and with LABELSS because it sounds fantastic and because I benefit from it as well. No, but I love you and uh yeah, If any other time you need a guest host for Frosted Tips, you know where to find her. I have
a go on everybody. Hey, thanks for listening. Follow us on Instagram at frost the Tips with Lance and Michael Turchin and it's best for all your pop culture needs.
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