Side Dish: More Darren Criss

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson — Side Dish: More Darren Criss
Release Date: April 16, 2026
Recorded at: Windson Bakery, Manhattan’s East Village

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Episode Overview

This "Side Dish" episode of Dinner’s on Me features Emmy Award winner Darren Criss in a lively, heartfelt conversation with host Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Over a decadent brunch of scallion pancakes, cheese, eggs, and bacon, the two reminisce about Broadway, the cult phenomenon of Cats the movie, Glee fandom, soul cycle spin classes, the mysterious impact of creative work, and the joys of curating spaces for performance — including the origin of Darren’s Broadway music festival, Elsie Fest. The conversation is a candid, often humorous, and ultimately inspiring look at connection, vulnerability, and the sometimes surprising ways art touches lives.

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Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Glee-Themed SoulCycle Class & Esoteric Fandom Outfits

[03:31–09:10]

• Darren Criss describes attending a Glee-themed SoulCycle class and the lengths he went to find the perfect “Lea Michele tour cut-off T-shirt,” only for chaos to ensue in his closet.
  • “I did one of those things where you make a mess of your room and search for one item and it’s just fucking bedlam.” (Darren, 03:44)
• Jesse relates by sharing his own tradition of wearing playful, referential outfits — like a Cats T-shirt to a Taylor Swift concert.
• Hilarity ensues as they recall their experiences watching the Cats movie, describing it as “camp cult style” with Dame Judi Dench “licking cream out of a saucer.”
  • “I have a fever dream that... That movie got made. And I’m so glad it did because it’s only going to exponentially grow in its sort of camp cult style.” (Jesse, 05:02)
• Darren likens the Cats screenings to “Rocky Horror” midnight showings.
  • “It was like seeing Rocky Horror at, like, midnight. The entire crowd... Cats! People were screaming.” (Darren, 04:35)

2. Broadway, Musical Heritage, and Kevin McHale’s Journey

[06:10–08:51]

• The conversation pivots as Darren discusses how some genres, like Broadway, Latin music, or country, are hard to enter without deep cultural roots.
  • “If you didn’t grow up with it, it’s hard to sort of inject after the fact.” (Darren, 07:24)
• He shares about Kevin McHale (from Glee) joining Broadway, describing how Kevin, with Texas and boy band roots, hadn’t immersed himself in musical theater early but is now excelling.
  • “I’ve been trying to usher him to do this forever.” (Darren, 06:37)
  • “If you had been in a situation where Broadway was around you all the time, you’d be doing it all the time. And now he’s doing that show, and he’s kick ass.” (Darren, 08:19)

3. The Unique Joys of Performing and Sharing Musical Memories

[09:10–10:18]

• Darren reflects on the excitement of hearing “River Deep Mountain High” and “Teenage Dream” at the SoulCycle ride and how these covers hold special meaning.
  • “That cover of River Deep Mountain High, it kicks. That got me going.” (Darren, 09:10)
  • “Did they do Teenage Dream?” (Jesse) “Of course! …And I went nuts during that thing.” (Darren, 09:31–09:33)

4. Meeting and Working with Stephen Sondheim

[12:46–17:56]

• [12:49] The highlight for Darren was making Stephen Sondheim genuinely laugh, recounting their witty, sharp banter and how Sondheim’s mental agility was undiminished by age.
  • “One of the most proud moments of my life was, like, I made Sondheim laugh genuinely a couple times.” (Darren, 12:49)
  • “You realize…the dudes are just pistol sharp. When you make your living being witty... you’re always a wordsmith.” (Darren, 13:09–13:30)
• Darren tells a touching story of performing in a little-loved Sondheim musical, Do I Hear a Waltz?, and sharing with Sondheim how much it mattered to him.
  • “I want you to know, it wasn’t all for naught.” (Darren, 15:54)
  • Sondheim responded with a hand on Darren’s shoulder: “That’s nice.” (16:24)
• Jesse relates, noting how work that creators dismiss can be deeply meaningful to someone else.
  • “There are things that people talk to me about that mean something to them that I have completely forgot about…If it meant something to one person, like, that should be enough.” (Jesse, 17:00–17:55)

5. Audience Reception versus Personal Expectations

[17:57–21:05]

• Darren shares his complicated feelings about his cover of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know,” initially feeling embarrassed by his performance because of his deep connection to the original.
• To his surprise, the song found new life and widespread popularity through TikTok, teaching him not to predict what will resonate.
  • “Far be it for me to decide what connects with people.” (Darren, 18:50)
  • “Anytime somebody says, ‘Oh, I saw you in that thing,’ I’m always like, God, in the endless maw of content, you spent some of your valuable limited time on this planet, like, engaging with it. Thank you.” (Darren, 20:38)

6. Creating Elsie Fest: The “Coachella for Musical Theater Nerds”

[21:57–25:51]

• Darren reveals his passion for curating experiences led to the founding of Elsie Fest, blending the energy of pop festivals with Broadway show tunes.
  • “I’m a curator. I like to curate...playlist that can be the most exciting thing for both performer and audience.” (Darren, 21:59)
• He recalls Idina Menzel’s Carnegie Hall performance, realizing the nightclub energy belonged outdoors with a cheering, festival crowd.
  • “If this was like outdoors and we were...I had a beer and she’s singing like Take Me or Leave Me...It’s the same feeling and it’s the same audience.” (Darren, 23:40)
• Jesse praises Darren’s continued creativity and inclusiveness, comparing it to the spirit of the podcast itself.

7. The Reality of Artistic Careers, The Need for Breaks, and What’s Next

[25:51–27:31]

• Darren reflects on choosing to step away from a fulfilling Broadway run before burnout, a rarity in most career paths.
  • “In no other field would you have a job that’s so fulfilling on every level...and then go, you know what? I’m just going to fire myself from this job.” (Darren, 26:11)
• He appreciates the flexibility of being both actor and musician, especially valuable during unpredictable times like strikes or pandemics.
  • “I am very lucky that I can just play the piano, pick up a guitar, and then just do stuff.” (Darren, 26:46)
• Darren hints at new projects and the openness to whatever comes next.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Cats movie’s cult status:
  • “For all its fun camp and kitsch lore...it’s only going to exponentially grow in its sort of camp cult style, and we’re here to watch this rise.” (Jesse, 05:04)
• On creative legacy:
  • “If it meant something to one person, like, that should be enough.” (Jesse, 17:55)
• On curating art and community:
  • “That’s kind of my version of this. I throw a fucking music festival, all right? …I found a way to do a thing that I love, but incorporate, you know, people that I like into it.” (Darren, 24:33)
• On art and audience:
  • “Far be it for me to decide what connects with people.” (Darren, 18:50)
  • “Anytime somebody says, ‘I saw you in that thing,’ I’m always like, God, in the endless maw of content, you spent some valuable limited time on this planet, like, engaging with it. Thank you.” (Darren, 20:52)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:31] Glee SoulCycle Ride, nostalgia on Cats movie
• [06:10] Kevin McHale’s path to Broadway
• [12:49] Making Sondheim laugh, wisdom from legends
• [15:54] Darren tells Sondheim about the impact of Do I Hear a Waltz?
• [17:57] Sharing personal stories about work and audience connection
• [18:18] “Somewhere Only We Know” and lessons in letting go
• [21:59] Darren on curation, beginnings of Elsie Fest
• [23:40] Festival energy, lessons from Idina Menzel at Carnegie Hall
• [25:51] Jesse and Darren on artistic fulfillment, breaks, and what’s next for Darren

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Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is humorous, reflective, warm, and full of showbiz camaraderie. Jesse and Darren's banter is sprinkled with affectionate teasing, deep mutual respect, and a shared love for all things musical theater. The underlying theme is about embracing vulnerability, creative growth, and the unpredictable—sometimes magical—ways art connects people.

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Listen-If-You-Like

• Backstage Broadway stories
• Unexpected creative lessons
• Laugh-out-loud pop culture nostalgia
• Honest reflections on art, success, and the messiness of creative careers

Don’t miss the next full episode with comedy favorite Jeff Hiller!

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Spring break planning at our house is. It's definitely an adventure. Our kids have very strong opinions and they're always on different sides of the spectrum. Beckett has very strong opinions about the ocean. It has to be a certain temperature and the wind has to be blowing a certain way if he's gonna get anywhere near it. He doesn't want sand on his feet. Sully, on the other hand, he will roll around in the sand and doesn't care about the water temperature. And he, you know, he could be just sitting amongst seagulls and he's happy. Justin and I, we just want to air conditioning and wifi. Honestly, juggling all the details of a trip can be very stressful. And while I'm thinking about our plans, I also start thinking about our house while we're away. And it hits me. Maybe we could list our place on Airbnb while we're gone. It always sounds great, but I don't know if I can manage all the details myself. That's where Airbnb's co host network comes in. You can hire a vetted local co host to handle all the behind the scenes details, managing reservations, guest communications, and even providing on site. So hosting feels manageable even with everything else going on. So if you're traveling this spring, it might be the perfect time to list your space on Airbnb and maybe earn a little extra cash while you're gone to put toward that extra future travel. Someplace with air conditioning and wi fi. If you're ready to host, but could use a little extra help, find a co [e-mail] host. You know those meals that just immediately take you somewhere? Like, you take one bite and suddenly you're transported to a backyard, Someone's manning the floo fryer, and everyone's waiting for a taste. That's exactly what Boar's Head has managed to do. But at your deli counter. New from Boar's Head, the fryer's turkey breast has the taste of deep fried turkey. And I mean, it's perfectly seasoned. That golden, savory flavor, it really does that thing where one bite kind of takes over and you're like, oh, okay, this is what we're doing now. And the best part is you don't have to host anything. You don't have to fry anything. You don't have to politely ask someone else to handle the hot oil, which, frankly, I'm always happy to avoid. It's just there at the deli, ready to go. So if you're putting together a sandwich or just Standing at the counter deciding what kind of day you're going to have. The fryer's turkey breast is a pretty great choice. Discover the craftsmanship behind every bite at your local Boar's Head deli counter. Boar's Head, committed to crafts since 1905. Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinners on Me. This week's guest is Darren Criss. And you know him from shows like Glee and his Emmy award winning turn in the assassination of Gianni Versace, American Crime Story. He's had a career that's moved effortlessly from television to Broadway to film. We met up at Windson Bakery in Manhattan's East Village. Over scallion pancakes oozing with cheese, eggs and bacon, Darren tells me about meeting his all time hero. Also one of mine, I might say Stephen Sondheim. You know, Sweeney Todd, into the Woods. That Stephen Sondheim. We also get into a Glee cover close to his heart and how he became co founder of Elsie Fest, dubbed Broadway's music festival, which he started over a decade ago. To get back into the conversation, you're pulling up a chair just as Darren is telling me about crashing a Glee themed soul cycle class.

[Darren Criss]

I went to a glee ride at SoulCycle last week. A Glee ride? Yeah, it was a Glee themed ride.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh my God.

[Darren Criss]

And I was really mad because I had a couple Glee things I wanted to wear and I was like, I did one of those things where you make a mess of your room and search for one item and it's just fucking bedlam. And I was looking for my I have like a Lea Michelle tour, like cut off T shirt. Perfect. It's like, I gotta find this thing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I couldn't find it.

[Darren Criss]

It was driving me nuts. But anyway, it was fun.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I like to be a little esoteric too. Like we went to the Taylor Swift concert, of course. And I wore a cat's T shirt

[Darren Criss]

because she loves cats.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She loves cats. She wasn't cats.

[Darren Criss]

She was at Lest we Forget. Lest we Forget. A part written for her, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, I that movie. For all its fun camp and kitsch lore, the movie specifically, that is. I mark it as one of the most fun, the most fun I've ever had at a movie theater. Me too.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I was screaming the entire while.

[Darren Criss]

Screaming, howling. Because I didn't see it like opening weekend with expectations I did.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, okay.

[Darren Criss]

Well then you're way ahead of the curve because I saw two months after it had already garnered something of A divisive response. So it was like seeing Rocky Horror. Yes. At, like, midnight. The entire crowd. There's videos of it. It was like, any. Every few minutes, it was like, cats. Cats. Yeah, yeah, yeah, cats. People were screaming, and it was an absolute.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I mean, ball. I have a fever dream that.

[Darren Criss]

That.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That movie got made. And I'm so glad it did because

[Darren Criss]

it's only going to exponentially grow. And it's sort of like camp cult style.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're here to watch this rise. But, like, the fact that it has, like, Dame Judi Dench and, like, Ian McKellen, like, literally licking cream out of,

[Darren Criss]

like, a saucer, like, yeah, that happened. They got all those people to do that. People got paid like that. It happened.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Jennifer Hudson crawling in, making an entrance, calling.

[Darren Criss]

I mean, it's genius.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wait, I need to hear more about the Glee soul cycle.

[Darren Criss]

Oh, it was great. Yeah. You know, it's funny. Like, these are things. Like, I. I feel like if I gave enough of a shit to really harness the power of social media.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, sure.

[Darren Criss]

I could make these a thing. While I'm there, I'm taking videos and stuff and I'm going, these will never go anywhere except my phone. But yeah, we did a lot of songs on that show. Yes. A lot of songs. You can do a spin ride. Of course. Well, they knew each one, so I knew it was a ride. And I was like, I'm gonna come to this. I don't really do spin, but I thought it would be fun.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. They didn't know you were coming.

[Darren Criss]

They didn't know I was coming. It was a special. It was a special occasion for anyone.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Any friends with you from the show?

[Darren Criss]

No, but I definitely took videos and sent to everybody. I sent to the. The people that are on Broadway now.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

Likely because Kevin McHale's in your spelling game. Not your hour.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

The royal I'll claim it your. You.

[Darren Criss]

That's. It's your show that you were part of. So Kevin, by the way, I thought he was Cony Bear. Oh, yeah. He'd be a great. He struck me as a Coney Bear. He'd be a great Coney Bear. Genius part. That's what everybody says. And somebody came up to me the other day being like, I saw this great show called Spelling Bee,

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

and the

[Darren Criss]

guy that played Barfay was so good. I'm like, you mean Kevin McHale?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

Side note about Kevin McHale, because I just have to say, I'm so glad that he's doing Broadway. I've been trying to usher him to do this forever.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'm for all of you guys. Like, I mean, Lea Michelle obviously had done Broadway before Jonathan Groffman, but, like, you and Kevin and you as well.

[Darren Criss]

I mean, you were, like, destined for Broadway. I'm also a theater kid in that. Like, I did theaters as growing up, but I already had, like, a yen for it. It was something that was always in my sight line. Whereas I had this thing about Broadway. Broadway, I put in the same category as Latin music, jazz and country music. Stay with me. And the four of those categories to get with Broadway being the fourth category, the four of those categories are robust, huge, traditional catalogs that have a whole lot of heritage and history and standards that if you didn't grow up with it, it's hard to sort of inject after the fact.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's a. That's a good point.

[Darren Criss]

And so there are people that, like, grew up with, like, Latin music, and we can go to any number of great Latin music clubs around town in New York. And, like, if it's in your bones, you're like, oh, this one. And you know it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

And for me, as, like, a super gringo, I'm like, I don't know this tune. I didn't realize it's, like a standard in the way that we go to Marie's Crisis, and we're like, obviously, this is from Company or if you go to a honky tonk in Nashville and they play Woody Guthrie tune or sun, you know, some. Some classic. Everybody in there knows every word. And you're like, I don't. Yeah, I don't know these. I know people love these. So for Kevin, by the time I met him, he grew up in Texas. He. He was like a boy band kid. And as. As a teenager, he didn't have the same nerdy, dare I say, affliction of Broadway musical albums. Maybe like, some major hitters, the big ones. But he definitely didn't know Spelling Bee. He definitely didn't know a lot of Sondheim. And as I would watch him more and more, I would be like, dude, I don't think you know this, but if you had been in a situation where Broadway was around you all the time, you'd be doing it all the time. And now he's doing that show, and he's kick ass. I see him in a few weeks. He did that. He did frogs.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I saw him do frogs.

[Darren Criss]

Really? I wish I could have seen that. But, like, that's a huge breadth of thing. Anyway, so back to the Glee ride. I texted Kevin Jonathan And Leah being like, I'm at the skle ride. I sent a video to Diana. I did a lot of. I just anybody that I thought might be interested in maybe joining me next

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

time in New York. First of all, was it possible it

[Darren Criss]

was a modestly more the time slot than I think the theme. I don't think anybody said they usually like me theme. No. Thank you. Right, right, right.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Usually they look at the, the schedule and like the light rides they like.

[Darren Criss]

Let's. Let's put a theme to it was a decent turnout. We all got pumped tonight.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Nice.

[Darren Criss]

Nice. I'll tell you what, man, that cover of. The COVID of River Deep Mountain High, it kicks. That got me going.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I can already see how fast my legs are happening.

[Darren Criss]

Oh my gosh.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Did they do Teenage Dream?

[Darren Criss]

Of course.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh my God.

[Darren Criss]

Of course they did. And I went nuts during that thing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And they didn't do that because you were there. That was already programmed.

[Darren Criss]

I think it was programmed, but I made it pretty clear known that I was going to be there. At least the Mrs. Did. She's there a lot. So she was like, yes. She's like, I we're. I'm going to bring Darren. I'm all about it. I, I do not.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I did a Hamilton ride, Soul cycle ride, like right when it first came out and it was a thing.

[Darren Criss]

I mean the only problem with that for me is I'd want to like. I guess people get really into singing along when you're doing the thing that's kind of.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

The driving force. I'd be too keyed into wanting to like performing to. Yeah, maybe, maybe not perform but just enjoy it, I guess. Can we just slow down and listen

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

to these lyrics now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Darren tells me a very moving story about working with Stephen Sondheim. Okay, be right back. I am always trying to cook more at home. The one thing I do know is if you start with really good ingredients, everything just gets easier. That's exactly why I love Wild Alaskan company. They deliver wild caught perfectly portioned seafood straight to your door. And it makes cooking fish at home feel so incredibly easy. What sets them apart is that everything is 100 wild caught. Never farmed. No antibiotics, no GMOs, no additives. Just really high quality seafood that you can feel really about eating. It's also frozen right off the boat to lock in flavor and texture. And everything is sustainably sourced from Alaska. My current favorite is their sockeye salmon. It has this gorgeous vivid red color and such rich flavor that it barely needs anything. The other night, Justin was showering me with praise about this salmon that I made for him. It was so amazing. It's the best he's had in so long. I didn't tell him. I just sprinkled on a little salt, olive oil, and lemon juice that that was it. It was just the really great fish that was a star. Although I do have very nice pants here, if I do say so myself. So I did that part. And if you're trying it for the first time, there's no risk. If you're not completely satisfied with your first box, Wild Alaskan company will give you a full refund, no questions asked. Not all fish are the same. Get seafood you can trust. Go to wild alaskan.com/jtf for $35 off your first box of premium wild caught seafood. That's wild alaskan.com/jtf for dollar off your first order. Thanks to Wild Alaskan Company for sponsoring this episode.

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Darren Criss]

One of the most proud moments of my life was, like, I made Sondheim laugh genuinely a couple times. Maybe he's being polite. He was a very good actor. But, like, you know, the dude is insane. And something that was really cool because he was in his early 80s at that point.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

And you realize, like, the Mel Brooks of the world. Sondheim. I think Carl Reiner before he passed away. At least in their old age. You'd see these interviews with them, and they're just pistol sharp.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Sharp.

[Darren Criss]

When you make your living being witty.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

And your synapses in your brain never, like, take a backseat. You're always a wordsmith. You're always a conversationalist. That muscle is, like, practiced. And there was no, like, sense of, like, the older gentleman gloves of, like, okay, we're gonna. Blah. I was talking to, like, a virile young man.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

In the way that he was talking and quick and jokes. And it was.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I was just so taken by that.

[Darren Criss]

That the conversation was just so fun. Even to the point where, like, again, we were just. We're just wisecracking. It was fucking amazing. To wisecrack with Stephen Sondheim. And I can't even tell you what the jokes were. They were so non. Memorable. But it just. I. Having a chance to make him laugh and him trying to make me laugh, like, that was.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was. I mean, it's one thing to perform for Sondheim, but you're on a very, very short list of people who actually got to perform with him.

[Darren Criss]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And that's astonishing.

[Darren Criss]

Wild. Wild. Here's a nice, sweet story. So my growing up in San Francisco, even though I studied into musical theater in college, I grew up doing it and being around it. There's a really marvelous revivalist musical theater company in San Francisco, I don't think it's there anymore, called 42nd Street Moon. They would do concert versions of, like, forgotten but loved shows. Binders, minimal set. And I did three shows of them

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

when I was, like, a kid.

[Darren Criss]

We'd go after school, and I was, like, my first professional, like, work. Yeah. And my first show was a really great show by Harold Rome that I would forever love called Fanny. The second was an oft forgotten Sondheim, Roger. So show. Do I hear waltz?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Do I hear waltz?

[Darren Criss]

Yeah. Which he famously, infamously, like, denounces. And he really hated his son. He really hated what he did on that. You can read about it. He talks about this even in the documentary. There's a lot of things that really just. It really was, like, a sour thing for him. But ironically, if he hadn't done that, I wouldn't have had, like, my. That was my first introduction to Stephen Sondheim. So it's funny. You stick around long enough, like how these things can play out.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Did you talk to him about that one?

[Darren Criss]

I did. So this is the last thing that I got to say to him was

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

that

[Darren Criss]

he gave us all a signed copy. Finishing the hat, which I cherish forever.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, wow.

[Darren Criss]

I have a signed copy of that

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

thing, the very book that he sort

[Darren Criss]

of announces that show. And I went up to him and I said, you know, I know famously, you don't really like Dori wallets. I was in that. I played the little boy in that. And being in that show would set me on a path that would bring me right here to this moment, right now. Yeah. So. And this is what I said. I said, I want you to know it wasn't all for naught.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, that's really sweet.

[Darren Criss]

And he. And some people took the story and laughed at his reaction. I took it as an earnest one, put his hand on my shoulder. He went, that's nice. It could have been sarcastic. Like, that's nice, kiddo.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

I took it as a That's a nice thing. And I was like, it is a nice thing. Like, don't. Don't beat yourself up, Steven. It's okay. Like, life is saying.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Because I love hearing that. Because there's so many things that, you know, if you're in this business where you're creating, there's gonna be so many things that just don't go well.

[Darren Criss]

Doing one more bite of each do it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You know, they don't go well or they're not received in the way that they're meant to be. I know so many people. You know, the lucky thing about, like, being someone who now has a, you know, 20 years of work behind me is, like, there are things that people talk to me about that mean something to them that I have completely forgot about. I thought that did not touch anyone or that did not mean anything to anyone. And, you know, it meant something to someone. And that. That's honestly, like, all you got to worry about is if it. If it meant something to one person. Like, that should be enough. You know, the man who created it who's, you know, become this person we put on a pedestal, and he is, you know, the probably the most famous successful American writer in musical history that we've had in the past, you know, 100 years. Like, I mean, the fact that something that he dismissed meant something to both of us.

[Darren Criss]

It's a good lesson.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's a good. Very good lesson. Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of people that will say stuff to me where I go, like, yeah, I didn't like it, but I definitely didn't respond to that as well. A good example of that is there's a song I did on Glee by one of my favorite bands, like, when I was in high school. This record meant everything to me. It's a band called Keen, and the song is called Somewhere Only We Know. Right?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

And so I don't know how or why, because the. The creators didn't know me well enough to know, like, those things about, like, what was on in my CD5 CD changer, you know, when I was. When I was a teenager. But we sing this. They give me this song. I'm going, no way. Like, somewhere Only We Know. This isn't, like, a huge song either. Like, this is, like, Deep cuts, A Gorgeous Sorrow, and I get to sing it, and they do this arrangement. I'm listening to it going like, oh, I really don't like my version of It. Because I love the original. I'm thinking, like, God, this is so embarrassing. Like, such a good song. Like, yeah, I really don't. And I'm not, like, knocking it. I just. I had a lot of baggage, or not even baggage, but, like, I had a strong relationship with the original one, so there was a dissonance in what I had done. What I really felt, you know, connected to on the day. It was really bright. I have really sensitive eyes. And so it was just one of these. Like, no matter where I looked, I was just squinting the ghee and watching the episode. I was just kind of squinting my way through this. And everything about it was just like, I wish it had gotten better. Because in my mind, I go, what a great opportunity to share this song with the world because I love this band. Cut to, like, somehow that song got a life of its own on TikTok after the fact. And now it's, like, one of my most, like, known songs from that show. And I'm like, oh, like, far be it for me to, like, decide what connects with people. Right. And so that has definitely softened my neuroses about. Because people really gravitate towards it. And that's so beautiful. And, yeah, it's kind of switched my thing on it, but it. Yeah, that's what's funny thing about is for everything that we love all the nerdy things, I just go, God, they probably really have a complicated relationship with that thing. Like, I don't know if Michael Crawford loves fans or not.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right, right, right.

[Darren Criss]

I think he probably does, but I'm trying, you know, I'm using it as maybe a bad example, but there's plenty of things out there that I'm sure, you know, bands that maybe might only be known for one song that maybe drives them nuts, but here we are going like, oh, love that song, you know, And. Yeah, but that's a privilege, you know, it's a privilege to have anything that people think about. Anytime somebody says, oh, I saw you're that thing, I'm always like, God, like, in the endless maw of content, you spent some of your valuable limited time on this planet, like, engaging with it. Thank you. I don't even care if you liked it. Just the fact that you heard about it and decided to click, like, to hard enough to turn anything on and be like, what of the endless tsunami of things can I engage in? And like, yeah, if somebody's seen something, I'm always like, damn, that really means a lot.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away when we come back, Darren tells me about what inspired him to create a music festival that is the Coachella for musical theater nerds. I love it. Okay, be right back. Hey, y'.

[Darren Criss]

All, I'm Maddie. And I'm Poodle. And together we host the podcast Reality Gays. We are two ridiculous homosexuals who love nothing more than talking about reality television and tearing in a new one.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So whether it's 90 day fiance love

[Darren Criss]

is blind love after lockup, or any

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

other trash TV show about lonely hearts

[Darren Criss]

looking for love, your gay bestie's got you covered, y'. All.

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New shows every week. Follow and listen to Reality Gays wherever

[Darren Criss]

you get your podcast.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Darren Criss]

I think one of the things that I, I, I do, I don't say best, but my calling in life is I. I happen to, like, know how to play music. I happen to. I found a vocation in, like, the formative element of things. But I'm a curator. Like, I like to curate, and I think a lot of, A lot of performers feel this way. And I look at that on a granular level. Like, I curate in a script, an idea, you know, I don't know. I like to maximize accessibility for a given experience in the best way that I can. And I'm an interpolator. Okay.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

So I do this through many different things. One of the great things about Elsie Fest is like curating not only a group of people, but a sort of playlist that can be the most exciting thing for both performer and audience. So people are like, I don't know what to do. I like getting into it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And it's a great marriage of what you love. You know, it's popular pop and, like, musical theater, and it's sort of like, it's like, I don't know, like a Coachella for, like, musical theater lovers.

[Darren Criss]

That's kind of what people have said. And I appreciate that. I mean, the reason why I did it was because I do go to a lot of music festivals, and I, you know, kind of cross pollinated between both worlds a little bit. And I've always, I mean, I started the festival, like, 10 years ago, but there was a point where. What was I saying? Was it Dina? I saw Dina at, like, Carnegie Hall.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Menzel.

[Darren Criss]

Ms. Menzel. Yes. The other. No. Idina Stevens. Yeah, the one and only. And you know, when she's singing, like, something from a rant or something, everyone's, like, going nuts.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

You know, everyone's cheering and. And you, you're in Carnegie hall where there's like a certain decorum where, you know, it's maybe not the most polite thing to do. And I was like, fuck it. This should. If this was like outdoors and we were. I had a beer in my. It's the same energy, it's the same excitement. This was like one o'. Clock. I had a beer and she's singing like, take me or leave me. I'm like, yeah, I'm going nuts. It's the same feeling and it's the same audience. And so I realized that there's a like a vibrancy. It can't be lost in you though,

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

that, you know, you started this sort of passion for creating like with starkids and like creating your own material in Michigan and like, you know, all these years later, you know, with all the success that you have, that you're still finding ways to create and bring people together and try and put good into the world and like offer up, you know, fun experiences for people.

[Darren Criss]

Well, it's not too dissimilar for what you're doing here. I mean, like, you know, I found ways to like gather friends and have a good time. You know, we're literally having a kick ass meal. I throw a fucking music festival, all right? Like, I found a way to do a thing that I, I love, but incorporate, you know, people that I like into it. So that's kind of my version of this. And I'm much, far more stressful logistically speaking. Actually, I don't know that. I don't know how much stress this, this may cause. Pretty lowkey, low key. This is pretty nice. But you know, yeah, we like, you know, if we get to a certain point, you can use whatever platform or resources that are granted to you because of those. Of those wins, you know, you can kind of like parlay those to other things. I used to parlay correctly. Yeah. Into other, into other avenues. That's kind of what I've done. So. Yeah, it's no surprise. I mean we're creators. Like we make stuff. Like I, I'm just too interested in making things all the time. I don't. Not a deleter. I'm not a destroyer of worlds. You know, I like building.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

That's my general thing. So. Yeah, I mean, Elsie's fun. Hopefully I can do it again. Hopefully you can join us and if you need to help with a set list, I'm happy to help you. I can think of a million things I'll do.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Take Me or Leave Me from Rent.

[Darren Criss]

Great, I'll do it. With you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Are you Maureen or are you Joanne? You're okay.

[Darren Criss]

Sorry.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I don't want to. So eight more weeks of maybe happy ending.

[Darren Criss]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Having incredible two months. I mean, I can't believe that.

[Darren Criss]

It's so weird that you could. In no other field would you have a job that. So fulfilling on every level.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Darren Criss]

Takes care of every, you know, mind, heart, you know, monthly overhead, all these things that you could enjoy so much and then go, you know what? I think I'm just. I'm just going to fire myself. I'm just going to fire myself. This job.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Listen, it's good to, like, take breaks,

[Darren Criss]

though, and, like, it's a gamble on yourself.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Let someone else take over for a little while.

[Darren Criss]

Yeah, we. Listen, it's. It. It's not been a short run and I'm. I'm not excited to leave. I'm looking forward to diving into something new. But I. Yeah, I know this. I'm not. I'm not excited to leave out.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Do you know what you're diving into?

[Darren Criss]

No idea. I mean, the nice thing about being a musician, which, gosh, pandemic strike, you know, any of the number of the things that have put a huge pause on the acting thing for many, many people, many of our colleagues and for ourselves. I am very lucky that I can just play the piano, pick up a guitar, and then just do stuff. And so I got a lot of gigs that I gotta do. I want to write the next thing, you know, whatever that is. And that's always a default. But, you know, I do that when I don't have anything else in the sort of pipeline but maybe happened and came out of nowhere, you know, at a same. At a similar moment where I was like, what am I gonna do? So, God, with any luck, you know, another. Another day is from.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Listen, I'm satisfying gianni Versace Part 2. Adele would be very happy.

[Darren Criss]

She would. I could be your favorite actor again.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was more from my conversation with Darren Criss. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinners on Me. This episode of Dinners on Me was recorded at Winston Bakery in the East Village in Manhattan. Next week on Dinners on Me. You know him from scenes stealing roles in shows like Somebody Somewhere and Pluribus and appearances across comedy favorites like 30 Rock and Broad City. It's Jeff Hiller. We'll get into the role that made him a breakout fan favorite. How years in the New York comedy scene shaped his career and why his journey to this moment is anything but typical. Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale, she composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.

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