When Broadway Shuttered, Her Next Act Was an Improv Proposal

Miki Alden-Abraham didn't display her acting skills when she asked Alex Joseph Grayson, her former co-star in the show, to marry her Oct. 15, 202020. She was spooning out something from a crockpot while they were sharing an apartment in Nashville.

Covid-19 delivered blow after knockout blow, Ms. Abraham said. She is currently playing a swing on Broadway in 'Shucked'. She said, "I was eating whatever I was cooking and stirring it and thought, "You made it with this guy." Ambushed on his way through the kitchen by her proposal, Mr. Grayson said yes, not knowing if she was serious.

Ms. Abraham and Mr. Grayson met on September 6, 2019 at Boulevard Carroll Studios, Manhattan, on the first rehearsal day for the national tour musical "Once on This Island". Both were understudies. When the cast left for the road, Ms. Abraham was starting to get on Mr. Grayson's nerves. He is now the main character of Jim Conley, in the Broadway revival 'Parade'.

She said, "I didn't want to find new friends." I was just trying to do my work. Alex was everywhere I looked. It was irritating. Mr. Grayson didn't mean to be too friendly. "When I enter a brand new environment, I engage with as many as possible," he said. I want to say that I'm willing to collaborate. You can contact me throughout the contract.

She continued to roll her eyes until December, when she felt what she called a 'talent-crush'. In Charlotte, N.C., between performances, Mr. Grayson sang Train's 'Hey, Soul Sister" at a karaoke. It didn't fit his vocal range. 'It's a bit high for him', Ms. Abraham stated. But the way he navigated it - musically and intelligently - I thought whoa, somehow he made the song sound even better.

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They were already in love by the time their show was cancelled a few weeks later due to Covid. They both left their Brooklyn apartments to stay at an Airbnb in Paducah.

It was an opportunity for Mr. Grayson to stay close to Ms. Abraham, who was raised in a military home that was constantly on the move. "I knew from the start that this was a beautiful, funny person with a great personality," said Grayson. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre at the State University of New York, Fredonia, in 2014. He said that Miki had a great deal of magnetism.

Their July 2020 move to Nashville from Paducah was motivated by a shared hope. They wanted to be near a city where entertainers could find work if the world changed. Covid was still on fire and there were few jobs when Ms. Abraham's crockpot-moment in the kitchen occurred three months later. Grayson claimed that they spent 10 minutes back and forth about the proposal. I asked, "Is this really happening? "You mean right now?" She didn't say right now. He would still have said yes if she'd meant it.

She explained her improv proposition by saying, 'We have been through all the highs and lows together.' "Maybe this is the person I want to spend my life with."

Ms. Abraham married Mr. Grayson on April 8, at the Conservatory Garden of Central Park, near the apartment that they will be moving into in June 2021 when Broadway is expected to return to life. Richard E. Waits officiated the short outdoor ceremony with 60 guests. He is a friend and fellow actor who has become a Universal Life Church Minister for this occasion.

The couple performed a duet at a reception at Lofts at Prince in Manhattan. They sang Dan + Shay’s 'Speechless,' a tribute to their Nashville roots and Ms. Abraham’s country-filled 'Shucked'. The couple did not perform at their wedding. When you do eight shows a show, your thirst is quenched', Mr. Grayson explained. This was about sharing a sweet memory.