You're listening to Comedy Central. I'm so happy for you. This is so cool and you're just nailing it. You're so good. Thank you, thank you. I went how many people here have seen Funny Girl? Okay, well not enough. You all need to see this play. I went to your play last night, and I have to say it was one of those classic Broadway experiences that I haven't had in a few years. You are incredible, and there are a lot of people who are famous, but you
are really really talented. Because I really appreciate that. Yeah, I was hard work. Well obviously it's hard work, but it takes a lot of talent to even execute that. I mean, there's dancing, they're singing, You're funny, it's a comedy. I was so nervous because I I heard you might be there, and then I saw you, and I was like, anybody who's just like you know, and so funny and so gifted in the way that you are Like you and Chris Rock are the two people I was the
most nervous having in the audience. Oh well, that's sweet, I guess. I mean, I have to tell you. When I got out during intermission, I went to go get a diet coke, and and everyone was coming up to me, like every gay person in the theater was coming up to me to tell me how amazing, Like I love that, so like can you believe it? How amazing is she? And I'm like, I'm not her mother. Everyone send all of your comments and concerns and everything to Chelsea. She
speaks for me. Now, yes, a DM me at Ellen degenerate bit. So you came into this play while it was already up and running, So I have to know, like how long it took you to prepare for this and what what I mean the schedule must be. It's a it's an unbelievable schedule. And and anybody working, I mean anybody on Broadway is working so incredibly hard. It's h shows a week. I do seven shows a week. Um, I had I think something like six weeks to learn everything.
It's about fifteen songs, twenty two costume changes, something like seven to ten league changes. It's it's a lot. And mid my rehearsal process, um, I was told that I had to start sooner than I than I thought, and so it was a really intense experience. But I did feel as prepared as I could for my first night, I just wanted to make all the quick changes happen and not walk on stage naked. That was like my biggest thing. Yeah. Yeah, it's just so much fun to watch.
I was sitting there and I was with my niece on one side and a friend of mine on the other side, and I was just smiling so hard, like my cheet sir, like I was on ecstasy or something, and I was like, oh my god, this is so joyous and everyone and you've got so many standing ovations in the middle of your songs, like that's so beautiful to see for a performer, it's it's by far the most incredible experience I've had as performer on stage in a work environment. I'm having truly the time of my life.
That's nice because last time I saw you, I haven't seen you in a few years. And the last time since I've seen you last you've got married and had a baby. Yes I know, I have a husband and a baby, and it does it's, you know, leaving my son. He was just two when I started the show, and
it's hard. It's hard for any parent going to work. Um, but I literally went from being home every single day to then going to work and being at work all the time, and it's tough, but there is something also so amazing about coming home and like having that family life that I never had while I was working. It's grounding and I'm so grateful for it. Well that's great because I'll never know what that feeling. I mean, choice moved to. You know, we were talking about it into
the city. I've never lived in New York City. I've here. Is good. It is good. Maybe that's the great you know, that's the so's like, how has it changed because you've done so many Broadway plays when you were younger, right, I mean that's kind of how you got discovered first that I did my first Broadway show when I was eight years old, totally unplanned. I just kind of walked
into it. And then I continued working until I was twenty three, and then I left to go to l A and I did you know, Glee out there and other TV shows and never really planned on coming back to New York. And then it was the pandemic that brought us home because this is where our families are. And yeah, I'm back on Broadway after fifteen years, and it's it's wild having been gone for so long and jumping back into this schedule. And you know, when you're
doing television, you're doing new material every day. It's a new script, it's a new storyline. This is the same thing every day, and there's something as an artist that's really exciting about that. It's like, how do you make that new? And how do you how do you bring your own excitement to it every night? How do you? I mean, it's it really depends on how I'm feeling. I'll have a day where I'm in a really up the mood and I lean into the humor and that
really is what gives me the energy. And then there are days when I need to kind of work some stuff out and and that's what I lean into, more of the the emotion and the drama. And what are you saying to yourself? Like what does a person say before you walk out into a theater like that big having to perform for that Dear God, please God, you should see me before the show. I'm like praying, I'm like, oh my god. But I also think, like, if there is a show, can you say that? I don't why
not if there is a show to mess up? Like this is the one, because it's like, I feel so comfortable turning to the audience and just being like, well, here we go. That didn't work out. Let's try it again from the top. But it's it's there's nothing like there's nothing like live theater. And I love it so much,
this honest dream come true. That so many people have known that I've really waited so long to play this part, and the fact that I'm doing it, it's I still every single night I'm like, I cannot believe I'm doing this and that people are enjoying it. And it's the most incredible cast of incredible, hard working actors and performers, and we really have fun in the midst of doing what is a very challenging job and making an album in the midst of also doing all of our shows
and having it do so well. Is is just another great gift. Yeah, well, good for you. Everybody needs to go see Funny Girl. It's playing now on Broadway at the Augustin here. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching The Daily Show wherever you get your podcast. What's the Daily Show weeknights at eleven tenth Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount. Plus this has been a Comedy Central podcast.