Today we’d like to introduce you to Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Stephen and Bret met in 2006 both through recovery meetings in NYC. Having made it to a high level of success in the performing arts industry before 25, we were both dealing with our addiction. It was amazing to find someone in the arts who wanted to improve their lives. We started dating and in 2008 Bret proposed to Stephen on the roof the Empire hotel. We were married in 2011 and while both working on Broadway continued to thrive in NYC until the pandemic. We started the process of growing our family through surrogacy. In March, we welcomed our son Maverick.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We started our baby journey in 2018 and it took us four years to get our baby boy. Between the loss of jobs, the pandemic, a miscarriage, we faced many hurdles. Plus, our industry shut down, both of us had been working on Broadway. We moved three times during the pandemic until we finally purchased a home in Houston. It is of course a scary time to be part of the LGBTQ+ in this state but we are hoping to open more people’s minds by being here.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Both spent over 20 years working as full-time artists in NYC. Stephen danced as a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet when he met Bret who was performing in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast. We continued to thrive in the Big Apple until the pandemic brought us back to Texas. We both continue to audition and work in television, film, and theatre while also pursuing creative entrepreneurship. Bret helps entrepreneurs build and monetize their authentic personal brands through marketing, and Stephen teaches virtual fitness and ballet classes online. Plus, we love to share our family adventures with our new son Maverick with our blog and Instagram account @broadwayhusbands.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Stephen: We lived in Pittsburgh as a kid and I’ll never forget getting to perform with the kid’s performance troupe I was in the local mall. It was like I knew what I was supposed to do for the rest of my life.
Bret: Growing up in Beaumont, Houston was such a major city to me that I loved our trips to go to the Galleria and do some ice skating. It was so cool to me that we could find ice in Houston.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://broadwayhusbands.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/broadwayhusbands
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/broadwayhusbands
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/broadwayhusbands
Image Credits
Marcos Covos Photography
