The Enduring Value of Broadway

That's usually done. That's why it's so powerful. Whether you're doing hip hop, you know, opera, Broadway, jazz, I mean, just how many different styles of music it just really reaches to people and their heart.

Alrighty folks. Welcome back to transacting value. We're we're encouraging dialogue from different perspectives to unite over shared values.

Our theme for what is now season 4 of the show is intrinsic values. What your character is doing when you look yourself in the mirror. Now if you're new to the podcast, Welcome.

And if you're a continuing listener, welcome back. Today, we're talking our March core values of accomplishment, consistency, and endurance with miss Jenny Lynn Stewart. Now, folks, without further ado, I'm Porter.

I'm your host, and this is transacting value. Jenny, how are you? I'm doing very well. Thank you. For everybody listening just to air out a little dirty laundry. This intro took me a couple takes.

Everything from miss speaking and pronunciation and even Jenny's name. So first, let me put it out there. Or anybody and everybody listening. When we're talking endurance or consistency, sometimes Getting it perfect isn't necessary.

Just getting it right is and when it comes to podcasting, that may take a couple tries. And so I just wanted to open this particular interview by first off saying Jenny, I appreciate your patience.

But also, while we get into some of these values of endurance, for example, and your career in working with Broadway, and all of your other endeavors.

I really wanna hone in on some of that as well because I'm sure especially with classical training and just developing your skill set, it doesn't come with a 1 time or a 1 size fits all option. So I'm excited to see where this goes.

But first, before we get to any of those things, nobody else can see you. So let's just start with some relatability. Maybe who are you? Where you were born? And and what types of things helped shape your perspective?

I'm from Detroit, Michigan. That's where I went to school, the graduating Capite High School, which is what would be called a Magna School today. People came from all over the city, I studied performing arts.

I always had this thing. I thought I was I was good to see a performer. So that was my main motive. And then I went to Michigan State University where I have a degree in television and radio.

Mhmm. And then to University in Michigan, I have a sickly invoice department. And I live in New York City, and I've been here for a long time, and I love it.

Are you actually in the city, like Manhattan or downtown? I live in Northern Manhattan. Mhmm. Was that an adjustment coming from Detroit or more industrial areas to more urban environment like New York?

Well, I actually moved here from Dallas. That was an adjustment because in Dallas, Texas, it's so full of sunshine and everybody is happy. And I passed in New York.

In the very first year, I was like, oh, what did I do? Oh, shit stuff. It is a whole different world. Yeah. It's a big adjustment, and and now I totally love it. But that first year that I bought I thought about, you know, leaving.

And then I was like, no, I can't do that because if down the road I would ever decide I wanted to teach, I wouldn't have the experience of having lived in New York, and I couldn't share that with potential students.

So the fact is I'm not gonna be a voice teacher, I don't think.

But at any rate, that is what I thought at that time. I suck it out. Well, and that's really what matters ultimately. You know, you gotta give yourself the chance to fail just as much as you gotta give yourself the chance succeed.

So -- Yeah. -- that counts for quite a bit. And you said, voice teacher, though. So what exactly do you do? Oh, I think. I performed. I do 1 woman shows for, essentially, the 55 plus market, and I go wherever they hire me to do it.

I also pay co look for a church here in New York on Park Avenue. And every week, I prepare a solo for them. In fact, I sing they're all during the pandemic, which was I was so grateful for that job.

Because it kept my voice constantly in shape because it's very easy during that time. Kinda just sit around and not do anything, but that wasn't an option for me.

So that was very good and very grateful for that. Yeah. And I did create this 1 woman shows. I'm also studying how to do self tape for audition because so much of that is now done on Zoom.

And the other thing that I'm preparing to really get myself in here this year of 20 23 is to learn how to operate, like, audio interface I do know I could do, you know, some radio or or commercials I have no desire to do a podcast, by the way.

So Sure. But I I would really like to learn how to operate my equipment. And I have another idea because some of my shows are recorded, and I thought that I could your SSC shows is the videos.

And then I could talk to people, I do a show on Zoom, and I could talk to people about a specific song, the background of it, and then play a video.

1 of my life performances. Mhmm. I do. I did. Blaine that right. Yeah. Well, I think so, but I have a couple clarifying questions.

So you said, videos from your live performances that would help illustrate the background of the songs? Let's talk about the song. Yeah. For example, you know, I do 1 of my shows.

The sixties on Broadway. Okay. That's how I do a lot of songs from famous shows in the sixties. Hello. Dolly, by by birdie, handlots. I mean, there's just a lot of them. And I have that recording, and so I could additive.

This is what I have not done yet, but I could edit these recordings, separate the songs out, and then to a zoom audience, I could talk about the background of the song, talk about the Broadway show, what went on at that particular time, and then play the video.

Of me singing 1 of those songs. Sure. Sure. My show. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Of course.

And actually, there is 1 thing I wanted to get to anyways concerning I guess you would call it the enduring messages of Broadway, not just the musicals, but as a venue and and all the above, performances Also, before we go that direction, let's talk a little bit more specifically about some of your values.

So this is a segment of the show I like to call developing character. Developing character. You have the question?

Sure. So here's how it works. For everybody listening, it's 3 questions. And Jenny is in-depth or as vulnerable as you wanna be. Also, obviously, I never really thought about it is an okay answer to. It's entirely up to you.

But this first question. So what were some of your values growing up, let's say, as a kid or as a teenager? Well, full disclosure. I did listen to some of your other podcasts, I did hear you ask that question to other guests.

So I started to think about it. And I realized I had you from a little kid about being honest and trustworthy. And I also had this idea that if I worked really hard, I could get what I loved.

Knocked out the right workflow, but that I would succeed. Mhmm. And so I haven't instilled in me somehow or other when I was a kid, but I didn't really think about it constantly.

And that actually, I still believe that. No. I'm not saying I'm not naive enough to say, oh, yeah. I'm gonna be, you know, the biggest Broadway star that ever lived or anything like that.

But I realized I put this to my dream. Yeah. It's interesting how almost deliberate we have to be to be able to reach whatever we wanna do to succeed or however we define success.

Yep. But it's almost like you have to be equally as deliberate in how you handle setbacks and in how you manage that attitude of, I guess, the value of hard work and putting in the effort and whatever sacrifice comes with that too.

So I wanna jump on that here in a second too, but before I get too far ahead of myself? The second question. Now then at present, what are some of your values? I think they're still the same.

I believe, completely and being honest. I also was raised to you have to pay your bills. I mean, you have to pay your rent. And, you know, I have run into some people here in New York but that wasn't the priority.

And that's not how I was ready. Let's still pass that and you get a job. You know, and you get a job to make sure that you have the money to pay the rent.

And I also have the attitude if I apply myself and I focus, I will be able to make progress. For the goals that I have. Yeah. Yeah. That's important to realize too.

Sure. Because it's sort of a incremental mindset. Right? Like, have to set benchmarks for yourself. You can't base them off of other people. So, yeah, you can at least make strides towards being more successful for sure.

And before we get to a definition of successful though, at least as you establish it, 1 more question for you. Mhmm. In the future, let's say, the next 20 years. How do you see your values changing?

I've never really thought about that core values changing. I think maybe my goals may have to shift. You know, I have to be realistic, you know, maybe a 80 years old. I can't well, I can't do this now anyway.

Rana. Rana, Rana time. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. But I think maybe that on my core values, I think, would be the same. So that part, still be honest and trustworthy, make sure my bills are paid. My father for a while before he passed away.

He was in an assisted living facility. Mhmm. And there was a anyway, long story short, he's Jenny, make sure I paid the bill. And I think you did that. Don't worry. And integrity, Julian. Yep.

Yep. Exactly. And that's what I was gonna say saying in integrity as well. Yeah. That counts for a lot. Realizing those things, at least in my experience, has come from a lot of different influences and inputs. You know, it's different.

I think when you when you think about being introspective and thinking about what some of your values might be, at least for me, that looked like find a quiet place sit there in silence and just think what it turned into over the last few decades has been, well, actually, all of my failures all of my encounters, all of the influences I've had in my life have made the sum total of now what I see as core values for me.

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Well, actually, all of my failures, all of my encounters, all of the influences I've had in my life have made the sum total of now what I see as core values for me. Right. Has that been a lot of the same case for you? I think so.

Yeah. And sometimes I have to I've realized that I really needed to trust the process that I was going through as well. Yeah. And as a growth process, maybe not even just material in the moment, but as a person, That takes a while.

Like you said, moving from Dallas up to New York can be quite a culture shock too. So Yeah. Definitely. Right. Yeah. And I'm sure it doesn't really change. I mean, they they never sleep.

So -- Yeah. -- yeah. Everything just sort of continues. And a lot of the messages that I learned or at least that I've taken lessons from that I heard as a kid involved a lot of what you just described too.

Everything from you have to pay your dues and you have to show up ready to work. You have to show up. Yeah. You have to take an active role in what you want to accomplished because nobody's gonna give it to you.

You know, there was a I think a point I don't know when it was, but I'm sure it had to have happened because I was growing up where almost metaphorically, but probably, actually, where you reach for your parents hand to try to help you with something, and they say, no, you need to figure this 1 out.

You know, the first time that happened for me, I don't remember the exact circumstances, but I remember how it felt.

And I was I felt like I was left behind or left alone, which obviously I was because I had to figure it out myself, but it almost knocked me down a couple of rungs.

I felt almost disappointed that I didn't have the help, I didn't have the support, I got scared, all these other more negative type emotions that really didn't stick.

You know, you experience it 1 time, and then it's never really that hard again. It may be more complicated, but it's never really that hard again. Was that sort of the same in your case?

Yeah. You know, I had when you were speaking that, I certainly thought some things back in my childhood. I remember coming up, you know, not child child. But after I graduated from college -- Yeah.

-- and I was, like, Well, I'll wait a minute. You're like, dad. What's I have to do this myself? I mean, you know, and I know I felt a little angry. I remember that. Sure. But then I got over it.

And when I go back and I look at it, boy, they were right. Sure. How would how would they go? Yeah. How was gonna learn all this? Get off here on my own. Well, and that's the thing. Right? Then and now in hindsight, I mean, I'm 35 now.

I've done some things since high school. And learned a lot since high school, but especially as a father now, the biggest thing that I've come to realize at least about my parents is there had to be a shift?

Like, I may have been hurt mentally, metaphorically, whatever as a kid, but it couldn't have been easy for them either. And and it it has to go both directions.

Those those moments, I think, in our lives just sort of resonate as we gain influence and grow as people. And so I've got a question for you. Jenny, part of your career actually involved performing on Broadway.

And then obviously around the world at some points as well. Right? I wasn't actually on Broadway. I've done Broadway shows. I debuted at Carnegie Hall, but I actually have not been in the Broadway show on Broadway.

I've done a world tour of a Broadway show. I see. So I'm I'm a little bit ignorant when it comes to the arts, but I just sort of assumed they were the same thing.

No. That's different. You know, if I heard performing in a Broadway house, you say, on 40 seconds. Like, that's that's interesting. Yeah. At the venue. That's how I make that, you know, distinction.

Okay. But I happen in Broadway shows all around the world with some very famous people. Sure. But not on Broadway itself. Okay. Alright. Well So I have I have someone that's trying to give off. Yeah. I'm trying to give off the game off.

Now what what you told me when we discussed a little while ago was mother Abas was -- Yeah. -- your role from the sound of music. Was that at Carnegie Hall? No. At Carnegie Hall, I sang a lead in it called the Dorisario.

I'm just the final lead -- Okay. -- to stand apart in Doris, like, the Doris now. A voice that's working. But the mother rabbit was in the southern music, which I sing all over the world.

Oh, that was part of your tour. Yeah. Yeah. I see. Yeah. Now, from what I remember, which honestly isn't much of the sound of music, mother AbbVie did sing a song I think it was to Maria, but climb every mountain?

Correct. Okay. Now I can't help but put some parallels together here that coming out of an Abby, obviously, if you're unfamiliar with the sound of music, Maria doesn't fit in, and then she experiences growth from that point forward.

But in that moment, Mother Abby is a a lady at the Abby who sort of is her Yoda.

And so climb every mountain is sort of go chase your dreams. Right? Yes. It probably is. Mhmm. Was there a lot more of you in that performance than mother of us, do you think?

Absolutely. It was. What was your inspiration? My life. My whole experiences of my life. And when I think that song, I received so much feedback and different people saying, I've never heard anybody sing that song like you did.

And I was telling them my own experience, you gotta keep climbing every mountain and just keep doing it. And put your heart in it. And that's how I sang the song, and I still feel that way completely.

That was after hammerstein's philosophy of life. He said when he wrote the lyrics, and I'm paraphrasing this now, but he said when he wrote the lyrics decline every mountain, he said that was his philosophy.

You search in life until you find what really fits you, finding your dreams, and then you stick with that for the rest of your life.

I would have to say if you're going to stick with it, make sure it's something that you're getting the feedback from that you're adding value to society and something that you really do love.

But I know that's where I belong. When you get on stage or in in whatever venue, but you're in front of a crowd -- Mhmm.

-- how much does that emotionally impact your performance. Because obviously, you play a role on the audience. The goal is to to feed off of your emotions, but Is it the other way also? And I don't mean just the ovations or the No.

Well, the the thing is to move the audience. But yet, I do feel their energy. Yeah. You feel their energy. And I remember 1 night telling me a comment you could always tell a Friday night audience.

And then I became more aware of it. You could because Friday night was people were mostly had been at their jobs all week, and they were just kinda worn out, like, okay, well, here we are musical.

You know? And the rest, you know, like, on the weekends, they're more engaged. Oh, yeah. It's totally affected by the audience. Already folks sit tight, and we'll be right back on transacting value. Alrighty folks.

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Bostruck can do that too. And I remember 1 night telling me a comment you could always tell a Friday night audience and then became more aware of it. You could because Friday night was people were mostly had been at their jobs all week.

And they were just kind of worn out and, like, okay, well, here we are musical. You know? And the rest, you know, like, on the weekends, they're more engaged. Oh, yeah. Probably affected by the audience.

Does that tend to, I guess, energize you and your performances after a show? Or do you feel normally like you're just, like, well, that took a lot out of me. I need to sit down for a second. No. Completely energized.

And I had an experience. It was a second performance on tour, and I went out to take my bow. And the audience, I'll never forget it. They all stood up at the same time, and they applauded, which is like a jeanette, and they applauded.

And I felt this whole rush of energy came over my whole body. I was shocked because that's the first time I had experienced it. And I've never forgotten. What a feeling that must have been?

It really was. Yeah. How does it stack up though? Because once you get 1 of those, And then if you don't, the next show, does that detract any, you know, from your performance, do you think? Well, I've got that response a lot.

1 of my co cast members told me you're gonna experience that a lot. That didn't even realize that I was seeing the song differently from maybe other people or whatever. This is such a fantastic response.

But, yeah, if I didn't get that response, mostly I felt I probably didn't give my best performance for some reason or other or -- Sure. -- you know. But mostly it's pretty positive Well, the consistency's gotta be difficult.

I mean, to sustain on your part, in any performance at any song, whether it's at the church or any of these performances in throughout your life so far that to perform to whatever level that you set for yourself or whatever the expectation of the audience is, every night, every performance, despite whatever's happening in your day, that's got to be, I assume, a little exhausting.

How do you manage that? Well, I take care of myself. I don't do a lot. For example, when we run tour, I've had to gauge, like, how much sights mean I could do for sample -- Mhmm.

-- because I couldn't allow myself to get tired because my energy really is is for the stage. And really have to take care of myself because it's not fair to the audience. You know, they could care less what's going on in your life.

They came there to be entertained. You know. Mhmm. Bottom line. They bought their ticket. I wanna be in a tank. I don't care that you sprained your ankle or whatever. Sure. That's tough.

People yeah. Well, I guess there's some sort of intentional distancing that has to happen there. Do you have a pre show routine where you you maybe meditate or have a cup of tea or something to distance a little bit and get in the zone?

Oh, yeah. I do. I spent time by myself and I will look at my script or, you know, if I'm gonna be doing a concert, I'll I don't know how much I'm actually really focusing on if I am looking at.

I am looking at my music and, you know, it's totally putting myself in gear for that.

Definitely. Yeah. I have to say, I mean, that, like, when I do my church pillows and some of the other things, sometimes I feel that perhaps I didn't give the performance didn't go as well as I would have wanted itself.

Uh-huh. But I had to quit yeah. I learned this on tour as well.

I had to quit beating myself up if it wasn't exactly how I thought it should go because there's the next performance. And I know some of the other performance, they beat themselves up on my side, and the front of it, they're more Yeah.

Well, I was at that way that way, initially. Mhmm. But then it was, no. I have to let it go because I have to refocus on the next 1. Well, it's like you said, the audience being the next 1 doesn't care how bad the last show was.

Exactly. Yeah. Well, I I can only imagine the toll that it takes. Like for me, I tend to be a little bit more introverted by nature. And so It doesn't have to be a larger crowd, but a larger crowd than what my baseline is accustomed to.

Mhmm. Makes me tired by the end of it. I'm just mentally drained. So when I was in college, I was I worked in the theater department.

And we talked about this a little bit. I think it was a a couple months ago now, but for anybody listening. So I got, I guess, my creative start, you could say, in the theater department, in college.

And I tried musical theater a little bit And I I was so good that they said maybe you should just work on the sets and stay off the stage from now on.

So yeah. Okay. Alright. You know? Fair point. But you take a a dose of humility, I guess.

And then I tried straight plays where it's it's not a musical. And I found them to be a lot more entertaining for me because everybody else tended to be everybody else on stage, tended to be more relaxed.

Because the performance was based on creativity, not necessarily like energetic output like you might have to project in a song or something. Mhmm. Mhmm. What's it like for you?

Working with other actors actresses in a musical. Do you tend to feed off of each other? Or Oh, absolutely. Mhmm. What sort of impact does that have do you think for the audience or on the show if that's a little bit off?

You know, I have to tell you as far as doing the sound of music the marias are really wonderful. Everyone that I worked with was really wonderful.

So I didn't really have that experience with them being off. Now I have done concerts where maybe the people who are accompanying me, you know, the candidates for the base player or the drummer or whatever.

For some particular reason, you know, me, I don't know what it was. They weren't exactly 100 percent focused on you know, what was going on. And so then I think as a performer, I'm really on speaking about me, really.

I just had to work harder, like, kind of just do my best to get that energy out there and keep moving. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I guess that makes sense. I was just thinking because in music, or musical theater or or in general on a on a CD.

Right? If if 1 person's off, everybody has to balance each other because it it makes 1 cohesive product, but when you're acting on a a stage or in a movie or whatever, that doesn't involve musical considerations.

Everybody plays a role in that particular scene and can feed off each other. But ultimately, it's that 1 person's portrayal of that 1 other person in that 1 particular moment.

So I was wondering about that. That that might be a little bit different. But I was, you know yeah. That because I just thought this just popped into my mind. About having your collaborators.

So there was a song that I did in this concert here in New York, but I also did it in October, part of me in our open house. And it was a different accomplishment I'd never worked with this person before.

This person was absolutely fantastic and they absolutely when I called got the song, they got the message of the song -- Yeah. -- and I felt it and I just felt my performance was so free.

It was free. When you know the person that's accompanying you gets the song and which is there. It was really great. Alrighty folks sit tight and we'll be right back on transacting value.

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This person was absolutely fantastic, and they absolutely what I call, got the song. They got the message of the song -- Yeah. -- and I felt it.

And I just felt my performance was so free. It was free when you know the person that's accompanying you get the song and it was just there. It was really great. So yeah. I mean, yeah. Yeah. That that sense of accomplishment.

And I'm just sure you can feel it. No. Yeah. Right? Because I know as an audience member, I can tell. Yeah. And so I'm sure with with your training that it's easier to pick up on actually, that's a good point.

So I have a question about that. When we're talking about Broadway, you said mostly from the sixties and I'm sure fifties and forties going backwards more than going forwards from the sixties.

But why do you think Broadway, when we're talking musicals, not the physical venue for anybody that's in here.

But why do you think Broadway has had such an enduring presence in the messages. You're for audience, for consumership. Well, first of all, they transport you to another era for the older people in their lives.

And a French accent. You said the music just it's just so touching emotionally. Mhmm. And, I mean, that's my opinion. And it's really entertaining. I said, just recently, I thought some got it. No. No. Go there right.

Some got it hot. That's not the right name. You have the music titles. There's a me accent like it's hot. Movie. Sound like it's hot. Yeah. Yeah. Tony Curtis and Jack Simon has been made into a Broadway musical that just opened Okay.

It's spelled out. Yeah. It's running right now. Right? Yeah. It's running right now. Right. It's open. I think in December. It's great. Nice talk. And that's obviously an old story from that movie.

But it transported me because of the dancing and the singing the whole shebang. And I came out feeling very entertained. And perhaps that's why these people come to a Broadway show because they know Maybe not necessarily.

Most of the time, they're gonna come up being entertained. They're gonna be able to forget any of the problems in their life. Not all of them. I can't say this as a blanket statement, so that's not fair me to say that. Sure.

Some of the mutuals really do deal with very strong subject matter, the current subject matter, and commentary, and there's certain things that are going on in our society. But it also Typically Americans, the Broadway musical, I think.

Yeah. Then that's been there, you know, the European Times that came over here, and then they started writing Broadway musicals and they started out as an event reviews and then it's through.

Yeah. Yeah. There's 1. I don't I don't think it's actually playing right now. I'm not sure. I didn't think to look it up. But it's a Broadway music was called Oliver.

Have you seen it? Oh, yeah. So for anybody listening, You can look it up. There's also clips on YouTube you can find and watch little pieces as well. But Oliver is about Oliver Twist, and that's essentially it.

But there's a it's funny you bring up the fact that musicals can emotionally tie you to a place or time that you've never physically been to. And it allows you to sort of hone in on that resonance and follow the path.

Right? So, case in point, in Oliver, I think at that particular time, he's talking to artful dodger, and there's a song in that musical called consider yourself, I think, is what it's called.

Fun. Good news now. That's it. Not home. That's it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And it's this welcoming I think from artful dodger to Oliver, but it it's this welcoming and building of a family and commonalities and you don't have to go through life alone and and it's sort of the turning point in this perspective of I'm no longer depressed than by myself.

And it's that sort of growth moment like we talked about earlier when you got a sink or swim or, you know, the first time you fly out of the nest kind of moment And and it was really powerful, but I've never grown up in cockney London.

I've never been there, you know. I don't know what it would have been like when Dickens wrote it initially. And Right. And to see it is 1 thing. But to hear it with that level of emotion is entirely a different thing.

Well, you know, to I probably respond to that 1, but where is love? Yeah. He's universal. Sure. Where is love? Yeah. You know, it's nothing fun from that show, which is just, you know Very touching and it doesn't matter. All of you are.

I guess, wow. Yeah. Yeah. You know, we talked to a guy back in December. His name's Rick De LaRada. And we talked about the power and the impact that jazz music can have specifically on creating peace throughout the world.

But he mentioned an echo a lot of similar points that you're bringing up now also, where music transcends cultures. It doesn't all have to be in the same language. It can be instrumental for that matter.

Right. But building this sort of I guess you could call it like a harmonic resonance. Right? For people, souls to communicate is a little bit different than vocally what you might say in your words.

And have you found that that's I guess, a a more common occurrence. You know, like you mentioned to me a while back, you did a show in Korea, I think it was.

Right? In Seoul. Right? That it's totally possible that there were a lot of people in your audience that didn't even speak English. That's absolutely true. Oh, well, there you go.

But, yeah, they picked up at the emotions. Same with opera. You have some of the opera, and all of them. But, you know, the whole you feel the heightened love between 2 characters even though you can't understand anything.

Sure. And, you know, what I I also met some people at China, and they had told me but see, they started to translate it to them, you know, and they saw it, like, on television.

So that's it. But in Korea, now the live performances. Now there were a lot of people that didn't know they didn't know any questions.

But yeah. They definitely felt the emotions. That's what music does. That's why it's so powerful whether you're doing hip hop, you know, up from Broadway jazz.

I mean, there's so many different styles of music it just really reaches to people. And the heart. So I I have 1 last question for you before we close this up.

Would you say you mentioned vocal coaching to a degree as a teacher earlier. But throughout your career, as you've been learning to sing and perform, would you say that learning to sing.

I don't wanna trivialize it, but learning to sing and perform is more about learning to communicate emotion or learning to train your voice and vocals?

Probably both. Originally, first of all, I was worried with the voice that I had to take lessons to refine it and know how to use my voice.

Mhmm. I mean, sometimes, you'll hear with some of the popular singers, all of a sudden, they will roughly quit and they'll come back and start this sending voice to learn how, you know, really how to do it.

Mhmm. You don't get yourself in vocal trouble. But then there is that aspect of it.

Learn the technique, reading a big part of it. But, yes, working on being able to have to access to allow myself to feel the emotions and to communicate to the audience. And a lot of times, that's pretty difficult to do.

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A foolish man learns from his own. Working on being able to have access to allow myself to feel the emotions and communicate to the artists. And a lot of times that's pretty difficult to do.

Yeah. Because your soul is so vulnerable. When you're putting it out there, when you're singing and really touching beautiful songs. And of course, you know, you don't wanna be rejected. There's that little whiting the body rejected.

So to have the courage to go out there and really sing that song with your true feeling and emotions. Yeah. I have the study. That a lot. I work on that all the time. And how do I get to the emotion of the stuff?

How do I get to the emotion of that particular word? How is that affecting the rest of the line. How is that affecting what I'm feeling emotionally? Well It's complicated, but it it kinda worries us to do it.

Well, yeah. Yeah. I mean, giving yourself permission, but also the capability -- Yeah. -- to do it. Yeah. That makes sense for like that. Yeah. It does. I'm I'm sort of just taking in and processing.

I can't sing. And so, well, I I don't know. Maybe I'm not even talking to the right person to say, I can't prancing. But the capability is not as well developed, I guess, as it maybe could be -- Yeah.

-- to be able to communicate emotion and coming from someone that is pretty consistently monotone. Conveying emotion in and of itself becomes a little bit more difficult.

And and I think maybe to a certain point, there's even a commonality there where where you could argue, it might be just because I've never actually paid attention to what causes certain emotions for me that I don't actually know how to tap into them anyways.

Maybe I have a phenomenal operatic voice. I don't know. But there's a lot of power in that being able to communicate emotions.

There's a difference I think between wearing them on your sleeve being vulnerable and not really being as resilient maybe, by being able to have that capability and control it.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's some thoughts too. I mean, you'd have to I've been taught to, for example, that are I mean, I I hear your first. Mhmm. But you you as an artist, you can't stand there crying yourself. Sure.

For today, because you've got to be able to have it I I mean, I I know some people do it sometimes you get periodic when you're singing a jazz song, but you have to be able to make sure you communicate to that that other people without you breaking down, you know, trying so much yourself, then you can't think.

That's what I'm trying to say. Yeah. If you get you've seen it. And then you can't sing. Well, then, you know, you you can't sing.

Songs over. Yeah. Yeah. I I mean, it it really just sounds like mental coordination you know, it's it's nose with your left hand, quarter nose with your right type, but all in your head, you know?

It's it's a balance. I mean, I I it's it's a balance definitely. And just to give you self permission to let go, but to let go and not let go so much that you can't actually deliver the message to the audience.

I think that's kind of what I'm you know, I'm trying to say that you're not standing in your way. Yeah. And I remember when I Barbara focused 1 of my idles.

And hit the singer and she passed on. But I remember I talked to her first time I met her first time, I met her personally, actually. And I said, oh, you brought me the tears so many times in your performance.

And she said, yeah, I I kind of was getting teary eyed myself. Mhmm. So I wouldn't have done that. He was just so expert. Yeah. And that being Yeah. That level of control, I'm sure, takes time and practice.

Yeah. Jenny, I really appreciate this opportunity. And so for anybody that wants to get in touch with you, maybe for bookings, or to follow along with you, your career, maybe even a website, how do people do that?

Well, probably the best way is to go to my website, manhattan d v dot com, and there's a place where you could find out to be on my email list. Also, I am on YouTube. I have a YouTube channel. It's I guess, I call it handle.

My handle is Jenny Lynn Stewart. Both are probably the best ways. I'm also I am on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook. Wait. I'm on Facebook. Probably through my website would be the best You can learn a little bit more about me.

You can learn about the shows that I have to offer and an office can reach out to me and and be on my email list. You should be right. And so there is a contact page as well for people to send you emails. Okay. Yes. Here we go.

And thank you so much for this opportunity. It was so much fun. Definitely. Definitely. I enjoyed it. And for everybody listening, we'll tag all of Jenny's website and and media profiles in the show notes for this interview as well.

So you can find them there. I really appreciate this opportunity to to talk about your perspective a little bit and then be a little bit more vulnerable with us.

About what it's like to perform and, you know, what it's meant to you. And then how important Broadway still is, it's not just local to New York.

It's not just local to those eras in decades. It carries quite a bit more resonance. Despite any differences, we still all have a lot in common that a lot of those shows convey. So thank you very much.

Well, thank you for this opportunity. I really appreciate it. It's been a pleasure to meet you as well. Yeah. This is fun. And if you're ever available, feel free to let me know. And and I'd love to have you back on the show.

Great. Thank you. I'd like to do that. Yeah. Okay. Cool. And everybody else listening. Thank you for listening in to our core values for March of accomplishment, consistency, and endurance. I'd also like to thank Barbara Cook.

But to all the performers on Broadway, Oscar Hammerstein and everybody else that's had a role in forming your perspective, Jenny, because without them I mean, they became the inspiration for this conversation.

Thank you to them as well. But also to our show partners, Keystone Farmers Market, often clinker forms, and obviously, busts out for your distribution because I couldn't do this without you either.

And, folks, if you're interested in joining our conversation or you wanted cover our other interviews, check out transacting value podcast dot com, follow along on social media, And we continue to stream new interviews every Monday morning at 9AM Eastern Standard Time on all of your favorite platforms.

But Until next time, that was transacting value.