From opera student to comedy icon to Broadway belter, Ana Gasteyer’s career has been anything but ordinary. In this candid conversation, Ana opens up about her winding path through improv comedy, the creative chaos of Saturday Night Live, and why live performance continues to mean so much in a media-saturated world. She shares the real backstage realities of SNL’s 50th anniversary, the challenges of being taken seriously as a vocalist after finding fame through sketch comedy, and how she’s now channeling everything she's learned into writing two musicals. Ana also dives into what motivates her today, how she stays grounded while juggling career highs and creative fears, and why collaboration with longtime friends keeps her energized. Plus, she shares hilarious stories about surviving technical disasters onstage, her love for Christmas, and why hard work always seems to pay off — even when the path looks nothing like you planned. Ana Gasteyer is an actress, singer, and comedian known for her six-season run on Saturday Night Live, where she originated beloved characters like Martha Stewart, Margaret Jo of NPR's Delicious Dish, and one-half of the Culps alongside Will Ferrell. On Broadway, she starred as Elphaba in Wicked, Mrs. Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, and most recently Queen Aggravain in Once Upon a Mattress. She is also a celebrated jazz vocalist with albums including Sugar & Booze, and has starred on screen in Suburgatory, American Auto, Wine Country, and more. Connect with Ana Instagram: @anagasteyer TikTok: ⁠@anagasteyer⁠ Twitter/X: ⁠@AnaGasteyer⁠ Stream the Once Upon a Mattress cast album everywhere you listen to music, or get the CD here Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: ⁠⁠Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast⁠⁠ Twitter & Instagram: ⁠⁠@theatre_podcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TheTheatrePodcast.com⁠⁠ Alan's personal Instagram: ⁠⁠@alanseales⁠⁠ Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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