Trump Tariffs Trigger Trade War | Adrien Brody, Idina Menzel, Aaron Weber | Monday, February 3

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Episode: Trump Tariffs Trigger Trade War | Adrien Brody, Idina Menzel, Aaron Weber
Release Date: February 4, 2025

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Introduction

Host: Jimmy Fallon
Guests: Adrien Brody, Idina Menzel, Aaron Weber
Featuring: The Roots

Broadcasted live from Studio 6P in Rockefeller Center, New York City, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" brings a dynamic mix of entertainment, celebrity interviews, and topical discussions in its February 3 episode titled "Trump Tariffs Trigger Trade War."

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Monologue Highlights

Jimmy Fallon opens the show with his signature monologue, touching on recent events and pop culture moments:

• Groundhog Day Prediction: Fallon jokes about Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast of six more weeks of winter, humorously noting the rare early spring dress observed.

  “Last night was the 67th Grammy Awards. The big winners were Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar. The big loser was whoever sat behind Jaden Smith.” [00:29]

• Grammy Recap: He humorously critiques performances, highlighting Benson Boone’s athletic display and Beyoncé’s viral reaction to winning Best Country Album.

  “Meanwhile, Beyoncé's reaction to winning Best Country Album went viral. Look at this. They looked like every Mavericks fan when they heard about Luka Doncic.” [02:00]

• Political Commentary: Fallon delves into President Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, sparking a potential trade war. He questions the rationale behind targeting close allies like Canada and Mexico.

  “Trump is putting tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. It's a strange fight to pick China. Okay, but Canada and Mexico? Maybe it's the New Yorker in me, but the last people you want to upset are your upstairs and downstairs neighbors. Agree.” [02:30]

  “In a post, Trump even acknowledged that tariffs could raise prices for Americans, saying, ‘Will there be some pain?’ Yes, maybe and maybe not.” [02:50]

  • Celebrity Reactions: Fallon recites responses from celebrities like George Clooney and Nick Jonas, emphasizing the widespread impact of the tariffs on tequila prices.

    “And finally, Diddy said, this explains why no one's buying my tequila. Price too expensive.” [03:10]

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Featured Segments

Musical Opening by The Roots

The Roots deliver an energetic musical introduction, setting a lively tone for the evening.

“2089 Jim.” [00:27]

Guest Appearances

1. Adrien Brody:

   • Introduction: Fallon commends Brody for his acclaimed performance in "The Brutalist," highlighting his multiple award nominations.

     “Adrien Brody is an amazing actor. He's been nominated for every major award for his performance in the movie The Brutalist.” [04:28]

   • Discussion: Brody shares insights about his role, the challenges of portraying a Hungarian architect, and personal anecdotes about being frequently mistaken for Adam Brody.

     “I think Travis Kelce is my dad.” [10:12]

     “Life has given me a tremendous amount of appreciation. I’m so grateful for the recognition.” [17:38]

2. Idina Menzel:

   • Introduction: Celebrated Broadway star Idina Menzel discusses her return to the stage in the new musical "Redwood" at the Nederlander Theatre.

     “I've been obsessed with the New York Times games lately, and they're all good. Especially the game Connections.” [05:16]

   • Conversation: Menzel reflects on her Broadway experience, the rigorous schedule, and her connection to the immigrant experience, drawing parallels to her own heritage.

     “The redwoods, their roots are... they hold each other up and hydrate each other. It’s a beautiful metaphor for connecting in our tumultuous world.” [31:20]

3. Aaron Weber:

   • Introduction: Comedian Aaron Weber brings his humor to the stage, sharing personal stories and observational comedy.

     “I love my daughter, but I love an errand. I'll go do anything, dude.” [32:54]

   • Stand-Up Highlights: Weber jokes about his broken treadmill, experiences at urgent care, and humorous interactions with hotel staff.

     “Urgent care is like, ‘Let’s figure this out together, dude.’” [36:40]

Interactive Segments

1. Connections Game:

   Fallon engages with Idina Menzel in a live game of Connections, where they juggle identifying themes among random words. Their teamwork showcases a blend of quick thinking and playful banter.

   “Like Valentine's heart candies thing, you know?” [07:27]

2. Battle of the Instant Songwriters:

   The show features a creative competition where audience members Maya Donovan and Max Jayani compose original songs based on made-up titles.

   • Maya Donovan:
     “I think Travis Kelce is my dad.”
     Maya delivers a heartfelt performance, blending humor with emotional depth.

     “I think Travis Kelsey is my dad. You can see it in the eyes. We’re basically twins.” [10:47]

   • Max Jayani:
     “Part Man All Eagle.”
     Max's acoustic rendition captures the spirited essence of Philadelphia's culture.

     “We’ve flown so far? Not gonna lose? We’re gonna prove just who we are?” [13:14]

   • Winner Announcement:
     Maya Donovan is declared the winner, receiving a $1,000 check and other prizes.

     “Congratulations. You are going home with a break, an I Love Music sweatshirt, also a notebook to write more songs, and a check for $1,000.” [14:11]

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In-Depth Interviews

1. Adrien Brody on "The Brutalist":

   • Journey to the Role: Brody discusses the emotional depth required to portray a war-torn immigrant and his personal connection to the character's heritage.

     “My grandparents fled Budapest in the 50s during the Hungarian revolution. It was a wonderful chance to honor their story in my own work.” [20:22]

   • Film Insights: He elaborates on the film's themes of perseverance, the immigrant experience, and reconnecting with loved ones.

     “It’s about a Hungarian architect who survives World War II and immigrates to America, toiling through poverty and creating his life's work.” [22:36]

2. Idina Menzel on "Redwood":

   • Creative Process: Menzel shares the long development process of "Redwood," emphasizing collaboration and the musical's unique storytelling approach.

     “It’s about a woman who really just wants to escape her life and finds herself on a transformative adventure among the redwoods.” [30:07]

   • Symbolism in Music: She explains the metaphor of redwoods symbolizing interconnectedness and the importance of community in challenging times.

     “The redwoods’ roots clasp hands and hold each other up, a metaphor for how we need to connect even when we want to escape.” [31:20]

3. Engaging with Broadway Veteran:

   An experienced Broadway performer shares anecdotes about the demanding schedule, the nuances of live performances, and the emotional rewards of the craft.

   “Every night I make some mistake or screw something up, but audiences are excited to see you screw up.” [25:55]

   • "Redwood" Highlights: The guest discusses the innovative elements of the musical, including choreography and the symbolic use of redwoods.

     “Our choreographers are a vertical dance group called Bandaloop. They dance on the sides of buildings, mountains, trees.” [30:32]

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Comedic Relief with Aaron Weber

Aaron Weber’s stand-up routine adds levity to the episode with relatable humor about everyday struggles and personal experiences:

• Fitness Fiasco: Weber humorously recounts his failed attempts to maintain fitness, highlighting his broken treadmill and the challenges of staying healthy.

  “It's like, how long are we gonna do this? And it just. I don't know. I can't leave it on the street.” [36:40]

• Urgent Care Humor: He jokes about the camaraderie in urgent care settings and the quirks of medical staff interactions.

  “Urgent care is like, ‘Let’s figure this out together, dude.’” [37:33]

• Hotel Encounters: Weber shares a funny story about dealing with inappropriate behavior at a hotel, showcasing his wit and observational skills.

  “He thinks I’m a guest just chipping in down here in the lobby? You wanna be the lifeguard tomorrow, I don't stay at the hotel that employs me.” [36:11]

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Closing Remarks

As the show wraps up, Fallon thanks his guests—Adrien Brody, Idina Menzel, and Aaron Weber—for their engaging performances and insightful interviews. He also extends gratitude to The Roots for their musical accompaniment.

“My thanks to Adrien Brody, Idina Menzel, Aaron Weber once again, and The Roots right there from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Good night, everybody.” [38:03]

Fallon encourages listeners to subscribe for the latest episodes and tune in to watch the show on NBC and Peacock.

“Thanks for listening to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings.” [38:36]

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Key Takeaways

• Political Insight: The episode provides a humorous yet critical look at President Trump’s tariffs, highlighting the potential fallout with close allies and the ripple effects on industries like tequila.

• Celebrity Spotlight: Adrien Brody and Idina Menzel offer deep dives into their respective projects, "The Brutalist" and "Redwood," sharing personal experiences and the emotional undertones of their work.

• Interactive Entertainment: The Connections game and Battle of the Instant Songwriters engage both guests and the audience, showcasing Fallon's ability to blend entertainment with interactive segments.

• Comedic Relief: Aaron Weber's stand-up brings relatable humor, grounding the show with laughter amidst more serious discussions.

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This episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" masterfully balances humor, celebrity interviews, and topical discussions, providing an engaging experience for listeners and viewers alike.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

From Studio 6P in Rockefeller center in the heart of New York City with the Tonight show starring Jimmy Salad. Tonight join Jimmy and his guests Adrian Rose, Savita Menzel, comedian Aaron Weber and featuring dee legendary Ruth Cru.

[The Roots]

2089 Jim.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And now here he is. Give me. Oh, my goodness. Thank you very much. Welcome, everybody. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Tonight Show. You're here. You made it. Well, guys, yesterday was Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. Although it looks like one person dressed for early spring. And yeah, last night was the 67th Grammy Awards. The big winners were Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar. The big loser was whoever sat behind Jaden Smith. And so many great performances last night. Like when Benson Boone stripped down from his tux. He had like a skin sight, a skin tight bodysuit on. He did a flip over a piano. Yeah, that was great. Yeah, but when I do it, I'm ruining our kids dance recital. You know, what are the rules? Meanwhile, Beyonce's reaction to winning best country album went viral. Look at this. They looked like every Mavericks fan when they heard about Luka Doncic. Switching gears to some big political news over the weekend, President Trump announced new tariffs on Canada and Mexico that are expected to start a trade war. People are wondering why Trump would start a war with our closest allies. And he was like, I didn't say anything about Russia and North Korea. Yeah, Trump is putting tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. It's a strange fight to pick China. Okay, but Canada and Mexico? Maybe it's the New Yorker in me, but the last people you want to upset are your upstairs and downstairs neighbors. Agree.

[The Roots]

Knock it off.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And in a post, Trump even acknowledged that tariffs could raise prices for Americans, saying, will there be some pain? Yes, maybe and maybe not. It's comforting to know he's being advised by a Magic 8 paw, but that's reply hazy. Try again. Oh, and it read that the tariffs against Mexico could cause tequila prices to skyrocket. In response, George Clooney said, that's not good. I have my own tequila brand and it's made in Mexico. Then Nick Jonas and Mark Wahlberg said, same here. This is really going to affect our tequila brands as well. Then Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Guy Fieri, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Levine, George LeBron James, Kendall Jenner, Rita Ora, Michael Jordan, Blake Lively, Eva Longoria, ACDC and the Chainsmoker said, ditto. And finally, Diddy said, this explains why no one's buying my tequila. Price too expensive. The prices. Hey, get this Today, President Trump hosted the Stanley cup champion Florida Panthers at the White House. Trump was like, I like the Florida Panthers, but I prefer cougars on Miami Beach. And finally, a woman in China accidentally ate a gold engagement ring that her boyfriend hid for her in a cake. The event already inspired a new Netflix series. Is it ring? We have a great show. Give it up for the rouge.

[The Roots]

Come on your hands and clap. If I ask, do you feel I better answer back? See you, really, big boy. Burgundy Cadillac, cold ramen and designer with that thing on my lap.

[Adrien Brody]

Thank you very much, everybody.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Enjoy yourself. What a show we have for you tonight. He's an amazing actor. Oh, my gosh. He's one of my faves. He's been nominated for every major award for his performance in the movie the Brutalist. Adrien Brody is here tonight. Amazing. Plus, she's a Broadway legend making her big return in the new musical Redwood, which is now playing at the Nederlander Theater. Idina Menzel is joining us tonight. Idina Menzel, the best. And we got great stand up from Aaron Weber right now. I can't wait to talk to Dina and also to Adrien Brody, too, because we have something in common here.

[Idina Menzel]

What's that, Jimmy?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I just finished my Broadway run. I was just on Broadway. All in Hudson theater. I did eight shows. I did two yesterday, two Saturday, which is a lot of work. I mean, I know that. Cause I have guests on the show and we talk about it, but it's crazy. I don't know how everyone does it, but, like, between shows, no one was talking to each other. Yeah. Like, you just kind of hide and just go. Like, you just wait till the next show. Yeah. And like, you're drinking honey and all these sprays. Oh, speaking of that.

[Idina Menzel]

Oh, speaking of that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's Windex. But it was really, really fun. I did a week of shows. My dad came to see me, which is cool. I love that. And we. Yeah, it was. Lin Manuel was A.D. bryant was great. Nick Kroll, unbelievable. But really, like, being so funny. But also, like, some really dramatic scenes. Yeah. Which is not my jam. Well, I mean, I made them dramatic. They're supposed to be funny. Yeah. People were crying. People were walking out. It was the most fun ever. And it's going on for another two weeks. I think the new cast is. Lynn is staying on, and I think David Cross is coming in. Tim Meadows, Annaleigh Ashford. Go check out all in and support Bravo. It's all good. It was so fun, guys. I've been obsessed with the New York Times games lately. And they're all good. Especially the game Connections. You know that one? Well, the day got away from me today. I haven't done today's puzzle. I was thinking we could all do it together. It's time for tonight's show, Connections. Ton. All right, so the way it works is there are 16 random words or phrases, and our goal is to find four groups of four words that share a common theme. Once we think we have one, I will click submit and we'll see if we're right. Is that cool? All right, good. You seeing stuff already? Higgins, how about you? You seeing anything? I think I do. What?

[Idina Menzel]

Xoxo.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Uh huh.

[Idina Menzel]

Be mine, love you and kiss me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, that's good, right? What do you think the connection is there?

[Idina Menzel]

Like Valentine's heart candies thing, you know?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, yeah. Kiss me, Be mine. Exo. Love you. All right, let's see. Oh, things you text your ex after. Two espresso martinis. It still works. Still works. The connection. All right. Yeah. Quest, you got one? Yeah, I think so. We got Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Madison. Oh, good call. What's the connection there?

[Idina Menzel]

The founding fathers.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, let's see what it is. Reasons that mattresses are 40% off this month. Still. We got the match. We did get. Yeah. Now, President, State.

[Aaron Weber]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Tariq, sure. You wanna do something?

[The Roots]

Yeah. Yeah, let's go. Um, I see unnecessary roughness, holding, taunting, and fighting.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay, holding, fighting, taunting, unnecessary roughness. What do you think the connection is there?

[The Roots]

Those are things that are illegal in the Super Bowl.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, let's see what it is. Those are things that are adorable in the puppy bowl. They love that. They encourage the puppies. Yeah, the puppies.

[Idina Menzel]

They love it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. All right, so that just leaves us with jerky, scratchers, Taquito and slurpee. Those are items at 7:11, I guess. Yeah. Let's see what they are. Gifts you'll panic buy on the way home on February 14th. Oh, interesting. Well, that's. We got it.

[The Roots]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's it for tonight's show, connections. We'll be right back with battle of the Instant Songwriters. Come on back.

[The Roots]

Beats are perfected. The hood is infested. It's most destructive into 1/5. It's the stock of that we feel logistics. Sometimes we try to misfits boy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Welcome back, everybody. Here at the Tonight show, we love songs, and we especially love songs written by our audience members. In under an hour, it's time for battle of the Instant Songwriters. Song. Song.

[The Roots]

Help. Singing songs. And I'm writing a song about another song.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Welcome to battle of the incident songwriters. Before the show, we went through our audience and picked out two people who said that they were musicians. We gave them each a made up song title and then gave them an hour to write an original song based on that title. Here's a shot of them practicing backstage a minute ago. Yeah, this is real. Let's see what they came up with and meet them right now. Come on over, guys. Welcome. Nice to see ya. Welcome. All right, let's start with contestant number one. What is your name and where are you from?

[Maya Donovan]

My name is Maya Donovan. I am from Brooklyn, New York.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, Brooklyn. Thank you for being here. Maya. Maya, what is the title of the song you were given?

[Maya Donovan]

I think Travis kelce is my dad.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Great title. This might be a football themed game. Okay, I understood. And what instrument will you be playing?

[Maya Donovan]

Piano.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Ooh, very good. All right, well, go get set up and get ready to go. And we're excited. Travis Kelce might be her dad. Wow. All right, ladies and gentlemen, Here to perform the world premiere of the soon to be classic. I think Travis kelce is my dad. It's Maya.

[Maya Donovan]

I was sitting at an airport bar watching the tv When a man with a familiar face appeared on the screen. The woman sitting next to me said, that's Taylor swift's boyfriend. But I recently learned he's actually a pretty famous tight end. Well, Taylor is mother and that much I know. And these boys in their red costumes sure put on a good. Well, I wear a blazer and he wears shoulder pads, so I think Travis kelce is my dad. You can see it in the eyes. We're basically twins. I just hope I can inherit his tendency to win. Don't try to tell me otherwise. Cause the science is ironclad. I think Travis Kelsey is my dad.

[Aaron Weber]

Beautiful performance.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Maya, get over here. That's a beautiful performance, huh? That was touching. I held back tears. Uh, contestant number two, what is your name and where are you from?

[Adrien Brody]

Uh, Max Jayani. I'm from Hong Kong.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, you're from Hong Kong. Yes. Oh my gosh. Fantastic. Thank you for being here. What was the title of the song we gave you?

[Adrien Brody]

Part man all eagle.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Part man all eagle.

[Adrien Brody]

That's the one.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. All right, so I'm assuming the Philadelphia eagles, right? Yeah. Win the super bowl. All right, what instrument will you be playing?

[Adrien Brody]

Acoustic guitar.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Acoustic guitar. All right, go get ready and get in the zone, Cartman. All eagle. Wow, this is good. This could be a theme song for a lot of the roots. All right. They're from Philly. Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the world premiere of Part Man. All Eagle by Max.

[Adrien Brody]

Every Sunday, the same bar My friends and I, we elbow birds? Now here we are, just one more game? We've flown so far? Not gonna lose? We're gonna prove just who we are? So grease the poles, line the streets with Philly cheesesteaks? I wanna see green fly, eagles fly? Her tempo rise to the top of the stairs like Rocky? Sorry. Ain't no way the chiefs are gonna get the three feet. Cause there's just so many others like me. Hot man or ego? Hot man, all ego. Thank you.

[Aaron Weber]

So.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Give it up for Max, everybody. Nice eagle. Very good job. Now it's time to see who won. We're gonna let our great audience decide the winner. Was it Maya or was it Max? It's like the winner is Maya. Congratulations. You are going home with a break. Actually, it might not even be brand new, but with an I Love Music sweatshirt, Also a notebook to write more songs, and also a check for $1,000. Come on, we're so happy here. Congratulations. Fantastic. But no one goes home empty handed. There are other contestants. You also get an I Love Music sweatshirt. And you get a notebook and you get a check for $1,000 too. Thank you for playing, buddy. That's awesome, buddy. Give it up for your two new Instagram and songwriters. Stick around. We'll be right back with Adrien Brody. Our first guest is an Oscar and Golden Globe winning actor who's been nominated for every major award for his performance in the movie the Brutalist. It's now playing in theaters everywhere. Everyone, please welcome Adrienne Brody. My people, thank you for coming back. I want to get into the movie. Congrats on all the award nominations and everything, but this made me laugh. A couple of months ago, Kim Kardashian tweeted something out and I don't know if you saw this, but she watched the show nobody wants to, which is Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Yeah. Kim Kardashian said, I binge four episodes. So good. Must watch. Aaron Foster, Sarah Foster, Kristen Bell, Adrien Brody, Netflix. Do you get confused for Adam Brody?

[Max Jayani]

She blew up my Internet.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Max Jayani]

My Instagram just went crazy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You did.

[Max Jayani]

You know, it's funny. After this, a few people, it's more often than I've had.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But.

[Max Jayani]

But recently, I was just at dinner with my director of the Brutalist, Brady Courbet, and I went to the restroom and this guy came down. He said, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. My wife's much Better at this than I am. But are you Adam Brody? I said, adrien Brody? He said, oh, yes, yes. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. And then he proceeded to go into the ladies room, and I said, that's the women's restroom. He said, yes. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So he's just a confused man.

[Max Jayani]

Yeah, I think so.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Congrats on all the success and everything. You've been nominated for every major award, including an Oscar. You're nominated again. This is your second Oscar nomination. Last time you were nominated, you were 29. You won, and you became the youngest person to ever win Best Actor. That's amazing. Congratulations. Does the nomination feel different this time around?

[Max Jayani]

Yeah, I think very much so. I was very young then, and I was, I think, life. And, you know, I've gained a lot of perspective through the years. I've had a wonderful career, but there's been plenty of, you know, peaks and valleys. And I think right now I was very aware of how remarkable those circumstances were then. I'm more aware now, and how special and rare this moment is. And so I have a tremendous amount of appreciation. I'm so grateful for the recognition. I. You know, it's. It's a remarkable thing, and I'm so grateful for the work.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I saw you when you got your Golden Globe earlier a couple months ago, and you thanked your parents who were in the audience. What was it like to have them there?

[Max Jayani]

Oh, it's, you know, it's our parents being there for us is so important. Important. And they've really championed me along the way. And, you know, I felt it was very important to speak to that in my speech at the Globes. And it's funny, I was looking out. My mom and dad were sat way in the back, and as I was kind of speaking to my mother, I looked and she was, like, looking down at the floor, and I was like, my mom isn't even paying attention to me in this moment.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is a big moment, Bob.

[Max Jayani]

It kind of threw me a little bit. I kind of stuttered through, and I got it out. And then I went back and I saw them, and I was like, what were you looking at? And she goes, oh, no, I was really trying to hear you better because.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It was in the back.

[Max Jayani]

She was very. She was very moved by what I said.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Mom, never change. Mom, never change.

[Max Jayani]

That's the greatest.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Don't ever change. That's why we have moms. It's hard to imagine anyone else in this role, but how did you end up getting cast?

[Max Jayani]

Well, I was presented the script and had a meeting with Brady and I read the script. It's a remarkable movie and the screenplay is quite vast and it's beautifully written. And we spoke about it and I spoke to him about why I quite the right person for this role. But ultimately they ended up casting someone else and the whole cast was different and there was a whole different iteration of this film that they were going to do and went away. And you thought that was it? I thought it was it. And I mourned the loss of this because I knew how special this was and how rare it was to find a role quite like this. And it miraculously came back around.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're amazing in this. I could just see you learned Hungarian. I mean, that's not an easy thing to do.

[Max Jayani]

Yeah, I mean, I had a leg up. My grandparents, my mom and my grandparents actually fled Budapest in the 50s during the Hungarian revolution. And so my character Laszlo essentially comes from war torn Europe, flees Hungary through the horrors of World War II and immigrates to America. And so that immigrant experience was very personal to me. And, and hearing the language in my grandparents home all the time was very familiar. And I actually modeled my dialect after my grandfather as a very specific formality of speech of a man in the 50s. But it was a wonderful chance to honor their story in my own work and how they've really given me the foundation. All their suffering and hardship has given me the foundation to be, you know, American actor, born in New York City. And so I'm really grateful for that and try to pay tribute to that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But such a great job doing that. But also with the prosthetics, because you aged 30 years in this movie.

[Max Jayani]

Did you?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Great job.

[Max Jayani]

Yeah, I get, I am, I'm, I, I aged 30 years in this, in the making of the movie too. But they did apply a lot of, they had to do a prosthetic procedure. And it's funny, everyone's very busy. It's a movie with a lot of moving pieces. And so I had a new team of people who I'd never met and they were removing this apparatus all over me. And this woman was busily working away with a solvent on my nose. She's just working away. And I said, are you trying to remove that? And she said, yes. And I said, that doesn't come off. And yeah. Then she says, oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. And then she goes, this is going in my diary. Why not, why not, why not? Now it's going in my talk show repertoire.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, it is. Yeah.

[Aaron Weber]

You.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Can we. Can we tell everyone what the Brutalist is about?

[Max Jayani]

Yes. And it's a remarkable film. It's a vast movie. It really is about a Hungarian architect who's well established, who survives World War II and flees and begins his journey in America and toils through poverty. And you really watch the. You experience the immigrant experience through him. And he encounters this wealthy landowner who gives him an opportunity to build this institute that is this triumphant work that he has a chance to create this life's work after all this hardship. And it's a really wonderful journey. He reconnects with his wife and it's very beautiful.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's how you do it. Adrien Brody, everyone. The Brutalist is in theaters now. Idina Manziel joins us after the break. Stick around, everybody. Come on back. Our next guest is an Emmy and Tony winning performer who's making her big return to Broadway in the new musical Redwood, which is now playing at the Nederlander Theatre. Please welcome Idina Menzel. They love you. We love you. You look fantastic. Thanks for coming back.

[Audience Member]

Thank you for having me. Hi, everybody.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, nice to have you back. And nice to have you back on Broadway. Look at us, two Broadway stars. We're veterans talking to each other.

[Audience Member]

How many shows did you do?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Does it matter, though? What's a show? It's in all the. Like, as a show, right? Yeah, Yeah, I did eight shows.

[Audience Member]

Eight shows? Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. How many have you done?

[Audience Member]

You mean with all the shows that I've done in the years, the 30 years that I've been doing product, I would say 365 times.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Times. Yeah. How do you do it? Seriously?

[Audience Member]

I don't know.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm in awe of you.

[Audience Member]

Thank you for being in awe of me. That means so much because I love it. I love it. And as monotonous as people sometimes think it gets, it actually doesn't because the audience is different every night.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Complet and no, but I mean, like. Yeah.

[Audience Member]

And you get to redo it all the time, you know, because every night I make some mistake or screw something up. But. Yeah, I did that too. You did that, right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm just telling you I'm really relating to you on a whole different level, finally.

[Audience Member]

As equals. As peers.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, as peers.

[Aaron Weber]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

We're talking. But do you drink all these teas and all that stuff?

[Audience Member]

Sometimes I do, yeah. The worst part about doing eight shows a week is if you're not. If you're not feeling great, you know, it's really hard to get out there and then worry that you're gonna, you know. Well, you weren't belting out high notes necessarily, but, you know, were you gonna really?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I was supposed to be, but yeah, I was. I threw a couple in there.

[Audience Member]

You did?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, for fun.

[Audience Member]

So brave of you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

[Audience Member]

Now, you know, if you hit a really big clunker in your center stage and your big 11 o'clock number, it's very humbling. These guys know if they're not feeling good and. And something happens. Not that you've ever hit a climb.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, they've never done that. No.

[Audience Member]

But it's very terrifying and embarrassing sometimes. But I've also learned that, you know, mistakes, you know, kind of endear yourself to an audience and audiences are excited to see you screw up.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Do you remember your first week on Broadway? Do you remember getting the job? Because it was rent, right?

[Audience Member]

Yeah, it was rent. It was amazing. It was off Broadway, first down at the New York Theatre Workshop, and then, you know, everyone loved it. So we moved up to Broadway and it was at the Nederlander Theater, which is where my new show, Redwood.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, that's wild.

[Audience Member]

That is like homecoming. Full circle. I took over my old dressing room, which I shared with Daphne Ruben Vega, who played Mimi, and Ren, who's one of like my sisters, and. But that was a very small dressing room, so I've now knocked down the wall that used to be to my ex husband Jesse Martin and Adam Pascal's dressing room, and I've made it a.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Suite because that's exactly what you deserve. That's what you deserve. Come on, it's Idina Menzel. You won a Tony for playing Elphaba in Wicked. I mean, and last year you made a huge cameo in the film version.

[Audience Member]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Which was nominated for Best Picture. Right now. It really was. You did a great job keeping that secret.

[Audience Member]

I don't think we did a very good job. Kristin Chenoweth, they were doing it in London. Everyone knew they were shooting in London. And then they flew Kristin Chenoweth and myself into London, and then she and I would go and go have lunch and dinner in little corners of restaurants. Probably look like we were having an affair, Terry.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, yeah. No, I didn't know about it until I saw the film that you were in. And everyone went nuts in my theater.

[Audience Member]

Yeah, they did.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Of course, you're the one and only. On top of that, by the way, a huge year. In October, you were awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Biden.

[Audience Member]

Isn't that crazy?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Congratulations.

[Audience Member]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's amazing.

[Audience Member]

I think that's. I think that's a topper right there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's probably the best thing. I mean, that was cool as an artist. Yeah.

[Audience Member]

I brought my son and my husband and they walk you from east wing to west. I think it's east to west. You know how they. And the orchestra is playing Let it go.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No.

[Audience Member]

And my son was holding my hand and walking with me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's like, I'm proud of my mom.

[Audience Member]

He was really proud of me. And he's 15, so he can't really show that very often.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, of course. Understood.

[Audience Member]

And we were all like, put in different rooms. And I was in a different group than Steven Spielberg. Spike Lee and Queen Latifah were in this other room. And I'm walking by and I see them and they're taking pictures. And the young me, like even 10 years ago would have just been like, I'll go over here, you know? And I went in there and I was like, hey, guys, can I get in this picture with you?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. You're like, hi, Mrs. Spielberg, what's up? Why not go do it? You deserve it.

[Audience Member]

I was so proud of myself. And they gotta be psyched. I said, oh, thank God I'm taking a picture with you. My grandchildren would have killed me if I did.

[Jimmy Fallon]

See? Yes. We all love you. Let's talk about Redwood, this new musical. You've been working on this for almost a long time. 15 years.

[Audience Member]

I had the kernel of the idea 15 years ago, but 15 years goes into this stuff.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No one knows how much work goes into all these plays.

[Audience Member]

Yeah. It wasn't until more recently, like during COVID that Tina Lando, the incredible director and writer of my collaborator, really started to put it together and realize it. But it's so beautiful. It's an original musical which is hard to come by this year.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's true.

[Audience Member]

And it's about a woman who really just wants to escape her life. I don't know if any of you can identify with that. And she's a New York woman and she's going through a lot of stuff. She gets in her car, she's like, I'm out of here. Starts driving and just doesn't stop. Drives across the country and finds herself at the foot of these mystical, magical redwoods and has like a life changing adventure. And there's incredible cutting edge video. And choreography too. And choreography.

[Jimmy Fallon]

First of all, you're climbing. You learned how to climb a redwood. They're Massive.

[Audience Member]

Yeah. I'm a certified climber. Do you see that? And there's not. There's very few people that can actually climb to the canopy of a redwood. So that's a big deal. So this wonderful man named Tim Kovar took me up and then I serenaded him up there and I sang him songs from the show. All the way up 300ft up into an old growth redwood.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You don't get nervous about that stuff.

[Audience Member]

I'm used to the harness now. I feel very comfortable actually with the thing wrapped around my thighs and my waist.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Audience Member]

Sorry, that didn't come out right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But perfect. You're very comfortable either way. Yeah.

[Audience Member]

And there's this incredible. Our choreographers are a vertical dance group called Bandaloop. And they dance on the side of buildings, mountains, trees. And it's like instead of it. Oh, yeah. They took me without telling me. They kind of pushed me over the side of a mountain, I mean, of a building, and then did that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So you're all dancing on the side?

[Audience Member]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's kind of amazing, but it's a.

[Audience Member]

Very poetic way of us kind of bringing you into this world of the redwoods. It's all through my characters perspective. It's not like some National Geographic musical, you know, it's very abstract. And what do you want people to.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Take away from this?

[Audience Member]

The redwoods, their roots are, you know, they're 300ft high, like as tall as a Statue of Liberty, and yet their root system only goes about six feet into the ground. You'd think that it would go super, super deep in order to counterbalance their height. And they go like this out, like hands, kind of. And they all clasp hands and they hold each other up and they hydrate each other and they take care of one another. And so I think it's just such a beautiful metaphor for kind of like what we're all experiencing right now in this isolated, very tumultuous world we're in that we really need to connect. And even though we try to escape and we want to be alone sometimes and to not look at what's painful to us, that when we actually open our hearts and let people support us, that we will all be better off.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on. I'm so happy every time you're here. Congratulations. Break a leg. Idina Menzel Redwood is now playing at the Nederlander Theater on Broadway. We'll be right back with Senna from Aaron Weber. Stick around, everybody.

[The Roots]

1220 Ghetto Streets is sunny. Brothers is getting money. It's mad hot.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Our next guest has his comedy special signature dish Streaming now on YouTube. Making his tonight show debut. Please welcome the very funny Aaron Weber.

[Adrien Brody]

See you guys.

[Aaron Weber]

Thank you all. Thank you, guys. Please, please sit down. Please. Thank you so much. This is exciting time for me. Got a newborn at home, so that's fun. Thank you. So it's. It's great to be here. I might hang out a bit, if that's okay. I've learned this last few months. I love my daughter, but I love an errand. I'll go do anything, dude. If y'all need something, let me know. I'll go pick it up. It'll take a while, but I'll get it going. You know, I gotta get healthy for this kid. I know. I just bought a treadmill so I can walk on it. Heavy duty, too. 300 pound capacity. I made sure of that. 300 pounds? I'm not 300 pounds, all right? But me and 300 hang out. But I'm not there. You know, I'm on the warning track, but I'm not. Anyway, it broke, but what a nightmare for a big dude. Broken treadmill. I mean, that's right behind snap diving board. Like, I haven't lost enough weight to exercise. That's crazy, dude. So I don't know what to do with it now. It didn't crack. It just kind of. It got tuckered out. It's like, how long are we gonna do this? And it just. I don't know. I can't leave it on the street. Looks like I gave up. Looks like I barely made it to February and threw the treadmill out. So. Yeah, I just put it in the closet next to the peloton, and it's gonna be. I got real sick last year. I had to go to urgent care, get it fixed up. I don't know if y'all been to urgent care before, but I like it. Go check it out. It's fun in there. I like it. I like it better than a real doctor. There's a good feeling at an urgent care. There's no ego. You know, a doctor talks down to you, Diploma's on the wall. He's like, I went to school. I know everything. Urgent care is like, do you have $40? Let's figure this out together, dude, we don't know any more than you, right? Why don't we put our heads in a room and we'll tackle this sinus infection as a team? And I like that there's camaraderie in an urgent care. I don't know if anybody's qualified. And that's a rush. You know how at these places, you fill out all your info in the lobby, unless you like a clipboard, and then they take you to another room and act like you never did that? So the nurse comes in. She's asking me questions face to face. She's writing down my answer. She goes, what are you in for? I said, my nose is clogged. She said, have you been taking anything? I said, nah, just Sudafed. And she goes, can you spell that for me? I was like, sudafed? I maybe could. I would like you to take a stab at it, though, right? That feels like one of the ones you should know. I know y'all share a lease with a T mobile store, but this feels like day one stuff. Look, I've been taking ibuprofen as well, so maybe I sounded that one out. You could write that down phonetically. Well, my wife is here. I've been married four years now. It's great. Thank you. I love being married on the road. Cause I see men talk to women in the wild, and it's crazy. I was checking in at a hotel not long ago. Woman behind the counter, very pretty. And the guy in front of me is being a creep. I'm 20ft behind him, but I'm watching, you know, he's checking in. And the woman goes, do you have any preference of what floor you stay on? I swear to y'all, this dude leans over the counter and he goes, what floor are you staying on? And she goes, I'm not. I work here. I don't stay at the hotel that I work. Is that how you think this works? Is that honestly how you think we staff this hotel? You think I'm a guest just chipping in down here in the lobby? You think you have to be the lifeguard tomorrow? I don't stay at the hotel that employs me, you moron. So he walks away, tail between his legs. Now I'm up next. I saw the whole thing go down, right? So I walk up there, and she goes, how many room keys do you want? One or two? And I go, how many room keys do you want? And she did not get the reference at all. Dude, I. I looked way worse than the first guy. Honestly, the look on her face, she's like, they just keep coming in today. I mean, is there a creep convention in town? What's going on right now? Guys, my name is Aaron Weber. Thank y'all so much.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My God. Aaron Weber. Aaron Weber. His special signature dish is Streaming now on YouTube. We'll be right back, everybody.

[The Roots]

Come on. Transportation Authority is what I'm probably on. If I ain't whipping the land throughout your section, my mind's in trunk.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My thanks to Adrien Brody, Adina Manzel, Aaron Weber once again, and the Roots right there from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Good night, everybody. Thank get into it.

[Idina Menzel]

Thanks for listening to the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings. Wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon, weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.