"The Universe Needs To Relax" (w/ Cynthia Erivo)
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All opinions are their own and not a guarantee of a similar outcome. Hey everybody, it's me, Matt Rogers, letting you know tickets are on sale now to see me on tour. The Prince of Christmas tour, that is. I'm doing my whole album, Have You Heard of Christmas, plus a lot more with the whole band all throughout December. Go to www.mattrogersofficial.com to see me in a city near you. And now, Lost Cult. Drums.

Look, man. Oh, I see. Wow. Bowen, look over there. Wow. Is that culture? Yes. Oh, my goodness. Wow. Las Culturistas. Ding dong. Las Culturistas calling in our green, as it were. You know, it is a very present color in all of our lives. And yet, for someone to, I don't know, like, really, I'm not going to say...

Own it. That's my color now vibes. And I'm not talking about us. No. I'm already- I'm talking about someone else. I'm already sort of- Who you'll hear about in a sec. You'll hear from in a sec. I'm already sort of basking in the glow of this person. Because I'm fresh off this- How could you not? How could you not? I mean, I've-

This is the first time I'm seeing her in person in a long time. And I'm fresh off of seeing the film Wicked Part 1 again. Last night there was a screening. Talk about this because this was a really... This was not just any screening. No, no. This was so sublime. It was Broadway friends and family. So it was...

So many of the original cast of Wicked, but also all the cast since over the 21 years that the 21 years the show has been on around the world. Kristen was there. Norbert was there. Wow. So many wonderful, wonderful people. I'm missing so many people. Carrie St. Louis was there. I saw that. One of our famed Glindas. And it was just the warmest crowd ever.

I couldn't believe it. You know what was also crazy? Children of the original cast. Oh, so now it's truly generational. See, that's the great thing about this. And I think that it's like hitting everyone right now. This is meaningful on meaningful because I've also seen the film. It was a little bit of a different situation. It was a very small screening room. And I was just telling our guests when I saw it, I was like, are people going to turn up the way I'm going to turn up? Because it was a smaller theater. Yes. And I can say that they did. But

And it's so, when you're watching the movie, what's so incredible about it, and I don't know why I had to realize this, but I was like, oh, we're also honoring The Wizard of Oz. This is generations of cinema. This is, The Wizard of Oz is the story. And so Wicked is the story. And it's just, to watch it land on people like that must have been really, really, really monumental. So monumental. Oh my God, I can't believe you're here. I love you so much. I mean, just to speak on, you know, by the way, what a huge year for Green, right?

Big year for green. Green, you did that this year. You really got your stripes. I'm sorry, remind us what other... Well, Brat Green. Oh, Brat Green, of course. Well, there was famously Brat Green, and now there's Elphaba Green. Green was very present at the various tennis opens of the world. 100%, Beau. You know, golfers. Because of the color of the grass. Of the grass. Green is forever. It's actually rule of culture number six. Green is forever. Our guest today is...

One of the most brilliant artists of any generation, an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner, an Oscar-nominated actress and songwriter. Just a truly brilliant star who we're here to announce is Elphaba. You heard it here first. You heard it here. Breaking news. Playing Elphaba in Wicked. I mean, when you see this, you are going to be truly lifted. I mean...

And I don't even say that as a pun. No. Oh, right. Oh, because of the famous lifting that happens. Not a spoiler. She's also the patron saint of the Kennedy Center at this point. I have to... If you don't think I'm going to bring up Alfie, you didn't think.

If you didn't think I was gonna- Nothing compares to you. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Until I've had my Cynthia. Cynthia. Okay, everyone, welcome into your ears. The magnificent Cynthia Arino! Cynthia Arino!

How are you feeling since last night? Well, I'm feeling very, very like floaty. Last night was crazy and amazing. Many, many things are happening. You were bouncing around all over town. I was bouncing around all over town. So I started the CFDAs, went back to the screening. I was hanging out at the screening for a little bit, which was so surreal. I had like an outer body experience. Yeah.

So I was standing at the back of the theatre. First of all, I walk in and there's all the Elphaba standing there and all the Glinda standing there. And then there's Kristen right in the middle and she welcomes me. We have this massive hug. Kristen is amazing. And I'd already spoken to it, Dina. So that was like already sort of like a metaphysical thing that was going on. Yeah. So I felt like, oh, I'm part of this incredible sisterhood, which you know you are. But when you see it in like real life, that sort of

becomes an actual core memory. Yes. And then we move upstairs and then we speak and we start talking about what it means to us. And as I'm waiting for us to go up, I realized that I'm standing in front of a Broadway family, one of which I belong to because of my history and the things I've been through and Color Purple and all of that. And I'm like, oh, two things are happening at once. I'm getting to show this

that is from Broadway to a Broadway family from which I belong. I just had like a massive, it's not even a meltdown, but like a real realization of the journey that I've been on and what it might mean to them and what it might mean to me. And it just was, it became so, it was already a big moment, but that became a really huge moment to be a part of. You were enveloped in it. Yeah. I had to be like,

I've got to breathe. I can't even... I feel like I'm so out of body. It was so insane. And then because I had to rush back, I really didn't want to leave immediately. So I hung out at the back and watched just like the first 20 minutes of the film with everyone. And just to see...

like hear it, the laughs and the tears that happened immediately. Yeah. The applause and it just, it was working, you know, you're like, oh, it's playing. It's playing. My makeup artist was saying, there's this piece, um,

In Madonna's Truth or Dare. And when she, they're standing in a circle and they're about to go on show and it's in her hometown and she's shaking and she goes, it shouldn't matter, but it does matter what they think. Of course. And I was like, that's, that's the case. It does matter what this person

what this room thinks of this piece. And to be in the room whilst they were accepting it and open-armed for it was beyond my wildest dreams. How are you managing overall your emotions around this moment? Because it's so... Sometimes I'm not. That's what I mean. But how could you, in a way? Do you have time to yourself in the mornings where you ask

actually let things out? Like, or do your emotions like surprise you in moments like that? They surprise me. Sometimes I feel like I'm really like, I'm in control of what's going on and I, you know, I can manage everything. And then the other times they just like spill out. Yeah. You know, unexpectedly, a little thing will happen and I go, oh my God. Yeah. We were talking about this before with like John and with Ari. It's like, it's because we kind of

put it to the side, we compartmentalize it, we put it in a drawer and now it's all coming back. And like you are, these things are popping out of not nowhere, but like intermittently because it was something that you sat with for years. Yes, yes. And was that your first time watching it in a bigger room last night? With an audience. Wow. On a bigger screen. On a bigger screen with many people. Yes. That is a very different experience than like being sent the link. Yeah.

Correct. It's very different. I watched that movie basically with two other people. It was me and my publicist or something. And we just sat and watched. Or a friend. And that was it. And I'd been craving to watch it in a theatre with other people who had never seen it before, who were just coming to it for the first time. So to watch people react just off the cuff, insane. It's a completely different energy. It's the wildest...

most energy filled, most electric feeling you could imagine. It's, I can't wait to do it again. Yes. I can't wait to do it again. Again and again. Do it as much as you can because we're talking to you as like...

to you as someone who's obviously been in films before with theatrical releases but like I don't know like it's just different and also of course it's different but also the thing that I miss about you know Matt and I were in a movie once that didn't come out in theaters but we went to like the premieres and stuff and the screenings and it was like oh I'll miss this so much just sharing the space with people as they're watching this at the same time and to give it the cinematic

opportunity that it deserves because we were talking to Ariana last week on the pod and one thing that struck me was when you're shooting it it is you're at work and you're shooting it so there's the tape you know what I mean there's your mark there's the guy with the camera so then all of a sudden it can feel easy to slip into oh I'm at work I'm doing the scene you know I'm talking to my friend I'm on my phone when I'm not like here and then all of a sudden you see Oz yes and it's all together and everything like all of those

miniature things that make it happen all the stuff that like are semantics go away yes and now like the thread is there yeah and then you're like sewn together wow we made a big fucking movie it's insane the thing is huge it's wild yeah and like I keep going but even I was in it but I go back and I watch and I go I didn't see that last time oh my gosh

I didn't notice that that person did that. I didn't know that I was, why did I roll my eyes at that point? When did he catch that? When did I do that? I don't remember. So you're catching up on all the things that you may have done in the moment that you didn't remember you even did or you didn't remember was there. And now all of a sudden you're like, oh my God, that was, that is where I was. And that's alpha by now. Right. That is another thing is it's just like, you've contributed such a beautiful, strong, funny,

powerful Elphaba. And I wanted to ask specifically about one choice in the film because this to me was, this really is what blew people back in their chair. I know what you're going to talk about. So, so much said about Defying Gravity and in that, the last note, right? Yes.

the gut that you put in that note, that battle cry, that roar is so different than the way you've approached vocally the rest of the performance the whole time. Can you talk about that choice and like the collaboration with John on deciding how to make that note that Elphaba 2.0 that launches us into Wicked Part 2? Well, we knew that for her, this was the beginning of her journey, almost like

beginning of what we know will become the Wicked Witch. But it had to be for both of us, the release of everything, it had to be a roar. So I didn't necessarily want to make it pretty. So there has to be like a guttural, it has to come from that place. That's the beginning of like the rage and all of that grit.

So we just were like, what do we want it to sound like for me? And each Elphaba has their own battle cry. Each Elphaba has their own roar. And I spent some time searching for what that felt like, what that could be. And the moment I did it and tried it, everyone was like, that's it. Because the rest of Elphaba in part one, the vocals, the quality and the timbre is so clean and it's so...

and in a lot of ways what we know to be like cynthia arriva's voice is like it's just so purity pure and there's like a like it's it's almost like it's always intimate yeah you singing i'm not that

That girl is such a beautiful and you don't really understand when you watch it on stage. Obviously, we enjoy the song, but when we can be really with you and you're singing it, it actually makes Defying Gravity even more heartbreaking. Like that's why it's going to be amazing to watch on a second, third, fourth, eighth, ninth, millionth time is because the arc. The journey. It really lands. And in that last note, like it's,

I just can't wait for everyone to see it that said it should have been one movie. It's like, please. Let's keep watching after that. We need a break. The curtain has dropped. There's no way. There's no way. Like, I love that people are so passionate and they're like, it should have been one movie. And I understand, but because...

We were there and we shot the second movie. There's not a chance. No. There's no way. There's no way it could be one movie. There's no way. There's too much. Yeah. There's too much. And even, you know, there's something to be said about part one running in at a certain time. It's like it moves. And even then, I think, even last night, I was like, things can breathe even more if we let them. Like a lot was cut out. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. Like a lot was like, oh, I guess we're trying to service people.

the audience experience by like not making them sit there for too long. And yet it still came in at like two hours and 40 minutes or whatever. That's it. Yeah. And we still never felt it was long. Do you see what I'm saying? Like, can you imagine we went on to the second part? No way. I was like, cause you couldn't move on to thank goodness at that point. No you can't. It's impossible. Without

define gravity suffering and the rest of the movie after that suffering. Literally, the song brings it down. Everyone has to be like, I need to go away. We have to all go away. Right. You and I are. Yeah. Let me process. Let me come back. Let me see it again. Let me, you know, we'll see this. We'll get back. We'll get back. And also what's lovely about waiting for the second is that

there is growth happening in that time. So what happens in a year is like the growth that happens for everyone that comes back the second time around. Time passes between the acts. And just to speak about like how you don't want to let any moment not have its true expanse. Yeah.

I think one of the most unforgettable moments I've seen in a film in a really long time to speak on just this one segment is dancing through life. When you come in and it's the hope and the, you know, this chance to have a real social moment and the disappointment and the realization that you've been tricked. Yeah. I just think that that entire sequence, I could get chills. I mean, I don't think there was a dry eye and that just. If you had stayed for that last night, you would have.

Not that you're not a strong person. What happened? It's just people. They lose their faculties. It was a cacophony of sniffles and like everyone was losing it. It is a beautiful moment. And I wanted to ask about shooting that. Yeah. Like that must have been so vulnerable and exposing and tough. Yeah. That was a hard, that was a hard day.

And I thought when I was watching it, I was like, I wonder where she's at. It was hard. Yeah. Because you have to process. I really understand Elphaba's ownership of loneliness and like knowing she feels different, knowing she's not one of the one of everybody else and deeply wanting to, you know, there's a part of us that all wants to be, we all want to be accepted. Even when we know that we can't or we're different and we're on the outside. I think that

Because I understood that, that's where I'm in my head. So it's, you know, funneling all the things, all the times when I feel alone, all the times when you want to be accepted, all the times when you feel like you're on the outside, all the times when it just, you just can't connect with everybody. Mm-hmm.

And it's just that that replays in your head and in your body as well. And when you're doing something like that, where you are really on your own, the loneliness is really loud. So you just have to process all of that. And that's what happened. And every time I could, it was like, the more you do it, the deeper you go, the deeper you go, the deeper you go. So by the time I think he got that shot, it was like,

There was like nothing left. It was just, I couldn't hold anything. Well, my memory of it is that every single setup, every single take, you gave it a perfectly calibrated, vulnerable, raw thing. And it was really beautiful to watch and also very difficult. And I can't, so if it was difficult for me to just even stand by the wayside, like I can't imagine the sort of buckling and all that that you were,

giving in service to this project. And like, that is, that is, I think like the takeaway for everybody for this movie is that like, this film is telling this huge universal story, but then for the performer, for Cynthia to be the vessel of Elphaba, this character, like you, you gave it so, so much, you gave so much of yourself. And I remember you, you,

At the end of that sort of segment of shooting that you turned to everybody and thanked them. And it was and we just all applauded. And it was just such a beautiful, loving moment of sort of communion because we'd all sort of been through it in a way. Yeah, I felt really supported and held.

Genuine care. Yeah, it felt like there was the most amazing energy in the room. It felt like, you know, there's like a circle of like, strength. Everyone, we all have to do what we have to do, but actually in the core of everyone's heart, I could feel like, energy. Just hold the circle.

keep the energy keep the space and there was such respect for what was going on and what needed to happen no one was too loud no it was all like quiet when it needs to be quiet and space when it needed to be space and I felt so loved so taken care of during that that

to have finished without saying thank you would have been impossible because I knew that it's hard enough for me to play the person who is alone and going through that. But I think it's just as hard to play anyone who has to reject someone who is that as well. Because also I was aware that so many people on that set

our versions of Elphaba uh-huh you know yeah we're all the queer kids who are out you know and who are pushed on the outside so everyone in that room is sort of watching a version of themselves in this moment I just like that's something that came to me when I had finished I looked around I was like we all understand this yeah and so to have to play the people who are rejecting it

must also be deeply difficult to deal with. It's a very hard thing to also sit in that emotion of guilt and shame that you have allowed someone to feel this way, which is why it's such a moment for Glinda as well. You know what I mean? It's like that is the scene that solidifies the relationship because it is both of you confronting the way you really feel. And then it launches into popular, which is so joyful and so...

expressive and colorful but it's just so successful thank you two things yes thank you for acknowledging even though it's a fraction of what you had to go through on a performance level like there was something i remember like in the circle where between takes like we would just turn to each other and be like it feels really bad for us to like snicker and laugh at this person and we had to do that take after take and then i remember coming up to you a bunch of being like

how are you doing? I'm so sorry. I was like, it feels so unnatural for me, a gay man, to bully Cynthia Erivo. I'm like, this is so wrong. And then the second thing, which is what Matt's saying, like launching into popular. I remember John turned to me last night and was just like,

It's so great how the audience is immediately in love with Glinda and Elphaba as friends. The second dancing in life is done. And that's just, it just comes from that moment. You know? It's lovely. I love my favorite part of that, that scene in between Dancing Through Life, the Ozdust and Popular, the scene that we have in the bedroom. I think it's just such a tender, sweet scene where,

Ari and I were saying that the two of them are so awkward they're like figuring it out yeah how do we hang out how do we hang out yeah like Afua's never been at a sleepover before so she's like kind of awkward and not really like doesn't really know what to do and Belinda's

I think also equally awkward. Like, how do I hang out with this person? And how do I share the space? And they're sort of figuring it out the way they like undulate and figure it out together. And then finally like land on the floor. And then it's, you know, it's tomorrow. It's tomorrow. I just love how they find their way to that. Yeah. I think it's, that's the journey for them. They find each other. Yeah. And,

you know, for Elphaba to give that sort of, she confides in, it's sort of like, I trust you. I'm going to trust you with this thing that I don't think, I don't think Elphaba's told anyone that story, to be honest. I think it's the first time she's voiced it. And I think there's just a really wonderful moment of them deciding to trust each other. Yeah. To speak on the collaboration between you and Ariana. So I would imagine you get this part and do you find out

pretty immediately that the role will be played by ariana grande or soon after yeah i don't think i found out on the call but i think i found out soon after maybe like a day after and they let me know what was going on and i was like oh that makes sense yeah so is it that like you know you're up for it and do you hear who's up for the other thing i mean don't tell me a damn don't tell me anything i don't want to know i don't know who's going up for it i didn't want to

even know until they needed me to come in. I said, give me no information. Give me nothing. I don't want to know. Yes. Tell me if they actually want me to come in. That's all I want to know. And they didn't. I said, I don't care who's going in. I don't want to know. When and if

they want me, then I will know. That's all I wanted. - Meaning the audition or actually playing the role? - The audition. - So this is wild to me that Cynthia Erivo would have to audition for anything just because it's like, well, clearly we know this is gonna be brilliant, but you do have to audition. And when you do, do you sing Defying Gravity? - Yes. - Wow. - You sing Defying Gravity, you sing The Wizard and I, you sing For Good, you do a bunch of scenes.

But they were really, really respectful. I actually think what happened was, because I think I was the last to come in. John and I had had a couple of conversations. And then I waited a couple of weeks. And then they came back with, we want you to come in. And it was a camera test, essentially. So I was there for three hours, my audition. And that was the one and only thing I came to do. I think they were deeply, deeply respectful. I think John had teed it up for me to

it was mine to lose i feel like he gave me the most amazing platform to come in and do my work and then let it be

And I think that's probably why. But I love that I got the chance to come in and show how much I wanted it, show how much it meant to me. And I was prepared to come in a couple of times if they needed me to, because I think the role deserves that. Right. Yeah. I think the role needs it. It's not enough to want to come in because you can sing. It's not enough to come in because you can act. I think there are layers that he was looking for. And I remember when he...

He said the thing that

that swung it for him was the way I did The Wizard and I. He said there was like a vulnerability that I hadn't seen in the other roles, like a youthful, hopeful energy that the other roles don't permit, don't give you the chance to do. Harriet does not give you the chance to do that. And because there's so much more depth, it's like deep and hard and, you know, resilient. And Belle, who is in Widows, doesn't, it's not that. Yeah.

Oh, you were fantastic. But it's a different energy. In a way, this is really showing a totally new side of you. Yeah. And so I think he was, he wanted to see like the wide eyed openness that I have, but I don't necessarily get the chance to share. Right. And,

The Wizard and I gave that energy to him. So I was just, I think I was lucky that he allowed me to express that and show it. Yeah. Yeah. And also what it takes to hold the responsibility of playing something so iconic is something that you've done several times. I was thinking about, you know, your...

you know, Harriet, like Aretha Franklin, Celie, you know, I mean, like these come with scrutiny. Yes, but also responsibility and history. And so I was wondering, um,

Because this seems like a pattern, does that excite you? Or is this like happenstance that these happen to be like these iconic things? Or do you find that you're like, yeah, that thing that everyone's going to watch? I'm not afraid of that. I want to run to that. Are you running to these things? I think by accident I'm running to them because I'm not necessarily running to them because I know that people are watching or inspecting them. I think I'm running to them because they're the most interesting things

people to play. Yeah. The ones who have like depth in history and there's complexity in it all the way around. I just think they're interesting characters. First and foremost, they're people who have wants and needs and maybe there are parts of them that maybe haven't been discovered and I want to like open them up even more and play and learn them even more. I think I'm intrigued by that. Yeah. And then the layer of like, oh, but also...

So many people know about this person. Right. And so many people are invested in this person. And projecting onto that person. Real or fictional. Yes. How much of, I would say, like the initial gut level alphabet in the audition do you think was retained by the final product? I think maybe about...

60%. Wow. And I learned a lot when I was there. Yeah. Yeah. Because you know what I love? I've heard you talk about how a lot of roles you approach, you start with the walk. Yeah.

And I love how you kind of... The opening shots of Elphaba are of her walk. Yeah. You literally start on the close-up of the shoes, the feet, as she sets foot on Shiz. And I think from those, immediately you understand that your take on Elphaba is really new and beautiful. It's like she's not like...

drab or like awkward or uncomfortable. She's very self-assured. She's there to like support her sister. And then that first monologue where we're all like gawking at you like, oh my God, who's she? You're like, okay. Like in a way, like, and I love and celebrate, like as we're talking about the alphabets of yore, it's like, there's such a wonderful blueprint of how this has been. And for you to like honor that and also sort of divert is...

really special and I feel like that must have come from like your experience with playing all these very different women yeah ambitious women and it was you know it's like it's not on purpose to be like I'm gonna change everything now no I just once I put her shoes on and I I think because of my own understanding and everyone has a different understanding of what it is to be different and what it feels like to be sort of like

on the outside i just thought to myself she's been in the skin for her her whole life it's not new for her people staring at her it's not new for her people having a weird like reaction to her not new yeah her needing to be the support for her sister not new yes her getting yelled at by her father not new it's like this is all stuff that she's been through already and has like

It's in her skin, in her DNA. It's the assignment of her life to deal with this bullshit. So like the choice is I'm either going to be mad my whole life or I'm going to get to the joke before everybody else does. Right. And if I can get to the joke before everyone else does, and it is a form of defense, if I get there before everybody else, then I can't be hurt. They're already behind. Yeah. So...

Okay. Yeah. I'm not this. I'm not that. You can't call me weird if I'm this. If I already say it myself. Exactly. I know what I'm in. I know what I look like. I know where I've been and I know what you're thinking. Right. Like one of my favorite lines when you first meet her is, here's my sister, Nessa, and she's a perfectly acceptable color. Like because no one else says, oh, this is, we don't, she already knows. Yeah. She knows what, that's what everyone's thinking. Right. And it's like, she said it, it's like, oh, here we go.

Totally. And I think that's how she functions. Is that a defense mechanism that you relate to? Yes. Yeah. You get there first. Always get there first. Get there first. It's a queer thing, I think. It's a queer thing. And like, it works on some level until it doesn't. Exactly. Until you're at the Oz dust. Right. It's just self-defense until you're building a weapon. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Charlie XCX. Charlie XCX. And Lorde. And Lorde.

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I'm not going to spoil something, but like there was a moment at a very critical juncture of this film where there's like an inner child healing moment. Yeah. And it is executed. So every emotional beat of this movie lands, which is not to say that the rest of the movie like doesn't work on any. It's just the underpinnings of this movie are purely emotional. And that's like a testament to you. And this moment of the inner child. Yes.

For a long time, I kind of rolled my eyes at that concept. Oh, wow. Oh, you have to like... What is like... Right, right, right. I talked to the young version of myself. Eye roll. Something about this movie really cracked me the fuck open with that concept. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's like what you're saying with like, oh, Alpha Book. We all kind of grow up with these... Yeah. It's because you don't think that... Because throughout the movie...

The inner child is not on the outside. Yeah. And I think that's actually how most of us function. Like we don't realize that we're all healing like deep seated wounds that are on the children that we were. Yes. But it's never, usually it's not obvious. We don't know. And I don't even think she knows until she knows. Until she knows. You know, she remembers certain things and there are things that we like that she keeps to herself and it shows up in like flickers and things.

when she gets yelled at by her father it's like an immediate sort of like call to what has been and but she doesn't there's no real acknowledgement until she has to acknowledge yeah but that's what she's running away from and that's what she has to move towards yeah yeah oh yeah oh my god as you were sitting here it's just so funny because i i had a moment where i started to get a little emotional because i'm remembering and this is a little bit of a left turn but

When you performed I'm Here on the Tony Awards. Yeah. That was, I believe it was a couple days or maybe the day after Pulse. And I just remember how much that meant to me and to so many people. It felt like you were putting a warm blanket over everyone. So I guess just like thank you for the gift of that performance, like retroactively now years later. But also in terms of like being given these opportunities to give these live performances. Yeah. Because

We mentioned Alfie earlier. You know, nothing compares. It's another opportunity that is very high stress that you seem to be running towards. And I would, I guess, ask. She's a runner. She runs. We saw Willow's. But like, again, those opportunities, which will probably come forever. Yeah.

Do they excite you? How are you feeling in the moments of receiving offers to do things like that, receiving calls to do things like that, and the moment of doing things like that? When it comes to as a singer, I do go towards them. Yeah. Because I feel like if I wasn't meant to, they wouldn't come my way. And I think there are moments of great responsibility to connect with people. I know people say that actors are not saving lives, but I think that there is an aspect of

maybe we can heal a couple of people. Singing is different. Music is different. We can crack people open. We can like connect. We can help you connect with things that you might not have thought of. We can help you heal a little thing and think of something. And I feel like that's my duty. That's my work. Yeah. That's the grander design of the gift that I've been given to sing. So when opportunities like that come, it's

singing at the Kennedy Center, of course I'm going to stand there and give Dionne Warwick her flowers. Of course I'm going to share with her the moment that I...

really fell in love with her. The fact that her voice is the seminal voice for Alfie, for me, you know, I want to connect with her on that, you know, of course I'm going to sing. I think there was a performance of I'm here that I had to do after like the last crazy election that we had to do. And people were like in tears. I knew that I had to go to work to be like, Hey,

We're okay. And I was asked to sing Imagine at the GLAAD Awards after Pulse in dedication to. Of course, I'm going to come in and sing that because we're going to be okay. Do you feel that way? I do. Yeah. I do. I really believe that that is my work. And to validate people's feelings, the feelings that we have.

through music. I really think that there is a bigger purpose at hand when you have a voice, when you can use music to connect with people. It's not enough to just sing a song. What is the point?

Yeah. But if you can use music and tune and notes and lyric to connect, to validate a person's feelings, to send them off and feeling better, to tell them that we'll move through this, it's going to be okay, that this is a gateway to healing. I'm happy to do that. I'll do it. Yeah. It's funny because your performance of Alfie, like I always knew the song. Yeah. You know what I mean? But

It was like I was hearing it for the first time. And it was so funny because like I had gone through a situation with someone and didn't realize that that song was speaking to that experience until I was... And it actually empowered me because it's like I know what love really is. Right. You know what I mean? And it's...

twofold it's you expressing and telling that story but also honoring her yeah and i wonder like did you have a conversation with ms warwick afterwards yes yeah she's very happy good she's very happy she's tough but she was happy good she was happy she said no you didn't need to sing it like that yeah i was like well be careful now i was like thank you thank you very much major moment thank you yeah she was happy and they could see her up in the box and she was like for

the clementine you know tearful and i was like okay i'm doing the thing of them watching you in that type of arena too is so wild it's insane yeah the kennedy center is something that is so grand it's it's one of those you have to figure out how to fill the room

room yeah and for me I have to fill the room standing in one spot that's what I do I stand and sing and so every detail for me is like what's the dress that's not the right one we need this and what's the orchestration we need this orchestration no we're not gonna if we rush this and we make this two beats too fast it's not gonna it won't land the way we need breath we need space and I had spoken to the orchestrator Lenny who is amazing I said do not

Do not start this until I am set at the mic and I take a breath. We have to reset. I need a reset before we begin. And he didn't because the production wanted me to, they wanted the music to start before I... Because they wanted to move. They're thinking this is a live thing. Don't you dare. Don't you dare. You wait. It's a hospitality principle. It's like you have to be unreasonable about the way you make people feel. Yes. And that is what you are doing. And...

I loved this interview that you and Rene Rapp had at Electric Leave. You guys are relating by being Capricorns. Like this is, I think, is this part of Capricorn identity? Like having this sort of vision, having the conviction to tell yourself like, this is what my charge is. Yes. This is the charge. This is the job. This is how I'm going to do it. Very clear about that. Yeah. Because this thing of you guys talking about how like,

You need to believe. It sounds, and I'm just saying, rolling my eyes at myself at this. It's like, I always didn't really quite believe the idea of like, you got to believe in yourself or else nobody else will. It's like,

But then like it doesn't make any sense any other way. Yeah. You know what I mean? It has to that has to be the sequence of things in order for you to like do what you guys do. Yes. Yeah. Because there are literally times where only you believe the thing that is going to happen. And there's no one else. But why should anyone else believe if you don't? Like why? Why? There's no reason to. But if you know and have a clarity about what it is you're meant to do and what you're and how you're meant to do it.

then it's easy for someone else to see it. Right. Because you can see it. Yeah.

Yeah. You talk about getting involved with the Color Purple in a sort of, not lo-fi, but like not necessarily a production in England that seemed like it was going to do what it did. Would you consider that to be the biggest risk you've taken is like really going for that role on that scale? I don't think it was a risk at all. I was so sure that I was meant to be doing it. I was so sure. And it could have been in, I don't know,

someone's front room. Size of the stage did not matter. Did not matter. I just knew if it was coming, I was meant to do it. Yeah. I was so clear about it. There was not one part of me that was like, well, this is risky. I don't know what I'm going to do. I was, nope. I was so sure about it. Yeah. You were on tour with Distract. You heard that it was, it was like they were seeing people for it. Yes. I said, I want to play the role. Ding. I'm going to be doing that. Yeah.

And everyone else was like, but are you sure? Like, what if they ask you to do the first cover? I was like, no, no, no. I want to play the role. I know that the role is what I'm supposed to be doing. And the first cover is amazing.

But this is the role. The role I want. I'm so sure about it. This is what I want. Yeah. You have to be like that. What is that? Is that intellectual, emotional? Like, where does that? I think it's both. I think it's like in the first instant, it was like a guttural, emotional knowledge. Yes. Then it became. How am I going to do this? How am I going to do it? Yes. Yes. Yeah. I love this. Yeah. So much.

Oh my God. As much of my life is like this. No, but this is like, look where it's gotten you. Yeah. You know, like the emotion is there and like the feeling is there and then tusk.

How do we do this? It's not holding you back in any way. So like, what's wrong with that? True. You know? Yeah. How do you unwind? What do you do to like chill? I need a sleepy time tea. Yes. And I love a tea. I will carry a tea with me everywhere I go. But it's bedtime. I get, you know, I get myself in my PJs. I like a particular PJ. Like I will wear an outfit to bed. You know, I love to dress. It's a look. It's a French European thing. Yeah. I have to dress to be. My perfume.

Yes. Nighttime routine. Full nighttime routine. Skincare down. Skincare the whole thing. Okay. Then I will like get cozy. I'll put on a movie or a TV show. Yeah. Fulfill bed. And then I'll journal and then sleep. That's my thing. Do you watch comedies or do you like... I'm like comedies or like...

Light dramas. Light dramas. Nothing crazy. Nothing crazy. I can't, you know, people who watch like 60 minutes before bed or like the first 24 hours, 48 hours. I don't know how you do it. No. It's too much for me. I don't want to watch that. Of course. Daytime for me. Yeah. If I'm watching those things. But for me, it's nighttime, like something light, light fare. Yeah. Right. Fun, something that lifts and then...

To bed. To bed and then up at what, 5 a.m.? Sometimes. Between 5 and 7. To run, to walk, to Pilates, whatever. I have to do something. You and Michelle Yeoh, every day on set, on production of Wicked, just the most...

Godly people. Both of you getting up, doing your runs, doing your workouts. I'm like, I need to get my shit together. I was so in awe. But there was no other way to do this role. You think so? I just, I couldn't, I needed...

I needed the physical movement. Yes. Not just for like the actual physicality of it, but for the emotion of it all. I needed to be physical because I needed to make sure my body was ready for the, like the flight work. Right. All that harness work doesn't work if you haven't got your core together. If you haven't got your body together, it really does have to get ready for what kind of onslaught you get when you're in a harness and flies. And singing. Yeah. I have a question and I,

I think we can talk about this. So we basically had 12 days left of shooting and then Sackstrike happened. And I will say that the way things were segmented, Defying Gravity was the last thing that was... So I'm thinking, wow, Cynthia is holding on to this and considering this and it's all leading up to like this thing that is...

going to be talked about and will be very difficult to pull up. And it's a collaborative thing with you and with John and with everybody. And then the strike happens. Yes. Wild, wild sort of like stoppage. You're not disruptive. At the bridge and then you don't cross. Exactly. What was that like for you?

What was it like to go back to it? At first, it started off like torture. Like, because I was, I felt like I was ready. Yeah. Because we had gotten right there and I was like, okay, we're ready. I'm ready. Like, I'm game fit. I'm good to do this. And then I had to accept we weren't coming back quickly.

But you don't let go of, they don't go anywhere. The character is sort of like sitting in you, sort of like, so I'm still like getting my body ready, working out, working like I'm still on set, but not on set. So I'm like doing all those things, trying to like feed my body, making sure that I'm working out the way I need to work out, making sure that I'm keeping my voice the way I need it to be. And,

like checking in and, but also having to let it go just a little bit so that I don't drive myself insane because it's still there and I'm still waiting. And also there's like the anticipation of having to do it. It never really left until we get, until we come back. And when I come back, I was like ready, ready to do it, you know? And then I get ill. Oh, I forgot about this. What happened? Just the worst kind of flu you could possibly have. I mean, my skin was hurt.

What? It was horrible. The day after my birthday. I was in on my birthday, rehearsing and training for flying. The next day, totaled. Totaled. I remember I had wrapped and then I came back to New York. And then they were like, Cynthia, suck. I was like, God, this, let this woman live. She can't know peace. Let this woman know peace. I was...

I was, when I say you, I was so sick. Like running a fever, the fever would break, then the fever would come back again. Concerning sick. Yeah. I was like, I don't know. When is this going to stop? Yeah. It just went on for like a week, a whole week, week and a half. I was done, down. So I was like, okay, fine.

When are we going to do this? Right. Because at this point, I'm annoyed with myself. I'm like, why is this happening now? Yeah. I mean, is there something in retrospect now where you're like, God, it was like one last mountain to scale or something? Yeah, I think so. I think...

It's weird. I think the universe was forcing me to earn it, really earn it. Wow. So when I really got there, The universe needs to relax. I know, but she's always doing the most, always doing the most, always making me earn shit. Like, leave me alone for a second, please. Because I'm always working, bitch. Yes. Like, what the heck? Yes.

But like, it really was that last sort of like, let's see, do you really want to do this? It really felt like that. And so when we got there, I was like, right, right. Let's go. Let's do this. You fucking earned it. That's all we can say. Thank you. But God, it is. This is what I'm telling people. This is my little press quote.

My favorite last 10 minutes of a film in cinema history. It's epic. Thank you. And I will say, and people know the story, like, I think, watching it again last night, I was like, oh my God, Cynthia is so dialed in every single frame of the levels of betrayal that are setting in in that moment when you find out what you were brought to do. Yeah. I was like, every moment of this, when you walk to the Grim Marine, when you take it with you, when you run away, I'm like, it's all perfect. It's all perfect, Cynthia.

And John just let me go. He just was like, here's where you're moving to. Yep. Just go. We'll follow you. We'll follow you. JBL TOR Pro 3 earbuds are for those who don't conform to the standard. Yeah. I mean, if you want to get into some touchscreen technology, how about the smart charging case, clear sound? These are not standard things. You're only going to get them with the JBL TOR Pro 3, baby. And I love the sound of JBL when it goes...

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I planted the flag and just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Ladonia. I'm Jackson I, King of Kaperburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. Why can't I trade my own country? My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong?

No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast.

That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-Stan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt, learning to trust herself, and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are built to doubt ourselves.

the possibilities for ourselves, for self-preservation and protection. It was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going. This increment of small steps

determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Like grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

You know it's going to be filled with chisme laughs and all the vibes that you love.

Each week, we'll explore everything from music and pop culture to deeper topics like identity, community, and breaking down barriers in all sorts of industries. Don't miss out on the fun, el té caliente, and life stories. Join me for Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get into todo lo actual y viral. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. ♪

What did it feel? Can you ask what it felt like when it was a picture out? I crumbled because it was the last one on the set. I was the last one out. And I can't even describe the feeling because it was, you know, the only time I felt similar was the last show for The Color Purple where...

you're carrying something for a really long time and like happy to carry it. Like it's the best possible way you could, you can hold. And you're like, this is, I'm carrying, it's part of me. And then that you hear it's closed or that wrap. And it's like someone takes the weight from you and puts it down. Yeah. It was like putting a piece of myself down for a bit.

And it was so quiet that last shot because we'd finished shooting Defying Gravity and they had like just one little incidental to shoot left. And it was just like me lifting flowers in a hole or something. And I just was like, it was so quiet. And it felt right for it to be quiet. Yeah. Do you think in those moments, because it's Elphaba and because it's Seelie, the reason why it means so much is because you're genuinely saying goodbye to that character. I would imagine that Seelie is not something you'll revisit. No. Yeah.

And literally not like probably not Alphabet unless it's for like a Universal Studios ride. Yeah. Not to bring that up, but it's like true. And that will be that was like saying bye to really close friends. Yeah. Yeah. So I would imagine like these things that they have impact, but really it's like because it's personal. That's what it is. Yeah. It's like.

It's like taking care of a person for a really long time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's great. I cried for like hours after that. Yeah. I couldn't like get rid of the feeling. And the day after was so weird. I just didn't even know what to do with myself. Yeah. How could you not? And it has probably nothing to do with, oh, this moment, maybe I could have done this, that. It's genuinely, it's like a human relationship. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like taking the green off for the first time was the best time.

Yeah. I'm not doing this again. Yeah. And you probably get used to that in some regard with theater, you know, because you that's the thing about being in this business that I think is one of the things that takes at least me by surprise. And I would imagine everyone is, oh, I come in here and I make really great relationships. And then they do change.

And, you know, you maintain those people in your life. Like, you'll always be friends with so-and-so and you'll always have that memory. But you don't go to work again like everyone else does. No, no, no. And so it's not just those people. It's that person you play when you put so much into it. Yeah. I guess for Elphaba particularly, because she's such a transformation, because I do spend like three hours getting her together in the morning. Right. You know, she doesn't like...

you have to care to put her together yeah and then she appears yeah you know it really was like oh I'm letting someone go like I'm never gonna see this person again it's not like you know Celie's wonderful but she had my face you know I didn't have to really put her on you put her on but it's like a wig and an outfit Elphaba was a complete transformation I disappeared when Elphaba came into the room yeah it was a beautiful construction yeah

Like a crafts, like a work of crafts person. Everyone, the amount of work that went to putting her together, the people that, you know, the relationships you make with those people who are with you for two and a half hours before anyone else sees you in the morning at the crack of dawn.

And then at the end of the night, they helped sweetly take her off again and you put to bed. But this last time, that was the last time. Yeah. Because she existed for a while. Yeah. And now she does exist, but like in that way. But yeah, I understand what you're saying. Fascinating. We have to ask you the central question of our podcast. Yes. So do you want to pose the question? Yes. Cynthia Riva, what is the culture that made you say culture is for me? The formative kind of cultural thing that made you who you are?

Cultural thing that made me who I am? I guess music. The culture of music, because there is a culture of it. I think that's the thing that... I actually think it's the first language I learned. I think it's the first thing I understood. My mum says that I was singing when I was two. Wow. And I was putting words together, but you're still figuring out sentence structure when you're two. But I knew...

and music made more sense. You knew tune. Oh, interesting. Yeah. Wow. That's I think made me very much who I am. And then would you say there was like a moment of understanding on a technique or a technical level what it was? I think when I was about 11, I really understood it. I knew I could make the sound whenever

when I was about five and between five and the age of like 10, I was sort of playing around with singing a little bit, singing with friends. But when I was 11, I realized, oh, there's something I can do with this. There's a way I can use my voice and change the way things sound and mess around with things. Like that's when I started to have a real technical understanding of what it was. Yes.

So I think that's something that becomes really obvious, like as you get older as an artist is that there's singing and there's performance and then there's being a recording artist. And those two things are so different. But what you just said about like creating sound and using your voice in different ways is something that there is so much opportunity in with recorded music. So I know that you are working on a new project and that you worked with Ariana Grande.

to do that yeah so what basically what happened was I've recorded an album before and the experience was not necessarily the experience that I wanted for myself and it just was checkered with a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't right for me and she and I had like a really sweet heart-to-heart I sat down and I talked to her about my experiences and what was going on she was like well it's because I had really interesting relationships with managers that just didn't really understand and it

got a little toxic from time to time. And she was like, well, that's because you don't need a manager, Cynthia, because you already know what you want. What you need is a good label. What you need is a good team. Producer, engineer, people in the room. You need people who understand your idea and can help you execute the idea. And so we started talking and it just so happens that we're under the same label, but it's a different conglomerate, different imprint. So she introduced me to her imprint and I started having conversations and now I'm under a joint venture with,

So it meant that I had the care from the people that I wanted the care from before and then new care from a team that was ready and raring to go. And that really understood the story I wanted to tell. Yeah. And so I've been, I've finished writing now. Yeah. The songs are written. They're like,

five seconds away from being fully ready and whilst i was writing i'm sending it to her having her listen to it sending back and forth getting her opinion and she's had the whole thing incredible resource in terms of recording yeah it's been like to be able to get her ear on things because i i trust her ear implicitly yeah has been really really monumental and now i'm kind of ready

So we're putting it finishing touches and getting it all done. And by hopefully next year, you'll have it. What's what is it giving?

I'm trying to figure out a cool way to ask that. People always ask like, what's the genre? Yeah. I think there are several genres just because of who I am and my like upbringing in music. My inspirations can come from anywhere from Enya to Aretha Franklin. So there's a lot of different mixes in between. So there's things that ended up being country, but I didn't mean them to sound like country. And there are pieces that are very R&B because that's what I'm raised on. And there are pieces that feel sort of like

a little left field. It's a very eclectic album, but the through line is vocal padding. So I've used my vocal, my voice as an instrument. So you'll hear each song has its own vocal pattern, vocal rhythm, very specific to the song. That's just what happened. And so each song starts with the voice first, and then we had instruments afterwards. A lot of what we compose and what we made started with the voice. Wow. And it's because my A&R, who's now the

president of Republic Wendy who is amazing she said do you know about Enya and I knew exactly what she meant immediately and there is a song on Enya's album that is the basis for Ready or Not Fuji's Ready or Not and the moment she that exactly and I was like

Yeah. I understand. Wow. Yeah. That the idea that you can put two different things together, make them collide and they make this one special thing. I just loved that idea because both those pieces, both the Enyo piece and the Fuji piece are vocal forward. Yes. Yes. So I was like. Unforgettable. That I can do. Yeah. That I understand. She's like, your voice is an instrument, so just use it that way. Because. Really.

If you don't mind me saying, like, you can do, like, the Enya padding on, let's say, Ready or Not, and then also give the Lauryn Hill. Exactly. Yeah. That's really exciting for you to find that. Yeah. It's also really interesting because Ariana has her thing with Image and Heat. Right. And so that's, like, almost like another way that you guys can speak to each other. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, yeah.

yeah um yeah i love the vanity fair piece that chris murphy our friend wrote yes he's the best right the best sweetheart wonderful and i loved how he wrote that it just it was i was so touched and moved that that's what he he really got us yeah he got you guys i read it i just felt you guys through yeah the piece and i mean it ends on you in this really beautiful way and um it just made me and i texted you right after i was like this is so i'm crying this is so perfect

I love that. Very proud of that. So the album will be next. Album's next. Yeah. And then is there, it's crazy to even think like after you do something like Alpha, but obviously there's going to be years and decades more. But what do you want to do next? Like what's the next, what are you running to next? I know exactly what I want to do next, but I don't know if I can say it because I don't want to like jinx myself and get myself into trouble. You can tell us after. I'll tell you after. But I know what I want to do next.

But on top of which, my production company is working on a series right now and that seems to be going quite well. Oh, good. It looks like it might be greenlit very soon. We're in the final processes of doing that. So that would be...

And that might come to TV soon. But I want to just, I want to, I loved how big and explorative this particular piece was. I want to do that more. I want to just be adventurous with it. Yeah. And there's a play called Prima Fasci. Oh, of course. That happened. And we're turning it into a movie. And you're doing the film? We're doing the film. Oh, I saw it with Jodi. I mean, it's just, it's, it's.

It's a great piece of work. And we've been through the mill with it because we were supposed to have it, we were supposed to have shot it last year, the strike, and then we lost some of the funding, but I think we're okay. I think we're coming back together. I think we're getting our funding now. It's in pre-production? Oh, no, no. The funding's still coming in. Funding's still coming in. But I think we've found it now. Yes, yes. So I think we can start pre-production very soon. That is really exciting.

that is a tour de force that is a tall order that is you running to running into it again running into the fire again but I I think the more these characters turn up that desire something that need their voices to be heard that like feel powerful and not in the the stereotypical sense of the world but like have a power in them I I'm there that's what I want to do yeah

Yeah. One final thing. Yes. I was reading Middlemarch on set. Oh, yeah. And I remember you got a copy. I do have a copy. I haven't read it yet. I haven't finished it either. I was going to ask you if you finished it. No, I haven't read it yet. It's a big one. Yeah. George Eliot, huge book, but it's supposed to be amazing. Okay.

Well, I'm going into it. I'm going to get into it. Yeah. When do you have the time? Well, actually, what I want to do is take like a couple series on tour with me. Yeah. So Middlemarch I might take with me as well. Could be good. I still have to finish A Little Life. I have to. Oh, that's a hard one. Oh my God. I know it's hard. I know it's hard. And I've put it off for a really long time, but I know it's going to be good. And I have to...

Just suck it up. And pick it up and just read. You have to be in the right environment. I remember I tried to read it on a plane and I started to have an anxiety attack.

I was like, this is not, I can't do this on a plane. No, no. It was, because it's kind of rough and tumble like from the jump. Oh. Like, and then it gets way worse. But like, yeah, Hanya, she doesn't mess around. No, she, no, she doesn't. No. No way. She does not mess around. No, no, no. Are you ready for the tour? Yes. Good. Very much so. Excited? I think it's going to be absolutely manic and crazy and wild, but I'm okay with that. But so fun. Yeah. Oh.

Are the looks picked out? The looks are picked out. Oh, okay. That must be such a fun... At least the carpets for the premieres are definitely picked out. And we're like fine tuning things. But we're picking all the things in between. We're trying to make sure that we're considered for everything.

everything. Yeah. And so like the green of it all. Yes. Did you have a good relationship with that color before this? It's actually my favorite color. Perfect. Which is the strangest, craziest thing. That is my favorite color. No problem. And now people think I'm just wearing it for this and I'm not. I had a lot of green in my closet already. Yes. Yes. Yes. This is just an opportunity to get more. Thank you for using this on us. This is nuts. This is beautiful. I'm really proud of this. I found this in a Paris vintage shop.

and it is an original Gianni Versace yeah that is just hard to find yeah really special yeah last night at CFDA you did black though right I did the hood yeah it was beautiful you were giving everything thank you it was kind of nice to like step out of it for a second and just have your isolated CFDA fashion moment it was nice yeah yes yes yes it was I had my little touch of green on my neck and that was no just the touch just the touch yeah just the touch

I love that dress. I loved it. It made me feel so good. Who made that dress? Zac Posen. Well, it's like Gap by Zac Posen. He'll say Gap Studios. Yeah, for sure. But he has now, he is an atelier with Gap now. That's what he did. You have a great relationship with Zac Posen, right? I do, I do. When I came to New York, I like, nobody knew who I was and I have a stylist, but this thing, Color Purple, was really taking off. What's happening? I was like, well, I have all these events to go to and I have nothing with me. I have my clothes, but they're not,

It's not right for these very special events. So I went to his studio and he I fit for like a dress, but he sent me away with like nine. Yeah. And separates and things I could throw on if I needed to. You know, he just really took care of me and has done ever since. Yeah. He's just a sweetheart. It's an incredibly fun part of it for an artist to like that because it's more storytelling, which I don't think people realize.

On the outside, it's like this is another opportunity. Yes. Well, I'm just saying like you and Ari are such perfect people for the scale of this kind of thing because to me, it kind of all began with the Met Gala or the Oscars and then the Met Gala. Yeah.

But just like all the footage out of the Met Gala, even though you're not really supposed to film any of this, like all of it that came out, I was just like, holy shit. This is going to be major. It works. It works. Yeah. We work together. Yeah, yeah. But you're both such good fashion muses. Yeah, we love. I mean, it's terrible. The two of us are like, so...

Did you see this? I'll send her something. I saw this. What do you think of that? For her. And she'll send me something. Hey, I saw this. And I think it's very you, Cynthia. She'll send it to me. It's where the worst influence is for each other because we sort of like get what we need and what we want. And she'll send it to me and she knows I'm going to be like, goodbye. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's fun to indulge each other though. Yeah, it's lovely. It's lovely that someone gets you that way. It's nice to share in that way. Another way we can share creatively.

Did you like working with my bestie? I did. I have to say this and I say it, I never say it when you're there because I'm like always talking and passing. But Bowen has to be one of the most

astute and intelligent performers I've ever had the privilege of being on a set with. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I mean it. No, I mean it. And you have to understand, I'm a Capricorn. I don't like anybody. I don't say anything to anyone unless I mean it. And I really do. Like your ability to pick up on the surroundings and riff on what you see is stunning.

second to none you're so fucking fast it's amazing oh my god it is amazing to to watch you work that way just like picking on the surroundings on a detail on someone's clothing on just like it just some of my favorite moments in the film are things you just say off the cuff oh my god cynthia i don't see color i've no cynthia i've been deceased enroll here often might be enroll here often enroll here often

Anything. I mean, Cynthia, thank you so much. I just, the details. It's the details. She needs a pastry. Can I just tell you, like, I was, because John, God bless him, like gave me a lot of latitude, let's say. And I was gladly going to do it. But then at the back of my mind, I was always like,

this is a bajillion dollar two movies and he's going to let me ad lib and like step on Winnie Holtzman's perfect words. I was like, no way is this going to make it into the movie. This isn't going to work. And then I will say, and I, I'm so quick to judge myself and be like, Oh no, that, that didn't work on a comedy level, whatever. I'm like,

John M. Chu the director you are like it all kind of fits it truly somehow he made my nonsense like work in the world of this movie because it wasn't nonsense because it was observation that is the difference you know what I'm saying like really detailed observations every time something comes out of your mouth it is an observation which I love it's perfect

Like, yes, she needs a pastry. It's funny on the outside, but you're like in the situation. It's like, please. She needs a pastry. You know, it's so brilliant. You're just spectacular. I had the best time. And you're so kind as well. So like, thank you. Makes me so happy.

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Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired? Depressed? A little bit revolutionary? Consider this: Start your own country.

I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Ladonia. I'm Jackson I, King of Kaperburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. Why can't I create my own country? My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong?

No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warheads. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullet holes. We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast.

That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-Stan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt, learning to trust herself, and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are built to doubt ourselves.

the possibilities for ourselves, for self-preservation and protection. It was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going. This increment of small

determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Like grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey everyone, this is Courtney Thorne-Smith, Laura Layton, and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8th, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. It took drama and mayhem to an entirely new level. We are going to be reliving every hook

up every scandal, every backstab, blackmail and explosion, and every single wig removal together. Secrets are revealed as we rewatch every moment with you. Special guests from back in the day will be dropping by. You know who they are. Sydney, Allison, and Joe are back together on Still the Place with a trip down memory lane and back.

to Melrose Place. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Okay, so this is our 60 second segment where we rant and rail against something in culture. That's just bothering us. We're going to do it and I understand they're pointing, but this is happening. We have to do it. We're doing it. So I have something and it's a musical observation I'm making about the people. Okay, great. This is Matt Rogers. I don't think so many times starts now. I don't think so, honey. People who don't listen to lyrics and music. A dear friend of ours just said, huh, what's this song about? About Sabrina Carpenter's Juno.

So here's what Sabrina Carpenter's Juno is about. It's about being so into someone that you would like them to make you Juno. This is referencing the Elliot Page, Diablo Cody team up Juno. Yes. This is about being so sexually interested in someone you wouldn't mind if you got pregnant. Right. I'm gonna let you make me Juno. You know, I just, I was like, she's even being tongue in cheek after. Listen to words. I don't know.

If you want to listen to beautiful orchestrations, I think so, honey. But the words, it all comes together. You're going to just listen to the tunes of when Cynthia sings Alfie. Listen to the words, know the story. Especially Sabrina Carpenter Juno. I'm like, this is a lyrical masterpiece. I was like, let's give it its due. Five seconds. You can't just listen to music. Listen to words. Understand things.

then emote, you can too. Listen to words, write words, explore words, be words. - And that's one minute. Fantastic. - Yes. - I couldn't like, well, I could never say who, but a friend of ours was like, what is this song about? I was like, Juno? - If you just listen. - Listen. - But it's also maybe like a thing about not knowing references, like not. - Maybe it was that, but I was like, this movie was famous.

It was. It was. It was. Listen. Is. Okay. All right. So this is Bowen Yang's I Don't Think So Honey. His time starts now. I Don't Think So Honey. Walker's chips not being available in the United States. Oh. It is a British staple. Walker's are not Lay's. It's not.

the same. It's not lame. They have the same logos, but they're not the same. Different textures, different thicknesses, different flavors. I need more. Why is there such a weird barrier between British snacks and American snacks? It's true. They need to come together. We basically have the same palates and the same tastes. I

I think we would appreciate a more of a crossover. I'm not saying like one should replace the other. I'm saying they can coexist in the same market, which is the American market, which, you know, I am biased towards because I happen to live here. So I just think walkers, you can find them in your specialty shops, but I think we need more access to just the wider gamut of walkers chips. Any favorite flavors? I love a straight up ready salted. Yes. Salted walkers. It's simple, but it's good. And the salt and vinegar is not the

same as the salt and vinegar here it's just not it's just not and we need we just need five seconds there is I've rented out Percy pigs they need to be more widely available as well and Walker's chips is included and that's one minute one of the joys of my life was coming back from London and I was able to gift Bowen his Percy pigs because it's his great distress my sister got my sister got it recently well now I know whenever I go I'll pick

Thank you. Yeah, yeah. That's easy. All right, we get Cynthia out of here. This is Cynthia Rivas. I don't think so. Any time starts now. I don't think so, honey. It's onion and garlic in everything. I can't take it. I fucking hate it. I can't deal with the idea that the way you cook is only with onion and garlic. Every time I see someone do a cooking thing, they cut

onions and garlic so much and neglect to use any other flavouring in food. As a person who's actually allergic to garlic and my body just does not process it at all, I've had to find out ways to cook food using other herbs and spices and it works. You can get just as much taste out of an old bay and a bay leaf and an asafoetida, which is actually tasty

a little bit like garlic but doesn't give you the same horrible feeling that garlic does I've never heard of that if you just use your imagination and cook I think people have stopped using their imagination about how they cook and they use the basic basic herbs and they always go for onion and garlic and I cannot take it because the worst thing is when someone comes in and they're just reeking of garlic when you can avoid that and still have flavourful food if you decide to use your imagination and that is my minute oh

Thank you. Wow. Also, like, thank God you're allergic to something that sucks. Like, it sucks. Garlic sucks. Oh, my God. You smell awful. You feel awful. Oh, my gosh. Different aromatics, different flavor bases. Let's come on. Yeah, we need it. I don't understand. And everyone's like, the amount of people who are like, well, how do you eat?

What do you mean? What do you mean? Lots of ways. Just fine. Beautifully. Stunningly. Talented. And you know what? When I walk into a room, you can't smell me first. You can't clock me. You can't clock my scent. What do you think of ginger? Love ginger. He did it on a Thanksgiving on ginger. Pickled ginger is better. Thank you.

Try pickled ginger. It's a different flavor. I love it. It becomes sweeter. It becomes sweeter. And it's just a nice little bit of acidity. This has been so amazing to get to know you and to have you here. And you are Elphaba. And thank God that you are. Thank you very much. So brilliant. We usually end every episode with a song, but I just want to, if you have two lines of anything on your spirit right now that you could sing, what is it to end this episode?

Or it could be one. This is not to do with anything, but I've been listening to this lately and it's one of my favorite songs. Why by Annie Lennox. Oh. I may be mad, I may be blind, I may be viciously unkind, but I can still read what you're thinking. I've heard it said too many times, you'd be better off besides. Why can't you see that this boat is sinking, this boat is sinking, this boat is sinking.

the most beautiful song you're brilliant thank you thank you for indulging that Lost Culture Race is a production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeartRadio Podcast created and hosted by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang executive produced by Anna Hosnier and Han Sani produced by Becca Ramos edited and mixed by Doug Beam and Monique Laborde and our music is by Henry Komerski

Hey, everybody. It's me, Matt Rogers, letting you know tickets are on sale now to see me on tour, the Prince of Christmas tour. I'm doing my whole album, Have You Heard of Christmas, plus a lot more with the whole band all throughout December. Go to www.mattrogersofficial.com to see me in a city near you.

Hey, order up. Small Business Saturday is right around the corner. And so is that shop you've been meaning to check out. On November 30th, support your local community by shopping small on Small Business Saturday. Founded by American Express.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan.

That's escape from Z-A-Q is Stan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself.

It's okay. Have graceful years. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the

end of a busy day. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, everyone. This is Courtney Thorne-Smith, Laura Layton, and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8th, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. We are going to be reliving every hookup, every scandal, and every single wig removal together. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.