LAS CULTURISTAS with Matt Rogers & Bowen Yang
Episode: “I Feel So WILD!” (with Hannah Solo)
Release Date: October 1, 2025

Overview

In this lively and affectionate episode, Matt and Bowen are joined by their longtime friend and Broadway star Hannah Solo for a freewheeling romp through pop culture, theater memories, New York nostalgia, and the highs and lows of waiting tables. The hosts and their guest bring signature warmth, irreverence, and vulnerability as they reminisce about NYU escapades, discuss the glories (and mundanities) of being an understudy, and share why “feeling wild” on stage is everything.

Recording Situation, Malala, and Vibes

[02:11–05:54]

• The group is displaced to a new recording space due to Malala occupying their usual studio.
• Lighthearted speculation about Malala’s athletic abilities and whether she’d make kickball teams, segueing into a humorous, imaginary “Malala drag show” concept.
• Joke about Malala doing a lip sync to “My Own Worst Enemy” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U.”
• Matt asserts strong guest loyalty:
  • “I pick our guest over Malala every day of the week.” (Matt Rogers, 04:15)

Introducing Hannah Solo and Broadway Adventures

[05:45–06:48]

• Hannah is introduced as the current Mary Todd Lincoln in “O Mary” at the Lyceum Theatre.
• Matt and Bowen reminisce about their college days with Hannah, including auditioning for NYU comedy groups and being floormates.

New York and Early Memories

[07:00–08:17]

• Hannah describes first impressions of NY, learning subway navigation pre-smartphone—“you just be like, bye, hope we make it there…” (Hannah Solo, 07:26).
• Bowen and Hannah bond over feeling “seen” by HBO's “Girls” and being recognized as “Lena Dunham” on the street.

Musical Theater and Skill Preferences

[09:17–10:14]

• Hannah admits she’s not the best dancer—“My brain isn’t keeping up with what my body is doing”—but loves to dance nevertheless.
• Ultimately, she loves singing most.

On Improv, Rumple Teaser & Backstage Rituals

[10:21–11:04]

• Hannah discusses her connection to improv group Rumple Teaser, now less frequent due to Broadway schedule.
• She has a “theater sayings” blanket in her dressing room (“It’s all like, lights up, it’s me…”).

Fiddler on the Roof and Diaspora

[12:08–13:09]

• The group jokes about musical plot summaries:
  • “The vibes start out great, but then... the vibes end up bad.” (Matt Rogers, 12:59)
• Light-hearted self-doubt if they’ve ever used “diaspora” correctly on the podcast.

Viral Broadway Moment & “Boop”

[13:39–15:20]

• Matt and Bowen ask about Hannah’s viral “Boop” moment outside TKTS.
• Hannah shares that many men have DM’d her claiming to be “the guy," but she suspects the real one is “not on Instagram.”
• Astrology humor: “Taurus, Taurus. The worst kind—‘cause they’re so hard-headed.” (Matt Rogers, 15:06)

Culture Talk: Dinner Theater & Childhood

[44:49–47:28]

• Hannah’s “culture that made her say culture was for her” was dinner theater at a cabaret space next to a Coco’s diner—serving food and then hopping onstage to sing.
• The group delights in the absurdity and formative power of kid-run dinner theaters and the unique discipline it instills.

Waiting Tables and the Restaurant Life

[54:01–57:03]

• Hannah insists everyone should wait tables at some point:
  • “You can always tell when someone has never worked in a restaurant when they go out to dinner because they’re being an absolute bitch.” (Hannah Solo, 54:16)
• Bowen reminisces about working at Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and notes the “cunty cow” mascot.

Musical Type, Voice Parts, and NYU Nostalgia

[59:13–61:29]

• The group debates vocal types—Bowen denies being a tenor; Hannah offers, “You are, I would say, a mezzo soprano with belt.”
• Reflect on musical theater college memories, including “Pop/Rock Night” and always singing in dorm halls.

Early Improv Auditions & Coming Out

[62:33–63:57]

• Hannah recalls their SNL ticket campout, with Matt still closeted and talking about “titties.”
• Matt reveals that getting into SNL that night was pivotal for him coming out and joining NY improv:
  • “That ended up being a turning point for me to decide to come out… and take a UCB class and then try to audition for the grand groups.” (Matt Rogers, 63:13)

Understudying on Broadway: The Emotional Reality

[35:08–38:07]

• Hannah shares the unique emotional weight of understudying—balancing hopes and anxieties, especially during her “Great Day” monologue:
  • “I am living my dream and saying these lines about how I’ve wanted to have this great day for so long. Then I’m in the midst of the great day as it’s ending…” (Hannah Solo, 35:25)
• Details the mental preparation and pressures of knowing you’re “the backup,” the fear of disappointing an audience, and the pride in going on.

Audience Etiquette and The Cough Discourse

[39:02–40:51]

• Discussion of theater pet peeves—audience coughing, phones out, people leaving before curtain call.
• Hannah: “If you have a wet cough and you’re going to the theater… Bring a Ricola. Bring something with you. Why are you letting this loose?” (39:28)

Broadway Discipline and The "Prison" of Eight Shows a Week

[68:23–70:10]

• Hannah describes the beauty and difficulty of a Broadway schedule:
  • “Broadway is a prison… a beautiful and a wonderful prison I’m so grateful to be a part of, but it’s so hard.” (68:45)
• She references Megan Hilty’s intense vocal regimens from a New York Times diary.

Friends, Mentors, and Celebratory Moments

[71:17–74:56]

• The group celebrates friendships and communal wins, discussing Jeff Hiller’s Emmy and the way friends’ successes feel shared.
• Matt, sincerely addressing Hannah:
  • “Universally everyone that’s in your life loves you and roots for you and knows that you deserve it because you are so special.” (74:22)

“I Feel So Wild”—Hannah’s Onstage Persona

[30:40–31:13]

• Discussion about Hannah’s signature phrase and performing ethos:
  • “I feel so wild.” (31:00)
  • The “wild” energy comes from music and performance, with Hannah imagining herself as animals on stage—“immediately I’m thinking a snake... Iguana!” (31:23)

I DON’T THINK SO, HONEY

[79:25–89:38]

Matt:

• Rants about towels with mysterious stains:
  • “Once a towel has a brown stain… just throw it away. Get a new towel.” (80:51)

Bowen:

• Rants about Ripley Grier Studios’ multiple confusing locations causing performer panic:
  • “We need a naming convention so that it’s SEO friendly, so that if I type it in Google Maps I am at the right place.” (82:37)
  • “It’s a police state… Christy Gnome. This is the airport at the gate.” (85:02)

Hannah:

• Rants about the heartbreak of spending time and money making a meal only for it to turn out bad:
  • “I just spent 26 whole ass dollars and three hours of my one wild and precious life on a goddamn stew and now I’m either gonna throw it in the garbage or eat it for the next two weeks…” (87:25)
  • “It’s the stew’s fault. Yeah, blame the stew.” (87:35)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On going out as an understudy:

  • “You can really hear people. This is the thing people don’t understand. We can hear you from the stage.” (Hannah Solo, 38:47)

• On the NYU RA experience:

  • “We were always joking in the corner. We were like, if we don’t hear you or see you, then we’re gonna let you do your thing. If you’re in the hallway with your whippets, then I’m gonna write you up.” (Hannah Solo, 22:05)

• On swing kids & childhood theater magic:

  • “We would take our family's orders… then you deliver food, be right back, hop on stage, sing ‘I’m going back someday, come what may…’” (Hannah Solo, 45:41)

• On culinary disasters:

  • “Now I’m having toast for dinner again. Toast dinner? I don’t think so.” (Hannah Solo, 88:20)

Closing Segment

[93:41–94:02]

• Group sings “River” by Joni Mitchell in honor of Hannah’s signature Pop/Rock Night number, closing the episode in classic, sentimental Las Culturistas style.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:21] – Malala, studio displacement jokes
• [06:38] – Hannah Solo joins, Broadway talk begins
• [07:00-08:17] – First impressions of NYC, “Girls”
• [09:17] – Which musical theater skill wins?
• [13:39–15:20] – Viral Broadway moment & “Boop”
• [30:40–31:13] – “I feel so wild”
• [35:08–38:07] – Understudies, “Great Day” monologue, heart of Broadway
• [39:02–41:04] – Audience etiquette, coughs, phones, leaving early
• [44:49–47:28] – Childhood dinner theater, formative “Swing Kids”
• [54:01–57:03] – Waiting tables, Maggie Moo mascot
• [59:13–61:29] – Musical types, NYU singing girls
• [62:33–63:57] – SNL line, coming out, turning point memories
• [71:17–74:56] – Jeff Hiller’s Emmy, communal celebration
• [79:25–89:38] – I Don’t Think So, Honey rants

Tone & Appeal

The episode is warm, silly, and deeply affectionate—full of inside jokes, theater-specific humor, and sincerity about friendship, career, and the unpredictable joys and woes of the performing life. Both longtime Las Culturistas listeners and newcomers will find this episode funny, poignant, and illuminating about the realities and magic of Broadway.