Bye Bye Bondi

Summary

Lovett or Leave It – "Bye Bye Bondi" (April 4, 2026)

Host: Jon Lovett
Guests: Ben Platt, Jimmy Tatro
Venue: Dynasty Typewriter, Los Angeles

---

Episode Overview

In this lively and irreverent episode, Jon Lovett returns to the stage with a jam-packed "Lovett or Leave It," featuring Broadway/film star Ben Platt and actor-comedian Jimmy Tatro. The main themes revolve around skewering the week’s political absurdities, exploring Jewish culture (especially Passover), and plenty of unscripted laughs about childhood, theater, and identity. The show mixes comedy with social commentary, engages with pop and political news, and closes with self-reflection in “Second Thoughts.”

---

Key Segments and Highlights

1. What a Week – Political News Roundup

[01:40–11:09] Lovett opens with a classic satirical news monologue, this week focused on Republican hypocrisy and scandal.

• Kristi Noem’s Husband’s Scandal:
  Lovett lampoons the Daily Mail exposé on Brian Noem (husband of the former SD governor), whose online persona includes "giant mommy milkers."

  • Lovett: “Turns out the queerness was calling from inside the House.” [05:46]
  • Jokes about hypocrisy as Kristi Noem pushes anti-LGBTQ policies:

    “Turns out the queerness was calling from inside the House. And this is just one example of Republicans being confronted by reality this week.” [05:46]

• The GOP’s Dysfunction on Government Funding:
  – Mocking Congress’s recess while federal workers go unpaid, and Lindsey Graham’s attempts at “cool damage control.”
  – Lovett: “There’s no shotgun on earth big enough to kill the part of him that yearns to be a princess.” [07:33]

• Pam Bondi Gets Fired:
  Trump fires AG Pam Bondi over the Epstein files—endless barbs about her “best facelift” and beauty hiding a rotten interior.
  – Lovett: “Insides are bad, but looks great on the outside, and that’s what counts. Dorian Gray taught me that.” [09:20]
  – Satirical congratulations for becoming the next Bachelorette:

  “Congrats to Pam Bondi on being named ABC’s next Bachelorette.” [10:47]

---

2. Ben Platt Joins the Stage! – Broadway, Jewish Summer Camp & Fiddler Dreams

[16:35–35:31]

A charming deep-dive into Jewish identity, summer camp trauma, musical theater rites of passage, and showbiz gossip.

• Jewish Summer Camps & Musical Theater:
  Both Lovett and Platt bond over being child stars at camp (Platt: “My sister and I were double cast as Oliver.” [18:39]) and the sustaining magic of musical theater for “boys like us.”
  – Lovett: “For boys like Jonathan, that’s why we do the musicals.” [19:02]

• Ben Platt’s Wedding & Broadway Life:
  Conversation about Platt’s recent Vogue-featured wedding: “Boy, I’m getting married.” [19:47] Plus wedding-planning tips: “You do nothing.” [19:58]

• Quickfire Theater/Jewishness Quiz:

  • Ben on the Phantom of the Opera: “No, it’s pretty goyish... Probably allergic to the fog.” [21:09]
  • Which Broadway roles could be Jewish? The consensus: Fiddler, yes; Phantom, no.

• Lovett’s Sondheim Hot Take:

  • Protests the “backwards” structure of Merrily We Roll Along: “I think it would be better if it went in order.” [23:23]
  • Platt: “Maybe our real-time filming trick will help it make sense!” [23:42]

• Discussion of Broadway Vices:

  • Platt details the stress of singing, secrets to vocal health, and the time he “powered through” and had to have surgery for a vocal polyp.

    “One time I pushed when I shouldn’t have, and then I got a polyp... had to be silent for two weeks and take a bunch of steroids.” – Ben Platt [24:56]

  • They compare performance anxiety, missed shows, and the sometimes angry reactions of tourists.

• Segment: April Fools or Foolish Reality?
  A news quiz where fake headlines and weird real stories blur, e.g.

  • The real: “12 tons of Kit Kats stolen in Europe.” = TRUE [28:07]
  • Butterfinger Top Ramen collab = FAKE [28:59]
  • “OnlyFarms.gov” (not an OnlyFans for farmers, but real government PR website) = REAL [29:42]
  • Pepperoni Pizookie exists—unexpectedly TRUE [30:51]
  • Ben expresses disbelief: "It's a dessert with pepperoni on top." [31:03]

---

3. Dave & Buster’s Rats, Kosher Wedding, and Broadway at the Bowl

[32:14–35:31]

• Dave & Buster’s in Hollywood closed for vermin:

  • “LA has more rats than NYC,” Ben quips. [32:45]

• Kosher Wedding Food:

  • A practical breakdown (with cheese, but separated from meat for kosher tradition). [31:17]
  • Lovett’s confession: “I’d eat the cheese, and then I’d be like, Oh my God, cheeseburgers! I’m so stupid.” [32:14]

• Hollywood Bowl Performance:

  • Platt on the size and impersonal vibe: “It’s cool... more like communing than really feeling individual reactions. Like everyone’s at a picnic.” [33:14]
  • “Everyone’s a little liquored up, so it’s a little easier.” [33:44]

---

4. Pop Culture Chatter: Cats, Survivor, Reality TV

[27:24, 34:00]

• Gushing (and grumbling) over Andrew Lloyd Webber, his distaste for the “Cats” movie, and how algorithms push “Survivor” content to both Lovett and Platt.
  • Lovett: “Our algorithms are similar.”

---

5. Jimmy Tatro Joins! – Slasher Fates, Theater Camp, and Pilates Anxiety

[39:17–45:23]

• Tatro on Scream 7:

  • On his character’s fate: “I told everyone I was the main character so when I died it would be kind of funny.” [39:31]
  • Gory comedic banter about movie deaths and “Theater Camp” deleted scenes.

• Hot Yoga and Pilates Outlier:

  • Observing he’s always the only man in class: “For the first couple years, I was like, maybe the guys go at a different time... Oh, so it’s just me.” [43:22]
  • Platt reveals his SoulCycle phase—Lovett jokes about the gay fitness lifecycle: “When you turn 30, you go to the gym when you’re gay.”

---

6. Passover Quiz & Jewish Culture Primer

[45:29–52:55]

With Passover ongoing, Tatro gamely takes a crash course:

• Empty Chair and Wine for Elijah:
  Tatro earns laughs by answering “Grandpa” to "Who do we leave a chair for at Passover?" [46:20]

  • Actual answer: Elijah.

• Matzo Trivia, Seder Plate Mishaps:

  • Tatro confuses applesauce (for Hanukkah latkes) with Seder plate items, then jokes about “hash browns” on the Seder. [49:25]
  • Lovett clarifies: apples are for Rosh Hashanah, applesauce/latkes for Hanukkah.

• Afikomen Hunt:

  • Tatro guesses it’s for “cash” and “chocolate coins.”
  • Platt: “It’s a piece of matzah. That’s it. In a little sleeve.” [52:00]

• Everyone Wins or Only One?
  Two types of Afikomen households: one for a single winner, and one where “everybody wins. You know, I bet you were from an everybody wins household. Yeah, I was too.” – Lovett & Platt [52:50]

---

7. Second Thoughts & Regrets

[55:48–58:04]

A regular closing feature where the hosts and guests reflect on their awkward moments and missteps from the show:

• Lovett: “Do I regret reliving my traumatic camp experience to start the interview with Ben? A little.” [56:12]
• Ben Platt: “It made me feel less alone.” [56:13]
• Lovett: “I regret asking how Evan Hansen affected your sexual dynamic.” [56:24]
• Platt: “I really regret that you’re bringing it back up again.” [56:29]
• Tatro: “I would've maybe not said cash.” [57:22]
• Group consensus: Segues are overrated, plowing through topics is more fun.

---

Notable Quotes

• On Republican Scandals:
  “While Kristi Noem was filming a $220 million ad campaign... the queerness was calling from inside the House.” – Lovett [05:46]

• On Broadway Life:
  “For boys like Jonathan, that’s why we do the musicals.” – Lovett [19:02]
  “It’s like a rite of passage. I also played Oliver.” – Ben Platt [18:35]

• On Passing as Jewish:
  “My mom’s mom is Jewish, so everyone tells me I’m technically Jewish.” – Tatro [48:32]

• On Jewish holidays and workarounds:
  “A lot of Jewish holidays are about very important rules and then technical workarounds.” – Lovett [47:24]

• On Hollywood Bowl vs. Broadway:
  “It feels more like everyone’s having an outside picnic... everyone’s a little liquored up, so it’s easier.” – Ben Platt [33:14, 33:44]

• On Afikomen Dynamics:
  “One is there is a winner and the rest are fucking losers. And the other is everybody wins ... I was from an everybody wins household.” – Lovett [52:50]

• On Segues:
  “At times in the past, I’ve come up with funny little ways to connect [segments] ... I just kept going right to the next topic ... I think it’s working great.” – Lovett/Tatro/Platt [57:54]

---

Timestamps of Main Segments

• [01:40]: Lovett’s satirical news monologue
• [16:35]: Ben Platt segment begins
• [26:02]: April Fools/Fools news quiz
• [32:14]: Dave & Busters’ rats/kosher wedding food
• [39:17]: Jimmy Tatro segment begins
• [45:29]: Passover trivia quiz
• [55:48]: “Second Thoughts” regrets & wrap-up

---

Tone and Style

The episode is irreverent, smart, and quick-witted, with signature Jon Lovett sarcasm, self-deprecation, and a tone that veers between earnest cultural sharing and unapologetic, campy nonsense. The banter with Ben Platt is especially warm and relatable for listeners with theater or Jewish backgrounds. The guest interactions are informal and confessional, delivering both laughs and cultural insight.

---

Who Should Listen?

Anyone interested in a comedic—but poignant—take on this week’s political messes, Jewish tradition explained through in-jokes and quizzes, and authentic conversations among funny, self-aware creatives about identity, performance, and modern adulthood.

---

End of summary.

Transcript

[Jon Favreau]

If you guys like Pod Save America, please consider subscribing to our Friends of the Pod program. So Friends of the Pod get lots of stuff. You get more Pod Save America. That includes our new show which is called Pod Save America. Only friends, it's where Dan gets naked, where Dan gets full frontal nudity. But mostly it's a bi weekly subscription exclusive podcast that is basically Pod Save America but behind a paywall. So it's a little bit looser and more fun and it's love it. And Favreau and me and Pfeiffer and then other cricket hosts. We go deeper on the news and cover more stories. And you also get Open Tabs, which is a weekly behind the scenes newsletter from the show. Plus you get ad free episodes of your favorite crooked podcasts and all kinds of other stuff. Dan will come to your house and clean it once every quarter.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, clothes.

[Jon Favreau]

Dan is very busy. Clothed only. But along with just getting great content, Becoming a Friend of the Pod joining our subscription community is the number one thing you can do to help us grow to help independent, progressive media. So if you're ever thought about doing it, if you ever wanted more Pod Save America, consider going to cricket.com friends and becoming a Friend of the podcast.

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

This week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons, get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See store for details and broccoli, cauliflower or russet potatoes are $0.97 per pound member price limit £6 plus selected sizes and varieties of Lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each member price. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[John Lovett]

What's up, Los Angeles? Welcome to Love it or Leave It Live at Dynasty Typewriter. We have got a great show for you tonight. Ben Platt is here. Jimmy Tatro is here. Together we'll sort through April's biggest fools. We'll also ask, what's the deal with Pesach? And of course, we'll wrap up our show with some regret to go with our exodus in second thoughts. But first, let's get into it. What a week. Our cup runneth over with news. Enough to fill two big cups, you might say. That's right. On Tuesday, the Daily Mail published a report on Kristi Noem's husband, Brian Noemi, revealing the former first husband of South Dakota has been leading a secret double life. A double D life. I'm Sorry. This is serious. Wait, it's not. According to the mail, Noem reportedly paid at least three online sex workers in fetish forums over $25,000 to live out his bimbo dreams wearing a feminine outfit and fantasizing about having, quote, huge, huge, ridiculous boobs. Meanwhile, his wife Christy, was also working with a pair of ridiculous boobs named Donald Trump and J.D. vance. The guard. Seize them. The report also had photos of Brian Noem wearing pink short shorts and a fake breastplate, said Brian Noem in a prepared statement. My eyes are up here. Noam reportedly used the alias Jason Jackson. But one sex worker said she butt dialed his number and heard the voicemail message Gnome Insurance. Leave a message. Press 1 if you're calling about a claim. Press 2 if you're calling about my giant mommy milkers. Per the mail, Brian Noem talked to at least one sex worker about his wife's long rumored affair with her top aide, Corey Lewandowski. Well, yeah. Who else are you gonna talk to? A therapist? That would be gay, Said the woman. I asked him about it, and his response was, I know there's nothing I can do about it. To Brian's credit, that's as stoic and dignified a response to the situation as any man with big fake yabos could have. Big, beautiful, magnificent yabos. Intelligence experts noted that Brian's behavior may have exposed Christie to the threat of blackmail. This could have been exploited by the FSB Mossad, or worse, the notorious agents of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee. After the news broke, the New York Times published a piece titled, In South Dakota, neighbors feel sorry for Christy Noem's husband. Yeah, they feel sorry. Sorry for his lower back. I went, oh, should we go straight to Iran? We bear. This is a joy. Could you believe. Yeah, we're gonna sink into it. We're gonna spend some time here. Do you know the alternative news of the week? Have you been paying attention? Yeah, we're gonna do a lot of jokes about the former head of Homeland Security's husband doing funny little videos with giant yabos. Honestly, the people in Noem's hometown were actually pretty sweet about it. One resident told the Times. Such a nice man. It just tears me up. But he's fine. He's getting laughed at a little bit. He hasn't been sent to a Salvadoran megaprison. And now that Christie's been fired, he never will be. When asked for an interview, Brian Noem told the New York Times, I will at some point, but today is not the day. I appreciate your heart. Classic Brian kicking the cans down the road. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Kristi Noem told the New York Post, Ms. Noem is devastated. The family was blindsided by this and they asked for privacy and prayers. At this time, Noem was reportedly so upset she could barely finish her Corey Lewandowski. Personally, this all makes sense to me. Christine Ohm's whole thing is denying reality. This is just another reality to deny. While Kristi Noem was filming a $220 million ad campaign and claiming to go after the worst of the worst, ICE was terrorizing immigrants and citizens alike, hauling families to deportation facilities and describing innocent victims of state violence as domestic terrorists without ever apologizing. As governor, she called for a drag ban on college campuses and signed a law to prevent doctors from prescribing gender affirming care to but turns out the queerness was calling from inside the House. And this is just one example of Republicans being confronted by reality this week. Trump addressed the nation on Wednesday night and as markets plummeted and gas prices rose, offered this we were a dead

[Ben Platt]

and crippled country after the last administration and made it the hottest country anywhere

[John Lovett]

in the world by far, with no

[Ben Platt]

inflation record setting investments coming into the United States over $18 trillion and the highest stock market ever.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, no, totally, said a long haul truck driver placing two cantaloupes under his shirt to see if he could convince Brian Noem to pay for a tank of diesel. Republicans, meanwhile, couldn't agree on a plan to reopen the government and so they just fled the Capitol declaring a two week recess despite the fact that a bunch of federal workers from FEMA to the Coast Guard were working without pay. And I for one admire it. Hide from your problems, but these Republicans could hide from responsibility. Not tmz. Here's Lindsey Graham at Disney World holding a bubble wand in a deeply forlorn photograph. Something about the shape of it felt right to him. He was like maybe a second one. Wave him around. Lucky for him, this is the gayest picture TMZ has of Lindsey Graham so far. Graham also attempted to do some bubble wand damage control by posting this cool picture of himself holding a gun. But there's no shotgun on earth big enough to kill the part of him that yearns to be a princess. And so after a lot of embarrassing coverage, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune issued a joint statement saying the House will take up the Senate bill, the one they refused to pass last week, which will fund most of DHS bill, but not ICE or border control. It's nice when people can set aside their differences, come together, and agree on what matters. Lindsey Graham should not get to go to Disney World. Speaking of living in a fantasy, CNN reported this week that a top FEMA official, Greg Phillips, claims he was involuntarily teleported multiple times. He talked about it in a podcast appearance. We had a teleport incident, two of them, and I end up at a waffle house, like, 50 miles away from where I was.

[Ben Platt]

It was an incredibly frightening moment. I tell you, teleporting is no fun.

[John Lovett]

This story obviously makes no sense. You were teleported to a Waffle House, and it wasn't fun. That rules. I'm gonna. I'm gonna try to do it right now. Nothing. When confronted about this story, Phillips said, quote, haters gonna hate. And added that people also doubted that Jesus rose from the dead. Happy Easter, everybody. When there was just one set of footprints in the sand, that was when I teleported. And reality came for yet another Cabinet official this week. On Thursday, Trump announced that he had fired Attorney General Pam Bondi for her mishandling of the Epstein scandal and her failure to prosecute his enemies. Yes, and a shocking development. The Epstein files release. The Attorney General Pam Bondi didn't seem too surprised, but that's just because she has the best facelift of all time. This woman is 60. Clap it out for Pam Bondi, everyone. Insides are bad, but looks great on the outside, and that's what counts. Dorian Gray taught me that. He was so hot. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche will serve. Blanche will serve. Depending on Blanche will serve as acting Attorney General. In the meantime, you'll remember Todd as Trump's personal lawyer, and from the time he said this, we will always investigate

[Jon Favreau]

any evidence of misconduct. But as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.

[John Lovett]

Of course, it's hard to judge. That was from a different time, February. Anyway, good riddance to Pam fucking Bondi, Another person who made a devil's bargain. Understanding what happens at the end of a devil's bargain. And now she has all the time in the world to read her books. But her glasses are broken, wrote Trump on social media. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector to be announced at a date in the near future. So congrats to Pam Bondi from us here at Love it or Leave it on, being named ABC's next Bachelorette. All right, we've got a great show for you tonight. We'll Be right back with Ben Pott.

[Ben Platt]

Hey, don't go anywhere. There's more of Love It Or Leave it coming up.

[John Lovett]

Love It Or Leave it is brought to you by Thrive Market. Thrive Market is a membership based online grocery. For just $5 per month you get access to a curated selection of organic and non GMO brands, weekly sales, free gifts and so much more. One annual fee priceless peace of mind. Thrive Market restricts 1000 plus ingredients. No stressing over labels or googling every additive. Every product is curated so their organic and non GMO brands are vetted before they ever hit the site. The in app Barcode scanner allows you to find a healthier swap for almost anything in your pant. Right now you'll find healthy dupes and brands you've never heard of or can't find at the local store. Membership pricing up to 30% off plus weekly sales plus free gifts plus price matching plus free delivery on qualifying orders. All in the membership at $5 per month. The membership pays for itself. Most members make it back in their first two orders. No pre order delivery fees, service charges or tip math. Just one annual cost plus their 90 plus dietary filters means you're only seeing what works for you. High protein, low sugar, glp, one friendly gluten free keto and more. No more decision fatigue. Your filtered results only show what fits your household. Ready to do your own spring reset? Join Thrive Market with our [e-mail] love it for $20 off your first three orders plus you'll get a free $60 gift. Love it or leave it is brought to you by Simplisafe Security shouldn't be a hassle While traditional brands lock you into years long contracts and require professional installation, Simplisafe does things differently. Enjoy 24. 7 protection and professional monitoring. With no long term commitments and zero hidden strings, easily customize a system that's right for your [e-mail] and it chips to your door in a few days. With app guided setup and and no drilling required, you can install and arm your system in under an hour. No need to wait around for a technician appointment. It's not just a camera, it's a comprehensive ecosystem of sensors, cameras for inside and out and 24. 7 professional monitoring. In the event of a break in fire or flood, SimpliSafe's agents are ready to take action. Named America's Best Customer Service by Newsweek, over 5 million people trust SimpliSafe every day and US news and world Report ranked them the best home security system of 2026. I installed the SimpliSafe system. It was incredibly easy to do. Worked really great customer support. The app was really great. And it gives you peace of mind.

[Jon Favreau]

That's what you.

[John Lovett]

That's.

[Jon Favreau]

That's the most important thing.

[John Lovett]

That's the most important kind. That's the important thing to happen in your mind. You know, peace. Peace in the Middle East. Where does it start? The mind.

[Jon Favreau]

It's just one little piece of the mind.

[John Lovett]

We've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer an exclusive discount to my listeners. Right now, you can get 50% off your new system by visiting SimpliSafe.com. love it. That's half [e-mail] LoveIt. There's no safe like SimpliSafe. Well, we're still moving the cameras around. That's what's happening right now. So this is our moment. A time for just us. Everybody do Passover last night. All right, all right. Take a note of how many. Anybody keeping Passover? Nice. Nice. Basic, basically. Basic. Yeah. Not tonight. What'd you eat? Well, I mean, we're not having a second Seder. Well, we're not having a second Seder, but I think first Seder counts. Did. What's. I'm. What am I saying? What's who saying? What does what mean having a Seder? Do you know about seders? You don't know about seders? Oh, wow. Okay. Okay. So basically, several thousand years ago, Jews were in the land of Egypt, and somebody tried to get Jewish people to do contracting work for free. And so they destroy that entire society. So that's what happens. Trying to underpay. A Jewish contractor killed his family. That's the story of Passover. And then it required a miracle so Jews wouldn't have to swim. And. And here we are. Then it was hot for a while, which we've been complaining about for thousands of years. They didn't put bread on the table, which we made literally part of the Bible. And that's it. We're good. Okay, great. And we're back. One note, if you love Dan's analysis on Pod Save America, you need to be listening to our subscriber exclusive Pod Polar coaster. It's like having a really smart friend break it all down for you. And Dan's there too. Got him. In the newest episode, Dan gets into the narrative that Trump has been seeing a big drop in support from young men. Why subscribe to Friends of the Pond? Because you can support independent progressive media. You'll get ad free episodes of your favorite crooked Pods. And we have a bunch of content that's just for subscribers. We're trying to build something. We're trying to be part of a big pro democracy media ecosystem to compete with right wing news. There aren't that many of us and we have to build it together. And the best way you can support Crooked is by subscribing and becoming a friend of the pod. Help us build something and get good information in front of more people. So go to cricket.com friends and subscribe today. Thank you. And now, please welcome to the stage. He's phenomenal in the last five years with Rachel Ziegler and even better in the next 15 minutes with me, it's the amazing Ben Pott. Hi. Thanks for being here. Hi, Ben.

[Ben Platt]

How are you?

[John Lovett]

It's so nice to see you.

[Ben Platt]

It's lovely to see you. Thanks for having me. These chairs are so nice.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, they're good.

[Ben Platt]

So you're sitting in an interesting way.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I know.

[Ben Platt]

It's like that meme of giving an NYU theater student a chair and asking them to sit in it.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah. I'm just. I don't have any training. I'm just gay.

[Ben Platt]

Totally. That's enough.

[John Lovett]

So I was talking to my partner who wanted to make sure I say they went to Camp Ramah. Whoa. At the camper. Ma, that still lets the kids have peanut butter.

[Ben Platt]

Is there? You're not allowed to. Oh. Because of the allergies.

[John Lovett]

Because of all the allergies. But I think there's one that's hang. That's, you know, that's still fighting a good fight for peanut butter.

[Ben Platt]

Was it the one in California?

[John Lovett]

No, it's in Wisconsin.

[Ben Platt]

That's the pretty one.

[John Lovett]

I think the one. The ones in California. They can't possibly let peanut butter within 500 yards of those places.

[Ben Platt]

No. And there's also no lake. It's just, like, dry. It's chaparral. It's. It's barely camp.

[John Lovett]

But you still had a nice experience at Camp Vermont. Totally. It's a Jewish summer camp. It's a Jewish summer camp.

[Ben Platt]

I totally did. Other than the lack of theater, I was pretty jealous of my friends going to, like, Stagedoor Manor in Frenchwoods.

[John Lovett]

And you didn't have theater at camp.

[Ben Platt]

Well, you get to do a musical only when you're in the oldest age group. So I, like, sat around for eight summers waiting. And then I did Guys and Dolls in Hebrew.

[John Lovett]

I believe at this camp at Marmah that Ari went to, they did Cabaret.

[Ben Platt]

Whoa.

[John Lovett]

Which means they did it in Hebrew. And then they all. There was a couple of little Jewish kids dressed up as Nazis running around, and apparently the tape didn't work. I think they were like, we have to destroy this. It's like it's Camper Ma's Epstein files. But when I went to summer camp, thank God they had the musicals. And when I was having a rough summer, I had been. In previous years, I had been Oliver in Oliver.

[Ben Platt]

Whoa.

[John Lovett]

And I was Flounder in the Mermaid. Casual. Just. I mean, listen, you and I have both been leads in musicals.

[Ben Platt]

I also. Yeah, I played Oliver, too.

[John Lovett]

Just as you did play Oliver.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, of course. My sister and I were double cast as Oliver.

[John Lovett]

Wow. I am really glad you didn't go to my camp.

[Ben Platt]

I bet.

[John Lovett]

Because I bet you would have gotten it.

[Ben Platt]

I would.

[John Lovett]

But anyway, I was having a hard time because it was a lot of basketball. And the camp called my mother and said, the owner of the camp needs to talk to you. And my mother was like, well, what do we do? What do we do? And this guy's name was Hai Schmierer.

[Ben Platt]

Whoa.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Jewish. Yes. And he said, friend, for boys like Jonathan. That's why we do the musicals. You were Oliver for real?

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, of course. In my theater program when I was a kid.

[John Lovett]

Wow.

[Ben Platt]

It's a rite of passage.

[John Lovett]

Cool.

[Ben Platt]

Thanks.

[John Lovett]

It was hard to hit those notes in Where Is Love? They go. Really? They go all the way up.

[Ben Platt]

Listen, some people have certain strengths. I can't play sports either.

[John Lovett]

Now, also, you had such a beautiful wedding. Pictures of it in Vogue magazine.

[Ben Platt]

That's right.

[John Lovett]

Boy. I'm getting married.

[Ben Platt]

So I've heard. Mazel tov.

[John Lovett]

How did you figure out how to hang up all those yellow curtains?

[Ben Platt]

I didn't do any of it myself. Oh, have you made plans already? You do nothing.

[John Lovett]

Get me those yellow curtains. I just said I handed them the picture of your wedding and I was like, do this.

[Ben Platt]

That's so nice.

[John Lovett]

But make it different. So you're starring the 25th anniversary of the last five years with Rachel Ziegler at the Hollywood Bowl.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. Tomorrow night?

[John Lovett]

Tomorrow night. We should all go now. There's not a lot of Jewish heroes in musicals. Is it your mission to change that?

[Ben Platt]

I don't know about changing. I just kind of checking off all the preexisting ones by playing them one at a time. And then the list ends at, like, three. So it's.

[John Lovett]

And how close are you to Fiddler?

[Ben Platt]

Well, I'm kind of caught between. I'm really a muddle the tailor, but I'm maybe too Old. And then I'm not really a Tevye for another, like, 20 years.

[John Lovett]

Maybe even longer, if you'd like. Hey.

[Ben Platt]

Oh, thanks.

[John Lovett]

Come on, you got plenty of time.

[Ben Platt]

Something to look forward to. Thank you so much.

[John Lovett]

They could age you up.

[Ben Platt]

They could.

[John Lovett]

Here are some classical music icons. Tell us if you think they could potentially be Jewish. Okay. The Phantom of the Opera.

[Ben Platt]

No, it's pretty goyish.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. I just don't think a Jew would accept an apartment underground.

[Ben Platt]

Also, probably allergic to the fog.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Yeah. It's very wet. It's very wet. Harold Hill and the Music Man.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, not that version of him, but.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Not the Hugh Jackman version. And obviously then there is the Fiddler from Fiddler on the Roof. That's pretty Jewish, huh?

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, of course. I mean, stereotypically so, but still Jewish. You know what I mean?

[John Lovett]

Yeah. I saw you in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, and I remember thinking, oh, he's flirting with every single person on stage, including the parents of the dead boy. Was that part of your play? You played catch with the dad of the boy that's dead.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

And it felt quite flirtatious. Was. Is that your intent?

[Ben Platt]

Yes. I think just as much chemistry flowing as possible because everybody was grieving in that show, and it's a nice distraction from the grieving to have chemistry. You know what I mean?

[John Lovett]

Were you aware of that or was he.

[Ben Platt]

No, absolutely not.

[John Lovett]

No one's ever said this before.

[Ben Platt]

No one has ever said that to

[John Lovett]

me before because I was, like, sort of flirting with that dad.

[Ben Platt]

Well, Michael Park's really handsome.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Ben Platt]

I don't know if you know Michael Park. He played the dad.

[John Lovett]

He's very handsome.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

You're also in Richard Linklater's upcoming film adaptation of Merrily We Roll, along with Paul Mescal and Beanie Feldstein, which you're gonna shoot over 20 years. Oh, boy. What a commitment. What if you're like, ah, I might be busy in 2037?

[Ben Platt]

It's job security. That's true. We've already done it three times, and we have, like, six more times to do it.

[John Lovett]

So you do it in chunks. So it's every two years. How's it gonna work?

[Ben Platt]

Depends on the. So the story's told over the course of that many years. And there's, like, sequences. Sometimes the sequences are five years apart, sometimes they're one year apart. And we're just following the map of the show. Wow.

[John Lovett]

Now it's a Sondheim musical, and I have a controversial opinion about it.

[Ben Platt]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

Okay. And I'm gonna say it. And I just.

[Ben Platt]

Before you, just take in your audience before you.

[John Lovett]

I know, which is why I'm just. I'm gonna. I know that this is wrong, but I want you to just before you react negatively, let it soak in.

[Ben Platt]

Okay?

[John Lovett]

Okay. And then react.

[Ben Platt]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

So the musical is famously backwards. You start at the end and you go towards the beginning. You go backwards through time. And here's my feeling, having seen it on Broadway, I think it would be better if it went in order.

[Ben Platt]

I'm trying to let it soak. I would be interested on stage to see it. I mean, I think hopefully, because we're doing it in real time, the backwards thing could work in a way that maybe it hasn't for you in the past because there'll be some real de aging happening. But.

[John Lovett]

You know what would be really funny? To shoot it over 20 years forward and then de age with technology.

[Ben Platt]

Did you see the Irishman?

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Like, let's Irishman this thing.

[Ben Platt]

Okay, great. Because that went over really well.

[John Lovett]

What happens if you lose your voice on Broadway?

[Ben Platt]

You call out. I mean, what do you. I guess define lose your voice.

[John Lovett]

Have you ever, like, powered through when you're on the edge or do you like, how. Like, what do you do to get your voice in? Like, if you're in trouble, what do you do?

[Ben Platt]

Well, a lot of boring, like, routines.

[John Lovett]

It's not boring to me.

[Ben Platt]

Hydration. And there's like, supplements that I take every day. And there's things. I don't eat dairy. I don't drink alcohol, you know? I know. Well, I don't usually eat dairy anyway

[John Lovett]

because I'm a Jew.

[Ben Platt]

Like.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, it's not for us. Yeah.

[Ben Platt]

No, but yeah, one time I pushed when I shouldn't have, and then I got a polyp. Do you know what that is? Like, I hemorrhaged a vocal cord, so there was like a like, Aleve liquid gel looking thing, like, on my vocal fold. And then I had to miss two weeks and go on silence and take a bunch of steroids and stuff. So if you're feeling not up to it, you should miss one as opposed to then having to miss a bunch. But people get really mad when you miss a show.

[John Lovett]

I bet they get really mad.

[Ben Platt]

They do get really mad.

[John Lovett]

Oh, boy. Especially if they've traveled.

[Ben Platt]

Especially if they travel. Especially if they're tourists coming to see a Broadway show.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Ben Platt]

Who don't understand why you couldn't possibly just throw yourself out there.

[John Lovett]

Now here's dear Mike Hanson doesn't really make any sense because the character would be the same.

[Ben Platt]

It's true.

[John Lovett]

And Noah, your husband, also played Evan Hansen?

[Ben Platt]

He did. After me, yeah.

[John Lovett]

Cool.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. Well, we already had known each other for several years before that. It was just sort of a coincidence.

[John Lovett]

Does that add anything sexually?

[Ben Platt]

I would say the opposite. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Pass my test.

[Ben Platt]

Thank you.

[John Lovett]

I think that's good.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Hey, Wednesday was April Fool's Day, And so we want to see if you can tell the difference between real. Wait, what? Oh, I see. But it feels like every day makes fools of us all, and so let's see if you can tell the difference between an April Fool's prank and a real thing that happened that just makes us a fool. In April in a segment we're calling fools Fools. All of you, Leave everyone at home thinking, please, sir, can I have some more? I'm gonna read. I tried it out. It's from Oliver.

[Ben Platt]

I got it.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, he got it. Book two and back again. I'm gonna read you a truly absurd.

[Ben Platt]

You ever watch the Andrew Lloyd Webber TV reality series where they're trying to cast a new Nancy and Oliver, and it's a competition to cast those two roles, and every episode someone's eliminated, and Jessie Buckley, new Oscar winner, is one of the contestants trying to become Nancy.

[John Lovett]

I'm serious. I do not know about this. And I'm blown away by the idea that they had a group of children part of this competition show just week by week ruining the dream of a different child.

[Ben Platt]

Correct.

[John Lovett]

And Andrew Lloyd Webber was involved. Yes.

[Ben Platt]

He sits on a throne and listens to each of them sing and is like, not you.

[John Lovett]

Hey, have you ever seen him talk about the movie Cats and how much he hates it?

[Ben Platt]

I just. It did come across my feed.

[John Lovett]

Our algorithms are similar. I bet that would make sense. Yeah.

[Ben Platt]

A lot of Survivor as well.

[John Lovett]

Just. Just people that are like, Yeah, that's right. We both are huge fans of Survivor and musicals. Just two. Two people with just exciting, exciting experiences in musicals and on reality shows. So I'm gonna read a truly absurd bit of news. You'll tell us if you think it's true or just an April Fool's prank. All right.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Here we go. First up, 12 tons of kit Kats were stolen in a European candy heist.

[Ben Platt]

I did see some jokes about this, so I know it's true.

[John Lovett]

It did. It happened. A truck making deliveries from a Nestle factory was robbed. Thieves are now in possession of 413,793 candy bars or maybe 792. You know, if you get all peckish. KitKat posted the social media confirming that the news was not an April Fool's joke. And they directed their customers to check the candy batch numbers to see if they had a stolen bar. Hey, how loyal do they think we are to the KitKat company? Like, this is a pretty transactional relationship. I'm not going to be like checking my candy bars and be like, I can't eat this. This is a hot Kit Kat. Next up, Butterfingers announced a Butterfinger top ramen collab.

[Ben Platt]

I think it's fake.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, it was. It was an April Fool's thing. Ryan Murphy announced that the next season of Love Story would follow the decades long situationship between Fleetwood Max, Lindsey Buckingham, played by Connor Story, and Stevie Nicks, played by Billie Lourd.

[Ben Platt]

I don't think that's real because I just think I would be too interested in that.

[John Lovett]

I know it's too good of an idea. Yeah, it is an April Fool's, but like, why?

[Ben Platt]

And I would have already texted my agents being like, where's my part?

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah, you got to be Fleetwood or Mac or something.

[Ben Platt]

I'm in all denim.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, you're in denim. You're born. Hey, you were born for this.

[Ben Platt]

Thank you.

[John Lovett]

You were born for this.

[Ben Platt]

Thank you.

[John Lovett]

The Trump administration unveiled their new OnlyFarms.gov

[Ben Platt]

that's all.

[John Lovett]

That's it.

[Ben Platt]

Fake.

[John Lovett]

Real. Trump administration's only farms is actually a map where users, ostensibly farmers, can locate their state and see on average how much they have saved, based on Trump's agenda.

[Ben Platt]

Woof woof.

[John Lovett]

Only farms. Pete Hegseth lifted the suspension of two helicopter pilots who did an unauthorized flyby past Kid Rock's house.

[Ben Platt]

True.

[John Lovett]

That's true, that's true. And then Kid Rock was like, this is a level of respect that shit for brains. Governor of California will never know. Like what? Like the military never does an illegal flyby of the governor's mansion. Well, probably not.

[Ben Platt]

You know, I just never wanted to hear Kid Rock's name this many times. You know what I mean?

[John Lovett]

Yeah, no, I know. It's like how if you're hearing straight about the Strait of Hormuz, a lot, something's gone bad.

[Ben Platt]

You know, I'm not smart enough for that. I'm sorry.

[John Lovett]

Straight of Hormuz. Anyway, let's see. Oh, BJ's launched their new puzookie or pepperoni covered cookie on April 1st.

[Ben Platt]

Well, I know pizookie, and that's not a. I think false.

[John Lovett]

It is false. Wait, it's True.

[Ben Platt]

Fuck.

[John Lovett]

What? This is real. I thought it was a joke. Jesus Christ. It's a dessert with pepperoni on top.

[Ben Platt]

How come it's all, like, weird flavor stuff.

[John Lovett]

I don't know what's in the news this week. A lot about. A lot about the. About flavors. What kind of food you have at your wedding?

[Ben Platt]

Kosher food.

[John Lovett]

It was kosher.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. I have some cousins that are kosher, so we. It was kosher, but pretty good. It was just like, you know, wedding food, like, big, big portion stuff by kosher caterer. It was pretty good.

[John Lovett]

No cheese, though.

[Ben Platt]

Yes, cheese.

[John Lovett]

Well, then what about the meat?

[Ben Platt]

Separate. So you could make your decision of what if you wanted to have a fleece ek or a dairy evening.

[John Lovett]

Cause my camp was kosher. And the counselors would hand us a piece of American cheese and say, we're gonna have burgers in a bit. So here's a cheese for now if you want it, but there'll be burgers later. And I didn't at the time. Nobody told me how, like, kind of subtlety worked.

[Ben Platt]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

And so I thought I. So I just would always eat the cheese. And then because I'm one of the kids that would eat the marshmallow. You know, two marshmallows an hour. I don't know what that an hour is gonna be like.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, I understand. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

And so then I would just eat the cheese, and then I'd be like, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Cheeseburgers. I'm so stupid.

[Ben Platt]

At least you had the memory of the cheese.

[John Lovett]

I do have the memory of the cheese. Let's see. David. Busters in Hollywood closed due to a vermin infestation.

[Ben Platt]

True.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. That happened. That happened. That happened. Do you guys know that? What the fuck? I've been there a bunch. Do you like Dave and Buster's?

[Ben Platt]

I love Dave and Buster's. We have one in. My husband and I live in Brooklyn. We have one in our neighborhood, and we have gone a few times.

[John Lovett]

The one in Hollywood closed because of rats.

[Ben Platt]

See, everybody thinks New York has all the rats. It's really LA that has the rats.

[John Lovett]

They both have a lot of rats. I think there's plenty of rats to go along.

[Ben Platt]

Fair enough.

[John Lovett]

You know?

[Ben Platt]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

California recalled chocolate because it contained the ingredients for Viagra and Cialis.

[Jon Favreau]

True.

[John Lovett]

Yes.

[Ben Platt]

Whoa.

[John Lovett]

Can you believe it? Can you believe it? Victimless crime. What's it like to perform at the Hollywood Bowl?

[Ben Platt]

It's cool. It's so large that it's a little bit impersonal because it's just a Very generalized reaction. So it's just sort of like a communal vibe as opposed to really feeling like you're getting individual vibe, emotion back. So I think it's more like communing than when you're inside a theater and you get a lot of response. It feels more like everyone's having an outside picnic.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. You can bring your own food.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, People love that food there.

[John Lovett]

You have a little picnic and watch it. Watch a musical. That sounds fun.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. And everyone's a little liquored up, so it's a little. It's like a little easier.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Because if you go to Broadway, you got to give them like, $17 and you get like, you know, like a plastic cup that you can take home.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. And then you open up your cupboard and there's like a Beaches the Musical cup.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Ben Platt]

A couple months later.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. And it's like, remember that Sunset Boulevard?

[Ben Platt]

Did you see that? Yeah. It's good, right?

[John Lovett]

Really good. Yeah, really good. It felt like the lead, who was there, everyone was great, but she was doing it really campy, and he was doing it really serious, you know?

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. You mean Tom and. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I sort of like. Like that they missed each other in that way because I feel like those characters really sort of miss each other. That's interesting.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I do think that. And I like the big screens in it because it's nice to have a screen because I know it's theater, but it's reassuring to have a screen. You know what I mean? It's like, oh, my God, I thought I was gonna have a screen for a while. Thank God. Bunch of screens at Sunset Boulevard. Yeah.

[Ben Platt]

God forbid we should have an in person experience.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I know. And then at that theater, I think that went. And then that was where Versailles was, in the same theater. And that also used the screens, but didn't work. Catch Ben with Rachel Ziegler in the Last five Years at the Hollywood Bowl Friday and at Radio City Music hall on April 6th and 7th. So if you're. If you're in this audience, you can go tomorrow. If you're at home, you already missed it. Eat shit. You missed the Hollywood bowl, but you can go April 6th and 7th at Radio City.

[Ben Platt]

Yes.

[John Lovett]

You know, I mean, you know, I know we were both Oliver, but I did this show at Radio City. So, like, we've both done Radio City, and even though I probably couldn't do the high notes,

[Ben Platt]

this seems much harder, though.

[John Lovett]

I don't think. We'll be right back.

[Ben Platt]

Hey, don't go anywhere.

[Jon Favreau]

There's more of Love it or Leave It.

[Ben Platt]

Coming up.

[John Lovett]

Love it or Leave it is brought to you by Willy's Remedy. I love Willy's Remedy. How does it make me feel? It makes me feel great. How's it different from other cannabis products? I don't know. I don't use those anymore. Yeah, because it's better. Like it truly is like my favorite of like I really was like, I really like it. I genuinely like it. And here's what I'm going to say. All right, if you're the person on the ad team at the marketing company that sold the ads to Willie, email your contact at Willy's so that they can email the marketing lead. So the marketing lead can email the company's lead. So the company's lead can email Willy's reps so that Willy's reps can tell Willie that I think they're doing a fantastic job. Oh Willy's is a premium THC infused social tonic crafted by the legendary Willie Nelson. It's a low calorie, low sugar alcohol alternative that actually works, delivering a fast acting, euphoric social buzz without the regrets that come with alcohol. Willy's social tonics in 5mg and 10mg doses with the best in class flavor experience. So smooth and balanced you'll barely realize you're drinking a THC product at all. You can enjoy the tonics as a shot sipped over ice or mix into your favorite mocktail. We're going to have it at the wedding. Nice. Yeah, that's right. Willie's unique blend of thc, cbd, CBG and L Theanine delivers a feeling of calm, clarity and euphoria. Relaxation. One shot of Willies helps you relax, unwind and de stress. Perfect for taking the edge off at the end of a long day or socializing with friends, Willys offers the kind of feeling that makes good company even better. Woolies sold out three times in the first six months with over 50,000 plus happy customers and they just restocked Willy's chips directly to your door in 40/states. Order now at drinkwillys.com and use code lowly for 20% off your first order plus free shipping on orders over $95. And enjoy life in the high country. That's drink willys.com use code L O L I. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, conflict in relationships, or simply need an impartial third party to help you deal with daily stress, better help is there to Connect you with the support you need. Better help. Therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time. From their tailored rex. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. Everybody needs therapy.

[Jon Favreau]

They sure do.

[John Lovett]

I was, I was talking to a friend of mine and he's a closeted gay guy.

[Jon Favreau]

Oh.

[John Lovett]

And recently took over his. His dad's job. So it's a lot of stress.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

You know, a lot of stress. Taking over leg too. Yeah. He's got, he's got some health issues. He's doing his dad's job. He's closeted gay. And it's a lot. And I don't want to obviously say anything more because I don't want to identify him because he's a closeted gay person. And also these Nepo baby allegations, it's tough. It's tough. He could really. And yeah, it's a high pressure job. Street to therapy.

[Jon Favreau]

He's gonna have to talk to someone.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Local.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. Online.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, definitely. Or online for sure. Yeah.

[Ben Platt]

I mean, that's why we're talking about better health.

[John Lovett]

That's right. That's right. When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail]. love it. That's betterhelp.com. love it. And we're back. Please welcome to the stage. He got murdered in Scream 7, but tonight he's gonna absolutely kill. It's the incredible Jimmy Tatro. Hi. Thanks for being. I don't. Wait a second, wait a second.

[Jimmy Tatro]

There's. There's like a thousand backstage.

[John Lovett]

Wait a second. I'm sorry if it's a spoiler for Scream 7, but you get killed right at the very beginning.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Ooh. Yeah. It's a bit of a spoiler. I told my friends and family that I was the main character. Just so then when I died, they'd be like, oh, kind of funny. It makes it kind of funny.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Oh, he got me. He was the first one to die.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, that was what I did with all my friends and family when I was on Survivor too.

[Ben Platt]

He beat me to it. I gotta get ahead of it.

[John Lovett]

You know what? I won't let other people say mean things about me. I say it to myself first.

[Jimmy Tatro]

That's smart.

[John Lovett]

Same, same, same. It's Jewish. Jewish.

[Jimmy Tatro]

But if you haven't seen one of those movies, you would think that the first people in it would be them. It seems like I'm the main character for 10 minutes, and then quickly you're like, oh, no, it's not gonna be him.

[John Lovett]

No. Cause he's dead. Yeah, well. Cause I saw the first Scream in a. It was a movie theater and Drew Barrymore. That fucked me up. I bet that fucked me up a lot of people that were. I was too young when I saw Scream 35, But what is it like to be killed in a movie like that?

[Jimmy Tatro]

It's kind of an honor. Listening to them figure out how it was gonna go down was. I was like, you guys are kind of fucked up. But, yeah, I remember he was like, this guy was like, ooh, ooh. What if, like, he sticks it slowly in his temple and then he just lets go of his head and it slides off the knife and Ghostface is behind him. And I was like, dude, you guys, what's wrong with you?

[John Lovett]

How'd they actually end up doing it like that?

[Ben Platt]

Whoa.

[John Lovett]

And was that different than your experience doing Theater Camp together?

[Jimmy Tatro]

Marginally, a little bit, yeah. Theater Camp was.

[Ben Platt]

There was less death or it was all internal?

[Jimmy Tatro]

It was all internal, yeah. There was less gore. Slightly less gore.

[Ben Platt]

Totally.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

I thought Theater Camp could use more gore. I was like, this is so sweet and wholesome. I'd like to see the insides of some of these characters. I'm sorry. I said that.

[Jimmy Tatro]

You should see the deleted scenes. The extended cut of Theater Camp is, you guys. They had to cut a lot out of, like, the bad gore, death stuff.

[Ben Platt]

Well, it was partially improvised, so you'd be surprised how many people just go there naturally.

[John Lovett]

Right, right. Yes. And I'm gonna kill you.

[Ben Platt]

Exactly.

[John Lovett]

So you're also in Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice streaming on Hulu, where you're with the great Keith David.

[Jimmy Tatro]

I am, yes. He plays my father.

[John Lovett]

Great.

[Jimmy Tatro]

He plays step stepfather. There's a moment where he tells me in the movie where he's like, son, I have something to tell you. And I'm like, that line is like, I know I'm adopted dad. And I said to the director, I was like, I feel like it'd be pretty funny If I was like shocked by this news, like, if I was just gobsmacked, like, what? He didn't like it as much as I did.

[John Lovett]

You have such a deep voice. Do you sing?

[Jimmy Tatro]

I don't sing, no. No, I do voice stuff.

[John Lovett]

Well, we all do that.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah. I guess as it came out of my mouth, I was like, this is technically voice stuff. No, I don't sing.

[John Lovett]

That's too bad. Hey, wait, you do hot yoga and Pilates.

[Jimmy Tatro]

This is true.

[John Lovett]

Do you ever get self conscious?

[Jimmy Tatro]

Now we're talking.

[John Lovett]

Do you ever get self conscious?

[Jimmy Tatro]

I do, I do a little bit. I've kind of gotten past it. I've accepted that I'm going to be the only guy there. Like for the first couple years I was like, oh, the guys, they must just be on a different schedule than me. Maybe the guys, the men probably go earlier in the day. And then I asked the teacher, I was like, so wait, so do, do any other guys come? And she's like, well, Mike, who's my friend, who was the one that, you know, brought me there, and I was like, oh, so it's really just me. But yeah, I also do, I also do hot yoga. You know, I'm doing all these things.

[John Lovett]

Ben Platt. Do you do Pilates?

[Ben Platt]

No.

[Jimmy Tatro]

See what I mean? I'm the only one.

[Ben Platt]

But I did. I had a long soul cycle phase. Okay, Now, Now I just go to the gym.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Because when you're gay, cycle is here.

[John Lovett]

When you turn, you go to the gym. Because when you turn 30, you go to the gym when you're gay.

[Ben Platt]

And yeah, you're like, either you gotta. There's kind of one way. You know what I mean? Yeah, you gotta like pick a lane.

[John Lovett]

You got to, you got to buff it up.

[Ben Platt]

That's right.

[John Lovett]

You got to go. You're getting your buff, strong gay guy era. Are you talking about your daddy era? Is that what you're talking about?

[Ben Platt]

I mean, hopefully not totally yet, but soon, eventually.

[John Lovett]

It's a goal. It's aspirational where we're heading.

[Jimmy Tatro]

A high energy environment, Soul cycle. I haven't been, but it seems like intense.

[Ben Platt]

It is. Well, it's like, it's. It's like a little culty in a fun way.

[John Lovett]

Too much bike, so.

[Jimmy Tatro]

But you kind of want a little bit of that culty energy. 100% class, I think.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. To get to like a crazy enough place that you're just sweating that hard, it feels like a dance class.

[Jimmy Tatro]

There's some people in hot yoga that are treating it like it's a soul cycle class. Like, when they're like, all right, now, everyone exhale. There's always, like, this one guy who's just like, I want you to be able to exhale. But, you know, let's. Let's tone it down a little.

[John Lovett]

You know, it's like he's doing voice stuff.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Different kind of voice stuff.

[John Lovett]

Different kind of voice stuff. Hey, what's your relationship with Passover?

[Jimmy Tatro]

I love. I love the transitions. I. I'm, like, kind of new to it. My fiance is Jewish, so I've been going to some Passovers in the last few years. I didn't as a kid, but, you know, I've been.

[John Lovett]

Well, then this is a great. This is a great opportunity for all of us because Passover began on Wednesday. We'll end sunset next Thursday. And so it is time to quiz you in a game we're calling what makes this quiz different than every other quiz.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Great.

[John Lovett]

Ben and I were gonna ask you trivia about Passover, and you will do your best to answer.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Oh, okay. It's okay. It's you two verse. Okay.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. All right. Name the guy we leave an empty chair for at Passover,

[Jimmy Tatro]

Grandpa.

[John Lovett]

It's Elijah. Have you ever heard about that? The empty chair for Elijah.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yep.

[John Lovett]

As a follow up, what else?

[Jimmy Tatro]

Get the names mixed up.

[John Lovett]

What else do we leave for Elijah? Is it a glass of wine, a plate of food, or a carefully curated spa day playlist that includes Chaim and a little Billy Joel?

[Jimmy Tatro]

I believe it's a glass of wine.

[John Lovett]

That's correct. Here, Ben, you do the next one.

[Ben Platt]

Oh, my God. Wow. Okay, true or false? You can't use regular flour to bake during Passover since we are forbidden to use anything that can be leavening. But you can get around that by blending up matzah and then using that as flour to bake with. True or false?

[Jimmy Tatro]

True.

[John Lovett]

That's right.

[Ben Platt]

Bingo.

[John Lovett]

That's right. Now that you're. If you're. Because you're dating a Jewess.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Jewette.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, we say that.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. Is that funny?

[Jimmy Tatro]

Wow.

[Ben Platt]

We're learning a lot.

[John Lovett]

We're learning a lot. We're learning about it. No, it's funny. And fine when we say it. So a lot of the Jewish holidays are about very important rules and then technical workarounds. Which of the following is another name for Passover? Is it A, Sukkot, B, Pesach, C, Machala. The festival of bread.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Pesach.

[John Lovett]

Pesach. Yeah. You got it, you got it, you got it.

[Jimmy Tatro]

I knew that one.

[John Lovett]

Michala is a Fake Jewish holiday Frankie made up to get out of spending time with Grace, a gentile on Netflix's Grace and Frankie Ben Platt. Do you watch Grace and Frank Lee?

[Ben Platt]

No.

[Jimmy Tatro]

I saw season one. It was really good.

[John Lovett]

Show Jane Fonda. Everyone must watch everything with our Jane. And we love our Jane Fonda. Oh, here, here.

[Jimmy Tatro]

My mom is. My mom. She's not Jewish, but my mom's mom is Jewish, so everyone tells me that that means I'm technically Jewish.

[John Lovett]

That's what I've heard, yeah. Oh, your mom's mom is Jewish.

[Jimmy Tatro]

My mom's mom is Jewish, yeah.

[Ben Platt]

I mean, you're in there.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Tatro]

So.

[John Lovett]

So.

[Ben Platt]

So. I'm so sorry. Just letting you know what millennial cartoon show featured this baby as Moses parting the Red Sea?

[Jimmy Tatro]

I'm gonna say the Rugrats.

[Ben Platt]

You got it. Great episode.

[Jimmy Tatro]

My Jewish knowledge is just crushing it.

[John Lovett]

Which of these items will you not find on a Seder plate? A, a shank bone. B, horseradish. C, apple, or D, a second bitter herb, usually romaine lettuce. Or K. Could be romaine. Doesn't need to be.

[Jimmy Tatro]

The first one is apple.

[John Lovett]

Really? C. No apple on there.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Oh, I thought apple was like. Like, you put it. You put it on the. Like, applesauce on the.

[John Lovett]

Finish it on the what? No one help him on the.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Like, the. The little what? They're like hash browns on the hash. You know what I'm talking about? You know what I'm talking about. We all know a little circular. Hash browns are delicious. Latkes. Lockers. Latkes. Yes.

[John Lovett]

So. So here's what I think happened.

[Jimmy Tatro]

I hope Zoe doesn't watch this.

[John Lovett]

That is Hanukkah. So applesauce on the little hash brown is Hanukkah. But also, we do apples with honey at Rosh Hashanah, which is our New year.

[Ben Platt]

That's where I thought it was going.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I thought, too. I thought. I was like. Then I got. I was on a. I was like, hash brown. I want to see where this goes.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah, yeah. But I heard apples, and I was like, that's in there. That's in the Jewish mix.

[John Lovett]

Yes.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Yes. Yes. You're doing great. You're doing great. Weighing in at a whopping 488 pounds, the biggest matzo ball ever made was unveiled at a 2010 Jewish food festival in what American city? Hint. There's no conceivable way to guess.

[Jimmy Tatro]

And this is something all Jews know.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah, we'll say it all together.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Little Rock, Arkansas.

[John Lovett]

So close. One, two, three. Tucson,

[Ben Platt]

No, no, no.

[John Lovett]

Final question. If we're searching for the Afikoman, what are we searching for?

[Jimmy Tatro]

Searching for the Afikoman.

[John Lovett]

The Afikomen.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Uh huh.

[John Lovett]

It's the end of the meal. It's the end of the meal. And the person sitting at the head of the table says, children, I've hidden the Afikoman. Find it and bring it to me for a prize. What are they going to look for?

[Jimmy Tatro]

Oh, man. Is there like. Is it like cash?

[John Lovett]

It can be. Okay.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Isn't there a cash scavenger hunt?

[John Lovett]

Sort of, I think. Look, do I like that? You're like, oh, yeah, the Jews go hunt around the house for cash. And now that's unfair because you're close.

[Ben Platt]

It's a means to an end.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Isn't chocolate coins?

[John Lovett]

No, that's again, that's also.

[Jimmy Tatro]

That's Hanukkah going farther in the wrong direction.

[John Lovett]

No, you're doing great. You're doing great. Ben, do you want to tell him? Do you want to tell him about it?

[Ben Platt]

Sure.

[John Lovett]

It.

[Ben Platt]

I mean, it's usually to win cash, so you're sort of. Right, but it's. It's a piece of matzah. That's it. Oh, in a little sleeve.

[John Lovett]

In a little sleeve. You hide it. A good place to look. Just a little tip. Just a hint. It's a tip. A good place to hide. It's often. You'll find it between books. It often finds its way to.

[Ben Platt]

Between books or under a cushion of a chair or couch.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, cushion, yeah. You don't go high up because the kids are low.

[Ben Platt]

What Afikomen.

[John Lovett]

I don't really remember why we're searching for the Afikoman. Do you remember why?

[Ben Platt]

I don't think anyone knows.

[John Lovett]

What's the story of that? What's the story of that?

[Ben Platt]

Keep the kids interested past the first half.

[John Lovett]

Right, right, right, right. It's sort of like a little entertainment in the middle. The kids go nuts finding it. And then, you know, I think there's. There's two theories of thought on what happens when the kids are finding the Afikoman. One is there is a winner and the rest are fucking losers. Right. That's one style of hoffikoman. And the other is everybody wins. You know, I bet you were from an everybody wins household. Yeah, I was too.

[Ben Platt]

Equal prizes.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Yeah. Everybody wins. Great job, everybody. Yeah, we found it. We'll be right back. Kate.

[Ben Platt]

Don't go anywhere. There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.

[John Lovett]

Love it or Leave it is brought to you by policygenius Spring is a season of growth and renewal. The perfect time to ensure the life you're building is protected. Keeping your loved ones secure is a top priority and policygenius makes finding the right insurance policy straightforward and simple. Policygenius is an online insurance marketplace that allows you to compare quotes from some of America's top insurers side by side for free. Their licensed team helps you get what you need fast so you can get on with your life easily. Find what you need Coverage, amounts, prices, terms. No guesswork, just clarity. Policygenius helps you find your most affordable policy that meets your needs. They'll answer questions, handle paperwork and advocate for you throughout the process. Policygenius has thousands of five star reviews on Google and trustpilot from customers who found the best policy to fit their needs. Protect your family with a policy that grows with your life. With Policy Genius, you can see if you can find 20 year life insurance policies starting at just $276 a year for $1 million in coverage. You can see if you can find that and that's so important. Head to policygenius.com love it. To compare life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. That's policygenius.com love it.

[Jon Favreau]

If you guys like Pod Save America, please consider subscribing to our Friends of the Pod program. So Friends of the POD get lots of stuff. You get more Pod Save America. That includes our new show which is called Pod Save Only Friends. It's where Dan gets naked, where Dan gets full frontal nudity. But mostly it's a bi weekly subscription exclusive podcast that is basically Pod Save America but behind a paywall so it's a little bit looser and more fun. And it's love it. And Favreau and me and Pfeiffer and then other crooked hosts. We go deeper on the news and cover more stories. You also get Open Tabs, which is a weekly behind the scenes newsletter from the show. Plus you get ad free episodes of your favorite crooked podcasts and all kinds of other stuff. Dan will come to your house and clean it once every quarter.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, clothed.

[Jon Favreau]

Dan is very busy. Clothed only. But along with just getting great content, becoming a friend of the Pod joining our subscription community is the number one thing you can do to help us grow to help independent progressive media. So if you're ever thought about doing it, if you ever wanted more Pod Save America, consider going to crooked.com friends and becoming a Friend of the Pod

[Safeway/Albertsons Advertiser]

this week with digital coupons at Safeway and Albertsons get beef rib roast for $7.97 per pound. Member price with minimum purchase of $50 or more in a single transaction. Exclusions apply. See store for details. And broccoli, cauliflower, or russet potatoes are 97 cents per pound. Member price limit 6 pounds plus selected sizes and varieties of lucerne butter cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese are $1.97 each. Member price. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[John Lovett]

And we're back. The end of the show is nigh, which means it's time to add up my various flubs, goofs, and boners for all of us to see. It's second thoughts. First up, do I regret reliving my traumatic camp experience to start the interview with Ben? A little. A little.

[Ben Platt]

I don't. It made me feel less alone.

[John Lovett]

It made him feel less alone. Oh. I regret asking about how Evan Hansen affected the sexual dynamic with your husband.

[Ben Platt]

I really regret that you're bringing it back up again.

[John Lovett]

Oh, and then I brought up another embarrassing camp story involving cheese. And it was weird to say that I wanted that. I thought it'd be cool if in theater camp, there was something gory and you saw the insides of the characters. I regret that a little.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah, that's a fair regret. There's a lot of kids in that movie.

[Jimmy Tatro]

I thought that was fine.

[John Lovett]

Do you have any regrets about tonight?

[Ben Platt]

Um, I feel like I could have given Jimmy kind of a better Jewish primer at some point. Cause we've worked. We've known each other for a while. I feel like I kind of failed there.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. I feel like you're an actor in Hollywood. You've been around a lot of Jews. Seems like a little more of it could have rubbed off. I kind of put him on him, you know?

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

And you're dating a Jewish woman. You're engaged. Are you engaged?

[Jimmy Tatro]

We're engaged.

[John Lovett]

You're engaged.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Do you have any regrets?

[Jimmy Tatro]

I would have maybe not said cash. I would have gone with just like any other.

[John Lovett]

You could have picked something.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Thing.

[John Lovett]

Books.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Books. You know, hash browns.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Really good.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Let's see. Oh, I threw out the whole segue thing. I just didn't do it. I just kept going right to the next topic without any hint that they were connected to the previous topic. And at times in the past, I've come up with funny little ways to connect it so it didn't feel as haphazard and unprofessional.

[Jimmy Tatro]

I think it's working great.

[Ben Platt]

Yeah. I thought it was part of the shtick.

[Jimmy Tatro]

Yeah, I think the segues, now that I've seen this version, I think the segues are throw them out unnecessary.

[John Lovett]

And that's our show. Thank you so much to Ben Platt and Jimmy Tatro. We will see you next week at Dynasty typewriter. There are 212 days until the midterms. Have a great night and have a great weekend. Believe it. If you're already scrolling endlessly, which we know you are, don't forget to follow us at Crooked media on Instagram, TikTok and all the other ones for original content, community events and more. You can also find Love it or leave it on YouTube for videos of your favorite segments and other YouTube exclusive content. And if you want to type our praises or rip us a new one, consider dropping us a review. Finally, you can join Crooked's Friends of the Pod subscription community for ad free Love it or Leave it and Pod Save America episodes subscriber exclusive pods and more. Sign [e-mail] friends love it or Leave it is a Crooked Media production. It's written and produced by me, John Lovett. Kendra James is our executive producer, Bill McGrath is our producer, Hallie Keeper is our head writer, Sarah Lazarus is our senior staff writer and Jocelyn Kaufman, Peter Miller, Alan Pierre and Suba Argual are our writers. Jordan Cantor is our editor. Charlotte Landis provide audio support. Stephen Colon is our audio engineer. Our theme song is written and performed by sure sure. Thanks to our design designer, Sammy Cadorna Reeves for creating and running all of our visuals, which you can't see because this is a podcast. And to our digital producers David Toles, Claudia Shang, Mia Kelman, Delon Villanueva, Jay Banks, Milo Kim and Rachel Gajewski for filming and editing video each week so that you can Love it or Leave it is produced by Lee Eisenberg and our head of production is Matt De Groat and our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. Love it or Leave It Love it or Leave It.

[Jon Favreau]

If you guys like Pod Save America, please consider subscribing to our Friends of the Pod program. So Friends of the Pod get lots of stuff, you get more Pod Save America. That includes our new show which is called Pod Save Only Friends. It's where Dan gets naked, where Dan gets full frontal nudity. But mostly it's a bi weekly subscription exclusive podcast that is basically Pod Save America but behind a paywall so it's a little bit looser and more fun. And it's Love it and Favreau and me and Pfeiffer and then other crooked hosts. We go deeper on the news and cover more stories. You also get Open Tabs, which is a weekly behind the scenes newsletter from the show. Plus you get ad free episodes of your favorite crooked podcast and all kinds of other stuff. Dan will come to your house and clean it once every quarter. Yeah, Clothed Dan is very busy. Clothed only. But along with just getting great content. Becoming a Friend of the Pod Joining our subscription community is the number one thing you can do to help us grow to help independent progressive media. So if you're ever thought about doing it, if you ever wanted more pod save America, consider going to Cricut.com friends and becoming a friend of the Pod.