This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:06] Bret Shuford: Hi, I'm Bret and I'm Stephen, and we are the Broadway husbands.

[0:10] Stephen Hanna: We're just your all-American married couple making their living in the arts and pursuing a growing family.

[0:15] Bret Shuford: On the Broadway Husbands Podcast, we offer advice from our ordinary lives under extraordinary circumstances.

[0:21] Stephen Hanna: We are living proof that you can love who you love and love what you do.

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[0:52] Bret Shuford: Okay, I'm super excited.

[0:54] Stephen Hanna: I'm very excited.

[0:55] Bret Shuford: I'm very excited.

[0:56] Stephen Hanna: I'm trying to contain it because I don't want to be like a total freak show.

[0:59] Bret Shuford: I was also kind of nervous that I was gonna mess up because I was like, oh my god, this is so fun.

[1:04] Bret Shuford: But we have a guest today, and her name is Deedee Magno Hall, and she was on the Mickey Mouse Club when I when we were both and totally fangirling.

[1:18] Bret Shuford: I'm so happy to have you here. Welcome, Deedee.

[1:21] Deedee Magno Hall: Thank you so much, Bret and Stephen, for having me.

[1:26] Deedee Magno Hall: I just happen to be in my closet, and I just pulled this out, this OG sweatshirt from back in the day.

[1:36] Bret Shuford: Yes.

[1:38] Deedee Magno Hall: Because the audience can't see, it's a Mickey Mouse Club sweatshirt that I snagged from my parents' closet when I visited them last.

[1:47] Deedee Magno Hall: But it's so lovely to meet you online virtually, and you still look exactly the same.

[1:57] Bret Shuford: Like you look beautiful and just fantastic.

[2:02] Deedee Magno Hall: You are very sweet to say that. It took me just two hours to put the space on filters and the selfie stick light.

[2:14] Bret Shuford: What do you call it? Well, let me just paint the picture of how much influence you and that group of people had on me in middle school.

[2:29] Bret Shuford: I watched every day. I mean, I literally came home from school, watched every day. I dreamed of living the life you were living, and I would send, I wrote, I'm not even kidding.

[2:41] Bret Shuford: I wrote a letter every week, and I had a, you know that, you probably know about the postcards they would send to people who wrote with the photos.

[2:52] Bret Shuford: I had a stack of them from every letter I wrote.

[2:55] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh my gosh, that is so sweet.

[2:59] Deedee Magno Hall: That is so sweet.

[3:01] Bret Shuford: But I remember they called one time, whoever the programming people were called my house because I wrote so much, and they said, what would you do if a Mickey Mouse Club member came to visit you?

[3:17] Bret Shuford: Now I lived in a small, small town in Texas, right? So I was like, oh my god, oh my god.

[3:25] Bret Shuford: Well, we're stopping at the mall, and then I take them to dance class, and they go do play rehearsal with me, and then we like sing songs, and then we'd like play in the backyard and we'd swim, and they were like, oh, and then that's when they decided not to give you the surprise.

[3:39] Deedee Magno Hall: No, no, no, I would have loved to have done all of those things with you.

[3:39] Deedee Magno Hall: Thank you, and Stephen has been singing the party all morning.

[3:39] Stephen Hanna: I've been singing the party all morning. I was like, I've been looking it up, and I knew that I had the cassette tape. I was definitely a huge fan.

[3:39] Stephen Hanna: I don't know that I was like that obsessed, but I was definitely obsessed, and I had the cassette tape, and I remember I think I sent in for something, so I had like some sort of like Mickey Mouse book.

[4:11] Stephen Hanna: It was like a, you know, just like something that was stapled with all everyone's photos and things.

[4:16] Stephen Hanna: And I definitely wrote once too because there was something like, write to us and tell us who you'd like to meet or something you'd like to do, and I think I wrote that I wanted, at the time I still hadn't moved to New York yet, and I wrote that I wanted to take ballet class with Mikhail Baryshnikov, which ended up happening, but just not through the Mickey Mouse Club.

[4:36] Deedee Magno Hall: But so like dreams do come true, but you know, so I was a huge fan.

[4:36] Stephen Hanna: Amazing.

[4:36] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But so that's our story, how much it impacted our lives even though we're just now meeting you.

[4:36] Bret Shuford: Even though we're just now meeting, I can't, how have we impacted your life now?

[4:36] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh my goodness, well, to be honest, just you saying what you said about how this little show that I had been a small part of way back in the day has impacted your life in such a positive way, and it also has something to do with what you do in life today.

[5:21] Deedee Magno Hall: And I can't tell you how touched I am to hear that. And I've heard it, you know, every once in a while from different people that I meet, whether it's, you know, at the stage door, you know, from doing one of the shows that I had done, or just, you know, people that I meet randomly in the industry who are now in the industry saying that they had grown up watching the show or they had the cassette tape or whatever.

[5:51] Deedee Magno Hall: It really is, it blesses me to hear that because, you know, when we're in it, when I was in it, when I was doing it back in the day, I was not thinking about the impact that it could possibly have for people.

[6:08] Deedee Magno Hall: I only know that what I remember as a child watching, sitting in an audience and watching Miss Saigon, for instance, when I watched Miss Saigon for the first time and sitting in the audience and seeing somebody on stage singing this beautiful music, and I could relate only because this young woman looked like me.

[6:35] Deedee Magno Hall: But I just remember being in that moment and being inspired and just wanting to do that. I'm like, I want to do that.

[6:45] Deedee Magno Hall: And then, you know, years later, having that opportunity, it just, it's so nice to, it's like a circle, you know, it's all like everybody's inspiring everybody, and then so on and so forth.

[6:59] Bret Shuford: And that inspiration continues. On that subject, I got to see you play Kim when it came to Houston.

[7:08] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh my gosh!

[7:09] Bret Shuford: Wow.

[7:14] Deedee Magno Hall: Matt Bogart.

[7:16] Bret Shuford: Yeah.

[7:17] Deedee Magno Hall: My very first, I got my equity card working with Matt Bogart like years later after the city.

[7:22] Bret Shuford: Amazing.

[7:23] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah. But wait, going back, before you auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club, were you hopeful to pursue a musical theater career or like what were your goals and dreams before you auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club?

[7:39] Deedee Magno Hall: Like when you were really young.

[7:41] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah. Well, when I was little, I grew up in San Diego, and you know, I watched, I watched, you know, what's the show? Oh gosh, Rags to Riches.

[7:53] Deedee Magno Hall: It was a musical show back in the day. Do you remember that?

[7:58] Bret Shuford: I love that show.

[7:59] Deedee Magno Hall: And then I would watch Kids Incorporated. And coincidentally, I went to school with Mario Lopez, junior high school in San Diego.

[8:09] Deedee Magno Hall: And so I was inspired by watching those kids singing and dancing and acting on television, and I entered, you know, a local singing contest in San Diego, much like American Idol, but it was local, obviously, and people would call in and try to vote in their favorite singer.

[8:30] Deedee Magno Hall: And at the time I was 11, and the prize was to sing at a nightclub. And you know, being 11 years old, that just wasn't gonna happen.

[8:41] Deedee Magno Hall: So I ended up opening a new attraction at SeaWorld, and it was televised. And then with that, somebody saw me performing, New York, New York was my go-to back in the day.

[8:56] Deedee Magno Hall: So I always loved, you know, Broadway tunes, but I listened to everything growing up. My dad just would play, you know, everything from the Jackson 5 to the Beatles to Elton John and Billy Joel and Madonna, and you know, Whitney Houston was my idol when I was younger.

[9:17] Deedee Magno Hall: And so I always knew that I wanted to perform, but I didn't know what I was gonna, how I was going to do it.

[9:25] Deedee Magno Hall: So my very first professional job, and I did some local singing and acting and dancing at school, and then I also was part of the Jesse Know to Drugs club, you know, back in the day when we would perform at schools and churches and things.

[9:25] Deedee Magno Hall: But my very first professional job was the Mickey Mouse Club, and so that brought me and my family to Orlando, Florida, and that was my introduction to television and, you know, music and acting.

[9:25] Deedee Magno Hall: And it was like Saturday Night Live for kids, so we got to exercise all of those things. And then Fred Newman, who was the host on the Mickey Mouse Club, introduced me to Miss Saigon, and he was the one who sort of planted that seed for musicals and theater.

[9:25] Deedee Magno Hall: And then when what the party was on tour in London is when I saw Miss Saigon. Oh gosh, it's not Broadway, but what do they call it in West End?

[9:25] Bret Shuford: The West End.

[9:25] Deedee Magno Hall: Yes, yes. So that's when I fell in love with theater.

[10:35] Bret Shuford: And there's nothing like Talonga perform Kim or who was performing Kim when you saw it.

[10:40] Deedee Magno Hall: So I thought I was going in to see Lea Salonga because I had, I was obsessed with the original soundtrack. So Lea, I think was, her the alternate of Kim was on that day that I saw it, and she was wonderful.

[10:57] Deedee Magno Hall: Honestly, it could have been anybody. I was so just like entranced by this live theater musical experience, and it just took me on this journey.

[11:00] Deedee Magno Hall: I just remember leaning over to my mom, who was watching it with me, and I said, Mom, I want to do that. I want to be that, I want to do that role, I want to play that role. And she was looking and she thought, oh, this, she's thinking about the skimpy clothing and the love scenes on the, you know, the dancing on the poles and all that.

[11:33] Deedee Magno Hall: And she says, she and I was I think I was about 15 or 16 at the time, and she says, I think you need to wait a couple more uh years. And then fast forward to when I auditioned finally, I was 18, 19 years old um in Los Angeles. Um and I had already finished doing Sister Act 2. And I really was just I was auditioning for everything, and uh that that was my you know, my sort of I I don't know what you call it, but but uh my stepping stuff what I I I'm talking too much now. I can't remember what I was doing.

[12:08] Bret Shuford: No, no, you're not.

[12:09] Deedee Magno Hall: Well, wait, because like one of the things that just like fell out of your mouth that I forgot to mention before we started was like, oh, right, you were in Sister Act Two, also like another like I think for people our age, like just one of those movies that we grew up like loving, like absolutely loving.

[12:28] Deedee Magno Hall: I love it. Was that just like a blast of film like how was that it was so much fun I mean it was so much fun and um you know I I originally auditioned for a a bigger role for that for that film there were uh in fact the the whole party auditioned for that movie and we had uh speaking roles um and we all had little stories and you know background stories uh for for our characters and what they went with was the was Lauren Hill's uh her her story story and um and then uh I was one of the I became one of the the classroom kids but man that was such a fun experience and uh yeah you know it it just it was such a time I mean I was I was uh I I think I was 17 or 18 years old 17 oh my goodness it's so I'm 17 and uh we re we filmed it partially in Los Angeles and partially in uh San Francisco and you know the fact that the sh the movie is now on Disney Plus it's so cool that I could just you know reminisce and go back in time and and just remember what's what a such a cool experience that was so cool you I mean yeah so so cool so let's go back to this mission so Missigan kind of happened after that and what surprised you about because that's a that's a major role to get through Kim.

[14:03] Deedee Magno Hall: I mean you have an alternate for the matinees, right? But you know, doing six shows a week as Kim, what surprised you from being in the audience and being like, I want to do that, mom, to then actually doing it, what was that experience like?

[14:18] Deedee Magno Hall: Well, um I I was just uh telling this story not too long ago, but um so originally I was offered uh to replace a cast member in the Toronto Company. And um when I after I auditioned I had I think I had three auditions and um they had offered me an understudy maybe an understudy to the alternate of Kim and then I would be in the ensemble in Toronto. But at the same time of the start of rehearsals for me it was um there was a planned family trip to the Philippines that my family had been planning for years. And so I had to make a really tough decision whether or not I was gonna go along with my family to this to have this trip and and and or live my dream you know and so um I thought long and hard about it and I chose to to uh go on the to the trip with my family and then it ended up being uh a blessing in disguise because months later I I auditioned again for the second national touring company where they offered me the role of Kim so I got to actually play Kim and originate the role on the Second National Touring Company.

[15:32] Deedee Magno Hall: So it was I mean I did not know what to expect. I at that point I had um the only stage production that I'd ever done before that was uh you know uh Fagan's gang and Oliver, my junior high school play, you know. And so I, you know, the the the whole rehearsal process, you know, the whole the you know, we had, I think we had four four weeks in New York uh during the winter at uh 890. Um, and it was like one of the harshest winters, I think, uh, back back in that time. That's what they were saying. I had nothing to compare it to. I grew up in San Diego in Orlando, Florida. So snow was very new to me. And um, and then another like two, two weeks to maybe a month in Seattle, where we opened. Um, but it was really a rigorous uh this this role was by far the most challenging, uh vocally demanding and emotionally draining role that that I had ever had to play, uh, you know, even even to this day, just the emotional roller coaster ride that she goes through from the beginning to the to the end.

[16:48] Deedee Magno Hall: And what I love about theater is that you you start and you just keep going until it's done. No matter what happens, you know, the show truly must go on. Um whether the helicopter decides that it doesn't want to land or you know, set pieces don't come together, um, the show and the story still must be told. Um and and that's what I love about theater, just because that that whole live aspect of it. Um it's not stopping in the party and oh well, you know, I miss it so much. I know this has been such a rough time for our our community.

[17:30] Bret Shuford: So I know you've done a lot of other theater.

[17:33] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah.

[17:34] Bret Shuford: Like you did the wicked uh First National, right?

[17:39] Deedee Magno Hall: Um and but I also know that your husband has done a lot of theater as well. Where we've we've made some assumptions, like maybe you met on the tour of Saigon, or maybe you did wicked together, but where along your path did you guys meet?

[17:55] Deedee Magno Hall: We actually met. Uh we were two of four of the youngest cast members uh for the second national touring company of Miss Saigon. So we met in 1995. Oh we were 19. And um, you know, we were fast friends. I think because we were the four that were not of age, like of drinking age. And so, like when everybody else after the rehearsals would like, let's go get a grab a drink, or let's go to the this, that, and there or the other thing. We like, we just couldn't. We were like, okay, well, let's go play pool or what's watch a movie or you know, something like that.

[18:35] Deedee Magno Hall: Um, and so um we were we were fast friends, and um and I so we've known each other for years before we started dating um in uh 2000, 2000. So uh so we stayed friends for a really long time. We watched each other, you know, uh experience life and love and uh and then we just kept in touch, and then um when we found each other back in New York again, because he had left the touring company to go do uh Les Miz, and then uh and then I left to go to Broadway, and then he left Broadway to go on tour again, and so we kept crossing paths, but we just stayed in touch.

[19:21] Deedee Magno Hall: Um and uh and you know, well, there was a little bit of flirting here and there. There's definitely a traction, but you know we all we we lived our lives you know we we sewed our oats and uh and then uh we met back up in in uh in New York again and started dating and and thought oh are we gonna ruin this wonderful relationship this friendship that we have and so we kind of uh you know, we struggled with the idea of dating because we didn't want to ruin that friendship that we had um and then we were just like let's just give it a shot you know we've you know we just tried to make sure that our friendship wasn't ever um compromised but that's so interesting we always say like we were friends first yeah we were friends before we dated as well and I think it creates such a cool foundation for the relationship don't you think absolutely I love it and you know and they say that not to well on your where you eat you know they say that but but I feel like because we met and had a the same group of friends um we have now these friends that are that are supporting our relationship also and they're they're friends for life you know and and a lot of them were at our wedding you know and um and still really close today so and there's nothing and you you guys know this too there's nothing like a theater family there just really isn't um and so I think that's what I love about our relationship A, that we we do um have uh similar interests, that we we were friends first.

[21:08] Deedee Magno Hall: Um, and also both my my husband and I are both believers, and so we have that foundation as well, and and uh and that we have a lot of the same friends. So um it is really a wonderful, wonderful thing to be married to your best friend.

[21:26] Bret Shuford: Yeah.

[21:27] Stephen Hanna: Well, going back to when you first started dating, who said I love you first?

[21:34] Deedee Magno Hall: Was there like Oh my goodness. Was that like a big moment, or was that just like something that just kind of happened, you know?

[21:41] Deedee Magno Hall: Um I want to say that he said it first.

[21:46] Deedee Magno Hall: And were you quick to say I love you too? Or like how I may have thought at first, but I think maybe he said it first. He'll probably say that the the opposite. I definitely knew I loved him though, right?

[22:03] Deedee Magno Hall: Pretty quickly, like once you allowed that to happen. Well, the thing is I already loved him as a friend, right?

[22:09] Deedee Magno Hall: So it was not difficult to love him further.

[22:13] Stephen Hanna: And yeah.

[22:14] Deedee Magno Hall: Did you guys ever play Chris and Kim opposite one another?

[22:17] Stephen Hanna: Were you guys ever?

[22:19] Deedee Magno Hall: Yes.

[22:20] Deedee Magno Hall: So he uh he was um he was in the ensemble at first in the second national touring company, then he bumped up to be an understudy, but we had never done the show together on the tour, and then he also um uh so yeah, he also understudied I I believe on Broadway, but we still never did the show together. And then the there was an Asian touring company that arose, and there was a handful of people that were from the states, but the majority of the cast members were from the the Philippine production and the London production.

[22:56] Deedee Magno Hall: So John John Brion is actually was in that production as well, and his wife. So that's how we met them back in the day. Actually, he that we were also friends from like mutual friends. The Saigon family is very big. But yeah, so so uh so yeah, so I got we got to work with John John and Megan, his wife in the Asian touring company, and that's where Clifton actually was playing Chris. So we got to play the roles together, uh, which was such a dream. Uh first of all, we uh we had our rehearsal period in Sydney, Australia for two weeks. Yeah, it was amazing. The production company was from Sydney, so they flew everybody to Sydney for the rehearsal period. So you can imagine it was such an amazing time. But and then and then we were in Hong Kong for three months, and then uh Singapore for three months. It was really amazing, such an amazing time.

[23:59] Bret Shuford: That's magical. Were you dating?

[24:00] Deedee Magno Hall: We were dating at that time.

[24:02] Bret Shuford: Okay, oh that's good.

[24:04] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah, I was like, they were saving money on housing. We were, you know, we lived together. And then also did you perform uh you were you were both in Wicked. Were was he Fiero at the same time you were Nessa Rose? Or like how did that work? Were you guys in the show together for that as well?

[24:27] Deedee Magno Hall: Yes, so um, first of all, I just feel like it's been such a blessing to be able to work alongside my husband, so many different things. But um he we had just had our first child, and he was um offered the the understudy and uh ensemble for Wicked, the first national tour, and and we had friends on the tour all already, and they were the ones who kind of were like, hey, audition for this part because you know, um uh Adam, Adam, oh gosh, Adam, Adam, Adam.

[24:59] Bret Shuford: Lambert.

[25:00] Deedee Magno Hall: Yes. I I I'm trying to think of if if he was replacing Adam or if he was, or Adam was in the I can't remember. Adam Lambert had something to do with it. Yeah, he was uh and then there were other uh there were other cast members who were they were um interchanging, they were um uh bringing some people in. And so he got the tour, and I was like, we just had a baby, this is an amazing blessing. Let's pack up our lives. I'm totally content. Mom, wife, we're gonna go see the country, and uh, you know, and I'm just gonna, you know, bring my baby along with with us. And so uh, you know, cut to 18 months later, um, Jen Waldman at dinner one time says to me, I'm leaving. You maybe if you want to, you can maybe talk to your agent and say if you know, if you want to audition for for Nessa Rose.

And honestly, I wanted to, I wanted to be back on stage again, but I was totally happy with our with our lives. I was singing the show like every little road trip that we took. I felt so bad for my husband and my son because I was like, you know, ah in the in the car, you know, on our road trips, and you know, dreaming of being Alphabet one day. But but so it didn't really occur to me to audition for the show because I just thought, oh well, that was that was my life then, and this is my life now. But the opportunity arose, and when Jen told me that, I I talked to Clifton about it, my husband, and um, and he says, Go for it. Well, you know, what have you got to lose? Really? What have you got to lose?

If you don't get it, then you're still we're still on tour together. We're still, you know, um traveling together. And uh, and so I did. I went in for um for Nessa, and then like weeks later, my agent called me, he's like, Congratulations, and I was like, You've got to be kidding me. You've got to be kidding me. So um, so then at that point, my husband had bumped up to play the part of Fiero, and then I came in to play uh Nessa shortly after. And uh gosh, uh we flew in my sister, my baby sister, to help us with our young, our oldest at the at the time he was uh only two. And so um, and she was she was helping our little guy while uh helping us with our little guy while mommy and daddy were playing make believe on stage. So it it was uh such a wonderful experience.

[27:40] Bret Shuford: And it sounds like you and Cliff can like when are you gonna cut an album together?

[27:45] Deedee Magno Hall: Together, I want to hear it.

[27:47] Bret Shuford: Yeah, when are you guys gonna make an album together?

[27:50] Deedee Magno Hall: We the only album that I think we've ever recorded together was for our wedding, our giveaway. It's so cheesy, but you know, we like recorded a little album, and we had to put a little C D on everybody's like place, you know, at the table. I mean, incredible voices. I would love to hear that.

[28:10] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh, well, uh yeah, he has uh he has a very lovely voice, a very, very uh uh high tenor, you know. Um, but and he's also got dance moves because you know, I don't know if you remember Star Search back in the day. He was on Star Search as a dancer first thing.

[28:30] Bret Shuford: Oh my god, I'm gonna look that up.

[28:30] Deedee Magno Hall: Code 808. Yeah, he grew up in Hawaii, and um and his dance uh oh, I don't know if you this was way before the interwebs. So good luck, Brett. I don't think you're gonna always make it somehow.

[28:46] Bret Shuford: Okay, yeah.

[28:47] Deedee Magno Hall: And um, so speaking about talking about um just being a parent, um back to those like you know, those two years you were on the road in the beginning. What's one piece of advice you could give to a new parent? You know, something that you didn't know that you wish you knew then, or something that you learned quickly.

[29:11] Deedee Magno Hall: You know, um you can read, you can read all the books, you can uh get all of the advice from uh your parents, your your friends that have kids, but until you actually are holding this baby in your hands, um you just there's no way that you can prepare for something like that. You know what I mean? And everybody is so different. The way that you're gonna parent or the way that your child is going to respond to your parenting, it you just don't you don't know. You won't know what works until you try it out. And maybe it works for the first couple months and then everything changes, and then you've got to adapt to something new so I think I would probably have told myself to relax that it's gonna be okay not to stress out over the little things because really a lot of the things that we stress out about are little things and um and and all those little things can add up you know so um to definitely nap when the baby is napping to not worry so much about the laundry piling up or the dishes piling up and you know I think that my main thing would just I would just tell myself to relax and that it's never gonna be perfect.

It's never gonna be perfect and you're also never gonna have enough money and uh and and it's okay if you make a mistake it's okay um you know uh my children I feel so badly saying this but both of my children have fell out of the bed they are fine they are fine but you know I probably would have maybe made sure that that wouldn't happen next time you know what I mean like you know uh um I think that's what it is I think it would just be to relax and not to take it so seriously and just do the best you can whatever that is for you do whatever is your best and then and then you know let it be let it be but uh but yeah.

[31:31] Bret Shuford: That was great. So what do you think, Cliff? Does it does Cliff go by Cliff or Clifton?

[31:35] Deedee Magno Hall: Clifton.

[31:37] Bret Shuford: And never and never Clifford, like the red dog.

[31:41] Deedee Magno Hall: No, he's Clifton.

[31:42] Bret Shuford: Yeah.

[31:42] Deedee Magno Hall: Yes, he's Clifton with two Fs.

[31:42] Bret Shuford: Two Fs.

[31:45] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah, yeah.

[31:46] Bret Shuford: What is Cliff?

[31:48] Deedee Magno Hall: What is Clifton feel? I mean, about you having such an impact on so many people's young, you know, childhood. I mean, he must he must he must get tired of like, oh, here we go with the Mickey Mouse Club video.

[32:02] Deedee Magno Hall: No, he, you know what's so funny? He so he grew up in Hawaii, and he was more familiar with the roundhouse than the Mickey Mouse Club. So he had he did not have the Disney Channel. So he had no idea what the Mickey Mouse Club was. He had no idea about the party, and which I kind of love. Um, but you know, when I am trying to celebrate, I'm like, we're in the 30th year anniversary, and the party just came back out on iTunes, and you can ask Alexa to play it. And he's just like, oh, that's that's cool. What are we gonna have today? You know what I mean? It's like not that big a deal, but I I love it because it sort of brings me back down to earth, and like, you know, um, he does celebrate with me.

Don't get me wrong, he is he's such an amazing supportive husband, and I feel so very blessed. I'm like, is he listening to me right now? Um I love him so much. He is he really is such a blessing in my life, and um, like I said before, he is my best friend, and I could tell him anything and everything, and I do maybe maybe too, maybe I talk too much. Um but uh, but yeah, he's um all I can say is that he's been absolutely 500% supportive of everything that I have done and everything that I continue to do. Um, you know, this is this is our livelihood, you know, entertainment. This is what this is how we met. This is what we know how to do. Um, this is what we can't imagine ourselves doing uh other things.

Um, you know, although he is taking a little bit more of a break from entertainment, he's actually going, he's finding interest in um real estate and and uh you know um building and and that kind of thing. We're still artists at heart. And so um, you know, the this is this, like I said, is our life our livelihood, and we have been blessed to have been able to support our family um uh through the things that we do and the things that we have done. And so um, you know, I just uh I'm I'm hopeful this time has been so crazy for everybody. Um and but I'm hopeful that that we're gonna come back strong.

[34:24] Deedee Magno Hall: We just have to keep on doing the things, you know, to not stop. We just have to keep going. But and then stay positive, you know.

[34:35] Bret Shuford: Yes.

[34:36] Stephen Hanna: Yeah.

[34:37] Deedee Magno Hall: Um so do you want to ask about swing?

[34:40] Stephen Hanna: We want to hear about swinging on the mouse.

[34:42] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh, swinging with the mouse, swinging with the mouse.

[34:49] Bret Shuford: Swinging on the mouse swing in the mouse.

[34:51] Deedee Magno Hall: Come on, volume one.

[34:53] Bret Shuford: Volume one.

[34:54] Deedee Magno Hall: Volume one. Well, um, so I am singing um uh oh my gosh, what's it called? I'm singing uh from from uh from Tangled, uh Mother Knows Best.

[35:10] Deedee Magno Hall: Mother Knows Best. So uh Pob uh Pablo Russ I see I I'm not gonna say his name right um Pablo Russ I because I only call him Pablo I'm so sorry I had it and then it's like so I met Pablo at um LA table and stage um Rockwell and he was actually he helped me produce my first um one woman show in many many years uh that I had ever done in Los Angeles um because the last time I did it was like way back way back way back in the day um in Orlando Florida but but he helped me produce along with um AJ Rafael a very good friend of mine um it at Rockwell and uh so that was my connection with Pablo and then months later that then that was the last time that I had actually been on stage in front of an audience uh this was uh early January or late January this year and uh Pablo reached out to me during the the quarantine and he asked me if I could uh lend my voice to this project um where it's dis it's more obscure Disney songs uh or or the less popular songs um and and it's too swinging jazz music and I thought yes yes please he actually sent me a rehearsal of him singing um Mother Knows Best uh because he has a lovely voice by the way, he's on the the soundtrack as well uh and he sent me a sample of of the song with the band, and I told him I could not stop dancing.

[36:54] Deedee Magno Hall: I just love this music. And so if you can imagine um some Disney's Disney songs to jazz, swinging jazz music, then uh that's what this album is all about. But we are having a for your consideration uh uh what do you call this? It's like um it's uh it's uh oh it's it's a virtual event.

[37:19] Deedee Magno Hall: Virtual events virtual event, and it is uh it is a presentation uh for your consideration for um uh a few uh Grammy Awards, you know, the possibility of uh of uh getting some Grammy Award uh nominations. Um but we're up for uh for for uh for consideration for best traditional pop album, uh best arrangement instrumental or a um a cappella and best arrangement instruments and vocals.

[37:50] Deedee Magno Hall: But it is happening October 4th at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, and it's on a Sunday, and there's a lot of wonderful people involved. If you'd like, I can read some names.

[38:04] Bret Shuford: Okay, that would be great.

[38:06] Deedee Magno Hall: Keith David, Emma Hunton, Garrett Clayton, Courtney Reed, Frankie Rodriguez, Jennifer Stone, Janaya Mahelani Jones, and Michael Leone Woolley, who's uh a good friend of mine too. But yeah, so yes, absolutely.

[38:25] Stephen Hanna: We'll put links in the show description.

[38:26] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah, well, yes, please do please do, please do. And like I said, Pablo is also um singing and and part of this uh for your consideration presentation as well. But um I'm so happy to be a part of it.

[38:40] Bret Shuford: Yes, thank you.

[38:41] Deedee Magno Hall: So it was really nice to be on a stage again. Of course, it was not uh, you know, it was social distance and it was not in front of an audience. Um, but it really was nice to just be performing again. Um yeah, so you know, I'm I'm I'm with you guys. I miss it a lot.

[39:01] Stephen Hanna: Yeah, I miss people.

[39:02] Bret Shuford: Well, we can't wait to go go listen and hear and hear this album. But now we want to move it to our segment that we call Spotlight on Love.

[39:13] Deedee Magno Hall: I love it.

[39:14] Bret Shuford: I wore I wore a shirt, says love.

[39:17] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh, perfect.

[39:20] Deedee Magno Hall: This actually belonged to my mom.

[39:22] Bret Shuford: Oh back in the 70s.

[39:25] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah, that's so cool.

[39:26] Stephen Hanna: So cute.

[39:27] Deedee Magno Hall: Spotlight on love. Okay. So we have um uh a fan or listener, someone on our Instagram. We usually ask people to write in if they have a certain question about relationships, dating, or even family because everyone's dealing with family these days during COVID. Um, and we have them write in any questions they might be dealing with right now, and then we have our guests and and we and we will offer unqualified advice to help them solve their questions.

[39:56] Stephen Hanna: Answer. So the question is from an anonymous person. Um he wrote or they wrote um how do you deal or do you even deal with someone who is emotionally unavailable? Especially if you seem to like each other, is it worth it to pursue, or you should or should you observe the red flag and move on?

[40:23] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh my goodness. You get to go first, Didi.

[40:26] Bret Shuford: You want me to go first?

[40:27] Deedee Magno Hall: Okay. Yeah.

[40:28] Bret Shuford: All right. Um, first I must say that I am not a professional.

[40:34] Deedee Magno Hall: That's that's okay.

[40:35] Bret Shuford: But I have to say, I have to say, if you know right off the bat that this person is not emotionally available, I think it is safe to say that people don't change.

[40:54] Deedee Magno Hall: Like some, well, okay, let me let me rephrase. Let me rephrase.

[40:57] Bret Shuford: Sure.

[40:58] Deedee Magno Hall: Um, if you think, and and that's not true because people can change. People can change, absolutely, people can change for the better. But but that is absolutely up to the individual. If you think that you're going to co go into this relationship thinking that you're going to change that person, or this person has so much potential, and maybe if they just haven't met the right person, and maybe I'm the one who's gonna live, then I think maybe you that's not your job. It's it's it is it is the individual that has to make those changes within.

[41:38] Deedee Magno Hall: Um, I I feel like if you do know that right off the bat, I think maybe it's probably best to take a step back and maybe be a friend, you know, maybe be a friend first.

[41:51] Stephen Hanna: Yeah, I I I totally agree. I mean, I think the answer is in your question. Um the red flag, you know, the red flag is up.

[41:59] Bret Shuford: Yeah, definitely move on.

[42:00] Stephen Hanna: Don't waste your time. Um, you know, maybe you can give yourself a day or two to like kind of stay in that feeling of like, is this a possibility or not? But just know that you should move on because there's so many other people out there that are available and would just be such a better match for you.

[42:20] Deedee Magno Hall: Right.

[42:20] Deedee Magno Hall: Yes, yes.

[42:20] Stephen Hanna: And then you wouldn't have to worry about having to not receive you know what you're looking for from this person who can't give it to you.

[42:33] Stephen Hanna: And my question is, what is it about you that's that's making you question it? Because if you're like why if you if you believe that you deserve someone who's available, then why are you questioning?

[42:39] Deedee Magno Hall: Right.

[42:47] Stephen Hanna: So, what so my question for this person is like what is it about you that doesn't believe you deserve someone who's emotionally available if you're questioning this? Like you deserve that. So there should you you should just be like, yeah, this isn't the one. I'm gonna find someone there.

[43:05] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah.

[43:05] Stephen Hanna: Um, that's what I'm that's what I'm curious about.

[43:08] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah, yeah.

[43:10] Stephen Hanna: Yeah.

[43:11] Deedee Magno Hall: So move on. Take a look at that red flag and remember that it's up. And you can be friends, yeah. And in fact, like just like Didi said, like, be friends because you might actually help them as a friend more than you would as a partner.

[43:26] Deedee Magno Hall: Absolutely.

[43:27] Stephen Hanna: Yes.

[43:28] Deedee Magno Hall: Yes.

[43:29] Bret Shuford: Good luck.

[43:32] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah, good luck.

[43:33] Stephen Hanna: Yeah.

[43:34] Deedee Magno Hall: Yeah.

[43:35] Bret Shuford: Okay, Dee, you are just a light.

[43:37] Deedee Magno Hall: Thank you.

[43:39] Bret Shuford: This has been so amazing. You are a light on this earth. You have you have you gave me hope and faith in middle school, and talking and meeting you today has given me hope and faith.

[43:50] Stephen Hanna: Yeah, as an adult.

[43:52] Bret Shuford: And I'm just so grateful that we got to meet today. It just means the world.

[44:08] Deedee Magno Hall: I am so I am so grateful to have met you both. And um I just I'm so touched by what you said. But I, you know, I I just want to encourage people to, you know, because there's a there's a lot of things that are going on in the world that that are by beyond our control. But what we can control is is is how we respond to things and the choices that we make, right? From day to day, even from hour to hour.

[44:37] Deedee Magno Hall: But I do, I I want to say thank you so much for having me. And I wish you all of the best in everything and all of your uh you know, your endeavors in in life and in love and and um in in your in your future together and and with this podcast and with everything else to come. Uh again, um uh stay stay uh hopeful and and and uh continue to spread that love and joy that you you you clearly have. So thank you so much for having me, you guys.

[45:13] Bret Shuford: Thank you, thank you. And everyone, go follow Didi on Instagram. Where else are you?

[45:17] Deedee Magno Hall: Oh, I'm on the Twitter. Um, I have made a couple of TikToks, but I that but that's that's it, really, not that much.

[45:28] Stephen Hanna: We love watching your kids dance with you.

[45:33] Deedee Magno Hall: So make sure you go follow Didi. We'll put links to all of her social media in the show notes below. And to all of our listeners, don't forget to love who you love and love what you do.