>> Stephen: HEY HEY! WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS A TWO-TIME TONY
AWARD-WINNING ACTOR, SINGER AND DANCER WHO
NOW STARS IN "THE MUSIC MAN" ON BROADWAY.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," SUTTON FOSTER.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> SORRY ABOUT THAT! >> Stephen: I'VE GOT TO TAKE
THAT OFF BEFORE I GO HOME TO EVIE.
SHE WILL BE VERY UPSET. SUTTON FOSTER OF SHOW BUSINESS.
>> YEAH. >> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING ON HERE. THE MUSIC MANN IS SUCH A
DELIGHT, IT IS ABSOLUTELY A A MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL,
ESPECIALLY IN DARK TIMES. IT IS SO BRIGHT, THERE'S NOT A
WAY TO LEAVE IT HAPPIER. IF EVERYBODY SAW IT, WE WOULD
LIKE EACH OTHER A LITTLE BIT MORE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> IT IS ONE TO HAVE THE MOST
JOYFUL, MOST LOVING, WONDERFUL THINGS I'VE EVER BEEN A PART OF,
ESPECIALLY AFTER THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND ESPECIALLY
NOW DURING THIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY, IT IS TRULY A TONIC
FOR THE SOUL AND THE HEART. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE MOMENT I GET
TO DO IT. I FEEL SO LUCKY.
>> Stephen: AND PART OF BROADWAY'S REOPENING IN THE
WINTER GARDEN THEATRE, SUCH A GREAT THEATER.
>> IT'S WONDERFUL. THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO
YEARS HAS BEEN DEVASTATING FOR OUR INDUSTRY, BUT FOR THEATER TO
BE BACK, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE PERFORMING LIVE AND SHARING THIS
EXPERIENCE WITH A LIVE AUDIENCE. >> Stephen: AND YOU AND HUGH
JACKMAN, FANTASTIC! >> HE'S THE BEST!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THIS IS A BROADWAY
STAGE, ORIGINALLY, AND I HAVE A BUNCH OF RITUALS I DO BEFORE I
COME OUT HERE EVERY NIGHT. DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS BEFORE
YOU DO THE SHOW? >> ACTUALLY HUGH AND I DO.
HE COMES TO VISIT IN MY DRESSING ROOM AND WE HAVE CARPET CHAT.
I HAVE THINGS TO SIT ON, BUT FOR SOME REASON WE BOTH END UP ON
THE FLOOR. >> Stephen: BEFORE THE SHOW.
BEFORE THE SHOW. WE HAVE COFFEE AND SMOOTHIES AND
WE THOUGHT WE SHOULD START A PODCAST CALLED CARPET CHAT.
>> Stephen: ABOUT AREA RUGS. ( LAUGHTER )
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE DONE BROADWAY SINCE BECOMING A
MOM. >> I HAVE A FIVE-YEAR-OLD LITTLE
GIRL. SHE JUST TURNED FIVE THIS WEEK.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY. SHE'S THE BEST.
>> Stephen: HAS SHE SEEN THE SHOW.
>> SHE DID. SHE SAW IT ONCE BEFORE WE OPENED
BECAUSE SHE WAS INVITED TO OPENING NIGHT, BUT THEN SHE
WANTED TO DECIDE IF SHE LIKED IT ENOUGH TO COME TO OPENING, WHICH
SHE DID. WHEN SHE CAME TO OPENING NIGHT,
I ASKED MY HUSBAND, I SAID, HOW DID SHE DO?
DID SHE APPLAUD OR RESPOND? >> Stephen: BECAUSE THE
RESPONSE IN THE THEATER IS INCANDESCENT.
THE AUDIENCE IS ON FIRE. >> THE AUDIENCE IS GOING CRAZY,
SHE LOVED IT. HE SAID, SHE CLAPPED WHEN YOU
TOOK YOUR BOW. BUT SHE REALLY DIDN'T CLAP OR
ANYTHING. I SAID, YOU DIDN'T CLAP?
SHE SAID, I NEED TIME TO PROCESS.
I'M JUST NOT GOING TO CONFORM TO THE MASSES.
I NEED TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT. >> Stephen: THAT IS A TOUGH
CRITIC. YOU WORK WITH A TON OF
INCREDIBLE ARTISTS. >> 21 BROADWAY DEBUTS.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE BEEN IN SO MANY BROADWAY SHOWS, TWO-TIME
TONY AWARD-WINNER. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO SEE THESE
YOUNG PEOPLE. >> IT'S REMARKABLE.
WE HAVE TEN-YEAR-OLDS TO VETERANS.
THEY ARE INCREDIBLE. FULL OF JOY, INCREDIBLE HUMAN
BEINGS. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE WORKING
WITH KIDS. IT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN
EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE THEIR BEST
SELF BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS HOW IT CAN BE.
BECAUSE IT ISN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY.
>> Stephen: DO THEY ASK FOR ADVICE?
>> THEY DO. ONE OF THE GIRLS ASKS ME FOR
ADVICE ABOUT WHAT SHE SHOULD WEAR FOR OPENING OR
REPRESENTATION OR SOMETHING. >> Stephen: WHO WAS THAT FOR
YOU? WAS THERE SOMEBODY OF YOUR
STATURE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER WHO GAVE YOU GOOD ADVICE?
>> I HAD TWO FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS, SO MY HIGH
SCHOOL DRAMA TEACHER, MR. BODICK, RECENTLY PASSED AWAY
RECENTLY, BUT HE SAW ME IN EVERY SINGLE SHOW.
I WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT WITHOUT HIM.
AND MY HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE TEACHER MRS. CLARK.
>> Stephen: I'LL SHOW THE PHOTO AFTER THE STORY.
>> SHE SAW THE SHOW AND WAS, LIKE, SO EXCITED.
AND SHE SAID, CAN I MEET MY CRUSH?
HUGH JACKMAN. SHE SAID, I WOULD JUST LOVE IT.
I SAID BECAUSE OF COVID, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ANYONE
BACKSTAGE, BUT HUGH WALKED OUT AND SCREAMED, MRS. HARRIET
CLARK, AND SHE SCREAMED LIKE A GIRL.
THERE SHE IS WITH HER CRUSH. I CAME OUT TO SEE HER, AND SHE
HAD ALREADY LEFT. ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: EXCELLENT TIMING. ( LAUGHTER )
YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT -- WE TALKED ABOUT CROCHETING THE LAST TIME
YOU WERE HERE AND YOUR OWN CRAFT WORK AND NOW YOU'VE WRITTEN A
BOOK ABOUT IT, CALLED HOW CRAFTING SAVED MY LIFE.
>> YES. >> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
THERE YOU GO. HOOKED.
HOOKED. HOW CRAFTING SAVED MY LIFE.
HOW DID CRAFTING SAVE YOUR LIFE H SUTTON FOSTER.
>> IT'S A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS I'VE MADE
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE AND SORT OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING DURING THE
TIME. THE BABY BLANKET I WAS MAKING
WHEN I WAS WAITING FOR MY DAUGHTER TO BE BORN.
THE CROSS STITCHING, THE BLANKET I WAS MAKING WHEN I GOT MY
DIVORCE, FILLED WITH A LOT OF ENERGY, ANGST AND TEARS.
BUT IT WAS A WAY FOR ME TO TELL MY STORY WITH THE WAY THINGS
WILL LIVE ON HOPEFULLY BEYOND ME.
>> Stephen: U YOU SEEM TO MARK IMPORTANT MOMENTS WITH YOUR
CRAFTING. >> I DO.
>> Stephen: I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT YOU ARE MARKING THIS
EVENING WITH CRAFTING. >> I AM.
>> Stephen: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS.
>> BEING ON YOUR SHOW IS A MOMENT FOR ME AND, SO, I MADE
YOU A LITTLE SOMETHING. I MADE IT WHILE I WAS IN THE
DRESSING ROOM AT THE MUSIC MAN, SO THIS IS FOR YOU.
( APPLAUSE ) IT'S A TOILET PAPER ROLL COVER.
>> Stephen: IT'S A CROW SHADE MUG!
( LAUGHTER ) TOILET PAPER -- WHERE WAS THIS
TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I NEEDED TO HIDE MY TOILET PAPER?
( LAUGHTER ) >> EXACTLY.
THAT'S FOR YOUR EMERGENCY ROLE. >> Stephen: THIS IS LOVELY.
NO PROBLEM. >> Stephen: THANK YOU.
THE MUSICAL IS "THE MUSIC MAN" ON BROADWAY AT THE WINTER GARDEN
THEATRE. GO SEE IT.
SUTTON FOSTER, EVERYBODY. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK