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[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: Greetings noble listeners and gallant kindred spirits of the AOK Roundtable! Welcome to another quest for kindness on The Art of Kindness podcast, where chivalry meets cheerfulness!

[0:49] Robert Peterpaul: Today we have a guest whose charisma is as legendary as the O-I-G-W itself. I'm sorry, I can't do the accent anymore. Gather round as we prepare for an epic journey with the Knight of Broadway, the jesting genius, oh the accent is back, the one and only Sir James Monroe Iglehart! Huzzah!

[1:08] Robert Peterpaul: James Monroe Iglehart is a multi-award winning actor of stage and screen. You may have seen him light up Broadway in shows like Hamilton, where he played the dual roles of Lafayette and Jefferson, Chicago as Billy Flynn giving it the old razzle dazzle, and the Broadway hit Freestyle Love Supreme. Of course, James is perhaps best known for his Tony Award winning performance as the Genie in Aladdin on Broadway.

[1:39] Robert Peterpaul: The California native has been booked and busy this season, starring as Louis Armstrong in the new musical A Wonderful World. Friend of the pod Afra Hines also shone bright in the show, go listen to her episode! After leading that show, James went straight into the Broadway revival of Spamalot!

[1:58] Robert Peterpaul: James plays King Arthur in the musical comedy which lovingly rips off the classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We of course dive into both of these shows. On screen you may have seen James in series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Maniac, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, or Sesame Street, and films like Disenchanted.

[2:20] Robert Peterpaul: He also has voiced so many animated characters in shows like Disney's Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures and DuckTales, as well as Blue's Clues.

[2:31] Robert Peterpaul: Fun fact, James is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd who has written three comic book stories for Marvel Comics and co-hosts the Marvel Comics podcast This Week in Marvel on SiriusXM.

[2:44] Robert Peterpaul: When he's not in the recording booth or on stage, he's usually watching pro wrestling on Disney Plus, or chilling out with his wife of over 20 years, Dawn.

[3:01] Robert Peterpaul: I want to note that James zoomed into our chat from a hotel lobby, which is really fun, I think. So as you listen, picture a serene hotel lobby, perhaps the hotel of your dreams in your mind, and we'll all jet off there together.

[3:17] Robert Peterpaul: As always, stay tuned after the interview for a special Thanksgiving-esque Kindness Tip of the Week with me, and then be sure to check out our social media pages at ArtofKindnessPod and at RobPeterPaul for more fun.

[3:29] Robert Peterpaul: We have a really exciting and sweet video being released today across platforms, showcasing our AOK100 episode special extravaganza launch at the one and only Schmackery's in New York City with so many star guests, you won't want to miss it. Go check it out.

[3:45] Robert Peterpaul: Speaking of our 100th episode with the one and only Carol Burnett, I have been floating on air and so grateful to have spent some time together with her and then share it with all of you.

[3:55] Robert Peterpaul: I promise to provide more of an update on our AOK100 fun very soon, but in the meantime, just know, I am so grateful. Thank you for listening.

[4:04] Robert Peterpaul: Now without further ado, let's embark on a noble adventure with the joyful James Monroe Iglehart.

[4:14] James Monroe Iglehart: Hello.

[4:26] James Monroe Iglehart: Hello, hello, hello. How are you doing?

[4:28] Robert Peterpaul: I'm doing great. How are you?

[4:30] James Monroe Iglehart: Well, I thought I was going to be able to be in my room, but I can't because it's not ready yet. So I am in the dining area. So I hope that's OK.

[4:37] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, my gosh, it's great. Where are you at? A hotel?

[4:40] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, I'm at the Residence Inn.

[4:41] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, very nice. You're residing there while you do What a Wonderful World?

[4:45] James Monroe Iglehart: Yes.

[4:47] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, my goodness. I can't wait to get into all that.

[4:49] James Monroe Iglehart: Literally just landed in Chicago and I'm here.

[4:52] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, my God. Well, I'm so glad you're here and I appreciate you taking the time to do this. It's going to be fun.

[4:58] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, please. My pleasure. My pleasure. My pleasure. Thank you.

[5:00] Robert Peterpaul: I am so pumped to talk to you today. Congratulations on everything you got going on from What a Wonderful World to Spamalot.

[5:06] James Monroe Iglehart: It's crazy. There's always something seems to be going on. I literally walked into the hotel. I kid you not, I walked in and right here is a giant television.

[5:17] James Monroe Iglehart: And as I walk in, I see my cartoon character on the Disney Channel.

[5:20] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, my gosh.

[5:22] James Monroe Iglehart: I play Mr. Puppy Paws and literally I walk in and I was like, oh my God, an episode of Super Kidneys is on. And it's my episode.

[5:28] Robert Peterpaul: You're like, what a wonderful world.

[5:30] James Monroe Iglehart: I'm like, this is a sign. This is a good sign. This is a good sign.

[5:32] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, my gosh. Well, I hope you get all the good signs because you put so much good out there in this industry.

[5:38] Robert Peterpaul: And I just admire how you spread smiles and you make it kind of a mission to do that.

[5:42] Robert Peterpaul: And you're such a light in this business. So I really admire you.

[5:45] Robert Peterpaul: And I can't wait to talk to you because I think you're the perfect fit for the art of kindness.

[5:49] Robert Peterpaul: Before we kind of dive into that, What a Wonderful World, Spamalot, all that kind of stuff.

[5:54] Robert Peterpaul: The first question I always ask guests who are accomplished such as yourself is how are you at accepting compliments?

[5:59] Robert Peterpaul: Because I'm guessing you get a lot of them, but it's kind of a tricky thing.

[6:03] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, he zipped up. Okay.

[6:05] James Monroe Iglehart: That's good. It's still cold in here.

[6:07] James Monroe Iglehart: I want to, the fact is I want to answer this in two ways.

[6:10] James Monroe Iglehart: I want to say, you know, when I get compliments, I, you know, I think about who they're coming from and I just accept them and go with it.

[6:18] James Monroe Iglehart: And then all of a sudden there's the egotistical person that says, yeah, please give me compliments. I love compliments. Tell me how wonderful I am.

[6:22] James Monroe Iglehart: That's, you know, I got into this business so I could get claps because, you know, I was an insecure kid who really just wanted to be liked.

[6:29] James Monroe Iglehart: So, yes, please throw compliments on top of me.

[6:32] James Monroe Iglehart: Everybody clap at home. We're all clapping. You're like Tinkerbell. We're lighting you up.

[6:36] James Monroe Iglehart: Exactly. Perfect.

[6:38] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Well, you know, it is a weird thing in the arts because we all want compliments.

[6:42] Robert Peterpaul: And I think it's a wonderful way to show love to people.

[6:45] Robert Peterpaul: So that's why I start with that. But the real question here before we dive in is, James, what is your definition of kindness?

[6:51] Robert Peterpaul: If you had to define it.

[6:53] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, you know, that's interesting.

[6:57] James Monroe Iglehart: I would say that I think my definition of kindness is allowing people to be who they are and being OK with that.

[7:07] James Monroe Iglehart: You know, you don't. There are certain friends that you have that you rib or you, you know, you talk mess about it.

[7:14] James Monroe Iglehart: You guys play the dozens or your mama is this, your mama is that or you or you or you talk about folks, you know, you make fun of people.

[7:21] James Monroe Iglehart: But it's never it's never to the point where you're trying to hurt somebody's feelings for being who they are.

[7:27] James Monroe Iglehart: I think kindness is the grace of allowing someone to be who they are, whether you disagree or not.

[7:36] James Monroe Iglehart: And just allowing people to be who they are and enjoying and actually reveling in that with them.

[7:42] James Monroe Iglehart: I think that our differences, this is kind of cliche. I think our differences are what makes us wonderful.

[7:48] James Monroe Iglehart: So that being kind to just letting people be just leave people alone, let people live their life.

[7:55] James Monroe Iglehart: That's what it is. Let people live their life and be who they are.

[7:58] James Monroe Iglehart: And because you want people to do that for you. So I think that's the best definition I have for kindness.

[8:03] Robert Peterpaul: I love that, you know, and I wonder for you before you kind of broke onto the Broadway scene.

[8:07] Robert Peterpaul: I mean, you were such an accomplished performer already doing tons of regional theater and all that jazz.

[8:13] Robert Peterpaul: So do you feel like you were able to give yourself that kindness early on when you were going into auditions?

[8:18] Robert Peterpaul: Did you always feel kind of free to be you? Or I know this is a deep question, but did you struggle with that at all?

[8:24] James Monroe Iglehart: I kind of struggled with it only because I you know, when you're you're always trying to find your place and you're trying to find what's the best fit for you.

[8:34] James Monroe Iglehart: And you have to kind of find who you're playing all these characters.

[8:38] James Monroe Iglehart: You want to play so many people because deep down you're wondering if you're good enough.

[8:43] James Monroe Iglehart: So if I play all these different people, maybe I'll find me.

[8:47] James Monroe Iglehart: But when you finally do find yourself, you can't be disappointed in that.

[8:51] James Monroe Iglehart: You have to actually go, yep, this is me and enjoy that and cultivate that and help that person to grow.

[8:57] James Monroe Iglehart: So that when you aren't playing these characters, that you can still be you.

[9:03] James Monroe Iglehart: You don't get lost in these other places that you can find solace in your own self.

[9:08] James Monroe Iglehart: And that's something honestly, I have to tell myself every day.

[9:12] James Monroe Iglehart: I have to say, you know, look, remember who you are and enjoy who you are.

[9:17] James Monroe Iglehart: Don't kind of put blinders on in life and like don't look at what your friends are doing.

[9:21] James Monroe Iglehart: Don't look what your friends are dressing like. Just who are you and what do you feel comfortable at?

[9:24] James Monroe Iglehart: Be that person because that is going to be great.

[9:29] Robert Peterpaul: That's so true. And sometimes it's like a balancing act because if you lean too far into the confidence and the cockiness and being like, I got this.

[9:37] Robert Peterpaul: Those are the moments when you're on stage and you're suddenly like it's not resonating with people because maybe I'm being a little too cocky.

[9:43] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah. Maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm not being as authentic because I'm too busy being cool and trying to do something.

[9:48] James Monroe Iglehart: But or, you know, if you are just.

[9:51] James Monroe Iglehart: Just your authentic self, then you can then you can get into the character and be what you're supposed to be and be totally fine stepping out and being back to being you.

[10:01] Robert Peterpaul: That's so beautiful. I already need you to write a book so I can read it every night and every morning.

[10:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Your way with words is so fabulous.

[10:08] Robert Peterpaul: You know, speaking of kindness early on in your career, I wonder if there was I hope there were a lot.

[10:13] Robert Peterpaul: And I think there were in listening to interviews you've given so wonderfully in the past.

[10:18] Robert Peterpaul: Was there a pivotal act of kindness that you feel like changed your trajectory and ultimately set you on this journey that you're on?

[10:26] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, actually. Yeah, there were there were several.

[10:29] James Monroe Iglehart: There was one in particular.

[10:31] James Monroe Iglehart: There's a guy named Philip Gilmore who is actually the father of Mahershala Ali, two time Oscar award winner Mahershala Ali.

[10:42] James Monroe Iglehart: We grew up. Our families were very close.

[10:45] James Monroe Iglehart: And my dad did movies for a little while and his dad did Broadway.

[10:49] James Monroe Iglehart: And I remember when I was trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life, I asked if I could interview him for my freshman class.

[10:55] James Monroe Iglehart: And the more he talked about Broadway and the more he gave me the information, like everything that I'm doing.

[10:59] James Monroe Iglehart: A lot of what I'm doing just came from the advice that he had given me.

[11:04] James Monroe Iglehart: And he didn't have to do that. He was so sweet.

[11:06] James Monroe Iglehart: He didn't have to take the time, but he did.

[11:08] James Monroe Iglehart: And he basically explained the entire business to me.

[11:12] James Monroe Iglehart: My father could explain the Hollywood side, but as far as the Broadway side, Philip Gilmore explained it to me.

[11:18] James Monroe Iglehart: And I was like, OK, this is this is it.

[11:21] James Monroe Iglehart: And there was a there was a professor who was also extremely nice to me.

[11:26] James Monroe Iglehart: His name was Professor Carter. He came to my mom's high school.

[11:30] James Monroe Iglehart: My mom taught high school and I was just helping out.

[11:32] James Monroe Iglehart: I was a senior in high school and I was helping out her tenor section.

[11:36] James Monroe Iglehart: And she walked up to my mom and said, who's that young man?

[11:39] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, that's my son. Well, his voice is great.

[11:42] James Monroe Iglehart: He should come to our school.

[11:45] James Monroe Iglehart: And my grades were not good for school.

[11:48] James Monroe Iglehart: I was a great performer. But as far as I go into like one of the big schools I wanted to go to, like USC or like NYU.

[11:55] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, no, no, no. Didn't have the grades for that.

[11:58] James Monroe Iglehart: And he said, well, he can come to Cal State Hayward, which was a state school in California and Hayward.

[12:03] James Monroe Iglehart: And they got me a scholarship. That was an act of kindness that I didn't see coming.

[12:08] James Monroe Iglehart: And because of that guy, I got into college and then I worked my butt off to get the grades that I would have needed to go to some other school and to be the professional I am now.

[12:18] James Monroe Iglehart: So those two guys stand out a lot.

[12:20] James Monroe Iglehart: And as far as I think about my parents, everything that I have came from the words and teachings that they gave me.

[12:29] James Monroe Iglehart: So those are the ones that come to mind right now.

[12:32] James Monroe Iglehart: I've had many moments in every aspect of my career of people that I didn't expect to be kind to me.

[12:39] James Monroe Iglehart: And just dropping pearls on me or seeing something in me and saying, you know what, I want to help that guy out.

[12:47] James Monroe Iglehart: I want to help that guy out.

[12:48] James Monroe Iglehart: And, you know, that was really cool.

[12:50] James Monroe Iglehart: That's kind of kindness in synchronicity.

[12:53] James Monroe Iglehart: Is that a word I don't even know? It's working in sync.

[12:56] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you so much. You're going to write the book.

[12:58] James Monroe Iglehart: So I needed you to confirm that, you know, because you had this wonderful person seeing you for you and kind of your talent and giving you this opportunity. But you also had your mom accepting that and your parents allowing it.

[13:08] James Monroe Iglehart:

[13:38] James Monroe Iglehart:

[14:08] James Monroe Iglehart:

[14:28] James Monroe Iglehart:

[14:48] James Monroe Iglehart:

[15:08] James Monroe Iglehart:

[15:28] James Monroe Iglehart:

[15:38] James Monroe Iglehart:

[16:00] James Monroe Iglehart: Whether you are cognizant of it or not, talks about acts of kindness a lot and leading with kindness in the rehearsal room in the industry. Do you feel like overall as a performer, or even do you remember one instance in particular where leading with kindness got you a new opportunity or you feel like because you were kind it helped you get the job?

[17:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, actually, I met a friend named Derek Baskin. He's the original Mitch Mahoney in the 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee on Broadway. He's one of the original gators in Memphis, you know, he's one of the original eels in The Little Mermaid on Broadway. We've been best friends for years. We became good friends while doing a regional production of Memphis, and I remember our last day of the show, I said, "What are you going to do?" He said, "Man, I'm going off to this regional place to do some weird show about a spelling bee. I don't know, something like that." And Spelling Bee became Spelling Bee. When they decided to do a sit-down company in San Francisco, they had the Broadway company. They weren't going to do a tour yet; they wanted to do a sit-down company because it was a tiny show, it was cheap to do.

He did not have to do this, but out of the kindness of his heart, he told the producers about me. So when all of my friends were going to this big open call, I got a private call on my AT&T cell phone at the time. It wasn't even an iPhone; we didn't have those then, just an AT&T cell phone. The person says, "Hey, you have an audition at this time," and I was like, I called Derek. He's like, "Of course, I set it up for you. I knew you were the guy to do it." It's just a random act of kindness because he was just a sweet guy. He didn't have to; we've been best friends ever since, but he didn't have to do that. That is the art side that's best for me. I love that because it's supposed to be a community, and you can only put on a show with other people. You can do a one-man show, but even then, you know, there's people backstage, there's people right. It's never really a solo show.

[18:41] James Monroe Iglehart: So I think that's so wonderful, and I know, and I am probably 100% sure that you've had many instances like that because you just seem like such a kind, genuine person. As we kind of look at your breadth of work and kind of fly over it before we get to where you are now, I'd be very remiss if I did not hop on a magic carpet and just ask you maybe one or two questions about Aladdin because, of course, this is such a huge part of your legacy, and I know you've inspired so many people. I mean, even our family has the little Aladdin Broadway genie lamp that we hang on our Christmas tree every year. My brother's, you know, one of his first Broadway shows, and so it's just around the world you've inspired so many people, and you remain a part of their lives through this role.

In your Tony speech, which is amazing, and I wish we had more room in this Zoom box to do a little dance like you did at the end of it, but you said you wanted to work with Disney since you were 10 years old. I wonder, looking back now after achieving that dream, if you can pinpoint kind of what exactly made it such a magical and positive experience because as we look at kindness in the arts and how more shows and experiences can kind of promote that and lead with kindness, I just wonder if the big mouse had any lessons that you took away.

[20:02] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, the fun part is I was at Disney World, and I was being really uppity because I had a VIP guide, so there you go. And now what's really funny is that particular VIP guide is like family to us. When we met him in that week, we became very close, and we see him every year, and it's great. Love him to death. That's our boss, our brother; we love him. He says, "You know, here we try to give a little magic as much as we can, and we try to show things to people that they're not expecting to see." I took that back to the theater. Like, if he sees a patron, you know, on the grounds and they're like, "Can I help you, sir?" and they're like, "Yeah, I'm looking for this or this," they not only do that, but they do a little bit of extra, a little bit of magic that will make them go, "Oh my gosh, that was above and beyond what you need to do."

So I thought, "I'm working for the Disney company," and even in my Broadway capacity, what can I do to give a little extra magic? So when I would go out, you know, on the autograph line, I would spend time with each kid and talk to them about their hopes, their dreams, what it is that they wanted to do, what they think about the show, if they did like it, didn't like it, and if they didn't find that's great, but what do you want to do with your life? It was amazing. I would spend about an hour on the line just talking to people, and I'm amazed at how many people remembered that. I was just trying to give them a little magic and give them a little time after the show, and I've had more people come back to me and tell me, "Listen, I was 14 when I met you when you were doing Aladdin, and I remember what you told me, and now I just graduated from college, and I'm an actor too."

I'm like, "Whoa!" They're like, "You told me to do this; you told me to keep my head up." I was like, "Wow!" You know, just an awesome, you know, I was trying to be nice, had no idea what would come of it, and that it wasn't something to come of it, but just I wanted to give back because I remember how much going to see a Disney project meant to me, so I wanted to make sure that the show was not only good but their after-experience was good too. I remember a lot of those times like that.

[22:13] James Monroe Iglehart: Thank you for doing that; that's really special. And, you know, in these recent years, obviously, it's gotten harder and more on and off and flickering to do stage doors just because of the state of the world, which is funny because now I have to say we stay with Aladdin, but I'll say this, ladies and gentlemen who are watching this: wonderful people, because I'm doing Louis Armstrong, it's hard for me to do stage door because of my voice.

[23:00] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh yeah, because I do the voice. After the show, I have to warm down, and then I literally have to run to my hotel to shut up so I could do the show the next day. It's not like I don't love you all; I love you all at Spamalot, trust me. I will sign; I'll talk; I'll joke with the folks, but I was like, "You can't do it on this show." No, you gotta take care of yourself. That's self-kindness right there, and that was something I was going to ask you about down the line, but it's part of my larger plan. I'm like, I want to get ring doorbells in every stage door on Broadway so people can record messages for you, and then maybe we'd hear out the, you know, weed out the weird ones, but show you the actual things because it is nice for you to receive that, you know, I'm sure. So that makes total sense.

[24:47] James Monroe Iglehart: You reminded me too of what Nicole Kidman says in her iconic AMC trailer, which is, "We come to this place for magic." Yes, yes, that's what people come to the theater for. And Disney, I even remember being in Disney at a gift shop, and my now wife happened to mention it was my birthday, and then all of a sudden the phone rang, and the cast member there gave me the phone and was like, "It's for you," and it was Mickey being like, "Happy birthday!" And I was like, "Oh my god!" They hear because it's the little things.

[25:13] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, it's the little things that you do. Just looking at someone and saying, "Hey, you look nice today." I've done that several times. I'll see somebody, and I'll say it to guys too because, you know, you know how men are. We always go to women and go, "Hey, you look beautiful," and they're like, "Oh my god, thank you!" But like, you walk up to a guy, and you're like, "Man, you are wearing that suit, dude! That is awesome!" Yeah, well, like I walk up, I'm like, "Where'd you get the kicks, man? Those are fly! Well done, well done, bro!" Oh yeah, and they're like, "Oh, thanks, thanks, man! Thank you! I love these shoes!" You know, just saying that, it's amazing how much you can brighten someone's day by just like saying something nice to somebody, like your fly tracksuit, which I've been appreciating this whole time.

[25:51] James Monroe Iglehart: Thank you very much! It's just, yeah, just saying it is so nice, and you're like, "Thank you!" I love, I want to do it on Broadway. I love those people that drive by kindness, you know? They shout out the window, "You look great today!" or "You're so beautiful!" and people just turn around, and they're beaming, you know? It's such a wonderful thing, but we sort of touched on that self-kindness that you just mentioned with the show you're doing now, What a Wonderful World, and doing shows back-to-back is a lot. I know you have even done two shows on Broadway at the same time, which is incredibly impressive. You know, gearing up to go back to Broadway with Spamalot and now being in your current show channeling Louis.

I mean, when it rains, it pours, but I would just kind of love to pick your brain about the shows in general. But first of all, what do you do to take care of yourself? I mean, you mentioned going back and not doing the stage door, but how do you show yourself kindness during these crazy times?

[26:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Really, it's about being diligent about knowing I talk a lot. I talk a lot, and I know I've been saying that. I mean, it's not, not knowing people who know me go, "That boy can talk," but for me, it's about self-discipline, knowing that when I'm rehearsing, marking when I can, if I have to do it for real, doing it for real, but when it's necessary and then take marking, making sure I'm very hydrated, making sure I have enough sleep, making sure I'm eating right so I'm like, you know, I'm not doing anything that's going to.

[26:16] James Monroe Iglehart: I'm a I'm so stupid and silly. I mean, I just did a show with, I think you know, John Tracy Egan, who's the best. Yes. Such an amazing guy. And it was like, our backstage antics were just, it was stupid. Like, I'm surprised we didn't get fired.

[26:46] James Monroe Iglehart: Those are the best when you can find someone that you can when you can find someone who's a professional, immature person, yes, it is the best feeling ever, right? Because you guys could be immature children together and still do your show and not get caught for doing immature things you're doing. That is the most fun because then you have fun off stage and you have fun on stage.

[27:16] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, yeah. Yes, I thoroughly agree. Yeah, it's like take the work seriously, but don't take the person seriously. It's dangerous, you know, to if you're part of the ensemble and have smaller parts, because that's when you get into the real trouble, you know, because then you have more time to do things.

[27:46] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah. Yeah. And then you can't look at each other suddenly on stage trying not to laugh. The giggles are real. I'm terrible with that. Oh, baby, that that is my favorite. The giggles are and I am notorious. I am notorious for trying to make people laugh. And the funny thing is, with these two shows, I can't. Yeah, with it. It's not that I'm it's not that I wouldn't. It's just that I'm on stage so much. I don't have time to do things. And I see other people having a good time. And I'm like, I want to be a part of those shenanigans. But I know, well, you're leading the show, you know, what a wonderful world. I mean, you're channeling Louis Armstrong.

[28:16] James Monroe Iglehart: I have seen the videos and the pictures and like everyone else and all these it's like a Broadway red carpet in your comment section. First of all, everybody their jaws are dropped, like no one even realized it was you double takes all around.

[28:46] James Monroe Iglehart: That was funny. I wasn't expecting that. That was that I wasn't expecting. Yeah. But well, what has I guess this experience been like just to start, you know, channeling him? What a special opportunity.

[29:16] James Monroe Iglehart: It's been a wonderful, challenging, sometimes frustrating journey. Because I like to split it like I'm standing on the shoulders of a guy who did everything already. You know, I am an African American performer. And without Louis Armstrong, there would probably be no James Monroe Iglehart. I mean, he went through stuff that I don't ever have to go through. So I he went through all that. So I wouldn't have to, you know, he broke down, he broke down barriers in music, he broke down barriers in Hollywood, he broke down barriers in live, you know, shows, so that I wouldn't have to like, he was one of the first, you know, African American performers to say, well, if I if I can't stay in the hotel, I'm not playing there.

[29:47] James Monroe Iglehart: And they were like, what? I'm not playing your place. And they really wanted him to play there. He's Louis Armstrong, he's Satchmo, they want him to play there. And he was like, I'm not playing there. And they had to fix it so that they could get that guy because everybody wanted to see it. So I mean, the barriers that he broke down, the things that he did were amazing the way he there were trumpet players before Louis, and trumpet players after Louis. I mean, he literally broke down how folks play.

[30:16] James Monroe Iglehart: Like nobody was playing, not many trumpet players were playing above the line, you know, of the treble clef before he started playing. And he started doing things, he was like, I want to play like him, they still have the guy who plays trumpet in our show say, he said he was in school and they still hand out Louis solos for them to practice. Because if you can do a Louis solo, then you've got the chops to be a really good horn player.

[30:46] James Monroe Iglehart: And just learning about his life and watching videos, and watching how he talks his mannerisms, how he moves something as simple as how he holds his trumpet, and how he holds his handkerchief. I was getting into that. And it was so much fun. But then going back and looking at how do I say that without killing myself? And how do I sing that without hurting myself? Or how do I, how do I get that he, he has a little bit of accent on certain words, but not certain words. And just little things. And I'm still learning every I when I tell you every day, I'm still learning something new about the guy. And I but it's been so much fun because I wasn't I was a fan. But I wasn't a huge fan like I am now.

[31:16] James Monroe Iglehart: Mm hmm. And it wasn't until the pandemic happened when my wife and I were watching Ken Burns jazz documentary, where I first really, really, really got into Louis. And that's when I was like, Oh, I got to learn more about this guy. This guy is that this is something. And I'm blessed to get to do it, man. It's really fun.

[31:45] Robert Peterpaul: I'm so happy for you. And I'm blown away just by wish I could see it. And hopefully I will one day. But, you know, just seeing it in Chicago in the pictures. Yeah, I have a good feeling about it. I know Afra Hinds a little who's in it.

[32:14] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, my gosh. I mean, she is not only one of the nicest people in the world, but she is one of the most incredible performers. Oh, yeah, I've been on stage with that girl. She's dance her face off and sings. Well, I mean, she's she's one of our understudies. So I can't wait to actually do the show with her. She is fantastic.

[32:46] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, yeah, she is so incredible. And it just looks amazing all around. And, you know, I wonder for you, we kind of touched on it before a little bit. But how do you go about kind of honoring him and yet bringing yourself to it? Because obviously, you're in the role because you're you and they wanted what you bring to the table. So how do you work? I mean, do you take away parts of your personality or do you add parts to him sort of what's your process there?

[33:16] James Monroe Iglehart: It's a little bit of both. It's like I try to do I try to channel as much as him as I possibly can. But also I know that there it's got to be a heightened Louis. It can't be it can't be an impression of Louis. It can't be no disrespected Las Vegas. So it can't be a Las Vegas impressionist act. It's got to be Louis. I got to be kind of how I did the genie. It's got to be Louis esque.

[33:46] James Monroe Iglehart: So there's enough of Louis there that the audience gets Louis. But I can still bring the energy that I have to the role because Louis wasn't Louis wasn't a dancer and we have dances in the show. You know, I mean, Louis didn't sing to get to the next scene, but I do. So it's one of those words where it's like, I have to use those skill sets of my own to get to do the show, but give enough Louis esque. It doesn't seem like it's James doing it. So it's kind of like me, me behind this, me behind the mask, trying to get Louis to where his next place is in the show.

[34:16] James Monroe Iglehart: And it but it really was about getting as much as him as I possibly could, but using the energy that I have that makes me me to, you know, run the machine, basically.

[34:46] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, that's a great way to put it. Now I want you to save your voice. I'm like, stop asking questions. I wonder if this was planned. This was planned. Okay, good. Yeah, you can if you want to, like, lean closer and talk, you know, softer. It's up to you. And that'll help to it. I kind of I think it's fun when people record from an environment like we know you're at the hotel. And I think that's exciting because you're bringing that energy with you right now.

[35:16] Robert Peterpaul: But I wonder, you know, the show sort of subtitled about his life and his loves, which is interesting to me. Is there a lesson so far you've taken away just from looking at his life in total?

[35:46] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, you know, I think it's, it's, it's interesting being an entertainer, because you do so many great things entertainment wise. And you do so many things for the fans, that sometimes you really do neglect home. And we all have our flaws. And Louis, really, it seems the more I learned about him, had issues with not intimacy, but trusting intimacy, to a certain extent. Because when when not when the going got tough, but when things would happen, he would go to his happy place, which is being on stage being on the road.

[36:16] James Monroe Iglehart: And that is not conducive to holding on to a relationship. You know, unless unless your partners with you, on the road with you every step of the way, you're not there. And you need to be there for your partner. It's got to be it's never, it's never going to be 5050. And I've learned that through 21 years of marriage, it's always going to be different, but you at least got to be there to give something.

[36:46] James Monroe Iglehart: And it took Louis a long time to learn that it took him three wives to learn it's when he finally got to his fourth wife. He got it. Yeah, but it took it took three ladies.

[37:16] Robert Peterpaul: Well, he invited me to Instagram too, because I saw Brene Brown on there the other day saying it's not 5050. It's sometimes it's 9010. Sometimes it's 80. Oh, I can't do math.

[37:46] James Monroe Iglehart: That and no, no, no, no, you're right. That is true. I mean, I, I have learned over 21 years of marriage. I think that's the one fun thing. It's fun being married. I think it'd be different if I played this man and I was single. I don't think I would get the nuances as well. But being married and having a family and playing this man, there are certain things that I do get that sometimes the marriage is going to be, you know, 60, 40, 70, 30, 80, 20, sometimes 90, 10, sometimes 50, 50, but very rarely is a 50, 50.

[38:16] James Monroe Iglehart: And it's on either side, you know, and it can't be 90, 10 on every on the whole side of the whole marriage, you know, so it has to, it has to balance out. Sometimes it's you sometimes it's them doesn't matter. But there needs to be enough communication between the two of you to understand where the percentage is. So you guys at least know so the other person is prepared for what's happening.

[38:46] James Monroe Iglehart: And I think with Louis, I think, but I should say, and when you say, but you seem to, I always say, when you say, but you're negating what you're about to say, but it's not that it's. I know I'm trying to say. And now I'm learning that too. Yes. But he also comes from a different time. And that has to be a factor. The way the world was in the way that men treated women, the way women treated men, the way that America was at the time, we can definitely fault him for his flaws in 2023 with our 2023 mentality of equality and how you treat people.

[39:25] James Monroe Iglehart: How You Do Things. But this is negating because 40 years from now, what are people going to say about us? We think we've got it down. Everybody must be equal. Everybody must be this. I'm not saying that's bad, but some of the things we're saying or how we're saying it, what will the four generations think about what we're doing? They may look at us and go, Oh, my God, how barbaric. You mean they spent all their time on their phone? You mean they were dating? Okay, so they didn't talk to each other. They just looked into their own app and swiped left. Oh, my God, how barbaric is that? We're like, Oh, my God, look how cool we are. Oh, my God, that's terrible. So looking at Louie's time between 1920 to 1971, we can judge all we want, but it was a different time.

There are some things that are just fundamentally human that you should just know not to do. And so I can't say he was right on those things. But there are some things that he was a product of his time. And I do want to honor the triumphs that he had. And hopefully people learn lessons from the failures that he had, but also see that he did come out learning. I see what it must be to be a better husband. And I can be a good husband and a great performer at the same time. It just took him a little longer to learn that. Yeah. And I think that's important to see people in that complex way, because that creates conversations when people are walking out of the stage door, you know, watching this icon and appreciating so much about him and then having that feeling of, oh, but then there was this, like, I don't know how to wrangle that, you know, because just because he was sort of the husband to the musical world doesn't mean he was going to be a good husband at home.

Because it's hard to be that good at something and be that good at something else. It really takes a lot of willpower. It takes a lot of self-control to be that good at that many things, especially when it comes to relationships. And back then, you know, men were told, men and women are this, you know, women are different, women don't know how to, women don't do this. It was very negative on women. And so, you know, here's this man coming through, knowing that this is wrong, because his mom was there, his grandmother was there, these very strong women. But, you know, he's been told, you know, he's being raised in this time. And that's not an excuse. But, you know, you have to look at where he was at the time.

But he, you know, he got, as he got older, he realized what was right and wrong. And he made some stupid decisions. And then he got his life together. And he was never over, he was never abusive. But he wasn't exactly emotionally there for some of the ladies that he was with. Yeah, unavailable. But I think it's that curiosity and ability to grow and change with the times that's so important. And your curiosity, I'm sure, is what's making this wonderful performance because you're so curious about him. So I think as we admire these, you know, older generations, it's the people that stay curious that actually stay human, I think, in a lot of ways. And Louis, I will say Louis did stay curious. That was something that he loved his youthfulness.

He loved being curious. He loved trying new things, going new places. And that is what made him go, you know, I gotta get this together. I gotta get this together. And when he finally did, it's one of those crazy moments, though. But you get to you become older, and I'm learning this now that I'm older. It's like, oh, you got to get it quick because you don't have forever. You don't have forever.

[43:21] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I heard I saw Merrilee last night. And there's that line about he turned 25. And he was like, I realized I'm like a quarter, you know, I'm a quarter of a way through my life. And you're like, oh, my gosh, that's so freaky. But you know, looking at your life and the magic that you've already kind of sprinkled behind you, I wonder, just to kind of be on theme with the show, what are the moments that make you look to yourself and say, what a wonderful world? You know, what are the moments that make you kind of stop and think that?

[43:39] James Monroe Iglehart: When I got married, you know, in 2002, to my wife, Dawn, when we became a family, she's got these beautiful nieces and nephews who have now become my nieces and nephews. And basically, like my kids, watching these wonderful young people grow up to be these amazing adults has made me look at what is really important in life. Something as simple as my cats, I have four crazy cats at my house. And oh, my gosh, what are their names? They are, they are Lily, Mouse, Hudson and Grace. And when I see the four of them, I get so excited. So, you know, knowing that I was able to fulfill a teenage dream and win a Tony, I look back and go, wow, that's cool. Whenever I see my name in a playbill, something as simple as seeing my name in a playbill, because I remember going to theater and going someday my name is going to be on there.

What I used to do when I was a kid, I used to go to record shops, they don't have record shops anymore. That means some of them. But I used to have them in the mall, you can go get cassette tapes and stuff like that. And I remember picking up. Yes, I remember picking up a tape and it was Ralph Tresvant. It was the lead singer of New Edition. And Ralph Tresvant is the same amount of letters as James Iglehart, not Monroe, because I wasn't using my middle name at that time. But I counted out that that Ralph was the same amount of letters as James and Tresvant was the same amount of letters as Iglehart. And it dawned on me, my name could fit on the cassette tape. And I kind of, without anybody knowing, I flipped over the cassette tape and drew my name into the cassette tape, seeing someday someone's going to buy a tape with my name on it.

That kind of magical moment that made me think, wow, you know, my name could be in lights someday. My name could be on an album someday. My name could be in a playbill someday. Little things like that. Or when a little brown kid comes to the show and I see them get excited about seeing something I'm doing. But then when I see a little white kid, there was a little white girl who walked up to me one time and she was happy, but she was a little down. And she was like, my school is doing Aladdin. But the boys in the choir told me I couldn't be Genie because I was a girl. And I said, well, you tell the boys. I said, I'll record it for if you want. So you tell the boys that the Genie of Broadway said, that's BS because Genie's a mythical creature.

The Genie can be whoever they want to be. So if they need to be a girl, then that's who they need to be. I said, you know, if you're funny and you're good at what you do, I said, girl, you go ahead and be Genie. And you show those boys what real magic is. Moments like that, moments like that are just, they stick with me. They stick with me. And I remember why I'm doing this. I remember seeing Jungle Book in the drive-in with my dad, and then having someone tell me they saw Aladdin. I do this because I remember what it felt like to go someplace and feel so happy leaving that I want to do that for the people. And so when that kind of happens, those moments stick with me when they come and tell me about it. So those are the magic moments for me, but also the quiet moments where I'm in the house where me and my wife are just chilling and we're playing PS5. I just got one.

[47:17] Robert Peterpaul: What are you playing?

[47:23] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, we are. We are playing, what do we play? We're playing Diablo. We're playing Diablo 4 right now.

[47:28] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, wow. Have you guys tried It Takes Two?

[47:30] James Monroe Iglehart: No. Okay. I recommend it because it's a relationship sort of building game and you're playing a husband and wife that are on the brink of divorce. Stay with me. But you have to go, this little girl, their daughter's really sad. And you have to go through the house, like you go under the bed, you become these mini creature things that were her dolls. It's very complicated, but not really. And you have to work together. So you need each other to get through each level. So you literally can't progress without each other. It's the best. We're having so much fun. That's our kind of game. We love co-op games. We can play together. That's our big fun thing. We look for that. We played all the Lego games on video games because we love playing together.

[48:03] Robert Peterpaul: Oh yeah.

[48:04] James Monroe Iglehart: So that's our thing. So that's, wow, check that out.

[48:08] Robert Peterpaul: Check it out. It takes two. They're not sponsoring the podcast, although maybe they will now.

[48:13] James Monroe Iglehart: I love, hang on to that, the feeling you were describing. And I really love that you led with your family and said, those are the wonderful things. You have a great head on your shoulders. And I think that's so important. And I hope one day in a cabaret, you do your own version of What a Wonderful World and kind of stick your little lyrics in there. You know, speaking of that feeling of leaving people with happiness, what a beautiful time to do Spamalot and just make people laugh. I am so pumped for this. It is an iconic show. First of all, what was it like, I guess, to dive into King Arthur? And then now I'm sure you're sort of diving back in.

[48:41] James Monroe Iglehart: I did. I literally went back to rehearsal for my first rehearsal. This was Monday, this past Monday. Yes, Monday and yesterday. And now I'm in Chicago. But Monday and Tuesday, I was in New York rehearsing. And that's what I'll be doing. I'll be in Chicago. I'll leave on Sunday, go to New York on Monday and Tuesday, do my rehearsals, then come back to Chicago, do the show. So that's how I'm working both of them. But Spamalot is such a fun show. I'm a big fan of, you know, Monty Python, Mel Brooks, Benny Hill, Mr. Bean. I love comedy. I love physical comedy, but also smart comedy. And Monty Python was both of that. Monty Python was extremely physical, but also very, very, very smart. So smart.

And I remember the first time I had heard about the movie, I was in college. And I was, you know, the college green room, where there's always the, you know, the line is split down the middle between the Sondheimers and the Lloyd Webbers. And then it's split. And then another split is the, is the Monty Pythons and the Mel Brookses, or the Benny Hills and a different type of comedy, you know, or the Richard Pryors and the George Carlins, everybody split down what they want. And you realize that the guys you're splitting into battles actually like each other. They're not battling, they're actually enjoying each other's stuff. And I remember seeing the movie and thought it was so damn funny. I was like, this is hysterical.

This is amazing. And then I remember seeing I was in the show Memphis and I saw Spamalot because a friend of mine had just left our show to go to Spamalot. And it was so, so good. And never in a million years, I think I'd be in the show, never in a million years. And when they asked me to play King Arthur in at Lincoln Center, I said, I jumped at the chance. I was like, also, I jumped at the chance to be on stage with my friends. When I found out that Nick Walker was going to do it, when I found out Alex Brightman was going to do it, or Rob McClure, or Leslie, or Jimmy Smagula. These are people who I'd been dreaming about working with. It's stacked. And I was like, I have to do the show. And so we had so much fun.

And so when the Lincoln Center said they were going to produce it on Broadway, and yes, we did lose Rob, but Rob is great. Rob is killing it in Mrs. Doubtfire, and we lost Alex. But Alex will be back in January. The fact that we still had our cast, we got to play him, and I get to play with Taryn from SNL, who I've known for a long time. Again, we had rehearsal yesterday. And just to be in there with, you know, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Taryn, and Jimmy, and Leslie, and Nick Walker, and Michael Urie, and Ethan Slater. I mean, it was just so much fun. It is so much fun. And also, I love a show where we're not trying to make you think, we're not trying to make you, we don't want you to go in and come out to have a deep ass conversation about what's going on in the world.

Actually, we want you to leave all that behind. Come in, and just have a good time with us. We want to make you laugh. We want to entertain you. And also, it's such a send-up to Broadway. Spamalot is such a beautiful send-up to Broadway, because we make fun of Broadway, at the same time honoring all that it encompasses. The big solos, the brash tap dance numbers, the big sets, the flashy moments, the silly little duo moments of like, you know, the soft shoot moments. I mean, what makes Broadway Broadway? Spamalot has all that in it. At the same time, we literally just want to be silly, and make you laugh, and make you smile, so when you leave, you're a lot happier than when you first walked in.

You know, and I can't wait. You just said something home for me that I can't wait either, but just poking fun, and we mentioned this at the top too, poking fun at things can be seen as maybe not kindness, but I think it is, because it's honoring. You know, you're honoring Broadway.

[52:33] James Monroe Iglehart: Yes. And it'll be different. Each one of us has a moment like that. Leslie has a moment; each one of our actors has a moment where it's a little bit different every night. So whoever comes to see the show will always know they got to see something a little bit original for their particular performance. And that's the kind of stuff that I thrive off of.

[53:03] Robert Peterpaul: Hmm, that's so special. Me too. And what an act and listening, you know, which I think we need a whole lot more of in this world.

[53:10] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, big time. Yeah, I also think Spamilton and shows like this, Spamilton, Spam a Lot. Oh my gosh, I'm looking at Hamilton. That's a different show. I think I know Spamilton is a different show. It's funny. It is, right? Okay. But yeah, a lot and maybe Spamilton too. But in Juliet, all these shows where you're seeing people from different walks of life come together, and it's just a fun time. They're not banging a message over your head. I think that's part of the answer to kind of yes, uniting us, you know.

[53:40] James Monroe Iglehart: I think sometimes entertainment needs to be entertainment. You know, there's a way to teach without overly beating someone over the head with something. But I don't think Spam a Lot sort of teaches you anything. There's a time to cry. There's a time to grieve. There's a time to sleep. There's a time to eat. There's a time to laugh. And when you come to Spam a Lot, it's a time to laugh. Yo, it's a time to laugh. It's a time to just let your troubles go and have a good time with us.

[54:07] Robert Peterpaul: Well, and there's also a time to play a surprise game. If you're down, it's really quick. And then I'm gonna let you go there. These Okay, so basically, James, I reached out to someone in your life that's relevant to today's conversation, or a compliment or a loving statement about you. I'm going to read it to you. And then you just have to guess who said it. Okay.

[54:29] James Monroe Iglehart: Everyone's beautiful in their own way. It's a compliment game. Okay, compliment.

[54:40] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, we'll say you get yes or no questions. I mean, I don't really know anything, but I'll try to help you. And maybe three guesses just because I freak out if there's no rules, but there are no rules. It doesn't really matter. Okay, I'm gonna read it to you. And then we'll play. Okay. It's really sweet. James is a light. His joy. He loaded up. James is a light. He is joy and laughter and authenticity and a brother and a mentor and a friend. His extensive talent is matched only by his gargantuan heart, the space he makes for his colleagues on stage and off. I wouldn't have the career that I have without his guidance and leadership. And I would go to hell and back to get a smile out of him. James is the best of us. Period.

[55:28] James Monroe Iglehart: Wow, really sweet. And I'm sure a lot of people feel this way about you. So I can try to give you a hint or two if you need it.

[55:35] James Monroe Iglehart: I'm gonna ask three questions. Okay. What did I do? Did I do Hamilton with this person?

[55:43] Robert Peterpaul: I think you did. I know. I know they were in Hamilton. I think it was at the same time.

[55:47] James Monroe Iglehart: Okay. And it's I think there are two people that could possibly—it's either Fergie Phillips or Nick Walker.

[55:53] Robert Peterpaul: And they're gonna say Fergie Ferg.

[55:55] James Monroe Iglehart: It's Nick Walker. It's Nick Walker. Your future. Yeah, brother. There we go.

[56:02] James Monroe Iglehart: I said I didn't know who was Nick only because he didn't add a jab at the end. And I love him for that. Nick is the guy who I say is the future of this business. Honestly, because not only is he a fantastic performer, he is an incredible writer, and his mind and his adventure in this, his fearlessness in what he wants to create, I think is going to really, really help our business. And also he just is a sweet, sweet guy. And he will go with you. If you go, he'll go into the world with you. And I love that about him. And he also enjoys—he revels in our frenemy fun moments of being big brother, little brother. And I love that about him. And so the fact that he said that about me warms my heart and makes me a little emotional because I love him so much.

So thank you for that. And thank you, Nick. And we have a—he's literally one of the good ones. And I always laugh because there's a couple of guys from my generation of Broadway performers. And then there's the younger guys. And I kind of see Nick on that cusp of the younger guys who are doing great things who are literally the new guys. Now he's not new, but he's the group of people who are going to make this place a better place. Honestly, that's so important. He's walking the good walk.

[57:52] Robert Peterpaul: He really is. Yeah, no, I was walking the walk, walk his walk in the walk. I think that's wonderful. And obviously, he loves you so much as do so many people. And it was kind of meant to be because I'd love to try and surprise people with this game when I can. And my instinct was to try and track down your wife. But I was like, am I going to send a creepy DM? Is she on Instagram? And then we confirmed our interview. And I go into my inbox, and I got a pitch from his publicist, you know, interested in talking. So we're going to set something up. And I was like, wait, Spam a Lot? And I connected the dots. And then I was just like, this is meant to be. So I'm really glad it worked out.

[58:36] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh my gosh, thank you. Well, I know so many people feel that way about you. And you're going to continue to make people feel that way about you as you shine bright. I have to let you go so you can rest. But my final question is, if you can just leave our listeners with a kindness tip or something that you would want each person on this planet to do, big or small, every day to try and make the world a little bit better bit by bit.

[59:01] James Monroe Iglehart: I'm going to say something very cliché.

[59:04] Robert Peterpaul: Do it. I'm a corny.

[59:06] James Monroe Iglehart: Treat people the way you want to be treated. The way you would want to be treated, treat people like that. If you want someone to be kind to you, do that. Be kind first, it's okay. You don't give a compliment first, it's okay. Be kind without expecting kindness to come back. But treat people the way you want to be treated. And if you do, you'd be so surprised how much it does come back. Be empathetic. You know, do your best to put yourself in someone else's shoes. You know, think outside the box, whatever that box may be emotionally, relationship-wise, politically, think outside the box for just a second. And see that this person on the other side feels just as strongly about what they're saying as you feel about what you're saying.

And maybe, maybe it's okay to disagree. That doesn't mean you can't be friends. It doesn't mean you can't be colleagues. It doesn't mean you can't work together. It just means that being kind means we agree to disagree. And now let's get on with what we have to do. And I think if more people did that, if more people did that, I think this will be a better place, honestly.

[01:02:15] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I agree. Well said. Because I think at the core of it, when you boil it down, we all really do agree and want the same things. But it's clouded by a lot of this stuff that we invented as humans, you know, so meet people where they are. And sometimes, I mean, if we all agreed, you know, boring this place would be.

[01:02:36] James Monroe Iglehart: True, that nothing new would ever come up. There's, I mean, if we all agreed, we would not be able to have that wonderful fight that happens every time someone wants to take a selfie, whether we should use your iPhone or your Android. Because the Android people feel how they feel and the iPhone people feel how they feel. And it's the funniest argument. And I always laugh because I'm like, you guys are arguing, but you know, these two companies work together, don't you? But yeah, come on. And I'm like, you can agree to disagree, and still enjoy the situation. So that's what I say. And I thank you for letting me be on your show. I've had a wonderful time. Oh, and, you know, I look forward to you coming to see Spam a Lot. And please come say hello. And hopefully, if everything goes well, A Wonderful World will come to Broadway as well. And I would love to see you there, too.

[01:03:36] Robert Peterpaul: Oh my goodness. I hope and I have a good feeling that it will be on Broadway, or at least continue on in some form. And I cannot wait to see you shine. I appreciate your time. And again, I really—I just admire the legacy you're creating and weaving for yourself. And I appreciate how you always are just not afraid to be vulnerable and smile and be kind to people because I think it does take a lot of strength. So I know it's silly and cheesy, but I appreciate you.

[01:04:11] James Monroe Iglehart: I thank you. And I wish you an amazing show tonight. And look at that on the dot where we're bagging out. Awesome. Well played. Well played. Here we go. Hop the magic carpet. I'm really bad at leaving Zoom. So click the button.

[01:04:24] Robert Peterpaul: And now it's time for your kindness tip of the week.

[01:04:27] Robert Peterpaul: Always look on the bright side of life.

[01:04:35] Robert Peterpaul: While this Spamalot song is a kindness tip in itself, it can be tricky to follow, right? Sometimes it seems like it's too cloudy outside to see the bright side and we need a little help from our friends. For this week's kindness tip, let's all try and surround ourselves with sunny friends that make us feel the bright side. I know with Thanksgiving and the holidays coming up, I feel extra grateful for the people in my life that lift me up like a Thanksgiving Day parade balloon. I'm flying.

[01:05:06] Robert Peterpaul: Of course, major shout out to my wife Cassie in this regard. Kindness challenge. As we're heading into Thanksgiving, take some time to list out the bright siders in your life that you're grateful for. Who is always there for you who always showers you with sunshine? Send them some love. I send you all the love and thank you for tuning in. I am so grateful for you. Go eat all the Thanksgiving treats and until next time, please remember, everything's gonna be a-okay.