Welcome to PLAYBILLDER Spotlight, where Playbill highlights shows from educational institutions or regional theatres and special events around the country (who have used Playbill’s program-building service). By welcoming these PLAYBILLDERs center stage, we hope to give our readers a more in-depth look at theatre programs that are fostering the love of the performing arts in the next generation and the way theatre lovers are bringing Playbill along for life’s big moments.
How to Broadway-size Your Next Party or Event with PLAYBILLDER
This week’s Spotlight is Michael Steele and Ryun Hobbs’ musical celebration of matrimony, which took place at the iconic New York cabaret venue 54 Below. Following the performance of their original musical, they held a wedding reception at John’s Pizzeria in Times Square and went dancing at Don’t Tell Mama.
Michael and Ryun shared with Playbill how their shared love of musicals inspired their love story, which of the 40 shows they’ve seen together is their favorite, and what they are looking forward to seeing together next.
The Wedding of Michael Steele and Ryun Hobbs
Tell us about yourselves.
Michael Steele: I’m a school librarian and children’s author. Ryun works in digital marketing. We have two tabby cats who are very spoiled. And we love bubble tea.
How long have you been together, and how did you meet?
We’ve been together for 13 years. We met on Twitter (now X) in 2013. We both followed the account for the musical Allegiance, which hadn’t yet made it to Broadway but had premiered in San Diego. The show’s account had retweeted Ryun, and I saw the retweet and followed Ryun. We started chatting, and then we started dating. And here we are 13 years later.
When did you know that each other was “The One?”
It just sort of happened. I’ll quote one of our favorite musicals, It Shoulda Been You. “There’s no big crazy moment. Instead, it’s bit by bit. You’ll make him laugh. He’ll make you soup. The shoe begins to fit.”
What were some of the most challenging moments in your wedding planning? What was the most rewarding moment of your wedding day?
The most challenging part of planning the wedding was writing the original musical that we used as our wedding ceremony. That took months of work. We’d never collaborated on a project like that before. The most rewarding part of the wedding was seeing the smiling faces in the audience and knowing they were enjoying the show.
What major milestones are you looking forward to experiencing as a couple?
We’d like to have children very soon.
The Wedding of Michael Steele and Ryun Hobbs
What was the first Broadway show you attended as a couple?
We saw Peter and the Starcatcher Off-Broadway in Summer 2013 and our first Broadway show together was Kinky Boots a few months later.
What is your favorite show you’ve seen together?
We’ve seen over 40 Broadway shows together, and dozens of Off-Broadway, touring, regional, and international productions. Our favorite show that we’ve seen together is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in London. We’re excited to see the upcoming Off-Broadway production.
How have the performing arts played a role in your love story?
We met because of our love for theatre, and we continue to love theatre together.
The Wedding of Michael Steele and Ryun Hobbs
What drew you to PLAYBILLDER for your special event?
When we decided that our wedding would be an original musical and we booked the Midtown cabaret venue 54 Below as our venue, we knew we needed an authentic Playbill to serve as our program.
How did each of you participate in the creation of your Playbill?
We decided what information we wanted to include. We decided on a page about how we met, some special photos of us, and descriptions of why we chose the songs we chose to include in the musical. I wrote everything up and used PLAYBILLDER to format the Playbill, and Ryun was the proofreader.
How did your guests respond to seeing the Playbill for the first time?
We have no idea because we were backstage. But we heard, “This is so cool,” from several people after.
How did PLAYBILLDER impact your wedding planning as a resource?
It was exciting to know we’d have something that looked like a real Playbill. I’ve seen other wedding programs that mimic the look of a Playbill, and that’s fun. But there’s something special about having the memento of an authentic Playbill. PLAYBILLDER made it easy to achieve the look we wanted, and printing and shipping were incredibly fast.
Would you recommend PLAYBILLDER to other couples planning for their big day?
I’d recommend PLAYBILLDER to anyone looking to add a special theatrical touch to their wedding.