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[0:01] Antwayn Hopper: Hi, I'm Antwayn Hopper with Zeniba Now, and you're listening to Behind the Awards.

[0:07] Antwayn Hopper: 20 years ago, wonderful actor, singer Alvin Ng gave me this tux. He had it made for himself for the opening of Pacific Overtures on Broadway in 1976. And when he gave it to me, he told me he wanted me to wear it when I accepted my Tony Award. I'm only here because of the encouragement and inspiration of generations of wonderful, deserving Asian artists who came before me and never got the opportunities that I've had. To those who don't feel seen, to those who are being targeted in these authoritarian times, I see you. At its best, this community sees you. And I hope that encourages you to be brave, to dream, and to dream big.

[1:14] Eila Mell: Hello, and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila. I'm here with Bruce. Hey, Bruce.

[1:21] Bruce Gotlieb: Hello, Eila. How are we doing today?

[1:24] Eila Mell: Well, I just love to hear our pal Francis Jue. I mean, I was so thrilled. Didn't you scream out when he won?

[1:32] Bruce Gotlieb: I did. I yelped from my couch. I said, just I was so happy for him.

[1:38] Eila Mell: I know, you know, I know how much this part and this journey with this part has meant to him. And, you know, the cherry on top of the sundae of this Tony Award just was beautiful.

[1:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. And he, you know, everyone is deserving, but he is also very deserving. So I'm so glad he got it.

[1:58] Eila Mell: He's just the loveliest man and a real journeyman actor. And I'm so glad he got the hardware.

[2:05] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, for sure. So tell me a little bit about your weekend. You went on a little theater road trip, which you don't normally do.

[2:13] Eila Mell: I know. Well, I like to stay in the city, but I went on location this weekend. I am just back, actually, from Hudson Valley Shakespeare. And it's in Garrison, New York, just an hour out of the city. So not a huge trip. But I was invited to go see them and I was really excited. So they're doing, you know, they have a summer of shows and I got to see The Matchmaker. So not Shakespeare, but a classic show by Thornton Wilder.

[2:44] Eila Mell: And I had seen the show years ago with Dorothy Loudon. And, you know, I didn't really remember that much. But of course, it's the play that Hello, Dolly! is based on. So anyway, they put me up at the Garrison Inn because it's in Garrison, New York. And the best part, Bruce, is that it's like this theater retreat. Because you go and on the grounds is the inn, as well as the theater and the restaurant. So you can walk to everything. I mean, you couldn't drive to it because you'd be in the same parking lot. So you don't even need a car to be there. It's fantastic.

[3:23] Eila Mell: So I already, I was thrilled. So the inn is so nice. You know, it's just this small boutique hotel. The room was big, really spacious, very bright. And from your window, you can see mountains. It's really nice. I mean, I don't appreciate this kind of thing the way most people do. So if I'm liking it, people are going to love it. It's a perfect place to go if you just need to get away and like do some writing or you want some solitude.

[3:51] Bruce Gotlieb: That's great. And then at night, you have this great theater.

[3:56] Eila Mell: But OK, so I go in and, you know, I can sometimes be a little snobbish. So I wasn't expecting all that much because, you know, this isn't Broadway or off-Broadway even. So I don't know what to expect.

[4:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[4:11] Eila Mell: So the theater is under a tent. So it's outdoors. So you kind of feel you're outdoors but indoors at the same time.

[4:18] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[4:19] Eila Mell: The floor of the stage, it's just sand. So very minimal set because when you walk in, there's nothing. It's just this empty space.

[4:28] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[4:29] Eila Mell: And so I sit down and I'm reading through the program and I see that the two leads are actually married in real life. And I'm thinking, oh boy, is this going to be like Waiting for Guffman, like Ron and Sheila? But then this show starts. And Bruce, it was so good.

[4:45] Bruce Gotlieb: That's great.

[4:47] Eila Mell: I mean, I wasn't shocked because I didn't think it was going to be bad, but I had no expectations. I was engaged from the first moment. The actors, many of them are from Broadway. The ones that aren't, you wouldn't even know, you know, who had more experience than anyone else. Everybody was really good. There was music in it. It wasn't a musical. It wasn't Hello, Dolly.

[5:11] Bruce Gotlieb: OK, a play with music.

[5:12] Eila Mell: Yes, there was some music. And what was cool is that the play, some of it took place where we actually were in reality. They talk about Hudson Valley.

[5:20] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[5:23] Eila Mell: It was just a very unique experience. And, you know, if anyone's looking for like a little getaway, like a weekend, I would definitely encourage them to go. If you don't like The Matchmaker, you know, there's plenty of other shows they're doing. They're doing Comedy of Errors. They're doing a musical called Octet. And I forget what else. There's a few more shows. But it was such a nice surprise.

[5:46] Bruce Gotlieb: So, you know.

[5:47] Eila Mell: So I guess we'll know where to find you when you go back.

[5:51] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[5:52] Eila Mell: That's right. So if I ever disappear again, you'll know.

[5:56] Bruce Gotlieb: That's where you are.

[5:57] Eila Mell: I'm in the mountains.

[5:58] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. Well, Lynn, that sounds like a great experience.

[6:02] Eila Mell: It was fun, yeah. Our listeners should check them out if they're looking for a little weekend getaway.

[6:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Sounds like two thumbs up, tens across the board for you.

[6:11] Eila Mell: I know. I was worried that I wasn't going to have a good time and that I would be stuck in the country where I do not like to be. But no, it was good all around.

[6:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, speaking of good all around.

[6:21] Eila Mell: Yes.

[6:22] Bruce Gotlieb: We have very exciting guests that are good all around today.

[6:26] Eila Mell: Oh, my gosh. Well, we love Antwayn Hopper. He is just – the energy level with him is at ten all the time.

[6:34] Bruce Gotlieb: I love it.

[6:35] Eila Mell: I know. I know. We just met, and already she's one of our people to watch because she's so talented.

[6:44] Bruce Gotlieb: What she's doing is so exciting.

[6:46] Eila Mell: Yes. She's got some exciting stuff coming on. We're thrilled Antwayn brought her as a friend along with him.

[6:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[6:54] Eila Mell: Yes. Antwayn introduced us, and we're so grateful that he did. So let's bring them out and have a little chat.

[7:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Let's do it.

[7:03] Eila Mell: Well, Bruce, we have two guests today. We're so lucky. So we have Zeniba Now and Antwayn Hopper, who we both adore.

[7:14] Eila Mell: So welcome to our show.

[7:15] Antwayn Hopper: Thank you.

[7:16] Zeniba Now: Thank you.

[7:17] Antwayn Hopper: Thanks for having us.

[7:18] Eila Mell: Thank you guys for joining us. We're thrilled to have you here.

[7:20] Zeniba Now: Yes.

[7:21] Eila Mell: So let's tell everyone the connection between you two.

[7:25] Zeniba Now: The connection between us two is that the first time I met Antwayn, he auditioned for my show The Loophole, which at the time was at the Public Theater. And he came in, and he blew me away, and I was screaming on the other side of the table. And we took a part that's for a tenor, and we made it for a bass because we liked it so much. And since then, I do a lot of one-woman shows and various random other independent projects, as well as some commercial stuff. And so I just love working with Antwayn, and I put him in literally everything. Because I think he's hilarious, very talented, and very versatile. And so that's really the connection here is I'm obsessed with Antwayn.

[8:11] Antwayn Hopper: I mean, who isn't? That's a pretty good connect. And what a friend to have, right? That could just keep plugging you into things.

[8:15] Zeniba Now: Yeah. I met Antwayn for The Loophole, and I didn't think I was going to get that. And when I did, it was such a blessing. And every time I get to work with her, it's a blessing. I've already cried this morning as I was posting on Instagram, and I just started thinking, like, everybody needs a Zeniba.

[8:36] Zeniba Now: Everybody needs someone that believes in, you know what I mean?

[8:40] Antwayn Hopper: Yeah, that's so important.

[8:41] Zeniba Now: For sure. It's also a good lesson, right? Even if you're not on paper, maybe right for the part, if you have the chance to audition, you should.

[8:49] Antwayn Hopper: Amen.

[8:50] Zeniba Now: I'm known to ask to sing something down the octave. I think especially for Newark, because sometimes the audition is us really even realizing we didn't know what the hell we were talking about when we were alone in the room.

[9:06] Antwayn Hopper: So, yeah, definitely.

[9:07] Bruce Gotlieb: We had the pleasure of seeing you guys perform at the Maestro Amplify event together. And on stage, you can see the chemistry that you guys have, the friendship, the banter back and forth. You guys sounded amazing, but it was also just so much fun. There was so much life and comedy in what you guys were doing together.

[9:25] Zeniba Now: That's all Zeniba.

[9:27] Antwayn Hopper: It felt almost like we got a peek in. You guys were just hanging out the house together and decided to, like, pick up a bottle of wine and use it as a microphone.

[9:35] Zeniba Now: That's definitely, it was the first time we ever debuted that song, because we still work on that show, The Loophole. It's co-written by myself and Jay Adana. And we were like, oh, yeah, let's, Maestro asked us to perform something. I was like, let's do this new one. You know, we'll figure it out. And then we saw the lineup and we were like, oh my God, why did we do something new? This is so intimidating. We should have just done something tried and true. But it ended up being so much fun. And it was like, it was just, it was like exactly the kind of performance experience I needed right now. So I was like, this is really fun.

[10:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, if people want to see that, we posted a clip of it on our Instagram. I'm sure you guys have posted it too. So people can just look for it. Because it's so much fun. You guys are great together. Such good chemistry. But it was funny, too.

[10:23] Zeniba Now: Thank you.

[10:25] Antwayn Hopper: Thank you.

[10:26] Eila Mell: Zeniba, can you tell us a little bit about your musical that you have at Paper Mill right now, Take the Lead, which is adapted from a movie which people may or may not have seen already?

[10:37] Zeniba Now: Take the Lead is a early-mids-2000s dance film starring Antonio Banderas that we have turned into a big spectacle dance musical. It is essentially a fusion of ballroom dance and hip-hop. And it's based on a real person, Pierre Doulain, who has taught inner-city kids, not only in New York, but all over the world, conflict resolution through ballroom dancing, which is like partnered dance. And it's really fun, family-friendly, just cute and a big, splashy, fun night out. It was really amazing. It was that opening night. And just especially seeing the families, the kids, the high school kids there, that was really rewarding.

[11:23] Eila Mell: What about the movie said to you it needs to be a musical?

[11:26] Zeniba Now: Oh, well, the movie just definitely needs to be a musical. It is very, the score and just the dance numbers. It already essentially was musical. They just didn't sing. The project came to me actually while we were working on The Loophole at The Public. And I interviewed for it to co-write music and lyrics. And I didn't get it. And then a few years later, it came back, and they were looking to rebuild their team. And so I was like, hey, I'm here. Remember me? But yeah, I also, I really love the movie. Like a lot of, it's like not a lot of people know that movie, but it's kind of, especially like for Jenna Dewan, it's kind of like the origin story of like these dance movie musicals in some ways.

But a lot of dance families know it. So like if people have a choreographer or a dance instructor or like anything like that in their family, then the whole family will know it. And like those people are like, oh my God, you're doing that? But I saw it in theaters in high school, and I loved it.

[12:28] Eila Mell: Yeah. And you have Christopher Gattelli holding it, which, you know, I mean, he's great.

[12:33] Zeniba Now: Yes. It's Chris Gattelli, and then we have Jen Weber and Maria Torres.

[13:08] Antwayn Hopper: Zeniba and I have been friends for a long time, and we just recently had the opportunity to work together on a project called The Loophole at The Public Theater. It was such a rewarding experience to collaborate with her, especially after seeing her incredible work in Take the Lead, which premiered at The Paper Mill Playhouse.

[13:38] Zeniba Now: Thank you, Antwayn! It was amazing to finally bring our talents together. The energy we created on stage was electric, and I think audiences really felt that connection.

[13:58] Antwayn Hopper: Absolutely! And it's so exciting to see how our individual journeys have led us to this point. I mean, you have such a rich background in music and theater, and it really shines through in your work.

[14:28] Zeniba Now: Thank you! I’ve always believed that music and storytelling go hand in hand. It’s been a dream to create pieces that resonate with people on multiple levels.

[14:50] Antwayn Hopper: Speaking of storytelling, I think it’s fascinating how our experiences in theater shape our perspectives. For me, every role I take on teaches me something new about myself and the world around me.

[15:14] Zeniba Now: I completely agree. Each character brings a different challenge and a different lesson. It’s like we’re constantly evolving as artists and as individuals.

[15:44] Antwayn Hopper: And the collaboration aspect is so vital. Working with talented people like you pushes me to elevate my craft. I feel like we inspire each other to reach new heights.

[16:04] Zeniba Now: Yes! That’s the beauty of theater. It’s a community, and when we come together, we create something truly special. I love how we can share our stories and connect with audiences in such a profound way.

[16:27] Antwayn Hopper: Exactly! And I think that’s why projects like The Loophole are so important. They highlight diverse voices and experiences, which is crucial in today’s world.

[16:47] Zeniba Now: Definitely! It’s about representation and making sure everyone feels seen and heard. I’m proud to be part of a project that champions that.

[17:15] Antwayn Hopper: And your work in Take the Lead is a testament to that. I can’t wait for everyone to see it!

[17:35] Zeniba Now: Thank you! I’m so excited for the world premiere. It’s been a labor of love, and I hope it resonates with audiences just as much as it has with us.

[17:59] Antwayn Hopper: I have no doubt it will! And speaking of premieres, I’m thrilled about my upcoming role in Will Trent. It’s a different medium for me, but I’m ready for the challenge.

[18:23] Zeniba Now: That’s amazing! I can’t wait to see you in that. You always bring such depth to your characters, no matter the format.

[18:46] Antwayn Hopper: Thank you! I appreciate that. It’s all about finding the truth in each role, whether it’s on stage or screen.

[19:13] Zeniba Now: Exactly! And I think that’s what keeps us grounded as artists. We have to stay true to ourselves and our craft.

[19:26] Antwayn Hopper: Well said! And I think our friendship helps keep that authenticity alive. We can challenge each other and support one another at the same time.

[19:48] Zeniba Now: Absolutely! It’s a beautiful balance. I’m grateful for our friendship and the opportunity to create together.

[20:06] Antwayn Hopper: Me too! Here’s to many more projects and adventures ahead.

[20:35] Zeniba Now: Cheers to that! And to all the amazing stories yet to be told.

[21:02] Antwayn Hopper: Yes! Let’s keep pushing boundaries and inspiring others along the way.

[21:31] Zeniba Now: I love that! It’s all about leaving a legacy and making an impact through our art.

[22:00] Antwayn Hopper: Exactly! And I think we’re on the right path.

[22:29] Zeniba Now: Definitely! I’m excited to see where our journeys take us next.

[22:56] Antwayn Hopper: Same here! Let’s keep the momentum going.

[23:25] Zeniba Now: Absolutely! And thank you for having this conversation with me today. It’s been a joy.

[23:54] Antwayn Hopper: Thank you for being here, Zeniba. I always love chatting with you.

[24:23] Zeniba Now: Likewise! Here’s to more collaborations in the future.

[24:51] Antwayn Hopper: Yes, let’s make it happen!

[25:17] Antwayn Hopper: Don't judge a book by its cover, and that was the theme with that. And, you know, we'll see what happens next season. I know they got picked up for season four, and I'm very excited. But the highlight of that was really my last day on set; I finally got to do a scene with Betty, the little chihuahua.

[25:38] Zeniba Now: That would be a highlight for me. Everyone, you know, obviously knows that you're a dancer and, you know, an incredible dancer. But what does it mean to you to be getting dramatic roles too on television where, you know, it doesn't matter what your, you know, your musical theater background? Well, you're an actor as well.

[25:53] Antwayn Hopper: I'm an actor first. You know, at Carnegie Mellon, we took shakes, we did all styles, including Jacobean restoration. A lot of styles I don't do today, Chekhov, Ibsen. But people are realizing musical theater actors, like John Carafa had said it, we are the elite of the elite; we have to be the best singer, the best dancer, and the best actor, and we act all through it. And that's why someone like Zeniba really helps lift the game. You know, there was a notion on TV that musical theater people could not act. And now when you turn on the TV, all you see are musical theater, you know, former students. And that, you know, makes me happy. And I hope that I'm able to open doors and I hope I'm pioneering down a path that people can be themselves and be proud. And you can still be strong and tell a story, and maybe sing a song, honestly, you know.

[26:55] Zeniba Now: Yeah, it's always nice to throw a song in.

[26:57] Antwayn Hopper: Amen. I'm actually trying to tell Ramon, the killer's on Broadway, and we have to go to rehearsals and learn the dance and learn everything. So season four, we're like on Broadway.

[27:09] Zeniba Now: I like that. And if you need music, Zeniba can certainly supply that music.

[27:14] Antwayn Hopper: Yeah. And by the way, Ramon and Gina Rodriguez were both ballroom competitors. They actually competed against some, take the lead on Broadway with Gina Rodriguez and Ramon Rodriguez.

[27:28] Zeniba Now: Oh, they both have Rodriguez. Put that on Broadway, take the lead. That will sell out.

[27:35] Antwayn Hopper: So do you know what's going to happen with it at this point or is it too early?

[27:41] Zeniba Now: Do I know what's going to happen? I mean, I have no idea what's going to happen. I assume they're just going to, maybe this is putting a lot of faith in my producers, but I think they're just going to raise the money and take it to Broadway.

[27:52] Antwayn Hopper: There you go.

[27:54] Zeniba Now: That's it. Well, if you don't think so, no one will. So that's what we hope.

[27:58] Antwayn Hopper: I'm writing down those names.

[28:00] Zeniba Now: That's right. Yeah. From Will Trent, Ramon Rodriguez and Gina Rodriguez.

[28:05] Antwayn Hopper: Yeah. And I just want to point out that take the lead. It's not on Broadway right now, but it's got a cast and a crew of people who are top notch.

[28:15] Zeniba Now: Oh, yeah. It's definitely, when you do a show at Paper Mill, it's like you're building a pre-Broadway transfer. Everything has to be fit to go into that. Obviously, they make a ton of changes still.

[28:28] Antwayn Hopper: Right. Well, Greg Gatsby was just there. So your producers, your designers, I mean, everybody, tons of Tony winners there. So if you want to see a Broadway show before it gets to Broadway and for a lot less money, go now, go to Paper Mill.

[28:47] Zeniba Now: Yeah. And then Paper Mill is unique. You know, they do only musicals. I'm 90 percent sure. They do like four or five musicals a year, and one of them is always like a fully new developed debut. And so that's very rare in the whole country slash world. So, yeah, it's definitely the spot. And you just take the New Jersey Transit. It's actually really simple. I was intimidated, but it's simple.

[29:07] Antwayn Hopper: The train's right there. You literally get off the train and walk up the block and you're at the theater.

[29:16] Zeniba Now: No Uber, no Lyft, no nothing.

[29:18] Antwayn Hopper: So you have a recording career. You have, you know, obviously you're writing. What was your dream growing up?

[29:24] Zeniba Now: Oh, I wanted to be the president growing up.

[29:27] Antwayn Hopper: Oh, could you step in now, please?

[29:30] Zeniba Now: Absolutely not. I actually, I have made a pact with myself to not serve because it was, I think it was becoming something that was, it was just leading me to lead a very fake life. I was very concerned with like, oh, this can be used against me.

[29:44] Antwayn Hopper: Yeah.

[29:44] Zeniba Now: And I mean, like even in high school, I was like, I was never photographed with like a drink and alcohol in my hand. Like I was very, you know, intense. And I just made a pact with myself at some point. I'm not doing politics. But it's very similar, politics and theater. Same basic thing, trying to influence people using made up stories. And yeah, so that was my career trajectory. Failed presidential candidate.

[30:11] Antwayn Hopper: No, not failed. You stepped away. You made that call.

[30:15] Zeniba Now: I got a BFA in musical theater performance with an emphasis in directing. And then I auditioned as like an actress, musical theater for like, I think I made it one season. And I did pretty well. I did some fun things. And ultimately, I think it was just probably stress and depression, anxiety and depression. I was just like, I was filming this docuseries, I called it called Process, where I would film everybody. I was basically like an OG theater influencer. And I would film people at auditions, talk to me about like their process. And I would film myself like as a reader at auditions or, you know, coaching actors and all the various things they do. And at one point, I was just looking through the footage, and I was so distraught after these auditions, like my nervous system was like crashing out.

And so I just decided to take a break. And somehow I took a break after one year. I was like, was my first retirement. And then I ended up sort of directing like a web series and short films. And then very quickly, like within six months of that, my friend Jared Dixon, who's Aaron Burr right now in Hamilton, he was like, there's this program and you have to audition for it. And I'm a total Kermit curmudgeon. And I was like, I'm not leaving my house. I'm not going anywhere. Everyone knows if you want to see me come to my house. I was like a stoner who just like did art in her, you know, Harlem apartment and hung out and like freestyle wrapped with like friends. And he was literally like, you are doing this program.

You are coming to my house right now. And we are filming an audition. And he said, write something on the way here. So I walked the seven blocks holding a notepad and a pencil and I wrote a rap and got there and he sold it and I got in and that program was called Bars at the Public. And that was where I really was like, oh, I can perform in the things that I write. And that can be a way that I can not have to feel like my creative expression is like dependent on someone else saying yes. Right. And so that's really kind of how it all began. And that was broadly like the funding for that program was broadly from their success with Hamilton. And so it was rap and verse driven storytelling. And that's where I met Jay Adana.

And that's where we did The Beloved. And then we ended up becoming alumni residency writers there. And then that's where we started working on The Loophole. And the whole rest of it just sort of happened. And I'm still to this day always wrestling with like what is the right creative outlet for me and the best expression and what's the balance between working with others and working and serving other people's visions versus having my own thing to do. And it's always a battle.

[33:16] Antwayn Hopper: Well, now you're on the other side of the table at audition. So that experience that you went through, how does that inform how you are with your actors that come into audition?

[33:27] Zeniba Now: Oh, I'm extremely positive. I also I've been a coach for like over a decade. So I'm extremely positive, I think, to audition for. I'm very smiley. I've seen the chance that you're going to be the worst thing I've ever seen is so slim, because the worst thing you've ever seen only gets updated every like five years or so, you know?

[33:44] Antwayn Hopper: Yeah.

[33:44] Zeniba Now: And even then, you know, I think I'm just completely unfazed. And Anton, what does it mean to you to be able to bring a role that someone like Zeniba has created?

[33:55] Antwayn Hopper: It's freeing, you know what I mean? It makes you feel good. It makes you, you know, put confidence into your work and to stand behind yourself. And the good thing is that all four things that Zeniba has graciously created, they're all completely different. And that's what I'm after. I don't ever want to play me. I want to play a nuance or something completely different, like a slave turned soldier. Yes, he's the Civil War. Like this is what Antoine has played in my shows. They're all literally he's played a straight leading man slave turned soldier. He then also in that same show played seven different soldiers in one scene.

[34:30] Zeniba Now: Oh, amazing.

[34:30] Antwayn Hopper: The only actor. It was literally the best part of the show. Doing an Antoine, like doing an Antoine is when you just play all the parts in the scene. He played this character in Lord Luscious, who is like a gay vampire in this ridiculous thing.

[34:46] Zeniba Now: The one you guys saw, which is she's a freak.

[34:46] Antwayn Hopper: The one you guys saw was like this saucy ghost.

[34:52] Zeniba Now: Yeah, it's so flavor adjacent, but very different tone.

[34:55] Antwayn Hopper: Very different tone. And what was the fourth thing? Oh, and then he played Safari, who is Nicki Minaj's ex in this Nicki Minaj Safari parody I did, which is so niche, but I was incredibly happy.

[35:24] Zeniba Now: Amazing.

[35:24] Antwayn Hopper: Yeah, we have fun. So Antoine, now that you're, you said this part of your career is blossoming. If you could reach into this magic bag and pull out a dream role, is there a dream role that you would want to do? I know some people say they like creating and originating.

[35:39] Antwayn Hopper: I would love to play Alvin Ailey in the movie. I would also love to play Nat King Cole. I would love to do the life on Broadway. It's an even maybe you could, you know, co-write with Billy, I've already spoken to Billy, and he said he's game to work, you know, to take it to Broadway and to, you know, have someone comment and help him. So I'm just, you know, I'm starting my LLC finally, and it's time to be a boss. I'm realizing that like Ramon said, if you want to make a change or a difference, especially TV, film, become an executive producer. Game on. So I do have some things, you know, upcoming. And the first project that I'm proud to say will be my debut album, self-titled with center stage records and banding and yellow, yellow sound pretty much the team of a strange loop.

[36:40] Zeniba Now: Okay, excellent. Amazing. Is there a date yet for that?

[36:47] Antwayn Hopper: Well, we're figuring out right now as we solidify the music director and orchestrator and arranger, but for now, August 2026.

[36:53] Zeniba Now: Excellent. And we will, of course, post that when it's ready.

[36:57] Antwayn Hopper: Thank you. Yes. And you know, before we go, we do have to acknowledge that you were part of that team of a strange loop. I mean, that must have been incredible.

[37:05] Zeniba Now: That was a blessing to the wonderful Michael R. Jackson. And I must say that I loved your Tony outfit. It kind of reminded me of Elvis. It was amazing.

[37:18] Antwayn Hopper: Thank you. It was modeled after Andre De Shields, the Wiz, as well as Princess Diana's collar and the artists Grammy outfit.

[37:24] Zeniba Now: I love it.

[37:25] Antwayn Hopper: Thank you both so much for joining us. And you know, we hope that you'll come back because we know you're going to have plenty of projects coming up soon.

[37:34] Zeniba Now: Yes. And once you get your family, so we're here to help support in any way that we can.

[37:40] Antwayn Hopper: That's right. Thank you so much.

[37:45] Zeniba Now: Thank you. Thank you. And we will see everyone next time on Behind the Awards. Bye bye.

[37:50] Antwayn Hopper: Bye.