VIDEO: Nathan Lane on the Importance of the Arts, and His NY PopsUp Performance

Nathan Lane recently returned to the stage as part of NY PopsUp to perform a monologue in the first performance in a Broadway theatre since the start of the pandemic.

Lane talked to 60 Minutes about the performance, as well as the importance of the arts as a whole.

"Well, you know in general New York City is about the arts. It's about the culture, you know. And we've been deprived of that for over a year," he said.

Lane admits to being "terrified" to perform his monologue on stage at the St. James Theater on April 3.

"I'll tell you honestly, I was, like, terrified," he said. "This was opening and closing night all at once... there wasn't any real rehearsal. It was a first performance. [The audience was] sweet but you're also dealing with an audience of 150 that's spread out. And they're all wearing masks, which tends to muffle laughs. And so, it was a trickier proposition."

But, he went on to say that the experience is something that was unmatched.

"Telling a little story to a group of people and sharing something with them that's both really funny and really moving... there's nothing better," he said.

Watch the full interview below: