--Welcome back we are joined by Vicki Lewis back on Broadway. I
didn't expect you to come back to Broadway I have to tell you
--You had just written me off -- I had written you off I
thought she just went to California and... --I know. It's funny, I didn't know that I
would come back but I always wanted to. And then in the last few years it was
actually my husband who and you know I teach at USC. I've been teaching there
for nine years, and I do my television thing there, but I was so missing it. And
he looked at me one day and he said you got to get out of here!
Yeah you got to go. And and yeah he said you're gonna be miserable if you don't.
And so my plan was to come here this May and to just get an apartment and tool
around and you know see old friends and see shows, and see if it sort of lit me
back up. And then this audition fell out of the sky
--Anastasia -- Anastasia --And then
Here I am the rest is history. It's the perfect job
--Fantastic role ] -It's a fantastic role. --Countess Lily.
--Yep -- I think she should be called countess Vicki while you're
there --Well I'm doing that on
the matinee days I sometimes change her name --Caroline O'Connor and you stepped in for
her --She was marvelous in the role I got to watch
her do it like four times while I was studying. --Are you and what do you love about this
character? I mean she's insane. I love it. --Well she's insane, like, there's a there's
two lives that she leads, which opens you up to many
different emotions and behaviors. So she's got the life with the Dowager, and
then she's got the life where she lets loose so she can manage the life with
the Dowager, who she loves and cares for, but it's confining and a little bit
restricted emotionally. So she goes to this Niva Club and let's loose and then I'm
like you know I turned into Lily st. Regis' crazy Aunt. Do you know what I
mean? Like so it's fantastic. There's all these colors and there's the tawdry
romance. --Yes how's John Bolton? Hitting it off? --He's
fantastic yeah --Did you know John before this? --John was
in the chorus of Damn Yankees --See I knew there was gonna be a connection!
--Yes he came in in the last five months that I was there
--Yeah okay yeah I left when Victor left --Yes, Victor Garber
but John was there --Vicotr garber
--Also back on Broadway --Yes right across the street we
can wave to each other. I know --So John was in the ensemble --Yeah
--The ballplayers? --Yes. He to go for Michael Winther I don't
know if you remember my you guys know every name I'm gonna say because
you're good that way --I was around in
the 90s. --Yeah no weren't we all those was a good
years yes. --So and
actually I have to tell you about Damn Yankees. Your Thorpe is the stuff
of legend in my household --That's very sweet. --III whenever I think
of the song Shoeless Joe, I hear your voice like belting
the crap out of that it was amazing.
--It was a kind of an iconic moment, which at the time I wasn't aware
of. I knew it was it liked and it was a crowd-pleaser, but subsequently I
run into people often who are like I had that on repeat my entire college life, or
I had...No, it you know that's a testament to everybody in the number and Rob
Marshall's choreography was spectacular --When he was just Rob Marshall choreographer
--Just Rob MARSHALL --Now look at him --Well I got my Equity card with Rob Marshall
--Really? --Pittsburg Civic Light Opera
--I would carry the Train of Dixie Carter's dress in MAME.
That was my job and then she would spit into a cup before she would go on like
um, not like rude or anything. and then my job is to take the cup back and rinse it
out. I was thrilled to do it! --You would take the cup and rinse it out
-- That was my little job --It was an honor
--Yes it was an honor to do it! Crazy what we do.
--But you did you did leave, you and you you actually you're a real theater
girl --Yes. --Like you really start
you moved to New York young where did you grow up?
--I've moved from Ohio. And I went to I went to Pittsburgh to get my Equity card
in one of in the second summer I was in college. I went to CCM with Liz Callaway
was my roommate. --Your roommate? --Jason Grough
--Faith Prince was a roommate --Yeah we were all in the it was a fabulous
class --I know
all my roommates --I still owe Liz Callaway pizza money, by
the way, and she never lets me forget it.
--Who was a better roommate Faith Prince or Liz Calloway
be honest --Oh I like I like them both, but Faith is
a nester, so, you would get taken care of with her.
Like it's time for a toast do you know? I'm doing laundry today...So
you you were a little more mothered with Faith.
--I feel like you and Faith went for the same parts too? -- We
did a little bit we were. There was like a time where
like oh I hate that this is happening, but also I so looked up to her, so I was
sort of, you know, I I yeah I wanted to be her for a little while, I think. I mean I
think everybody I think everybody did And so no I moved here I got
my Equity card so I actually came here with $35 in the pocket
--Real story --Real story and then I'll tell you an
interesting little tidbit. So I didn't have an agent and my friend Mitchell Lemke
who was stage managing a show called Do Black Patent-Leather Shoes Really
Reflect Up? --Yes. Big hit. --Was the first broadway
show I ever did. Big hit in Philadelphia. We got here and I
believe the review started something like how dare they flaw shared-memory!
No like yeah that it didn't go over well here -- That was your fault
--I was my. I took that I shouldered it was our fault
Oh mylanta and so I auditioned I was like he's like we were really right for
this role of Virginia Lear and I'm like well they don't I mean I what am I gonna
do so I went over to know all the studios and I sat there for about 4
hours till they call the girl's name who didn't answer and I raised my hand. and I
went in and I got that job. That's crazy.
--You did a lot of shows off-broadway and then a lot of short
runs on Broadway --Very short, just as
hard to get into the short running ones --Yeah but then you started getting TV
stuff and you're like I'm out! --Yeah I had done a movie in LA and then Yankees
happened --That was another another not-hit --That
was another not hit that was another not hit that was a movie musical called I'll Do
Anything. --Which you could probably do a whole hour long interview about. -- I probably
could yeah it was just dysfunctional. But then I got a series, so
I left the Broadway to go do News Radio --Yeah I remember that it was a big hit.
You were hilarious. --That was an exciting time for me like it was all sort of
doing that. --Yeah and you did Chicago --Then I came
back and I did Chicago two different times --Velma --Right
--Twice two runs in that And you've actually been doing musical theater
out in LA but I haven't seen it cuz I
--Cause you're here yeah --Glad you're back so I can see you
--No listen it's a it's a dream come true to be back. I missed it terribly, and I'm
so excited that I this is working out and that I get to be here playing cuz
--And you're oh you're also stepped into a show that has an automatic fan base. These
fanastasias --That's a word I learned
yes the fanastasias Uh-huh um well it's kind of it's fun. I mean
I it's like a rock concert. I'm sure you remember
in the audience, but like every day you're like how can they scream
that loudly when we come out? They're very enthusiastic. The show is beautiful,
it's a beautiful story. The audience connects to it, whether it be because of the
Romanov history, and there's Russians, I mean we have a lot of Russian people coming
to sort of see the Romanov story, --Oh it's gathering a lot of Russians?
--Yes --I didn't know this is where the Russians are going on Broadway
--This is where the Russians are. THey're with us.
And then you get your you know your family, and your people that loved that
film. And they're very connected to those characters, loyal to them and they go bah
nanas mm-hmm --It's really turned into like a big Broadway
hit. I mean yeah it really is like a big Broadway musical and
it has it hits all the all the notes. And you're the funny one -- I am the
funny one --John too, but you you get a lot of great
moments --Yes. I sit in my dressing room in Act One
and eat candy and do selfies, and try to learn to be better at social media.
--What's the go-to candy --The go to candy right now is blow pops,
which is very --Classic --Uh-huh it's a classic yeah and then I'm
decorating the dressing room. This all happens during Act one. I sit there in an
hour and a half. I have one moment as you know at the top of Act One like 15
seconds right and then I terrorize everyone. I'm like what are you guys doing?
You want to hang out? They're like we're doing a show Vicki. We're trying to
do a show. And then Act Two happens and I come on and it's like zero to 60 out of a
cannon. And it never stops in its hilarity, and it's it's the greatest job ever.
--That's a good gig -- Yeah it's a great gig.
--I'm so excited you're doing it --I'm so excited to be doing
--Thank you so much for joining us. --It's my pleasure.
--I could talk to you forever but this is a limited interview so. --Oh it is? That's
awkward. It's not like a two-part like the Harry Potter
show or like Angels in America. We don't come back
later and do like the second half? --Part two of this interview? Yeah yeah.
--Totally, two or three --I mean you could make
an exception for me. I feel like cuz I was gone so long. Okay.
--Thank you so much. --So good to see you
--Everyone go see Anastasia. It's at the Broadhurst theater
it's a big hit and you'll see why when you go see it. Thank you so much for being here
--Oh my god