[music]
--Hey everybody! It's me, Susan Blackwell today I'm side by side my favorite
Broadway diamond, star of the musical Moulin Rouge! Look everybody, it's
Karen Olivo! --Hello
--Karen, I love you so much. Tell our friends at home where we are
and what we're doing today? --We are eating at PS Kitchen .
It's a plant-based restaurant --What?
--And a hundred percent of the proceeds go to
charity. --This is your jam, though.
--Yeah, I eat here a lot.
--If you're interested in
seeing Karen Olivo eat, please stop by PS Kitchen.
--I'll be downstairs.
[music]
--The name of
the game is the 30 second life story. I'm gonna put 30 seconds on the clock. You
have to tell me your entire life story. Don't leave out the awesome parts,
starting now. --I was born to artist parents. I
stayed in the theater for most of my childhood. Then I decided to make it a
career. I went to Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
--That's right! -- I got a Broadway show and
I got married three times, and here I am.
--You have a full 15 seconds left. --Look at that! I'm
so concise. This is my second interview with Susan. --Wait you were married three
times?
--Yeah, this is my third one.
--Really? --Now I got the one.
--I'm so happy for you.
Time's up. That's your whole life story. Super bonus, what's the name of that
autobiography? --Umm...
Third Time's a Charm? --I love it.
[music]
--What the what is the deal with Moulin Rouge?
Everybody's talking.
--Basically everyone who's a part of this show is a fan of
the movie. So I felt really comfortable that we
weren't gonna mess it up. [laughs]
--You are working with so many excellent weirdos. --Ha ha ha
director Alex Timbers, dream director, so exciting. Danny Burstein, Aaron Tveit, who
is a hotty McHottentot, but also delightful and funny. What the what is it
like working with all those nurdles?
--Ah, a dream. It's really it's a really like
ambitious show. And to work with those people makes it almost easy at times.
--It doesn't sound like there's a turd in the entire punchbowl.
--No, we really do not have any bad
apples. --That's great.
--Not one.
[music]
--You appear in a children's video based on the song
Consider Yourself. --I don't know what you're talking about.
--Care to comment Karen Olivo?
--It's called I had just bought a
house. I needed to make my mortgage payment.
--Great. -- I was I was off-Broadway
with In the Heights. And I was not gonna quit it to get a big paying job. And so I
did a very small, intimate, lovely, charming pilot for a kids program.
--Is that what it
was? --Yeah.
--What's your favorite part of that video?
--When I'm a funky cat.
--Let's roll clip. --Oh god,
no! [laughs]
--[sings] Consider yourself a cat!
Consider furry from head to toe.
Just walk all around like that!
[music]
--I want you to tell me a
juicy story about one of your co-stars. And you get to pick, but keep it juicy.
--My co-star, currently, Aaron knows always
knows what key everything is in. --Really?
--So much so, and he says he doesn't have perfect pitch, but I am I'm someone
I don't even have relative pitch. I can be just this much off and I see it in
his face. And he's like... That's not it, babe.
And he's so kind, but there was like a handful of things in Boston and in our
version now that were a capella. And I would start and he'd be like, Wow it
sounds great, but that's just not it. And then we'd stop to do something.
--Aaron Tveit! --And then he'd be like...
He'd hum it to me and I'd be like, Wow! You just know all
the keys. And sometimes, in rehearsal even, they'd be like, We're gonna take it from
here. And I'd hold my hand out to Kian, and I'd be like, Don't give us the key!
And I'd point at Aaron and Aaron would go, Mah...
And then that would be it.
[music]
--You are married to a wonderful man named Jim.
You are the stepmom to two amazing
kids. Due respect to your lovely family, the name of the game is celebrity free
pass.
[laughs]
--Okay. Does it free pass meaning... --Yes, that's
what it means. --I think I would probably
go with... it's gonna sound crazy. Mark
Rylance.
--Scoop. --He's such an incredible
actor that I would just have sex with
him so that afterwards I could ask him how he does what he does.
[laughs]
[music]
--If you could
star in any Broadway musical past, present, future
--Passion --Revival—shit...
--Yeah, Passion. --You
had that right at your fingertips. --Yeah, dream about it.
--Which part? --Fosca!
--Don't get mad at me. --Can you imagine if I was like Georgio!
--That's what I'm talking about. -- I love playing dudes. One day someone
will let me do it. I'll probably shave my head first.
--Are you gonna have like a great big mole
like what --Do I have to have a mole? Does
Fosca have to have a mole? -- I don't know.
--I don't think so. I think she just needs to be ill-looking in some capacity, and ill
in spirit. --You're gonna give it the old...
--I've wanted to shave my head since I can
remember. --Give you a reason.
--I know --This is a good idea
this is --You're the only one who thinks it's a good
idea! --I'll play all the other parts and direct it.
--Great --Great, deal. Put her there.
--You saw it here. --See it on Broadway!
[music]
--You get to go back and visit one moment in your life as a performer
, Emily Webb.
What moment do you choose? --Doing In the Heights on Broadway.
--Oh! Is there a particular like do
you remember a particular night or a time or an event that was that you would
want to return to?
--Probably when we were doing— it wasn't during our show. It was
when we were rehearsing for the Tony Awards. And we were doing 96,000, and we
were in our rehearsal. We were like standing on Radio City Music Hall stage.
Snd like I was standing in the back of the circle because we were doing the
superfriend circle. And I could see all of my friends looking out onto that
stage, and I was like, Oh my god. We actually made it here. I can't believe it
happened.
[music]
--Is there such thing as one true love?
--Yes. --Freedom, beauty, truth, love or
something else, if you had to pick one. --Freedom.
--Yes! Yes! --Do you think you
know how you are going to die?
--No. --You don't.
--I don't. --A lot of people do.
--Really? --Yeah.
--That's weird. --What do you want to
accomplish in this life before you die I
--I want to teach as many people as I can.
--And finally....
cake or pie?
--Pie
[sighs]
--Is it cake?
--It's cake. [laughs]
[music]
guess what time it is? It's time for Susan's fantasy jukebox. I
got your nose. You can have it back but first you have to ding me a song.
Did
I mention I'm a little drunk? --I knew this was going to happen.
--How about this? If I sing you a song like a chicken,
will you never take my nose again?
--Yes. --Great.
--Everyone heard that, right?
[clucks like a chicken] --
--Keep going .
This has been another amazing episode of Side by Side
by Susan Blackwell.
With my very special
friend Karen Olivo
Go see her in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway
You won't regret it.
--You could have your nose back.
That is the weirdest thing that's ever been on
this show.
[music]
--I purposefully didn't warm up this morning so that when you asked me to
sing, I'd be like... Do you hear what's coming out right now? No possible way
I can sing.
Because I know you. I know your tricks!