LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN EMMY AND
TONY AWARD- WINNING ACTOR WHO HAS STARRED IN EVERYTHING FROM
"FOOTLOOSE" TO "THE CROWN."
PLEASE WELCOME JOHN LITHGOW!
♪ BABY, BABY ♪ BABY WHOA BABY ♪
( APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERS )
>> HOW WONDERFUL!
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MY FRIEND.
>> GREAT TO BE BACK.
>> Stephen: YOU LOOK FIT AS A FIDDLE.
>> AS DO YOU.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> AND THIS BAND!
>> Stephen: UNBELIEVABLE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> YOU KNOW, I WAS-- I WAS
WATCHING THEM PLAY IN THE DRESSING ROOM DURING YOUR
PRESHOW.
THEY ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN I AM.
YOU GOTTA GIVE THEM MORE TIME.
>> Stephen: WE CAN LEAVE RIGHT NOW AND LET THEM PLAY.
FINE, FINE.
I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE, AND I'M ALSO SO HAPPY AND JUST
THRILLED THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME TONIGHT TO BE HERE, BECAUSE I
UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ONLY ARE OW BROADWAY RIGHT NOW IN THE SHOW
"HILLARY AND CLINTON," OKAY, AT THE GOLDEN THEATRE.
( APPLAUSE )
SHOWS.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: YOU DID A MATINEE, AND YOU'RE DOING A SHOW TONIGHT.
>> THIS WAS MY SECOND STANDING OVATION OUT OF THREE TODAY.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: YOU GOT ONE MORE COMING?
>> ONE MORE TO COME.
>> Stephen: NOW, AS A THESPIAN, AS THE MAN OF THE
STAGE, HOW DO YOU DRINK IN A STANDING OVATION?
BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN OUTPOURING OF APPRECIATION WHEN AN
AUDIENCE-- LIKE, DO YOU LEAN AGAINST IT LIKE A STRONG WIND.
HOW DO YOU-- HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT?
IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF WE COULD-- IF WE COULD STIR UP A STANDING
OVATION, WOULD YOU SHOW ME THE PROPER WAY TO APPRECIATE A
STANDING OVATION?
>> SURE, GO AHEAD.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> I SAY CULTIVATE HUMILITY.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO NEED IT.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU-- YOU'VE DONE SO MANY SHOWS ON BROADWAY,
WHAT DRAWS YOU BACK?
WHAT'S THE THING THAT YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING ON THE STAGE
HERE IN NEW YORK, SPECIFICALLY?
>> WELL, I MEAN, IT'S JUST THE THING THAT DRAWS ALL ACTORS TO
THE THEATER.
IT'S INTERACTING WITH THE AUDIENCE, AND BEING A MEMBER
OF-- OF AN ENSEMBLE AND A COMPANY THAT JUST WORKS AFFECT
DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
BUT MAINLY IT'S THE INTERACTION.
YOU DO A MOVIE, AND BY THE TIME YOU SEE IT, YOUR WHOLE MEMORY OF
THE EXPERIENCE IS A YEAR OLD.
>> Stephen: AND IT'S DONE IN CHUNKS.
YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE RUN, THE FEEL OF DOING THE ENTIRE
IT'S ENTIRE STORY AT ONCE.
>> I GUESS IN ESSENCE, YOU'RE LIVING THROUGH THE STORY AT THE
SAME TIME YOUR AUDIENCE IS EXPEERNLSING IT.
KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU DO EVERY NIGHT.
THAT INTENSE INTERACTION.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
SOMEBODY BEFORE ME ASKED IF I WATCH THE SHOW WHEN I GET HOME.
AND I SAID, "NO, I WAS JUST THERE."
YOU AND I WENT THROUGH IT AT THE SAME TIME.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: AS I SAID BEFORE IT'S AT THE CA GOLDEN THEATRE WI
THE WONDERFUL LAURIE METCALF.
IT'S CALLED "HILLARY AND CLINTON."
AND YOU PLAY-- >> I PLAY BILL.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND WHAT'S THE PLAY ABOUT?
>> IT'S SET-- IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY.
IT'S A POLITICAL PLAY BUT MUCH MORE A MARRIAGE PLAY.
IT'S SET AT A VERY INTERESTING HISTORICAL MOMENT, THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY OF 2008, WHEN HILLARY WAS RUNNING AGAINST
BARACK OBAMA.
>> Stephen: OH, AND SHE HAD JUST LOST IN IOWA.
>> SHE HAD JUST LOST IN IOWA.
AND I WON'T TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
BECAUSE PROBABLY MOST PEOPLE HAVE FORGOTTEN, BUT THAT'S PART
OF THE-- IT'S-- IT'S A MARVELOUSLY UNEXPECTED PLAY BY
ONE OF OUR GREAT YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS, LUCAS HNATH.
AND LAURIE AND I MAKE ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT TO IMITATE BILL AND
HILLARY.
WE ARE SORT OF A METAPHOR FOR THEM.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
BECAUSE YOU'RE-- YOU'RE-- YOU ARE A GREAT MIMIC.
>> WELL, YES-- THANK YOU.
I TAKE THAT AS-- I DON'T WANT THAT COMPLIMENT TO PASS ME BY.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE NOT AN IMPRESSIONIST, BUT CERTAINLY YOU
SEEMED LIKE CHURCHILL TO ME WHEN YOU PLAYED CHURCHILL.
>> BUT I WOULDN'T PRESUME TO IMITATE BILL.
SEE IS SO MUCH A PARENT OF OUR LIVES, EVEN NOW.
THIS IS A HISTORY PLAY, BUT IT'S A VERY, VERY RECENT HISTORY THAT
WE'RE DEALING WITH.
AND LUCAS, IN THE STAGE DIRECTIONS OF HIS PLAY, HE SAYS,
"DON'T BE TEMPTED TO IMITATE THESE PEOPLE.
THINK ABOUT PLAYING THE ROLE OF HENRYV, OR RICHARD III.
HE THINKS ABOUT IT IN VERY SHAKESPEAREAN TERMS.
AND I COMPLETELY AGREE.
THE MINUTE I START DOGGEDLY IMITATING BILL CLINTON IT
BECOMES A "IS THE NIGHT LIVE" SKETCH.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S-- IT'S A-- IT'S A-- THERE'S PLENTY OF
COMEDY IN THE PLAY.
THERE'S PLENTY OF LAUGHTER, IT'S A VERY SERIOUSLY INTENDED PLAY.
>> Stephen: AND YOU'RE ALSO, TOMORROW NIGHT, "PET CEMETERY."
OPENS IN THEATERS.
VERY SIMILAR.
>> YES, VERY SIMILAR.
( LAUGHTER )
CRANDLE, THE HEAVY HERE.
>>Y DON'T THINK HE'S THE HEAVY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PLAY A VILLAIN, HE'S ALWAYS YOUR
FAVORITE CHARACTER.
YOU'RE ON HIS SIDE.
>> Stephen: HOW SCARY IS IT?
BECAUSE I SCARE EASILY.
>> DON'T GO.
( LAUGHTER )
I-- NOR DO I-- STEPHEN, I'M NOT A-- I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF
TOLERANCE FOR HORROR.
I DON'T GO TO HORROR.
I'M NOT A HORROR FAN.
I WENT TO SEE IT WITH MY WIFE IN AN EMPTY THEATER AND IT SCARED
THE (BLEEP) OUT OF ME.
>> Stephen: AND YOU WERE THERE.
>> AND I KNEW ALL MY LINES.
I KNEW WHAT WAS COMING.
IT WAS CRAZY.
I WAS TRULY SHAKEN.
AND I GUESS THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE.
>> Stephen: YEAH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY.
>> BELIEVE ME, BELIEVE ME, WE DELIVER.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
WELL, BROADWAY, THE THEATER.
>> ALSO KNOW YOU'RE A MUSICIAN.
BUT YOU'RE ALSO AN AUTHOR.
AN AUTHOR.
YOU'VE GOT A NEW BOOK COMING OUT.
THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION ON THE FRONT.
IT'S CALLED "DUMPTY" AND YOU--
YOU'RE ALSO-- >> Stephen: THAT'S MY
ILLUSTRATION.
>> Stephen: YOU-- YOU-- YOU PAINTED THIS COVER ILLUSTRATION
RIGHT THERE.
>> I PAINTED COVER THE, YES.
>> Stephen: THAT'S VERY GOOD.
AND IT'S "AN AGE OF TRUMP IN VERSE."
YOU'RE ALSO A POET, WHICH-- >> WELL, WELL, I'M A DOGGEREL
POET.
I'M A SORT OF RECKLESS RHYMESTER.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> BUT, YIT COMES OUT IN THE FALL.
IT COMES OUT THE END OF OCTOBER.
BUT MY DEADLINE TO FINISH ALL THE POEMS WAS YESTERDAY.
AND I BY GOD, I DID IT.
( APPLAUSE )
KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE THE TEXT WITH YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT WOULD
YOU BE WILLING TO SHARE ANY OF YOUR DOGGEREL POETRY WITH US?
>> IN A WORD, YES.
IT'S-- THE POEMS ARE A KIND OF CHRONICLE OF THE LAST CRAZY TWO
YEARS, VERY MUCH THE WAY YOU CHRONICLE THIS POLITICAL MOMENT
YOURSELF.
THEY'RE COMIC DOG OF, DOGGEREL, SATIRICAL POEMS.
AND I TRIED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS--
( LAUGHTER )
THAT'S A PRO.
YOU CALL THAT A PRO RIGHT THERE.
>> HE TOLD ME TO BRING IT, SO I BROUGHT IT.
I TRIED FOR ABOUT THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS, TO RESPOND IN REAL TIME,
AS MUCH AS I COULD, TO WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST TWO STANZAS.
THE FIRST TWO OF FIVE STANZA OF THE LAST POEM OF THE BOOK.
AND IT'S BASED ON THE EVENTS OF THE LAST 10 DAYS.
>> Stephen: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JOHN LITHGOW IN A
DRAMATIC READING FROM "DUMPTY."
>> "DUMPTY" BY THE WAY IS MY NAME FOR OUR PRESIDENT, AS IN
TRUVMENTY DUMPTY, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER POEM.
IT'S CALLED-- IT'S CALLED "AFTERWARD."
THE REPORT WAS AT HAND, AND DUMPTY WAS MANIC
AWASH IN A FLOOD OF DISTEMPER AND PANIC.
AT LUSH MAR-A-LAGO, HE BRACED FOR BOB MUELLER, HIS RUTHL RUTHL
JARVIER.
WHEN FROM DISTANT D.M. CAME A CALL FROM BILL BARR, HISICA
KNIFING A.G. DUMPTY LURCHED FROM HIS
BED ARE A GROAN AND PICKED UP THE PHONE.
"GOOD NEWS!" BARR EXPLAINED.
WE'RE HOME FREE.
IT'S A WASH.
THE REPORT IS A BIG NOTHING.
IT'S EASY TO QUASH.
THUS BEGAN BARR'S CAMPAIGN TO COVERTLY IMPEELED IT, SINCE HE,
ONLY HE, WAS ENTITLED TO READ IT.
IN FACT HE JUST GAVE IT A CURSORY GLANCE, BUT THAT HADN'T
THWARTED HIS VICTORY DANCE, NOR FORESTALLED HIS APPALLING
MISREPRESENTATION PROCLAIMING THE POTUS' EXONERATION.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: "HILLARY AND
CLINTON" IS AT THE GOLDEN THEATER ON BROADWAY.
JOHN LITHGOW, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH GEORGIA DEMOCRAT STACEY ABRAMS.