>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY! WELCOME BACK.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] FOLKS, MY FRIENDS,
MY FIRST GUEST IS A TONY AND GRAMMY-NOMINATED SINGER
AND ACTOR WHO'S SOLD OVER 30 MILLION RECORDS WORLDWIDE.
NOW HE'S BACK ON BROADWAY AS THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET
STREET IN "SWEENEY TODD." PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO
"THE LATE SHOW," JOSH GROBAN. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
HEY. >> Josh: HELLO.
>> Stephen: ICU. >> Josh: GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. >> Stephen: HAVE-NOTS HAD TO
TALK WITH YOU IN PERSON IN A MINUTE OR TWO AS I HAVEN'T HAD A
CHANCE TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY. LAST YEAR YOU AND SARAH BARELA'S
TO THE SONG IN CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MY
BEN & JERRY'S CHERRY ICE CREAM. >> Josh: WHAT SONG.
>> Stephen: AMAZING ARRANGEMENT BY LOUIS.
LET'S SHOW A CLIP. ♪ ♪
>> ♪ ALL THOSE OTHER SECRET THINGS WHICH I CANNOT SAY ♪
>> Josh: OH, YEAH. >> StSTILL WHAT AN HONOR.
I'VE JUST GOTTEN THAT MELODY OUT OF MY HEAD THREE DAYS AGO AND
NOW BACK. >> Stephen: YOU'RE NEVER GOING
TO GET THESE MELODIES OUT OF YOUR HEAD BECAUSE YOU ARE BACK
ON BROADWAY. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
"SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET."
2016, NATASHA PIERRE THE GREAT COMET OF 1812.
HIS FEEDBACK ON BROADWAY LIKE RIDING A BIKE?
>> Josh: YOU RELY ON MUSCLE MEMORY ALONG.
IT'S AN AMAZING THING AFTER TOURING AND BEING IN VARIOUS
VENUES. YOU ARE INVITING PEOPLE TO YOUR
SPACE AND YOUR ENERGY EVERY NIGHT TO CONTINUE TO TELL A
STORY. FOR ME I HAVE LOVED THE SHOW
SINCE I WAS VERY, VERY LITTLE. TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE
THIS SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN IT 50 TIMES.
WE HAVE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE CAST. ANNALEIGH ASHFORD.
LOTS OF YOUNG FANS FOR THEM IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN
TODD BEFORE AND YOU CAN HEAR THE VERBAL CLUTCHING OF PEARLS.
THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF THE SH SHOW, I ASSUME EVERYBODY HAS
SEEN T AND KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. BUT YOU HEAR THE "GASP."
>> Stephen: A BIT OF A DARK TALE.
I DON'T WANT TO GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T
SEEN IT YET WHO MIGHT WANT TO CLUTCH THEIR PEARLS WHEN THEY
GET THERE. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR TASTE FOR
MEAT PIES YET? >> Josh: WHAT'S FUNNY ABOUT
OUR MEAT PIES IN THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCTION IS AND I AM A
PESCATARIAN AND ANNALEIGH ASHFORD IS GLUTEN-FREE SO THEY
BAKED US SPECIFIC, VERY L.A. MEAT PIES FOR US WITH VEGAN,
GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR. THESE ARE, THESE PIES ARE
DISGUSTING. >> Stephen: THAT SOUNDS DRIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT SOUNDS DRY TO ME.
>> Josh: VERY DRY AND CRUMBLY. SHE GIVES ME A PIE IN ONE OF THE
SCENES TO EAT IF SHE IS SAYING ABOUT HOW DISGUSTING THE PIE IS
IN ITS METHOD. IT'S DISGUSTING.
DOES A LOT OF THINGS, HARD THINGS I HAVE TO DO IN THE SHOW
BUT I HAVE TO TAKE A BITE OF THIS DISGUSTING CRUMBLY FLAKY
PIE AND I HAVE TO SOMEHOW GET IT DOWN AND THEN I HAVE TO SING A
BALLAD CALLED "MY FRIENDS." A BEAUTIFUL, SOARING BALLAD WITH
FLAKY CRUMBS ON MY VOCAL CORDS. >> Stephen: NOT A SPOT OF
MOISTURE IN YOUR MOUTH. >> Josh: YOU SPENT SO MUCH
TIME BACKSTAGE WARMING UP YOUR VOICE AND THEN IT ALL GOES TO
HELL. >> Stephen: YOU RECENTLY, IT'S
A GREAT PHOTOGRAPH, YOU GOT TOGETHER WITH OTHERS.
SWEENEYS TO CELEBRATE STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S BIRTHDAY.
>> Josh: HAD TO PUT OUR SCHEDULES AND IN THE DAY THAT IT
LINED UP FOR US TO ALL BE AVAILABLE HAPPENED TO LAND ON
SONDHEIM'S BIRTHDAY. MICHAEL AND NORM.
>> Stephen: TALKING TO THESE FELLOWS, ESPECIALLY LEN, IS
THERE ANYTHING THEY IMPARTED OUT THE DEMON BARBER THAT WAS USEFUL
TO YOU? >> Josh: EACH ONE GAVE A
UNIQUE AND INCREDIBLE TAKE ON THE ROLE OF THAT'S INCREDIBLE
THING ABOUT CARRYING THE TORCH AND HOLDING ONTO IT AND KEEPING
IT LEAKED UNTIL THE NEXT AMAZING PRODUCTION OF IT.
MICHAEL GAVE ME SOME INCREDIBLE ADVICE, I HAVE A LOT OF BLOOD ON
ME AT SOME POINT IN THE SHOW INSTANTLY BY THE END, I HAVE
KILLED PEOPLE, EVEN PEOPLE. >> Stephen: SPOILER ALERT.
>> Josh: HE IS A DEMON BARBER. IT'S FINE.
WASH IT OFF BEFORE YOU GO HOME, IN ALL THE WAYS WASH IT OFF.
IT'S A BIG ROLE, DARK ROLE, THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU ARE
TAKING ON. METAPHORICALLY, WASH IT OFF.
>> Stephen: DON'T GO HOME AND SLID PEOPLE'S THROATS.
WE DO SOME ROLLS IT'S OKAY, I IMAGINE GOING HOME AFTER "THE
MUSIC MAN" WAS A DELIGHT. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK BUT WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE JOSH GROBAN,