This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to The Art of Kindness, where we have compassionate conversations with artists from all areas of the entertainment industry who are using their voice to spread joy and make this big spinning planet in the universe a better place to be. I'm Robert Peterpaul, and I'm so glad you're here.

[0:30] Robert Peterpaul: Another highlight of my birthday week was attending the 2024 Drama Desk Awards. For those who may not know, the Drama Desks are the premier precursor to the Tony Awards, which, by the way, unfortunately, we will not be at this year. I know, sad face. But it is the closing night of Kinky Boots, so I have to be there, and I get to spend the Tonys again doing what I love. I'm so grateful.

[1:00] Robert Peterpaul: The Drama Desk recognize excellence in New York theater. No, they're not a show featuring desks that have drama, though I would watch that. Someone call Netflix!

[1:10] Robert Peterpaul: They were hosted this year by Sutton Foster and Aaron Tveit. What what? Something I thought was really amazing was that the Drama Desks had genderless categories. So each category had all the nominees in it. There was one category, and they would select two winners from there. I thought that was kind of a unique and progressive way to host an award show. So I applaud the Drama Desks.

[1:40] Robert Peterpaul: Shout out to my bestest pal Bryce for helping me out on this one, and for bringing me a birthday brooch. That's right, a birthday brooch. You may have seen the trend on these red carpets now is for a lot of people to wear brooches. Brooches are back. Raid your grandma's closet!

[2:00] Robert Peterpaul: And my nanny, speaking of grandmas, my nanny was trying to get me a brooch for a really long time, and Bryce found one for me. It was a little diamond-studded snail. I don't know why I said was. I still have it, don't worry. And I'll probably be repping it for the rest of my life. Yeah, pop that bad boy on me when I am in the casket.

[2:30] Robert Peterpaul: Anyway, I also want to shout out our intern Carly for nailing the editing on this one. We appreciate you so much. Our regular formatted episodes will be back very soon, but for now, I hope you enjoy hearing from nominees, winners, and attendees of the 2024 Drama Desk Awards as the curtain closes on this theater season. Love you!

[3:20] Brittany Adebumola: My name is Brittany Adebumola. I was in Jaja's African Hair Braiding, and I played Miriam, and I'm excited to just represent the show. And I'm just excited to have my mom here. She's standing right over there, and for her to be able to experience this with me. I'm new to the theater industry, so I was a little shocked to get this nomination.

[3:50] Brittany Adebumola: But I'm really honored to just be considered and for my work and for Jaja's to be recognized.

[3:56] Robert Peterpaul: Such a special show. I'm so happy for you. I think it's like starting to drizzle now, so I'll ask you one question. You can go enjoy the show. My podcast is The Art of Kindness, so I would love to know if you have a tangible kindness tip for listeners, something you would like people out there to do every day just to make the world a little bit brighter.

[4:12] Brittany Adebumola: I think it's easier to be kind to people if you actually are open to listening to people. So just open your ears and sometimes be quiet. You don't always have to insert yourself. Just listen first and then respond.

[4:25] Robert Peterpaul: That's beautiful. I wish the world had a lot more of that.

[4:27] Brittany Adebumola: Yeah.

[4:28] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you so much. Enjoy your night. It's great to meet you.

[4:31] Andrew R. Butler: I'm Andrew R. Butler. I'm excited to be here. I'm in Stereophonic, and we're accepting the Ensemble Award, and the cast has elected me to give our acceptance speech. So I'm very nervous but very excited to get to represent.

[4:50] Robert Peterpaul: Did you write something or are you going to wing it?

[4:51] Andrew R. Butler: Oh, I wrote something.

[4:52] Robert Peterpaul: Okay. We're prepared.

[4:53] Andrew R. Butler: As I said, would be devastated to go over time because I love rules.

[4:57] Robert Peterpaul: Speaking of, I get so nervous on these, so I'm going to ask you one more question before I get in trouble. We're the Art of Kindness, so I would love to know, do you have a tangible kindness for listeners, something you would want people out there to do to make the world a little brighter?

[5:08] Andrew R. Butler: Yeah. Check in on a neighbor. You probably have an elderly neighbor, and it can be intimidating to talk to new folks, but that kind of a little connection can mean a lot to somebody and can be really important down the road for one or both of you.

[5:22] Robert Peterpaul: That's so beautiful. Thank you so much. And give compliments, which you did for me. I can't wait to see your show. Congratulations. It was great to meet you.

[5:28] Brody Grant: What's up? My name is Brody Grant. I play Ponyboy in The Outsiders currently. Oh my gosh, I love this question. Any words I could give any Dreamers out there is just keep doing it because you can say it sounds hokey, you can say it sounds corny, but dreams literally save people's lives.

[5:48] Brody Grant: If you have something that you believe in and you work for it, even if you don't achieve it the way you thought you would, it'll still get you from A to B. And I can say that in my life, chasing dreams, it's not always been a clear yes. It's not always been a clear no. Sometimes it's been black and white. Sometimes things worked out or things almost worked out, whatever, but I kept dreaming and allowed myself to be audacious, too. It's okay to dream.

[6:15] Brody Grant: Kobe Bryant has this thing where he loves his parents because he was talking about how when he was little, he would just dream about scoring hundreds of points over and over. He was like, well, I'm dreaming. It's a dream. I'm allowed to be this, so I'm just going to keep scoring until I fall asleep. And I would say have that mentality because it's something that's really saved me, to be honest.

[6:39] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you for that. Thank you for being here. I'm going to let you go inside, but it was great to see you.

[6:43] Camille A. Brown: Well, my name is Camille A. Brown. I'm a choreographer for Hell's Kitchen, and I am excited to celebrate the show and celebrate everyone this evening.

[6:51] Robert Peterpaul: I'm so excited for you. I can't wait to see the show. I'm coming in July. My podcast is The Art of Kindness, so I would love to know. I think I've asked you a kindness tip before. I would love to know how you're being kind to yourself this season. It's such a whirlwind, I feel like.

[7:06] Camille A. Brown: I think taking a time, taking moments to pause sometimes. I mean, you know, there's a lot going on this season, especially. I mean, every season there's always something going on and it's very exciting. But I think it's also good for us to just pause and be present and just take everything in.

[7:24] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I agree. Do you have any tips for doing that? It's hard. We're all work in progress.

[7:35] Camille A. Brown: And just breathing. I love that. Thank you so much. We'll have the best time tonight. It's good to see you.

[7:41] Cole Escola: My name is Cole Escola, and I am excited to be at the Drama Desk because I have won an award.

[7:53] Robert Peterpaul: I'm so excited for you. Congratulations. My podcast is called The Art of Kindness. Do you have a tangible kindness tip, something you think people could do in the world to make it a little better and treat people with love?

[8:05] Cole Escola: No, I don't have any. I don't know how to be kind. I should probably check out your podcast.

[8:11] Robert Peterpaul: Please tune in. Yeah, I would love for that.

[8:12] Cole Escola: And then next time you ask me, I'll have some good advice.

[8:13] Robert Peterpaul: I'm going to hold you to that.

[8:15] Cole Escola: Please do, please do.

[8:16] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you. Well, congratulations. Enjoy yourself.

[8:30] Juliana Canfield: My name is Juliana Canfield. I'm in the cast of Stereophonic. And I'm excited because we're picking up an award that we already won that celebrates the whole cast, which is the best feeling. Teamwork really makes the dream work.

[8:41] Robert Peterpaul: It does. Speaking of teamwork, my show is The Art of Kindness. So looking at teamwork, I would love to know what do you think makes a great collaborator? Who are the people you love to work with?

[8:53] Juliana Canfield: Someone. I think you have to be willing to listen more than you talk and be willing to try things and admit when your idea is not so good. And I think, yeah, just having humility and curiosity goes such a long way and a good sense of humor.

[9:03] Robert Peterpaul: I agree. Congratulations. Well, I know I got to get you moving, but it was great to meet you. Thank you.

[9:09] Lauren Letero: Hi, I'm Lauren Letero, and I'm thrilled and honored to be here tonight with Heart of Rock and Roll. And I spent the day here directing the event.

[9:17] Robert Peterpaul: I've heard from so many friends that you just lead such a positive room and you lead with such kindness in the rehearsal room, especially. What is sort of your mindset there and your philosophy? Can you talk about that?

[9:26] Lauren Letero: Sure. I was a dancer for many years on Broadway, so I just treat people the way I want to be treated.

[9:31] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. And we are the Art of Kindness. So I would also love to know if you have another kindness tip for listeners, something you would like people out there to do in their own world just to try and make the world a little brighter.

[9:41] Lauren Letero: I think go pick up some trash in Washington Square Park. I think that'd be really helpful. And go see a part of the city or go see a show that you wouldn't is not your top three. Just branch out.

[9:53] Robert Peterpaul: I love that tangible and easy. Have fun tonight. Congratulations.

[9:56] Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer: Hi, I'm Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, and I am a nominee for Spamalot. And I'm so excited to be here, to be amongst my peers and family and friends. And it's just a great night.

[10:07] Robert Peterpaul: You're so amazing in Spamalot. I loved your performance. How does it feel to be continuing the Lady of the Lake's legacy now? I saw your social media promos, your show.

[10:17] Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer: It's been very fun. You know, she lives on and on, and we brought her out into the real world. She dragged herself out from the lake, and she wanted to, you know, she heard she was nominated, and she was like, well, I want to come back. And we brought her back.

[10:33] Robert Peterpaul: Now in a different vein, last question. My podcast is The Art of Kindness. I would love to know if you have a tangible kindness tip for listeners, something you think people all over the world could do just to make the world a little brighter.

[10:44] Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer: Treat everyone as if they're important. Everyone. The person who's serving you, the person who's driving you, the person who's your boss, down to the person who hands you a napkin or something or a towel in a bathroom. Everybody is important. Everyone has a right to be treated with respect and kindness. You know, open a door, say thank you. Ask someone how they're doing when you're getting your, you know, groceries at Trader Joe's. It goes a long way, and it spreads, right? All the ripple effects of being kind spreads throughout the world.

[11:17] Robert Peterpaul: Scientifically, it's proven. I love that. That's so true. We're all important. Love the TJ's deep cut. I'll let you go. Thank you so much.

[11:24] Liam Pearce: My name is Liam Pierce. I'm so excited to be here to celebrate How to Dance in Ohio, even months after we've closed, and just celebrate the fact that there are some people who are still interested and in love with the show. Yeah, I'm just happy to celebrate our little musical that could.

[11:40] Robert Peterpaul: I'm so excited for you. It's so well-deserved. I love the show. We had Cesar on our podcast a while back, and we're all about kindness. My show is called The Art of Kindness. Do you have a tangible kindness tip for listeners, something you think people could do in the world to make the world a little better?

[11:55] Liam Pearce: I think just practicing patience with people is always so important. The amount of times I've seen people in service jobs and stuff get so upset with people who are just taking an extra minute to themselves. Sometimes people just need a little bit of extra time, and to just practice patience with people is so, so important.

[12:13] Robert Peterpaul: I love that, especially on these red carpets where it's a little crazy.

[12:15] Liam Pearce: Yeah, just breathe through it. Everybody has somewhere to be. Everybody has their own agenda. Just breathe through your life, and you'll be fine.

[12:22] Robert Peterpaul: Speaking of, I know I have to let you go, because people will get mad at me, but I do want to just ask you, as the legacy of your show lives on, I wonder what you hope resonates most with people.

[12:33] Liam Pearce: I think the thought of people having more questions and wanting to learn more about autism. I think people just wanting to learn more and explore something that they hadn't thought about before when it comes to autism.

[12:50] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Thank you so much. It was good to see you. Have fun tonight.

[12:54] Will Butler: Hi, I'm Will Butler. I wrote the music of Stereophonic. I'm excited to be here, because it's a beautiful summer's night in Manhattan, and why not come in and hang out with all my friends?

[13:03] Robert Peterpaul: My podcast is The Art of Kindness with the Broadway Podcast Network.

[13:05] Robert Peterpaul: So we focus on positivity in the arts.

[13:07] Robert Peterpaul: I would love to know if you have a kindness tip, something tangible people can do out there to make the world a better place.

[13:13] Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer: I mean, this is stolen from my mother-in-law, but write a thank you note. And every time I've done it, a physical thank you note against every fiber in my being, yet people are moved by it. So write a thank you note. It goes a long way.

[13:27] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Congratulations on everything. I'll let you go enjoy yourself. Thank you.

[13:32] Marin Ireland: I'm Marin Ireland, and I'm excited to be here because most of these people here are some very good pals of mine.

[13:39] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Speaking of friendship, positive vibes, since we're The Art of Kindness, I'm asking people, what is a tangible kindness tip that you would like to offer to listeners? Something you would want people out there in the world just to do on their own front to make it a little bit brighter.

[13:54] Marin Ireland: I guess it's that thing that David Foster Wallace used to talk about, about this is water in that speech he gave, where it's like before you jump to responding to somebody, try to imagine what the circumstances might have been that led them to behave the way they're behaving. Maybe they've got a relative in the hospital. Maybe they are struggling with an illness themselves. Maybe they just got some bad news. Whatever that might be, just to try to imagine, to use that imagination to be like, what could have brought them there? Because any of those things could be possible.

[14:26] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Anything's possible. Use your imagination for good things versus spiraling the opposite way.

[14:31] Marin Ireland: I love that. Thank you so much. It was so good to meet you.

[14:34] Nakia Mathis: My name is Nakia Mathis. I am a double nominee tonight for wig design for Zsa Zsa's African Hair Braiding and The Cotillion.

[14:43] Robert Peterpaul: So I'm excited.

[14:44] Nakia Mathis: Congratulations. Both incredible projects. I was just asking a friend who does wigs the other day, how do you actually put human hair into wigs? It's like a whole process.

[14:52] Nakia Mathis: Yes, it's a process called ventilation. Or you can call it knotting. But you are putting single hairs in these small holes in lace. Like you first build a foundation out of lace, then you ventilate each hair one by one, strand by strand.

[15:08] Robert Peterpaul: I think people don't realize the amount of work that goes into that.

[15:11] Nakia Mathis: They don't. I think even some theater practitioners don't understand the art and the craft that goes into wig making. It's not just, oh, can you style a wig? First of all, we have to source a wig. It's very similar to costume design. Where are you getting the fabric? What kind of fabric? All of those things. They all tell a story. It's all part of it.

[15:32] Robert Peterpaul: I've got to let you go, but my last question is, we're the Art of Kindness podcast, so do you have a tangible kindness tip for listeners out there? Something you would like people to do on their own corner?

[15:40] Nakia Mathis: I would say leave people better than you found them.

[15:43] Robert Peterpaul: You left me better than you found me. You brightened up my night. It's so nice to meet you.

[15:47] Paul Taswell: My name is Paul Taswell, and I'm excited to be here because I was nominated for the costumes for Suffs.

[15:54] Robert Peterpaul: I love Suffs. I saw it at the public. We were talking about this earlier, and I was just so excited for it to come back to Broadway, and praying it came back.

[16:01] Robert Peterpaul: My podcast is The Art of Kindness, and I think I can only ask you one question, so I would love to know, do you have a tangible kindness tip for listeners, something you would want people to do in the world to make the world a little bit brighter on their own front?

[16:13] Paul Taswell: Well, I think that... take a breath, mind your space and the space of others, and be kind.

[16:26] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. That was so beautiful. And Suffs certainly touches on themes of kindness and equality and all that good stuff. Thank you so much. Enjoy your night, and congratulations.

[16:34] Rebecca Grier-Molosic: My name is Rebecca Grier-Molosic. I'm the book writer and lyricist of How to Dance in Ohio, and I'm so excited to be here today.

[16:42] Rebecca Grier-Molosic: I'm nominated for Best Book. Liam's nominated for Best Actor or Supporting Actor.

[16:48] Liam Pearce: He knows.

[16:49] Rebecca Grier-Molosic: And we have our Access team winning a special award. So I also just really loved this Broadway season. I just saw everything and just had a really good time being part of it. So I'm happy to cheer everybody on.

[17:02] Robert Peterpaul: I'm so happy you're here. Like I said, I loved How to Dance in Ohio. We had Cesar on the show. It was such a jam. I'm in a show right now. We did a sensory-friendly performance yesterday.

[17:10] Rebecca Grier-Molosic: Oh, it was so special. It was life-changing. But when I think of the legacy of your show and the beautiful work you did, what do you hope kind of resonates the most as it continues to grow and expand across the world?

[17:23] Rebecca Grier-Molosic: Honestly, I hope my, like, the biggest takeaway from How to Dance in Ohio is to not make assumptions about people's abilities. And not even people's abilities, but just not to make assumptions about what somebody might need or want and to walk through this world with a little bit more curiosity.

[17:39] Robert Peterpaul: I think that's a great kindness tip. I was going to ask you, do you have a tangible kindness tip for people out there to make the world better?

[17:45] Rebecca Grier-Molosic: Assumptions are good, because I always assume the worst. I'm like, they didn't text me back because they hate me! That's a great question. And I am so passionate about kindness. Actually, yeah, I do have some advice, especially because we work in such a collaborative field, and it's really easy to get frustrated with our collaborators over the process.

[18:03] Rebecca Grier-Molosic: And I always try to remember that we only see maybe 15% to 20% of what our collaborators are working on. And so to give people that grace of, like, there's a lot they're doing that you're not seeing, and you should appreciate them for that.

[18:16] Robert Peterpaul: That's so beautiful. Thank you so much. It was great to meet you. Go enjoy tonight.

[18:20] Ricky Uveta: Hi, I am Ricky Uveta. I am from the show Illinois, and I'm excited to be here because I'm excited that people are recognizing Illinois and a show that's about dance.

[18:30] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah. Congratulations on everything. At the Art of Kindness, we're all about positivity and celebration in the arts, and so I'm just going to ask people tonight, do you have a tangible kindness tip, something you would like listeners out there to do in their own corner to make the world a little brighter?

[18:45] Ricky Uveta: It can be tiny.

[18:46] Ricky Uveta: Just remember that not everyone is having their best day.

[18:51] Ricky Uveta: Not everyone is always, like, you might be seeing someone on their worst day, so keep the judgment at a level place.

[19:00] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Well, I'm hoping to see you soon. I got tickets.

[19:03] Ricky Uveta: Amazing.

[19:04] Robert Peterpaul: But I can't remember the date. It was so nice to meet you.

[19:06] Sabrina Mandel: Of course. I'm Sabrina Mandel, the artistic co-director of Happenstance Theater.

[19:11] Mark Jaster: And I'm Mark Jaster, the other artistic co-director of Happenstance Theater, and we're here because we have been nominated for the unique theatrical experience for our production, Adrift, a Medieval Wayward Folly.

[19:24] Robert Peterpaul: Yes, I've heard the most amazing things. Now, I...

[19:27] Robert Peterpaul: Well, about snails I can, about Escargot. So with the co that you mentioned, the co-artistic director, I think that's fascinating. Our show's all about kindness and positivity in the arts. What's your top tip for working together and collaborating in a positive way?

[19:40] Sabrina Mandel: Well, we have an ensemble of five performers who have collaborated together since 2012, and the way we do it is by listening to each other, keeping everything really honest, acknowledging everything that's actually happening in the room and addressing it before we try to get to the work.

[20:10] Mark Jaster: I would say we also push each other to try new and different things so that we don't settle into... Because we've been working together for almost 20 years.

[20:20] Mark Jaster: Well, we've been working together for 20 years, but with the company since 2012. So we don't want to do always the same thing, even though we're doing show after show together as an ensemble year after year.

[20:32] Mark Jaster: The other thing is that as artistic co-directors, if we don't agree on something, like Sabrina goes for A, I go for B, we're going to accept neither until we get a C that we both agree on.

[20:46] Sabrina Mandel: Consensus. C for consensus.

[20:48] Mark Jaster: That's fertile ground for creating something new, I think. It's usually better than what either one of us would have come up with.

[20:54] Robert Peterpaul: Right? Well, I've got to keep you moving, unfortunately. But it was great to meet you both.

[20:58] Timo Andrus: My name is Timo Andrus. I did the orchestrations and arrangements on Illinois.

[21:03] Timo Andrus: And I'm just so excited to be here to support the whole team and the cast and band and to tell everyone how great the music in our show sounds and to come see it.

[21:16] Robert Peterpaul: I love it. Everyone go run to see it. That is an amazing job. I bow down to everything you do. I want to let you go enjoy your evening, but the question I'm asking people is, do you have a tangible kindness tip, something people can do on their own front just to make the world a little brighter?

[21:32] Timo Andrus: You know, I think if you admire someone's work, you should tell them. Even if you don't know them, even if they're not your friend.

[21:42] Timo Andrus: I sometimes get lovely emails from strangers and lovely notes. And I try to do the same for artists who I admire. I think it really can make someone's day.

[21:55] Robert Peterpaul: That's really sweet. Lovely emails from strangers is a good title. I don't know what for, but for something. It was so nice to meet you. Have fun tonight.

[22:02] Shaina Taub: I'm Shana Taub.

[22:03] Andrea Grody: I'm Andrea Grody.

[22:05] Shaina Taub: Icons! My one question for you is, my podcast is The Art of Kindness. So do you have a tangible kindness tip for listeners, something you would like people out there to do on their own front just to make the world a little bit better?

[22:17] Andrea Grody: I think whenever you're having an interaction with someone, even if it's brief, ask them their name. And so I always like to feel seen by someone asking my name, so I try and do it for others.

[22:25] Shaina Taub: I love that.

[22:26] Andrea Grody: I love that one as well. And always give people the benefit of the doubt. Assume that they're having a worse day than you. Give them a smile.

[22:33] Shaina Taub: We had Hannah on our podcast, and I think she said that.

[22:35] Andrea Grody: Yeah, I love both of you. I'm such a big fan. Enjoy your night. It was great to meet you.

[22:39] Wade McCullum: Thank you. I am Wade McCullum. I am nominated for an outstanding solo performance in Make Me Gorgeous, and I'm really happy to be here.

[22:46] Robert Peterpaul: We get to celebrate everybody all at the same time. Congratulations. I've heard the most amazing things. Unfortunately, I did not get to see it.

[22:52] Robert Peterpaul: My podcast is The Art of Kindness, so I would love to know if you could just share a tangible kindness tip, something you think listeners out there could do on their own front to make the world a little brighter.

[23:02] Wade McCullum: Oh, that's so beautiful. Wow, thank you for doing that. That's really beautiful. I think, you know, it's cliche, but it all starts with being kind to oneself.

[23:13] Wade McCullum: I think, you know, really monitoring self-talk so that we're holding ourselves with compassion first, and then we can bring that to the world outside.

[23:21] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Well, what's your advice for doing that when you're in the midst of a crazy show run, especially with all the glitz and the glamour and everything you've got to do each night for that?

[23:29] Wade McCullum: You know, deep breathing, another cliche, but it works. And I also think looking into the eyes of the others who are sharing the experience with you and recognizing that we're never alone in all of this and the whirlwind.

[23:42] Robert Peterpaul: That's so beautiful. As Sondheim said. Well, I'm going to let you go. Go enjoy your night. It was great to meet you.

[23:46] Will Brill: Thank you. I'm Will Brill. I'm in Stereophonic. I'm excited to be at the Drama Desk, partly, honestly, because we already won an award.

[23:56] Will Brill: We won for Best Ensemble, and knowing that coming into an awards program is really exciting. We get to just relax, which is so nice.

[24:06] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I love that. Well, I know you won for Best Ensemble, but people are just, like, jazzed about your performance in particular.

[24:12] Will Brill: Oh, thanks. Looking at kind of Ensemble's teamwork and sort of the art of kindness, I would love to know, what do you think makes a great collaborator? Who are your favorite people to collaborate with?

[24:21] Will Brill: You know, I think the ability to prize another person's opinions or ideas above your own, being able to take a sort of global view of things is really essential to the collaborative process.

[24:40] Will Brill: I think without the ability to do that, you have a lot of people who wind up doing things next to each other instead of together. You know what I mean?

[24:52] Robert Peterpaul: That's brilliant. That's so true. Create fertile ground together. Put your seeds in.

[24:56] Will Brill: Well, that sounded weird.

[24:58] Robert Peterpaul: Anyway, it's great to meet you. Have fun tonight.

[25:00] Will Brill: Great to see you.

[25:01] Corbin Bleu: Hey, what's up, everybody? This is Corbin Bleu, and I am presenting today at the Drama Desk Awards.

[25:05] Robert Peterpaul: That's so exciting! I know I got to get you inside, so the one question I will ask you, my friend, is do you have any advice for dreamers out there, people who might have a dream but are scared to follow it or about to give up? Talk us off the ledge.

[25:18] Corbin Bleu: Don't stop. Don't stop dreaming. Keep working at it. No matter what your dream is, it's going to take time, and there's always... First of all, there's always a first step. So just take that first step that's usually the hardest one, and then keep on going, whatever it is that you are doing.

[25:35] Corbin Bleu: Know that it takes time. Know that there are obstacles, usually, though. Anytime you put your mind on a goal and if you actually just keep taking those steps one at a time, one at a time, you will find your way there. It's like that Christmas song, One Foot in Front of the Other. You know that one?

[25:51] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[25:52] Corbin Bleu: Well, I appreciate you. Thank you for being here. It was great to see you.