海角大神

Episode transcript

Christine Hudman Pardy: Le Reve was just magic start to finish.

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You walk in and, you know, everything鈥檚 sloping down and there鈥檚 this giant pool of water. And there鈥檚 a bed in the water, floating. You鈥檝e got dry ice coming up. It鈥檚 sort of like Narnia or something. You鈥檙e reading about it and then you鈥檙e in the book. You鈥檙e in the story.

[]

You have these insane, chaotic days and then you come into the theater, and you鈥檙e still. And we get to take you on this magical ride for a couple of hours. And you leave changed. 

Jessica Mendoza: This is Christine Hudman Pardy. She鈥檚 an actor, singer, performer. And until March 2020 she was the lead singer at 鈥淟e Reve,鈥� the signature theater production at the Wynn Las Vegas. 

Samantha Laine Perfas: The show was a big deal 鈥� it had a cast and crew of about 275 people, won a bunch of awards. It was the only show in Las Vegas that featured a theater in the round in water. 

[Music from ]

Mendoza: We鈥檝e never seen the show live, but we found some videos online. And it鈥檚 pretty amazing. There鈥檚 people doing backflips and somersaults. Elaborate fountains and soaring music and fire exploding out of the water. It all feels like a really intense dream.

Laine Perfas: Which is kind of appropriate, because 鈥淟e Reve鈥� means 鈥渢he dream鈥� in French. 

Mendoza: The show ran for 15 years, more than 6,000 performances. Christine had been the main female vocalist since 2018 and loved it. 

Laine Perfas: And then . 

[Theme music] 

Laine Perfas: I鈥檓 Samantha Laine Perfas.

Mendoza: And I鈥檓 Jessica Mendoza. This is 鈥淪tronger.鈥� 

Laine Perfas: We hear from six women about what they鈥檝e lost to this long, painful pandemic 鈥� and how they鈥檙e winning it back. 

[Theme music] 

Mendoza: Today鈥檚 episode: The Artist.

[Ambient: Christine and her husband show Jess and Sam memorabilia from their shows]

Laine Perfas: Can you walk us through what鈥檚 on the wall? It looks like it鈥檚 both of your guys鈥� shows. 

Hudman Pardy: It鈥檚 both of them. Yeah. 

Mark Pardy: Yeah. 

Hudman Pardy: That鈥檚 鈥� my husband did 鈥淏at Out Of Hell鈥� on Broadway. And that was last 鈥� no, not last summer, the summer before? 

Pardy: Yeah. 

Hudman Pardy: He was the drummer on 鈥淟ion King.鈥� That鈥檚 me, like my 鈥淟e Reve鈥� poster...

Laine Perfas: That鈥檚 Christine and her husband Mark at their home in Las Vegas. Mark also works in show biz, as a professional drummer.

Mendoza: We visited them at the end of April. And they showed us some souvenirs they kept from past shows. 

Hudman Pardy: It鈥檚 mostly you, honey. 鈥淢ean Girls鈥� and 鈥� and 鈥淪pamalot.鈥�

Pardy: That鈥檚 only 鈥榗ause you just didn鈥檛 save any of your stuff.

Hudman Pardy: Well, that鈥檚 true. He鈥檚 got every recording 鈥�

Pardy: You know, I have everything, like that鈥檚 all the albums I played on. And I don鈥檛 know, everything鈥檚 organized, but she鈥檚 like, 鈥淥h yeah, I did this gig with Carole King.鈥� 鈥淥h, did you keep the program?鈥� 鈥淣o, no, I forgot.鈥� You know, there鈥檚 nothing. 

Mendoza: They鈥檙e raising three teenagers together: Jack, Harper, and Griffin. 

Laine Perfas: And also two dogs, Leo and Lizzie. 

Mendoza: Christine herself is very warm 鈥� and also blonde and fabulous and a little larger than life. Kind of what you鈥檇 expect from a performer. 

Laine Perfas: But the past year has taken its toll on her. We all know: live shows were some of the first things the pandemic took from us, in terms of shared experiences. 

Mendoza: Things are starting to look up for the industry now. But that doesn鈥檛 change the fact that Christine and Mark had basically no work for more than a year. 

Hudman Pardy: I hurt for myself and my fellow artists. I know what we give. You know, you鈥檙e putting your guts on a plate for people every night. So it feels incredibly frustrating, I don鈥檛 know, just like be told, like, 鈥淥h, I heard about your show. God, it鈥檚 too bad.鈥� And it鈥檚 鈥� it鈥檚 not even real. 

Laine Perfas: We鈥檝e all said we miss going to concerts and shows and having all these shared experiences that we took for granted. But for Christine that sadness and empathy never seemed to extend to the people who bring those experiences to us. People like her and her husband, and their friends.  

Hudman Pardy: I don鈥檛 look for people to come and save me, but I guess I just want people to know that this 鈥� this is real. 

[Music] 

Mendoza: Before we hear more from Christine, a little of bit of context. We first started reporting this series because we wanted to look up close at the personal, real ways that this pandemic recession has affected women. We knew that the parts of the economy that were hit hardest were those that rely on in-person services and events. Those also happen to be industries where women are overrepresented. 

Laine Perfas: So we went to a place that depends a lot on those industries 鈥� a place with a lot of Christines. 

[Music from an 鈥�80s ]

Commercial: 鈥�...Come get the best of the U.S.A. Come out and play the American way鈥︹��

Suzanne 颁丑补产谤茅: We like to call ourselves the entertainment capital of the world. 

Commercial: 鈥�...Las Vegas in every way, it鈥檚 the American way to play!鈥�

Mendoza: That鈥檚 Suzanne Chabr茅. 

颁丑补产谤茅: I鈥檓 vice president and chief experience officer for the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas.

Mendoza: Ms. Chabr茅 was also an executive in the gaming industry for many years. And she鈥檚 a Vegas native. So she gets entertainment and its role in the city.  

颁丑补产谤茅: Las Vegas sells escape, and entertainment is a big driver in that. We as a community and an industry try to make everything entertaining and over the top.

Laine Perfas: In 2019, 1 in every 4 employees in Nevada worked directly in leisure and hospitality. That鈥檚 to the Nevada Resort Association. 

Mendoza: A huge chunk of those workers are in Las Vegas. Especially on the Strip, which is the big center of hotels and casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard. Every year, the Strip by itself in revenue.

Laine Perfas: So when a pandemic hits and 鈥�

颁丑补产谤茅: Devastating. It鈥檚 all there is to say. You鈥檒l find that within a family, somebody is working in that industry and it鈥檚 impacting their lives.

Laine Perfas: Last bit of data here, we promise. In February 2020, Nevada鈥檚 unemployment rate was at . Fairly normal. In March, when Christine Hudman Pardy lost her job, . By April of 2020, . The highest in the country at the time. 

[Music] 

Mendoza: So that was Las Vegas. It wasn鈥檛 the only place in the country that struggled. It wasn鈥檛 even the only place in the country where artists struggled. But the city鈥檚 experience with the pandemic paints a pretty stark picture of how people like Christine were affected. When we first met her back in March 鈥� 

Laine Perfas: 鈥� through Zoom, where else 鈥� 

Mendoza: 鈥� it was right around the anniversary of when her show closed. 

Hudman Pardy: We went from just, this is great and we can have a good life and we can pay our mortgage. And now we鈥檙e just living on unemployment. And we lost our health insurance and we lost all our benefits.

Laine Perfas: The blow to the family finances was really hard. But the other, almost more painful part in some ways, was that 鈥淟e Reve鈥� was special to her. For a lot of reasons. 

Mendoza: For one thing, it let her be a mom in a way that was pretty rare in show business, especially live performances.   

Laine Perfas: Although she was doing two shows a night, five nights a week 鈥� 

Hudman Pardy: 鈥� I got to make my kids dinner every night. I mean, even if it was in a Crockpot leaving it for them. But still, I got to come home and they were sleeping in their beds and I was sleeping in my bed. And I got to take them to school in the morning.

Mendoza: Working for a company like the Wynn also had its benefits, literally. 

Hudman Pardy: When it鈥檚 a long term gig like this, it鈥檚 like, Oh, my God, welcome to being a real adult. I have a 401k. I have insurance for my family through my work. I鈥檓 making a great salary. And I get to go home. It was kind of just overwhelmingly positive for those reasons. 

[Music] 

Laine Perfas: There was one more thing that made Le Reve special. Although she loves Vegas, it took Christine years to figure out how she fit into the fabric of this very young, very hip town. As a woman and as an artist.

Hudman Pardy: To get that in this town at 47, and to still feel like, relevant. Because I think in general, as a woman, there鈥檚 always someone like younger, smarter, faster, prettier, funnier. And so you have to really do the work to remind yourself that you鈥檙e still 鈥� I don鈥檛 want to say valid, but you know, that there鈥檚 still a place for you, and that you have something to say. 

[Music] 

Mendoza: To have achieved the artist鈥檚 dream and then lose it all in a pandemic was crushing. And she saw it happening to everyone around her.

Hudman Pardy: As a performer, sort of the collective 鈥渨e鈥� 鈥� we鈥檝e all been going through this. So there is some comfort that, you know, you鈥檙e not alone. But what鈥檚 the future of all of this? I mean, we were the first to go and we鈥檙e like going to be the last, last, last to come back.

[Music] 

Laine Perfas: But in spite of that, Christine is determined to see the glass half full. She has this philosophy. A kind of guiding principle that she applies to her life and to her work and to being a woman. She said it a lot when we talked, which made it hard to forget:

[Montage of different quotes from Christine]

Hudman Pardy: It鈥檚 like a constant reinvention. 鈥� You know, I think as women, we鈥檙e constantly reinventing ourselves. 鈥� There鈥檚 just this constant 鈥� reinvention is the only word I can think of. 

Mendoza: 鈥淐onstant reinvention.鈥� It鈥檚 an idea that鈥檚 core to who Christine is. It鈥檚 the belief that even when seasons end, or life takes a wicked turn, it鈥檚 just a new beginning. A way to grow and to evolve.

Laine Perfas: You might be able to tell from her drawl, but Christine grew up in a small town in Texas 鈥�

Hudman Pardy: 鈥� twenty-five hundred people. My dad 鈥� my dad was the wildlife manager on a ranch and my mom was a secretary. So there was no one going off to New York to be an actress.

Mendoza: In high school she auditioned for her first role at a professional theater, in Dallas. 

Hudman Pardy: My dad was so cute. He was like, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know anything about what you鈥檙e doing, sister, but I鈥檒l drive you anywhere, you know, you need to go.鈥�

Laine Perfas: What a sweet dad. 

Hudman Pardy: Ended up getting hired, and like, all the leads came from New York. So it was really like this summer is either going to eat you alive or it鈥檚 going to create that spark that鈥檚 going to make you follow this path. 

Laine Perfas: It鈥檚 kind of the quintessential small-town girl to big-star story: Christine went to New York, majored in theater, and eventually began touring in musicals. That was the first time Christine reinvented herself.

Mendoza: After she鈥檇 been performing professionally for a few years, she landed a role in 鈥淭he Full Monty.鈥� That鈥檚 a musical about, er, dancers at Chippendales.

[Music from 鈥�,鈥� Full Monty Original Broadway Soundtrack] 

Hudman Pardy: It was amazing, an amazing experience, an amazing cast, and I don鈥檛 know, it was just a joy, a joy from start to finish. 

Cast: 鈥�...Let it go!鈥� 

Hudman Pardy: And it was just one of those things in your career, that you know, it鈥檚 like a marker. Everything before that, everything after that. But that was like a special time. 

Laine Perfas: After that show, Christine started to think about what was next. 

Hudman Pardy: I was 32, 33. I can remember taking a mental note like, 鈥淚t could be a few more great credits, but then what if I can鈥檛 have kids?鈥� And just because you can have kids doesn鈥檛 mean you need to have them. But for me, I knew I wanted that in my life. You know, I knew I wanted that experience. So I just, I made a conscious decision: 鈥淚鈥檝e been in New York 14 years. I鈥檓 ready for a change.鈥� 

Mendoza: Her husband at the time had a promise from a friend of steady work in Las Vegas. So off they went 鈥� 

Hudman Pardy: 鈥� and the month we moved here, I got pregnant. 

[Music] 

Laine Perfas: Christine realized she had to reinvent herself again: This time from full-time performer to (almost) full-time mom. 

Hudman Pardy: The first years of me being here were just like having small children attached to my body. You know what I mean? And not that I thought it would be easy in Vegas. I just thought that I had some great credits. I figured that there would be a way in for me. And there just really wasn鈥檛 a lot for me. You know, I would get called back down to the end for, like, oh, all the shows. And I would just never book it. 

Mendoza: That period had a lot of ups and downs. Christine loved being a mom. But then she and her first husband got divorced. She reconnected with Mark, whom she鈥檇 known a long time. Eventually they got married. 

Laine Perfas: But like a lot of women who take time away from work to focus on relationships and parenting, Christine struggled to find her groove again. 

Hudman Pardy: When you鈥檙e away quite a bit or you have children, you鈥檙e sort of like, 鈥淥h, God, who am I?鈥� And it鈥檚 like trying to marry the old person with a new person and just 鈥� it kind of rocked my confidence a lot. You know? I was just like, Ahh.

[Music] 

Laine Perfas: After years of short term gigs, Christine landed the role at 鈥淟e Reve鈥� in 2018. It was a turning point for her career, but also for her as a parent. By then her kids were in their teens. Mark was on tour a lot 鈥� 

Hudman Pardy: He was gone and gone and gone.

Mendoza: Like in the summer of 2019, for example 鈥�

Hudman Pardy: 鈥� he went to play 鈥淏at Out of Hell鈥� on Broadway. And then he left from New York to go on tour. He did not come home, not for an hour, not for a day, from June 鈥榯il March of the next year.

Laine Perfas: Wow. That鈥檚 so long.

Mendoza: So Christine had to reinvent herself one more time 鈥� this time as basically a single mom working full time. 

[Music] 

Hudman Pardy: I鈥檇 get up at six in the morning and I would take my daughter to high school. I would come back, I鈥檇 wake my son up, I would take him to a different school, and then I would like do stuff around the house, because if you don鈥檛 do it, it鈥檚 not going to get done. 

Mendoza: In the afternoon, around 2, 2:30, she鈥檇 pick up the kids from school. She would take them home, show them where dinner was, make sure homework was getting done.

Hudman Pardy: And then I had to leave at 4:30. I would go to the show. I鈥檇 do sound check at 5:30 and then I would have to get ready.

Laine Perfas: And this is not throwing on a sweater for a Zoom meeting 鈥�

Mendoza: 鈥� you know, like what we do 鈥�

Laine Perfas: 鈥� it鈥檚 full hair, full makeup, outfit for the stage. And once all that was done 鈥�

Hudman Pardy: I would do the first show and then in between I鈥檇 FaceTime them, make sure they were going to bed and all that, and that they鈥檇 eaten. And then I鈥檇 get home at like midnight-ish. And I would just clean up the kitchen and I鈥檇 get in bed by 1 or 1:30, and then I鈥檇 just do the whole thing over again. And I鈥檓 not going to lie. It was really tough. It was really tough. 

[Music] 

Laine Perfas: So when the pandemic happened, Christine almost didn鈥檛 mind, at least at first. Suddenly her husband was home. She was spending actual quality time with her kids.

Hudman Pardy: The first three months, it was like rediscovering music that we grew up with, dancing all over the house. We were so happy. I think, because we thought after three months we were going back to work. And so then it shifted into the next three months where it was like, OK, a little less dancing, but still so happy we鈥檙e together. And then it shifted into the next thing where it鈥檚 like 鈥� huhhh, oh my god. You know? [Laughter]

[Music] 

Mendoza: But it got harder to laugh as the months went by. Shows stayed closed. Venues pushed back reopening again and again, even when other businesses 鈥� airlines, restaurants 鈥� began to slowly open back up. And unfortunately it鈥檚 easy to see why. 

Laine Perfas: 鈥淟e Reve鈥� had hundreds of cast and crew members, elaborate props, all kinds of things that need to be funded. Even the water costs money to maintain. 

Hudman Pardy: From a business standpoint, it was a smart decision because you can鈥檛 really sustain the running costs with 30 percent capacity. I think from their side, you know, you can understand why for sure. 

It doesn鈥檛 make it hurt less.

[Music] 

Mendoza: And that鈥檚 where Christine was a year into the pandemic. Asking herself questions that were difficult but also familiar: 鈥淎m I still an artist if I鈥檓 not performing? What happens next?鈥� 

Hudman Pardy: 鈥淟e Reve鈥� was such a highlight of my career. But what do you do when the show closes? What鈥檚 the future of all of this? And so there鈥檚 a reckoning within you, you know what I mean? There has to be, of like 鈥� what is the next dream? It鈥檚 not done for me. 

[Music] 

Laine Perfas: That reckoning, for Christine and for her family, after the break. 

[Music] 

Noelle Swan: Hi everyone, I鈥檓 Noelle Swan, the Monitor鈥檚 Weekly edition Editor. Artists like Christine bring a special kind of light to the world. In addition to bringing joy and laughter into our lives, they also help us come to terms with our fears. If you鈥檝e appreciated this podcast, the best way to make sure we produce more work like this is to subscribe to 海角大神. If you already do, thank you! But if not, you can do that at . We really appreciate your support. Again, that鈥檚 . Thanks for listening.

[Music] 

Mendoza: When we left Christine, she was asking herself what happens next. How would she 鈥� and her family 鈥� deal with what the pandemic has done to their finances, to their careers, to their futures? 

Laine Perfas: We caught up with her in real life a few weeks later, to see how she was doing, and to see if she鈥檇 been able to answer any of those questions yet. 

Mendoza: How is the rest of the family doing, how are the kids holding up? 

Hudman Pardy: I mean, everyone鈥檚 just doing the best they can. I can鈥檛 sit around too long and think about how you catch up from something like this. Just like, to be told that you 鈥� 鈥淲e鈥檙e shutting it down and you can鈥檛 work. You can鈥檛. There鈥檚 nothing. And we don鈥檛 know when you鈥檒l be able to,鈥� when you鈥檝e made this your livelihood, your living. You know, it鈥檚 very 鈥� it feels very frustrating. It feels like a lost year. I mean, a lost year academically for my children, a lost year financially for us. 

[Music] 

The ironic part is that collectively, we all turn to music, art in times like this. And no one鈥檚 talking about us. They haven鈥檛 been. They aren鈥檛. And they aren鈥檛 talking about anything for the future. After a while, you do kind of feel targeted in some way. So I don鈥檛 know. I wish I knew the answer, but maybe I don鈥檛 want to know the answer. 

I just have to try to be happy today, and 鈥� not that someone鈥檚 going to come and save you, but that you鈥檙e an active participant in your life. And that you do all the work that you need to do, and then if you keep doing that, the door is going to come down. So I have to believe that there are better days ahead. At least I hope.  

[Music] 

Mendoza: Do you think you might at some point look back on this as a period of reinvention for yourself again? 

Hudman Pardy: One hundred percent. Yeah. I mean, I have to. There are definitely lessons from everything. And I think that鈥檚 a question that we ask 鈥� Mark and I 鈥� ask ourselves a lot, you know. What鈥檚 the lesson?

We have a saying in this house. It鈥檚, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e free to be.鈥� And so we meet you wherever you are. I鈥檓 not going to try to tell them, like, 鈥淒on鈥檛 cry, don鈥檛 be depressed.鈥� Whatever. I mean, sometimes you just are those things until you鈥檙e something else, you know? Just feel the feelings and know that it鈥檚 not always going to be like this.

[Music] 

Laine Perfas: And there are some bright spots ahead, even if they鈥檙e uncertain in the way that everything about pandemic life has been uncertain. Just before our trip to see her, Christine had told us that she and Mark had been offered jobs in a summer production of 鈥淢amma Mia!鈥�.

Hudman Pardy: We both got hired to go to Nantucket this summer for eight weeks and do 鈥淢amma Mia!.鈥� 

Mendoza: Congratulations!   

Hudman Pardy: So he鈥檚 going to play drums and then I鈥檓 going to be Rosie.  

Laine Perfas: Oh, my gosh, that鈥檚 crazy. 

Hudman Pardy: Yeah. We鈥檙e kind of dying. I mean we are like on our knees, grateful. So and the fact that鈥� 

Mendoza: But thankful as she was to finally get to be onstage again, it turned out that the best thing about the job offer had nothing to do with the job itself. 

Hudman Pardy: My youngest son, the excitement that he had when we got the job. I mean, he was just almost more excited than we were. 鈥淕od, Ma, this is so great.鈥� He was almost in tears. And he was like, 鈥淚鈥檓 so glad and I鈥檓 so grateful that I have parents that do what they love for a living.鈥� And I was just like, 鈥榗ause you get told you鈥檙e selfish a lot, you know, in this business. I can鈥檛 put my kids to bed at night because I鈥檓 out doing two shows. And all the guilt that comes with that kind of stuff. And I can鈥檛 be there for every second of homework. 

But I鈥檓 passing that on. And they see that, you know, and I feel 鈥� I feel pretty 鈥� I feel pretty good about that. That they see that 鈥� that I, this is what I was born to do, and they have some respect for that, and they鈥檙e genuinely happy, you know. Because you play all these games in your mind as a mom and as a woman, you know, it鈥檚 like all the things you鈥檙e not doing. All the shortcomings. And, you know, when your kid is like, 鈥淚鈥檓 your biggest cheerleader. It鈥檚 OK to be who you are. It鈥檚 OK to follow your dreams even when you鈥檙e grown.鈥� 

And I want them to know that. I鈥檝e always been like, What is it that that still, small voice says to you, like in the night? What is it that you really want? Trust it and do it. You鈥檙e never too old for that. Here I am at 50. And like, why 鈥� why should I stop dreaming? Why should I stop taking chances? Why should my life stop being exciting? I just feel happy that they kind of see that 鈥� that it鈥檚 never too late. It鈥檚 never too late for a new dream, it鈥檚 never too late to try something new. But, yeah that was 鈥� that was pretty great. 

[Music] 

Mendoza: You know, Sam, I鈥檓 not a mom but I don鈥檛 think you have to be to really get where Christine is coming from. She said this before, you know, that as a woman there鈥檚 always going to be someone smarter, younger, prettier, thinner 鈥� and even though you know better in your mind, right? You know that you are good at what you do. You know that you鈥檙e enough. You know that you鈥檙e allowed to evolve and to be more and to dream. Sometimes it can be so hard to believe that in your heart. Or your gut. And it just makes me feel so good inside to see someone like her, who鈥檚 been dealt such a rough hand this year, and she鈥檚 still fighting to make it work. 

Laine Perfas: I completely agree, Jess. And I know for me, I can definitely relate to this feeling of not being enough鈥� like all the blood, sweat, tears you put into everything that you do 鈥� and it just always feels like it falls a little short. So to hear her put that into words, that feeling that I think many women wrestle with鈥� uh. And then her son! Oh my gosh 鈥� dang. That even when you feel like your work and effort is invisible, the people around you see it and they love you for it. And it makes it all worth it.

[Music] 

One thing I鈥檓 really hoping comes through in this series is that we鈥檙e all going through this together, you know? 

Mendoza: Don鈥檛 cry, Sam.

Laine Perfas: You鈥檙e the one who cried!

Mendoza: Who, me? Crying鈥檚 for men! (Just kidding, I cried a lot working on this episode.) 

Laine Perfas: I mean let鈥檚 be honest, we鈥檝e cried a lot this whole series. But I think that鈥檚 so great about hearing from real people 鈥� that stepping into each other鈥檚 stories can get us to that place of connection and moving forward.

[Music] 

Hudman Pardy: I think that would be my hope for the world is just more empathy, more compassion, more time to stop and go, 鈥淎re you OK? Can I help you?鈥� So I don鈥檛 want things to go back to where they 鈥� the way they were. And it鈥檚 impossible anyway. It鈥檚 never going to be that. I just want to be the best person that I can be. 

Mendoza: You sound like, though, a fundamentally kind of optimistic human. 

Hudman Pardy: Yeah. 

Mendoza: What drives that? 

Hudman Pardy: I don鈥檛 know. I think I鈥檝e always been like that. I鈥檝e always been a dreamer. That鈥檚 how I grew up, just feeling like anything was possible. I told you that once. You know, it鈥檚 like, the big Texas sky and my imagination. So no dream seemed too big. It was just endless possibilities. And I think I always just still feel like that little girl in some ways. 

[Audio clip from 鈥淽

Hudman Pardy: You know, it鈥檚 so silly, but like Tom Hanks said in that 鈥� in that movie 鈥�

Tom Hanks: 鈥�....  Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?鈥�

Hudman Pardy: I always kind of think of that, you know, tomorrow the sun will rise. And that is very simple, but sort of powerful.

[Theme music] 

Mendoza: Thanks for listening! Next time on 鈥淪tronger鈥�: we hear from Yarleny Roa-Dugan, a labor and delivery nurse whose year was filled with challenges. 

Laine Perfas: But her biggest challenge? A dilemma that faced many frontline workers.

Yarleny Roa-Dugan: We go into the profession wanting to help out, take care of people. But this pandemic put us all into a bind. Do you take care of other people, or do you take care of your family? 

Laine Perfas: We hope you鈥檒l join us. And if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us! You can find all our episodes by searching for 鈥淪tronger鈥� on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. Or visit csmonitor.com/stronger.  

Mendoza: This episode was reported and produced by me, Jessica Mendoza. 

Laine Perfas: And me, Samantha Laine Perfas.

Mendoza: Edited by Clay Collins and Trudy Palmer. Sound design by Morgan Anderson and Noel Flatt. 

Laine Perfas: Additional audio elements from 鈥淟e Reve鈥� by Franco Dragone; 鈥淭he Full Monty鈥� by David Yazbek and Sony Music Entertainment; and Expedia Local Expert. 

Mendoza: Brought to you by 海角大神, copyright 2021.

[Music] 

Hudman Pardy: So singing like right now? Oh my God. Oh my God. 

Mendoza: And you can 鈥� whatever song feels like speaks to you in the moment.

Hudman Pardy: Oh God. There鈥檚 only one song that 鈥� I don鈥檛 know why the song is coming in my mind. But I鈥檒l just sing, I鈥檒l sing a little bit of this I guess. Um:

Oh well, I鈥檓 tired and so weary

But I must go alone

鈥楾il the Lord comes and calls

Calls me away, oh yes

Well, the morning鈥檚 so bright 

And the lamp is alight

And the night

Is as black as the sea, oh yes

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day

There will be peace in the valley for me, dear Lord I pray

There鈥檒l be no sadness, no sorrow

No trouble, I see

There will be peace in the valley for me

END