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[0:21] Marc Tumminelli: Hello, welcome back to Little Me: Growing Up Broadway with me, Marc Tumminelli. Today is a very special Little Me episode because I have two incredible guests with me. The stars of the brand new Disney Plus film, Better Nate Than Ever. Please welcome Rueby Wood and Aria Brooks.

[0:40] Rueby Wood: Hi.

[0:40] Aria Brooks: Hello, friends.

[0:42] Rueby Wood: Oh my God, I love that we're here.

[0:44] Marc Tumminelli: All right, I'm gonna tell the people a little bit about you. So Aria Brooks plays the role of Libby, Nate's best friend in the Disney Plus original film, Better Nate Than Ever, and has starred in Nickelodeon's reboot of All That, worked alongside Cynthia Erivo in the award-winning film Harriet, and starred in Dolly Parton's Heartstrings on Netflix. Aria is a recording artist who has released Castles Part One and Castles Part Two. And you can see her in the upcoming third season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. And Rueby Wood plays the title role in Better Nate Than Ever. And before Nate, he starred as Charlie in the Broadway National Tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His other theater credits include Syracuse Stage production of Mama Mia and Syracuse Stage's production of Mary Poppins, which is how you found your agent and your whole life changed. So, guys, do your regional theater productions. You never know what could happen.

[1:37] Aria Brooks: Truly.

[1:39] Marc Tumminelli: So last night was a very big night for Better Nate Than Ever.

[1:43] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[1:44] Marc Tumminelli: We had our premiere on Disney Plus, and the world got to see the movie that I was lucky enough to be a small part of. But I want to hear about what it was like for you both last night. Aria, tell me what did you do? What happened?

[1:55] Aria Brooks: Um, first of all, back to what you said, you did not play a small part in this. Like you were literally there helping us the entire time. Like the amazing dialogue, acting coach, windmill pump pumper, heads up champion, like everything.

[2:09] Rueby Wood: Everything.

[2:10] Marc Tumminelli: All right. Well, I'll appreciate that. We'll talk about me in a minute. Um, but what did you do last night to celebrate?

[2:17] Aria Brooks: Um, well, I got together with a couple friends because we're in LA, so it's like not a whole bunch of people out here that we know, but we got some people that we know, some old friends, and we watched the movie at a cute little venue, had popcorn, and that was super fun. And then we watched it like four or five times yesterday. Um, so probably gonna watch it way more.

[2:36] Marc Tumminelli: Great. So you had a big celebration day. Now, Rueby, you did something very cool. And you live in, you live outside Syracuse, yes?

[2:43] Rueby Wood: Yes, that is correct.

[2:45] Marc Tumminelli: And so tell us what you did for your own little mini premiere last night.

[2:49] Rueby Wood: Um, well, we rented this amazing venue. It was like it was a glamour barn. So it's like a barn from the outside, glamour on the inside as well. It's like a barn you'd have a wedding in. They host a lot of weddings, but like we got like almost 200 people to come. A lot of my friends were there, just like a whole bunch of people from the town. And we had popcorn, there were drinks, there was pizza, there was everything. And we watched the movie and it was incredible. Lots there were I signed oh, and we sold signed books. We got new editions of the book, and I signed them.

[3:27] Marc Tumminelli: The one that you're on the cover of?

[3:28] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[3:29] Marc Tumminelli: How cool is that? You're in the book, you're a cover of a book.

[3:32] Rueby Wood: Yeah, not only am I on the cover, but me and Aria, it's dedicated to me and Aria.

[3:38] Aria Brooks: That was super sweet.

[3:39] Rueby Wood: Yeah. I had no idea.

[3:40] Aria Brooks: That's so sweet.

[3:41] Rueby Wood: We love that Tim Federle. We'll get to him in a minute.

[3:43] Marc Tumminelli: Absolutely. Um now, you know, you have been through these two kind of really big premieres, which we'll talk about towards the end of the episode. But having this small kind of day where it's really just about the world seeing it must feel really special.

[3:57] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[3:58] Aria Brooks: Yeah, that was crazy.

[3:59] Rueby Wood: It was like crazy to know that everyone could be watching it right now. Like while I'm watching it for the third, fourth, I don't know, time. Um, like so many other people can be watching it as well. And so many other people are enjoying it. That was pretty unbelievable.

[4:13] Aria Brooks: Yeah.

[4:14] Marc Tumminelli: And just turning on Disney Plus and seeing your cute faces leaning out of the cab.

[4:20] Rueby Wood: Right?

[4:20] Aria Brooks: It's so it made you want to watch it.

[4:22] Rueby Wood: It's like at the top, like it's crazy.

[4:23] Aria Brooks: Yeah, it's wild. Like it, uh I just I went on to Disney Plus, and it was, I was just right there.

[4:24] Rueby Wood: I was just right there, and I couldn't even remember.

[4:30] Aria Brooks: You're right there. Your face is right there.

[4:33] Marc Tumminelli: Now, as I mentioned, I had the amazing opportunity of joining you guys on this journey as your acting dialogue coach for the movie. So I have a very inside track of what your experience was because I saw it. So, what did you like most about working with me?

[4:48] Aria Brooks: Um, silence.

[4:51] Rueby Wood: I was like, you should take it first.

[4:52] Aria Brooks: Okay, no, yeah, I'll go first. Um definitely, well, obviously, you helped us memorize our lines so good, but more than that, you kept us entertained. Like we played heads up every day, and I was really good at it, and you were not so good.

[5:09] Rueby Wood: And um, I'm so good at heads up.

[5:14] Aria Brooks: You're incredible.

[5:14] Rueby Wood: You're incredible at heads up.

[5:16] Aria Brooks: Um, no, we played heads up a lot. Um, and we also, you also learned why I walk fast. So that was an exciting day.

[5:27] Marc Tumminelli: Well, we had a lot of fun together. We got to create these characters together, and with obviously with Tim and kind of everybody. I mean, what is so cool about making a movie is that's so different than theater, is that you kind of really don't know what to expect until you're doing it. Whereas like in theater, we rehearse and you kind of know exactly what it's gonna be like. And I feel like doing a movie, it feels so different. Every take is different, every camera setup, you wind up with something totally different.

[5:57] Rueby Wood: Yeah, I totally remember.

[5:58] Marc Tumminelli: Rueby, you had not really done a movie or even a commercial. You've not really spent a lot of time on set. And Aria, you have a lot of experience doing that end of it. So I want to talk about how you kind of helped each other through this process.

[6:14] Rueby Wood: At the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing on set. So I just followed Aria around and watched her every move. And in turn, I taught her all Broadway music.

[6:26] Aria Brooks: So Aria like Little Shop of Horrors in our hotel room.

[6:30] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[6:31] Marc Tumminelli: That's it. We're getting there. And you all made you all had fun in that hotel.

[6:35] Aria Brooks: Yes, we did.

[6:36] Marc Tumminelli: You're yes, you're making videos, and um, tell me what it was like. We had this crazy three-week rehearsal process, which most movies do not have. We were in a rehearsal studio with Tim and me, and Mary Mitchell, our musical director, and Jordan Carroll, our music supervisor, and of course, Gracie, our girl for everything. So it was really just this small group of us in rehearsal all day, kind of learning the show as if it was a theater piece. Tell me what that rehearsal, what you remember most about that rehearsal process before we got on set, before we filmed anything.

[7:08] Aria Brooks: Um, who wants to take that one?

[7:11] Rueby Wood: Um, I'll go first.

[7:12] Aria Brooks: I'll go first.

[7:13] Rueby Wood: Okay. Um, so I have two really memorable moments. One was in the movie, there's a big time song and dance number. And I learned all of the choreography for that in one day. And um in the studio with the dancer in the studio, which we're gonna say. Actually, it wasn't with all the dancers, it was just with some of the dancers, and most of the time I was learning it by myself, and um our amazing choreographer was just being all of the dancers. So shout out to Zach Woodley, the incredible Zach Woodley.

[7:52] Aria Brooks: Yes.

[7:52] Rueby Wood: So I learned all that choreography in one day, and then so that was very memorable. But then also just sitting down at a table, just me, Aria, you and Tim Federle, and just like talking about our characters and like really breaking down like who Nate was, who Libby was, what the story was about, like, and just like really going through every little detail.

[8:20] Marc Tumminelli: Aria, had you had that experience before working on a TV or a movie project of that kind of table work where we sat for hours and talked about characters and how we relate and what each line means? Had you done that before?

[8:32] Aria Brooks: No, not really. I kind of do like a really, really miniature version of that with myself. Um, like when I get a character or whatever, but like never anything like that. And it was so fun because like Ruby was saying, we got to like break down these characters. I the notebook, it's at home somewhere, but like we got like notebooks, and we took down, like Tim would have us take down like the best moment of our lives. This, like, what does your character what's your favorite color, your character's favorite color, their favorite movie, like stuff that was never even mentioned in the movie, but to get us into the character. So that was really fun to like create it.

[9:05] Marc Tumminelli: I love it. Let's go back a little bit before you got the parts. When did this project come to you as an audition? And what do you remember about that? Aria, do you want to start?

[9:15] Aria Brooks: Yeah, sure. Um, February, I believe, um, was when I got the uh wait, that might have been when I booked it. January, February, somewhere around there was when like the audition was presented. I had like a bunch of other auditions at the time, so we were like, oh, let's do this one, this one's fun. Um, and whenever I do an audition, I just forget about it because I want to get too attached to it, and then I don't get it. Like, so we were like, we still call, I have to remember that.

[9:39] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[9:40] Aria Brooks: So we just I did it, I did my songs, the script, and then I forgot about it. Um, and I was so focused on another audition, and I got attached to that one, but then I didn't get that one. So then Better Nate Than Ever came back, and Tim was like, okay, we love her for Libby, she is Libby, but re-record your audition and do these little things. And the audition process continued a couple times. I'd read with a bunch of Nates. Um, and when I read with Ruby, me and my mom were both like, yeah, it's him. It's that was that was the one. Um, and then he told me on a Zoom that I got the job, and he did it in like a really clever way. I thought it was another audition, but he told me I got it.

[10:17] Rueby Wood: I love that video is unbelievable.

[10:20] Marc Tumminelli: Um, and Rueby, you have the same kind of story about being told on Zoom. But tell me about the audition process for you.

[10:28] Rueby Wood: The first audition came in right after I had turned 14, so early January. So you had finished the Charlie tour, you were back from tour, COVID happened, and you were kind of trapped in Syracuse again after touring the world. And uh, this audition came in. Did you feel like this is me from the second you put out it?

[10:46] Rueby Wood: So unlike Aria, I did not forget about this audition. Um I because I mean I usually do forget about auditions, but as soon as I auditioned for this, I was like, I feel really good about this one for some reason. It just felt right. And then I got a call back and another callback and another callback. And I was I did callbacks for solidly two months. Two months of callbacks, which is It was the same scenes and the same songs.

[11:09] Aria Brooks: Yeah.

[11:10] Rueby Wood: Yeah. It was just ridiculous. Um, and actually, I did one chemistry read, which is when you read with other characters that are up for the parts. And I did, I did one, I did one chemistry read, and that was with Aria. So I only read with one Libby.

[11:25] Aria Brooks: I think there was only one Libby.

[11:28] Rueby Wood: Honestly, that's true. But then, but then, but then I was under the impression, like Aria, that it was just another callback when I went into the Zoom to get the part. And um, Tim told me that it was down to me and one other kid, and how he knows how hard it is when you don't get a role you wanted, and just basically building me up for failure, and then um was and then and then he looked at me and it was like, well, it's not gonna be very hard for you today because you got the part and I just exploded. And um, and then and he's you know, he's really good with like planning things and like just finding moments because he planned it so that after I got the role, I would walk out and s and he planned it just right so that balloons would be delivered to my house directly after I got off the zoom. So I got off the zoom, realizing I had got the part, walked out and there was a giant bouquet of balloons out there. I was like, this man. This man's a genius.

[12:22] Marc Tumminelli: Now, what did you first do? Like when you found out this was happening? Do you tell someone do you have a party? Like, where what do you do with your life? I mean, it just feels so like you have no idea what to expect, but you know it's gonna be a huge thing. How do you celebrate that?

[12:37] Rueby Wood: Um, I feel like for me, I well, my dad was like working out in the garage. So I ran to the garage, interrupted his workout. Um, and I was like, you can work out for the three months I'm in New York. Come on now. Um, so I went down there and I was like, I got the job, I got the job. And I was like, he was like on a Zoom with other people and stuff. So like I completely took over the whole thing and I was so excited. And then the lady who was working him out, who's like one of like a close family friend, love her, she's like my person. She came over to the house a little later and she I told her all about it. I was like, oh my gosh, I got the part, I got the part, and we were all freaking out and so excited, it was crazy.

[13:13] Marc Tumminelli: Rueby, what did you all do that night?

[13:15] Rueby Wood: Um, I went through all my contacts and just called everyone I knew. So we weren't allowed to tell anybody. Well, I did. I told a lot of people. Um yeah, no, I told a lot of people that I was in it. No, I mean I did I told I told everyone that was important to me. Like my close friends, my family, like then my older brother came over and um we drank canned water and celebrated.

[13:41] Aria Brooks: So bougie.

[13:41] Rueby Wood: We've talked a lot about Tim Federle, who is the creator of Better Nate Than Ever. This is his book. He also directed this movie. Um, and he he's pretty an unbelievable force of a man. He commands a room like nobody does, and he has created something really special. I just want to know from each of you what was your experience when you look at this overall experience about being led by Tim and him letting you into his magical world? What do you take from that experience, Rueby, working with Tim?

[14:16] Rueby Wood: Um, well, he just brings such a good energy to set and he finds the most amazing community of people and like brings them in. And it's just like he just makes a beautiful magical space wherever he goes. And I just I like I don't know how he does it, but I aspire to be that when I am a director someday.

[14:44] Aria Brooks: My god, I love it.

[14:45] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[14:46] Marc Tumminelli: Aria, what was your overall takeaway from Mr. Federle?

[14:49] Aria Brooks: Well, first I totally agree. He makes such a good energy on every set, and that's like every day you come in, you don't feel like you're working. You feel like you're hanging with friends and hanging with people who respect you. Like, it's very nice. Um, I feel like another thing that I will never understand how he does it, he's writing scripts, directing movies, running shows, responding to your texts right after you send it, texting you every five seconds.

[15:16] Rueby Wood: The text responding.

[15:19] Aria Brooks: It's ridiculous. It's so crazy to me. Like he will text like happy Better Nate Than Ever, Eve. Happy two weeks from Better Nate Than Ever. I'm like, oh my gosh, how do you work all these jobs, respond to the stuff? Every single time I post my story, 30 seconds, yeah. Like one of the first people to view my story and comment. I will never understand how he manages everything and does everything so well. Like he's just overall an amazing, amazing person.

[15:42] Aria Brooks: I think the other thing that's so special about Tim is that he really cares about, especially, I mean everybody, but really the stars. Like, he cares so much about both of you and what your journey is and what your next job is going to be, and all of that. And that doesn't happen a lot in Hollywood. And I feel like we were all very lucky to have that tie with him.

[16:00] Rueby Wood: And then I know, yeah.

[16:02] Aria Brooks: Sorry, I was gonna say another thing I noticed was like on set, he didn't make anyone feel like they were less than. Like when referring to the extras, he wouldn't just say, okay, you move here. Like he would learn people's names, he would get to know them. He was nice to everybody. Like that's something that you'll never forget because not everyone does that, like you said.

[16:19] Rueby Wood: Right.

[16:20] Aria Brooks: Yeah, it was kind of thrilling to watch him work, especially even with the background kids. Like he really did know their names. And I'm like, I don't know their names, and they're like my students, they were all from Broadway Workshop. And I was like, which one's that?

[16:29] Rueby Wood: Um, I should take that out of this podcast.

[16:34] Aria Brooks: I'm leaving it in because this is about truth and beauty.

[16:38] Marc Tumminelli: All right. So how now talk to me? We did obviously we did this table work in the studio. You got the part, we started rehearsals. Were you like terrified that first day going to New 42 studios to have our first day of rehearsal? What do you remember about that?

[16:54] Rueby Wood: Well, being anxious.

[16:55] Aria Brooks: Ruby's got something.

[16:55] Rueby Wood: Here is I do have something. I was excited. I was really excited. I was not nervous. And here's why. Because I feel I think I would have been a little nervous if it was a new space, but I had rehearsed in New 42 before. Because in New 42, I like, uh, when I was on tour, I rehearsed in New 42. So it was a space that I knew well.

[17:21] Marc Tumminelli: Where you had met Daniel Radcliffe in the elevator.

[17:24] Rueby Wood: Oh, yeah. No, that's a fun story. I lied. Not I did I didn't just meet him, I lied to get in the elevator with Daniel Radcliffe.

[17:32] Aria Brooks: Was he in it and you were like, oh, I gotta get in here?

[17:36] Rueby Wood: Okay, so it was our last day of rehearsal. We knew he had been rehearsing, and we were like, this is for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was our last day of rehearsal. And um, we were then we were gonna leave and like go on the road. And as me and the tutor slash child wrangler, Rachel and Henry and Colin, the other two Charlies, as we were walking out, we saw him and his bodyguard walk in, and we were like, this is our only chance. So we followed him in, and um, the guy behind the counter looked at us weird and we were like, oh, I forgot my notebook upstairs. I gotta go get it. It's for school. So my notebook was in my backpack. I didn't forget it. Um then we got on the elevator and he was so nice. I like shook his hand. He was just the nicest guy, and then we got off on our floor, and um, and then went right back down. The story ends.

[18:31] Aria Brooks: That's where the story ends. Um, Rueby, how did you feel walking into that studio that first day in New York? And you had not really spent much time in New York, right?

[18:39] Rueby Wood: No, this is my first time in New York, so that the a couple days before rehearsal, I guess. But I feel like for me, it was um, I wasn't there were some nerves, like, oh, I hope I do well, I'm meeting new people, I hope they're nice, like all that stuff. Um, and so there were those kind of nerves, but overall, I was like more excited than anything because I feel like in my head, I was like, I earned the right to be here. I earned this opportunity. So I feel like any nerves that I have are like irrelevant. It means I care. I feel like I don't know who told me that. Someone told me like nerves mean you care.

[19:15] Aria Brooks: Um, I want to say it was someone on this project. Anyway, um, like I think it actually made it, I think it actually was me.

[19:22] Rueby Wood: Okay, okay, because that sounds like something you would say. But like, but like it showed that I cared about the project and all that. So like overall, I was super excited. And then we had a dance party every day to get you used to your songs.

[19:36] Aria Brooks: Yes. Which I don't know, nobody knows that.

[19:39] Rueby Wood: So every day, like we would work through Go Off, and we would work through Big Time, and we would all dance just to like loosen it up and be silly. I mean, and if you can't make friends through that process, I don't know what my gosh.

[19:54] Aria Brooks: Do you remember one of those times? I don't know who we did it for. It was like all of us, Tim, and like a bunch of other people, and we were singing through our songs. So you sung through Big Time and you did a death drop at the end, and then I sung through Go Off. And I like threw my jacket off. It was like, yeah, that rehearsal turned into Drag Race real quick.

[20:13] Rueby Wood: Aria took her jacket off.

[20:14] Aria Brooks: I did a death drop. It was probably the best day in rehearsals. I wish we had filmed that just for like the end credits.

[20:23] Marc Tumminelli: Now you both have a real love for each other, and it really comes through in the movie and obviously in life. Like we I've seen you, you know, be each other's bestie and um, you know, out of filming. When did you feel like you found your kind of person? Was it during that rehearsal process?

[20:41] Rueby Wood: Um, I know exactly when it happened.

[20:43] Aria Brooks: Ooh, okay. I can't necessarily tell the full story, but I remember when we were in each other's hotel room. We were in each other's hotel room, and I feel like I was wearing a shirt, and you said I like your shirt, and then something clicked for both of us. That's all I'll say.

[21:00] Rueby Wood: So, like from then on, you know what I'm talking about?

[21:02] Aria Brooks: Yes, okay. So from then on, literally best friends. So that's all you guys get. It's a me and Ruby thing.

[21:07] Rueby Wood: I love it.

[21:08] Aria Brooks: Yeah, I know. Exactly what you're doing. You don't have to tell that story, but when did you know like Aria was for you and you guys were gonna be like the flesh?

[21:16] Rueby Wood: Um, it was I do remember that, Aria. Um no, okay, so it was it was kind of it was very it was like immediate. Um at Aria, like our when we when like the one of the first days we were hanging out, Aria said we're literally the same person, just different fonts. And I relate to that a lot. Like we're we're we're the same person, but there was we were we were sitting at in in so in the aka, the hotel, we were sitting at the table, and um I we were we were both eating food, and then you you we were you were sending me memes, and I was sending you memes, and we had the same type of humor. I remember that day very clearly as well.

[21:59] Marc Tumminelli: It was really fun to watch your friendship grow. You know, every day you'd come back into rehearsal and you were closer and closer and closer and closer. And so we knew that when we started filming, it was going to be magic, like that spark that you just have with the scene partner, and it all it was so fun to watch that. Now, I know you guys, what kind of trouble were you getting into at the aka hotel?

[22:20] Rueby Wood: This podcast is not sponsored by the aka hotel.

[22:23] Marc Tumminelli: What what were what were you guys doing at night? Tell me what was happening? Because you couldn't go to Broadway shows, probably wasn't open yet. There wasn't anything kind of to do. New York was still a little bit closed. What were you guys doing every night?

[22:36] Aria Brooks: Um do you want to take this?

[22:38] Rueby Wood: Yeah, okay, I'll take this one. Okay, so we would we would we would go to each other's hotel rooms and we would order Insomnia cookies and we would just, you know, we would just hang out. We would play Dutch Blitz, which is a card game. So most of the time, most of the time we were just, you know, playing card games and eating warm chocolate chip cookies. But um, there was a couple days near the end where we decided to make a music video for everyone that was working on the movie as like a closing gift. So we were out in the hallways dressed up in our like rainbow masks and fun sunglasses and our bathrobes, and we were walking around the halls, and there was this one moment when we were literally in the middle of filming, and we were standing in front of the elevators doing this bit, and we hear the elevator ding, and the door starts to open, and we just look at each other, and then we both run in opposite directions down the hallway and turn the corner. It was quite an experience.

[23:42] Aria Brooks: That video is epic, and I'm so glad that we have that. And you you've made us like the best, the best rap gift ever was that awesome music video with new new song lyrics, new it was it was everything. All right, so let's talk about our cast. Um obviously we we're led by you two, but then Lisa Kudrow, who's like the queen of everything, and you know, tell me about the first time meeting her, which I know happened on Zoom because I was there, but tell me about meeting her for that first time.

[24:14] Rueby Wood: That was crazy, I feel like it was like it was on Zoom, like you said. I think meeting her for the first time, even if it wasn't like in person yet, that was pretty crazy that she was talking directly to us, she was giving us advice, and we got to like ask her questions, which was super duper cool. And I don't know, that was surreal. Cause like when you work working with someone that you've watched or that you look up to is like a whole different experience, and I don't even know if I still fully believe it.

[24:41] Marc Tumminelli: Well, believe it, and she loves both of you. Rueby, what was your first impression of Lisa?

[24:46] Rueby Wood: Oh my gosh. She is just the most she is just the most down to earth person. Like she's so kind and just like loving. Like she is just so so amazing. And um one of my, oh my gosh, I still like sometimes like at randomly, she'll just text me, which blows my mind every single time. I'll hear a ding and I'll look and I'll just, you know, die on the floor. Um no, but there was this time there was at the at the end of the LA premiere. We were like, we were both walking out the door, and she was we were talking about how awesome the movie was. And um she I was like, you know, you would really make an awesome aunt in real life. And and she looked at me, she looked at me dead in the eyes. She goes, okay, then call me Aunt Lisa. And I and I I was like, okay. I changed her name in my contacts to Aunt Lisa.

[25:45] Aria Brooks: Lisa, I love that.

[25:48] Rueby Wood: Um, and she was so game to play with us, which was which was so fun. I mean, we were we were doing improv games to like keep ourselves up, and she was like, can I I want to get in?

[25:58] Aria Brooks: Yes.

[25:58] Rueby Wood: And we played one time we played heads up with her at the Friends deck.

[26:02] Aria Brooks: We played the Friends deck of Heads Up.

[26:04] Rueby Wood: Oh, yes, I have a video of that still. It's really great. She actually was very good at heads up.

[26:10] Aria Brooks: Um, I have all the videos live on my phone.

[26:12] Marc Tumminelli: Okay, and Joshua Bassett, who obviously is this, you know, big Hollywood young star who joined you as your brother, Rueby. But um, and you and Josh and Aria have great scenes together. The three of you have like a lot of great chemistry, and I know that Aria, you were like a fan of his going into the process. And so what was it like to be filming with him and meet him and work with him and tell us a little bit about that?

[26:37] Aria Brooks: Meeting him at first, I was like, I'm pretty sure you guys remember. I was like through the roof. I remember you guys were had like rehearsed a little before me. And when I got finally got to the studio, and I remember you guys told me he was like, oh, what's her favorite song? Or who someone she likes will play a song? And he was playing like my favorite artist when I walked in. So like I walked in to Joshua Bassett and Melanie Martinez playing, like I was freaking out.

[27:03] Rueby Wood: Yeah.

[27:04] Aria Brooks: That was it. That was a very fun day. It was a good day.

[27:05] Rueby Wood: Yeah, we we were in the we were in Tim's office.

[27:05] Aria Brooks: Tim's office.

[27:09] Rueby Wood: Tim's office, right?

[27:10] Aria Brooks: No, I actually think I mean, I don't know. I I feel like I have a memory of him playing your song. I feel like you walked in and he like turned the corner. You had a speaker and your song, like you were playing.

[27:21] Rueby Wood: Or I remember when I sat when I he I came in, he was playing my favorite singer, and then I sat down and he was like, um, I was like, oh yeah, I released music too. And he's like, oh my gosh, what is it? And he pulled it up and I was like, and asked me about it. I was like, and that was your song Twinning, yeah?

[27:36] Aria Brooks: Yeah, because that's the one that like just come out of the time. We love Aria Brooks' music. We're getting there in a second. All right, so these people are amazing. Obviously, Tim puts together this incredible cast led by you know so many big Broadway stars and the film mate. I want to get to filming. So we start filming this movie, but Aria, you have like a big break. So we rehearse for these three weeks, we're ready to go. You've you've recorded the songs, you've done all that fun stuff, and then we are ready to start, and you have to go back home.

[28:07] Aria Brooks: Is that oh wait, no, no? I didn't go back home, but I like stayed home for like two weeks. Um, because they were doing most of the Pittsburgh stuff. We did all of the family scenes first, so you had almost two weeks to not film, and we were like had this momentum, and then you had to stop. So, how hard was that for you?

[28:24] Aria Brooks: Um, I won't say it was hard, but it was like I don't know, it was like interesting because like you said, there was this momentum, and then it just stopped for a minute, and then we got back into it. So it was like it was a little break. It was finding stuff to do in New York when it was pretty much closed. And then I I told the story already, uh like to you guys already on set, but like I hated Times Square when I first went out there. Like the idea of it, wonderful. But being out there with all those people was not for me. So we were in our hotel most of the time because we were in the middle of Times Square. So you walk out, and it's so many people, and it was too much for me.

[28:57] Rueby Wood: Just so you know, nobody likes Times Square. It's not like a place people enjoy going who live here. Like sometimes if something is across Times Square, I'm like, uh, I can't gallop. I can't do it.

[29:07] Aria Brooks: No, I can't cross Times Square. It's too much. That's that's one way to tell. One way to tell if you're a tourist. Hey, do you do you enjoy being in Times Square?

[29:16] Rueby Wood: Yeah, no, you're not from here. You're not from Times. No, there is one way to be in Times Square, and it's the way the three of us got to be in Times Square.

[29:24] Marc Tumminelli: So let's talk about filming on Broadway in Times Square, which you're not in, but you were with us that whole night to hang out.

[29:31] Aria Brooks: Yes, and it was really fun.

[29:32] Rueby Wood: So, Ruby, tell us about that night of shooting.

[29:34] Rueby Wood: That was magical. It was. I mean, Times Square was closed for you, sir.

[29:39] Aria Brooks: Yeah.

[29:39] Rueby Wood: To do a musical number, which was wild. Tell us about your experience doing that, that huge scene in Times Square.

[29:47] Rueby Wood: It was it was mind-blowing. It was it was it was mind-boggling. Like what they yeah, like you said, they closed Times Square so I could sing and dance for a couple minutes. I mean, but we closed Times Square for 10 hours.

[30:02] Aria Brooks: It was a good one.

[30:03] Rueby Wood: Well, I know that like in the Yeah, you know what I mean. Okay. So we I just don't want anyone to think we close it for a minute.

[30:09] Aria Brooks: No.

[30:10] Rueby Wood: No, no, no. Um, but like we it was a night shoot, so we filmed from like 8 PM to like three in the morning. And um it was just an Aria was there. Like it was it was truly magical. There's this shot where you see me walking, and then I look up and I'm all of a sudden in Times Square, and then there's this amazing crane shot of me walking in and it goes up, and then you see Mark standing in Times Square.

[30:36] Rueby Wood: I'm also this is the Easter egg, friends. I'm I'm in the movie with Gracie. We play boyfriend and girlfriend, and Gracie is Tim's assistant and was my best friend on this whole experience. And um, we uh we have a whole inner dialogue of things going on. It was I was we're going from all of we're going from the Times Square Red Lobster to the Times Square Olive Garden is our backstory. But we look for us in the movie. You guys really know that I truly believed it. Um, but the funniest thing is like that story stayed the same. But every time I walked by you, because we did that one shot a bunch of times. Every time I walked by you, you guys were different people. Like you had different accents every time I walked by you.

[31:16] Rueby Wood: Every time it was a different accent. One time you were British, one time you were Russian. Like it was, it was wild. Like I I could I almost broke so many times.

[31:25] Aria Brooks: I mean, we were we were trying to mess with you, Ruby, but we knew that you're you're a professional. Um we weren't worried you would, we knew you'd be okay. Plus, if I did break, it was in the scene because I was like amazed by I'm amazed in Times Square.

[31:40] Marc Tumminelli: Um, Arya, tell me about what was the your favorite day of filming.

[31:44] Aria Brooks: Okay. Okay. Favorite day of filming was probably I loved filming the go off scene. So that was a couple days, but like all of the go off moments, like when we were in the school, or like the what were they even called? Like the things that we threw, the like at the end of the movie.

[32:00] Rueby Wood: Oh, they're like yeah.

[32:03] Aria Brooks: Yeah, those like practicing with those before, um, and then like actually doing them. Like those days were super fun because that was the closest we had been by far because it was towards the end. Like we were all kind of letting loose because like we're nearing the end of the day.

[32:16] Rueby Wood: It was almost over. Those were the last couple days we did go off, right?

[32:20] Aria Brooks: Right. And then like Zach Woodley, uh, bless his heart, he gave us fans. Um, I think nobody likes him for that. Um, but he gave us fans.

[32:31] Rueby Wood: Yeah, full time.

[32:33] Aria Brooks: We were just snapping them all day long. Like it was ridiculous. So that it was just very, very fun. Those were like really fun days.

[32:40] Marc Tumminelli: Ruby, what was your favorite day of filming?

[32:42] Rueby Wood: Um, I I'd say either Times Square, but uh, or or go off because I I absolutely agree with everything Arya said. We were just so close and we were just letting loose. It was the last days of filming. It was very sad, but also we had so much fun. So what she said.

[33:00] Marc Tumminelli: So there's a bunch of musical numbers. Obviously, we have go off that you two together, and then we do big time and no one gets left behind. So, Ruby, I want to talk about sort of filming big time, which is this huge musical number that we did. That was like six days, right?

[33:12] Rueby Wood: It was only three.

[33:14] Aria Brooks: It was only three.

[33:16] Rueby Wood: It felt man, it felt like six to me.

[33:19] Aria Brooks: I know.

[33:20] Rueby Wood: It was it was it was only three days. But we so um they they built this huge, amazing set for us that was like 1950s, guys and dolls, like Broadway stage, like Times Square, very, very awesome, very colorful. I was wearing this white tux, it's this big dance number. There were like Broadway dancers and dancers from dancing from the star, dancing with the stars. Like there was just so many amazing like dancers and singers, and it was it was so fun.

[33:52] Rueby Wood: Um yeah, those three days. So then I it was just also fun. Uh, there's there's one bit where I hop on a hot dog cart and I ride down the stage, and like there's that part was fun, but also a little scary because in order the stage is really big, and in order to get from where we were to where we needed to be, we had to push that cart really quickly. So I'm like holding on for dear, like flying down the stage on this hot dog cart.

[34:22] Rueby Wood: And um, it was it was a great time. And when we we shot um no one gets left behind, which is the 11 o'clock number of the show, and you got to sing that on stage at the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway. And Aria, you're in that scene as well, obviously watching him. Arya, what was it like to watch Ruby sort of have this magical moment on Broadway singing this killer good song that I think kids are gonna be singing for like decades? Tell me what it was like, kind of watching him have that that moment, your buddy.

[34:53] Aria Brooks: It was like crazy because like like being like on the theater, like okay, so like Ruby tells the story, but in the when we were recording the songs, like go off and big time no one gets left behind, whatever. Like I could kind of hear him in the other room, but I never fully heard the song. Um, so we kind of heard bits and pieces in the idea of the song. So we heard him singing the same line over and over during recording. Um, but then we finally heard the song all together while he was up there on the stage. The first take, me, Josh, Lisa, we're all crying. We're like, like, and the casting directors and everyone like down watching him, like it was crazy. We were all crying. It was like such a sweet moment, and it was really it was really fun.

[35:36] Rueby Wood: And Ruby, what do you remember most about shooting that?

[35:39] Rueby Wood: Um, it was it was really it was really amazing because not only could I make my film debut, but I also made my Broadway debut. And um just like walking out onto the stage and seeing all the seats there, I was like, uh, it's good to be home. And um and and uh yeah, like Arya was saying, Tim had not shown this the finished song to anybody except for me. I mean and Tim and whoever else was like in the recording, like helping make the song, were the only people who had heard the finished product, right? So then, like you like the the first take, he showed it to them and to get their genuine reactions, and it was just a really, really beautiful moment. And um, and they all came down uh on the stage afterwards, and Lisa hugged me.

[36:28] Marc Tumminelli: Um tell me about the hardest day of filming for each of you. I'm so curious. Um, just for me, I like want to know what was the hardest thing for you to shoot, Arya.

[36:36] Aria Brooks: Oh my gosh. Um, the scene with like I didn't have like a a whole lot, so it wasn't like super challenging, but like the day we were filming the like revelation scene where um Ruby or Nate cries and then Libby comes in and has her realization. That whole scene, just because like tapping into the emotions was like a difficult part, it took us a minute to get into it, but if you remember correctly, no air conditioning. It was so hot.

[37:02] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[37:12] Aria Brooks: Not only not only was it like the hottest it had been all summer, but also it didn't have any air conditioning. So we we were like hiding, we had we all had a handheld fan and we hid them under the couch cushion so we could take them out in between takes. It was it was wild.

[37:29] Rueby Wood: So the hardest scene that I filmed, I mean, I don't know if any of it was like hard per se, because every day on set was just so much fun. Um I'd I would say um some of the scenes on the bus were were kind of difficult because like like everyone's trying to figure out how to fit the cameras onto the bus and like where to be, and we just had to get the lines just right because the video cameras, you like if we couldn't, if we got something wrong, we had to start all the way over so that it would line up. So like I feel like that was that was very difficult. But yeah, the bus scenes were hard.

[38:16] Aria Brooks: Yeah. And then we had like to do all of them in like a day, and then like we can only work so long because hello children. Um, so that was that was something definitely.

[38:26] Marc Tumminelli: Okay, so the last day of filming, we're wrapping this thing. How hard was it to say goodbye to this? I mean, knowing you're gonna get to come back and do press and things like that. But you know, there was a lot of emotion that last day of filming because I think we had created a family over these three months. Tell me about how hard it was to say goodbye to each other.

[38:44] Rueby Wood: Um I well, okay. The the last the last shot that we did, the martini is what it's called in the Hollywood world. Um was was the if you remember we talked about. Do you know why it's called a martini?

[39:01] Aria Brooks: Uh because some director always asked for a martini when the isn't that right?

[39:06] Rueby Wood: Yes, that that's right. He would uh I can't remember who it was, but he would ask for a martini as soon as the last shot was done. So he'd call Martini, and then by the time the shot was done, he'd have a martini. I love that story. Go ahead.

[39:17] Rueby Wood: Yeah, okay. Well, okay, so it's called the Martini, it's the last shot of the whole movie. And um, and it was it was when me and Arya threw the confetti things, and then Tim was like, All right, guys, that's a wrap, we're all done. And we just turned to each other and we were just crying. We were crying. We we like stood on that stage and hugged and cried for like five minutes. I remember too, after the the um confetti thrower thingies, he was or Tim came upstairs, he was like, Okay, go backstage because we're like on the school stage at this point. So he was like, Okay, now introducing Aria Brooks, and like the whole crew was there, and I went up and bowed, and then he's like, introducing Rueby Wood, and like we bowed and we're boo-hoo crying, and like got those little the little slate things, and we were like, That's a wrap, and you probably couldn't even hear me say that I was crying.

[39:21] Aria Brooks: It was it was so sad that happy yeah, there's a lot of tears, and then Joanne that whole crew loved you all. Like, do you know what I mean? Like, normally when you work with kids, you're like, Oh, these kids, but like every single person who worked in that movie were obsessed with both of you. So, in the best way possible, it was really very sweet to see them applaud for all of you. So with everything they had.

[40:30] Rueby Wood: Yeah.

[40:30] Aria Brooks: Okay. I agree.

[40:31] Marc Tumminelli: All right. So you do this movie. We have to wait. We have the waiting game of when the movie comes out, which is very difficult.

[40:39] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[40:39] Marc Tumminelli: But and you know, you're waiting and you've seen it. Tell me about your reactions about seeing the first, because you got to see it like about six months before the premiers with before it was color corrected or all that stuff. What um what do you remember about that that first time getting to see it through, Arya?

[40:56] Aria Brooks: Um, that was pretty unbelievable. It was my first time back in New York since the summer. Um, so that was fun to be back and first time seeing Ruby in person since then. Um, so there was a lot of like excitement about that. But then when we went in to see the movie, like the Disney castle, that whole moment came on. We're all like in tears because we're like, oh my gosh, it's a real movie, and we're freaking out, and like we were crying, and the score wasn't even done. Like you said, it wasn't color corrected. So once all of that came into play, we knew it was gonna be so different. But it was truly unbelievable to see. Oh my gosh, we're in a real Disney movie.

[41:32] Rueby Wood: Yeah. Rube, what do you remember about that first screening?

[41:35] Rueby Wood: I remember we we walked to that theater. Um, and like we we walked into this building, we went down some stairs and we went in, and it was like this, it was like this little movie theater. And like the the edits were all rough, like it wasn't color corrected, the the the sound wasn't all in, like it was it was very it was a very rough edit, but it even at that point of the process, it was still an amazing, like it still worked so well.

[42:05] Aria Brooks: I knew it was gonna work, yeah.

[42:07] Marc Tumminelli: Yeah. So then just a couple weeks ago, we had the big LA premiere, which was quite an event. And I want to know what moment of that sticks out in your mind the most from from that insane night and so thrilling. That was the first time I got to see the movie. And I just like barely could I cried through the whole thing just because you both are so brilliant in it, and it was such a special night to be a part of. And um, I just want to know what you remember most about what you'll take with you the most about that LA premiere night. Rube, you want to go first?

[42:39] Rueby Wood: Yeah, sure. So I oh my gosh, that it went by so quickly. It was just a blur, but it was in it was it was amazing. Like it was it was amazing. Stepping out of the car with my giant green train that took up three seats. Someone told me it looked like I mugged Billy Porter, and I was like, yes, please, thank you. Um and uh yeah, best compliment I've ever gotten in my entire life. Um and walking down the carpet, like having every like everyone's yelling at you, look this way, look that way. Can you turn? Turn over here, turn over here, look over your shoulder. It's very chaotic. Do a flip. Do a flip. Um and then and then you turn the corner, and there's more red carpet, and you gotta go up and down and back and forth to all the different um uh like interviews, and then they pull you away, you go into the theater, you watch the movie.

Um, but probably the thing that stuck out to me most was we were waiting, it was there was this big stage in the theater, and we were waiting backstage, and um Tim introduced all of us, and he introduced me last, and I made this big entrance, and everyone was cheering, and I just was the happiest I've ever been.

[43:59] Aria Brooks: Ugh, I love it.

[44:00] Marc Tumminelli: Um, Arya, what do you remember most about the LA premiere night?

[44:04] Aria Brooks: Um, well, the outfit that I was wearing, I've been planning since Tim said you got the part. Um, so like literally like the green suit, white heels, like white top moment underneath. I've been planning that for so long. And then I was like, oh, maybe I'll do I'll wear it for my birthday. That didn't work. So like it was like highly anticipated. So then to be able to like put the look together and that it came out the way it did. I felt really good. So going on the carpet when, like Ruby said, everyone's like, okay, look here, look here, bend over backwards. Like everyone was saying something different. It was like pretty comfortable and it was fun. And then seeing like Ruby again, it wasn't the first time we saw each other in the hotel, but seeing each other and seeing um Lisa Kudrow for the first time in forever, like it was just truly a great moment walking out on the stage, seeing the movie and reacting with other people.

That I think that might have been my favorite part. Like hearing other people laugh at the jokes, and I finally understood jokes. I was like, I acted that out and I didn't even get that joke at first. That's crazy. Then that's my then that's my fault.

[45:05] Marc Tumminelli: Um do you check in with each other about what you're gonna wear to these premieres? Like, I'm doing this, you should do that. Is there any coordination that goes on between the two of you?

[45:15] Rueby Wood: Okay, well, so there's there's a little bit of there's a little bit of coordination, but really like I it was it was most for this for the LA premieres, it was kind of just guessing. Like I wore like a basically a dress, and Arya wore a suit and it was perfect, and we both wore green. That was a complete coincidence. Um, but sometimes we'll we will we'll like take videos uh and send it to each other. Like we'll be in our bathrooms and we'll be like, okay, um, so this is what I'm wearing. Do you like it? And we'll just like send check-in videos. Like, yeah, those are our check-in videos, like from the bathroom.

[45:52] Aria Brooks: I'm obsessed. It's always the bathroom with us.

[45:55] Rueby Wood: It's always in the movie. It's always in the bathroom. Everything.

[45:58] Aria Brooks: Oh my god, that bathroom scene is so epic.

[46:00] Rueby Wood: Yeah.

[46:00] Marc Tumminelli: Um, and we rehearse that more than anything. Um, which is it's just wild how many times good news. You said you had good news. Okay. So, what is the fan reaction been? I'm sure your DMs are blowing up and things like that. What kind of things are you hearing? And how do you quiet out maybe the negative things? Because not everyone's gonna love everything you do, and although I think this movie is perfect. How do you how do you sort of deal with this this new fan reaction to who you are and what you offer? Who wants to go first?

[46:32] Rueby Wood: All right. I okay, okay. Um, I feel like for me, it was like it's been like most of it has been good, and hearing what people have to say, a lot of it is like family and friends that are like, I'm so proud of you. This is so good. And that's like really like great to hear. It's a lot of that right now. The negative, um, I haven't seen a lot of it, but whatever there is, it's like not really focusing on it because a lot of the people who have negative things to say didn't work really hard on a film in New York for three months. And like, and although it was a lot of fun, of course, but like they didn't put in that level of work that you did towards this film. So it's kind of like I don't really care what anyone else has to say because I know what we did was good, and so many people are recognizing that it's good, so it's hard to even focus on the negative when there's so much positive.

[47:21] Aria Brooks: Yeah, I love it. How are you dealing with all your newfound uh fame?

[47:26] Rueby Wood: Um, I I mean, I'm I'm loving it. I'm I'm I'm loving it. I'm basking I'm basking um enjoying it. Uh uh no it's I I I like Arya said I don't really care what other people think um I as long as I'm proud of what I did then that's all that matters like I and I am and especially this story coming out at this point in time in the world where everything's a bit chaotic to say the least um yeah but like this story coming out in this time is just so important and I know that and if I can just you know like like even like I I don't I don't care what what the what the negative people have to say I don't care what the positive people have to say. I I I just am true to what I think and I feel like that's what has gotten me through.

[48:18] Marc Tumminelli: Well you become such a voice Ruby for a lot of kids and I feel like it must be a hard thing to feel responsible for but your confidence level has been so inspiring I think to so many young people and where do you think that comes from that safety and feeling like you can do what you want and and have a stance at a young age and wear what you want where does that where does that level of confidence come from for you?

[48:18] Rueby Wood: Um, I mean I've always I've always been confident but it really helps that I was lucky enough to grow up in a really really supportive society like my my family is really supportive my friends are really supportive and I've always had that and um I've said it before but like a lot of kids, a lot of kids aren't aren't lucky enough to have such a good support system at a young age. And I and I was lucky enough to have that. And I want to use that to to make a a safe space for kids who don't have that. Um because I want I want all kids to feel what I feel, which is just confident and and and truly loving who you are and truly truly being true to yourself because like that's that's just that's just so important. I can't, I can't even stress that enough.

[49:39] Marc Tumminelli: And Arya, you are you've become there are so many young black girls who see you on stage and know that they can do this and you are paving the way for so many people. Do you feel that? Or you just are doing the work. Tell me about your backstory there because I you feel so passionate about it too.

[49:56] Aria Brooks: Oh, definitely. Like that's been my goal from the jump since I started acting. Cause like, um, well, my goal was to act because I enjoy it, but there was always a part in me like I would look up to um certain like black girl actors, and I was like, I want to do that, and I want to be that to someone else. Like the way I feel about them and watching them, and I feel like, oh, I can do it too. I want to make another girl feel like they can do it too. Um, so that was like a one of my main goals coming into acting. So the fact that I'm able to do that to four people, crazy. I I don't even fully, I haven't even fully comprehended it. But like seeing what people are saying, just and it's only been out like not even a full 24 hours. Or no, it is a full 24 hours. Hello, man. We've been out 20, yes.

[50:39] Marc Tumminelli: Um, let's focus on acting. But you also have two younger siblings that are looking up to you. And I I feel like you're inspiring them to do so much. It's it's quite incredible to see, you know, you're you're like you have such a such a voice of who you are. You both have you both know who you are so well. And I know that when I was your age, I had no idea who I was and it's wildly inspiring to see both of you and supporting each other and I think that this movie is gonna have such a huge impact on so many kids and I'm I'm so thrilled that it's in the world and uh you both have truly the most incredible families and I feel like the support system is so strong and we're we're you made making this movie such a dream because your parents are all just so brilliant and wonderful people and it's it's you're belt you're both very lucky to be smart.

[51:30] Rueby Wood: I agree. Now if we were to make a sub uh a sequel to the better Nate than ever movie what do you want to have happen to these characters?

[51:38] Aria Brooks: Ooh that's a new question I'm surprised nobody's asked that question yeah nobody's asked that yet that's a good one because I want to make this sequel we do so do I um well oh gosh I Aria do you have answer?

[51:55] Aria Brooks: Well kind of I feel like for me with Libby specifically I feel like her revelation of like finding like where she wants to be as far as like her love of theater and wanting to be this agent and I feel like she might want to expand her agent empire. So like Ruby will always be the client the number one client. But like getting like more clients and getting him out there and continuing to like build her age and empire girl boss movement. I wouldn't be surprised if she started a podcast, so she'll be following.

[52:33] Rueby Wood: You'll have to help us out with that one too.

[52:35] Aria Brooks: That's fine. It's it's it's just a big time suck. But it's really fun. Um, all right. And what do you think what do you think would happen to Nate in the second movie?

[52:43] Rueby Wood: Um, well, he he he's just he's just really trying to find out who he is. So I so I hope that if there's a sequel that he would he would he would come to realize who he is and he would find a a community, like a group of people, because he he already in the in the in the movie, he already has he he already finds such an amazing group of people that support him. But if he can just, you know, grow that group of people and just truly find who he is and become comfortable with himself, then um I I feel like that would be that would be a win.

[53:21] Marc Tumminelli: Win for we want to see that. So the theme of this movie in so many ways is find your light. And I want to know what that means to each of you. Who wants to go first?

[53:29] Rueby Wood: Ruby, you can go first.

[53:31] Rueby Wood: Okay. Well, firstly, I gotta find a better lighting system than this because girl. Um I wow, yeah. It looks yeah, there's there's a lot of there's a lot happening here. I it's usually much. Okay, let's get to it. Find your light. What does it mean? Find your light. Um it's it's just it's just stepping into who you are and and and shining bright. And I think, and I think that I've learned how to do that, and I hope that other kids and just people in general can do that, and I hope Nate can do that.

[54:06] Marc Tumminelli: And Arya, what does find your light mean to you?

[54:09] Aria Brooks: Um, well, in the movie when um Aunt Heidi, she says like find your light, because how can how can they remember you if they don't see you? That really stuck with me when I was watching the movie. I was like, oh my gosh. Like, how how are people gonna remember you if they can't see you? So like that really stuck with me. And I think finding your light is about making yourself seen, making your opinions known, um, like what you stand for, and like letting that shine through and let letting people see that is super important.

[54:40] Marc Tumminelli: Well, you both are just incredible humans and you're doing incredible things in the world. Now, Aria, if we want to learn more about your music, how do we find that? Because you know I found it and I'm obsessed with it. So tell me about tell the audience where they can find about where they're where all your music is streaming and all that.

[54:58] Aria Brooks: Well, I have singles, and all of those singles are on my two EPs, Castles Part One and Castles Part Two. Um so you can find both of those anywhere you get your music, Castles by Aria, and stream it up. I mean, come on. Stream it up.

[55:10] Marc Tumminelli: And we have to make sure people are following you both on Instagram. So tell us what your Instagram handles are. Ruby, what how do we find you on the old Instagram?

[55:20] Rueby Wood: Um, my Instagram is Rueby Wood at Ruby with an E. So R-U-E-B-Y, what is just spelled normal, at Rubywood and um, yeah.

[55:32] Aria Brooks: Um, you can find like all my social media at it's Aria Brooks. The it's is in there. People forget that.

[55:40] Marc Tumminelli: Um, I can't think of a better way to end this by playing one quick round of heads up.

[55:46] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[55:47] Marc Tumminelli: Um my gosh, okay. Now I don't know. This is what we did to keep ourselves occupied for hours on set. And so, um, especially in those late nights. So we're gonna play the Broadway deck, and because it's a Broadway movie, and I'm gonna we've never played heads up on, so I can't look. So just do your best.

[56:03] Rueby Wood: Okay.

[56:07] Marc Tumminelli: Oh, oh, oh, oh, okay. Um, do uh, okay, so it's it's a place. So um it's it's a place, and and it's like an emotion, and it's emotion you shouldn't do for the place.

[56:21] Rueby Wood: I need right information. What would you do?

[56:22] Marc Tumminelli: What would you do if you're sad?

[56:24] Rueby Wood: Um, I would cry.

[56:26] Marc Tumminelli: Yeah, okay, yes, cry is in there. Um, what's the number after three?

[56:30] Rueby Wood: Uh four.

[56:30] Marc Tumminelli: Don't cry for me, Argentina.

[56:32] Rueby Wood: Don't cry for me, Argentina.

[56:33] Marc Tumminelli: Yes.

[56:34] Rueby Wood: Okay.

[56:36] Marc Tumminelli: Oh, lift it up.

[56:36] Rueby Wood: Lift it up.

[56:38] Marc Tumminelli: Or like so we can see it.

[56:39] Rueby Wood: I can't.

[56:38] Marc Tumminelli: Race, raise your voice.

[56:39] Rueby Wood: Ray, hit the phone.

[56:42] Marc Tumminelli: Can you see?

[56:43] Rueby Wood: Um, oh, yes, this is okay. So um it's it's two names, and um it's kind uh I don't I don't know this, but it is.

[56:52] Rueby Wood: Oh, it's pass, test because I can't help you either.

[56:55] Marc Tumminelli: Okay. They pass.

[56:56] Rueby Wood: Oh, not dogs.

[56:57] Marc Tumminelli: The opposite of dogs.

[56:59] Rueby Wood: Yes.

[57:00] Marc Tumminelli: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Um, okay. It's not a scale large rock.

[57:06] Rueby Wood: Um is the worst game of heads up.

[57:12] Marc Tumminelli: We're rusty.

[57:12] Rueby Wood: We're very rusty.

[57:13] Marc Tumminelli: We're very rusty, but listen, climb every mountain.

[57:16] Marc Tumminelli: All right, listeners, if you haven't stopped now, I don't know when you will. I'm obsessed with both of you. You are both so brilliant in this movie. We can't wait to see what's next for you. Now, Aria, we know we can check you out on high school musical season three, which we're really thrilled about. And Ruby, I know you're working on a ton of things and you're writing, and there's a lot of exciting things in the works for both of you. I'm so pleased to have been part of this journey. I love you both like you're my own, and we're in each other's lives forever. So everybody who's listening. If you've not watched Better Nate Than Ever on Disney Plus, watch it once, watch it twice, show your friends. Um, I think this movie is gonna have a huge, huge life. And um, I'm so obsessed with all of you. So thank you for doing the Little Me Growing Up Broadway podcast.

[58:01] Rueby Wood: Absolutely.

[58:02] Aria Brooks: Thank you for having us.

[58:03] Marc Tumminelli: Thank you. Bye, everybody.

[58:05] Marc Tumminelli: Thank you, listeners. This podcast is produced by Alan Seals, Dory Berenstein, and the Broadway Podcast Network, and edited by Derek Gunther. For more information on the Little Me podcast, go to bpn.fm slash little me. And follow me on Instagram at Marc Tumminelli or on Twitter at that Tuminelli. And for more information on workshops, classes, and everything Broadway Workshop, go to BroadwayWorkshop.com. Thank you for listening.