- That's why I like the Richard Scarry books
because you can like, do you know those books?
- I don't know.
- Oh, they're like, maybe I'm dating myself.
They're like before your time.
- No, they're not. We're like the same age.
- I'm gonna get those for you now.
No, we're not the same age.
- Yes we are.
- I'm gonna get those books for you, and...
- What?
- I know, I'm 51 in like a couple days.
- What?
- Yeah.
(audience whoops and claps)
- Yeah.
- I just turned 40.
I thought you were literally my exact age.
What fountain are you drinking from?
- It's not - Oh my go.
- It's a lot of makeup and people helping me.
- Congratulations.
- Oh, thank you.
- I mean, on the book and all the things
but like more on that.
Like that's great.
Congratulations.
Wait, did you say your birthday's coming up?
- Yeah. May 30th.
- Oh, that's exciting.
- Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
- Oh, you get trumped by Memorial Day every year.
That's that weekend.
- By Memorial Day? I used to always, yeah.
And because it's a holiday weekend
I always was gigging and working on...
- And even when you were young
people were probably out with their families
for birthday parties.
- Yeah, nobody wanted, it's the big summer weekend.
- I kind of took it negative, your birthday,
I don't know why I did that.
- That's okay! It is negative, it's 51!
- Your birthday is so awesome!
No, I just, I literally this whole time,
thought we were exactly the same age.
- Well, I'm flattered.
(audience applauding)
- So, you once said that the scariest part of performing is
like the three seconds, like right before the curtain.
- Did I say that? Probably, yeah.
- So you do, it's amazing 'cause you're so talented.
- Do still have that stuff?
- Here's the thing,
I think when I was, I've never been like stage fright,
or I've never had like that kind of nerves,
but like I grew up seeing classical stuff
so you have to be perfect and all those... like any...
- That's how I feel and with a theater community as well...
- You have to be perfect.
And so, but it started taking the joy away for me.
And this one night, it was actually funny,
it was in Australia like this random show
and I was miserable and I was like,
'cause I had focused on these minor things
that I just didn't nail like vocally and it,
and then I noticed the joy of singing was like leaving me.
- Leaving off.
- Yeah. And so then, it's interesting,
I was like, you know what, like, whatever,
like I'm gonna sound like soulful
and pitchy sometimes, it's gonna be fine.
And I feel like my voice got better.
I feel like I became better
because you got outta your head.
- You're relaxed.
- Yeah. But do you get that?
- Oh my God, I get so in my head
and I feel like the older I'm getting
I'm getting a little bit more, um... neurotic.
- Really?
- I don't know if that's with success
and social media and feeling like the lens is on me.
But, um...
- But they're on you for a reason.
Yeah, I mean, they're not on you because you suck.
- I'm not gonna lie, like I just, I do, I...
- A lot of my friends in the industry, they get nervous.
- But I will say that becoming a mom helped me
because I felt the need to be perfect
was not as crazy.
- It's not the most important thing now.
- It's not. I mean, if my son has a fever,
I'm not gonna not be with him
in the middle of the night before I have to get up.
So then I get on stage and I'd be like,
"You screw it up tonight, well, whatever,
"you had to make a choice."
So if you don't hit that big note, you know, big deal.
- That's me too.
- Yeah, that's life.
- But then you just alter the melody.
- And then I was better,
Yeah, and you alter the melody.
- Yeah, you have to alter the melody.
You have to handle it.
My band will tell you right now, I am the queen
of walking in and going, oh, it's so interesting,
are we gonna lower this?
(Idina laughs)
Are we gonna, oh, we'll just keep going.
Or like, sometimes I have to take it up.
It's just wherever your voice is.
- Exactly.
- I change, I alter melodies, I change.
- Me too.
- You have to if you're a live singer.
- I have a thing called the ABC performance.
So especially when I'm doing like eight shows a week
if you're really tired and stuff
I've decided there's the "A Show,"
which is the stuff that the composer really
wants you to hit when the critics are there.
And then you come up with a couple alternate melodies
that no one would even know that you change.
Except in your head psychologically
you feel like you're failing yourself
'cause you're getting sick and you think, oh I can't.
But if you just give yourself this particular thing
and then you nail that "B Show" or "C Show"
in a beautiful way with all of your heart.
People feel just as much
and you don't one feel completely devastated
that you didn't hit some high notes of people, you know?
- 'Cause you're human and it's a muscle, bye the bye.
So yeah.
- Yes, it is.
- But you're fabulous, so you should always remember that.
So those three seconds
just think of me saying you're awesome.
- I will.
That's what I was gonna say.
I was thinking 30 seconds before,
well, I just imagine I'm Kelly Clarkson.
- No, imagine you're you and I'm just sitting there,
so no matter if you suck,
you're still gonna be awesome, just so you know
- I'm going to think that! Thank you!
- Yeah, you should think that, I'm just saying.