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[0:18] Josh Lamon: Hey everybody! Welcome back to Josh Swallows Broadway. And today I'm swallowing one of the most beautiful, one of the most talented, one of the strongest people I've ever met. She is She-Ra. And her name is Ali Stroker.

[0:40] Ali Stroker: Hi, thank you for having me.

[0:41] Josh Lamon: Hi, friend. How are you?

[0:43] Ali Stroker: I'm good. I'm really good.

[0:45] Josh Lamon: Good. We were talking off mic and our producer, and I use that term loosely, Alan, who's a—don't you laugh, Alan—was like, this is a great conversation. Why don't you all shut the fuck up and like we can record it? And so we're, uh, so basically like the theme of right now in our conversation is Broadway is hard.

[1:11] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[1:12] Josh Lamon: It is, it's grueling.

[1:14] Ali Stroker: Yeah, it's a really demanding job, not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally. And I feel like I came into this job doing 80 Annie at St. Ann's Warehouse as a girl, and then in one year, the show got transferred to Broadway. We opened on Broadway, I was nominated for a Tony. I won a Tony, and I feel like in just one year I went from a girl to a woman. To like 97 years old.

[1:48] Josh Lamon: True. I feel like I've aged.

[1:50] Ali Stroker: But you know, it's been so intense. And sometimes I feel like I can't really manage it all. And I'm just learning big lessons about saying no, which is very ironic because every night I sing a song that's called I Just Can't Say No.

[2:12] Josh Lamon: So, but isn't that every actor's song in the sense that we're so afraid to say no?

[2:20] Ali Stroker: Yes. And I really believe that if you love what you do, then you don't really want to say no to a lot of things. You want to say yes, but you can't. And I used to hate that when people would say that to me, like, you can't say yes to everything. And I'd be like, Yes, I can, watch me.

[2:40] Josh Lamon: Right?

[2:41] Ali Stroker: But then you realize, like, oh my gosh, I'm falling apart.

[2:44] Josh Lamon: I know. Well, I used to say yes to everything, and then over the past year, my body was like, no, bitch. No, no, bitch. You're not saying—like even birthday parties, they're like, it's at 7 p.m., something really reasonable. And I'm like, you want me to go out of my apartment at 6:30 to get to your place at 7 p.m.? You're a monster.

[3:07] Ali Stroker: You're a monster.

[3:09] Josh Lamon: Like when, like, we might as well just retire and play mahjong together all day.

[3:14] Ali Stroker: Have you ever played mahjong?

[3:16] Josh Lamon: No.

[3:16] Ali Stroker: Your parents play mahjong?

[3:18] Josh Lamon: No, tell me more.

[3:19] Ali Stroker: Well, my mom and all of her synagogue friends, I think it's just something that happens when you get old. Now they play mahjong, but it's like competitive Jewish ladies that like will kill each other for mahjong.

[3:35] Josh Lamon: I love a competitive sport.

[3:38] Ali Stroker: Yeah. I suddenly want to write a musical for you, but you have to be like, you know, 90 in real life to play the part where you're just like a mahjong dealer.

[3:49] Josh Lamon: I don't even know. Are there dealers of mahjong?

[3:52] Ali Stroker: Sure. Let's say they—I say yes.

[3:55] Josh Lamon: I love that.

[3:56] Ali Stroker: Yeah. My grandmother used to play bridge.

[3:58] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[3:59] Ali Stroker: I find myself sometimes daydreaming about like what I will do when I stop working, which is, you know, when you're an artist, never.

[4:08] Josh Lamon: So I know. But people ask me, you know, what are you doing next? And I'm like, sleeping for six months.

[4:16] Ali Stroker: Do you know how much I hate that question?

[4:19] Josh Lamon: Me too. It's always when you find out that your show is closing that some asshole is like, so what's next?

[4:28] Ali Stroker: Always. And it's like, well, I'm probably going to sit on my couch. There will be some tears before bedtime. I'm probably gonna overeat a little bit. If I can find the energy, maybe I'll, you know, watch some porn or something. But for the most part, I'm probably just gonna pet my cats and hope I don't die.

[4:53] Josh Lamon: Seriously, like I just want to feel relaxed. And I know that people, you know, on your day off, like relax, but there's really not enough time to unwind when you have one day off a week. And I think the other part that I have felt this summer is just a responsibility, you know, to be at the show and do all eight shows. And you know, when I'm out and about, people come up to me, and I really can't hide anywhere. So you know, I really feel a responsibility to be, I guess if we're going there, like what people want me to be, which is like, you know, grateful and so excited. And I am a lot of the time, and then other parts of the time I'm just tired and I find myself feeling shy, which is so weird because I've never felt shy in my life.

[5:50] Josh Lamon: No, you're very outgoing.

[5:52] Ali Stroker: Yeah, but I find myself sort of just needing my own time and space.

[5:58] Josh Lamon: Yeah. No, I definitely feel that because I feel like there is a quality that people see you as something, and so it's almost like a performance in itself.

[6:11] Ali Stroker: Yeah, it's your public persona.

[6:14] Josh Lamon: Yeah. And as a performer, that public persona usually feels really good because you're able to be, you know, outgoing and perform for people.

[6:25] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[6:26] Josh Lamon: But I'm starting to understand more and more—I remember sort of watching interviews, and I'm blanking on exactly who this may have applied to—but to see people who are, you know, some of the greatest performers and artists of our time be interviewed, and they're so quiet, or to meet somebody and see how shy they were, I'm starting to understand the two because if you are so—if you are able to perform as an adult, you know, it's not just like for kids—as an adult, if you were performing all the time, there has to be another side.

[7:03] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[7:04] Josh Lamon: So it's been, you know, it's been so interesting to feel that sort of in this dream experience.

[7:14] Ali Stroker: Yeah. Well, for downtime, what do you do for yourself to relax and just sort of like celebrate you?

[7:23] Ali Stroker: Well, I have a really amazing relationship with my boyfriend.

[7:28] Josh Lamon: What's his name?

[7:29] Ali Stroker: His name's David Perlow.

[7:31] Josh Lamon: Hi, David Perlow. I'm talking with your girlfriend.

[7:36] Ali Stroker: And he is a director and was an actor for a long time, so really like gets kind of what this world is.

[7:45] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[7:46] Ali Stroker: And so he's really, really supportive of what the schedule is, which is sort of insane. But we love to cook.

[7:58] Josh Lamon: Really?

[7:58] Ali Stroker: Yes, love.

[8:00] Josh Lamon: I'm so jealous. I'm a good cook. I just—I hate prepping. I hate cleaning. Like I can cook it and I can eat the fuck out of it.

[8:11] Ali Stroker: Yes.

[8:11] Josh Lamon: But the cleaning and the prepping and all the before and after.

[8:16] Ali Stroker: Well, it's good to have two people to, you know, to work together on it. So like the other night we made enchiladas.

[8:24] Josh Lamon: Stop it, and you didn't invite me. You're a monster.

[8:27] Ali Stroker: So sorry.

[8:28] Josh Lamon: You're a monster. I heard you were busy.

[8:31] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I heard that you were. I looked on your Twitter and you were just out and about retweeting things.

[8:37] Josh Lamon: So I couldn't decide to do it, so I just didn't. No, but, uh, and so like he cooked part of it, and then I like, you know, there's—you have to assemble with enchilada, which I can never do. It's why I can't make them. It drives me nuts.

[8:49] Ali Stroker: Okay, but the trick is you can't put too much in the tortillas. That's the trick.

[8:56] Josh Lamon: Which is, uh, which seems like, oh, well, they're not gonna be good then, but they are. And so we made enchiladas.

[9:05] Ali Stroker: I wanna have like an enchilada cooking show with you.

[9:08] Josh Lamon: Oh my gosh, I would love it. Mexican food is my—I grew up in San Diego, like super close to the border. So like my teen years when I was feeling really naughty was like, we're gonna get a Tijuana and have drinks.

[9:23] Ali Stroker: I know, I mean, but Tijuana is also like, it's basically third world. It's really depressing.

[9:27] Josh Lamon: Is it?

[9:29] Ali Stroker: Yeah, so you go there as this like entitled—not knowing that you're entitled—not having any idea of like how lucky you are, and then there's a million little orphans on the street trying to sell you chicklets.

[9:43] Josh Lamon: Okay.

[9:43] Ali Stroker: And you feel bad, so you, you know, hand a dollar and get a chiclet, then you hear this like rumbling in the background, and then a million little orphans were running at you screaming chicklet, chicklet.

[9:55] Josh Lamon: Oh wow, I did not know.

[9:57] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I mean, I've—I love Mexico and I've been to so many parks so many times. It's just Tijuana that just seems like really sad.

[10:07] Josh Lamon: Yeah. Where'd you grow up?

[10:09] Ali Stroker: I grew up in New Jersey.

[10:10] Josh Lamon: What part?

[10:11] Ali Stroker: Uh, Ridgewood.

[10:12] Josh Lamon: Is that closer to here, Central or Philly?

[10:15] Ali Stroker: Here. So it's about 35 minutes outside of the city, and it's a really beautiful town.

[10:22] Josh Lamon: Okay.

[10:23] Ali Stroker: And I grew up there, my parents grew up there, my grandparents grew up there, and my great grandmother grew up.

[10:32] Josh Lamon: What? Did they come over on the Mayflower?

[10:35] Ali Stroker: Literally. So my great grandmother, Anna, came to New York with her family from Germany in maybe 1890, late, late 1890s. And they were a part of this really tragic boat fire that happened in the East Village called the General Slocum, which was like a huge tragedy. A lot of people died. She lost a lot of her brothers and sisters. It was like a church outing. They went out on this boat fire—I mean, this boat trip, and there was a fire. Anyway, they were living in Brooklyn, and after this happened, they decided they had to move out of New York, and they moved to Ridgewood, New Jersey, which is where I grew up.

[11:25] Josh Lamon: And my great grandmother Anna and her parents, uh, her parents opened up the first confectionary store in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

[11:35] Ali Stroker: That's darling.

[11:36] Josh Lamon: It's really cool. And so she, uh, she grew up there, and then she had one daughter, my grandmother Ginny, and Ginny was born like in downtown Ridgewood, like in an apartment, like at the center of town.

[11:52] Ali Stroker: Oh my god.

[11:52] Josh Lamon: And then, um, she met my grandpa Jack at Ridgewood High School, and then my parents met even before Ridgewood High School, but when they were kids, and I don't think I will marry anybody from Ridgewood or live in Ridgewood, which is really a shame to break the, uh, the tradition.

[12:13] Ali Stroker: Do you think your parents are pissed at you about this?

[12:16] Josh Lamon: Definitely not.

[12:18] Ali Stroker: I don't think they are, but I have a feeling maybe one of my siblings might end up in Ridgewood at some point living there. We'll see.

[12:25] Josh Lamon: They better. I mean, they sort of have to.

[12:28] Ali Stroker: It's in the legacy.

[12:29] Josh Lamon: It's in the—yes. Or else they'll be—if they don't, there's gonna be another boat fire.

[12:33] Ali Stroker: Exactly.

[12:34] Josh Lamon: Is that what they want? The curse.

[12:35] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[12:35] Josh Lamon: Will strike again.

[12:36] Ali Stroker: And the curse will strike again. How many siblings do you have?

[12:39] Ali Stroker: I have two. I have a younger sister and an older brother, and my younger sister is getting married next week.

[12:45] Josh Lamon: That's great.

[12:46] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[12:46] Josh Lamon: Do you like who they're marrying?

[12:47] Ali Stroker: Yes. I love her fiancé. He's so great.

[12:50] Josh Lamon: Good.

[12:51] Ali Stroker: And I'm very close to my family.

[12:53] Josh Lamon: Oh, that's so nice.

[12:54] Ali Stroker: Yeah, it's nice. Like so many of my family members and people from my hometown have come in to see Oklahoma.

[13:02] Josh Lamon: Well, they fucking better. They're 35 minutes away. It'd be like, I need a job, and you're buying a ticket. You monsters.

[13:09] Ali Stroker: Exactly. You must come in. Are you the only performer?

[13:12] Josh Lamon: I am. I am.

[13:13] Ali Stroker: My sister danced for a long, long time.

[13:16] Josh Lamon: Okay.

[13:17] Ali Stroker: And then at the end of college, was like, I don't want to do this for a living. This hurts.

[13:24] Josh Lamon: Really hurts.

[13:25] Ali Stroker: Yeah, exactly. Um, and so now she is a nutritionist.

[13:32] Josh Lamon: All right.

[13:33] Ali Stroker: Yeah, which is really cool.

[13:34] Josh Lamon: All right. I’ve been exploring over the past year healthy shots like of ginger and shit like that.

[13:42] Ali Stroker: Yes, yes.

[13:43] Josh Lamon: Are you into that?

[13:43] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I love that.

[13:44] Josh Lamon: Oh my god, it tastes like cancer.

[13:46] Ali Stroker: All of them taste you hate them.

[13:48] Josh Lamon: I mean, I like them because I'm like, good for you, Josh.

[13:52] Ali Stroker: You're doing something healthy.

[13:53] Josh Lamon: Like Oprah would be so proud.

[13:55] Ali Stroker: You can have that bread.

[13:56] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[13:56] Ali Stroker: And but then I do it and it tastes like Vietnam.

[14:01] Josh Lamon: Well, they like burn so badly the back of your throat.

[14:05] Ali Stroker: But I always think that that means it's like killing some kind of bacteria, and I'm getting healthier.

[14:11] Josh Lamon: I don't know.

[14:12] Ali Stroker: Because when I feel the burning, I'm like, this is so terrible.

[14:16] Josh Lamon: ISIS is taking credit for it right now.

[14:18] Ali Stroker: You're like, this is way too much.

[14:20] Josh Lamon: Yeah, they're like, we did it, we did it.

[14:21] Ali Stroker: He's on fire.

[14:22] Josh Lamon: Yay!

[14:23] Ali Stroker: Your throat is burning.

[14:25] Josh Lamon: Yeah, exactly.

[14:26] Ali Stroker: So how shocked was your family when they heard your fucking incredible voice like pop out of your mouth?

[14:37] Josh Lamon: Oh, uh, I think my parents were kind of surprised, and I was so excited about singing all the time.

[14:48] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[14:49] Josh Lamon: And uh I think I think my community also was sort of surprised at how well I could sing at such a young age.

[14:57] Ali Stroker: And so my mom tells me the story that after I did, I did a production of Wiz of the Whiz in uh fourth grade.

[15:05] Josh Lamon: And after that show, like my mom was in the car with my dad and was like, listen, we gotta talk.

[15:11] Ali Stroker: Like Allie's really got a gift.

[15:13] Josh Lamon: We have to figure out like what to do and how to help her because neither of them are performers or singers.

[15:21] Ali Stroker: So uh so yeah, I I started to take voice lessons pretty early on.

[15:26] Josh Lamon: And now can't can I ask, were you Dorothy in the whiz?

[15:29] Ali Stroker: I was Dorothy.

[15:31] Josh Lamon: Thank goodness I was about to hold a candlelit vigil on the TKTF steps.

[15:36] Ali Stroker: I was Dorothy, and it was amazing.

[15:40] Josh Lamon: Oh my gosh.

[15:40] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[15:41] Josh Lamon: See, my parent I was the same.

[15:43] Ali Stroker: I always sang and stuff like that.

[15:45] Josh Lamon: The Muppets were my go-to for everything.

[15:48] Ali Stroker: I love the Muppets.

[15:48] Josh Lamon: I still love the Muppets when I'm sad to this day.

[15:51] Ali Stroker: I will watch Old Muppet Episode.

[15:52] Josh Lamon: Me too.

[15:53] Ali Stroker: I love the Muppets.

[15:55] Josh Lamon: Muppet's take Manhattan.

[15:57] Ali Stroker: The Great Muppet Caper.

[15:58] Josh Lamon: Oh, yeah.

[15:59] Ali Stroker: I mean, the Great Muppet Caper is a musical.

[16:02] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[16:02] Ali Stroker: It's so good.

[16:04] Josh Lamon: Yeah, but also those old episodes of like when Elton John and Linda Ronstadt and Julie Andrews.

[16:11] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[16:12] Josh Lamon: Like, I will still weep like a child and like be like, Mom, will you fat X me a grilled cheese, please?

[16:19] Ali Stroker: You know, yes, yes.

[16:22] Josh Lamon: But when I started singing and dancing, I think my parents were like, oh fuck.

[16:26] Ali Stroker: My mom was like, I'm not driving you to LA for auditions.

[16:30] Josh Lamon: Oh, right.

[16:30] Ali Stroker: Because you were in California in San Diego.

[16:33] Josh Lamon: Sure.

[16:34] Ali Stroker: Did you do a lot of theater growing up?

[16:36] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[16:37] Ali Stroker: I uh I did a lot of community theater.

[16:40] Josh Lamon: I did some regional stuff, but like local.

[16:44] Ali Stroker: Um like I was a newsboy in gypsy.

[16:46] Josh Lamon: Oh, cool.

[16:47] Ali Stroker: And we used to fight over who was young Tulsa.

[16:51] Josh Lamon: Um and I only got the part because I played trumpet and they needed somebody to be like Clarence and his clarinet.

[16:58] Ali Stroker: And so I was Tommy and his terrific trumpet.

[17:01] Josh Lamon: But I was so bad at trumpet.

[17:03] Ali Stroker: At the time I thought I must have been really good.

[17:07] Josh Lamon: But I remember playing Happy Birthday to you for my grandpa on the trumpet.

[17:13] Ali Stroker: And my grandpa, who was the most the funniest fun, I think I get like my dark humor from him.

[17:21] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[17:21] Ali Stroker: Um, I played it for him and I said, Grandpa, what'd you think?

[17:24] Josh Lamon: And he was like, Josh, that was so exciting.

[17:28] Ali Stroker: If I had teeth in my ass, I'd be chewing a hole through the chair.

[17:32] Josh Lamon: And I remember being in fifth grade and being like, So good.

[17:37] Ali Stroker: Yeah, exactly.

[17:38] Josh Lamon: You're like, yay, he chewed a hole in the chair with his bottom.

[17:44] Ali Stroker: Um that's amazing.

[17:47] Josh Lamon: So I guess our my parents were a little different in their support than than yours were.

[17:47] Ali Stroker: A little different.

[17:53] Josh Lamon: Now, were either of them involved in any sort of arts?

[17:57] Ali Stroker: No.

[17:58] Josh Lamon: My dad is an oncologist.

[18:01] Ali Stroker: Okay.

[18:01] Josh Lamon: So he is also a workaholic.

[18:04] Ali Stroker: To this day, he's in his like early hundreds.

[18:08] Josh Lamon: I'm just kidding, he's not.

[18:09] Ali Stroker: But like he's still working.

[18:10] Josh Lamon: Wow.

[18:11] Ali Stroker: Um for him.

[18:12] Josh Lamon: It's his love.

[18:12] Ali Stroker: That's what he loves.

[18:13] Josh Lamon: Right.

[18:14] Ali Stroker: And he and I are similar in that sense, where like I'm a bit of a workaholic.

[18:19] Josh Lamon: Like I don't feel complete if I'm not working on something.

[18:22] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[18:22] Josh Lamon: And my mom was a uh counselor and a social worker and a Tupperware lady.

[18:28] Ali Stroker: Amazing.

[18:29] Josh Lamon: Yeah, you you name it.

[18:30] Ali Stroker: What did your parents do?

[18:32] Josh Lamon: My dad was a health and physical education teacher.

[18:35] Ali Stroker: Work.

[18:36] Josh Lamon: Yep.

[18:37] Ali Stroker: And uh my mom was a stay-at-home mom.

[18:40] Josh Lamon: She took care of us and did a really good job.

[18:44] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[18:44] Josh Lamon: My dad, too.

[18:45] Ali Stroker: They were amazing parents.

[18:47] Josh Lamon: Did your dad make you all like work out all the time though?

[18:49] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[18:50] Josh Lamon: Ugh.

[18:50] Ali Stroker: Totally.

[18:51] Josh Lamon: Like we used to, like on Saturday or Sunday mornings, we'd go play tennis, we go for hikes.

[18:55] Ali Stroker: Wow.

[18:55] Josh Lamon: We were always moving.

[18:57] Ali Stroker: Which, you know, was was really fun at the time, I remember.

[19:01] Josh Lamon: I don't know.

[19:01] Ali Stroker: Your dad would have hated me if I was your brother.

[19:04] Josh Lamon: My rebellion would have sucked.

[19:06] Ali Stroker: I'd be like, I'm not going on this hike.

[19:07] Josh Lamon: Fuck you.

[19:08] Ali Stroker: I don't want to.

[19:09] Josh Lamon: I don't want to.

[19:10] Ali Stroker: You're ruining my life.

[19:12] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[19:12] Ali Stroker: You're not my real dad.

[19:16] Josh Lamon: Yeah, exactly.

[19:17] Ali Stroker: Was your brother theatrical at all?

[19:19] Josh Lamon: No, not at all.

[19:21] Ali Stroker: Not at all.

[19:22] Josh Lamon: Not into he was into sports.

[19:23] Ali Stroker: So how did you realize that you wanted to be an actress?

[19:27] Josh Lamon: I was introduced to theater by my next door neighbor at the Jersey Shore, Rachel Antonov, who is you know, uh she is a fashion designer now.

[19:38] Ali Stroker: Oh, okay.

[19:39] Josh Lamon: Uh designed my dress for the Tonies.

[19:41] Ali Stroker: Really?

[19:41] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[19:42] Ali Stroker: Because that dress was gorgeous.

[19:43] Josh Lamon: Thank you.

[19:44] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[19:45] Josh Lamon: Yeah, she like made it for me.

[19:46] Ali Stroker: That's incredible.

[19:47] Josh Lamon: But she came home from Stage Door, which is a theater case.

[19:51] Ali Stroker: I always wanted to go.

[19:52] Josh Lamon: Oh.

[19:52] Ali Stroker: Did you ever go?

[19:53] Josh Lamon: No, I never went.

[19:54] Ali Stroker: But she came home from stage door and she decided she was going to direct a production of Annie in our backyard.

[20:02] Josh Lamon: And I was like seven.

[20:04] Ali Stroker: And she cast me as Annie.

[20:06] Josh Lamon: And hooked.

[20:08] Ali Stroker: Oh I'm so telling.

[20:09] Josh Lamon: Did you do songs from the movie?

[20:11] Ali Stroker: Oh, yeah.

[20:12] Josh Lamon: I Alan can vouch for me that before you got here, I was singing, Dom Dog, why are you following me?

[20:21] Ali Stroker: It's the best movie musical ever made.

[20:24] Josh Lamon: Well, that's I remember that summer watching the movie musical over and over and over again.

[20:30] Ali Stroker: Just to like learn every single thing about it.

[20:34] Josh Lamon: Yeah, you know, my favorite person in the movie.

[20:37] Ali Stroker: I call her Heather.

[20:39] Josh Lamon: I don't know what her real name is.

[20:40] Ali Stroker: But she's the little adorable blonde girl that goes, Rova, who won you think it all?

[20:48] Josh Lamon: And I can just see her mom on the side being like, Heather, smile, Heather!

[20:51] Ali Stroker: Heather!

[20:52] Josh Lamon: Like, just oh I'm like, I just popped the full like microphone into my face.

[20:57] Ali Stroker: But like I'm that I imagine her like on the sides, like um, you know, in the parents, I don't know if you ever watched like kids.

[21:06] Josh Lamon: Well, anytime you see a kid performer, you're I'm always just like looking for the parent.

[21:11] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[21:12] Josh Lamon: And then like watching them do what they the kids are doing on on stage or like or like on screen.

[21:20] Ali Stroker: It is so terrifying to me.

[21:22] Josh Lamon: I'm like, I'm so glad I didn't have a stage mom.

[21:25] Ali Stroker: I'm so upset that I didn't have a sage mom.

[21:28] Josh Lamon: You would have loved it.

[21:29] Ali Stroker: I needed it.

[21:30] Josh Lamon: I was like, kids incorporated or fucking bust.

[21:34] Ali Stroker: I was like four, and when my mom was like, I'm not getting you an agent.

[21:38] Josh Lamon: I swear to god, I was like, you know, I pick the home one day.

[21:38] Ali Stroker: I pick the home one day.

[21:44] Josh Lamon: Enjoy this.

[21:45] Ali Stroker: Enjoy this.

[21:46] Josh Lamon: And let me tell you why.

[21:47] Ali Stroker: Like she had her hands full.

[21:50] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[21:50] Ali Stroker: You were ready.

[21:51] Josh Lamon: That poor woman.

[21:52] Ali Stroker: It's all I wanted.

[21:54] Josh Lamon: Did you have siblings?

[21:55] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I have an older sister and a little brother.

[21:57] Josh Lamon: Amazing.

[21:58] Ali Stroker: And were they no?

[21:59] Josh Lamon: I mean, my sister liked to sing.

[22:01] Ali Stroker: She sang a Jewish folk song at her middle school talent show.

[22:06] Josh Lamon: Um, called, oh god, what was it called?

[22:09] Ali Stroker: Um, the old child dream dreams and the youth child see visions, maybe.

[22:15] Josh Lamon: I don't know.

[22:16] Ali Stroker: My mom wanted me to be like a Jewish folk singer, I think.

[22:19] Josh Lamon: Amazing.

[22:20] Ali Stroker: And you were not.

[22:21] Josh Lamon: No, I'm just not religious.

[22:23] Ali Stroker: So maybe I could be like the Lizzo of Jewish folk singers, but then there'd be a controversy about how I don't like go to synagogue and then you know, the whole thing would be revealed.

[22:35] Josh Lamon: It would be crumbled, and then I'd be Roxy in Chicago for a few weeks.

[22:41] Ali Stroker: That's the dream.

[22:41] Josh Lamon: That's the next thing.

[22:42] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[22:43] Josh Lamon: For you.

[22:44] Ali Stroker: When did you move to New York?

[22:45] Josh Lamon: I moved to New York when I was 18 because I went to NYU.

[22:48] Ali Stroker: Oh my gosh.

[22:49] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[22:49] Ali Stroker: Was that incredible or was that really scary?

[22:51] Josh Lamon: I loved it.

[22:52] Ali Stroker: I was really excited about being here.

[22:54] Josh Lamon: I thought it was just the greatest thing in the world to be in New York at 18 and wake up on like a Saturday morning and just like have the city at my fingertips.

[23:05] Ali Stroker: And now I'm sort of like exhausted by it.

[23:08] Josh Lamon: Uh-huh.

[23:08] Ali Stroker: Sort of like looking for what might be like the next great place to live.

[23:15] Josh Lamon: Just as far as quality of life, because I think as you get older, you just want different things.

[23:21] Ali Stroker: And even though I have lived out of the city before and I missed it terribly, so maybe I just need a vacation.

[23:27] Josh Lamon: But I live um, I live in Chelsea, and that neighborhood has been sort of it's just changed so fast.

[23:38] Ali Stroker: Because of Hudson Yards and the High Line and Chelsea Market.

[23:42] Josh Lamon: So sort of it's become full tourism when it used to be totally a neighborhood.

[23:49] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[23:49] Josh Lamon: But that's okay.

[23:50] Ali Stroker: Um New York changes and and so do I.

[23:53] Josh Lamon: So I always have to find my next my next sort of spot.

[23:58] Ali Stroker: Where do you live?

[23:59] Josh Lamon: I live in Woodside, Queens.

[24:01] Ali Stroker: And what brought me out there was sort of the same feeling.

[24:05] Josh Lamon: I was living in Manhattan for so long.

[24:07] Ali Stroker: I lived in Washington Heights and by Lincoln Center.

[24:09] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[24:09] Ali Stroker: And eventually I was like, I hate this.

[24:11] Josh Lamon: I don't want to be around all these people.

[24:13] Ali Stroker: Um Washington Heights every fucking night in the summer until three in the morning, it was like outside the window.

[24:23] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[24:23] Ali Stroker: And so I moved to Queens.

[24:26] Josh Lamon: I love it.

[24:26] Ali Stroker: It's quiet.

[24:27] Josh Lamon: But um the older I get, and I've been here for 16 years.

[24:32] Ali Stroker: The older I get, I'm like, maybe I want to be able to drive.

[24:37] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[24:38] Ali Stroker: And not be here if I'm not working.

[24:41] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[24:42] Ali Stroker: Maybe I want to be near a lake.

[24:44] Josh Lamon: Okay.

[24:44] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[24:45] Josh Lamon: You know?

[24:45] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[24:46] Josh Lamon: So you moved.

[24:49] Ali Stroker: I haven't moved.

[24:50] Josh Lamon: I'm just thinking, I'm just fantasizing about it now.

[24:53] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[24:53] Josh Lamon: I mean, I I keep fantasizing about like the getaway house somewhere.

[24:59] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[25:00] Josh Lamon: I grew up going to the Jersey Shore, so that is sort of like I love, I love, love, love the beach.

[25:08] Ali Stroker: Me too.

[25:09] Josh Lamon: But I but it's also crowded.

[25:12] Ali Stroker: I mean, not in the off season, but in the summer, it's like being in midtown.

[25:16] Josh Lamon: Ugh.

[25:16] Ali Stroker: It's so it's so crowded.

[25:19] Josh Lamon: But yeah, I I also have some friends that like have houses in the Poconos and things like that.

[25:24] Ali Stroker: And that sounds kind of appealing.

[25:25] Josh Lamon: It's I think.

[25:27] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I haven't really like done uh you know, or like Hudson, New York.

[25:31] Josh Lamon: People have like little places, but I haven't really explored it yet.

[25:36] Ali Stroker: So you know Chris Sieber?

[25:38] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[25:39] Ali Stroker: He lives on a lake, but he and his husband own an island in the middle of the lake.

[25:45] Josh Lamon: And in the summer, they just live on the island.

[25:49] Ali Stroker: What?

[25:49] Josh Lamon: I know.

[25:50] Ali Stroker: Seriously.

[25:50] Josh Lamon: He rowboats to fucking like when he has to go to work.

[25:54] Ali Stroker: There's two houses there, a guest house and their house.

[25:57] Josh Lamon: And he will rowboat to the other side to drive to work.

[26:00] Ali Stroker: What?

[26:01] Josh Lamon: Isn't that bonkers?

[26:02] Ali Stroker: But I sort of want it.

[26:04] Josh Lamon: Yeah, that sounds amazing.

[26:06] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[26:06] Josh Lamon: I mean, so different than midtown manette.

[26:11] Ali Stroker: I mean, why not?

[26:12] Josh Lamon: I can't rowboat anywhere in Manhattan.

[26:15] Ali Stroker: No.

[26:16] Josh Lamon: Sir.

[26:17] Ali Stroker: Well, I guess you can go to Central Park and go out on the rowboats, but that's a whole lot.

[26:21] Josh Lamon: Yeah, that's a lot of work.

[26:23] Ali Stroker: And is it humid?

[26:25] Josh Lamon: Is it snowing?

[26:26] Ali Stroker: Truly.

[26:27] Josh Lamon: Is it crowded?

[26:28] Ali Stroker: That's the other thing.

[26:29] Josh Lamon: Being a Californian, I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to all the seasons here.

[26:34] Ali Stroker: Yeah, it's and well, and also New York, I feel like New York winters have gotten longer.

[26:40] Josh Lamon: Uh-huh.

[26:41] Ali Stroker: And summers have gotten hotter.

[26:43] Josh Lamon: I know it's not good.

[26:44] Ali Stroker: No, well, the world is ending.

[26:48] Josh Lamon: Hope none of you want to have kids.

[26:51] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[26:52] Josh Lamon: Well, you know.

[26:54] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[26:54] Josh Lamon: Uh, so Oklahoma.

[26:57] Ali Stroker: Oh, wait, wait.

[26:59] Josh Lamon: We're gonna we're gonna go back.

[27:00] Ali Stroker: Okay.

[27:01] Josh Lamon: So your great grandmother's name is Anna.

[27:03] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[27:03] Josh Lamon: And wasn't that your character's name on your Broadway debut?

[27:06] Ali Stroker: It was.

[27:07] Josh Lamon: It was amazing.

[27:09] Ali Stroker: It was amazing.

[27:10] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[27:11] Ali Stroker: I I also knew her.

[27:13] Josh Lamon: I knew my great grandmother.

[27:14] Ali Stroker: She lived till she was a hundred.

[27:15] Josh Lamon: Oh wow.

[27:16] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[27:17] Josh Lamon: So that was that was my relationship with her and making my Broadway debut and playing that character.

[27:24] Ali Stroker: Was she with us when you found out that you were playing the role on Broadway?

[27:28] Ali Stroker: No, she was no longer. But she was she was amazing. She was such an amazing woman. And that, you know, doing doing Spring Awakening. Um, and that being my Broadway debut with Deaf West was so cool.

[27:43] Ali Stroker: Yeah. Whoa. It was amazing.

[27:46] Ali Stroker: Oh powerful. Thank you. I went to your uh the invited dress.

[27:50] Josh Lamon: Oh, cool.

[27:51] Ali Stroker: And I remember, you know, people started coming out on stage and everybody got super, super, super quiet.

[27:58] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[27:58] Ali Stroker: And then I think Alex Wise looked out and was like, you can all keep talking. Like we're we're not the show hasn't started yet.

[28:07] Josh Lamon: Of course he did.

[28:08] Ali Stroker: Of course he did. He was like, guys, don't worry, everything's fine. Don't worry, keep talking. This is pre-show. Hilarious.

[28:16] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[28:17] Ali Stroker: Uh I love it. Did you have to learn sign language for that?

[28:20] Josh Lamon: Yeah. Have you been asked that eight million times?

[28:22] Ali Stroker: Yes.

[28:23] Ali Stroker: Yeah. Alan, stop coughing. This is why you're the worst producer in the world. You're gonna make Dory jump out the window.

[28:31] Ali Stroker: Um so how hard was that? Was it hard or was it enjoyable? Learning sign language for that process, it wasn't it was challenging.

[28:46] Ali Stroker: I found learning all the lyrics to the songs the hardest part because it had to be in time. So that took a while, but you know, when you need to learn a language out of necessity, you learn it faster because half the cast was deaf, and I wanted to know them and communicate with them and be friends with them.

[29:11] Ali Stroker: So I learned sign language because I needed and wanted to.

[29:16] Ali Stroker: Yeah. And uh, and that that was really cool. That was very, very special.

[29:22] Ali Stroker: And then um, when I did when we did the show in New York, uh, there were like so many people who were deaf who came to see it.

[29:32] Ali Stroker: And that was cool to be able to communicate with them. And then I still run into friends from Spring Awakening, and then people that are deaf who you know I meet in life, I can communicate with as well.

[29:46] Ali Stroker: So it's really I think it's such a beautiful language. It's sort of a perfect language for a performer because it is sort of like acting out the words, yeah, in some way.

[29:56] Josh Lamon: Well, my favorite part about it, same thing with the Big River revival, is that when they were singing and doing the sign language, it was it was like a new form of dance.

[30:07] Ali Stroker: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It was super powerful.

[30:11] Josh Lamon: And you got to work with my hero, Cameron Mannheim.

[30:14] Ali Stroker: Ah love Cameron. She's the best.

[30:18] Ali Stroker: My hero.

[30:19] Josh Lamon: Yeah, she's amazing.

[30:21] Ali Stroker: Every time I see her in public, I'm way too shy to like say hi. But I've read her book.

[30:26] Ali Stroker: My character in Hair was called Manny Canheim because I looked like a young Cameron Manheim.

[30:33] Ali Stroker: Um so I just imagine that I was her. I'm obsessed with that.

[30:37] Ali Stroker: Um her book Wake Up I'm Fat is like for me, like as a bigger person, I was like, Yeah, s yes, wake up. I am and I'm proud of it. And I love myself. You know, it was very empowering.

[30:52] Ali Stroker: She is so I mean, to this day I still reach out to her and like we're friends and I always ask her advice on things.

[31:00] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[31:01] Ali Stroker: She's just so amazing and grounded and real and loves life and art.

[31:10] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[31:11] Ali Stroker: She's just really special.

[31:12] Josh Lamon: Well, you should read her book. It's incredible.

[31:14] Ali Stroker: And um yeah, she should have gotten a a Tony or five for that performance.

[31:20] Josh Lamon: Yeah, that was an amazing performance.

[31:22] Ali Stroker: Was it a was it an amazing experience?

[31:25] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[31:25] Ali Stroker: Yeah, it really was. It changed my life.

[31:28] Ali Stroker: Yeah. I mean, you know, when you dream about being on Broadway your whole life and then you do it, you're like, Whoa.

[31:34] Ali Stroker: Yeah. This is crazy. But then also to get to do it and know that the deaf community could come to see a musical on Broadway and understand it.

[31:46] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[31:46] Ali Stroker: That's pretty cool.

[31:47] Ali Stroker: Yeah. You know, I'm very sensitive to that being someone with a disability and being in a wheelchair. There are things in life and in the in in our world that I can't do.

[31:58] Ali Stroker: And when people make accommodations so that I can, it just means a lot to me. And it also is very special because I don't take those experiences for granted.

[32:09] Josh Lamon: Sure.

[32:09] Ali Stroker: The thing that shocked me the most was that you were and I didn't know this at the time that you were the first person to be, you know, with different abilities in a chair on Broadway.

[32:22] Josh Lamon: That floored me.

[32:23] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I was pretty surprised too. Uh I remember when we were talking about it and I was like, we should probably check.

[32:31] Ali Stroker: Cause this doesn't seem right. It was 2015.

[32:34] Ali Stroker: Yeah. But it was the truth. There had never been anybody in a wheelchair on Broadway.

[32:41] Ali Stroker: And, you know, I grew up coming to see shows, living so close, and I never saw anybody with a disability or a visible disability that is.

[32:49] Ali Stroker: And I think one of one of my major motivations when things get really hard or frustrating or feel like it's too much is thinking about my younger self and how badly I needed to see someone like me represented in on TV, in movies, on stage.

[33:12] Ali Stroker: I just it's very powerful as a young person. I don't know if you have anything similar to this, to not see yourself counted.

[33:19] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[33:19] Ali Stroker: Yeah. Because you wonder if things are possible instead of realizing these are possible for me and I can do this.

[33:27] Ali Stroker: And I was just so lucky to have such a a huge and strong support system that was always telling me I could do something.

[33:35] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[33:35] Ali Stroker: You know, and so I but there are many people out there that need they need to see that representation in order to know that something is possible.

[33:47] Ali Stroker: So you know, when when all that happened, it was it was really exciting and and also to do it alongside you know, with Deaf West, it was sort of like a perfect coming together of, you know, I was I had never done a show with other people with disabilities before that and then we were doing it on Broadway, it just felt so exciting.

[34:11] Josh Lamon: Well, it was exciting, and I think it was a wake-up call for our industry.

[34:17] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[34:18] Ali Stroker: For inclusion.

[34:19] Josh Lamon: Yeah, especially the theater world, you know.

[34:21] Ali Stroker: I I've always felt like theater is sort of not sort of thor theater is theater is an older art form.

[34:32] Ali Stroker: So there's a lot more traditional elements and inclusion didn't come into play until a little bit later.

[34:45] Josh Lamon: True.

[34:45] Ali Stroker: In my opinion. Even going to going to shows as a kid in the nineties, it just felt like everyone was white.

[34:53] Josh Lamon: Because everyone was white.

[34:54] Ali Stroker: Because everyone was. It didn't feel like it it was.

[34:58] Ali Stroker: So, you know, it's it's it's very powerful, I think, to begin to create more representation on Broadway in in every aspect.

[35:11] Josh Lamon: Now, with that said, 'cause I agree, it is so important for for people to be able to see themselves in shows on stage and film, whatever.

[35:22] Ali Stroker: And for me, like I don't have the same experiences other than like now and then at stage doors like another heavy person will be like, hey, I've never seen myself in a Broadway show before and thank you.

[35:34] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[35:35] Ali Stroker: But with that aside, do you find like there's some sort of extra responsibility that you didn't necessarily foresee in the sense of oh now I represent this.

[35:50] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[35:51] Ali Stroker: I do feel that way. And sometimes I am hard on myself that I am not the right person because I spend my time advocating for myself, which then ends up helping the disabled community.

[36:11] Ali Stroker: But I especially at this point in my life because of my career and I'm not able to do as much in a bigger picture um like for the community and you know people would argue with me and they're like well you representing and and but like I I do feel like I'm hard on myself sometimes that I'm not doing enough.

[36:36] Josh Lamon: Interesting.

[36:36] Ali Stroker: Or that I'm not representing it's also difficult within the disabled community there's so many different kinds of disabilities.

[36:46] Ali Stroker: I have a very specific disability in that I use a wheelchair, you know, and then I have a visible disability is a physical disability.

[36:54] Ali Stroker: But there are so many disabilities across the board that it's hard to advocate for everyone.

[36:59] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[36:59] Ali Stroker: And I think being an advocate is also a loaded responsibility.

[37:06] Ali Stroker: So I do my best.

[37:10] Josh Lamon: Well, I find it interesting that you're in a situation where, and it's not new for people, but like, did you did you have an interest in being a role model to people?

[37:23] Ali Stroker: Or was that something that was like, oh, I'm a role model now.

[37:27] Ali Stroker: I think it was sort of like, oh, I'm a role model now.

[37:33] Ali Stroker: Um, but I always, I grew up, my my mom and dad were always talking about how important it was to help people.

[37:43] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[37:44] Ali Stroker: And that it's not just about you all the time.

[37:48] Ali Stroker: And I remember this even at a young age when I was 11 years old. I was a part of a singing group called the Kids for Kids Project, and we raised money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

[37:58] Ali Stroker: And so it was like I was able to do what I loved, and also I was helping other people.

[38:04] Ali Stroker: And that to me, when I get opportunities to do that specifically, feels like I'm in my purpose.

[38:14] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[38:15] Ali Stroker: And so, you know, I was I was saying just the other day, like I really am looking forward to having some time to do some more volunteer stuff, which I've done a lot of, and I just haven't had the time.

[38:27] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[38:27] Ali Stroker: Well, you you had a few things, right?

[38:30] Josh Lamon: A few charities.

[38:32] Ali Stroker: Yeah, yeah.

[38:32] Ali Stroker: Yeah. I um there was a nonprofit that I worked with called um Be More Heroic out in Los Angeles, and it was an anti-bullying, pro love, pro action campaign, and we sang and did a show in schools all around California and actually all around the country.

[38:50] Ali Stroker: And then I I've done things with um with A Step um and an organization called Arts Inside Out where we traveled to South Africa.

[39:02] Josh Lamon: Oh, right.

[39:03] Ali Stroker: For uh people with HIV yeah, yeah.

[39:05] Ali Stroker: Women and children living um with HIV or affected by HIV and many, many different kinds of organizations that I have have worked with.

[39:15] Ali Stroker: And all of that feels so good because sometimes I just don't want the attention to be on me.

[39:23] Josh Lamon: Yeah, no, that makes sense.

[39:25] Ali Stroker: Sometimes it just feels really good to get out of my head and just help someone else and be there for someone else.

[39:34] Ali Stroker: And uh it's just refreshing.

[39:36] Ali Stroker: Yeah for me.

[39:37] Ali Stroker: So so I really am looking forward to doing more of that as things, you know, when when the show is done and I have a little bit more of a normal schedule.

[39:50] Ali Stroker: I've never done a run this long. It's hard. People don't know that.

[39:54] Josh Lamon: Yeah, it's very hard.

[39:56] Ali Stroker: I didn't know how hard it was.

[39:58] Ali Stroker: I totally went into this, like, oh yeah, I got this. And I was like, whoa, this is so intense.

[40:04] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[40:05] Ali Stroker: And yeah, I I'm just also in a different place in my life, I think, than I was when I was doing Spring Awakening.

[40:13] Ali Stroker: And so there are just other other things like wanting to see my family more and wanting to have my relationship and um trying to take care of my body that is crying out and needing care all the time because I'm using it so much, yeah.

[40:31] Josh Lamon: But but yeah, it's it is it is full out.

[40:36] Josh Lamon: Yeah, well, performing on Broadway or touring, I feel like is sort of Silence of the Lambs on your body, you know.

[40:43] Ali Stroker: Like for me, I've had so many knee issues over the years that it's like have the knees stop screaming, Claddies, and um truly, you know, that's how I'm feeling about my wrists right now.

[40:59] Ali Stroker: My wrists are like, Inna!

[41:03] Ali Stroker: Are you so sick of chili or do you like it?

[41:06] Josh Lamon: I never eat it.

[41:08] Ali Stroker: But the smell is very present all the time.

[41:13] Josh Lamon: I never ever eat it.

[41:14] Ali Stroker: I have it like I've had it maybe twice.

[41:16] Josh Lamon: Okay, so I just it's not something that I indulge in.

[41:22] Ali Stroker: Sure.

[41:22] Josh Lamon: But a lot of the cast eats the cornbread like night.

[41:27] Ali Stroker: Well, yeah, it's cornbread.

[41:29] Josh Lamon: It's cornbread, and it's kind of like I call it cake.

[41:32] Ali Stroker: It's corn cake.

[41:33] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[41:33] Ali Stroker: It's like so delicious and sweet.

[41:35] Josh Lamon: Um, but no, I don't usually eat it.

[41:38] Ali Stroker: I also have a change right after we have like this moment at the top of act two, and then I have a change.

[41:46] Josh Lamon: So kind of like when people are over like eating is when I'm getting into a different costume.

[41:51] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[41:52] Josh Lamon: So but now that you have a Tony, you could be like, I need another dresser to feed me corn cake.

[41:57] Ali Stroker: They'd have to do it.

[41:59] Josh Lamon: They'd have to.

[42:01] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[42:02] Josh Lamon: I can't imagine what management would be like if I said everyone.

[42:08] Ali Stroker: You can carry the award with you and hit people if they don't do what you want.

[42:13] Josh Lamon: Corn cake!

[42:14] Ali Stroker: Corn cake.

[42:16] Josh Lamon: I would carry that statue everywhere, especially to notes.

[42:20] Ali Stroker: I would just hold it during a note session.

[42:22] Josh Lamon: And then when they gave when they were like, Allie, I've got a note.

[42:26] Ali Stroker: You could just smile and hand it to the dresser and then just stand over there.

[42:30] Josh Lamon: Write it down and then grab the award back and go.

[42:33] Ali Stroker: Can you imagine?

[42:36] Josh Lamon: You're like, I'd do it.

[42:39] Ali Stroker: I have not done it.

[42:40] Josh Lamon: Okay, where is it?

[42:42] Ali Stroker: It's on my nightstand.

[42:44] Josh Lamon: Oh my gosh.

[42:45] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[42:46] Josh Lamon: Have you named it?

[42:47] Ali Stroker: I have not.

[42:48] Josh Lamon: Do people name it?

[42:49] Ali Stroker: I don't know, but why not?

[42:50] Josh Lamon: I think it's hard of funny.

[42:52] Ali Stroker: That would be very Brenda.

[42:54] Josh Lamon: She's a Tony.

[42:56] Ali Stroker: She's a lot lighter than she looks.

[42:59] Josh Lamon: Yeah, right.

[43:00] Ali Stroker: Um that it's so heavy.

[43:03] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[43:04] Ali Stroker: It's so heavy.

[43:05] Josh Lamon: It's like, it feels like it's about five, six pounds.

[43:08] Ali Stroker: You could work out with it if you wanted.

[43:09] Josh Lamon: I know.

[43:10] Ali Stroker: Just some curls.

[43:11] Josh Lamon: Do a few curls.

[43:12] Ali Stroker: Just some reps.

[43:13] Josh Lamon: Truly.

[43:14] Ali Stroker: Truly.

[43:15] Josh Lamon: I would love to watch that aerobic video.

[43:17] Ali Stroker: Like, okay, everybody grab your awards.

[43:19] Josh Lamon: Yeah, exactly.

[43:21] Ali Stroker: Literally.

[43:22] Josh Lamon: Just like bench pressing all your awards.

[43:24] Ali Stroker: That's what fit for Broadway and all that other kind of bullshit is, which pisses me off.

[43:29] Josh Lamon: Yes.

[43:30] Ali Stroker: By the way, I love them, but there's a lot of different types on Broadway, and we all have a hard job, and we're all fit for Broadway, you fuckers.

[43:40] Josh Lamon: That's right.

[43:41] Ali Stroker: And that's what I have to say about that.

[43:42] Josh Lamon: I hope I don't get hate mail about it.

[43:44] Ali Stroker: Right.

[43:44] Josh Lamon: We are all fit.

[43:46] Ali Stroker: Yeah, we're all fit for Brock.

[43:48] Josh Lamon: Thank you very much.

[43:49] Ali Stroker: Um I simply adore you and worship the candy coated ground that you walk on.

[43:57] Josh Lamon: Thank you.

[43:57] Ali Stroker: What was it like when you got the call saying that you got 8010?

[44:02] Josh Lamon: I was in Cleveland in a parking garage.

[44:06] Ali Stroker: Why were you in Cleveland in a parking garage?

[44:10] Josh Lamon: I was doing spelling bee at Cleveland Playhouse.

[44:13] Ali Stroker: Oh, that's a good reason with Chad Burris.

[44:16] Josh Lamon: Chad!

[44:17] Ali Stroker: I love him!

[44:18] Josh Lamon: Yeah, yeah.

[44:20] Ali Stroker: And I got the call that I got the park.

[44:23] Josh Lamon: Holy shit.

[44:23] Ali Stroker: Yeah, it was crazy.

[44:25] Josh Lamon: But this was for St.

[44:26] Ali Stroker: Anne.

[44:26] Josh Lamon: St.

[44:26] Ali Stroker: Anne's.

[44:27] Josh Lamon: Have you ever had you ever seen anything there?

[44:30] Ali Stroker: Yes, I had.

[44:32] Josh Lamon: Um, I had seen a show that I'm blanking on the name when I was in college.

[44:39] Ali Stroker: Okay.

[44:39] Josh Lamon: Um, I had gone out, it was a different space, but I always really respected St.

[44:43] Ali Stroker: Anne's.

[44:44] Josh Lamon: I thought they were really, really good.

[44:45] Ali Stroker: I love them.

[44:46] Josh Lamon: I saw Let the Right One in there like two times.

[44:49] Ali Stroker: Uh the um Oh god, streetcar named Desire with Oh, what's her name from X-Files?

[44:57] Josh Lamon: Jillian.

[44:59] Ali Stroker: I know who you're talking about.

[45:00] Josh Lamon: Anderson, thank you, thank you.

[45:02] Ali Stroker: Alan, thank you.

[45:03] Josh Lamon: Thank you for stepping up today.

[45:05] Ali Stroker: I appreciate that.

[45:06] Josh Lamon: I love you.

[45:08] Ali Stroker: Um and uh I didn't get to see it that summer.

[45:12] Josh Lamon: I forget what I was doing, but it was also pretty much just sold out everywhere.

[45:17] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[45:17] Josh Lamon: And then it was.

[45:19] Ali Stroker: Did you know that?

[45:21] Josh Lamon: Like, did you have a feeling that it was gonna transfer?

[45:24] Ali Stroker: No.

[45:25] Josh Lamon: I did not think it was going to transfer to Broadway.

[45:29] Ali Stroker: I thought it was maybe gonna transfer to London.

[45:32] Josh Lamon: Ooh.

[45:33] Ali Stroker: Because I just thought, well, the show is just really different.

[45:39] Josh Lamon: And it and I I'm so thrilled that it transferred to Broadway because I think a show like that does belong on Broadway.

[45:48] Ali Stroker: Absolutely.

[45:48] Josh Lamon: But in so many ways, I wasn't sure how commercial audiences were going to receive it.

[45:54] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[45:55] Josh Lamon: I was just like, I don't know how this.

[46:05] Ali Stroker: Oh, that's the spot.

[46:09] Josh Lamon: The perfect space.

[46:10] Ali Stroker: Yeah, it was perfect.

[46:11] Josh Lamon: It was all the timing was just right.

[46:13] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[46:14] Josh Lamon: So, and here we are.

[46:16] Ali Stroker: And here you are.

[46:17] Josh Lamon: Here I am.

[46:18] Ali Stroker: It's crazy to even say that, Josh, because the only way I know how to describe this is when you're in an experience that like this, it's you have no perspective.

[46:27] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[46:28] Ali Stroker: And to like even think about like, oh, remember when I was like, oh, once in this island is closing, and this could go to Broadway.

[46:40] Josh Lamon: I just still can't believe that like that was only months ago.

[46:46] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[46:47] Josh Lamon: And all of this has happened.

[46:50] Ali Stroker: And anyway, I'm sure in a year I will look back and be like, whoa.

[46:56] Josh Lamon: That was insane.

[46:58] Ali Stroker: And life is so crazy like that.

[47:00] Josh Lamon: As a performer, one minute you're dreaming of something, and the next you're just in it.

[47:05] Ali Stroker: And in many ways, right now I'm trying to survive it.

[47:08] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[47:10] Ali Stroker: And I just love, I love doing the show.

[47:14] Josh Lamon: And for anybody who's listening who is not yet in um a position of being on Broadway, you know, it's it is really, really a full, full experience of really amazing things and also a lot of really challenging things.

[47:35] Ali Stroker: And I think that when you think about your dreams and what you want and what you want to achieve, you never really know what it's gonna be like when you get there, but I really could never have known what this was going to be like when I arrived here.

[47:53] Josh Lamon: What were what are some of the things that took you by surprise?

[47:59] Ali Stroker: I think how exhausted I've been.

[48:03] Josh Lamon: I've never been this tired in my life, and that's sort of boring to talk about.

[48:08] Ali Stroker: Like people want to know all the good stuff, but but I I think as a performer, you are already so full.

[48:18] Josh Lamon: I feel like the best performers are people that have things that need that they need to get off their chest.

[48:24] Ali Stroker: They have a lot going on inside, and I do, but I also have always really one of the things I've always loved about myself is I've I've always felt like a pretty even keeled person.

[48:37] Josh Lamon: And this experience has made me more emotional, and I think because I'm more tired.

[48:45] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[48:46] Josh Lamon: So and I also another thing is the world projects so much onto you as like about who you are and what they want you to be.

[49:01] Ali Stroker: And sometimes it gets confusing when you're alone with yourself to figure out who you are.

[49:08] Josh Lamon: Because people are telling me and introducing me in a certain way.

[49:13] Ali Stroker: But like that is that is a public persona.

[49:18] Josh Lamon: And who you are Saturday mornings when you wake up and are drinking coffee is the person who needs taking care of.

[49:31] Ali Stroker: Because your public persona will be taken care of.

[49:34] Josh Lamon: By the world and by the way that people want you to be.

[49:42] Ali Stroker: But the private person, I think is where I am so surprised.

[49:46] Josh Lamon: I'm like, oh, like I really don't want to be social.

[49:50] Ali Stroker: I don't want to be, I kind of want to listen and I want to learn and I wanna I want different things.

[49:57] Josh Lamon: I want peace, I want like serenity, I want calmness.

[50:01] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[50:02] Josh Lamon: Things that I never craved before this experience.

[50:06] Ali Stroker: Sure.

[50:07] Josh Lamon: I mean, I can identify in the sense that I've always been very much like the classic clown.

[50:13] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[50:14] Josh Lamon: And people will be like, oh, do you have a roommate?

[50:17] Ali Stroker: Oh, I bet it's so much fun to live with you.

[50:18] Josh Lamon: And I'm like, no.

[50:20] Ali Stroker: Right.

[50:21] Josh Lamon: When I get off the subway, I just sort of like shut down in a way that not in a bad way, but I just I don't want to talk.

[50:30] Ali Stroker: I don't even want to watch TV.

[50:32] Josh Lamon: I wanna I turn on music.

[50:34] Ali Stroker: Yes.

[50:35] Josh Lamon: And I sit there.

[50:36] Ali Stroker: Yes.

[50:37] Josh Lamon: And you know, go through magazines or just like sit and listen.

[50:41] Ali Stroker: I also think that, you know, our world has changed so much in how many screens there are.

[50:47] Josh Lamon: Yes.

[50:48] Ali Stroker: And I feel very grateful that my job doesn't involve screens.

[50:53] Josh Lamon: You know, that I when when I go to work and I'm performing, I don't have to deal with a computer.

[50:59] Ali Stroker: But so much of the outside world and you know the press and communication and all of that is all on screens.

[51:07] Josh Lamon: And so I find myself some days feeling like I've been on the screen for so long and I'm sick of it.

[51:16] Ali Stroker: And it doesn't necessarily make me feel good to be on my phone a lot.

[51:21] Josh Lamon: So I try to be really conscious.

[51:24] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[51:25] Josh Lamon: And you know, the social media part of it too.

[51:28] Ali Stroker: I'm not, I'm not very active.

[51:31] Josh Lamon: And I'm sure people have a lot of opinions about when you are in a public position that you should be.

[51:41] Ali Stroker: But I honestly believe that my gift is who I am, like in person with people, not who I am on screen with people.

[51:53] Josh Lamon: And you know, at some point, if I do TV and film, like that's a different kind of situation.

[51:59] Ali Stroker: But I I don't I don't I've let go of feeling I used to feel guilty about not doing more and I've sort of let go of that and I'm like, I am giving everything I have in my work every night.

[52:15] Josh Lamon: And at some point, if I you know I'm not doing eight shows a week, then maybe I'll have more time and do do more social media.

[52:22] Ali Stroker: But right now that's not I I that's not what I can give.

[52:27] Josh Lamon: I don't want that for you when you have done time.

[52:29] Ali Stroker: I want you to be at a beach without the phone.

[52:32] Josh Lamon: Thank you.

[52:32] Ali Stroker: Yes, me too, me too.

[52:34] Josh Lamon: I give you permission to have your boyfriend be like, post the picture, and these are the hashtags you can use, and these are the emojis you can use.

[52:42] Ali Stroker: Do not fuck this up or no more enchiladas.

[52:46] Josh Lamon: You're not gonna get any more of my enchiladas.

[52:49] Ali Stroker: Threat.

[52:49] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[52:50] Ali Stroker: Full threats over enchiladas.

[52:51] Josh Lamon: See, that really works in relationships.

[52:53] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I think so too.

[52:55] Josh Lamon: You have to hold them hostage.

[52:57] Ali Stroker: Or else they just torment you and abuse you.

[53:00] Josh Lamon: Exactly.

[53:01] Ali Stroker: You know, you really have to set down the rules.

[53:03] Josh Lamon: Exactly.

[53:04] Ali Stroker: I'm a big fan, Alan knows this, of paper cuts.

[53:07] Josh Lamon: If you do something that is not right, you get a paper cut.

[53:13] Ali Stroker: Uh, and and so you should.

[53:15] Josh Lamon: And so you should.

[53:16] Ali Stroker: It's in the Bible.

[53:17] Josh Lamon: It's in the Atticus 1712.

[53:21] Ali Stroker: Atticus?

[53:22] Josh Lamon: Atticus?

[53:23] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[53:23] Josh Lamon: Okay, yeah, obviously I'm super Jewish.

[53:26] Ali Stroker: Wait, yay, me.

[53:27] Josh Lamon: Wait, are you Jewish?

[53:28] Ali Stroker: I'm not.

[53:29] Josh Lamon: I want you to be.

[53:29] Ali Stroker: Well, my boyfriend's Jewish.

[53:33] Josh Lamon: So that counts.

[53:33] Ali Stroker: So we celebrate all holidays.

[53:36] Josh Lamon: I don't know why, but I just want to go back in time and like be friends with you growing up and go to your bot mitzvah, which you never had.

[53:42] Ali Stroker: I didn't have one, but I went to a number of them.

[53:46] Josh Lamon: Yeah, yeah.

[53:47] Ali Stroker: It's so fun.

[53:47] Josh Lamon: Oh my god.

[53:48] Ali Stroker: I loved going to bar and bot mitzvahs so fucking much.

[53:55] Josh Lamon: But actually now I do wonder because you know there's so much talk about you know gender identity and all that kind of stuff.

[54:02] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[54:03] Josh Lamon: What is the non binary mitzvah?

[54:03] Ali Stroker: Mitzvah.

[54:03] Josh Lamon: Mitzvah mitzvah.

[54:09] Ali Stroker: We're just gonna call it mitzvah mitzvah.

[54:11] Josh Lamon: Or what about mitzvah?

[54:13] Ali Stroker: Ba mitzvah or so no ba bot or bar.

[54:17] Josh Lamon: What if we make it even more exciting and call it like mitzvah 5000?

[54:22] Ali Stroker: Ooh, I like that.

[54:23] Josh Lamon: Fuck yeah.

[54:24] Ali Stroker: I love that.

[54:24] Josh Lamon: All right.

[54:25] Ali Stroker: Well, listen, we're gonna start planning our mitzvah 5000 party.

[54:29] Josh Lamon: Um but we will be right back.

[54:32] Ali Stroker: Okay, so shalom and uh whole time listeners.

[54:42] Josh Lamon: Everything that's been happening to you this year, it's just amazing.

[54:46] Ali Stroker: Thanks. It's been a wild year. You're making me cry. You're so sweet. Both of you have been just very... I like I've had a really rough year, and both of you have, like, just doing your own things have inspired me and kept me going. So I appreciate everything.

[55:05] Josh Lamon: Yeah, thank you very much.

[55:08] Ali Stroker: Yeah. Um, and you know, you inspire me too.

[55:12] Josh Lamon: And, uh, yeah. Um, so you wrote a very beautiful question. Would you mind, uh, sharing it with Ali?

[55:19] Ali Stroker: Yeah, um, so I said, um, I'm disabled, I'm partially paralyzed. Um, I had nine brain tumors removed. That's another story. Um, and I'm wondering what you think are some of the ways that Broadway could become more inclusive to folks who are disabled and or have different body shapes in all aspects and stage and music design, writing. Um, and also I want to know what I can do personally and other disabled folks can do to push things in the right direction. Um, even just as a fan of Broadway. Some shows are really hard to go to, like I have stories because they're just like not accessible. And I personally love to know what I can do to help change that so that more people can have access to Broadway.

[56:04] Ali Stroker: Great question. And my first honest answer is I am still figuring that out as well, because there are just not that many people with disabilities in the theater world. That is the reality.

[56:24] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[56:24] Ali Stroker: But I think there should and can be more. And one of the things that I'm really, um, curious and interested in is to find, um, more people with different kinds of abilities to become producers.

[56:53] Ali Stroker: But the reality is that there are these theaters are old. And there needs to be construction done. There needs to be more money put into inclusivity. And, uh, Josh and I were talking earlier about how there are so many different kinds of disabilities. And people need all different kinds of accommodations. So in my opinion, the only way for things to improve is to give feedback. So if you have an experience that was not pleasant or could have been better, I think giving feedback and specific.

[57:57] Ali Stroker: Well, when you sit and you are on wheels, that no, I swear. It happens all the time in orchestras. The it's downhill. Are they ever giving you the ramp thing? It's like a wedge they shove under your wheels.

[58:13] Josh Lamon: I have to stop you from wheeling down.

[58:15] Ali Stroker: No, I have not received the ramp. But, um, but you know, little things like that, like to me, I think it would be appropriate to create a platform, um, that is, you know, level so that somebody doesn't have to worry about wheeling away while watching a show. These are just little things that I, you know, that, uh, but the only way to change things like that is with feedback. And you know, a lot of I think a lot of times feedback can be this was terrible, but this was terrible and could be better if blank.

[58:52] Ali Stroker: Um, the next thing that I, you know, that I, uh have to say to the theater community is that I think it comes down to also vision that a director and producers can envision a part being played by somebody who is not maybe traditionally what it was. And so that means somebody with different abilities or somebody, um, you know, fill in the blank. But then I also think that it is our responsibility as performers and as artists, if you want to be, you know, working at a high level to become the best actor, designer, director, whatever the role is that you can possibly be, because to blame, you know, other people for not getting opportunities that that only works to a point. I like to think about it in a more in a way that empowers me to say I'm gonna just become better and then I'm gonna be the best person in the room and then you can't not give me this part. Um, so that's kind of how I feel about, you know, it's both sides, it's directors, producers, it's the money people, but then it's also as artists to really bring our best, best, best work.

[59:22] Ali Stroker: Um, I also would love to see more, um, like something that our show does at Oklahoma that I think is really, really amazing is they bring in people to shadow so you can come and like watch and observe and, and I think there should be more programs around bringing in people with all different kinds of abilities to do that in, I have no idea.

[59:22] Josh Lamon: Yeah, yeah.

[59:22] Ali Stroker: But I, I would love to see that they, they bring in people to shadow, but I would like to see, you know, people with all different kinds of abilities come in and, and again who are interested, you know what I mean? Uh, but the accessibility thing I think is number one, you know, if there isn't access then there isn't, there isn't equal opportunity.

[1:01:20] Josh Lamon: Well isn't it true that there wasn't equal opportunity until very recently?

[1:01:26] Ali Stroker: I mean in the last like 30 years.

[1:01:29] Josh Lamon: Yeah, yeah.

[1:01:29] Ali Stroker: The ADA passed in 1990. I think it was like 1987. Isn't that bananas?

[1:01:35] Josh Lamon: It's actually, but the theaters, there's historical codes.

[1:01:38] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[1:01:38] Josh Lamon: But they don't like meet all of them.

[1:01:40] Ali Stroker: And like it's kind of like I've looked into it because I'm like, surely this can't be the case.

[1:01:45] Josh Lamon: I know.

[1:01:47] Ali Stroker: Oh we're totally accessible except for four steps.

[1:01:50] Josh Lamon: See it pisses me off so much.

[1:01:52] Ali Stroker: Historical or not, I'm not asking you to gut the fucking building.

[1:01:55] Josh Lamon: Yeah and also I always say is that a part of history that we need to hold on to yes beautiful.

[1:02:03] Ali Stroker: You're my new Hamilton.

[1:02:05] Josh Lamon: Well it's true.

[1:02:07] Ali Stroker: I really believe that I don't think that this is part of that's not, you know, that is not I, I wouldn't say that that's a part of our history that we need to be proud of and save.

[1:02:19] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[1:02:19] Ali Stroker: No.

[1:02:19] Josh Lamon: And who's the asshole that's like I disagree.

[1:02:23] Ali Stroker: I need this.

[1:02:25] Josh Lamon: Right, well people want to preserve the past but the reality is it's not necessarily good for the future.

[1:02:36] Ali Stroker: No.

[1:02:36] Josh Lamon: That's really I love that.

[1:02:38] Ali Stroker: I think I'm gonna use that in any time I should yeah it's that's really great.

[1:02:45] Josh Lamon: You should you should and you know I'm continu I continue to try to think about this all the time because people ask me what you asked, you know, like how can we make Broadway more inclusive and you know there are logistical parts of it and then there are also parts of it where there are people still in power that are they don't think about it.

[1:03:09] Ali Stroker: It's like it's the last, it's the last minority in my opinion that is considered when we think of diversity.

[1:03:18] Josh Lamon: And I think I like to think more closely about why.

[1:03:22] Ali Stroker: And that's when all of my activism begins because I think that, um, exposure is so important and the world needs to see people with all different kinds of abilities out there.

[1:03:38] Josh Lamon: And we are, you know, and so, um, and but I do look at our history right and it's only been 30 years that we've had equal access to the world.

[1:03:49] Ali Stroker: And even that, you know, so many parts of the world are not accessible and so many parts of this country are not.

[1:03:55] Ali Stroker: And so you know what I said at the beginning about like giving your feedback using your voice using these platforms, these social media platforms, you know, like I still can't believe that I when I fly, I can't like go to the bathroom. Like there aren't there are not accessible bathrooms on planes.

[1:04:16] Josh Lamon: And it's just like to me wild.

[1:04:18] Ali Stroker: It's just wild but it all comes down to money and not wanting to create, you know, I mean to me that's that is one of the things that I'm like wait how is that possible if they can find ways to make like the seats and coach smaller and smaller and smaller every five fucking seconds.

[1:04:38] Josh Lamon: Yeah.

[1:04:38] Ali Stroker: They can find a way like great right let's make a bathroom that everyone can use.

[1:04:45] Josh Lamon: Bathrooms.

[1:04:45] Ali Stroker: I mean, that to me is like one about one of the outrageous ones that that I can think of offhand. You know, but again, it's gonna come down to something.

[1:04:56] Ali Stroker: And here's the thing what will happen is someone with the airlines will eventually have somebody who's disabled in their family, and then they'll want to make it well.

[1:05:09] Josh Lamon: I'm gonna find somebody and make them beat them up and be like now we're gonna get these bathrooms.

[1:05:18] Ali Stroker: Like exactly ahead of us and be like, move out of the way.

[1:05:24] Josh Lamon: Yes, please, right?

[1:05:26] Ali Stroker: Yeah, watch out.

[1:05:27] Josh Lamon: I've got cats.

[1:05:30] Ali Stroker: I love it.

[1:05:31] Ali Stroker: Natala, thank you so much for coming and chatting with us.

[1:05:35] Ali Stroker: Yeah. I am just delighted to see and meet both of you. Um, you've just you've just like made such huge differences in my life. So I'm I'm just delighted. So thank you.

[1:05:46] Josh Lamon: It's so nice to meet you.

[1:05:48] Ali Stroker: Yes, you too, and um keep going.

[1:05:50] Josh Lamon: Thank you.

[1:05:51] Ali Stroker: Yeah, I'm sending you the biggest, biggest hug right now. You can't feel it because I'm in New York City. But it's happening in my heart, and that's what really counts.

[1:06:02] Josh Lamon: Me too.

[1:06:03] Ali Stroker: Have a great rest of your day.

[1:06:05] Josh Lamon: Thank you, Natala. We'll talk soon, I hope.

[1:06:08] Ali Stroker: Okay.

[1:06:08] Josh Lamon: Okay, thanks.

[1:06:09] Ali Stroker: Bye.

[1:06:09] Josh Lamon: Bye bye.

[1:06:11] Josh Lamon: Oh I just want her to like she was amazing. I just want to have grilled cheese with her and watch Muppets all day.

[1:06:19] Ali Stroker: She probably would too.

[1:06:21] Josh Lamon: Oh, I know.

[1:06:22] Ali Stroker: It's so sweet.

[1:06:24] Josh Lamon: Precious.

[1:06:24] Ali Stroker: And also, thanks for like educating me on that. I had no idea.

[1:06:28] Ali Stroker: Oh, yeah. I mean, it's there are so many.

[1:06:29] Ali Stroker: There are so many.

[1:06:35] Josh Lamon: Yeah, I think I don't know, we all need to be a little bit more conscious and see how we can all, yeah, and also one of the realities is at some point every person will have some sort of health something. It's part of being alive.

[1:06:54] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[1:06:55] Josh Lamon: And so, you know, even for older people, I think about getting around New York is so difficult.

[1:07:01] Ali Stroker: No, thanks.

[1:07:02] Josh Lamon: We'll be at the shore.

[1:07:03] Ali Stroker: Yeah.

[1:07:04] Josh Lamon: We'll be at the fucking shore getting you ready for your mitzvah 5000.

[1:07:08] Josh Lamon: Allie, thank you for coming on my show.

[1:07:10] Ali Stroker: Thanks so much, Jeff.

[1:07:12] Josh Lamon: I fucking adore you.

[1:07:13] Ali Stroker: I adore you too.

[1:07:14] Josh Lamon: Um listeners listen.

[1:07:16] Ali Stroker: Yeah, listeners listen.

[1:07:18] Josh Lamon: Um, I love you all so much.

[1:07:21] Ali Stroker: Go see Oklahoma.

[1:07:23] Josh Lamon: It runs until January 2nd, 20th, 19th.

[1:07:28] Ali Stroker: It runs until January 19th.

[1:07:30] Josh Lamon: But I gave you a lot of great dates that you could also go.

[1:07:34] Ali Stroker: Um anyway.

[1:07:36] Josh Lamon: I love you. Thanks for coming on the show.

[1:07:39] Ali Stroker: Thank you.

[1:07:39] Josh Lamon: And stay tuned for more swallowing betches.

[1:07:44] Ali Stroker: Bye.

[1:07:49] Josh Lamon: Josh Swallows Broadway is produced by Alan Seales and Dori Berinstein.

[1:07:53] Josh Lamon: Photography for the show is by Michael Kushner.

[1:07:56] Josh Lamon: Make sure to look him up. He is my favorite photographer in New York City.

[1:08:00] Josh Lamon: The theme song is by myself and Anthony Norman.

[1:08:03] Josh Lamon: Wanna be on the show? I'd love to have you. Email me at Josh at Josh Swallows.com.

[1:08:08] Josh Lamon: Be sure to find me on Instagram at JoshPeriod Layman.

[1:08:12] Josh Lamon: See you soon.

[1:08:13] Josh Lamon: Josh Swallows.

[1:08:15] Josh Lamon: Josh Longos.

[1:08:16] Josh Lamon: Josh Swallows.

[1:08:18] Josh Lamon: Josh Swallows Growny.