Lindsay Mendez & Ruthie Ann Miles Talk ALL RISE, Their Tony Awards & More With Seth Rudetsky on STARS IN THE HOUSE

The Actors Fund has teamed with SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and his husband, producer James Wesley, to produce a daily mini-online show, entitled Stars in The House, featuring stars of stage and screen singing and performing live (from home!) on social media to promote support for The Fund's services for those most vulnerable to the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Stars In The House continued last night (8pm) with Tony winners Lindsay Mendez and Ruthie Ann Miles.

Seth and James began last night's episode by sharing the donations that have been made since Judy Kuhn's episode at 2pm.

Click HERE to donate!

For anyone in the arts industry with a story to share on Stars in the House, Seth and James shared the email address that can be used to get in touch with them: starsinthehouse2020@gmail.com.

The pair first brought Dr. Jon LaPook, Chief Medical Correspondent for CBS News, onto the screen to address the importance of remaining connected in these times of social isolation, and set straight misinformation being shared about the virus.

For the most accurate information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/, https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/ or https://www.who.int/.

"This is not the time to be abandoning science... We can do this, we can do it together, but at the same time we're physically separating, we have to emotionally come together, and that's where you come in."

Seth then introduced "Tony Award Winner and star of All Rise on CBS", Lindsay Mendez, who popped onto the screen with Clorox wipes and duster dutifully in hand.

They began with Seth diving into Mendez's career in television, "I am sad that you're a big Broadway star, Tony Award winner, and you deserted us for Los Angeles, what's up with that, girl!"

"Well, what can I say, TV called and I had to answer! ... I auditioned for some pilots after Carousel closed and got this one and here I am a year later and 20 episodes in!"

She revealed that the studio is currently shut down due to the current health crisis, with them urging everyone to practice social distancing and to be safe.

Seth shared that he first became obsessed with Mendez when he saw her in the revival of Grease.

"She had, like, 8 bars... and I was like WHO THE HELL IS... obsessed."

Lindsay then surprised Seth with her song choice, the old Judy Garland tune Everybody Sing, which she (of course) knocked out of the park.

Mendez gave viewers a peep at her Tony Award sitting behind her, which she won for the 2018 revival of Carousel.

"Lindsay, you and I grew up obsessed with I Love Lucy." Seth shared.

Lindsay agreed, "Obsessed."

She shared that during this time of social distancing, she's been helping to pass the time with her favorite old TV shows, I Love Lucy making the top of the list.

"It's my favorite show of all time."

Mendez set up her next song by saying, "So now that everyone has no excuse since they're sitting at home, you can start to watch these episodes of I Love Lucy, but this song is from the particular episode called The Operetta. In the show Lucy and Ethel decide to put on a show to raise money for their women's club and they're like, 'What are we going to do? We don't know what show to do, let's write our own Operetta real quick.'"

Dr. Jon LaPook came onto the screen to share his thoughts on the performance:

"I've been a doctor for almost 40 years and I've never written a prescription that's more helpful than that."

James and Seth then brought another doctor onto the screen, Dr. Jason Kindt, Medical Director of The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, which is part of the Actors Fund in combination with Mount Sinai. It is a fantastic health resource for people in show business.

"If you are uninsured and work in the performing arts, you can still be seen at our center through a subsidy through The Actors Fund in combination with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids."

Click HERE for more information.

Rudetsky brought Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles, who is also starring on CBS' All Rise, onto the screen to join the conversation.

Lindsay shared, "Ruthie and I are social distancing, but we are in the same town and we miss each other. On my one scavenge out I really wanted some Cheetos, they're my favorite, and I couldn't find them anywhere and I was devastated, and Ruthie knew that, and like any drug dealer, she dropped them off at my doorstep and hung them on my door!"

Despite Ruthie's Tony-winning talents, the star shared that the entertainment business was not the industry her mom had in mind for her.

"She asked me to be a dentist. From when I was about a sophomore in high school. She was like, 'If you're a dentist you can set your own schedule and you can do community theater at night.'"

Seth revealed that on the night Ruthie won her Tony award for The King and I in 2015 (the award remains in New York while Miles films in LA!) he and Ruthie called her mom and asked if she still wanted her daughter to be a dentist.

"Her answer wasn't no!" Miles revealed. "She said, 'There's still time.'"

Mendez and Miles shared what it's like working together on CBS' All Rise.

"We have so much fun together, we really do." Mendez said. They revealed that they do sing together on set at unplanned moments.

Mendez treated the viewers to two more songs: Miss Byrd from Closer Than Ever, and Before It's Over from Dogfight.

Click HERE to watch Lindsay Mendez and Ruthie Ann Miles on Seth Rudetsky's STARS IN THE HOUSE.

New shows will be produced DAILY at the traditional theater times of 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Each star will be singing a mix of their hit songs and/or something unexpected. Between each song, Seth will interview the star as he does on SiriusXM, leading them to give fun, inside stories about their careers. Both the star and Seth will encourage people watching to donate at ActorsFund.org/Donate and James will be giving updates from The Fund as well as giving shout-outs to people donating in real time.

Lindsay Mendez is a gifted singer and actress who won the 2018 TONY, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Mendez also appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in the smash hit, Wicked, in the play Significant Other, and she received Drama Desk, Drama League, and OCC nominations for her portrayal of Rose Fenny in Second Stage's World Premiere musical DogFight. Other Broadway credits include: Godspell (2011 Revival), Everyday Rapture (Roundabout) and Grease (2007 Revival). Ms. Mendez is also an accomplished jazz and blues singer, and her debut jazz album entitled "This Time" is available now on Amazon.

Ruthie Ann Miles: LCT: The King and I (Tony winner). Off Broadway: Here Lies Love (Theatre World Award, Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical; Public), Avenue Q (New World Stages); Two by Two; The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd (York Theatre). National tours: Sweeney Todd, Annie. Film: I Am Michael, Grand Street.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos