Star of the Year, Befriending a Goose and Going Green! What We Learned on #LiveAtFive This Week

Broadway.com #LiveatFive is a daily Facebook Live show in which Broadway.com editors discuss what's going on in the theater community and chat with stage stars. Here's the most surprising, funny and heartwarming lessons we learned from this week's guests.

1. June Squibb Helped Change the Script in Waitress
Oscar nominee June Squibb returned to Broadway to appear in Waitress as Old Josie, taking over the role (originally called Old Joe) from Al Roker. Switching the gender of a character is not a usual occurrence on Broadway, and due to the rarity of it, Squibb assisted in shaping the gender-flipped character. “Jessie Nelson had done some of that [the changed script] and sent it to me a few weeks before I came and started rehearsing," Squibb said. "And we made some changes when we went into rehearsal. She [Nelson] knew how I worked and my sense of humor, so she did some things in that direction.”

2. Fra Fee Doesn't Get Along with the Goose in The Ferryman
Fra Fee is currently making his Broadway debut in The Ferryman, reprising the role of Michael Carney, which he originated in London. Fee visited #LiveAtFive on December 18 and revealed that there's some conflict with one of his co-stars. When asked about his relationship with the goose in The Ferryman, Fee said, "I'm afraid to say we don't really have much of a relationship. What's her name again?" Although they may not be best friends, Fee did share a hilarious story: "The goose in London laid an egg, isn't that mental?" Fee said. "Tom Kettle, the character who holds the goose, caught the egg. It was extraordinary." The interview ended with National Editor Ryan Lee Gilbert suggesting that Fee's New Year's resolution should be to become closer to Peggy the goose, and Fee agreed. 

3. Gavin Lee Yells at Children as the Grinch
Two-time Tony nominee Gavin Leewas most recently seen on the New York stage in SpongeBob SquarePants, and he has since swapped tentacles for green fur in How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Madison Square Garden. After playing grumpy Squidward, Lee is accustomed to having a mean face, but playing the Grinch is a whole new ballgame: "I love it, you're just so mean," Lee said. "A kid says something in the audience, and I can turn to them and say 'Shut up!'" Lee explained that although the director allows improvisation, he was initially wary about the idea. "I'm not a standup comedian, and I don't have jokes up my sleeve," Lee said. "But now that we're in week five, week six of the run, there's been a few times when I've turned to the audience when an annoying kid dropped his popcorn everywhere and made a comment about it." He truly is a mean one, that Mister Grinch.

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4. Erika Henningsen is Broadway.com's 2018 Star of the Year
We convinced Erika Henningsen that she was coming on #LiveAtFive to talk about starring in Mean Girls and the holiday episode of her Broadway.com vlog Too Grool for School, little did she know we were announcing that she was voted Broadway.com Star of the Year by readers. Surprised by confetti, flowers and Mean Girls stars Ashley Park and Kyle Selig, Henningsen reflected on her year telling us some of her favorite things. "My favorite night, we went out recently. We went out for Halloween and I never go out for Halloween," Henningsen said. "We all got dressed up and it was one of those nights where I was like I am so lucky to be young and to have good friends and to be in New York and to go to this fun party where it wasn't about work. There was no one we had to talk to, we just got to have fun. It was a great night." Watch the full interview to learn who her favorite backstage visitor was and her surprising hashtag of the year.

5. Ruben and Clay's Christmas Show Was Inspired by the Hee Haw Christmas Special
American Idol alumni Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken are currently starring in Ruben and Clay's First Annual Christmas Carol Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Show at the Imperial Theatre. The longtime friends appeared on the December 21 epsiode of #LiveAtFive and shared the variety show inspiration: "I used to love that Hee Haw special back in the day," Studdard said. "Come on Hee Haw! It was so good! Someone do that over again!" Aiken chimed in saying, "We talked about The Carol Burnett Show a lot when we were putting this together. The show's we grew up on that don't really exist anymore." 

Be sure to join us every weekday at 5PM for #LiveatFive!