- Hello!
Hi.
- I don't know what to talk to you about first, okay.
I guess, let's start with the "High School Musical
Class of 2020 Homeschool Musical".
Lin-Manuel Miranda is already also like,
I'm watching, I'm loving.
HBO Max bought it.
And really, let's face it, it's HBO Max
and Netflix are the two big kahunas in the game right now,
as far as the way everybody really watches everything,
especially in 2020.
So these are the big leagues.
And they're all acknowledging how important
and incredible this project is that you started.
What gave you the impetus and idea?
You were stuck at home, it was COVID, and you...
- I was living with my mom.
My husband, and my daughter, and I,
we went home to New Jersey, to quarantine with my parents
instead of being in our tiny New York City apartment.
And my mom, who is an incredible voice teacher,
she was crying.
And I was like, what's going on?
You know, obviously the world was exploding.
And she said, I'm just so disappointed for my students.
They've put so much time and effort into these shows,
and now their shows are all canceled.
And for me, Drew, it wasn't even about like,
everyone needs to be able to do their musical.
Like this is a generation of kids that self identifies
as anxious, more than any previous generation.
And I know, that's a really big deal.
And I know for me, I always felt other,
except for the one weekend a year
where I got to do my musical.
And when my town was like, oh,
she's not just weird, she's talented, okay.
And I felt seen, and I felt,
I was broken-hearted for these kids that not only
were they not gonna be seen by their communities,
they were gonna disappear into quarantine.
And I just didn't want them to feel like they were ghosts.
- Well, not only did you do that, but I mean,
HBO Max made a special out of it.
You had so many responses.
You put this out into the world with a very raw
sort of call to action post that you did.
And the response was overwhelming.
And there are a lot of people who want to be seen.
And what you've done with this is such a big deal.
It's become such a big movement.
So celebrated, so acknowledged.
And this now comes out December 17th,
am I correct on that date?
Yes, good, okay.
- Yeah.
- And I just think that you've done something
that's so meaningful, and I really believe
this is gonna continue to be one of many,
because this is the world we're living in.
And let's face it, this is not
all gonna transition immediately.
We've still got a ways to go.
Hope is on the way.
But I think we also have learned that this new alternative
that we've all been forced into may not be so bad.
Maybe it's like social media and the web itself,
it can bring all these people together
from all over the world.
And I think you ignited a spark
that's gonna turn into the right kind of brushfire.
And I just think that your intention and the way you did it.
And it's so great that you saw your mom going through that.
And I know you wanted to be a, like a performer
when you were young, and both your parents are in theater.
And they're like, no, we wanna keep you a kid.
You have to wait.
So you got into high school musicals and did all of that.
- Yeah, yeah.
My mom and dad were theater performers.
And then, when I was like two years old,
my parents got divorced.
I'm fine.
And my mom remarried my dad Sal,
who's a psychotherapist and a health counselor.
And so I grew up in New Jersey
in like a really normal environment.
And even though I begged my parents to please
let me be an actress, they were like, no.
So I just did--
- I'm the same way with my kids too.
I'm like when you're old enough to cope and know yourself,
you know, 'cause I come from an experience
that's very abnormal, and I loved it.
But it's, I just want my kids to have
a head on their shoulder that feels stable.
So I get it.
But I'm glad that you found your way.
I love you as Melania Trump on Colbert.
Oh my God, you are so funny.
And we both played Julia Gulia!
- Yes!
- We both. - We did.
- I did in the film, you did it on Broadway.
We have such a great connection!
- [Laura] We do, we do.
But look at that wig.
That is just the wig that made me, at 26,
look like a 50 year old Helen Hunt.
- [Drew] It's not a great wig.
- I don't know what they did to me.
- Well, you know what? - I don't know what happened.
- Laura, can we do, will you come back on this show?
We can get on the green screen
and do the two Julias together.
- Honestly, you were so brilliant and iconic in that part.
Like no one else should ever play it, ever.
- I disagree, and I'd like to do it with you.
- I'll do it, I'll do it.
- And I also have to talk to you about--
- I'll do it for you.
- I love your children's book,
"M is for Mama and also Merlot".
I'm telling you, run and get this book.
It is so good for parents.
So fun, so special, so unique, as are you.
When I did my research on you, I was just was like,
I wanna talk to you about you as a human being.
You're such an interesting person
with such a unique, profound outlook on life.
And I have such deep respect for you.
So, please let this be the first of many
like gatherings that we do together.
But I really wanna focus on the subject at hand,
this "Homeschool Musical Class of 2020".
And I understand you may have something,
I'm hearing this in my ear.
Is this true?
- I do.
I have a little gift from the kids
of "Homeschool Musical Class of 2020"
for you and for cake week.
- [Drew] What?
- Oh yeah. - What?
- Yeah! - Okay.
♪ Happy cake week to you ♪
♪ Happy cake week, Drew Barrymore ♪
♪ Happy cake week to you ♪
- Mm, that's really good.
- Thank you.
Thank you, Laura Benanti.
"Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020"
is available on HBO Max, December 17th.
And her self-titled debut album, Laura Benanti,
which has such an interesting history
where it spans the generations of music and genres is,
please come back and let's talk about that.
Let's talk about everything and do Julias.
(upbeat music)