--Hey everybody. It's me Susan Blackwell and today I am side-by-side my favorite
Broadway clambake from the Broadway revival of Carousel look everybody it's
Lindsey Mendez!
--Ahh! --Lindsay
--Susan -- I have been waiting
so long for this moment to happen, but
before we get into it, before we get into the mix, please tell our friends at home
where we are and what we are doing ah today.
--Oh today we have the great
pleasure of being at my absolute favorite spot, post show spot, Casa Lula.
--This is your for real Jam your hang --I have been here since the very beginning
--OG -- And I absolutely love it
--We're starting with chees --Amazing cheese
pairings. --Now you're in a Broadway show
right now are you allowed to be eating
dairy products?
--I mean, that's like what a little bit I can do. It's so good
--It's so good. It's cheese but it tastes like candy. --It's amazing.
--mmm!
--Put 30 seconds on the clock and you're gonna tell me your entire life
story don't leave out the awesome parts starting now.
--I grew up in a small town
in Southern California, went to performing arts high school, studied
musical theater. My whole world. Moved to New York when I was 18, did a European
tour, came back, did a Broadway show, did some more, got married, got divorced, got
married again later. Have dog and I love my life in New York.
The end. --Super
bonus what is the name of that autobiography?
--From Norwalk to New York
it's really good
--That's I think you really on to something there
--The town I'm from -- I
know --[laughs]
--What the actual what is it like to be playing Carrie Pipperidge in the
Broadway revival of Carousel? -- It's the greatest thing ever. It's such a amazing
role and I feel like when I got the part and every day since I've just been like
pinching myself like I can't believe I get to do this. It's just amazing
and I mean getting this thing that score and just the she's so much fun and
I've just had the best time kind of making her be a human.
--I love it. What the
what does Grease sound like in German?
the musical... --Do you want me to do
some of my lines?
--I would love it
--Okay this is my first line I still
remember [speaks in German]
Then Marti says Oh Mia he is and then I say hey Marty [German]
Drucker? That's all I remember.
--Do you sing in German? --No you we do the
songs in English, but the dialogue in German. It was so weird. --So you're totally
like achen eidel dreidel eidel
--Yeah
-- I spend my
days.... is the weirdest thing ever
--This next what the what is in the smell
Oh Rama --Oh okay
--Okay? What the what do you have against this?
--Oh oh oh God! What
the what you can open your eyes what is your problem? ---What is that? I hate it
whatever it is that maple? I hate maple!
How do you know that I hate that? --Because
I do my research. I know this looks like a bag of baloney but I actually do my
research.
--That is it's so foul
--So this is a straggietella cheese and a beet
pasta with fusilli --With beets which
are my favorite
--These are shiitake mushrooms and snap peas
You guys just talk amongst ourselves --Right don't worry about
--The first song I
ever remember singing was....
--Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright
copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with
strings ... --I didn't have good r's then
-- I was like dialect work?
or speech impediment? --Favorite things
--Speech impediment. Aww that's adorable.
--I loved Sound of Music, still do.
--That was adorable the song I sang to beat Adam Lambert in a singing
competition was...
--Oh gods, oh gods, are you there? What can I do to get you to look
down and give in.
--Yes, Once in this Island I know it was wrong, but I did it.
--Oh but you beat his ass respect -Who's laughing now?
--My current go to
audition song is... --Blue sky smiling at me
nothing but blue skies, do I see.
--My favorite thing that I sing in Carousel is "When I Marry Mr. Snow"
--Dialect work!
--All Maine all the time baby
---Give me a little more, just give me a
little more
--The flowers will be buzzing with the hum of bees, the birds will make
a racket in the church yard trees --The Carousel earworm that I can't get out of
my [bleep] --Blow high blow low, away we will go
We'll go away sailing away!
--Are you just in the shower you're like mother of God?
--Literally --Like
you wake up in the middle of the night, you're like Oh!
--It's so random
I love it -- I love it too
--Tell me what's happening here. --So this is the famous
famous Casa Lula triple chocolate cake.
--Oh so excited! --And how they serve it as
they bring it to you at the table mm-hmm and then they bring this fresh
local cream and they just....know so you just like soak in all of that cream.
--I'm gonna hold it -- I'm gonna let you hold it
--You all go [bleep] yourselves. You [bleep] yourself,
Oh my god. --Can you believe that?
--Oh my god it's so good
--I know. -- I want you to
sing a song, any song, and I just want you to bathe me in riffs. --Oh this is
literally my nightmare.
--Riff around me, riff through me -- I don't
--Riff in front of
me and behind me
--Okay. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper
kettles, and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things.
--You are out of your goddamn mind. -- I
literally am.
--This is a lightning round: I'm going to ask you a series of
questions you have five seconds to fully explore the answer to each question. God
or no God?
-- God --What happens when we die?
--We get to be with all our loved ones
again.
--Do aliens exist?
--Yes -- Are ghosts real?
--Yes. --What's your purpose in life?
--Bring joy to others --Cake or pie?
--Cake. --Yes!
Yes! It's cake --It's always cake
--When are we getting married? It's 100% cake, 100% of the time. And if
you need proof, you need evidence come down to Casa Lula and eat that. It's
cake it's cake it's cake!
--Guess what time it is?
--What time is it? --No seriously guess what time it is. It's time for
Susan's fantasy jukebox . I have your nose you can have it back first you have to sing
me a song any song. My funny Valentine, I don't know
why....Sweet comic valentine, you make me smile with my heart, your looks are
laughable, unphotographable, yet you're my favorite work of art. Is
--Keep singing. This has been another amazing episode of Side by Side by Susan Blackwell
featuring Lindsay Mendez. Thank you Casa Lula. Go see her in Carousel on
Broadway. You will not regret it
--Not if you care for me. Stay little
Valentine, stay
--Yes --Each day is Susan Blackwell's day
--I can breathe again! -- I love you
[music]
--These are musical theater stock gestures
when you perform. We have, let's see,
sheet cake --Sheet cake
--Tips. Web
--Web --Wedding ring, that's a big one --Wedding ring
--What else? Muffins --Muffins
--Uh Demi whammy --Demi whammy?
--Full whammy, --Full whammy!
--Millie, obviously [laughs]