MY NEXT GUEST IS A TALENTED ACTRESS, WHO IS
MAKING HER BROADWAY DEBUT IN "NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT
COMET OF 1812"!
PLEASE WELCOME DENEE BENTON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪
>> Stephen: HEY!
HI!
>> Stephen: WELCOME ON THE SHOW!
>> THANK YOU.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: BROADWAY DEBUT!
YES!
>> Stephen: WOW!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) LET ME PUT THIS IN BROADWAY
TERMS, ARE YOU FEELING LIKE LILTING BALLAD OF GRATITUDE, OR
SHOW STOPPING NUMBER OF JOY?
>> I THINK I'M A LILTING BALLAD.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU END UP IN THIS BUSINESS IN THE FIRST
PLACE?
>> I WAS LIKE A THEATER KID IN THE SUBURBS THAT LIKED MUSICALS.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MUSICAL.
>> THE FIRST MUSICAL I SAW ON PROD BEA WAS WICKED.
>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE TO BEG TO BE TAKEN?
>> MY PARENTS -- I, LIKE, LISTENED TO IT EVERY SINGLE
WHERE WE WENT AND MY MOM ACCIDENTALLY SAT ON IT AND BROKE
THE C.D.
>> Stephen: WOW.
PRETTY PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE, MOM.
>> YEAH, BUT THEN THEY BROUGHT ME UP.
I THINK THEY HAVE BEEN PLANNING IT FOR A WHILE, BECAUSE THEY
WERE SO EXCITED AND KNEW I LOVED THEATER.
MY MOM AND I DRESSED UP AND WENT TO CHINATOWN AND GOT NICE PURSES
AND WE WERE READY TO DO IT.
SAT TO SAY, I WAS THE PERSON WHO SANG ALONG THE ENTIRE TIME.
>> Stephen: SO IF I WERE SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU THE
ENTIRE MUSICAL, YOU WERE SINGING BEHIND ME.
>> , YES.
>> Stephen: DID THEY TELL YOU TO SHUSH?
>> THERE WAS A WOMAN WHO COMPLIMENTED MY VOICE AND I
REALIZED SHE WAS BEING FANTASTIC AT THE TIME.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID SHE SAY?
HE WAS, LIKE, MA'AM, YOUR DAUGHTER HAS A BEAUTIFUL VOICE.
AND I REALIZED SHE WAS PROBABLY PASSIVE LIKE MY MOM SITTING ON
MY C.D.
BUT I HAD AN INCREDIBLE TIME AND CRIED THE WHOLE TIME AND I JUST
LOVED IT.
>> Stephen: THE GREAT COMET -- "NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT
COMET OF 1812", WHICH IS AN EXCERPT OF "WAR AND PEACE."
>> YES, WHICH IS WHY IT'S A LONG TITLE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
IT'S LONGER THAN THE TITLE OF "WAR AND PEACE."
>> YES.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU PLAY NATASHA.
MM-HMM.
>> Stephen: AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF POST-"HAMILTON"
CASTING IS THAT YOU'RE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN BEING
CAST AS A MEMBER OF RUSSIAN NOBILITY IN 1812.
HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
>> OH, MAN, IF WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO ME, WE COULD BE
HERE ALL NIGHT.
>> Stephen: I'M HERE ALL NIGHT ANYWAY.
>> OH, GOOD.
I AUDITIONED FOR IT LIKE ANY OTHER AUDITION PROCESS.
THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT REGIONALLY IN BOSTON.
>> Stephen: MM-HMM.
BUT, YEAH, I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW ESPECIALLY IN OUR CURRENT
SOCIAL CLIMATE IT'S REALLY INCREDIBLE TO HAVE STORIES WHERE
PEOPLE ARE BEING ABLE TO TELL STORIES BASED ON THEIR ESSENCES.
AND ME BEING A DARK-SKINNED WOMAN WITH NATURAL HAIR BEING
THE CENTER OF THIS LOVE STORY, GROWING UP I DIDN'T SEE THAT
OFTEN.
THERE WAS A TEENAGER, A BLACK GIRL, AND SHE CAME TO SEE OUR
SHOW AND WAS TALKING TO THE CHOREOGRAPHER ABOUT MY
PERFORMANCE.
SHE SAID I REALLY HAVE TO BRING MY 6-YEAR-OLD SISTER ON THE
SHOW.
DENEE WAS A PRINCESS UP THERE.
I DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD BE PRINCESSES.
I WE WANT BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHAT THAT FELT LIKE.
ARTISTS AND PEOPLE IN ENTERTAINMENT, WE HAVE SUCH
INCREDIBLE POWER TO REMIND PEOPLE OF THEIR WORTH AND HELP
PEOPLE DREAM BIG, SO IT'S EXCITING TO BE A PART OF THAT.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, THE SHOW HAS
GOTTEN INCREDIBLE REVIEWS.
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" LOVED IT.
THEY COMPARED IT TO "HAMILTON."
THEY SAID THEY LIKED IT MORE THAN "HAMILTON."
HOW LONG BEFORE MIKE PENCE SHOWS UP?
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE SAFE.
IT STILL IS, LIKE, A RUSSIAN CLASSIC.
>> Stephen: YEAH?
IT'S CLASSIC AS IT GETS.
SO I THINK MAYBE MIKE WOULD LIKE US A LITTLE MORE.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE GREAT COMET OF 1812?
WAS THERE A COMET?
>> YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS 1812 BUT THERE WAS A BIG COMET
THAT HAPPENED SOON AFTER NAPOLEON MARCHED AND TOOK
RUSSIA.
>> Stephen: SO SOME THOUGHT IT WAS A PORTIER OF DOOM.
>> YES, BUT FOR PETER, IT MADE HIM FEEL LIKE SOMETHING WAS
BIGGER THAN HIM.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE FIRST MOMENT YOU HAVE BEEN ON A TALK
SHOW?
>> YES ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER YOU USED TO
PRETEND TO BE ON TALK SHOWS.
>> NO, NEVER!
>> Stephen: THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY HERE.
( LAUGHTER ) WHEN YOU DID THAT WHEN YOU WERE
YOUNGER, THE INTERVIEW, HOW DID YOU IMAGINE THIS WOULD END?
>> IT WAS A LOT OF HEAD-BACK AND LAUGHTER, ARMS FLAPPING.
>> Stephen: WE'LL DO HEAD BACK AND LAUGHTER, ALL RIGHT?
"NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF
1812" IS ON BROADWAY NOW!
DENEE BENTON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!