>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY! WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST IS A GRAMMY
AWARD-WINNING ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "HAMILTON," "MINDHUNTER,"
AND "FROZEN."
HE NOW STARS OFF BROADWAY IN "LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS."
PLEASE WELCOME, JONATHAN GROFF!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> SO NICE TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW -- YOU KNOW, YOU'RE -- YOU'RE A MUSICAL
THEATER STAR AND, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU FEEL THE GREATNESS --
>> I MEAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU EVER MET HER BEFORE?
>> I NEVER -- >> Stephen: DID YOU MEET HER
BACK STAGE?
>> I DID AND SHE'S EVERYTHING YOU WISH SHE WAS.
>> Stephen: SOME PEOPLE YOU MEET THEM AND YOU GO, OH, THAT'S
EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED JULIE ANDREWS TO BE.
>> YES, SO FUNNY AND KIND.
IT'S VERY SURREAL FOR ME TO BE SITTING IN THE CHAIR SHE JUST
SAT IN, AND WE WERE KIND OF WEARING THE SAME OUTFIT, I
NOTICED.
>> Stephen: WOW.
A LITTLE COSMIC MOMENT BETWEEN ME AND JULIE.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN A FAN OF JULIE'S?
>> NOT ONLY A FAN BUT A DEEP, DEEP, DEEP FAN OF JULIE ANDREWS.
>> Stephen: YEAH?
WHERE, WHEN I WAS THREE YEARS OLD, I DRESSED UP --
>> Stephen: IS THAT WHAT THIS IS?
>> YEAH.
I DRESS UP AS MAR MARY POPPINS F HALLOWEEN.
>> Stephen: THIS IS MARY POPPINS RIGHT HERE AND THIS IS
YOU AS MARY POPPINS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THAT IS FANTASTIC.
YOU HAD SEEN MARY POPPINS AND JUST LOVED MARY POPPINS?
>> WE HAD THE V.H.S. OF MA MARY POPPINS AND MY MOM WILL TELL YOU
I WATCHED IT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THIS HALLOWEEN MY BROTHER WENT AS THE ENTERTAINER.
>> Stephen: WHAT ENTERTAINER?
HE CALLED HIMSELF THE ENTERTAINER.
HE HAD A TOP HAT AND A CANE.
HE WAS TRYING TO UPSTAGE ME AS MARY POPPINS, HE KNEW THAT WOULD
BE A HUGE DRAW, BECAUSE I HAD A LIPSTICK, HAT AND A CARPET BAG.
>> Stephen: FIRST OF ALL, YOU DO HAVE A GREAT MOM.
>> I DO HAVE A GREAT MOM TO LET ME DRESS AS MARY POPPINS.
>> Stephen: FANTASTIC.
AND SPEAKING OF V.H.S., I ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND YOU BROUGHT
A V.H.S. OF YOUR MOTHER RECORDING YOU AS MARY POPPINS
AGE THERE ON HALLOWEEN?
>> ON HALLOWEEN IN MY GRANDPARENTS YARD WHO WERE
MENNONITES.
WE WERE IN THEIR YARD, MY BROTHER WAS THE INTERTINER AND I
AM MARY POPPINS IN DRAG.
>> Stephen: PLEASE.
ING A SONG FROM MARY POPPINS ( SINGING )
>> DID YOU SAY IT?
HE HAS LIPSTICK ON!
OOOH!
LIPSTICK, OOOH!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WOW.
SO WHAT DID YOU SAY?
AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO YOUR THING IN A MINUTE.
BUT WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HER WHEN YOU WENT IN?
HOW DID YOU CONTAIN YOURSELF?
>> I JUST TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND I JUST SAID THANK YOU FOR YOUR
INCREDIBLE -- I DIDN'T TELL HER I WAS DRESSED AS HER IN DRAG AND
THAT I WOULD BE FEATURING THAT LATER, I JUST TRIED TO KEEP IT
COOL AND I JUST ASKED HER QUESTIONS.
I ASKED HER IF SHE GETS NERVOUS BEFORE INTERVIEWS AND SHE SAID,
YEAH, A LITTLE BIT.
BUT SHE JUST CAME OFFSTAGE AND SAID, ISN'T HE THE GREATEST?
HE MAKES ME FEEL SO COMFORTABLE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU ARE!
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.
>> YOU ARE!
>> Stephen: NOW YOU'RE STARRING IN "LITTLE SHOP OF
HORRORS" AT THE WESTSIDE THEATER.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE THE PLAY BILL RIGHT THERE.
"LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS."
>> YES.
>> Stephen: SEYMOUR IS A BELOVED CHARACTER.
WHAT ATTRACTORRED YOU TO THIS?
>> MICHAEL MAYER WHOM I WORKED WITH ON "SPRING AWAKENING" ABOUT
13 YEARS AGO CALLED ME IN MAY AND SAID WE WANT TO TAKE "LITTLE
SHOP OF HORRORS" BACK TO ITS ROOTS AND DO IT IN AN
OFF-BROADWAY THEATER AT THE WESTSIDE THEATER, 270 SEATS.
IT WAS TONE IN THE '80s ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE AND HOWARD
ASHMAN FAMOUSLY SAID IT'S MEANT TO BE IN AN INTIMATE SPACE,
WE'RE NEVER MOVING IT TO BROADWAY.
SO MICHAEL WANTED TO SORT OF RE-CREATE THE INTIMACY OF THE
SHOW AND HAVE A GREAT TIME, AND WE ARE HAVING THE PEST TIME
EIGHT TIMES -- BEST TIME EIGHT TIMES A WEEK DOING THE SHOW.
WE OPENED LAST WEEK.
IT'S A COMPETITION BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE CAST AS TO
WHO'S HAVING MORE FUN BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A FUN SHOW TO DO.
>> Stephen: YOU MET YOUR BOY COREY IN NEW ZEALAND.
YOU MET HIM THERE?
>> WE WERE TEACHING AT A THEATER CAMP IN CHRISTCHURCH.
>> Stephen: IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T
BEEN THERE WHAT THE NATIONAL CHARACTER IS THERE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN KIWIS AND AMERICANS?
>> PORTION SIZE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WANT TO LEAVE IT
AT THAT?
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, JONATHAN.
"LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS."
AT THE WESTSIDE THEATER NOW!
JONATHAN GROFF, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY YUNGBLOOD
FEATURING DAN REYNOLDS!