(upbeat music)
- So glad
you could be here.
I'm Tamsen Fadel.
Ali Stroker is a legend in the making.
She's made history as the first performer in a wheelchair to
win a Tony Award, made history again, as the first actor
with a disability to star in a movie on Lifetime.
And now her new book is empowering kids to
become legends too.
We talked all about that and much more.
This is my first in-person interview.
So I'm so excited it's with you.
- Thank you. I'm so glad to be talking to you today.
- It's so exciting.
Well, you have had a lot going on.
I know this has been a crazy year plus now, hard to believe
but how have you been?
- I've been good.
You know, I've been healthy, which is
I think that was always my goal this past year and a half.
And, but I'm really excited for Broadway to be coming back
and our industry is coming back.
So things are good.
- It's amazing.
You know, during the time of the pandemic and walking
through Times Square and seeing the, the theaters
closed knowing, you know, seeing actors that are online
on Zoom, you were on Zoom.
I'm sure a lot learning how to perform on Zoom.
What, what, what was that learning curve like?
- It was weird.
- Ha ha ha!
- I mean, to be singing and acting like to my laptop
for months and months, and months was so insane
but at least it was an opportunity to do what I do
even though it was in a bathroom or in my like living room.
It didn't matter.
We were just making it happen.
- Let's talk a little bit about what you've been doing
because you not only were performing to your, you
know, laptop in the bathroom, you also have a book.
- Yes. Yes.
So three years ago I started writing this book
with my co-author, Stacy Davidowitz
and we wanted to create a book
about a young girl in a wheelchair who had, has a passion
for theater and she auditions for her first show.
And so that is how "The Chance to Fly" was born.
And the timing couldn't have been more perfect, Tamsen
because it came out just a month ago.
And I think with everybody missing Broadway so much
it was so fun to, to introduce this book to the world.
And I'm so proud of it.
- You know, talking about the story in the book
but talking about you in particular, you have always said
you feel safest on the stage.
Is that what the book is about?
- Well, yeah.
It's about a young girl who feels different
who feels alone.
And when she gets on stage
and she meets a group of friends who are involved
with this group called Broadway Bounders.
She finally feels at home.
She finally feels safe.
She finally feels like she can express herself
and show the world that she is more
than just being a girl in a wheelchair.
We live in a world where we're constantly
seeing other people's lives
but it is sort of the highlights of everybody else's life.
- Exactly.
- And so being authentic, being real, I mean
I think that's part of why I have been able to, you know
achieve what I have is
because I can't be anybody but myself.
And in so many ways
I feel like my disability is a gift because of that
it's like I've had to be, I've had to wrap my arms about
around like what I can do and who I am.
And I, I, I always want to encourage people to
do the same because it feels so good.
And the world wants you.
We want your real self.
I was injured when I was little.
So I've been in a chair my whole life.
And, you know, for years I always felt really insecure.
And I felt like people
and not just then, but now people stare.
They'd never seen anybody like me
but it feels so much better to trust yourself
and believe in yourself and keep your chin high.
And you know what I was saying earlier
like the world needs you, there's no one else like you.
And that's just something that I remind myself all the time.
I don't need to be
like anybody else being an original is really exciting.
- I can't imagine the reaction that you're getting to that
because I'm sure it's all sorts of people that are
responding to it.
Not just people that are in wheelchairs, but people
that just have felt
over the years, like, you know, who am I?
- Exactly like anybody who has a limitation
anyone who has a challenge
anyone who's felt like they don't fit in
performing the theater has been such an amazing place
for all those misfits
for all those people who want to be a part
of something and want to express themselves.
- So let's talk about why we're here in particular
because this was one of the big shows.
Obviously the big show Oklahoma! was here.
- Yeah. This is where we did Oklahoma! Circle in the Square.
And I haven't been back since we closed.
And I was actually this morning feeling like butterflies
about the coming back and wondering how it would feel
because it was home for, for many, many months.
And it's where so many things happened
in my career and in my life.
And I just
it will always have such significance in my life.