Matt T. (3:43)

I have New Year's resolutions every year, and sometimes I'm successful and sometimes I'm not. Last year, 2023, I was successful in this one, 2024, unless I can cram in a bunch of stuff in the next 24 hours, I am not going to be. But one thing that I'm going to continue to make a resolution is that I want to make sure that I am seeing theater outside of New York. As my trips to New York have increased because I've become an awards voter, I become increasingly afraid that I'm not going to see enough theater locally or outside of New York. So my goal is to see 52 plays or musicals outside of New York every year. I got to 40 in 2024, which is still good. Like, I still think that's a. That's pretty solid. But I. I want to try to make sure that I am doing that. I really slacked off in the fall, which is always hard for me, not only because of trips to New York, because of college football, takes away a lot of my, my time and weekends. But that is going to be one that I continue to look at in 2025. Another one is that I did not do well. I'm not good at this. I like to read. I enjoy books, but I am not grace a nonfiction reader. I don't like it. I prefer fiction. I like stories. I like that kind of stuff. But I do want to read some theater. Not necessarily memoirs and not necessarily history books, but stories about shows and artists that I like. Whether it's biographies or individual pieces about different. The creation of different shows or whatever. I've got a ton of them on my bookshelf. And I've always like, oh, I want to read this. This is something I want to learn about. And I never do it. So for me, that is another resolution that I want to make sure that I hit in 2025. What about you? Do you have any other thoughts about things that you want to make sure that you accomplish when it comes to theater next year?

Grace Aki (5:36)

I'm, I'm just gonna be louder and more annoying about my own projects. Like, that's actually like my, my New Year's resolution. I'm seeing a lot of people be really loud and annoying about things that I go, I, I, I wouldn't be that loud. But you know what? Who am I? Why would I, you know, why Poo poo someone's dream. So I, I'm, that's where I'm at, firmly believing in, in the work and just like also being more interested in a lot of the, more in the different processes of getting a show really developed. This year I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That was insane. I might try to go back next year or might do something else, but there are so many different vehicles of theater performance and development that I think that we all aren't always attuned to. We just go, oh, it played off Broadway or I did an out of town tryout and then it went to Broadway. That's kind of where we sit in terms of talking about, you know, those, those things. But there's so much more than that that I'm learning about. And so I'm really invested in learning more about those different processes and getting in on some of those spaces and rooms because more theater is still being developed regardless of how we think that it's, you know, ebbing and flowing of ability and access. Like, it's all being developed all the time. And so I'm very interested in that access.

Matt T. (6:58)

Yeah. And I am firmly resolved to see whatever it is that you do and make sure that we are all supporting you here as well. We know you as a voice here on Broadway Radio, a content creator on social media, a marketing executive in your day job. But like, you are an artist and wherever you go, not to borrow the lyrics from the theme song from Gilmore Girls, but we will follow. The other resolution that I have here is a little different just because, like, I don't know, like, over the years grace not only theater, but sports and pop culture in general. Like, I've just seen people becoming way more cynical about everything. I don't know if that's just the toxicity of social media or, or something else, but like, I've just noticed that online people are angry a lot and I don't like that. You know, it's just too much. I get kind of annoyed with all of it and I'm speaking primarily about sports, just because that's the season that I'm in. But I also saw people online as we're recording this, like, last night, complaining about understudies on Broadway and all of that stuff. And there's legitimate conversations to have. But my hope is that going into 2025 is that I can approach theater, which is an art form that I love with all my heart, with as much excitement and as much grace, no pun intended, with as much warmth as humanly possible, because no one wants to go and see a show that they don't like. And I can generally find something about every show that I can take away and say, you know what? That was good. The whole show might not have worked, but that was good. And I just want to make sure that as I'm going into theaters, big, small, New York, Orlando, St. Louis, Vegas, wherever, that I'm going in, in the right mindset. It is sometimes really hard for me when I'm on these trips in New York, when I'm there for eight days and I'm seeing 14 shows, liter. Sometimes I'm tired. Sometimes I'm like, man, I really could have just stayed in the hotel and slept. And sometimes that can wear down on me. And not like I'm going in actively angry about a show, but it can also hurt how I receive the piece. And I don't want to do that. So whether that means maybe I do slow down on the trips a little bit, I don't know. But I just want to make sure that I am entering a theater willing and open to whatever is presented. And even if it's not the best thing in the world, that I am giving it the chance that it deserves. Because I don't know about you, Grace, but, like, I am often moved by things that I don't think are perfect. I'm often moved by things that I don't think are even great. But there will be something. A line, a performance, a look, a lighting cue, a piece of stage direction that just kind of hits me, and that can change my entire outlook on whatever it is that I'm seeing. So I'm hoping to go into 2025 bringing the light and the joy that I've always had as a theater fan, especially going back to those early days, and not only hopefully bring that for myself, but also for the people around me, whether I know them or not, the people that listen here on Broadway radio, the people I talk to on social media and, you know, in. In text messages and stuff, because I just don't understand why we spend all this time and spend all this money and then get upset and hate on things. It's just frustrating. So for me, I don't know. Light, grace, goodness, openness, compassion, warmth. I don't know. That's what I'm hoping to bring to my entire theater theater going operation in 2025. All right. Anything else, Grace, that you have in the chamber for next year?

Grace Aki (11:07)

No, that's me.

Matt T. (11:09)

Yep. I think those are all good resolutions to have heading into the New Year. So let us know what your New Year's resolutions are when it comes to theater on social media at broadwayradio and have a safe and joyous and celebratory New Year's Eve tonight. We will be off tomorrow for New Year's, but we'll be back with a new episode on Thursday and then we'll wrap up the week on Friday as well. So have a wonderful New Year's Eve and we'll be back to talk to you in a couple days.

Unknown Singer (11:36)

It's New Year's Eve and hopes are high. Dance one year in Kiss one goodbye Another chance, another start so many dreams to tease the heart we don't need a crowd Everything we want is he and face to face we will embrace the perfect heaven.