November 27, 2025 • 30 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Checking In with Michelle Williams, a production of
iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. I don't know about you,
but I am so excited to talk to you about
my first vacation in over a year. And I'm a
(00:23):
little nosy about what your plans are for the holidays
and what your expectations are.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
What are you afraid of? Well, what are you excited about?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So stay tuned for another cool episode of Checking In
with Michelle Williams. Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of
Checking In with Me with Michelle Williams. I feel like
every time I do a solo episode, I'm just calling
(00:53):
family on the phone to say what's up, to see
what y'all have been up to, and to tell you
what I've been up to.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
This week we're celebrating Thanksgiving again. Okay, some of you
guys already know how I feel about certain dishes. We're
gonna go ahead and get right to it. Okay, No, Well,
(01:28):
first of all, I'm gonna tell y'all last week, for
a full week, I was on vacation. Can you believe
that your girl was on vacation for a full week?
(01:51):
A week of shows which is eight shows. I was
not in death becomes Her last week for vacation, not
because I was under the weather or a previous contractual
event that I get to be out every now and then.
(02:13):
Like this weekend, I won't be in death becomes Her
because I'll be in Washington, d C. Doing the Christmas
tree lighting at City Center. Very excited about that. But
I was chilling you hear me a very very very
relaxed vacation. I got back Sunday night because we had
(02:40):
a show yesterday, which is kind of not normal.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
We normally have Mondays.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Off, but because of the holiday week, honey, honey, these
Broadway shows saying we getting our coins, We're gonna get
y'all my e Yes, you can be off of Thanksgiving,
but bring your tales in on my So that's what
we did. So that's why y'all didn't hear from me.
You guys heard from doctor Robert Singleton again, which was
(03:09):
a previously recorded episode, and he is so awesome, so knowledgeable,
just his journey, his faith journey, his journey into being
a doctor. His story is incredible. So yeah, I was
(03:30):
thinking to myself and I couldn't wait to tell you guys,
that it's okay to make decisions for yourself. I am
still kind of I'm healing from people pleasing and sometimes
(03:55):
when you make a decision for yourself, people be shocked,
Like what it's like They're thinking, what, you have the
audacity to want to do something for yourself that doesn't
include us?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
What?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yes, y'all, I'm y'all. Some of y'all, y'all are with me,
some of y'all are married with children. You've worked your
butts off for your career or just whatever it is.
And I was like, yo' I'm a proud forty six
year old woman who works hard, who has not had
an official vacation on a year, Like, I'm so used
(04:36):
to being able to be to just up and go
wherever when I please.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Now.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Have I had some days off this year, yes, but
my first time like a whole week off where I
wasn't sick or something. Man, this was absolutely incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
But I was.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
I was excited that I was like, Y'all'm gonna go
where I want to go, you know what I mean?
The only thing that sucked was that I was not
here in New York while Kelly was here kicking button
(05:19):
taking names, on stage while on tour, and you know,
I was.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I told her, I've been trying.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Not to look at pictures and all the things, but
while I'm scrolling Instagram, I'm seeing her posts.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
You know, I'm.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Seeing B posts, and I'm like, I was, I don't
want to look at her staging. I don't want to
look at what she's wearing because I want to be surprised.
It's the same thing when B is on tour. I
don't I try not to. I try my best, or
I'll scroll really quickly past like a video or something
that someone has posted, but it's so hard. So that
(05:57):
was the only thing that sucked about me choosing to
be out of New York City. And when I planned
my vacation, I didn't even I didn't it was.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It was perfect.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
But then at the same time, it was just so
weird because I was like, I didn't realize it until
my trip was booked that she was going to be here.
But guess what, that just gives me an excuse to
go catch her in another city. But I loved my
(06:32):
sister and she encouraged me to go on vacation. She
actually said, you deserve it. So I'm glad to have
understanding family and friends, but it was still difficult.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
It was still difficult because a part.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Of me it was like, well, let me postpone my break,
my vacation, or let me just stay in New York
a couple extra days and then I'll go away and
then I'll come back, you know. So it was it
was very difficult to make the decision to go away,
you know. And I was talking to other family who
(07:08):
was who wanted me to go to where they are,
and I was like, no, I want to go to
where I want to be this time. So it's just
encouraging people. You have to weigh certain things like how
hard you've been working and how much you have shown
up for other people throughout the year, throughout the years,
(07:33):
and just kind of say, you know what, I'm gonna
take this time for me. I didn't do anything like adventurous.
I didn't do a vacation that required ziplining and all
the things. I just really wanted to.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Rest.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
And I've done what too shows and I feel rejuvenated.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I just feel.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Re igniting viola because I could tell I was getting tired.
My bones, my body was just like oh, but I
finished strong even the week the week leading up to
my vacation, I did all eight shows. I finished strong,
but there were times my body was like girl. But
(08:24):
being in a shows, it's you're on a team, and
there are lots of times I also think of others
while I'm on the team. You know, my absence could
affect the way things go, or the lady who dresses
me has to go prepare for the understudy, and I
think of all those things. So but at the same time,
(08:46):
it gives the understudy a chance to perform. I have
two understudies and they both got to rock the stage.
Family and friends came to see them, and so it's like, yo,
you know again, you guys have heard me say, you know,
we have understudies for a reason, and so I'm so
(09:07):
glad that they got to to rock the stage as
they surely you know, deserve that moment. Okay, So I just,
you know, had so many thoughts. My friend Tara Jenkins
had to speak somewhere and I was able to accompany
(09:28):
her there, and it was just I was glad because
I knew that I made the right choice, and it
was a room that I didn't realize that I probably
needed to be in. I let me see, let me
see if I can find a message that I sent someone.
Maybe I verbalized it to them. But I was like,
(09:50):
I was so so happy because I said, it felt
like I was outside. I said, I'm just excited to
be outside because I don't allow myself this while and
while I'm in New York City, and I didn't realize
how much I needed, you know, this vacation. And so
(10:11):
while I am here in New York City, I'm going
to do better. I'm gonna take myself out to the
movies more often. I went to see Wicked. Okay, so
I'm telling y'all things. You're probably like, girl, you doing
you we been went to the movies.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
We we been.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I'm like, well, because I haven't allowed myself to and
it's not y'all's fault. But oh oh, Wicked for Good.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Was so good.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
It was so good and I was trying to hold
back tears. I was trying to hold onto my gangster.
But oh that singing that they oh mm, it was amazing.
Oh it was beautiful. I love some singing, and I
(11:05):
love how Cynthia were saying, you know, uh and Ariana
that they wanted to sing live. Oh hm m m, yes, honey, yes,
And even if they didn't sing live their their studio vocals,
(11:26):
they can. They sound their studio vocals and their live
vocals sound the same. So it wouldn't mattered to me
because there are there are some movies musical movies, musicals
that are movies, y'all know what I mean, where they
pre record and they they lip sync according to the
(11:50):
pre record. Because as I was sitting there watching them
do the movie, I was like, man, I wonder how
many takes of this did they do? Or maybe they
were so perfect they only had to do one take
of each scene. I don't know, but my concern was vocally,
the stamina of doing something repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly.
(12:13):
But Cynthia is a theater girl, and so she's used
to eight shows a week. She's used to singing songs
the same thing, day after day, night after night. So
I hope to interview her one day because I would
love to ask her did she kind of have that
mindset from her theatrical background? Did she use it for
(12:36):
filming purposes? I'm excited to even see that Ariana is
considering doing theater, just beautifully beautiful voices, it said. It
made me want to get into intense vocal lessons. I
(12:56):
say that too unashamedly, because you should always be a student.
You should always be wanting to stretch things that are
that you do in your profession. You should always be
wanting to be the best, to be better. It inspired
me so much to.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Go after more. Oh oh, I was so inspired.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Where if an audition came out way, I know that
I would kill it. So I'm just so I was
just so inspired to do better and to go after more.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I gotta write that down. Hold on, that was good.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Sometimes you gotta write your own notes down, inspired.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
To do better and go for more.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
And the person listening to this, you know what that
more is. It's not necessarily going after more money or
maybe you're like, yo, there's a little side hustle that
I can do that will bring in more income, Because
to me, that's something we should folks should be considering,
you know, wanting to build your own nest egg and
(14:10):
wealth and all the things. So I am inspired. Oh yeah,
I'm inspired to do better, go for more. Yes, I'm
just writing that down. I'll never forget when Janelle Money
(14:31):
disappeared for a little bit. She disappeared because she was
doing acting classes, and we can see the.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Fruit of that.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Right, So I'm inspired. I'm inspired. Yeah so yeah, wicked
all the things, ate good, all the things, and flew
back to New York, did theater, came back to death
becomes her And now it's Thanksgiving, but you're cooking? Huh?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
What are you cooking?
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Now? I have three invitations that have been bestowed upon
me for Thanksgiving Day. A part of me wants to
stay home because the next day we have two shows,
O God and yeah, so your girl might stay home.
(15:31):
I got groceries today because I'm thinking of doing some
greens and some sweet potatoes, okay, and a little macaroni
and cheese. I don't know what meat I'm going to
do yet. So a part of me is thinking just
to do my own Thanksgiving with myself. But a part
of me thinks I should go to one place I
was invited to.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Sometimes you just be wanting to be home, and I
want to encourage some of y'all out there. How many
of y'all are like, ough, I gotta go to AIN'TI?
So and So's house. Ugh, I gotta go to my
mother in law's house or my father in law. Ough,
I gotta go to my sister's house and we don't
be getting along. Or I gotta go to so and
(16:15):
So's house. I hate the way they do they macaroni
and cheese. Ooh, I hate the way ain't Sue does
her green bean casseroom ooh but I or I hate
the way so and so it's always in my business.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Ooh, I hate the way so and.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
So just just they ain't took a shower and they
want to sit in next to me and be all
hugging on me, wanting to catch up, and I be like,
you need to catch up with a bar of soap.
I've given you all the variables, or there are variables like, man,
I can't wait to go to my grandmother's house. Oh,
(16:57):
I can't wait for her homemade rolls. I can't wait
for that cranberry sauce out the can. I'm a cranberry
sauce off the can girl too. There are some people
that are like yo, Uncle Al, and they get busy
on the occasion. Turkeys okay, Uncle Donnie, and a dude
(17:19):
that smoked ham You waiting because, honey, miss Martha's candy dams,
and she don't put marshmallows on top. They gonna be
so good. You gonna be like cousin Cardia's macaroni and cheese,
even though I don't like that she puts egg in
the macaroni and cheese. Yes, y'all, go to Cardia Brown's
(17:41):
page right now. She puts a egg in her macaroni
and cheese. But why do I low key think it's
the bomb? So I'm not gonna hate Cardia. I can't
wait for you to come on checking in or y'all
just like Ooh, I can't wait because you know your
(18:05):
girlfriend or your boyfriend, Honey, they do an amazing pound
k honey, and so and so does homemade vanilla ice cream.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
You can't go.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
You can't wait to go to your mom's house or
your dad's house because they house be smelling good. They
be burning them bougie candles. You can't wait to see
your cousin that just got out of jail.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Oh, all the.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Things or the third thing. This time of year brings sadness.
You're grieving the loss of being able to go to
Grandma's house because she's not here anymore, and she was
the glue of the family. You're missing your mom, you're
(18:51):
missing your dad, or your best friend passed away, or
things are just different financially. You're not able to ball
out for the holidays and like you used to. So
maybe you're just gonna go to a whatever fast food
restaurant decided to be open on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I see all of you.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
And whatever dynamic you fell in of what I was describing,
I see you. And you know, this is the season
that a lot of people spiral, you know, because they
(19:34):
are grieving a loss, or you're you're excited. You got
a second chance at life, you got a second chance
at family. Maybe a relationship with is restored, and y'all
are gonna use the holidays to, you know, reconnect.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
And start over again.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
All of it is beautiful. Or maybe you've set a
boundary and you're not going anywhere. That's beautiful too, as
long as you're not isolating in an unhealthy way. And
(20:12):
I just say that because I know what it's like
to isolate but longing for connection. So that's that's hard
around the holidays, where you don't want to be bothered,
but you want connection, or you just don't want to
be bothered at all and people don't hear you and
they won't accept it. I posted something the other day
(20:33):
on my threads that said, hey, they're not acting funny,
it's just none of your business. Maybe they're waiting for
a safe place to share what they're feeling, you know,
and sometimes the holidays, you're kind of you might be
feeling forced to uh to talk about things you don't
(20:56):
want to talk about. So, yeah, I want you to
know I I see you. I mentioned Cardia Brown and
I'm writing it down like I've got to get her
on the podcast. I'm excited too. I love food. Yeah,
(21:22):
so just just know that. I know the holiday season
brings around among it brings a lot of things. But
what my hope for this current holiday season is that
I don't know, I want to go back to excitement
and community and closeness, not about things, but.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Just about each other.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
That's that's what I want to get to, especially when
Christmas rolls around, you know, not worried about I gotta
get so and so this cop that they want. I
actually adopted a family for Christmas. It's a six six
(22:14):
people in a family, and so It's definitely about giving
in that sense, but I don't want to feel the pressure.
I got to make sure so and so gets this
or whatever this child. How many of us feel like
y'all been Santa Claus all year?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Okay? I say that all the time.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I say that every year around Christmas, like I know
nobody got they uh rusty eyes looking over here. Okay.
But Thanksgiving, I'm excited to see what you all have
on the menu, and I hope that you all are
bye bye applies. You know he does, He did his
(22:58):
Thanksgiving instructions. I hope he does it this year, or
maybe he'll just repost it, you know, when he tells
you all win Thanksgiving leftovers, the day that they're at
their best, the day that all right, the day that
all right, you pushing it? So all right, you finna
get worms? All right, call the pallbearers because you're finna die.
(23:24):
So I watch that every single year. It brings me
joy and just really wanting y'all to just really, really,
really really have an amazing Thanksgiving. Let me know in
my DMS or when we do a post about this episode,
(23:49):
let me know what what you're cooking, Let me know
what didn't go right, whether it's what you cooked or
a family interaction. Let me know what surprised you the most.
Let me know, like, girl, my chicken came out better
than I thought.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Or girl, me and my sister we got along, it
shocked the whole family. Or honey, me and my husband
actually got along this year, or me and my in laws.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Honey, everybody respected each other. I want to know all
the tea.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Okay, let me know. I'm so excited. Let me know and.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Who let me know, and I'll keep y'all posted.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Because I'm excited about City Center in Washington, d C.
Christmas tree lighting, of doing some Christmas songs, and I'm
excited to sing songs that I've never done. And so
(25:03):
I'm like, is this inspiring like a Christmas record or
some sort. So well, let me not say that because
I don't want to hype two.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
People up about new music. So we'll see.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I'm really excited to even hang out with some friends
and family in the DC area this weekend. I won't
be there long, though, because I glad to be back
in New York City on Sunday for death becomes Her.
I know y'all can't believe it, but yes, I am
still committed to Death Becomes Her. I don't know when
I'm leaving, so people that have been asking, I don't
(25:42):
know when I'm leaving, and I'm glad about that because
no one's forcing me out. So it's pretty much it's
a blessing. Actually it's a blessing. And I do think
about what my exit time and what that's going to be,
because I'm like, I want to live life, life, you know,
outside of theater. But at the same time, I feel
(26:07):
so blessed. I feel so loved, and I think twenty
twenty six, I'll feel better about branching out and doing
other things because Viola is in me. When I say Viola,
I mean the role that I play in the musical
Death Becomes Her. I feel like she's in me. Even
me being gone for a week, I was like, oh
(26:28):
my gosh, I have friends making sure, like make sure
you do your lines while you're away. Did you do
your monologue today?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
And I was like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I found myself every now and then doing the monologue
or making sure I didn't forget lyrics, and I didn't
forget I've been doing this show a year and a half,
it's in me. I'm good, so I I guess you know,
when people ask me, you know, hey, what can we
be praying with you about? Yeah, I just wanted my
(26:58):
steps to continue to be ordered and hopefully twenty twenty
six continue to even when people say, be fearless. My
friend Valrie Burton, who I can't wait for her to
be on the podcast, wrote a book called on Rules
of Resilience and Even and I was like, man, I
(27:20):
even wrote a song called being Fearless, and she said, Yo,
that's not true. You're gonna be afraid. You're gonna be
afraid to try new things. You're gonna be afraid to
even step out on faith because you don't know what
things look like. On the other side, you're not ready
to embrace the difficulty of doing something new, stepping out
(27:44):
from your comfort zone, going into another uncomfortable zone. Right,
But that uncomfortable zone soon becomes comfortable.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Building this musical.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Was uncomfortable at times because it stretched all of us
sleepless nights, tired. It just it just made you uncomfortable
at times. Now everybody's like, I'm good, so yeah, I
guess just pray that steps are ordered, and I will
(28:17):
be praying for you all to have clarity for your
new year. It's not too late to be it's not
too early to be thinking about the new year. But
I encourage you also during this holiday season to be
present with your loved ones. And everything's gonna work out,
(28:40):
all right. So I am signing out of this episode,
and thank y'all so much for thinking of me and.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Putting up with sugar that I love in my grits.
Take care and talk to you soon.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Checking In with Michelle Williams is a production of iHeartRadio
and The Black Effect. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Welcome to Checking In with Michelle Williams, a production of
iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. I don't know about you,
but I am so excited to talk to you about
my first vacation in over a year. And I'm a
(00:23):
little nosy about what your plans are for the holidays
and what your expectations are.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
What are you afraid of? Well, what are you excited about?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So stay tuned for another cool episode of Checking In
with Michelle Williams. Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of
Checking In with Me with Michelle Williams. I feel like
every time I do a solo episode, I'm just calling
(00:53):
family on the phone to say what's up, to see
what y'all have been up to, and to tell you
what I've been up to.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
This week we're celebrating Thanksgiving again. Okay, some of you
guys already know how I feel about certain dishes. We're
gonna go ahead and get right to it. Okay, No, Well,
(01:28):
first of all, I'm gonna tell y'all last week, for
a full week, I was on vacation. Can you believe
that your girl was on vacation for a full week?
(01:51):
A week of shows which is eight shows. I was
not in death becomes Her last week for vacation, not
because I was under the weather or a previous contractual
event that I get to be out every now and then.
(02:13):
Like this weekend, I won't be in death becomes Her
because I'll be in Washington, d C. Doing the Christmas
tree lighting at City Center. Very excited about that. But
I was chilling you hear me a very very very
relaxed vacation. I got back Sunday night because we had
(02:40):
a show yesterday, which is kind of not normal.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
We normally have Mondays.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Off, but because of the holiday week, honey, honey, these
Broadway shows saying we getting our coins, We're gonna get
y'all my e Yes, you can be off of Thanksgiving,
but bring your tales in on my So that's what
we did. So that's why y'all didn't hear from me.
You guys heard from doctor Robert Singleton again, which was
(03:09):
a previously recorded episode, and he is so awesome, so knowledgeable,
just his journey, his faith journey, his journey into being
a doctor. His story is incredible. So yeah, I was
(03:30):
thinking to myself and I couldn't wait to tell you guys,
that it's okay to make decisions for yourself. I am
still kind of I'm healing from people pleasing and sometimes
(03:55):
when you make a decision for yourself, people be shocked,
Like what it's like They're thinking, what, you have the
audacity to want to do something for yourself that doesn't
include us?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
What?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yes, y'all, I'm y'all. Some of y'all, y'all are with me,
some of y'all are married with children. You've worked your
butts off for your career or just whatever it is.
And I was like, yo' I'm a proud forty six
year old woman who works hard, who has not had
an official vacation on a year, Like, I'm so used
(04:36):
to being able to be to just up and go
wherever when I please.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Now.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Have I had some days off this year, yes, but
my first time like a whole week off where I
wasn't sick or something. Man, this was absolutely incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
But I was.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
I was excited that I was like, Y'all'm gonna go
where I want to go, you know what I mean?
The only thing that sucked was that I was not
here in New York while Kelly was here kicking button
(05:19):
taking names, on stage while on tour, and you know,
I was.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I told her, I've been trying.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Not to look at pictures and all the things, but
while I'm scrolling Instagram, I'm seeing her posts.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
You know, I'm.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Seeing B posts, and I'm like, I was, I don't
want to look at her staging. I don't want to
look at what she's wearing because I want to be surprised.
It's the same thing when B is on tour. I
don't I try not to. I try my best, or
I'll scroll really quickly past like a video or something
that someone has posted, but it's so hard. So that
(05:57):
was the only thing that sucked about me choosing to
be out of New York City. And when I planned
my vacation, I didn't even I didn't it was.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It was perfect.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
But then at the same time, it was just so
weird because I was like, I didn't realize it until
my trip was booked that she was going to be here.
But guess what, that just gives me an excuse to
go catch her in another city. But I loved my
(06:32):
sister and she encouraged me to go on vacation. She
actually said, you deserve it. So I'm glad to have
understanding family and friends, but it was still difficult.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
It was still difficult because a part.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Of me it was like, well, let me postpone my break,
my vacation, or let me just stay in New York
a couple extra days and then I'll go away and
then I'll come back, you know. So it was it
was very difficult to make the decision to go away,
you know. And I was talking to other family who
(07:08):
was who wanted me to go to where they are,
and I was like, no, I want to go to
where I want to be this time. So it's just
encouraging people. You have to weigh certain things like how
hard you've been working and how much you have shown
up for other people throughout the year, throughout the years,
(07:33):
and just kind of say, you know what, I'm gonna
take this time for me. I didn't do anything like adventurous.
I didn't do a vacation that required ziplining and all
the things. I just really wanted to.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Rest.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
And I've done what too shows and I feel rejuvenated.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I just feel.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Re igniting viola because I could tell I was getting tired.
My bones, my body was just like oh, but I
finished strong even the week the week leading up to
my vacation, I did all eight shows. I finished strong,
but there were times my body was like girl. But
(08:24):
being in a shows, it's you're on a team, and
there are lots of times I also think of others
while I'm on the team. You know, my absence could
affect the way things go, or the lady who dresses
me has to go prepare for the understudy, and I
think of all those things. So but at the same time,
(08:46):
it gives the understudy a chance to perform. I have
two understudies and they both got to rock the stage.
Family and friends came to see them, and so it's like, yo,
you know again, you guys have heard me say, you know,
we have understudies for a reason, and so I'm so
(09:07):
glad that they got to to rock the stage as
they surely you know, deserve that moment. Okay, So I just,
you know, had so many thoughts. My friend Tara Jenkins
had to speak somewhere and I was able to accompany
(09:28):
her there, and it was just I was glad because
I knew that I made the right choice, and it
was a room that I didn't realize that I probably
needed to be in. I let me see, let me
see if I can find a message that I sent someone.
Maybe I verbalized it to them. But I was like,
(09:50):
I was so so happy because I said, it felt
like I was outside. I said, I'm just excited to
be outside because I don't allow myself this while and
while I'm in New York City, and I didn't realize
how much I needed, you know, this vacation. And so
(10:11):
while I am here in New York City, I'm going
to do better. I'm gonna take myself out to the
movies more often. I went to see Wicked. Okay, so
I'm telling y'all things. You're probably like, girl, you doing
you we been went to the movies.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
We we been.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I'm like, well, because I haven't allowed myself to and
it's not y'all's fault. But oh oh, Wicked for Good.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Was so good.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
It was so good and I was trying to hold
back tears. I was trying to hold onto my gangster.
But oh that singing that they oh mm, it was amazing.
Oh it was beautiful. I love some singing, and I
(11:05):
love how Cynthia were saying, you know, uh and Ariana
that they wanted to sing live. Oh hm m m, yes, honey, yes,
And even if they didn't sing live their their studio vocals,
(11:26):
they can. They sound their studio vocals and their live
vocals sound the same. So it wouldn't mattered to me
because there are there are some movies musical movies, musicals
that are movies, y'all know what I mean, where they
pre record and they they lip sync according to the
(11:50):
pre record. Because as I was sitting there watching them
do the movie, I was like, man, I wonder how
many takes of this did they do? Or maybe they
were so perfect they only had to do one take
of each scene. I don't know, but my concern was vocally,
the stamina of doing something repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly.
(12:13):
But Cynthia is a theater girl, and so she's used
to eight shows a week. She's used to singing songs
the same thing, day after day, night after night. So
I hope to interview her one day because I would
love to ask her did she kind of have that
mindset from her theatrical background? Did she use it for
(12:36):
filming purposes? I'm excited to even see that Ariana is
considering doing theater, just beautifully beautiful voices, it said. It
made me want to get into intense vocal lessons. I
(12:56):
say that too unashamedly, because you should always be a student.
You should always be wanting to stretch things that are
that you do in your profession. You should always be
wanting to be the best, to be better. It inspired
me so much to.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Go after more. Oh oh, I was so inspired.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Where if an audition came out way, I know that
I would kill it. So I'm just so I was
just so inspired to do better and to go after more.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I gotta write that down. Hold on, that was good.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Sometimes you gotta write your own notes down, inspired.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
To do better and go for more.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
And the person listening to this, you know what that
more is. It's not necessarily going after more money or
maybe you're like, yo, there's a little side hustle that
I can do that will bring in more income, Because
to me, that's something we should folks should be considering,
you know, wanting to build your own nest egg and
(14:10):
wealth and all the things. So I am inspired. Oh yeah,
I'm inspired to do better, go for more. Yes, I'm
just writing that down. I'll never forget when Janelle Money
(14:31):
disappeared for a little bit. She disappeared because she was
doing acting classes, and we can see the.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Fruit of that.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Right, So I'm inspired. I'm inspired. Yeah so yeah, wicked
all the things, ate good, all the things, and flew
back to New York, did theater, came back to death
becomes her And now it's Thanksgiving, but you're cooking? Huh?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
What are you cooking?
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Now? I have three invitations that have been bestowed upon
me for Thanksgiving Day. A part of me wants to
stay home because the next day we have two shows,
O God and yeah, so your girl might stay home.
(15:31):
I got groceries today because I'm thinking of doing some
greens and some sweet potatoes, okay, and a little macaroni
and cheese. I don't know what meat I'm going to
do yet. So a part of me is thinking just
to do my own Thanksgiving with myself. But a part
of me thinks I should go to one place I
was invited to.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Sometimes you just be wanting to be home, and I
want to encourage some of y'all out there. How many
of y'all are like, ough, I gotta go to AIN'TI?
So and So's house. Ugh, I gotta go to my
mother in law's house or my father in law. Ough,
I gotta go to my sister's house and we don't
be getting along. Or I gotta go to so and
(16:15):
So's house. I hate the way they do they macaroni
and cheese. Ooh, I hate the way ain't Sue does
her green bean casseroom ooh but I or I hate
the way so and so it's always in my business.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Ooh, I hate the way so and.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
So just just they ain't took a shower and they
want to sit in next to me and be all
hugging on me, wanting to catch up, and I be like,
you need to catch up with a bar of soap.
I've given you all the variables, or there are variables like, man,
I can't wait to go to my grandmother's house. Oh,
(16:57):
I can't wait for her homemade rolls. I can't wait
for that cranberry sauce out the can. I'm a cranberry
sauce off the can girl too. There are some people
that are like yo, Uncle Al, and they get busy
on the occasion. Turkeys okay, Uncle Donnie, and a dude
(17:19):
that smoked ham You waiting because, honey, miss Martha's candy dams,
and she don't put marshmallows on top. They gonna be
so good. You gonna be like cousin Cardia's macaroni and cheese,
even though I don't like that she puts egg in
the macaroni and cheese. Yes, y'all, go to Cardia Brown's
(17:41):
page right now. She puts a egg in her macaroni
and cheese. But why do I low key think it's
the bomb? So I'm not gonna hate Cardia. I can't
wait for you to come on checking in or y'all
just like Ooh, I can't wait because you know your
(18:05):
girlfriend or your boyfriend, Honey, they do an amazing pound
k honey, and so and so does homemade vanilla ice cream.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
You can't go.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
You can't wait to go to your mom's house or
your dad's house because they house be smelling good. They
be burning them bougie candles. You can't wait to see
your cousin that just got out of jail.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Oh, all the.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Things or the third thing. This time of year brings sadness.
You're grieving the loss of being able to go to
Grandma's house because she's not here anymore, and she was
the glue of the family. You're missing your mom, you're
(18:51):
missing your dad, or your best friend passed away, or
things are just different financially. You're not able to ball
out for the holidays and like you used to. So
maybe you're just gonna go to a whatever fast food
restaurant decided to be open on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I see all of you.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
And whatever dynamic you fell in of what I was describing,
I see you. And you know, this is the season
that a lot of people spiral, you know, because they
(19:34):
are grieving a loss, or you're you're excited. You got
a second chance at life, you got a second chance
at family. Maybe a relationship with is restored, and y'all
are gonna use the holidays to, you know, reconnect.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
And start over again.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
All of it is beautiful. Or maybe you've set a
boundary and you're not going anywhere. That's beautiful too, as
long as you're not isolating in an unhealthy way. And
(20:12):
I just say that because I know what it's like
to isolate but longing for connection. So that's that's hard
around the holidays, where you don't want to be bothered,
but you want connection, or you just don't want to
be bothered at all and people don't hear you and
they won't accept it. I posted something the other day
(20:33):
on my threads that said, hey, they're not acting funny,
it's just none of your business. Maybe they're waiting for
a safe place to share what they're feeling, you know,
and sometimes the holidays, you're kind of you might be
feeling forced to uh to talk about things you don't
(20:56):
want to talk about. So, yeah, I want you to
know I I see you. I mentioned Cardia Brown and
I'm writing it down like I've got to get her
on the podcast. I'm excited too. I love food. Yeah,
(21:22):
so just just know that. I know the holiday season
brings around among it brings a lot of things. But
what my hope for this current holiday season is that
I don't know, I want to go back to excitement
and community and closeness, not about things, but.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Just about each other.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
That's that's what I want to get to, especially when
Christmas rolls around, you know, not worried about I gotta
get so and so this cop that they want. I
actually adopted a family for Christmas. It's a six six
(22:14):
people in a family, and so It's definitely about giving
in that sense, but I don't want to feel the pressure.
I got to make sure so and so gets this
or whatever this child. How many of us feel like
y'all been Santa Claus all year?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Okay? I say that all the time.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I say that every year around Christmas, like I know
nobody got they uh rusty eyes looking over here. Okay.
But Thanksgiving, I'm excited to see what you all have
on the menu, and I hope that you all are
bye bye applies. You know he does, He did his
(22:58):
Thanksgiving instructions. I hope he does it this year, or
maybe he'll just repost it, you know, when he tells
you all win Thanksgiving leftovers, the day that they're at
their best, the day that all right, the day that
all right, you pushing it? So all right, you finna
get worms? All right, call the pallbearers because you're finna die.
(23:24):
So I watch that every single year. It brings me
joy and just really wanting y'all to just really, really,
really really have an amazing Thanksgiving. Let me know in
my DMS or when we do a post about this episode,
(23:49):
let me know what what you're cooking, Let me know
what didn't go right, whether it's what you cooked or
a family interaction. Let me know what surprised you the most.
Let me know, like, girl, my chicken came out better
than I thought.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Or girl, me and my sister we got along, it
shocked the whole family. Or honey, me and my husband
actually got along this year, or me and my in laws.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Honey, everybody respected each other. I want to know all
the tea.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Okay, let me know. I'm so excited. Let me know and.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Who let me know, and I'll keep y'all posted.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Because I'm excited about City Center in Washington, d C.
Christmas tree lighting, of doing some Christmas songs, and I'm
excited to sing songs that I've never done. And so
(25:03):
I'm like, is this inspiring like a Christmas record or
some sort. So well, let me not say that because
I don't want to hype two.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
People up about new music. So we'll see.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I'm really excited to even hang out with some friends
and family in the DC area this weekend. I won't
be there long, though, because I glad to be back
in New York City on Sunday for death becomes Her.
I know y'all can't believe it, but yes, I am
still committed to Death Becomes Her. I don't know when
I'm leaving, so people that have been asking, I don't
(25:42):
know when I'm leaving, and I'm glad about that because
no one's forcing me out. So it's pretty much it's
a blessing. Actually it's a blessing. And I do think
about what my exit time and what that's going to be,
because I'm like, I want to live life, life, you know,
outside of theater. But at the same time, I feel
(26:07):
so blessed. I feel so loved, and I think twenty
twenty six, I'll feel better about branching out and doing
other things because Viola is in me. When I say Viola,
I mean the role that I play in the musical
Death Becomes Her. I feel like she's in me. Even
me being gone for a week, I was like, oh
(26:28):
my gosh, I have friends making sure, like make sure
you do your lines while you're away. Did you do
your monologue today?
Speaker 2 (26:36):
And I was like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I found myself every now and then doing the monologue
or making sure I didn't forget lyrics, and I didn't
forget I've been doing this show a year and a half,
it's in me. I'm good, so I I guess you know,
when people ask me, you know, hey, what can we
be praying with you about? Yeah, I just wanted my
(26:58):
steps to continue to be ordered and hopefully twenty twenty
six continue to even when people say, be fearless. My
friend Valrie Burton, who I can't wait for her to
be on the podcast, wrote a book called on Rules
of Resilience and Even and I was like, man, I
(27:20):
even wrote a song called being Fearless, and she said, Yo,
that's not true. You're gonna be afraid. You're gonna be
afraid to try new things. You're gonna be afraid to
even step out on faith because you don't know what
things look like. On the other side, you're not ready
to embrace the difficulty of doing something new, stepping out
(27:44):
from your comfort zone, going into another uncomfortable zone. Right,
But that uncomfortable zone soon becomes comfortable.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Building this musical.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Was uncomfortable at times because it stretched all of us
sleepless nights, tired. It just it just made you uncomfortable
at times. Now everybody's like, I'm good, so yeah, I
guess just pray that steps are ordered, and I will
(28:17):
be praying for you all to have clarity for your
new year. It's not too late to be it's not
too early to be thinking about the new year. But
I encourage you also during this holiday season to be
present with your loved ones. And everything's gonna work out,
(28:40):
all right. So I am signing out of this episode,
and thank y'all so much for thinking of me and.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Putting up with sugar that I love in my grits.
Take care and talk to you soon.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Checking In with Michelle Williams is a production of iHeartRadio
and The Black Effect. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
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