#205 James Monroe Iglehart: Broadway’s Genie of Joy✨

This week on The Salisha Show, Salisha Thomas sits down with James Monroe Iglehart, Broadway’s Genie of Joy✨, to share stories about his incredible creative journey. From his Tony-winning role as Genie in Aladdin to unforgettable performances in Hamilton, Chicago, and Freestyle Love Supreme, James opens up about his path to the Broadway spotlight, his love for storytelling, and the lessons he's learned along the way. Hear him reflect on his experiences as a voiceover artist, director, and actor in hit TV shows like Kimmy Schmidt and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. James also talks about choosing joy, his dedication to authentic representation, and the importance of being true to yourself. Recorded as part of the Gotham Network, this episode captures an inspiring conversation filled with wisdom, laughter, and heartfelt moments. Special thanks to Gotham Network NYC, TyNia Brandon, and Big Red Studios for their support in bringing this episode to life!

#aladdingenie #choosejoy #geniealaddin #theaterkid #voiceoverartist

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
02:39 - Broadway Success Without BFA
05:15 - James Monroe Iglehart's Joyful Choices
09:12 - Love and Support: James's Wife
19:51 - Insights I've Shared for Years
22:12 - Understanding the Tony Awards
26:59 - Diversifying Artistic Expression
30:40 - Career Changes for James
33:30 - Egotistical vs. Cocky Attitudes
40:00 - Exploring "And Juliet"
43:15 - The Musical "Beautiful"
45:45 - The Funkentine Rapture Overview
46:53 - Advice to Young James
48:19 - Outro

@salishathomas @thesalishashow, www.thesalishashow.com

Many thanks to Gotham Network in NYC, TyNia Brandon for writing and laying vocals down for the updated theme song and Big Red Studios for the intro video wherever you watch the latest season of The Salisha Show!

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:21

Hello and welcome or welcome back to another episode of the Silicia Show.

SPEAKER_05 0:26

I'm Siliche and I'm so excited because I'm with the OG, okay?

SPEAKER_06 0:33

I'm with like a real OG. I consider O, for me, the theater kid in me, I consider the OGs the people who I heard of when I was in high school, before I had any professional exposure, before I moved out to New York City. If I heard a Broadway name and I meet them now as a full-grown adult, there are few things that are better than that. And so I am so excited to introduce my guest to you today. He has led quite a few Broadway companies. Um, Hamilton as Lafayette Jefferson. I didn't even know he could rap. What? Spamilot Revival. He was Billy Flynn in Chicago, Freestyle Love Supreme. Again, let's go. He was recently Louis Armstrong in the Louis Armstrong musical, A Wonderful World. He got his Tony Award. This is gonna give it away if he got his Tony Award as Genie in Aladdin. We're talking like, oh Genie in Aladdin. That's what he got his Tony Award for. But he first came into my sphere, my realm from Memphis when he was killing it in Memphis. Um he's also a huge voiceover artist, a producer, a director, a television actor. Anybody heard of Kimmy Schmidt, Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, and like 30 other credits. And this is just a flex. He also has written for Marvel.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Like you said, it was a flex. That's funny.

SPEAKER_06 2:03

What on earth? I have tickets to see him tonight in Angular on Broadway as Lin Subois. Y'all, please put your hands together and help me welcome Tony Award-winning actor James Monroe Eichel.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Well, that may be the greatest intro I've ever had, Selicia. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_06 2:24

Why are you incredible?

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Oh, listen, I have been in some really cool places and some doors that were supposed to open for me did. And so that's what I give that to.

SPEAKER_06 2:34

You're a California believer.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

I am. I am a Bay Area boy to muscle.

SPEAKER_06 2:39

Okay, so I've worked at um Silicon Valley Palo Alto um Peterworks. Yes, yes. That's my home.

SPEAKER_03 2:45

That's my home. They love them some jeans. That is my home right there.

SPEAKER_06 2:48

Okay. Oh my gosh. I am so big right now. I don't, I'm still getting aware of my body.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

It's okay. As I was telling you before the show, you are building a human. Some people are building Broadway and building movies and think that they're doing something cool. You are actually building a life, a life that is probably going to do something incredibly amazing in this world. So, girl, move how you get to move.

SPEAKER_06 3:09

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for that permission. I just do your thing. Okay, but like you're from California. I read somewhere that you got your BA in.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

I got my BA in uh theater and directing and uh acting and directing options at California Conservatory Theater. Uh conservatory, I wish it was a conservatory. They're trying to be a conservative. I probably shouldn't say that. Um California California State University Hayward, it's now California State East Bay. I hate that they changed the name. Yeah, y'all know I hate you changing the name.

SPEAKER_06 3:38

Oh, my well, I bring that up because back in the day when I was like, I want to be on Broadway, what do I have to do to get there? I thought you had to have a BFA. And I realized, no, you're the Bachelor of Arts.

unknown 3:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:53

Just get your butt to me, alright.

SPEAKER_02 3:55

Listen, I I learned, I learned, I was getting my degree, and then I went to do my first show away from home. I went to Ashland, Oregon, and I went to the uh Ashland Cabaret Theater, and I did five guys named Mo. And it's awesome because it's five guys named Mo, but it's six guys in the show. Because five guys named Mo, and then one guy named Nomax. Come on. Great. And it's the music of uh Louis Jordan. So if you don't know Louis Jordan, look it up. It's amazing. I only do Louie music. Trust me, trust me. This brother, just you know, just I don't even want to name the songs that he's done. I mean, I can, but trust me, you'll love it. But in that show, I, you know, I thought I was kind of high-end mighty getting, you know, I'm getting my degree. And in the show was a guy with a MFA, a guy with a BFA, a guy who was getting his MFA, and then a guy who had no degree whatsoever, and then me. And I learned really quickly it doesn't matter what your degree is, it doesn't matter where you went to school, it matters do you have the drive to do this? Because here we are on the same stage with a guy who's like, Well, I've got my MFA from so-and-so, and then my homeboy looking at him going, Yeah, I got my MFA from the street, baby. I'll just start auditioning and auditioning and auditioning. We're in the same show. That's true. And I was like, Oh, okay. So that's how it is.

SPEAKER_06 5:09

That.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:11

So was there a mind, was there ever okay, because when I look at you, you are the epitome of joy. You really are. I try to be. And in a world that is very dark, or a lot of times, and we're trying to change the narrative, but like every time black people are on stage, it's always like, and we were slay.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

I will say this though. I did, I did make a statement.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

This was this was um 2000, 2012, 2012, 13. I told my wife, I said, okay, I'm getting off the river. I'm no longer on the river. I'm not doing any more river shows. No more river shows. No more rivers, no more big rivers, no more show boats, no more boats, no more rafts, no more chains, nothing. I got back on the river for one part of the act of A Wonderful World Lewis Armstrong musical. And that's because it was part of his history. But I said, I am not getting on any more rafts in any more boats. I just can't I can't do it. I need you know, I'm I I never say never, but I will, but I'm gonna say, as a bright, and since since for the past decade, I have stayed off of the boat. So this is intentional. Intentional. I was like, oh no, I have to, I can't.

SPEAKER_06 6:29

Would you like to just like tell the church family why? Because I have my own things of what's in the world.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want to tell, it's not that I don't like telling those stories. Those stories are needed, especially now. I say that because our history is being rewritten.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Our history is being rewritten. So, with that being said, yes, but those stories are written from a different point of view and from different people writing about our history. Also, there is more to us as a whole than that one period of time. And it's so wonderful because yes, the music of that time was great. But there is a moment where you just want to, can we just have some happy times? And also, men, women, whatever you have, whatever you were born as, whatever you've chosen to be, we all are human beings and we all go through the human condition. So you can see a couple argue about the stupidest things, and they can be black. It doesn't matter. Because I tell you, the white married couple and the black married couple, regardless of the combination you put man, man, woman, woman, whatever, whatever, whatever, somebody's gonna say something stupid about laundry, and it's going to start an argument, and one of them is going to have to figure out how to get out of this argument. That's the show, because that's how people will pay to see that because they go, I've been there, I understand exactly what's going on. I feel like you know, so I had to get off the rib. I was like, there are other experiences that our people have had, and I'd like to present that.

SPEAKER_06 8:07

And it cut it feels like it comes so naturally to you. I'm like, I have, well, pre-pregnancy, a lot of energy. Watching you up on stage, it you are you are a level 20 of like, what?

SPEAKER_02 8:23

How are you doing this? I my wife How are you doing this? My wife and I say, we choose happiness. We choose joy. We choose it every day, we choose it every morning. Because you can easily get locked up into what's on the news and what's on your feed. But the default set in the end. The world is going through crazy things, but I choose joy, I choose happiness, I will find that silver lining, I will find that comic moment, I will find that stupid cute kitten that's doing something crazy in a shoe on the internet instead to look at that instead. I will find something that will make me smile. And that's what I want to project to people, no matter what show I'm doing.

SPEAKER_06 9:09

Um for those who are listening, how many times has he mentioned his wife? Okay, so what I wanted to say was I got to talk to you one well, two other times. One was unofficially backstage, you and I want to ask you about that too. You were in a leadership position, maybe with equity. I don't know. You can't I don't even know what show I was doing. Maybe it was the Britney Spears musical, you came backstage.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Yes, yes. And that was that was actually um it wasn't with equity, it was with uh guest no. He does so many things. That's the terrorists. He does so many things, he can't even remember it. I know what company it is, I'm sorry, please don't kill me. Uh it's the one that the the red buckets and they make sure that everyone yes, it's actress, yes, that's that one. And I should have to do it. The actress fun and all that kind of stuff. Yeah. It's great. So I should know that too. With that, um, yeah, I do I do remember. So I I was there as a guest and they said, Would I come in and talk? And I said, Yeah, sure, I would. Because they've done so many great things. So I said, Yes, I would love to.

SPEAKER_06 10:06

So I spoke briefly to you after you were done with that. I spoke briefly to you on the red carpet for Wonderful World. And I got you for two minutes and one second. I love I say that because I pulled up the tape today and I said to my white husband, I said, look at this play. You talked about your white wife for like a minute and fifty of those seconds. Yes. Out of the clip. Yeah. And it was so much love. I said, honey, I need you to take notes. You love your wife.

SPEAKER_02 10:42

I do, very much so. Um, because okay, there's a I I used to have this, I'm probably gonna kill with that. I had this I had this wonderful discussion with my mom. Because my, you know, moms are interesting people. Really? You're about you're about to become one.

SPEAKER_05 10:57

So I keep forgetting that part of the equation. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 10:59

Moms, moms are interesting people. And once you had something happens when you have a child, you look at that child, especially if it's a boy, where you just go, well, you should be listening to me. But then you you you spend half your life teaching them about the Bible, and that the man should leave leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife. And then when he does, you get mad. And then you're like, so um, I so I say, I remember the times when my wife was the breadrunner. I remember when I was doing shows where it was only$500 or maybe$200 a week, and I was working at these regional theaters doing these some of these river shows, and hopefully something would happen. Look, hopefully someone would notice me and something would happen. And this woman was out there killing herself, making the dollars. And I was like, if if she's that's real ride or die. That's real ride or die. Where you look at somebody with a dream and you say, Okay, how do we help make your dream happen? So let's be partners and do this. And so, because of that, we are partners, and we've been partners for 23 years. And oh my god, 23 years married, but we've been best friends for over 30 because I met her in high school.

SPEAKER_06 12:10

Because that black don't crack. I'm like, how old are you?

SPEAKER_02 12:13

I turned 514. December 4th.

SPEAKER_06 12:15

I'm sorry I did all my research. Look at me, I'm like, I stopped you.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

I turned 51 December 4th, you know, and I'm very happy with that, you know.

SPEAKER_06 12:21

Happy birthday.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

Thank you very much. And you know, Dawn has been there from the get-go. So, you know, she my friend, I think my friend, one of my one of my dear homeboys, I won't say his name, but he laughed at me. He said, Man, what's funny about you, man, is you you actually like your wife. Y'all are friends. I was like, Yeah. That's rare these days. Like, we're friends. Like, when I go, someone somebody said, Hey man, all the guys are gonna get together and go to Turks and Caicos. And I said, Let me get this straight. A bunch of dudes, dudes are gonna go to the beautiful lines of Turks and Caicos together. Are you insane?

SPEAKER_03 12:57

Do you really well oh your wife gonna get mad? No, why would I wanna go with all y'all when I could bring my wife with me? Why would I want to kick it with a bunch of dudes? I love y'all. Y'all my boys, but why would I want to kick it with a bunch of dudes? Come on. When I can, me and my wife can go.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

I mean, if we bring our wives, cool, we can all go. I said, but I'm not going some beautiful island without her. Unless she sends me on a mission to get something.

SPEAKER_03 13:19

This is the clip I'm gonna use to play for my husband. Rib on the net. That's just me.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

You know, I mean, I carry out. No, no, we have fun kicking it together. We have fun, you know, being together. That's the dream. So why that is the dream.

SPEAKER_06 13:34

Why are you living? You're living the whole dream.

SPEAKER_02 13:36

You're living the whole dreams. The fun thing is, yes, I mean, I don't want to make it seem, oh, you know, flower and everything. We've been together long enough where we do have our arguments, or we as we go. We have those discussions.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

That's what they call them. We have discussions. We never argue, we discuss things. And at the end, we learn, we've become better and learn what we should have learned before we said something stupid five minutes ago.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

You know what I mean? But the truth of the matter is if you've decided to be partners with this person, if you decided to spend your life with this person, why wouldn't you want to spend time with them? What's the point? I mean, I think what we learned early in our relationship was that most people just follow the journey that had been given to them. So speak on it. You grow up, speak on it, school. Then you're told you have to graduate from high school. After you graduate from high school, you're told you go to college. You go to college, you get your degree, you get a job, you get a job, and then whether in the workplace or at the workplace or at the church or at the bar, you find whatever that person is supposed to be with you. And then you guys date, you guys get married, you guys have kids, and you happily ever after. That may not be it. You don't have to marry that person just because you've been together for a while and you don't want and everybody goes, Well, you've been married for four years, you've been dating for four years, now what you're gonna do. What's the next step? And you look at this person, and now you both are guilted into marrying each other when the truth about her, neither of you wants to tell the actual truth that maybe you don't want to get married, but the whole world is telling you that you should. There's some church person telling you you should, there's some family member telling you you should. Oh my god, y'all been together so long. When y'all gonna meet it why why y'all and we and we as a our our generation has listened to this and we're and then we get jealous of the next generation that has decided to not do that and mad that they that they oh what's this polyhammer thing? Why are they doing that? Well, because they've they've seen how our crap did not work. So why in God's name would they want to do that? Why are you speaking the truth right now? If everybody's getting divorced and then mad and then mad at each other, why would these kids want to do it? You haven't set a good example, so don't be mad at them for trying something different. Just be honest and say, I don't want to do this anymore. Or just say, if we are gonna do this, let's make it work. So my wife and I learned early on we were trying to be husband and wife. And one time we got into this big argument, and she said, she said, I don't know. We're just different now. And I said, I think because I'm trying to be a husband. She said, I'm trying to be a wife. She goes, why don't we just be James and Dawn? I was like, Yeah, that makes sense. So she knows who I am. She knows that I am a musical theater loving comic book reading, professional wrestling, watching, cartoon quoting, in the in the grocery store using props for no reason type of dude. And I know that she is a very, you know, she she is a video game playing trash TV, watching, highly scientific person who loves her family and loves the kids more than life. So I know that. So we make space for that particular puzzle. That's why. And that's why we work, because we're like, you be you, I'll be me, and we'll have a good time. And as we grow old together, as we change, because you do change. Yeah. And that's the thing. That's the other part.

SPEAKER_06 16:43

You don't even know how you're gonna change.

SPEAKER_02 16:45

Yes, and when you do change, instead of going, oh, how come you aren't like you were 10 years ago? Well, are you how you were 10 years ago? And if you are, then that's good, but that's also is that good? Is that good? Have you not evolved? I mean, butterfly was a caterpillar. That's what I'm saying. So if you evolve together, then okay, cool, great. And you find new likes, you find new things. You know, at first we were social butterflies. Oh my god, we couldn't wait to go out to parties.

SPEAKER_05 17:10

Now, Lizen, let's sit on this couch. Listen, hold up.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

There's a there's a there's a there's a groove in the couch where she is, groove in that couch where I am. She got her phone, I got my phone, the key, we got a cat on each person, and we are watching Twilight Zone. Old Twilight Zone, not even the new one with Jordan Peel, the old black and white white people Twilight Zone. Okay. And we are happy, content, not upset, not worrying about what other people are doing. Like sitting back watching Golden Girls chilling.

SPEAKER_06 17:42

Come on. You know what I'm saying? I'm gonna need you to start a relationship podcast because you're over here, you're like, listen, folks, this is how you got like if you want to be happy, forget everybody else's standards and rules.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

I tell couples all the time, they ask me, so why don't you guys stay together so long? I say, well, to be perfectly honest, I'm gonna give you some advice, and it's gonna be really ironic what I'm about to say. Here's the advice don't take advice from anybody. If you if is this the person you can't is this the person you're gonna be with? Okay, listen to them. Listen to what they say. If they say this makes me happy, then do that. And if they do what makes you happy, then y'all are fine. Don't listen to your friends, don't listen to your mom, don't listen to your dad, don't listen to your don't listen to all that crap. Well, because somebody's gonna somebody's always gonna say, Well, if that had been me, well, it's not you.

SPEAKER_03 18:28

It's not.

SPEAKER_02 18:29

And I've and also stop posting everything you do for the world. Something's gotta stay at home. Something's gotta stay at home.

SPEAKER_06 18:39

Have you seen this? It's so stupid. Oh my gosh. I have more professional. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Have you seen this meme where it's like the guys are on the phone and they're like, hey man, I want to cancel game, I want to cancel Bro's night tonight. I want to spend some time with my girl. But they say that while their girl's in the room to get the reaction, the girl's like, Yes!

SPEAKER_02 18:59

And the fun thing is, the fun thing is that has happened to me. I was on the phone, we were driving to the street, and I said, my homeboy's in the car with me. And I um called my girlfriend at the time, my wife now, and I said, I love you. He said, Man, why do you always say I love you? I said, because she one, I do, and because she wants that. She wants the last thing we say to each other before we get off the phone, before we go to bed at night, to be I love you. Whether she's pissed off at me or not. We have to say I love you because what if it what if something happens? What if something crazy happened? And you know, that's the last time we get to say something to each other. So we say it. He's like, I can't believe you say that. I was like, yeah, but this ain't your relationship. I said, Don't be mad at me because that's what she wants, and I'm doing what she wants. I said, also, why are you mad at me for for being happy? I said, Why you why are you upset with this? Don't bring me. I said, don't bring me into the fact that you're not happy with what's going on with you.

SPEAKER_06 19:51

Oh my James, I feel so inspired. I've already been inspired by you for years, more than a decade, really. And the fact that when I was saying your name before coming in here, I actually kept slipping and saying James Earl Jones. You're not James Earl Jones. But the thing is, the fact that I keep associating you with this icon.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Thank you. That is nothing. That's awesome. Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 20:17

I mean, different humans, different souls, but you are.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

But James talks, James Earl Jones, the great legend, um, God rest his soul, talks about his wife the same way.

SPEAKER_06 20:30

Y'all, this is real. This exists. Like I feel that with my husband too, but we're like two years in, you know.

SPEAKER_02 20:37

And that's and that's great. And the fun thing is the two years you have now will um, you know, will educate you for the next two years. And that's the fun part. It's the journey. And that is something I if you want to go back to professionalism, that is something I have had to learn. My biggest, biggest learn in this whole game was learning that there's not a destination. It's a journey. And that is the hardest thing. I struggle with that every single day. Because if you were on any kind of social media, no matter how well you are doing, someone else is doing better. And you were looking, and you are looking at them, and you are looking at what they're doing, and you could have everything, you can have every job in the world, every job in the world. And then you look on somebody's thing, you're like, oh. Oh, but they've got this. They didn't they didn't call me for that. They didn't, they didn't call me for that. My wife looked at me in my face. She said, You have four jobs today. Four. And you were looking at this one person, you don't know how many jobs they got. Maybe they needed that job. Maybe that job wasn't for you. Why are you worrying about them? Don't you have stuff to do? And it's the truth. I kept waiting. If I get to this level, I'll be happy. If I get to this level, I'll be happy. If I if I if I if I get that Tony, I uh this will be it, and that'll be exactly where I need to be. And I kept waiting for this change, and I realized it's Simple as it sounds, it's you. You don't change. You're the person. You keep waiting to feel a different way because different things happen. But the one constant is you. So you keep waiting for this moment where all of a sudden you're gonna feel secure. All of a sudden you're gonna feel great. And the problem is when you get to that place, that's called death. You're dead. That's it.

SPEAKER_06 22:25

You're done.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

So it doesn't sound like the Tony Awards come, great. They can hand you a Tony, or they don't hand you a Tony. So I was nominated for Lewis Armstrong, didn't win. Great. What are you gonna do tomorrow? You didn't win on Sunday. Tomorrow's Monday. Now what? What's the deal? What you gonna do? Right. Fine. Okay, new journey. Okay. Uh oh, you got a movie. But also, congratulations. Thank you very much. You know, you got you got you got a movie. Oh, you got a voiceover. Great, that works. Okay. Well, now that now the show is out. Everybody's talking to you.

SPEAKER_06 22:51

Oh my god, look at this show! You're amazing. Now what? Now what? Because people are always asking like what is making it on Broadway look like? What does that mean?

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Making it on Broadway just means you have the job that you have wanted. Now, what is the life you want? Because Broadway is not a life. Broadway is a job.

SPEAKER_06 23:11

How many times are you gonna give me chills in this video?

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Broadway is Broadway is a job. Being a movie actor is a job. And on that job, there are moments where we as performers pat each other on the back. And we pat each other on the back in a really, really expensive way. We put on great suits and high heels, and we get up there and we act like everything is happening. And we talk about, oh my God, I just want to thank this community. And when I thank this people, and I want to thank all the people around me.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

And I love all of you. And this community is what makes it so great.

SPEAKER_02 23:43

Knowing damn well that while you're holding the award and looking around, you are seeing haters, you are seeing agents that didn't cast you, you are seeing producers that won't talk to you, and producers that you don't want to talk to. You are seeing directors that you got mad at one time, or you were seeing actors who you know you're your competition and they're smiling and looking at you, but you're wondering, oh, how are they looking at me crazy? You doing all this at the same time, the some of the best acting is happening at those award shows. And you think about it is this job is just that. It's a job, and we have the best job in the world. We get to make believe for a living, and they pay us money to play out all of our fantastical fantasies. But when the curtain comes down, what is your life? And what makes you really happy? And if you can't find that out, that's why you keep searching for that next thing. It's kind of like a weird metaphoric entertainment drug. You keep snorting it or smoking it and hoping it'll get you high. And then when that high wears up, that's why actors have all always have a depression moment when the show ends. Because you're like, oh snap, it's ending. Now I gotta I gotta find something else. I gotta do another reading. I gotta, I gotta, I gotta. Okay, where's that moment where you are just what what how how does I'm about to say it again? How does my wife say it? Well, you are just in in the moment of right now.

SPEAKER_07 25:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:01

I'm touching this table. I am on the Silicia show. I'm a James Monroe. I know. We are here in this moment. Where's that? And it's okay to find it. It's it's okay to find it. I remember during the pandemic, a lot of folks were upset or are um judging actors or performers who decided to leave the industry. No, they realized that I I've been chasing this thing that's not making me happy. If it doesn't make you happy, don't do it. Now, yeah, as again, I quote my wife all the time. She goes, Every job ain't gonna make you happy. Some job you get because you have rent to pay, you have a mortgage to pay, you have a child to pay for. You gotta wipe to Christmas. You got a mom to take care of it. Sometimes you gotta do something.

SPEAKER_03 25:49

You're like, ooh, this credit card is over the move. I will definitely be singing that song. I thought you ain't gonna be on that boat no more. Yeah, but that credit card said I do. So I will be until that boat until that credit card is later, then I will jump off that boat. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 26:08

Something just realistically. And once I realized that it was a journey and I don't know what's going to happen, yeah, it's scary as hell. It is scary. It's scary as hell. But at the same time, it's also so much fun. Because if you knew what was gonna happen, why do it?

SPEAKER_05 26:30

Right. Right. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Yeah, especially this, this business, and that's why I tell people if you can do anything else besides this, do it.

SPEAKER_06 26:41

That's what they say.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

Yeah, because everything else, because we are the only business. We are the only business, and I mean entertainment as a whole, where people judge us and it's legal and supposed to.

SPEAKER_06 26:52

Right.

SPEAKER_02 26:53

And have the nerve to look at you and go, it's not personal.

SPEAKER_06 26:56

Right. Right, it's very personal. Yeah. Wait, question for you. When was uh when did you first diversify, start diversifying um the type of art that you did? Like instead of just stage, you're like doing TV, you're doing voiceover, you're right.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

I have always wanted to do all of it. Um I am a huge cartoon fan, animation fan, since I was a little kid. That is so cool. Um since my dad took me to my first movie, I went to see Jungle Book. And I I fell in love with Baloo the Bear and realized that it was a guy named Phil Harris.

SPEAKER_06 27:24

Not the live action.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

No, no, no, like the cars. I'm talking we were we were at a thing called a drive-in.

SPEAKER_03 27:29

Not the drive-in!

SPEAKER_02 27:31

Where you take your car and you go to a movie theater, but it's outside. It's real big. You stay in your car, they put a little speaker in your car and you listen to the movie.

SPEAKER_05 27:39

You could put me in labor.

SPEAKER_02 27:41

And the moment I saw that, I was like, I started finding out who these people were. And I love the voice artists because I thought that's really cool. You can do that for a living. And so I've always wanted to do that, and I always wanted to do TV. I mean, to be perfectly honest, I mean, I was that kid who just wanted to be liked. That's why I wanted. I mean, I loved singing. I loved singing, I loved performing. But truly, there was deep down, there was a hole that just tell me you like me. Just tell me you like me. And once I figured that out, I was like, okay, I gotta like myself. And that's still a journey of working on it.

SPEAKER_06 28:12

But we all like you.

SPEAKER_02 28:13

I know that. We all like you. But there's but there's that moment where if you yourself keep looking at yourself and questioning and saying things, it doesn't matter how many people tell you they love you.

SPEAKER_06 28:22

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 28:23

Because you'll always go, yeah, but that one person said that one comment and that too.

SPEAKER_06 28:26

James, I have been there. Yes, this is how I grew up. I'm like, ooh, and I grew up fat too. So I'm like, I gotta work on my personality.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Listen, nothing, nothing makes you stronger than being different.

SPEAKER_06 28:38

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 28:38

And what I love about being In California! In California. What I love about being a round person is the judgment. I think my favorite was I was doing a ladder, and then someone walked up to me and said, Man, you was up there dancing. I kept thinking, like, is he gonna need action into something? And I was like, You thought that was a compliment.

SPEAKER_06 28:56

How dare you?

SPEAKER_02 28:57

And here's the thing what do just because we round don't we can't move, most of us move better than y'all. Because we've had to. Hello? Whenever they whenever they whenever you see a a round or a big person dance, they're always so shocked. I'm like, why? Why are you shocked? Why? You don't you're not shocked when a big football player runs down the field, but the minute we do five, six, seven, eight, you you so surprised.

SPEAKER_06 29:19

I don't see you as round today, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 29:21

Not today, because I uh You feel like built. I found I found out during the pandemic that I I was a diabetic.

SPEAKER_07 29:28

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Yeah, type two. Oh, and so it was one of those moments where it's like, okay, you now I gotta make some changes now. Yeah. Because there's a moment where, you know, I've had I got family members. Right. Where they were like, yeah, I got I got that sugar, but you know, I ain't gonna, you know, I ain't gonna do nothing. I'm fine. And you're like, are you crazy?

SPEAKER_03 29:44

You're missing two toes! Like, I need all of my limbs. I need limbs! I need all of my limbs. Please, come on now.

SPEAKER_02 29:50

Oh, yeah. So I, you know, I got by the time I got home. Still funny story. By the time I got home, my kids are taking everything that tastes good out of the house.

SPEAKER_03 30:00

We were howling.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

My wife was like, everything home. So for real. So I changed my diet and I started working out. And, you know, I'm very comfortable where I am.

SPEAKER_06 30:13

It I mean, it looks good.

SPEAKER_02 30:15

How do you feel? I feel great. I feel great. I still, I've still got a sweet tooth. Lord Jesus, I got a sweet tooth. Really? My husband has a sweet tooth, too. But I also have a wife that can cook her face off. And I mean, cook her face off. So she's been able to find me sugar-free or low-quality or more sugar things that I can still have that um still satisfy my craving. And also, I've just made a decision. I was like, look, I don't want to, I don't want to die.

SPEAKER_07 30:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:38

I actually like I like living. It's really fun to live. You get to see things, do things, drive down the street, eat food.

SPEAKER_06 30:43

I mean, and not for nothing like doing eight show weeks consistently over the years. You've done like nine, maybe ten Broadway shows at this point. And also, honorable mention, let's just add in Hercules, right?

unknown 30:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 30:56

Which you were also great. And I'm like, where where did that go? I really enjoyed that at Paper Mill.

SPEAKER_02 31:01

Oh, it's still still going. Um, they uh they switched uh creative teams, and I think Disney's doing it in London right now. Oh. Yeah, we're just doing it in London right now. Okay. And so we'll we'll see what happens, you know. I I never know till people call.

SPEAKER_03 31:12

Okay. Well, they always call you! You never know. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they don't. I think You're the guy!

SPEAKER_02 31:18

Yes, but I also think that's something, that's another reality. That so I used to tease, so I'm gonna I'm gonna name, I'm gonna name drop a homeboy of mine and give him a shout out. Um, my homeboy Nick Walker. Love Nick Walker. Uh, he's currently in masquerade right now. Went to go see him. He's fabulous. Go see it. Oh my God. All the guys who are playing Phantoms there are Kyle Sackcliffe, Tully Leong, the brothers are fantastic, just just living their lives over there. Nick Creedy, I mean that's got Creedy, just amazing people. Hugh, awesome, just phantoms are fantastic. But he used to tease me. Uh he used to he made up a hashtag uh no more jobs for James. And we oh god, yes. No, oh you look it up. We we had a ball messing with each other back and forth. No more jobs for James. Hashtag no more jobs for James, and we would tease each other over Instagram and Twitter, just talking all kinds of crap to each other. But here's the fun part. Here's the fun part just because someone says no is actually not a bad thing. Sometimes someone saying no to you is actually a blessing because that door closing for you meant it wasn't for you. It was for someone else. And that person may have needed it more than you. And then the door that did open for you is the door you need to open. So now I get to tease Nick because when Nick, starting off in his career talking crap about me, Nick is not only the Phantom, he is also starring in uh Bull Durham uh at Paper Mill. He also has written a cartoon that is already signed with Warner Brothers. And he's got another, he's got his own musical that he's written called Whiskey Land. So yes, I'm shouting the brother out. Come on! So no, so when I saw him, I said, uh, so how's it feel? He said, What do you mean? I said, How's it been working so much? Should I make a hashtag no more jobs for these? Shut up. So I was like, oh! Also, you don't want to talk about it now. You don't want to talk about it now that it's you on the other shoes on the other foot. You know, sometimes it's your season. Sometimes it's your season, and when it rains, it pours.

SPEAKER_04 33:05

Right.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

And sometimes it's not your season. And in that season, the question is, what are you gonna do? Are you going to sit and mope? Are you going to be upset? Are you going to hate on everybody else that it seems to be pouring for them? Or are you gonna take this time to find out what you need so you are ready for the next time that the door opens? Get yourself ready for whatever that next blessing or whatever is about to show up, shows up.

SPEAKER_06 33:32

You know, I'm just need to pause for a second. Cause like listening to you, it's so interesting how there's a um hmm, how can I say this? Be patient with me as I look for my words for a minute. But when when you talk to somebody who has something to prove versus somebody who doesn't have anything to prove, it's very interesting. The people who don't have anything to prove are so generous and so, hmm, I don't know, loving, so understanding, generous. I just I don't and the people who have something to prove, they're like, it's this or the highway. It's very interesting. Have you ever thought about that? Yes. Because you definitely are obviously on Well, also, I The generous.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

I just want people, I honestly just want people to be happy. To be honest. Don't get me wrong, I am egotistical. I'm you have to be- Are you really? Yes, in this business you have to be. You have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, I know I'm good.

SPEAKER_06 34:33

Yeah, but I don't get cocky from you.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

There's egotistical, there's there you could be egotistical and not be cocky. Okay. Okay. Yeah, you could be egotistical and not cocky. You have to be egotistical. You have to think of number one when you're in this business. Oh. Because you're your own business. Oh. So you are the product. You are the thing you're selling. But you don't have to be cocky about it. You don't gotta be cocky about it. You just gotta do your thing. So here's it, here's how you do it. Okay. So, well, I shouldn't say here's how you do it. Here's an example of what you can do. You're in a show with other people, you know you're good. But when it's Selicia's turn to shine, you give her that shine. And you are there, being that ensemble member, behind her, dancing behind her, making her look her best. But when that spotlight turns to you, do not be mad when I do my thing. She said because that is the moment. I've been getting you had yours, it's mine. And when it's my turn to shine, I plan on taking the full stage. My boys in Memphis used to tease me. They used to tease me all the time. J. Bernard Callaway named me Zero. He said, because how he said, he said, how your stomach always gravitate towards zero. I'm like, well, because when it's my turn, when it's my turn to shine, I'm dead center. And after the show, they cut the zero out of the stage and gave it to me in a plaque.

SPEAKER_05 35:48

Shut up. They did. They did it.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

They cut the zero out. You name a show. Name a show. Out of the nine shows I'm probably that I've been in, well, I have not done something memorable because if it's no matter whether it's a two-minute moment or a 15-minute moment, if you give me two minutes, it will be the best two minutes I could possibly be in.

SPEAKER_06 36:06

You would be so scared if you were my understudy ever.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

And look, and here's the thing. I expect my understudies to be slamming. That is your job. Your job- I am not afraid of any understudy I have. Not one. Because my job, if I'm on the, if I'm on the poster, if it's me on the poster, then I'm slamming. But if I'm not there that night, don't you mess up the show. That's real. You better step out there, you better shine. And I am going to post that you are on, and I'm gonna tell the whole world you're on and tell them to go see the show because I want the show to sell. So as you as the understudy, you you better be good because you never out there. Because that could be your moment to get noticed. So it's not about, you know, yes, I am egotistical. I'm not cocky, I'm egotistical because I know I'm good at what I do. And I have to remind myself that because sometimes I do have moments where I can I feel down. Right. But I also want everybody to eat. I want everybody to shine.

SPEAKER_06 37:04

This, this is why you will never go hungry. This is why God will be like, oh, your cup, let me give you some more water. Like, this is like that, that, that heart.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

Because if you pass it on, if you pass on, okay, if someone, if you're gonna, if you come to a show one day and you're having a bad day, and I just say, Hey girl, how you doing? You alright? And you say, No, I'm just like, well, I'm I'm sorry, but you know what? It's gonna get better. It was something simple. And even if you just smile at a person, you it could just be, you want to talk today? No, I don't want to talk. Okay, well, you know what? I totally understand. I'm gonna give you a space. If you do want to talk, I'm there. Just let a little brother know, I got you. And then let him go. You ain't gotta like find out what's happening. Just be kind. Treat people the way you want to be treated. That's that's all it is. Just treat people the way you would want to be treated. And if they don't treat you that way, then you know that's when you go. That's when you do that cool professional moment of James likes everybody. No, I don't.

SPEAKER_03 38:04

But everybody likes James. There's some people I don't mess with. I'm like, I'm good. I'm I'm so good. We we ain't gotta be friends. That is we ain't gonna be friends. That's all right.

unknown 38:13

We can work together.

SPEAKER_06 38:14

Yes, we can make money together. Yes, and I don't even have to say anything bad about them, but I'm not gonna say anything at all. No. All we gotta do is work together.

SPEAKER_02 38:21

Yep. Hold y'all hang. You know what? You know what? We really, we we cool.

SPEAKER_06 38:25

Wait, wait, wait, wait, what do you do when somebody's like, I think you got a mutual friend with somebody who you really don't like, and they're like, oh, you know, so and so.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

What's your reaction? It all depends on who the person is. Now, I have I have I have professionals who uh I I I have okay, how about this? I have very few, I have, I have very few friends. I have many a business associate. Okay. Especially in this community. Because everybody, because everybody's a family and we all are community. No, we're not.

SPEAKER_07 38:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 38:54

It's a business. And we have many business associates. And I and I had to understand that because I was like, we friends. I was like, oh, they're not friends with me. Oh, I have to, I have to check myself. And once I realized that, I'll say, cool, great. You have to have some sort of, you know, metaphorical protection to make sure you're okay. And when people ask me, it all depends. Like, if I'm really close to you, if I'm really close to you and I know I can trust you, I'll tell you how I really failed.

SPEAKER_06 39:17

No, no, no. Somebody who you just they're like, oh, I know who you are, and we have a mutual friend, and I'm so excited to talk to you. Oh, oh, I know so and so, and you hate them. What's your reaction?

SPEAKER_02 39:27

I go, you know what? We are going to have a great time doing that thing. It's gonna be awesome. And would you like another uh Because what what is the what what do you gain bad mouthing somebody? No, no, no, no. What do you gain? You don't say you don't say that. I agree. Now, you know, there's nothing to gain by being negative. I can have my negative moment in my corner, in myself.

SPEAKER_06 39:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

Now, if it if it needs to be addressed, I will address it in a very private, professional way. Oh my gosh, I love this.

SPEAKER_06 39:59

I love this. I'm gonna have to let you go. You haven't showed Wait, before I let you go, okay. Oh my gosh, where did the time go? See, I should have said on that side so I can see the clock. Okay, wait, how's Anne Juliet going?

SPEAKER_02 40:08

Anne Juliet is fantastic because that was sure. Yes, I am, yes, weapon for Anne Juliet because I love the show and I've had so much fun with it. Uh my friend Bill Sherman called me about it years ago. Um really? Yeah, because he's the musical arranger and he put together this demo for Max Martin. So I was a part of that demo years ago to like sing for Max to say Why are you just now getting up in it then?

SPEAKER_06 40:30

Oh. Because you are booked and busy with Disney.

SPEAKER_02 40:32

No, because you know, life happens, things happen. You know, I auditioned for the show. I didn't I didn't get picked. And it's okay. Oh. You know why? Because that door wasn't for me. Yet. That door was for someone else. Oh, interesting. And another door opened. And then what happened? That door opened.

SPEAKER_06 40:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:46

And when it opened, I looked my wife dead in the face and I said, You know I'm gonna say yes to this because you know I've always wanted to be in a boy band. From new edition Candy Girl all the way up to boys to men to troop to Jodicey to 112.

SPEAKER_07 41:01

I've always wanted to be in a boy band.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

My brothers sing it again. Lord Jesus, that's all I want from the me doing Motown 25 with the Jackson 5 and the temptation moment in my garage with just a broomstick and myself and invisible temptations. I just want to be in that.

SPEAKER_05 41:17

So get away.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

I was like, oh, good God, hickey, I'm gonna do this show. And it is so much fun. And this cast, this cast is hungry. And that's what I love about it. I love when you get a young cast that is wants to be there.

SPEAKER_04 41:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

When and I, you know, I don't mean to call them kids, but they they're When you said hungry, I'm like, oh, they're young. They're young folks, but I'm telling you, they eat every night.

SPEAKER_07 41:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:41

They are some of the best singers I've ever heard. There's a moment every Friday they do this thing, I guess they did it in London, where we meet early before the show and they give notes and talk, and our music department will give notes and they'll just sing something. And I mean, a cappella, these kids are ridiculous. For real. Gianna is one of the best singers you'll hear. She plays Juliet. She is.

SPEAKER_03 42:00

Oh, I cannot wait.

SPEAKER_02 42:02

I am I am also acting opposite Cheryl Porter. For those of you guys don't know, Mama Cheryl, you probably follow her. She's we've got a million fans, more than a million fans on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, everything. She is the vocal coach to the stars, and she plays Angelique with me. Oh, okay. They are fantastic. I am telling you, I mean, we have just some amazing, amazing singers in this show.

SPEAKER_06 42:25

I cannot wait.

SPEAKER_02 42:26

You have to see it. And also, it's one of those things where, you know, people like to say, oh, this is Jubox musical. No, no, no. Musical is musical. And go see it.

SPEAKER_06 42:34

And Juliette is special.

SPEAKER_02 42:35

It's one of the most cleverly written shows I've ever seen. It's one of the most cleverly written shows I've ever seen.

SPEAKER_06 42:39

I've seen it a few times now, and I'm excited to come back tonight.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

That's the thing. People come back. Also, it's nostalgic. It's you know, you feel, you hear those songs. You know the music. And also sometimes I remember being in college and learning about Romeo and Juliet and going, nobody's parents knew where they were. It was 14, nobody nobody had 14 with my daughter. Somebody, somebody, somebody needs uh somebody's parenting classes. Somebody need to find out where that girl is. Where's Romeo? Why is he with his why is he with his older cousin?

SPEAKER_01 43:07

Uh-uh. That's a bad, that's a bad look. Fix this.

SPEAKER_06 43:09

Why is he with his guys?

SPEAKER_01 43:10

Older cousin, fix the, fix it. Do fix do something about this.

SPEAKER_02 43:13

Seriously. Because I have I have thoughts on on West Side's story too, but I don't want to get in trouble.

SPEAKER_06 43:19

This, okay. But also Stephen Sondheim Theater. That's where I made my Broadway disappearance.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

Listen, uh beautiful. I know I saw it.

SPEAKER_06 43:25

You did?

SPEAKER_02 43:26

Yes. I saw, I saw the first show that went to the Stephen Sondheim Theater. Ever? Yeah, so when it was Henry Miller, it changed to Stephen Sondheim. When it changed to Stephen Sondheim, I believe, I may be wrong, but I believe the first show there was Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse. And I saw it. And then I went to go see Beautiful because I had just met Jesse Mueller. We won the Tony of the same year. That was the year that you got and I went to go see it, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. And I loved that theater. I love that theater. And I loved that show. I know now here's the funny thing. One of my Favorite moments of that show is really, really nerdy. It's when they're talking about we have this song and we don't know who should sing it. And it's just like, who do we get? And all of a sudden the lights go down. You hear, you little clues.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

And the whole place just rumbles with baseness.

SPEAKER_03 44:16

Now, I'm as straight as they come, but even I was like, that show got me. Oh my gosh, that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 44:25

That's a brilliant show. Beautiful was a fantastic show. And Beautiful is another one of those ones where did Jewish meeting? No, it's cleverly written and it's the story of a true pioneer. And not just a pioneer, but you need to put respect on that woman's name. Yeah. She wrote the songs of your childhood. Right. So, you know, stop trying to say it was just a bunch of dudes. She did that as well. Right. So I I thought it was fantastic.

SPEAKER_06 44:48

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 44:49

I love that show and love that theater.

SPEAKER_06 44:50

I do. Okay. The proof there is fantastic. It really changed my life. I know, I know I have to let you go. But well, have you written a musical yet? Have you written a play yet? What is it coming? Because I know you've got the talent to do it.

SPEAKER_02 45:05

I have ideas, but right now I'm focusing on the directing side. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 45:09

How you co-direct while you're starring in a musical, by the way. How do you do that?

SPEAKER_02 45:14

Very carefully. Very carefully to make sure you don't, you know, step on too many toes.

SPEAKER_06 45:20

Okay, I'm sorry, go on.

SPEAKER_02 45:21

But uh with Christina Sajou, myself, we co-directed uh with Chris Renshaw, we create we co-directed um A Wonderful World, the Louis Armstrong musical, the Louis Armstrong musical, but he goes by both. And um, it was one of the greatest highlights of my life. I got my degree in directing, and I love directing, and that's what I was doing before uh all this thing hit. You know, I directed some things in the bay, and I was trying to come up, and then here all these years later, I'm coming back to it. A friend of mine named Lee Summers wrote a fantastic musical called The Funk and Teen Rapture. It's a funk musical, all original music. It's very funny. And I was a part of the reading of it twenty over 20 years ago at Theatreworks. Oh, worked at their New Work Festival. And um, I called him up and said, Hey, I've got some ideas. Would you allow me to kind of play director with this? And at first he was a little hesitant. I said, Look, give me two weeks. If you don't like what I'm gonna say about your show, I totally understand. He gave me two weeks. I gave him some notes, and he was like, Cool. So for the past two years, we've been building this. We did a 29-hour reading last year. Oh, this this uh that we did this year, actually, February of 2024. We did a 29-hour reading. This is recent. And now we are working on getting a uh two-week workshop together of this brand new show. And basically, the show is about a young boy, a young man named George, who wants to be a funk master and the big bad disco man that wants to stop him, and it's really cool.

SPEAKER_06 46:37

Wait, this is happening.

SPEAKER_02 46:39

We're working on it.

SPEAKER_06 46:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 46:40

Yeah. All right, that's we are working on it. Okay. Yeah. We're just gonna That's what's happening.

SPEAKER_06 46:45

Okay, we'll just if you're listening, we gotta keep our eyes in our ears. Um, this is so exciting. I'm so excited that we got to celebrate your I mean, we didn't even cover half of the things that you've done. Not even actually a um a fraction of them, but uh knowing all the things that you have gotten to do, I know you've not even like you're not even close to what you're going to do. I I can feel not Oh no. What but still, what would you say to eight-year-old James?

SPEAKER_02 47:20

Oh. I would tell eight-year-old James to don't stop dreaming. And don't be so afraid. It's gonna be okay. It's not gonna be easy, but don't be so afraid to just be you. Because you are exactly who you need to be to do what you're going to do. The nerd that I am is that kid. That kid who walked around wearing Batman shirts under his shirt because he wanted to be, you know, under Cape's Crusader. Um, that kid who wanted to be the WWE champion. Those those dreams made you who you are. So don't be so afraid. It's okay. It's okay. It's going to be okay.

SPEAKER_06 48:19

Y'all, that's James Monroe, Eigelheart. Thank you for joining me today on the Salicia show. You have blessed me.

SPEAKER_02 48:28

I I And look, don't, don't, don't, don't, look, here's the thing. Don't worry about the questions you had. Don't worry about, don't worry about my career. Because here's the thing the fun part about people who do stuff is it's it's on Wikipedia. You know what I can do. If you want to look up what I've done, all nine shows.

SPEAKER_03 48:42

You can just you can just look it up.

SPEAKER_02 48:43

It's fine. You can read about it, it's fine. You're you you're getting me. And that's, you know, so people say, who is the guy? This is this is me. This is what you're seeing is what you get.

SPEAKER_06 48:52

I feel that so deeply. I'm like, you know what it's like, I didn't even get to the ending. I'm like, okay, forget these. Let's just throw that out with that.

SPEAKER_02 48:59

What you see is what you get. I'm cool.

SPEAKER_06 49:01

Thank you for spending time, especially before a show. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:05

I can't believe you have energy for that, but I'm so grateful that you did. So please, it's been my I've had the I've had a ball.

SPEAKER_06 49:11

Thank you. All right, y'all. We'll see you next week.