Our love story began at auditions for South Pacific at Mesa Community College. After losing Allyson's phone number, I found her again at the first rehearsal and asked her out every day for three weeks. Her eventual response? "If I go on a date with you, do you PROMISE to leave me alone?" I said yes, she agreed, I kept my promise (mostly), and 27 years later we're still writing our story together.

We've raised three amazing kids, somehow managed to see more than 100 Broadway shows together, and even survived COVID by starting a YouTube channel called Fatties in the Kitchen, where we attempted to make desserts to stay sane. But our favorite memory isn't a single moment — it's 27 years of laughter, inside jokes, adventures, and choosing each other every single day. After all this time, she's still my favorite person to hang out with.

First, we'd do New York City the way we've always dreamed: first-class flights, a fancy hotel, incredible food, and as many Broadway shows as possible. Then we'd come home and be responsible adults again. We'd also use part of the prize to support the theatre students I teach at Mesa High School, helping ensure more young artists have access to the same opportunities that changed our lives.