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The Fit Perception
The Fit Perception
The Art of Theater and Lifelong Friendship With Kody Rash
What happens when two friends embark on a creative journey through the world of theater? Join me and my long-time friend Kody Rash, renowned director of Tarzan and a key player at the Four Seasons Theater Company, as we share our story of friendship and artistic collaboration that began in the vibrant world of performing arts. Together, we recount our experiences growing up in the theater community, reflecting on the ways our paths have intertwined through numerous productions and creative endeavors. We'll also explore Kody's multifaceted career as an art teacher, costume designer, and business owner, shedding light on the unique challenges and rewards of balancing these roles.
Moving from well-loved productions like "Beauty and the Beast" to exploring niche shows, we discuss the growth and transformation of a theater company and the impact it has on performers and audiences alike. Navigate through the emotional landscape of auditions, where hope and uncertainty collide, and learn how performers manage the tension of new roles while balancing their own logistical and personal limitations. Together, we delve into the intricacies of casting decisions, the relief of seeing familiar talents return, and the delicate balance of personal bias and professional objectivity.
Throughout this theatrical adventure, we celebrate the magic that happens during rehearsals and live performances, emphasizing the importance of authentic connections and shared experiences. Relive the most memorable moments— from the first soulful notes of "You'll Be In My Heart" to the exhilarating "Son of Man" entrance— and discover how these experiences strengthen bonds and create lasting friendships. As the curtain falls, we reflect on the life-changing impact of theater, the joy of creating art that touches hearts, and express our gratitude to the listeners who support and enrich our creative community.
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https://www.instagram.com/thomas_belliston/
oh, hello, sir oh, hi how are you man? I'm great good, this is so weird. We're just like we've been talking this whole time for like well all day, and then we just sat down. Okay, now it's time to have a conversation. It's the strangest thing of all time, but we're all good. Um, okay, welcome back to another episode of the fit perceptionception podcast. Great news today I'm not alone. We get to listen to more than just me.
Speaker 3:Thank, goodness, not just the voices in your head, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which is very nice, because I'm pretty sure people get very bored of listening to just my voice.
Speaker 2:But it's all good Fam. I have one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world with me, um, cody rash. You guys know who he is if you've been listening to the show, because he's the director from tarzan, and if you go back a number of episodes, um, he had a great deal to do with majority of that episode. So I have have my good friend Cody Rash here. Cody, okay, so before I ask you a question, I was going to ask you a question, but before I ask you questions, just a little background from my point of view. Background from my point of view.
Speaker 2:So Cody Rash and his brothers, um, john and Danny, were always involved in, like, I knew the Rash family growing up because they were the same age as my siblings and they, they were part of theater and my siblings were part of theater, but I wasn't really connected at all until high school and right after senior year, post high school, um, when you started your four seasons company and we got involved with that. Um, so, just for people that are listening, this, this friendship I don't know when would you say, started, because I don't think the friendship friendship started until a couple weeks ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's a lie, that's definitely a lie.
Speaker 3:For sure have we met.
Speaker 2:But but the the connection has been. There is what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So we've been connected for.
Speaker 1:Geez, well, you were a child. I was barely not a child like two decades.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's been a while since I've known you, yes, yes, but I wasn't like hanging out with you when you were a child. So let's make that clear, um, no, no no, no, you were nope, so so it went. I think I don't know, I don't know how you define like no, it's been like two decades, yes, that we've known each other absolutely but then the first, the first round of tarzan, I think, is where?
Speaker 2:well, no, because you were involved. You were involved in um wizard of oz a little bit I was doing the yeah, I was helping with that the costumes.
Speaker 3:It was different because you were a high school kid.
Speaker 2:No, I know, but now it was like oh, I know who this person is oh yeah, and there was like conversations. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. And then post-high school West Side Story and then post-mission came back, was doing Big Blue, and then we transitioned into Tarzan.
Speaker 3:Fate threw us back together what?
Speaker 2:But okay, so tell people who you are, tell people what you do, tell people like just, I'm just a person.
Speaker 3:I know you are. I'm just a boring old. That's not true. That's definitely not true, definitely not true.
Speaker 2:You're a school teacher, you're an art teacher, you're amazing costume designer, you're a business owner all the above and a crazy person. Yeah, love it, yeah absolutely.
Speaker 3:That's what makes life exciting, Right? Um yeah, like you said, I'm an elementary art teacher, which is awesome Most of the time, sometimes not a couple of days ago, I probably would have told you otherwise. We Halloween but most of the time. It's great, I do Like Thomas said. We my family runs Four Seasons Theater Company and we've been doing that since 2011. So for quite a while now, for 13 years. Jeez yeah Whoa. So we've been doing that. That's weird, huh.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, very odd Because you've been around since the beginning.
Speaker 3:Yes, so yeah, life goes fast, mm-hmm. And then what else I do? Like you said, I design costumes. I just live in this of being creative and getting to work with awesome people most of the time.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, uh-huh. Yeah, I mean, you deal with everybody and most people are awesome, but there's always some people that are not so awesome, and it's okay, absolutely, you just move past them, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, ignore them it makes us appreciate the awesome people. Absolutely there you go, okay, absolutely there you go, um, okay. So obviously I came back from tarzan um back in july and everybody wanted to know all about it and and what it was like and if I'm gonna go back and do more shows and all this other stuff and I I recorded the podcast. If you haven't listened, y'all like go listen to so good, the the episode. I got a little bit. I went on for a while.
Speaker 2:That was a long episode, um, but I go into detail of the experience from my point of view, meaning like what it meant to me and how it started and where it came from and where it went and the some of the, the um, practical things, just day-to-day things that went into it. But I don't think I've even we haven't really talked about it like from this point of view, and I wanted to ask you this from almost a year ago exactly yeah, is when we started talking about it. Yep, and we've talked about like what it was like for us during the next six months a year ago, if that makes sense. Yeah, but previous to that, what was what was going on in your head about doing Tarzan?
Speaker 2:Again, like, what were the conversations? Where did it come from? Cause we you, you told me earlier in the year, come from Cause we you, you told me earlier in the year, last year, like, hey, this is on the horizon, you know, and before that we hadn't really talked, like we'd stayed in touch a little bit, but there hadn't been a whole lot of consistent communication. So it wasn't like, it wasn't like leading up to it were like oh my gosh yeah, so excited like it was not like that at all.
Speaker 2:No, um, so what? Maybe a year and a half ago? What was going on? What was the conversation like? What were the ideas floating around?
Speaker 3:so for those that I mean, obviously this is a more of a fitness podcast. Some of the some of you may not be as familiar with how this theater thing works, but as I'm the artistic director.
Speaker 2:We'll have plenty of fitness, though, yeah.
Speaker 3:We can talk about fitness. I'm super fit.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:Some would say the most fit yeah, absolutely, I taught Thomas everything he knows. Um, some would say the most fits yeah, absolutely that's. I taught thomas everything he knows.
Speaker 3:so, um, as the artistic director for four seasons, um, one of the jobs is like creating a season, coming up with the programming for the year, and the experience that we had when we did tarzan last time was just so awesome, like it was fun it was just so fun great people, just such a good experience, great memories, something that was very impactful, I think, on our lives and other people's lives as well, and, I think, knowing that every time it was a time to come up with a new season, um, it was one of those shows that just kept coming back in my brain. I was like, okay, do we ever? When do we come back to this? Because clearly it was such a good experience? How do we recreate it? Is this even smart? I don't know?
Speaker 2:have you actually? I didn't. I genuinely don't know this. Have you repeated other shows other than christmas, carol?
Speaker 3:um, we have repeated our christmas shows. Have repeated because we've done white christmas a couple of times yeah um, is it the only revival we've ever done? It might be. I think it might be that's, that's, oh, we've no, we've done joseph twice, we just barely did joseph again, so that's okay. So this year had two, because I was one.
Speaker 2:I was wondering if that's the. The conversation is like do we do another revival or do we do a brand new show?
Speaker 3:absolutely, and that's always something that comes up when we're trying to decide what's happening is is it too soon to come? Bring something back was? Will there be an interest from the audience? Will there be interest from performers? So you're looking at it not just from a creative side, but also like the business side. Is this logical? Is this going to be a good choice for the company? Um, and since the 2017, when he did it last time?
Speaker 3:it was one that just always in the back of my mind was like someday, someday. And every time it came up people were like, well, thomas lives in Texas now, so would you have Thomas come do it? And I was like, well, it would be so cool. I don't know how we could do that, whatever. And then just felt very passionately Well and it's funny because I think for a few years I've kind of teased you Oh- yeah, no, yeah, yeah I said what if we do this?
Speaker 3:It was just kind of like a little tease, and sometimes it would kind of be funny. I don't know that I was always serious about it? Yeah, but about probably early spring of 2023, 2013.
Speaker 2:2023.
Speaker 3:So last spring is when I started trying to put things together and I brought it up to my board and you know, and Thomas's name came up and everyone's like, well, he lives in Texas. Now Do we have anybody, is there anyone who can do it? And I was like, well, I just feel like it's a great choice and I think that it will all work out the way it needs to. So I started slowly, kind of teasing little. We'd have these little text conversations. It was very it's not like it is now, but it was very sporadic and I would say, hey, I'm looking at this, what are your thoughts about this? And it was just kind of just testing the waters because I knew, like in my head, the logic that this could even happen.
Speaker 3:Logistically it didn't make sense. Like how, like, really like, it's not like you, it's not a couple hour drive, right, it's a three-hour flight.
Speaker 3:So and you have a job and you have a child, you have a family and you're, yeah, it's totally different. Yeah, so, um, then, when it started getting more serious and I pulled the trigger last summer, so we announced that we were doing tarzan in 2024, and I think that I told you before we announced it, and then it was just kind of this conversation We'll see what life looks like. Maybe I could do that, maybe I could make it work, and it was just kind of, I think, living in a fantasy world in some ways.
Speaker 2:When did it become like a?
Speaker 3:oh, we should really try this for you, because I know when it happened for me well, I think the first moment that I was like huh was when you showed up last september to run to do that oh, the marathon yeah and you showed up at my house and you tried to be sneaky and I knew you were coming because I figured it out. I second that oh it's okay.
Speaker 3:Um, it's fine. It's fine, it's great. All good, it doesn't matter, it was still awesome. Um, I think that was actually the beginning of like huh, because I don't know why having you in my presence made it feel different immediately. Um, because we, in few years, there were like sporadic visits. You would come when you'd come visit family, but it was never anything you know, just like the communication.
Speaker 3:It was like it would come in spurts and then kind of be the gaps. But I think at that point I thought well, I just felt different, just having you around at that point, and then I think I came to. Did I come to a show? And then I think I came to. Did I come?
Speaker 2:to a show? Uh, uh, no, because we weren't. We were in dress rehearsal, but we did. It was for into the woods at that point. Yep, yep. So, um, I came and saw that. I came and saw the set though.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah um, and then at that point the conversation kind of started being more like well, let's see in this, like in this early spring, like january, february, where my life is, and so it just kind of became a little more real, but at the same time it was like there's no way this is gonna happen like how, how yeah like, and so I just decided okay, if this will work, great.
Speaker 3:I still feel very drawn to this. I know this is the right thing for us to be doing. I just feel good about it and excited about it, and if it works that's awesome, and if it doesn't, something else will happen and it will be the right thing.
Speaker 2:It'll still be a good show.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it'll still be great, because the show is awesome and it's such a great message and it's so no matter what, and I just thought, you know, I just need to go in with that attitude that if things work out, great, if not we'll, it will work still.
Speaker 2:Outside of the board. Did you have any like? What was the reception like from like the the community, the four scenes community, the theater community. Regarding the show.
Speaker 3:I actually had a lot of people that reached out and were excited because that was kind of a big. There were kind of markers through our business's time of living its life that kind of we felt like things progressed.
Speaker 3:It made a huge leap forward and I feel like Tarzan was one of the shows that we kind of took a leap into like a new level of like quality and we were pushing ourselves farther. And I know that a lot of people that was like the beginning of their attending Four Seasons Because we did right before that, the year before that, we did Beauty and the Beast, which just has a natural draw for people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a massive show did beauty and the beast, which just has a natural draw for people, massive show. So then after you do a big show like that, the next big like disney show people. There was an interest immediately because it hadn't been done around anywhere near us and I think the interest, the excitement was there because that was a lot of our audience's first show they attended, of ours. So I got a lot of people saying, oh my gosh, that was my, the first show I saw of yours I'm so excited to see what you do with it.
Speaker 3:This time it was that kind of stuff, okay. Okay, because they'd seen the progress got it like even since tarzan, the first time, yeah, that we had made and like how much things had improved and like the quality and, yeah, the amount of talent exactly and not like financial stability, but you had access to more things.
Speaker 2:now, exactly, and we've learned a lot.
Speaker 3:And we've grown because we've learned. And it's like most things in life, the more you do, the more you learn, and then you apply it and just grow, and so a lot of the comments were I can't wait to see what you do with it this time. So it was that kind of an attitude it wasn't like, but at the same time it was interesting because a lot of as far as performers went, there was an a weird interest level because a lot of the performers weren't really aware of it. Okay, um, because it's not done that often, I think because it's so specific, right, um to like, you need such specific performers for it that it's not like it's done it's not like all over the place like
Speaker 1:your rogers and hammer show. Hammerstein shows that everyone's not like it's done, it's not like all over the place like your Rogers and.
Speaker 3:Hammerstein shows that everyone's like oh, I've done that with my middle school and then my neighborhood did it or whatever. So it's not as common, and so it did take a little bit more of like explaining to some of the performers we had gained in those years, like this is what it is.
Speaker 2:This is what it looks like, yeah.
Speaker 3:In fact, I had a lot of people say oh, I don't know if I'll do what, I'm going to do that next year, because I don't know if there's a place for me, right. So I had to do a lot of like, well, there's this opportunity and this opportunity, and explaining and teaching, right. But there was always like a level of interest and excitement. It was just different than some of the shows have been.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, interesting, Cause I like it was. So it was so strange from my point of view cause I was so disconnected, like usually when you're doing a show for people that have never done musical theater, well, actually I don't know, I don't know if everybody does this, maybe it's just me, but like I try to find other people that are interested in the show and get their thoughts on it and what they're auditioning with and you know, have they studied the roles and what are they hoping for and are they training for a certain part, and like so you start connecting before the show, yeah, with people I had nobody.
Speaker 3:Well, it's like, and I think, well, and that's, it's like and I think, well and that's funny because, like you do, I think as a performer sometimes when you're in these situations you almost, like, are weighing the competition 100% You're like, okay, who's coming Exactly? Do I have a shot? Is it worth putting the investment into this thing, Right, and so being disconnected like that? I'm sure it's weird because you don't you didn't know, strange it had changed so much in those seven years. The group of people, the core group, had kind of shifted.
Speaker 3:There were still a few Yep. So I guess that is a strange thing to not really know who is around, not just for the show but, like in the the theater family.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, because when I, when I first did Tarzan the first time, it was still people from high school that I knew and people from the community that I'd grown up with and connected with and people from my job, so I had this big network of people that were involved and invested. And this time I was like, oh, I don't know a single person other than the director, the musical director, like that was it, which I actually isn't that bad.
Speaker 3:No, it wasn't bad, it was just odd, oh this is like blind audition.
Speaker 2:Like like it was crazy, crazy, crazy. Um, okay, so take me through, cause they've heard my side of this story multiple times. Take me through audition day.
Speaker 3:Do you want to go a little bit?
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah, I do. So go back as far as you want, just talk Well well, I think so.
Speaker 3:I don't, I can't remember. I've listened to that episode quite a few times because I'm like, oh, it's kind of like reliving my life, too, in, and so it's like it's a journal entry for myself that someone else gave um, which is kind of fun.
Speaker 3:That's interesting way to look at it, it's true though it true, it does document a big event in my life in it, but from someone else's perspective, which is cool, um.
Speaker 3:So as we got even closer, the conversations got more real because, um, it was, there was a lot more questioning like, okay, explain to me how this could work. Like you asking me, like, as far as rehearsals would go, okay, how would that, what would that look like? And, um, and then you also looking into your work and how that could work with work and all of that, um. So I think as we we got past the holidays, we got into like January, february, and then it started getting really real because all of a sudden, there were the auditions were coming up, and it was still kind of back and forth, like, is this going to work? Um, and you were throwing little bones, I guess my way of like, glimmers of hope, yeah, but okay, I talked to this person at work and I this is a possibility right it was always like there's this possibility, this possibility, yeah, maybe, um, but even up until like even the couple weeks before it was so up in the air Did.
Speaker 2:I even buy my plane ticket until a couple of weeks before.
Speaker 3:And so I, I was anxious only because I had in my head if this works, I can imagine what this could be Right, but if it doesn't, where's how am I going to make this work in a way that's completely different than what I've always had in my head. And so it was. That was where I started getting like. It started getting really like, because it was getting real. I started to have to make these decisions in my head of what is the next step, If, what is my next plan, If and so, as it got closer, I don't think you gave me a firm yes.
Speaker 2:I didn't.
Speaker 3:Until I think I knew you were coming a few days before Maybe.
Speaker 2:No, I remember it was. We were talking because auditions were Thursday and we were talking over the weekend the weekend before literally the weekend before and it was a Saturday the weekend before, literally the weekend before, and it was a saturday. No, it was a sunday because I got home from church and we had been talking and, uh, I was like I think I have to do a, oh, a video, audition video, because we talked about that if you couldn't yes, we had talked about that if you couldn't get to utah and I did the video audition sunday.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I videoed it on on sunday because, like I don't, I literally don't know. And then on monday it was either monday or tuesday, I told you. I was like I'm gonna come up okay yeah. Yeah, it was monday or tuesday. I was like, yep, I'll be there.
Speaker 3:It's funny that specific thing is it is kind of a blur because it just was all of a sudden it was this complete like yes.
Speaker 2:It was weird yeah.
Speaker 3:Like, okay, so there's, there is this possibility. And I still and I I have to be honest with you Like I always hoped, especially when I got the yes, that you were coming. But I also was like, but what if? Yep, yep, and so that was also something? Then that was a new thing to have to like start processing, Well, okay, what he's coming to audition, but what if it's not right?
Speaker 2:Well, because also we had this discussion many times my vocal cords. That was my main concern. I was like my vocals are not where they had been because of teaching and yelling and screaming on the mic, teaching fitness classes. But that was my main concern. A definite yes based off of that, because I, you know, I'd gone to the, the vocal therapy, and I'd gone to see the ent's and like, gotten on medicine and done a bunch of different stuff and move my schedule around and uh, you know, in in hopes that the vocal cords would heal or you know whatever. So, like it felt weird for me to be like, yeah, I'm definitely come do it when I wasn't a hundred percent yeah you know.
Speaker 2:So that was. That was the main reason why the yes was very not definitive until I decided I was just like f it.
Speaker 3:I don't care, I'm gonna try it anyway, yeah but which is a good way to live, like why we got to take chances, especially for things we have passion for and things we love. So if you don't take the chance, you'll never know if it works, or if it would work or not. So yeah, so then I knew you were coming and nobody else did and no one else did.
Speaker 3:And you had asked that no one else did. Because that's the tricky part too, is when you come back to a show which I, like I said I think this is the first one we'd done a revival of, besides the Christmas shows the immediate question is well, are you just using the same people, right, and you don't want to discourage people to to try, yeah, to discourage people to to try yeah, and so that is always something you've got to be cautious with. And so I, I think, keeping that kind of a secret, because people started asking me, well, is thomas gonna audition? I was like, well, he's in texas. That was kind of like he's in texas. I mean, I know he wants to, but I mean, you know, it was kind of that.
Speaker 3:I wasn't ever and it wasn't with the intent to like deceive anyone. It was just a matter of I didn't know. Well, yeah, I hadn't given you a yes. But then, even when I did know you were coming, I then, like I said, I was conflicted a little bit because I was like, well it, what if it's not right? Like what if we get in the room and there's somebody else that actually feels correct for this time, yep, and what if the chemistry between somebody else and Jane or somebody is stronger and that feels right then? And so then I started having this like real, like internal conflict, because I was like, okay, I have to go into this with these open eyes and open mind, because my heart was a totally different thing. Like I knew where my heart wanted things to go, yeah, but my mind and my business like professional side, analytical, but I can't be emotionally attached to it exactly I mean you do get emotionally attached and so it's you have to really think is this an emotional reaction or is this a logical thought process?
Speaker 3:and so I was trying to prepare myself at that point for, like, okay, the the two different possible scenarios and if, if it works out, then okay, then how do we proceed? If it doesn't work out, then I hope that there's an understanding.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent. Yeah, a hundred percent.
Speaker 3:Because I mean, it's weird that you would even think. But then you're also like because at that point.
Speaker 2:I had invested you in it emotionally because of all the conversations we'd had and I was like then I don't want to interrupt, but like those conversations to me like went a little deeper than just the audition, like we started like opening up and like really talking about, like personal things and and you know what had been going on in life. You know it. It took a while for those for that to happen, but at at by the point of the audition we were at a way closer friendship than before the the discussion the discussion?
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely, and I think that, yeah, you, like I said, because we were like talking more often and then we were getting, because of the reality of what this was going to be, we got more vulnerable in our conversations. Um, and like I even said to you, I think, at one point I can't remember if it was through a conversation or a text that I did need to be like honest about what could happen.
Speaker 3:Yes, Because I didn't want you to think I was promising anything, because I knew you were making this huge commitment to just come up Right. So just that, the travel to come and audition was a huge commitment and I didn't want it to be like well you did this, so now you just automatically. I want it to be very like, even though I knew my heart wanted to happen.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, like even though I knew my heart wanted to happen right. Yeah, of course I also had to be very honest. Yeah, because it had to be right. And so, even up until the night of because I, you arrived and um, and I was just getting prepared that day for the audition, I was thinking, oh, my heart was just like pounding and my brain was going 5,000 miles an hour, trying to like okay, what's this going to be, what's this going to, what's going to happen?
Speaker 3:And it's like you can't even how do you predict that?
Speaker 2:You have no, no grasp of what could possibly happen, because I knew there were some awesome people coming to audition.
Speaker 3:Like when they sign up to audition, I knew there was some solid talent. And I knew there was some solid talent. But that isn't Just because you have people that are good doesn't mean that it's right.
Speaker 2:There's so much more that goes into it, yeah.
Speaker 3:And so it was still so up in the air and then.
Speaker 2:But okay, so before you continue Okay, when people do sign up, you see them. What was the board's reaction to me signing up?
Speaker 3:Only a few people knew. Oh really, Because that information it's not like we I mean anyone has access to it, but most people don't really worry. Yeah, Like, unless they're directly involved, Like if they're on the production team, like the directing team. We're to the point where we're doing enough that everyone just kind of trusts that the people that are in charge of that specific production have it under control. So people asked like, is Thomas trying out? But most of that was happening before I even knew, so it wasn't like at that point, who knows?
Speaker 3:that that was happening before I even knew, so it wasn't like at that point, who knows? Yeah, and so then by the time you did sign up and it was coming, like my production team knew. Yeah, Cause I happened to have the same music director that I worked with when we did Tarzan the time before so she knew Um, and I had, but I had different other people, my, my choreographers were.
Speaker 3:I had one choreographer that was the same, but I had cause. Dylan had never done it with us. And then my production assistant was different, so that was the other thing going with fresh eyes which was good.
Speaker 2:It was very good thing, I think.
Speaker 3:Cause I needed other people to see stuff and so that I had to. It was like I needed confirmation, Right, and that's one of the reasons I had my my one brother, come in and do an audition and sit in the audition because I was. That was another thing I was concerned about because I, like I said, dealing with heart versus head.
Speaker 2:I was like well, you want it to be a completely unbiased as much as obviously there's bias, but as much of an unbiased decision as possible. And the only way to do that is to have people that aren't as invested into it.
Speaker 3:And are just watching it with more open eyes because it won't directly necessarily affect them in most ways. So they're just going to say it how they see it and I've done that. I've been that for other people in productions. I've been the person that's like okay, this is what I see from the outside and so it's very helpful. So I went in, I was setting myself up with all of these tools that would make sure that it was right yeah yeah, because I I.
Speaker 3:I was so concerned at that point like I have to do the right thing, yeah, and not just what I want, which sounds silly. But no, not at all, not just yeah, because in my head it's like, well, I could, I could, this would be so fun because I could hang out with my buddy and blah, blah, blah like all of that. And I didn't want that to become like the thing to overrode what was right.
Speaker 3:And so had those those new faces in there with fresh eyes on everything and we got done with the first night of auditions. And it was like this relief for me because as we were kind of discussing the who's who we needed to see more of, and we everybody was like oh, I'm so glad to see that after all these years thomas hasn't done anything.
Speaker 3:he still sounds great, he still has the the haha, um, don't hide your face embarrassing huh um but you know, when you take a big break from something, it's like anything If you take a time off of your fitness stuff you have to work your way back up to it, and so I had no idea even what to expect, because I knew the Thomas from seven years ago and the Thomas from the previous years when you were in high school and in college always performing.
Speaker 2:Yes, I said this on that episode I think from my senior year in high school until I left on the mission. I was, I was in a show after show after show after like when one would end. I would audition for another one. It was like nonstop for like two or three years.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly so so I didn't know, even though we had talked and even though I knew like you had gone through, you'd been with ent and all those different things, I knew you were in physically prepared, but I honestly didn't know vocally, yeah, like yeah, were you where you were and we got done. And the music director the first thing she said well, actually this that came up after callbacks and I want to make sure I get this in the room. So we saw it was great, I was so happy.
Speaker 2:Was Thursday the only audition day. I thought there was Wednesday, thursday and Friday. Did we do? We do? Two nights of the initial audition and then we get to Wednesday, thursday, yeah, yeah, yeah, and then Friday was the callback.
Speaker 3:Cause you came for the second night.
Speaker 2:I came on Thursday, okay.
Speaker 3:Um, which is funny, but like I can, I can remember what I was wearing, but I clearly can't remember the rest, so um whatever, um little details. Who knows? Who cares? Right, that's where I live. So, um, then we got to the callback and we had the the as a director. One of the things that I was also relieved was that I knew that, regardless, I had people like that was the other thing that I got.
Speaker 3:We finished the initial audition and I was like, okay, I have the people I need. Now how is this all going to connect? It's kind of cliche, and if you've done theater you might understand this, but we compare it all the time to putting together a puzzle, and you have all these pieces and there can be really great pieces, but they don't fit together. And that's how it is when you're casting a show, and so it's a matter of then seeing how things will work. So when you get to a callback part the part that's a callback then you're actually seeing how it's actually going to look, work, feel, from the interactions you see from the other people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we, we. I mean, I don't know how much you want to say about that.
Speaker 2:I mean go for it, it was.
Speaker 3:I mean, it was just it was just very a huge relief for me cause people, people have heard my side of the story, which is fine.
Speaker 2:That's interesting, but from like it was in your hands for this whole experience to happen.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Well, and and and, like I said, I still in the moment watching it, I was like, oh my gosh, yes, yes, it's Thomas, it's Thomas. But I still was second guessing Is this my head or is this my heart? Right? And all through the night of the callback, I was seeing, like, the interactions and I was like, ok, so I see this, I see this person and this connects to this and this looks right to me, connects to this and this looks right to me. But I was waiting because one of the things I decided to do with this also was before I said a word, well, after we finished the initial callback, we send everyone home and then just the production team, the director team was there, plus my, my brother, who was being the, the other set of eyes and voice, and I said, before I say anything, I want to know what you guys think, because I feel like I had to hear um, and and I didn't want their opinion to be swayed by what I was going to say.
Speaker 3:Yes, so I knew what I felt and what I saw, but I also needed to make sure that they saw the same thing. So we start going through the group and my brother, who so who did?
Speaker 2:who did you start with? Like? Because, for for people that that aren't involved in theater, you make the initial audition you, you come with your, your song, you come with the monologue. If it's required, you come with whatever's required and if you do well in the audition, you're notified that you have a callback on a specific and you start interacting in in a way that's like more along the lines of the show so the directors can see the potential in different ways with different people at different times. Um and so, after the callback, what is the, I guess, like? Do you look at each one and go, or do you go like main roles and then secondary roles and then this, or is there just kind of like thoughts?
Speaker 3:So it really depends on the show. So sometimes, like most of the time, I will start with what is obvious. Okay, so there's. There's most of the time, when you get through a callback, there's at least one or two roles that there is no question.
Speaker 3:Got it like you don't even have any debate in the decision it was just obvious like the pros and cons, like, because a lot of times you'll see, you'll have like four or five people and you'll narrow it down to like two. That are very, very solid options, but then you have to sit in pro and con like, okay, this works because of this, this doesn't work because of this, whatever it is, um, but there are some that you don't need to do that. So those are the things that initially you just kind of get out of the way Like, and so there were a couple of those roles that it was like there was no need for, for really any super discussion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like it was just like what does everyone think about this? And it was just like what do?
Speaker 3:you think? What do you think? Yep, yep, yep, yep. Everyone's so good. So I think we did a couple of those um right at the beginning, and then I said, cause I was like so anxious about being the one to say it, Right Like like it was the elephant in the room. Yeah, it was the elephant in the room, it's that you know. But you got to pull the bandaid off, and so I was like, okay, we just got to say it, so I was like what did everyone think about Tarzan?
Speaker 3:Who's Tarzan? And my brother, who I honestly I didn't know going into it, which is why I asked him to come. I didn't know where he was going to go with it because when we got down to it, we had, we had a few possibilities, but we really had two solid options for Tarzan.
Speaker 3:And it was between Thomas and this other kid and they were very different. Like it was, it was like comparing a banana to an apple, like they're not even the same, like there was nothing that you could go. You just couldn't compare them they were just totally different.
Speaker 3:The way you interpreted the character, the way you performed it like, and also physically you were very, very different, um and so. But my brother had had some time working with the other, the other performer very recently and had a really good experience with him. So in my head I had already prepared that he was going to say I think so and so should be the part. And the first thing he says is he goes, it's thomas and I was like, oh, okay in my head.
Speaker 3:I didn't say I didn't have this like devilish smile like oh, I was right um, but it was also like in this moment I was like, oh my gosh, he just said it okay. So then I started going through everyone. I'm like what does everyone think? And it was unanimous that that was the right answer, and I felt this huge relief immediately like, okay, so all of these people who have different levels of background with you or connection to you were seeing the exact same thing.
Speaker 3:That I was seeing and it was good because I was all okay, I'm not just, it's not, it's not being biased yes it was, it was what the group saw, and it was consistently the same things were noticed and felt that the, the, the, when we were discussing the reasons why everyone had the same exact things, they'd observed. And so it was. It was awesome because we'd gotten to that point, um and so then I was like, oh, really. And then I honestly I was like, oh, now we have to make this work. I mean I was.
Speaker 3:It wasn't like I like, it was just like oh, now it's real.
Speaker 3:So we actually have to figure this out, because now you're going to be coming from Houston to northern Utah and it's not like you jump in a car and drive up for a couple of days or for a rehearsal at night. So that was in the back of my mind going oh my gosh, now we really have to talk through this because it's just been like hypothetical, hypothetical. So so we finished kind of putting the main casting together, but at the same time then we got stuck and we actually got stuck on the cat, the casting of Jane, up the casting of jane. And so I said to the other, the other directors, I was like well, I mean, it really does matter what thomas thinks because he said that really yeah, because I said, because he I need to know what he felt, because the the girls that we call back for Jane were so good.
Speaker 3:They were all so good and it was also tricky because there were a couple of them that I have worked with since I started working with you, since they were in high school, and I had this emotional and friendship connection with Then. I was like oh Same. And in my head at that point I was like, well, this would be so fun, it would be a blast. With this friend and this friend and this friend.
Speaker 3:But I also knew where my heart and my head were feeling. But I it's the same thing as I needed someone else to say it, and so it was like, ok, I'm going to put the burden on Thomas now. So I said to everybody I was like I really would love to know what Thomas saw and felt, because in those interactions, like when you're someone that's being called back, you like you feel if there's a connection there, right, right, right, like don't you think?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it was me and the other guy that were auditioning for Tarzan, but there was more callbacks for the other roles, so there was four Janes and there was three or something Kalas.
Speaker 2:And there, you know there was a lot of multiple character or individuals for the callback and so, going into it, I didn't want to like walking. I had no idea who was going to be called back, you know. And so, going into it, I walk in and there's four Janes and I'm like, oh, I have to go a hundred percent authentic with these four individuals and two of them I'm really good friends with, you know, like how do I and that's why I was like sitting there like, oh, my gosh, like how do I be authentic and and give my effort to these other two girls that I don't know when it would be so easy for me and this is me being like a, an, a hole, saying I could mess up their auditions to make it look like I want to be with these two because these are my friends.
Speaker 2:It would be, so fun to act with them and it would be so easy for me to make it awkward for the other two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know. So like give more to the yeah.
Speaker 2:And then I was just like oh, that's a dick move, I can't do that Like that'd be so mean to the other girls.
Speaker 2:You know, like I was like, okay, I have to put my friendships to the side and and just be Tarzan for like, just react, totally, take everything, thomas, out of this situation and just be as authentically Tarzan as possible. So that and it sounds weird, it sounds like I'm saying like, oh, I was already Tarzan, but in the moment I was like that's the only way to give these four girls, give these four girls a chance to be Jane. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Is to give them the exact same amount of energy and the exact same amount of authenticity from the perspective on Tarzan, not Thomas yeah. You know. So I don't know if I don't know if that came through, because that was very it was very difficult to do.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, when we got in there, there was the initial like friendship reaction, like like giggling, giving hugs, making jokes, like the ones that knew each other. Because we did. Also, besides those two, we had a few others that were called back that had been in the show the time before.
Speaker 3:So, you've got this like weird combination of brand new, newer, different, new to us, new to you. Like there's this whole different group. Yeah, but to see that initial thing, and in my head at that point I was like, oh well, just watching this interaction, this is totally where it's going to go, like I knew, I knew, I didn't know.
Speaker 2:I thought I knew.
Speaker 3:I thought I knew, yeah, I thought I knew what was going to happen, and it wasn't what happened. I knew what was going to happen, and it wasn't what happened really at all because what was weird was watching the fact that you had these two, that you were so close to yeah and we can say their names we can.
Speaker 2:Reagan, you know their do you know their names.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I do now. Yeah, no, melinda and Taylor. Yeah, taylor Reagan yes, that's fine, you know their.
Speaker 2:Do you know their names? Yeah, I do now. Yeah, no, melinda and taylor.
Speaker 3:Yeah, taylor reagan, that's whatever um, yes, that's fine, it's fine yeah, um, but those, those were my two friends.
Speaker 3:I knew them very well and so, like I said, I knew that. I knew, first of all, I knew that they were both they're both incredible performers, amazing and and and I'd worked with them multiple times and I knew how easy it would be to make this work, because not only are they fantastic performers, they also have a connection immediately, yes, and so I'm watching them interact as we're getting started and I'm like, okay well, it's gonna be one of these two, because look at the chemistry.
Speaker 3:If it's thomas, it's one of these two and so. But that wasn't what happened, and so, as we finished the discussion about that, it was Thomas and I was like I would like to know his opinion, because I was watching it and I was thinking as much as I love these two girls with all my heart they are dear, special friends I didn't feel like it was right. And the, the actress, the one actress, so there were four the one I'd seen in things before, but I didn't know her personally, the two were my friends and then the one I had never seen a thing of yeah, brighton yep, and it was weird because I was like the one I feel is right is the one I don't know.
Speaker 3:Yeah. But is that crazy? Am I crazy, am I?
Speaker 2:losing my mind yeah, did I see what I thought I saw.
Speaker 3:There's also a risk factor in that too. Like, do I take a chance on I don't know? So that's when I was like, okay, I see what I see, or I think I see. Let's see what Thomas felt. What did the other?
Speaker 3:directors say in that situation their opinion was exactly like this person could do it because they bring this to the table. This person could do it because they bring this to the table. They were such different interpretations of it that it was just a matter of what direction do you want to go with it, Because they were completely different. No matter how, they were all incredibly strong, but there was not ever a time where I saw saw a copycat performance right or an audition, very very different their interpretations of the character were so different.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it was just a matter. That was the discussion was like if you want to go with this, this is the right answer. If you want this thing, then this is the right answer, and so. But I knew what I was seeing, so that's when I said let's, I'd like to ask thomas, they're like, well, then, call him and I. That doesn't really happen right, no, no, not until you're usually like done casting and then you call and offer the role, but that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Like you don't ever really ask a performer what they know, oh heavens no. But I also know how important.
Speaker 3:This was and I also. Yeah, it was, it was weird, um, but it was important because I didn't. I knew that the risk was there yeah, and that was part of.
Speaker 3:It was like if you felt the same thing right and I knew what I was seeing and feeling. It was confirmation for me. It was like what I expected from earlier, when I wanted the other, the other directors, to say it's thomas right, so it was the same idea, like I felt, like it was important to. To separate is trust yourself. I don't know why I don't, but you, just you start to question 100, and it's natural so they're like we'll call him.
Speaker 3:And then I was mad because I was like well, no, no, this isn't how I imagined it If I decided that if I ended up being Thomas, I had this like fun plan that I was like come over, we got to talk and I was going to set it up like a disappointing conversation. But they're like, well, you have to tell him. If you're going to ask him, you have to tell him.
Speaker 3:I was like I don't want to do it over a phone call. I was kind of mad because they were ruining my fun, but whatever. So so I call and I was funny because I'm pretty sure what I said to you maybe I'm wrong, maybe I don't remember it correctly was so I need your opinion on something it very much was and I said who? I want to know what you saw tonight. Who is jane?
Speaker 2:no sir, no sir, that is not what you said what did I say? You said who is your jane?
Speaker 3:oh, that's where you messed up that's where you messed up well, I tried, I tried, but it was all ruined anyway. I had to do it on the phone, so anyway. So then I can't remember what you said, because it was like there was like this pause, like what are you saying, kind of a thing.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:So then I was like oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, you'd be Tarzan. And then now, ok, now that you know, like let's move on, ok, next.
Speaker 3:Sorry, there's no time to be excited right now. We've got to talk business. We're talking business now We'll come back to the excitement. So I said what do you think? And thomas said it's brighton. And I was like, okay, so I'm not crazy, that's great, that's great. And that was kind of the end of it was like okay, trust everything. You felt, everything you felt in this whole thing because it's working out. And that was the other thing I kept telling myself at that point was when I started getting stressed about how are we going to make this work. I thought I kept having to remind myself through this whole process because they were all through it I had these moments of like what have we done?
Speaker 1:What have we done? Thomas was so far away. What have we done?
Speaker 3:Even though I was having these great things happening in rehearsals, and then you'd go home and I was like we have two weeks till I see you again. Okay, okay, how do we? Okay, and it was just I had to keep reminding myself that it's working out exactly right. And it feels right every step of the way. So just trust the process, trust what is happening here and stop doubting yourself, Stop doubting your instinct and just push through. And that was kind of a very pivotal moment for me personally was this like reassurance, of like trust your gut.
Speaker 3:Stop being a idiot.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, but like, because you've done it and it's worked out every time, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:But you still do, and like there's I mean when you get into like personal things, like I think I've lived my life in a lot of self doubt.
Speaker 3:So, you throw in like something that's so big in so many ways, like the, the, all the logistics of it, the then you start doubting, like yourself, a hundred percent, yeah, and so, as it was all just like being confirmation after confirmation and then it, then it continued. So then we start the rehearsal process and it was like every rehearsal would leave so excited and overwhelmed, yeah, and it would be done, and I was like that is, that was, that is, that was so easy. Yeah, that was so easy. It just it, just like the way it just put it came together. It was. It wasn't like I didn't feel like I was ever having to push anybody or like pull teeth to get what I wanted out of people. It was like all of you were just clicking and feeding each other and connecting and creating these. And feeding each other and connecting and creating these relationships that were all of a sudden translating into these characters, so your real-life connections that you were quickly making because they were all new people to you, yeah, except for one.
Speaker 2:I knew.
Speaker 3:Kerchak was the only person.
Speaker 2:I knew Kerchak from the last time I knew.
Speaker 1:Lauren from earlier in my childhood but I didn't know anybody other than well.
Speaker 2:I knew Nathan from the from the time before but, I mean, he was a different person.
Speaker 3:Oh absolutely.
Speaker 2:You know he done that was like his second show or something. And then this was his like 900th show. So so like I knew, knew people, but they weren't the same like to say that, like I knew him, would be a under, like an overstatement. For sure that's true that's true.
Speaker 3:So, but all of those, every time something would happen, it was like, oh, yep, yep, we'd get done and the weekend would end. We'd have these weekends that they were so magical. Oh, the best, like absolute best memories. The thomas would show up on friday and it was just like here comes the party. Yeah, we've got, we've got about, we've got less than 48 hours.
Speaker 2:We've got a lot to do.
Speaker 3:Pack a lot in there and on top of rehearsals, we got to pack a lot of fun into this and it was like it was every second, like I feel like we took advantage of every moment, um, whether we were in rehearsal or we were just spending time with people, um, but it was interesting to watch and to feel it connect and to feel all of these like to process all of these emotions that were happening, because we were feeling it was real.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was huge.
Speaker 3:And but it was really great to it was constant confirmation.
Speaker 2:So and I don't want this to sound like it's coming from a selfish or egotistical place but I genuinely don't know what were the rehearsals like, because when, when I was there, the rehearsals were so much fun, like they were a blast. Everybody was involved, everybody was like die hard, it was a good time, everybody was prepared yeah you know when, but I wasn't there for majority of the rehearsals which was there was there, I guess.
Speaker 2:Like, did anybody feel it was weird to do tarzan without tarzan there most of the time? Um, like, was that ever a concern that was brought up? Was that ever like a? This is kind of weird, but I'm here for it, like I I don't.
Speaker 3:No one ever expressed to me that it was weird. Um, I did have concerns for you because I was worried, like, how do you form? Like because, yeah, because there is something that happens when it's like. I mean like if you're on a team for a sport like you, you go through something really big and like hard together here's this, here's this.
Speaker 2:That's funny. Before it leaves my brain the performance, the end result it sounds cliche but cliche, but how good that is is dependent on the relationships built during rehearsals and during those times that is the most important part, those interactions, the time when you're not on stage, where you're, you know, just talking to your, your cast members over lunch, or interacting with them. You know, those are what make the performance what it is.
Speaker 3:It either makes it or breaks it, based off of the interactions during the rehearsals, absolutely Well, and I think one of the things the interactions during the rehearsals, absolutely Well and I think one of the things that you were fantastic about was we'd have these conversations like they're in. They're doing a big dance rehearsal tonight yeah, let's FaceTime. So we would FaceTime Thomas in and he'd be sitting there watching everyone dance and cheering from the my iPad screen for him as they finished their big, their big dance numbers and stuff, and that was one thing that I did start hearing from the cast.
Speaker 3:It was like that's so cool that he wants to watch and I think that that made a huge difference. But I was so excited as the dates were getting closer, like I had this mixed feeling because I was like watching the time go and I was like when you're just anticipating something ending, which is awful, it's the worst, but also knowing that there was a point where you were going to be there all the time right, and that was going to be the moment where everything would take a leap forward, with the show itself and then also with the relationships, because, I mean to be honest, like you create, when you're creating art, you're creating theater.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the product is the, the production the thing you've created the piece, but that will end, and if you don't leave it with more than just like the experience like of doing it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel like, and maybe I'm just super like corny and cheesy, but I want to leave with memories, feelings, relationships, and that was the part I was concerned yeah but it never was an issue because there was this effort made to stay connected with people. And then when, when people would post stuff on like on our facebook group and you would be commenting on their stuff, yeah and responding and making sure to be interactive.
Speaker 3:That way there wasn't that kind of started to like ease that concern, because I didn't want you to feel like the outsider right, you know, like because they're all spending all this time together and then I'm here yeah and it wasn't ever that, I didn't ever feel that way.
Speaker 3:But then once you were there, don't you feel like it, like there was like a huge, like I don't know like it's. It's not that they didn't know you, but I feel like that was the moment that the show really just started to click, because I remember, like the first time we ran through was that when you were, had you come to stay at that point? No it, it was before you came to stay. Okay.
Speaker 2:We had those first run-throughs over at the elementary school.
Speaker 3:Okay, that was actually the moment that I was like oh, my word, okay. All right. I know right, lots of emotions, because it was like this is real. First of all, these aren't just these fun rehearsals of like, because, I'll be honest, sometimes when we'd get done with the weekend, I was like it felt like just hanging out time.
Speaker 2:I know yeah.
Speaker 3:And I thought so many times did we take advantage of the time we needed to? Did we get what we needed?
Speaker 2:to do. Did we actually get things done or did we just have fun? Yeah?
Speaker 3:And it was just that self-doubt stuff again. Yeah, duh. Duh, trust yourself. So. But then to start to actually see it, I was like, oh, my word, okay, okay, this is right, this is magical, this is special. And then it just took this huge another leap forward, and then another leap forward. And then it just took this huge another leap forward, and then another leap forward. And they weren't from like baby steps forward to like huge leaps over that next month.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the progress and the change and the, the, the bond and the relationships and the what that was doing, to what was happening on stage, cause you hadn't even been around, like Brighton, that much.
Speaker 2:No Cause, no because, because it's a director's nightmare what I did to myself.
Speaker 2:Because we would do the scenes. I remember the first rehearsal with me and Brighton at Skyview. We did three scenes, videoed them so we could watch them and rehearse them on our own time, and then I didn't see, we didn't rehearse with each other again for like almost a month. Yeah, because I would come up and do rehearsals with the other actors, the other scenes, and then she would go at a different time. She would come on like a monday, tuesday, wednesday and do scenes, and I would go on like a friday, saturday, wednesday and do scenes and I would go on like a Friday, saturday and do scenes. So like we never really interacted at all, no, Well, you had.
Speaker 3:That was the director's nightmare. Part I didn't look up was that their conflicts were conflicting. So I got, we got all put together and we're like here's our cast.
Speaker 3:And then I look and I go, oh wow, thomas has gone together and we're like, here's our cast. And then I look and I go, oh wow, thomas is gone for two weeks and then brighton's gone for two weeks. That touches like they're like back to back. Yes, so I had a month where I didn't have my jane and tarzan that they could possibly be in the same place at the same time, no matter what I did. So that was a little bit crazy. But it didn't matter.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because it worked. Yeah, yeah, and all those like moments of stress were unnecessary. Stress because they worked, yeah and it was just yeah. There you go?
Speaker 2:do you have? And I already know the answer to this but do you have a favorite rehearsal memory number and a favorite show memory? Not like, oh, I loved when we would get together before the show and after the show, because to me that's a different thing, the show, because that to me that's a different thing.
Speaker 2:But was there like a, a rehearsal that you're like, oh, that's my favorite thing, my favorite rehearsal ever happened, or a favorite moment during a rehearsal, and then same for a show hmm, um, I don't know Like I feel, like I hope I don't. I don't know what you're thinking. What are you thinking? No, no, I don't have any. I don't I.
Speaker 3:I don't know that I necessarily have like a favorite moment and selfishly like I feel.
Speaker 3:I feel like the the show, in a way, was a vessel for something bigger and so when I look at it now I go like the production is very special to me and it will be dear to me forever, but I look at it now as a vessel for things that were bigger than the show. And so when I look at it I go, yeah, like I loved doing this. Like I loved because I there's's something my favorite thing as a director Every time I have an opportunity to work with intimate scenes and that sounds funny with with one or two people and work through moments that are just real connection, those are my favorite things to create, because I feel like you're not just shuffling cattle around.
Speaker 3:You're actually getting to like create relationships and then make them feel real. So any of the rehearsals that I got to like work with, like you and one person were always special. Because they were, they felt authentic. They didn't feel because there were. You were watching not only the creation of a scene you were watching a creation of a relationship which is really magical to see yeah like you're watching something that's both real and make-believe happening simultaneously.
Speaker 3:yeah, um, so I don't know if I can like, because there are so many moments, as far as the show goes, that are so special and dear. Just watching, I mean, I always love, I love creating the moments like with Tarzan and his like learning about his past and his relationships with Kala. It's those intimate, those intimate moments that were always the most special parts for me I think so.
Speaker 2:For me it's, I think it's a little different, um, because like overall I I 100 agree with you. Like those moments are beautiful and they're great, but like there's two rehearsals that are my top favorite what were they? The number one is the first time lauren and I did um, you'll be my heart. Yeah, that's top favorite rehearsal and like all the rehearsals with jane were magical, so fun, like the most fun I've ever had in a show for sure.
Speaker 2:But like that because I I remember distinctly, because arn and I you could say we are very opposite people oh yeah, very opposite people, and that number is supposed to be like one of the most innocent versions of love, I think impurest, yes, exactly where there's no, there's nothing else. It's just beautiful, innocent love. And I don't know her, like I know her, but I don't actually know her. We had never rehearsed before. I hadn't know her, like I know her, but I don't actually know her. We had never rehearsed before.
Speaker 2:I hadn't seen her since callbacks and we come in and I was nervous because I knew she had an amazing voice and and I had to sing this incredibly emotional song with her and have, having done the show before, I knew what was right before that and I knew the emotions and the thoughts that would already be going through my head in that moment and I didn't know if I could do it with her.
Speaker 2:You know, I knew I could make it work because I, you know, trusted her ability and my ability, but I didn't know, you know, and and we started singing and we started doing being analytical and taking it from a business perspective, you know like, okay, I need to hit this note, you need to be this way and I need to do that way with afton, you know, and we're warming up and we're doing the vocals and sounding great. It's awesome. And and then it's time to do the scene and I remember from the previous version that it was a nightmare to put together because you want it to come across a certain way and it's really effing hard to do oh yeah, because if there's too much movement, it distracts from the emotion and if there's not enough movement it feels weird.
Speaker 2:And you know, is there touching? Is there eye contact? There's so many things that go into it. It seems like it's so simple and it's not simple. And so we start singing this song and I remember she's down on the step and she's not really moving, she's just sitting there and it starts kind of rocky Because it's awkward to do this scene with somebody you don't know, and so we started doing this scene.
Speaker 2:It was really rocky to start and we're just singing at each other and then so the first one, great, and then we break it down. We're like, okay, let's try it again. And the second time we did it we started singing at each other again and then when I got down to like her level, she's like squatting down. Whatever I go down to her level. It was weird, dude, like it wasn't. I don't know. I would love to get her perspective on it and talk to her about it, because we never did. But going down, all of a sudden, it wasn't. There wasn't any more thinking it was. It just like was a natural movement. It sounds stupid, but like a dance to it, like I would do something. And then she knew, like naturally, how to move so that it wasn't awkward. And then like, and I don't I don't remember any sort of blocking or direction at that point it was just like a natural, like, oh, this is exactly how it's supposed to be done.
Speaker 2:It was so weird yeah in in the most beautiful way. Obviously I'm emotional about it, so it was a beautiful way, but like it was like oh, what was that? And like so that to me is like the number one, the number one rehearsal memory. Yeah. Like that's the one that I always go back to. Oh, that was so beautiful. Um, and the. The second one is when, when me and Cameron were to do the reprise, when I did the dance, dude, I don't think I've ever had more fun in a rehearsal in my life.
Speaker 3:That was absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2:It was outrageously fun, and I told you this before going into it. I was like, hey, I'm going to be shirtless most of the time because I knew that it would be awkward for a lot of people. Yeah, and I didn't want anybody to feel awkward, and the more I could do it, the more natural it would be to people, you know. And so it was like an actual choice to be shirtless most of the time in rehearsal, like I didn't need to do that, it wasn't required, but it did help be shirtless most of the time in rehearsal.
Speaker 3:I didn't need to do that.
Speaker 2:It wasn't required, but it did help. I felt like it helped people kind of like ease into it.
Speaker 2:So it wasn't weird, but I remember doing this scene and Cameron shout out to Cameron he is one of the most entertaining people of all time. He is so much fun. I remember we were doing the the um, what's the name of the song? Better than me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, um, the reprise.
Speaker 2:And we're going through it and we're just laughing, like we're just having fun, like there's no stress attached to this, like the blocking's working, we're having a good time. We're coming having fun, like there's no stress attached to this, like the blocking's working, we're having a good time. We're coming up with this dance and then, all of a sudden, he just like rips his shirt off and he's like let's go. And like we just start. It was so much fun, yeah, so. And I was like, oh, this is the greatest thing of all time, like I don't ever want this to end. This is so much fun, yeah, and I felt like, selfishly, I was like I feel so bad for everyone else because they don't they're not having this. Yeah, like this is him and mine and afton and and cody's rehearsal.
Speaker 3:Like nobody else is gonna know this yeah, I was like this is the greatest thing ever um, but those were, like my top two favorite rehearsal moments I can see that absolutely and they're very different but they're very real. But it's the human connection part of think that's the magic, that's the magic of theater and human interaction.
Speaker 2:For sure.
Speaker 3:Because, with that scene specifically, you're dealing with this pure love. Dealing with this pure love and the the, the idea that two people from completely different worlds are playing, two characters from two completely different worlds that have a pure love for each other. And I think that that was why it worked so well, because it wasn't about anything other than just I care, I love, and it just connected, it connected it's fine.
Speaker 2:Um, okay, but before we go on, I know it's been a long episode, it's fine, I don't care. Those are my two rehearsal moments, but is there a a show moment, or I guess it could be even a moment you look forward to every night of the show, or? Like the actual performance yes, um, either either you love this part of the the show and you're ready for every night, or or a specific performance or a moment of that performance that stuck out um well, I have a couple love it.
Speaker 3:How long is this gonna be um?
Speaker 2:I'll be back in a few weeks.
Speaker 3:We'll film part two record, part two, film, whatever. Um, so as far as watching it, I think my favorite things to watch every single night. I loved the Son of man entrance Halfway through the number when you transition from the little Tarzan to the big Tarzan. It's so fun.
Speaker 3:Because the energy and the adrenaline that you get, you could feel it coming from the stage and from the audience, because it's just this exciting moment the music gives you that the performance does, and then we've added that effect of the little Tarzan flying off and the big Tarzan flying in and the audience just go wild. So I loved that moment just because of the joy and adrenaline that came with it. I mean, it was always just fun, but I loved, loved, loved. Actually watching the scene that you just talked about creating with Lauren. I loved that every single night because it's just so special and that song is special.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:So that's probably part of it. Is that I think that song is just. It just speaks so much so to watch it, performed by two people who understood what they were singing and what they were doing, um, made that always fun. Um, not fun, fun's not the right word.
Speaker 3:It made it special yeah, um, but there are moments, there were moments consistently through the show like and they mostly were those moments that were those moments of real connection that I always loved watching. I loved watching when Jane would have those moments with the professor. I loved because the more that you felt those real connections, those are special moments always, always. But I also loved and this is weird because it has not as much to do with the actual performance, but I also loved watching. I don't think maybe you talked about, I don't think you talked about this in your podcast, your episode before the cast had this fun game and it was started it was started by Cameron that there was this scene.
Speaker 2:Cameron was Turk. For those of you that don't remember, you didn't listen to the other episode, so he's my best friend in the show. And he's literally one of my favorite humans ever. He's the most fun person, just a good, good person, good guy, so he had this goal every single night.
Speaker 3:There was a section of the show that Thomas was supposed to say stay so serious and stoic, and Cameron took it as a challenge Every single night. Even start. I don't even know what it is, because it got worse and worse and worse. It just got more grandiose.
Speaker 3:And then it ended so sweet but Almost broke me. They would come up with these little scenarios that they were going to be creating in the wings. So, as Thomas would have to look over and be like so focused and serious, they would have this group of people doing something offstage that he would see because he had to look right at it. And it was I mean he had no way he could look away. And it was I mean he had no way he could look away. So they would create scenes like from les miserables, with like a flag in the air or, and they're all like the gorillas are all doing the les mis dance, or I don't even remember all the things. There was one night the little tarzan put on a dress. It was twirling around in the wings a couple times.
Speaker 3:I mean just insane stuff and I loved every night and there was this dare that became kind of and it became a joke. The cast was like are you going to do this that my production assistant and I were going to put on gorilla? Costumes one night and that we were going to because it was this game. Cause Tom's, like you're never going to get me, You're never going to get me. He kept telling him that.
Speaker 2:Well, okay. So I think also it was because I made it very clear that I was trying to break Brighton on stage. Like at at some point I would either try to get her to break her character by laughing or to break her character by crying, yeah, like emotionally. So like everybody knew that I was trying to do that and she would always be like you're never going to break me, you can't break me, whatever. So I took that on as a dare and I think that had something to do with like, oh, if he can do it, we can do it yeah.
Speaker 3:so then then it got really out of control because the cast was like the challenge was like they were in and everyone would come up with ideas like tonight, we're gonna do this.
Speaker 3:And then the one night the conversation was, well, how, let's change it, let's change where, we're gonna do this to him.
Speaker 3:And so the discussion was we had extra costumes for gorillas and the um, myself and my production assistant should dress in the gorilla costumes and in one of the scenes with the mass group of the gorillas that we'd be on the stage in place of a couple people, so that thomas had to interact with us and he couldn't do anything, like he couldn't have done anything. No, but then my conscience kicked in and I realized that it wasn't worth the moment of funny for the potential of ruining something that was so beautiful. So I talked myself out. I acted like an adult and I talked myself out of that Boring. But the final night of the show, in that same moment where the cast found this goal to get Thomas, they told me they were going to do something really special this time, and so I was prepared. I went on the other side of the stage so that I could get film and I could take pictures and, instead of their normal antics of trying to get him to, Well, because the scene itself is serious.
Speaker 3:It is very serious.
Speaker 2:If you haven't watched it. It's where I'm literally Well, because the scene itself is serious. It is very serious, very serious. If you haven't watched it. It's where I'm literally deciding to practically ruin my relationship with the gorillas for this girl. That's a good decision. I have to make.
Speaker 2:I know that it's going to ruin everything and I have to make. I know that it's going to ruin everything and I have to make the decision. Yeah, and so it's like it's a legit, very serious scene and they were normally doing very hilarious things like to get me to laugh. That's like that was the purpose of breaking. It wasn't like break me emotionally, it was a break.
Speaker 3:No laughing it was because it was such a serious moment to have to keep your straight face and your serious nature on stage. So they decided that, instead of trying to make him laugh, that they were going to do something sweet.
Speaker 3:Make me cry, make him cry, break him that way, break his heart. And so they made a giant sign that said we love you, thomas. And this time, when he looked over, instead of them trying to I'm going to get emotional trying to make him laugh, they were over there holding these signs and they were crying. And it was so special because you knew that the same love was used in those earlier times when they were trying to make him laugh. But it was just to really hit at home that it was all love. Like those moments before that were funny. We're out of love and this was just the reminder, like the final reminder, that we love, and it was really cool. It was cool to see the cast and I also thought, ooh, thomas is probably hating everybody right now.
Speaker 2:Dude, I was, that was, that was, that was a tough one, that was very, very hard. I mean, that show, that last final show, was just unbelievable from start to finish. But, yeah, that was, that was tough, that one that was close.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that one was close, yeah that one was close, but he stayed in it. He's a very professional actor the.
Speaker 2:The face didn't break, the mind broke a little bit, but the heart, the brain and the heart broke, but but the the face didn't. I don't think, oh man, yeah, yeah, that was a, that's a beautiful memory Absolutely so it was I mean at all what was the cause? As a performer, you know you, you view shows very differently than an audience member. You know you like oh, I didn't do this right into that.
Speaker 2:Right Like you're, you're very cognizant of how the show went from a like analytical standpoint, almost like I was blocking and the mic didn't work or whatever you know the flight didn't happen or I missed a note or whatever. You know and that's the beauty of live performance is it's not perfect, but from you would hear this more than I would hear this. I would hear oh, it's not perfect, um, but from because you would you would hear this more than I would hear this I would hear. Oh, it's amazing, awesome. Thank you, I love that. I'm glad you enjoyed it. What was the overall takeaway for the audience members that you like the response not just the, I think because the response was positive.
Speaker 2:Oh we love it. We're coming back, but what was like? Were there any like overall reactions or comments about the show? Not from a? Oh, the flying was really cool, the costumes were amazing, the set was beautiful. Oh, the flying was really cool, the costumes were amazing and the set was beautiful. Was there a a?
Speaker 3:common audience takeaway that you would hear about. Oh yeah, um, I think that the biggest thing was the people didn't realize, because if you're familiar with a cartoon, it's, it's great, yeah, but the, the stage production is very much more. There's so much more to it. There's more depth to it and it's not as, maybe as silly because the movie doesn't really have the time to really develop some of the stuff that happens. Not at all, not at all. And the biggest thing that I continually heard was that people didn't expect it to be so tender, so heartfelt, so thoughtful, so sweet. Like I had people coming out and they were crying, they were talking to me about it and they'd be like I had no idea this would affect me like this. This is a silly Disney show and I loved that. I loved hearing like the real, like it was not that it was so good, it was so cool, like you hear it, whatever. Yeah, that's great like it's great.
Speaker 3:And then I love, I love hearing feedback like that, but I love hearing more when it affects people, like really truly like. As a creator of art, there's nothing more gratifying than seeing your work affect people 100 and not just like make them happy, like actually touch them on an emotional level. Actually, yes, have them connect and go. Whoa, I felt something, I learned something, whatever it might be. So to hear those comments, I loved that. I loved hearing the effect they just had, the emotional reaction they had to it.
Speaker 2:So the unexpected emotional reaction, Right, I mean, I totally understand, if I didn't do tarzan I'd be like whatever, yeah like oh cool, that's a cute show like yeah, but yeah definitely didn't have that feeling after doing it. Wonderful memories, my friend. Absolutely Wonderful memories, I don't know. Going back, reminiscing about those times, I think, is really hard for me still, just because it was such an emotional charge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just because it was such an emotional charge for, for you know, positive emotions but also sad emotions, um, and then to to realize, like we've had these conversations before, but like to realize, like that's probably never going to happen again, like I don't know, like life is crazy, maybe something will happen again like that. But like know, like life is crazy, maybe something will happen again like that, but like to me that's like a a one in a lifetime that's never gonna happen again. And to realize that like, oh, all those people that that made that possible to make it what it was aren't going to be able to do that again. Like we can't come together again. There's no way. There's no way that we can get those pieces again, gosh, like what a what an insane chunk of time of your life.
Speaker 2:Where going from? Hey, man, this is an idea, how are you keep it on your radar? To, oh, my gosh, I could die right now and feel so much love and so much peace about my life. Like that's a wild, wild amount of I guess you could say growth or achievement or understanding or whatever in such a short amount of time. Yep, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Like it's. It blows my mind every single time I think about it.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Well, and I think sometimes we underestimate. I think we underestimated, like looking back to the very, very beginning of this, even the first conversation, that this was something like I never in my life, even with my hope of all hopes that this would work out the way it would, would have imagined. I could have imagined the impact, the impact not even close like the way it has literally, literally, and I hate that word because I feel like it's overused, but it has absolutely without a question, changed my life forever.
Speaker 3:Forever, and the the opportunity to have this experience with the people we had it with and also, to be honest with you, like to have to have, like created to be able to do this together but to create something that now we do have, that gets to go with us, like that's.
Speaker 3:I think what makes this so special, um was that we created this beautiful show and these memories, but in the process we created a friendship that is like very unique and forever. And so I think that never in my mind, never in my, in my craziest mind or imagination, what I imagine, that I've said this to you before that when I think about the first time I met you and you were just this little kid when we were doing music, man, what I have imagined that this person would make such an impact on my life and and change my life forever, just just from doing a silly play, you know, and I think that that's the magic of but that's what I'm saying is like going into it, even during auditions and even during callbacks and even during the first rehearsal, like for me this was just fun, I just got to do something that I enjoyed doing.
Speaker 2:You know, I hadn't done theater since Tarzan. I was like, oh sick, I'm going to fly again, so fun, and I'm going to play with Turk and we're going to have a great fun relationship. And then to have it go from that to and I don't think for me, the gravity of it, the depth of it, really sank in until maybe two performances in, because it was still like we got way closer and the friendships started to form and the bond was there. But then, yeah, I think it was probably two performances in I was like, oh, this isn't a normal, this isn't anything that I thought it was going to be. Like not at all.
Speaker 2:You know, I thought I don't know what I thought, but I thought I would walk away from it, like I walked away from everything else. Yeah, oh, that's fun, cool, what's next? Yeah, you know, and walking away from that I was like, oh, that was fun and that's never happening again, like there wasn't any sort of what's next. Yeah, it was oh, okay, that that's it. That's all. That's it like it was. It was so wild to to go from fun to life-changing like that doesn't really ever happen, like that.
Speaker 2:No, absolutely not. Oh man, my word, like I just have so many freaking memories and thoughts and yeah, I don't know, we could probably write a book about the experience, like there's enough.
Speaker 3:There's enough stories and experiences and memories. We could do a whole series very true, and very true, which? How lucky, how lucky we are like.
Speaker 2:That's the thing yeah, very, very fortunate that it just worked out. It's insane to me, but in the most beautiful way. I don't even want to talk about anything else. I really don't. I really don't want to talk about anything else. No, no, that's not true. That's not true. Um, we, I mean, I don't know, I think it's. I think it's interesting that cause people I I'm speaking for people, which I shouldn't do, but I think people, with the exception of our wives, view our relationship as very weird. Like, just flat out, let's be real, I do sometimes very strange like we like I'm a.
Speaker 2:I'm a gym tool that's obsessed with fitness and I'm the farthest thing like I just, and you've gone through an insane. For those of you that don't know and I'm going to let you talk about it for a second Cody has had an incredible weight loss journey.
Speaker 3:We might have to hold, do a whole thing on this. Oh, we will, we will. I'll be back in a couple of weeks. Yeah, we shall, we shall no-transcript.
Speaker 2:Like they would be courteous to each other but they would never hang out they would never, you know, call each other. They would never FaceTime Heavens.
Speaker 2:they would never go to Disneyland together like you know, and these are all things that we do regularly, you know absolutely so I think that that and we definitely should get into the weight loss journey because I think it's inspiring and I think it's very helpful to people to hear about and to understand and to think about. But, yeah, I think we can table that for next time, but I do think that I don't know. I think that the friendship aspect of, without getting too deep, I think that the friendship aspect of life is very seriously underrated and not appreciated enough, and I think that the show Tarzan not just because we experienced it, but the actual show itself, the writing and the music, are a testament and an encouragement for that.
Speaker 2:yeah, to just be friends and not not hold back yeah not to be like oh, I can never be friends with that person or I can never get along with that you actually don't know yeah you have no idea, and and so I think like to just. It sounds so dumb I'm trying to think of a better way to say it, but like just to go for it just to see what happens. Try it, see who knows.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, and then you could possibly have an unbelievably life changing experience. You don't know, yeah.
Speaker 3:Like, yeah Well and I think think I mean not to be like to overanalyze this, but I do, I've thought of this many times I wonder if the the reason, part of the reason the show connected so heavily was the message of the show is about. I mean, there's the two worlds, one family, like the idea that people can come from incredibly different backgrounds, they can be incredibly different people and they can be exactly the person that you need. They can be exactly the friend you need. They can be exactly the person that you need to motivate, inspire, whatever we don't. You don't have to be the same as somebody to make a life changing impact, and sometimes that works better. Sometimes, I think there's something so much more because it's not based on we're just friends, because, like, because it makes sense.
Speaker 2:Because we have something in common we have so much in common.
Speaker 3:We're basically the same person. Because, I mean, honestly, what matters is what is the same inside, and I think that that's what we've found out in our last few months is that there's so much in common inside, as I mean because we are very different. I mean seriously, if you look at, no, we are. But if you I mean when you see us I have people ask me all the time like they think it's funny, they're like I just don't. I don't like I get it, but I don't get it. Yeah, like, how are you and thomas so close? I'm like I honestly I don't know the answer to that Like I don't, and my family, even my parents will be.
Speaker 3:My mom says it all the time. She's like I just love that you are, you and Thomas are so close, but she still is like she'll say stuff to me and she'll say I just what do you guys like talk about life? Everything, like everything. Yeah, and and I think that that's what has made it so, so real and raw is that it wasn't based on I mean. I mean to go back all the way to the beginning, trusting yourself, like I'll be honest, like and I've said this to you before, like there was times where I didn't know if this was just like a friendship of the time, the moment in the moment, a friendship of convenience in that not that it was like using anybody for anything else, but just in that moment it worked because we were doing this together. And then it's done, and then we stay, we have good memories and it's fine and it's not, but, um, that's definitely not what it was last time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's exactly what it was last time. We were very good friends because it was easy. Yeah, it was very fun to be friends.
Speaker 3:Yeah, to hang out.
Speaker 2:It worked out and it wasn't hard and there wasn't a whole lot of effort, it just was natural.
Speaker 3:It just happened, yeah, but then life changed completely and it didn't work to continue that, and this time I think the reality of the bond was so much deeper, but then we've made the effort to continue that, and I think that that's the other part of friendship that is so important that I think sometimes people forget is it does to. Any relationship takes work, and if something means something to you, just like this, like this creating the show meant to them to us, if you want something that's lasting and meaningful, it does require you to do something. Yeah, you can't just expect it to happen on its own right, and especially when you feel like something's naturally happening, feed it, cultivate it, work it and so that it creates something that does have a longer lasting impact um.
Speaker 2:So yes, because we are, it's yeah, dude it's, but like I don't, I don't really think about it no, not anymore like it's not even a I don't know, it's not even a thoughts of like oh, he's different than me yeah it doesn't ever really go through my brain yeah I'm like, oh, we're different. Like because it's not. I don't know, I don't ever, I don't ever really think about like I I understand how people would see that, oh yeah but like I don't ever go, oh, we're different in these areas yeah like.
Speaker 2:I just like. No, that's my friend, I don't yeah I don't really care that they're different no that doesn't bother me. It has absolutely zero impact on on the friendship like at all yeah, but it's true.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's true, it's one of those things. It's like that's interesting. Yeah, but it's so great, I'm so so lucky, so lucky me too, me too, um sir.
Speaker 2:Well, this has been going on for like close to two hours. Um, we so normally on the show, we do the devil's advocate and the final takeaway.
Speaker 3:However, you're going to be coming back relatively soon yeah, we just have to decide if we have to decide the day um, and so I think we'll hold off on the Devil's Advocate until round two.
Speaker 2:Cody Rash part two Ding ding, but I would like to. I feel like we've actually been very open and very honest and very vulnerable. But is there anything else? There's the section on the show and you've listened, you know what it is. Let's say, this is the final takeaway. That being said, if there was one thing, because we've covered an hour and 45 minutes of information, is there anything else that we didn't mention? Or is there something that you would like to reiterate? That you think that if people do like an action, a call to action, that if they will implement something, either a specific way of thinking, a, a specific way of acting, um, a, an ideology, a, whatever it is is there something that people could implement in their lives?
Speaker 2:It doesn't have to be easily, but it can be immediate that they can do right now post, show that you feel confident enough to promise them that this will change your life.
Speaker 3:Um, well, interestingly enough, I think that most of what we talked about does kind of tie into an idea, like I think if I was going to say like something that it's something, for that I have learned and I think that it does tie into this is just trust yourself, trust things that you feel and invest in those things that feel right to you, feel good to you, give goodness and bring goodness into your life and trust that they will continue to do that and put your emotions and trust that you can be vulnerable and put like it all kind of ties together. I just think if you don't take a chance, if you don't take a chance and just trust trust what's happening, trust your choices, trust the people around you and hope for the best in the people around you, you could really miss out on some wonderful things, wonderful relationships, experiences, opportunities, I mean. So I'd say that would be. My thought is just trust, trust trust yourself and believe in yourself.
Speaker 2:And this sounds so simple, and I think it is simple, but I think it's also very rare these days to genuinely trust that things will work out. It also takes practice, and I think it takes not being okay with having your trust broken, because that always sucks, but to not let that keep you from trying again. Yeah, because I mean you're going to have your trust broken, you're going to have your heart broken. There are going to be times, times where you trust your gut and it's wrong. And that's fine, because the pros are way bigger than anything else that could go wrong yeah like it's it.
Speaker 2:You can't afford to miss out on those absolutely not like i't literally cannot imagine not experiencing what happened. Yeah, Like I can't.
Speaker 1:There's no way that I could have not had that happen.
Speaker 2:No, you know. So, I think to your point, trust yourself without looking at all of the logistics before you trust yourself. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because that's not trusting yourself, that's securing yourself before you make a decision, which is okay in some regards, but the most important and most valuable and the most, the thing that will mean the most to you, is when you trust yourself and things happen that you had no clue could happen but for sure, absolutely, and also trusting that, if things don't work out, that that choice wasn't bad, yes, like it might be the choice that led to something else.
Speaker 3:So that initial failure I guess you could call it, may not really be the failure you think it is. It might just be the stepping stone to the next thing that was right. So you had to make that choice for the next thing to work, and so you have to look at that too, like trust yourself and then trust that, even though it didn't immediately work out the way you thought it's, still there's still more. There's still more that could happen or come from that decision because you don't know, True, true.
Speaker 2:I mean, you don't know until you actually trust yourself for sure.
Speaker 3:And if you don't, you'll miss out on life A hundred percent of the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, yeah. Well, that is your final takeaway, friends. Cody, thank you for getting on the show. It's been a long time coming.
Speaker 2:I'm sure there will be many more episodes together, but I hope that people were able to see a different and kind of get a deeper insight to what this meant, not just to me, because obviously that could be one sided, but to see a different and kind of get a deeper insight to what this meant, not just to me, because obviously that can be one sided, but to see that oh, this there's, there's a lot to to just going after things that come up and to to having fun and to trusting it, cause you don't have any clue how things are going to turn out.
Speaker 2:Nope, um, but thank you, sir, um, but thank you, sir Um, thank you to those that are listening. Um, if you love the show, wonderful, tell people about it, grow it, share it, do your thing. Um, but I always leave it with this. I hope you guys know that you're loved. I hope that you know that you're important. I hope that you know that you actually genuinely matter to the lives around you, that you actually genuinely matter to the lives around you and that you need to keep going and keep pushing, because there's just you, there's only one. You and the people around you need you. So I love you guys. Thank you for listening. This is the Fit Perception Podcast. I'm your boy. T and me and Cody are out. Bye.