Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

Episode 504 - Rafael Monserrate

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0000

Rafael Monserrate is an accomplished Producer and Director with more than two decades of experience creating acclaimed unscripted and narrative content. He has executive produced and directed over a dozen television series, including History Channel’s Alone, the award-winning survival series hailed by The New Yorker as “the best reality show on television,” now in its 13th critically acclaimed season and streaming on Netflix. A two-time feature film director, his credits include Peel (Sony Pictures), starring Emile Hirsch and Amy Brenneman.

His work spans large-scale competition formats, intimate documentaries, and character driven narrative films, unified by a cinematic sensibility and a commitment to emotional truth. Most recently, he directed, executive produced, and completed production on Teenhood, a four-part docuseries of unprecedented access to four American teens over 50 transformative days. He is currently developing The Colony, a feature film exploring the formative years and ideological awakening of Malcolm X. Across formats, Rafael crafts stories that are intimate yet expansive, grounded in lived experience, and designed to resonate long after the screen goes dark.

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Episode 503 - Hailey McAfee and Rosie Glen-Lambert

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0000

Rosie Glen-Lambert is a bicoastal theatre director originally from Los Angeles and currently based in Brooklyn. She is the Artistic Director and Founder of The Attic Collective, an award-winning Los Angeles based theatre company. Rosie is also a proud Kilroy who fights for and believes in the importance of gender parity in the American theatre. Rosie was recently the associate director of Babbitt, written by Joe DiPietro, directed by Christopher Ashley, and starring Matthew Broderick (La Jolla Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre Company). Recent directing work includes Swallows (La Mama), The Robots: A New Chamber Opera (Project [BLANK]), नेहा & Neel (Wagner New Play Festival), and a benefit performance of Love Letters (La Jolla Playhouse, Featuring Matthew Broderick and Ellie Kemper). Rosie was a 2025 Director for Moxie Arts NYC's Incubator Lab. Rosie received her MFA in directing from UC San Diego.

Hailey McAfee is an actor, writer, director, and associate artist of The Attic Collective. Recent acting credits include Three Exorcisms and Iphigenia in Splott (LA Theatre Bites Best Solo Show Winner, Best Actress Nominee, Hollywood Fringe Best of The Broadwater Winner, Best Solo Show and Top of Fringe Nominee). Directing credits include The Hostage Situation (Inkwell LAB) Here Comes the Night (SheLA Festival), Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin (Inkwell LAB) and Hedda Gabler (Hollywood Fringe Best of The Broadwater Winner, Best Drama Nominee, LA Magazine Top Pick of Fringe). She has a degree in Theater Arts from UC Santa Cruz.

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Episode 502 - Liz Tuccillo

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0000

Liz Tuccillo was a writer on "Sex and the City" and co-authored the bestselling book "He's Just Not that Into You." She went on to create the WB TV series "Related" and worked on the TV shows Smash, Sweetbitter, Alaska Daily and American Sports Story. She was the showrunner for HBO's Divorce for its third season and is currently the showrunner and creator of "Best Medicine," an adaptation of the British Doc Martin, starring Josh Charles that was recently picked up for its second season. She has developed television and film with Will Smith, Ali Wentworth, Chelsea Handler, Debra Messing, Lauren Graham among others at Warner Bros, NBC, ABC, Starz, Peacock, Shondaland, Amazon, Fox, and Fx.

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Episode 501 - Nina White

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0000

Nina White stars as Jenny in You Got Older off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre.

Nina is known for her Broadway-debut performance as Teresa in the Tony Award-winning musical Kimberly Akimbo, reprising the role from the show's Off-Broadway premiere with Atlantic Theatre Company. She is also starred in the pre-Broadway world premiere and Broadway transfer of the musical The Queen of Versailles, playing the daughter of star Kristin Chenoweth; and she also starred as Olive Ostrovsky in the 2025 revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Kennedy Center in D.C.

On-screen, she can be seen in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Amazon Prime) and A Different Man (A24). University of Michigan alum. She loves to knit.

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Episode 500 - Belle Burden

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0000

Belle Burden is the author of the best selling book- Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage. Belle holds a BA from Harvard College and a law degree from the New York University School of Law. She lives with her children in New York.

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Episode 499 - Ryan Spahn

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0000

Ryan Spahn is a Drama Desk Award–winning actor and writer. Select Off-Broadway: Richard II (Red Bull), Danger and Opportunity (East Village Basement), The Antiquities (Playwrights Horizons), Jordans (The Public), Merry Me (NYTW), Good Enemy (Audible), Jane Anger (New Ohio), Summer & Smoke (CSC), Daniel’s Husband (Westside), Moscow x6 (MCC), Exit Strategy (Primary Stages), Gloria (Vineyard). Select TV/Film: Sub/liminal, Zero Day, Elsbeth, AHS: Delicate, Succession, Modern Love, The Bite, Chicago P.D. Ryan co-wrote the feature film He’s Way More Famous Than You and wrote the play Inspired By True Events (Concord Theatricals, Theatrely’s “Best of 2024.”). Juilliard graduate and the first teenaged Borg on Star Trek: Voyager.

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Episode 498 - Clint Ramos

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0000

CLINT RAMOS is an award-winning creative director, designer, and producer.

Most recently, he produced Theater Group Asia’s sold-out production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, starring Lea Salonga, Arielle Jacobs and featuring a cast of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans.

He currently serves as the Visual Director for Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City, where he reimagines the entire Lincoln Center campus each summer into a vibrant stage for more than 300 events that serve New York City’s diverse communities. He also serves as Artist-in-Residence at Lincoln Center.

Ramos was a lead producer of the groundbreaking Broadway musical Here Lies Love, and is currently the Producing Creative Director for Encores! at New York City Center. There, he has spearheaded acclaimed projects including Billy Porter’s reimagining of The Life, The Light in the Piazza featuring Ruthie Ann Miles, and Jelly’s Last Jam.

As a designer, Ramos has created over 200 productions across theater, opera, and dance. His Broadway credits include Maybe Happy Ending, Eureka Day, Here Lies Love, KPOP, Slave Play, The Rose Tattoo, Eclipsed, Once On This Island, Sunday in the Park with George, and Torch Song. His film work includes production design for Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca (Netflix) and costume design for RESPECT, the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson (MGM).

Ramos made history by becoming the first person of color to win the TONY® Award for Best Costume Design of a Play, for Eclipsed. He has received additional TONY® nominations—six for costume design (Maybe Happy Ending, The Rose Tattoo, Once On This Island, Torch Song, KPOP) and one for scenic design (Slave Play).

His numerous honors include two OBIE Awards (including one for Sustained Excellence in Design), three Lucille Lortel Awards, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, two American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Design Awards, the TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, the Helen Hayes Award, the Craig Noel Award, and two Ani ng Dangal Presidential Medals for Dramatic Arts from the President of the Philippines.

Ramos is a member of the Advisory Board of the American Theatre Wing and co-founder of Design Action and Springboard to Design, initiatives focused on equity, inclusion and education. A passionate advocate, his life's work centers on creating equitable opportunities in theater and film for People of Color and immigrants.

Born and raised in Cebu, Philippines, Clint now resides in New York City with his husband and daughter.

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Episode 497 - Bradley Whitford

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Bradley Whitford, a classically trained stage actor, gained fame as “Josh Lyman,” on NBC’s 'The West Wing,' which earned him his first Emmy award in 2001. He went on to win Emmys in 2015 and 2019 for his work in 'Transparent' and 'The Handmaid’s Tale' and is grateful to have had the opportunity last year to direct the show’s fifth season penultimate episode, “Allegiance.” He is currently filming “The Diplomat” alongside his West Wing co- star, Allison Janney.

Whitford appeared in AMC’s limited series 'Parish' alongside Giancarlo Esposito, a drama about a taxi driver whose life is upended after picking up a Zimbabwean gangster. He also starred in the independent film 'I’ll Be Right' There with Edie Falco and completed work on Netflix’s limited series 'The Madness,' opposite Colman Domingo.

He is also known for his work in the Oscar-nominated films 'Get Out,' 'The Post,' 'Scent of a Woman,' and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 'tick, tick… BOOM!' Whitford also produced the documentary, 'Not Going Quietly,' about the life of progressive activist Ady Barkan. Other notable film credits include Warner Bros’ 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters,' Disney’s 'Saving Mr. Banks,' and HBO’s Lyndon B. Johnson biopic, 'All The Way,' among many others.

TV credits include Apple TV+’s 'Echo 3,' NBC’s 'Perfect Harmony,' which he executive produced and starred in; FOX/Netflix’s 'Brookline Nine-Nine,' Showtime’s 'Happy-ish,' ABC’s 'Trophy Wife,' CBS’ 'The Mentalist,' FOX’s 'The Good Guys,' and NBC’s 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,' among others.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Whitford studied theater and English literature at Wesleyan University and attended the Juilliard Theater Center. He has appeared on Broadway in Aaron Sorkin’s 'A Few Good Men' and in 'Boeing, Boeing' with Mark Rylance. Off-Broadway credits include 'Curse of the Starving Class,' 'Measure for Measure' at Lincoln Center, and 'Three Days of Rain' at Manhattan Theatre Club. Regional credits include the title role in 'Coriolanus' at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., and Oberon and Theseus in 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' at Hartford Stage. In 2021, Whitford starred in the Old Vic’s production of 'A Christmas Carol' at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles as “Ebenezer Scrooge.” Also at the Ahmanson, in 2023, Whitford recently played the scene-stealing “Narrator” in the hit farce 'Peter Pan Goes Wrong.'

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Episode 496 - Sam Tutty

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Sam Tutty is an Olivier Award winning actor and singer. Following his graduation from drama school he originated the role of Evan in the Tony Award Winning Musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, in the West End. His performance garnered widespread acclaim from critics, eventually going on to receive numerous awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards, Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in Leading Role in a Musical in 2020. Being aged 22 at the time, he is one of the youngest winners of this prestigious theatrical award in history. Following its sell-out run at The Kiln Theatre, Sam transferred the role Dougal in the new two-hander musical ‘TWO STRANGERS’ to the Criterion Theatre in the West End, directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson.

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Episode 495 - Arianna Davis

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Arianna Davis stars as series regular ‘Madonna’ in the new NBC cheerleading comedy Stumble opposite Kristin Chenoweth and Taran Killam.

Filling the current void of cheerleading media which dominated the early aughts and 2010s, Stumble is being prioritized by NBC as its next big comedy. Arianna’s character, a curvy, Black college cheerleader with a chronic illness, is a breath of fresh air in the on-screen cheerleading space which has long been devoid of diverse representation.

Arianna is a true triple threat – in addition to acting, she is a professional dancer who started dancing at just two years old, as well as a singer-songwriter.

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Episode 494 - Frances Turner

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Frances Turner is a dynamic performer who brings complexity and authenticity to every role.

Turner stars opposite Walton Goggins in Prime Video’s hit series Fallout, from creator Jonathan Nolan. Currently in its second season, Turner returned as 'Barb Howard', the pre-apocalyptic wife of Goggins’ 'Cooper Howard' and key player in Vault-Tec Corporation. After its first four weeks, season two already ranks as the sixth most watched season ever on Prime Video and is even higher rated than season one.

Turner is also known for her work on Prime Video’s The Boys, NBC’s New Amsterdam, and her standout turn as a series lead in The Man in the High Castle, produced by Scott Free and created by Frank Spotnitz. Additional credits include ABC’s The Finest, directed by Regina King, and Netflix’s After film franchise.

Before embarking on her acting career, Turner built a successful foundation as a corporate attorney. A graduate of Cornell University and Georgetown University Law Center, she practiced law at a major firm before transitioning to the screen.

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Episde 493 - Jonathan Tolins

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Jonathan Tolins is the showrunner and executive producer of the critically acclaimed CBS drama ELSBETH, which returns for its third season.

Tolins has been an executive producer on THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount+, co-executive producer on “Schmigadoon!” and co-producer on “Queer as Folk,” along with producer credits on EAST NEW YORK, BRAINDEAD and PARTNERS on the Network. Other TV credits include the Tony Awards, the Academy Awards, “Grease Live!” and “A Christmas Story Live!”

Additionally, Tolins was a producer and co-writer with Seth E. Bass for the films “Martian Child” starring John Cusack and “The Twilight of the Golds,” based on his Broadway play and starring Brendan Fraser and Faye Dunaway.

Tolins is best known as the author of one of the 10 most produced plays in America in 2016, “Buyer & Cellar,” which won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show and was named “Best Unique Theatrical Experience” by the Off-Broadway Alliance during its record-breaking run at the Barrow Street Theatre. The show also enjoyed a London engagement at the Menier Chocolate Factory, a run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and was shown on the WNET series “Theater Close-Up.” Other plays by Tolins include “The Last Sunday in June,” “Secrets of the Trade,” “If Memory Serves” and “The Forgotten Woman.” He was also represented on Broadway by additional material written with his husband, Robert Cary, for the revival of “On the Town.” Together, Jon and Rob also wrote the book for the new musical “Take the Lead,” which premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in the spring of 2025

Tolins is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writers Guild of America. He has written articles for Opera News, Opera Monthly, TheaterWeek, Time magazine and the Huffington Post.

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Episode 492 - Dawn Porter

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:15:00 -0000

Dawn Porter is an acclaimed American documentary filmmaker and founder of Trilogy Films, known for her storytelling on social justice, history, and cultural icons. Her celebrated documentaries, including Trapped, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Lady Bird Diaries, air on platforms like HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, CNN, PBS and others. Another film from Porter’s recent work, Luther: Never Too Much, highlights the life and legacy of Luther Vandross. Produced with Sony Music Entertainment, Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole, and Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, this intimate portrayal of the Grammy-winning artist was recently released in theaters and premiered on CNN/MAX on January 1, 2025. Her recent work, The Sing Sing Chronicles won the Best Documentary Emmy at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

Porter’s achievements are widely recognized. A three-time Sundance film festival Alum, her film Gideon's Army was nominated for an Emmy and an Independent Spirit Award and won the prestigious Ridenhour Prize as well as the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. Trapped also earned a Silver Gavel, as well as a Peabody Award and the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, while John Lewis: Good Trouble won the 2021 NAACP Image Award. She received the Critics' Choice Impact Award in 2022 and Gracie Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, Porter was awarded the National Humanities Medal by former President Joe Biden, elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and received the IDA Career Achievement Award.

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Episode 491 - Maggie Doyne and Jeremy Power Regimbal

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Maggie Doyne is co-founder of the BlinkNow Foundation and Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School in Surkhet, Nepal. At age nineteen, she used her babysitting money and worked with the local community to build a home for orphaned children in war-torn Nepal. In 2010, she and her team opened a school for five hundred of the region’s most impoverished children. Throughout the past decade, BlinkNow and Kopila have worked to deepen and grow the organization through grassroots community development efforts.

Her work has been championed by Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist Nicholas Kristof and the Dalai Lama, among others. The story of BlinkNow’s beginnings has been featured on the Huffington Post, VH1, MTV, and DoSomething.org. Maggie was named Glamour magazine’s Woman of the Year and was used as an example for her groundbreaking work at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy. In 2015, she was named CNN Hero of the Year.

Maggie’s story carries a message of hope, love, and the possibility of how the smallest individual acts can spark huge world change. She believes that poverty, hunger, and violence will be alleviated when children are provided with their most basic needs and human rights—a loving, happy childhood, nutrition, and a quality education. She believes that this can be achieved during her lifetime.

Jeremy Power Regimbal is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer whose work spans feature films, documentaries, and advertising, with a focus on intimate storytelling and social impact.

In his early 20s, Jeremy founded The Lab Magazine, a globally distributed publication featuring long-form conversations with cultural icons including Willem Dafoe, Sam Rockwell, Wes Anderson, Marina Abramović, and Noam Chomsky.

At 27, he made his directorial debut with the psychological thriller In Their Skin, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically by IFC. His documentary-driven commercial work for brands such as MasterCard, Nike, and Chevrolet has been recognized by AdWeek, Creativity, and Ad Age, and earned a Young Director Award nomination at the Cannes Lions Festival.

Over the past decade, Jeremy has lived and worked extensively in Nepal, directing Between the Mountain and the Sky, an intimate feature documentary produced by the Emmy-winning Duplass Brothers. The film has screened at more than 40 festivals worldwide, winning over 30 awards including the Audience Award at Mountainfilm Telluride, and has received a North American theatrical release. Alongside the film, Jeremy led a global impact campaign that reached more than 15 million people and helped raise over $2 million in support of BlinkNow, the nonprofit at the heart of the story.

Through his production company, MPWR Content, Jeremy blends cinematic storytelling with a deep commitment to social good, creating films and photography that amplify underrepresented voices and help catalyze real-world change in communities around the globe.

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Episode 490 - Marc Shaiman

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Marc Shaiman is a renowned American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his work across film, television, and theater. Shaiman began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before expanding into film scoring. He gained prominence with his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, on television with SNL, and on recordings with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray alongside his longtime co-lyricist Scott Wittman. The duo has also co-created the musicals Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and Smash. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. Marc Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and his ability to blend classic musical theatre sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Lou Mirabal. For more information visit www.marcshaiman.com

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Episode 489 - Nicholas Clar

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0000

Nicholas Clar is an Ohio native actor and content creator. Alumni of Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance, Neighborhood Playhouse and Atlantic Theatre Company Acting School. Nicholas has worked with Cleveland’s Playwright’s Local and Ceaser’s Forum among other New York and North East Ohio theatre companies. Nicholas has been on staff at Little Known Facts Podcast since 2019.

@iamnickclar

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Episode 488 - Irene Lucio

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0000

After a celebrated run off-Broadway and rave reviews, Irene Lucio has returned to the role of Isadora in the groundbreaking play. LIBERATION explores the universal themes of freedom, identity, and resilience, set against the backdrop of historical and contemporary struggles for justice. Isadora is an Italian immigrant filmmaker who entered a green-card marriage.

New York Theatre Guide called her performance “sharp and witty… toggling back and forth between humor and heartbreak with natural ease.”

Irene is perhaps best known for her role in Jeremy O. Harris’ award-winning play SLAVE

PLAY where she starred as Patricia and played the role in all four forms of the show. She also wrote a Spanish series titled ‘SúperEllas’ for Canela TV. A show for children about Latina trailblazers, it won the Best Non-English Program – Family Programming at the 48th Annual Gracie Awards.

As a Latinx woman born and raised in Puerto Rico, Irene seeks roles which showcase the importance of diverse representation in the arts. Fluent in Spanish and a graduate of Princeton and Yale’s esteemed acting program, she currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and 2 year old son.

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Episode 487 - Christiani Pitts

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Christiani Pitts has starred on Broadway in Two Strangers Carry A Cake Across New York, King Kong and A Bronx Tale. She recurred on Starz's "Power Book III:Raising Kanan" and starred in the Netflix feature "Resort To Love." Other credits include : Dead Ringers, Blue Bloods, The Good Fight, Evil and Elementary.

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Episode 486 - Death Becomes Her

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Julia Mattison is a writer, songwriter, actor, and musical comedian who co-wrote the lyrics and music for the Broadway musical, Death Becomes Her. Her projects with Noel include Is Anyone Alive Out There? (Audible Theater), Noel and Julia’s Wayward Brainchildren (Joe’s Pub), “Brooklyn Sound” (Streamy Award winner, Webby Award nominee), Ruby Manger Live! (54 Below), and multiple musical commercials for Olay. She and Joel Waggoner are the unhinged minds behind the viral holiday sensation “Advent Carolndar” (@adventcarolndar on Instagram), featured on NPR, in The New Yorker, on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, and more.

Noel Carey co-wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical, Death Becomes her. His Off-Broadway credits include: Is Anyone Alive Out There? (co-book/music/lyrics; Audible Original), Olay: The Road to Glow (co-book/music/lyrics). NYC: Noel and Julia’s Wayward Brainchildren (co-music/lyrics), Ruby Manger Live! (co-music/lyrics). TV/Film: “Brooklyn Sound” (co-creator/songwriter; 2016 Streamy for Best Indie), “Life Sucks” (original music), 4th Dementia (original music). Streaming: The Good Grief Sessions (arrangements/piano). BMI Musical Theatre Workshop (Harrington Award, Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre). Emerson College (Howard Waldman Award).

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Episode 485 - F. Murray Abraham

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0000

F. Murray Abraham has appeared in more than 80 films including Amadeus (Academy Award, Golden Globe, and L.A. Film Critics Awards), The Phoenician Scheme, The Name of the Rose, Finding Forrester, Scarface, The Ritz, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Inside Llewyn Davis. A veteran of the stage, he has appeared in more than 90 plays, among them Uncle Vanya (Obie Award), Krapp’s Last Tape, Trumbo, A Christmas Carol, the musical Triumph of Love, Cyrano de Bergerac, King Lear, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Angels in America (Broadway), Waiting for Godot, and It’s Only a Play. Mr. Abraham’s work in experimental theater includes collaborations with Joe Chaiken, Pina Bausch, Time and Space Ltd, and Richard Foreman. He made his NY debut as a Macy’s Santa Claus. He starred in the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” for which he received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Previously, he was a series regular on “Homeland” (2 Emmy nominations). He’s appeared with Luciano Pavarotti, Maestros Levine, Tilson Thomas, Mazur, and Bell, and he made his solo singing debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Mr. Abraham’s book, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Actors on Shakespeare, is published by Faber & Faber. He is proud to be the spokesman for the MultiFaith Alliance for refugees worldwide.

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Episode 484 - Laura Bell Bundy

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Laura Bell Bundy Broadway: “Elle Woods” Legally Blonde (Tony, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Noms), “Sylvia” The Cottage, “Amber” Hairspray (OBC), “Glinda” Wicked. Notable Off Bway: Romy & Michelle The Musical, Mama I’m a Big Girl Now (Drama Desk Nom) “Tina” Ruthless (Outer Critics/Drama Desk Noms). TV: Anger Management, Fairly Odd Parents, Call Me Kat, How I Met Your Mother/Father, Hart Of Dixie, Perfect Harmony, The Guest Book, American Gods and more. Film: Jumanji, Dreamgirls, Huck Finn, Snow Day, etc. Billboard top 5 recording artist: “Achin & Shakin,” (UMG) “Another Piece of Me” (Big Machine). Sony publishing songwriter (2008-2013). Women Of Tomorrow album & podcast. Best decision: Marrying Thom, having Huck and moving to Hardscrabble Farm in NJ. All socials: @laurabellbundy

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Episode 483 - Kara Lindsay

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0000

KARA LINDSAY is best known for originating Katherine Plumber in Disney’s Newsies on Broadway and reprising the role in the 2017 film. She is also one of Wicked’s longest-running Glinda’s on Broadway and starred as Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Add’l credits include: Once Upon a Mattress (Broadway), Romy and Michelle The Musical, Little House on the Prairie, and regional productions nationwide. TV: Murphy Brown, ABC’s Disney Family Singalong, Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary among others.

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Episode 482 - Ari'el Stachel

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0000

ARI’EL STACHEL is a Tony Award® and GRAMMY® Award–winning actor, singer, and writer. His new solo play OTHER was presented Off-Broadway after acclaimed runs at Berkeley Rep and Berkshire Theatre Group. Stachel received the 2018 Tony Award® for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for originating the role of Haled in The Band’s Visit on Broadway, a performance that also earned Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations. On screen, he stars in the upcoming feature Death Do Us Part and has appeared in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling (Warner Bros.) and A24’s Zola. His television credits include Law & Order: SVU, Billions, Jessica Jones, Blue Bloods, and The Night Agent.

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Episode 481 - Amy Landecker

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0000

AMY LANDECKER is a dynamic actress and filmmaker known for her captivating performances across both comedy and drama in film and television. Amy made her debut as a writer, producer, director and star with For Worse, a feature film that premiered to great acclaim at the 2025 SXSW film festival. The hilarious and poignant romantic comedy focuses on a newly divorced sober mom who goes to a wedding with a much younger date and behaves like a drunk 25-year-old bridesmaid trying to keep up. Amy’s previous film work includes Tommy Dorfman’s directorial debut I Wish You All the Best (SXSW2024), Shell, Missing—the sequel to the hit Searching—and I Love My Dad (SXSW 2023), in which she stars alongside Patton Oswalt. Her impressive filmography also includes standout roles in S#!%House, the 2020 SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner, Power on Netflix, opposite Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, A Kid Like Jake, Beatriz at Dinner, and the Coen Brothers’ Best Picture Nominee, A Serious Man. Recently, she starred alongside Bryan Cranston in Showtime's "Your Honor" and appeared in BJ Novak's "The Premise." Previous television credits include "Gaslit," alongside Julia Roberts, the HBO Max series Minx and the Emmy Award winning “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She is also widely recognized for her role in the critically acclaimed "Transparent," which spanned five seasons and garnered a SAG nomination, and for her powerful performance in "The Handmaid's Tale," for which she appeared in multiple seasons, as well as numerous animated series including “The Croods: Family Tree,” “Q- Force,” “Troll Hunters,” “In The Know” and “Batman: The Long Halloween.” She can next be seen in “The Testaments,” Hulu’s follow up series to “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Amy began her career acting and directing in Chicago theater at companies like The Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre and A Red Orchid. Amy was brought to NYC with a Goodman Theater production of Rebecca Gilman’s Blue Surge at The Public Theater. She remained in NYC and began a thriving on-camera career with her first job as a guest star on “Law and Order SVU,” where she recently returned for an unforgettable guest appearance in 2025.

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Episode 480 - John-Andrew Morrison

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0000

JOHN-ANDREW MORRISON -Tony Award Nomination, Lucille Lortel Award, and OBIE for A Strange Loop. Currently stars on Broadway in Oh, Mary. Off Broadway: Blues for an Alabama Sky (KEEN Company, Outer Critics Circle Honoree), The Blacks - A Clown Show, Caligula and Malvolio (Classical Theater of Harlem), Medea of the Laundromat (La MaMa and Lucille Lortel Theater with The Experimentals — for George Ferencz). Regional: 3 Summers of Lincoln (La Jolla Playhouse). BA from Brandeis University and MFA from UC San Diego.

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Episode 479 - Bess Wohl

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Bess Wohl is a playwright and filmmaker whose plays have

been produced on and off Broadway, regionally, and

internationally. Bess's plays include LIBERATION, GRAND HORIZONS

(Broadway, Tony Nomination), CAMP SIEGFRIED, MAKE

BELIEVE, CONTINUITY, SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS,

AMERICAN HERO, TOUCHED, IN, CATS TALK BACK

and the musical PRETTY FILTHY. Her plays have been

recognized with a variety of awards and nominations, including

the Drama Desk, Drama League, Lucille Lortel and Outer

Critics' Circle. She made her feature film debut with her film

BABY RUBY, starring Noémie Merlant and Kit Harington,

which she wrote and directed. The film premiered at the 2022

Toronto Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in

2023. She also is developing multiple television projects and

wrote for the Apple TV+ series, “Extrapolations." Wohl is an

associate artist with The Civilians, an alumna of Ars Nova’s PlayGroup, and the recipient of new

play commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center and Williamstown Theatre

Festival. Recently, she made her West End debut with a sold out run of BARCELONA.

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Episode 478 - Jenn Harris

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Jenn Harris is an award-winning writer, director, actor, and producer. She is currently starring in Oh, Mary! on Broadway. Jenn originated the role of Clarice Starling in Silence! The Musical, won a Lortel and Theatre World award for her performance in Modern Orthodox, and was in the revival of All In The Timing. Film & TV credits: American Fiction (Oscar '24), "High Maintenance," “Elsbeth,” “Search Party," "30 Rock," "Gayby," "Difficult People," "Younger," "Bored to Death." She wrote, directed and starred in the short film She's Clean, her co-created series “NEW YORK IS DEAD” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Comedy at the New York Television Festival, and she co-directed the short "Island Queen" starring Rachel Dratch and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. She wrote My Name is Karen! and Snitch for Theaterworks Hartford. Jenn is also a member of the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Directing Shadow Program. @realjennharris

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Episode 477 - Adam Gopnik

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Award-winning, best-selling author Adam Gopnik has been a writer for The New Yorker since 1986 – covering fiction, humor, criticism, art, book reviews, personal essays, profiles, and reported pieces from abroad. He has written nine books, ranging from essay collections about Paris and food, to children’s novels, as well as several musicals and theater pieces. Gopnik has won three National Magazine Awards, for essays and for criticism, and the George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting. In 2021 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur, and this year was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Letters. He lectures widely, and, in 2011, delivered the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s fiftieth-anniversary Massey Lecture. For the theater, Gopnik wrote the book and lyrics for the musical comedy Our Table, with composer David Shire; the libretto for the oratorio Sentences, with Nico Muhly; and is currently working on several new projects for the stage. Projects in development include: a new musical, Fairy Tale, with Andrew Lippa, developed alongside Nicholas Hytner; a new musical with Marcy Heisler for the Central Park Conservancy; and a new collaboration with Shire that tells the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, called Troubadour.

Adam Gopnik’s New York, his autobiographical solo show, returns to NYC this month (October, 2025) at Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio Theater.

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Episode 476 - Josh Hamilton

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Josh Hamilton has worked as an actor since he was a teenager in NYC. On stage, he’s been in the original productions of Kenneth Lonergan’s This is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery and The Medieval Play, on Broadway in Proof, The Real Thing, The Coast of Utopia and Dead Accounts. Off-Broadway includes Annie Baker’s The Antipodes, Jonathan Marc Sherman’s Things We Want, HurlyBurly(Drama Desk nom), Scene Partners, Lie of the Mind, The Cider House Rules, Reasons to be Happy, Cherry Orchard and Three Sisters(CSC), The Bridge Project(BAM/Old Vic) and Wallace Shawn’s Evening at the Talkhouse(National Theater).

His film work has included Reality, 8th Grade(Indie Spirit nom), Maestro, Manchester by the Sea, Blaze, Landscape with Invisible Hand, Away We Go, Outsourced, Kicking and Screaming, The House of Yes, Alive. And on TV in The Walking Dead, 13 Reasons Why, The Last Thing He Told Me, Mrs. Fletcher, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Louie, Accused, and Ray Donovan. He can be seen in the upcoming The Long Walk, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, Concessions, Mayday(Apple), Something Very Bad is Going to Happen(Netflix), The Last Thing He Told Me season 2(Apple) and The Five Star Weekend(Peacock).

And on stage in Wallace Shawn’s new play “What We Did Before Our Moth Days” directed by Andre Gregory at the Greenwich House Theater in early 2026.

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Episode 475 - A Man With Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Kenneth Cole is an American designer and social activist who believes that business and philanthropy are interdependent. His company, Kenneth Cole Productions, creates modern footwear, clothing, and accessories that are distributed worldwide.

Kenneth’s commitment to public health initiatives goes back decades. He has been one of the leading and loudest voices in the global response to HIV and AIDS for more than 30 years. Kenneth joined amfAR’s board of directors in 1987 and assumed its chairmanship in 2004. Under his leadership of 14 years, amfAR was instrumental in significant breakthroughs in HIV and AIDS research, treatment, and helping to designate the disease. Since 2016, Kenneth has also been a UNAIDS International

Goodwill Ambassador using his passion, insights, and vast experience to help end the public health crisis.

Dori Berinstein is a six-time Tony-winning Broadway producer and an Emmy-award-winning director/producer.

As a filmmaker, Dori’s work includes:Dori’s award-winning documentary work includes: “A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole”, “ShowBusiness: The Road To Broadway” (IDA Finalist), “Carol Channing: Larger Than Life” (NYT – Favorite Films of the Century) “Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love” (Emmy Award) and “Gotta Dance”. Dori is Executive Producer of Isaac Mizrahi’s “Unzipped”, “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” and producer of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix film “The Prom”, adapted from Dori’s Broadway Musical (Golden Globe Nominee).

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Episode 474 - David Zayas

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0000

David Zayas is best known for his role as Angel Batista on the award-winning series Dexter and Dexter: Resurrection. Other television work includes OZ (HBO), Shut Eye (Hulu), Gotham (Fox), Bloodline (Netflix), Blue Bloods (CBS), FBI (CBS), Pose (F/X), and Next (Fox) among others. He has appeared in the films The Interpreter, 16 Blocks, Michael Clayton, The Expendables, Ride, Tallulah, Shine, Annie, Body Cam, Force of Nature, and R#J. David began his acting career with LAByrinth Theater Company in 1992. Productions include In Arabia We’d All Be Kings, Jesus Hopped the A Train, and Our Lady of 121st Street all written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. His latest projects include Devil of Choice by Maggie Diaz Bofill and Divine Horseman written and directed by Paul Calderon. On Broadway, he appeared in the Pulitzer Prize-w inning Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz and directed by Emily Mann.

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Episode 473 - Nicola Kraus

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Nicola Kraus co-authored The Nanny Diaries, which became an international #1 best-seller selling over 6 million copies in 32 languages and inspiring the movie starring Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti and Alicia Keys. In addition to co-authoring 9 more novels, Nicola has contributed to The London Times, The New York Times, Redbook, Glamour, and Town & Country. In 2015 she co-founded the creative consulting firm The Finished Thought, which helps the next generation of aspiring authors find their voice and audience. The Best We Could Hope For is her first solo novel.

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Episode 472 - Dominic Fumusa and Kadia Saraf

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Kadia Saraf stars as Detective Claudette Wallace in Showtime and Paramount+’s Dexter: Resurrection and has also appeared as U.S. Attorney Anya Avital in Law & Order: SVU. Her additional credits include The Better Sister, Blue Bloods, FBI: International, and The Good Fight. Fluent in four languages and conversant in ASL, Kadia is also a martial artist and amateur boxer. She volunteers at the Animal Care Center, fostering and caring for cats and neonatal kittens.

Dominic Fumusa currently plays “Detective Melvin Oliva” on the hit Paramount / Showtime series “Dexter: Resurrection.” Fumusa is best known for playing "Kevin Peyton" opposite Edie Falco on Showtime's acclaimed show "Nurse Jackie" which ran for seven seasons from 2009-2015. Fumusa's film work includes playing the real life hero John "Tig" Tiegen in "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" directed by Michael Bay. Fumusa appeared opposite Will Smith and Margot Robbie in the romantic comedy "Focus." Other film work includes "The Report," "Allegiance," "Helena from the Wedding," "Management" and "Little New York." Fumusa plays opposite Luke Evans and Michiel Huisman on Apple TV's "Echo 3" written and directed by Mark Boal. Additional television work includes major season-long arcs on "Homeland," "Godfather of Harlem," "Divorce," "Goliath," and "The Purge," as well as guest starring roles on "Damages," "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," and many others. Fumusa's extensive stage experience includes originating roles in the New York premieres of Sarah Ruhl's plays "Stage Kiss" and "Passion Play", Richard Greenberg's Tony Award winning "Take Me Out" (NY and London), Melissa James Gibson's Obie Award winning "[sic]" and Stephen Belber's plays "The Power of Duff," "Fault Lines," and "Tape" (NY, London and Los Angeles). His Broadway debut came in the 1998 revival of "Wait Until Dark" opposite Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino. Select regional theater credits include numerous plays at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the Stratford Festival in Canada, the Huntington Theater in Boston, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Humana Festival at the Actors Theater of Louisville.

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Episode 471 - Marisha Wallace

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Marisha recently starred as Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway and in London. Also on the west end she starred as Miss Adelaide in the smash-hit revival of Guys and Dolls, earning an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She also received critical acclaim and an Oliver nomination for her performance as Ado Annie in the groundbreaking production of Oklahoma! At the Young Vic.

Her extensive stage credits include performing for His Majesty the King, starring as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray at the London Coliseum, originating the role of Becky in the West End production of Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre, and making her West End debut as Effie White in Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre.

Her albums include Soul Holiday, Tomorrow and Live in London.

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Episode 470 - Chiara Aurelia

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Chiara Aurelia is an American actress known for her starring role in the Freeform series Cruel Summer and her Broadway debut in the play John Proctor Is The Villain. Other notable credits include the Netflix film Luckiest Girl Alive, Fear Street Part Two: 1978, Gerald's Game, and the TNT series Tell Me Your Secrets. She also appeared in the Off-Broadway play Dilaria before joining the Broadway production of John Proctor Is The Villain.

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Episode 469 - Hannah Bos

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:20:00 -0000

Hannah Bos is a Peabody Award winning writer who is co-creator and executive producer of HBO’s critically acclaimed comedy series Somebody Somewhere. Along with writing partner Paul Thureen, she received a Humanitas Prize nomination for the Somebody Somewhere pilot and with Paul and Bridget Everett was nominated for a WGA Award for Episodic Comedy. The series has received nominations from the GLAAD Media Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, Gotham Awards, Spirit Awards, TCA & HCA Awards, Dorian TV Awards, and was honored by AFI amongst their Television Programs of the Year in 2022. Hannah and Paul received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for "Best First Screenplay" for their feature Driveways (dir. Andrew Ahn) which premiered at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival (North American premiere at Tribeca Film Festival). Together they have also written for HBO’s High Maintenance and Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle. Hannah was a co-founder/co-Artistic Director of The Debate Society, a multiple Obie award winning theater company, co-writing and starring in all the company’s plays. She also starred in the premiere of Will Eno’s The Open House at the Signature Theatre Company (Drama Desk Award; Lortel Nomination, Featured Actress). Regional acting credits include premieres of Will Eno’s Gnit and Lisa Kron’s THE VERI**ON PLAY at Humana Festival. TV/Film acting: High Maintenance (HBO), The Outside Story, Timeless Seasons (Rooftop Films), and How to Follow Strangers (PBS). Hannah is a Sundance Institute Fellow. MFA Harvard/MXAT. Mother of Rocket.

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Episode 468 - Jenny Anderson

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Jenny Anderson is a New York based freelance photographer. She has a degree from the University of Mississippi in journalism, served as the photo editor for Broadway.com for six years, was senior contributing editor and photographer for The X Magazine at Today Tix and regularly shoots for Disney Television, Getty Images and The New York Times.

She is skilled in a wide range of photography including theatre, live music, events, portraits and street photography. She has been featured in Vanity Fair, InStyle, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The X Magazine, The Observer, Time Out New York and on Broadway.com, PureWow, People, USWeekly, EW, Broadway Style Guide and much more.

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Episode 467 - Mike Isaacson

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Mike Isaacson is the Artistic Director and Executive Producer of The Muny, the third person to hold this position in The Muny’s 106 -year history. During his 14 seasons, he has produced 89 Muny shows, 37 new to The Muny stage. He is also a 9 Time Tony Award winning Broadway producer.

After his first season at The Muny, The Riverfront Times wrote, “Under the leadership of executive producer Mike Isaacson the quality of Muny productions rose like the proverbial phoenix.” During his tenure, Isaacson has changed the look and feel of The Muny, overseeing a transformation in every aspect of production that culminated in 2019 with the arrival of the theatre’s extraordinary James S. McDonnell stage, a state-of-the art stage house that includes revolutionary LED technology, automated sets, and a host of other innovations. In 2016, The Muny embarked on an unprecedented $100 million capital campaign, raising within 5 years a record amount for any theater in the U.S. During the COVID lock-down summer of 2020, Mike produced and created The Muny 2020 Variety Hour, five live online shows that reached a worldwide audience of more than 400,000. For the summer of 2021, The Muny was one of two theaters in the U.S. to reopen, and produced five full productions, receiving acclaim for their artistry and their presence. The 2022 season’s productions received 21 nominations from the St. Louis Theatre Critics Circle, more than any other theater in St. Louis. In 2023, The Muny bested its record with 26 nominations, and for it’s 2024 season, The Muny received a record 30 nominations – a record for The Muny and for the Theatre Critics Circle. During his time, The Muny’s education and outreach programs have grown in number, and their artistic endeavors now incorporate all aspects of theater making – production, performance and administration. The Muny kids and teens are now recognized nationally for their excellence, inspiring a national program where teens from throughout the U.S. audition annually come to St. Louis to be a part of a Muny production.

For 27 years, with his partner Kristin Caskey, Mike has produced more than 40 Broadway musicals and plays, national tours, off-Broadway plays, and London productions. This Spring on Broadway, they are producing Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, co-starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren. In 2023, they produced the highly acclaimed Broadway revival of Parade, starring Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, now on a national tour. Parade also received “Best Revival of a Musical” as well as “Best Musical Revival” from both The Drama Desk and The Outer Critics Circle. In 2022, they produced Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, which subsequently had a record-breaking run at London’s Savoy Theater. Other recent Broadway productions include David Byrne’s American Utopia, for which they received a special 2021 Tony Award. It also became a multi-Emmy Award nominated film by Spike Lee for HBO, for which he also served as an executive producer. In 2015, he received the Tony® award for “Best Musical” for the ground-breaking Fun Home. Other producing highlights include Dolls House, Part 2, The Humans (2016 Tony® Award, Best Play); Bring It On The Musical (2013 Tony® nomination for Best Musical); Red (2010 Tony® Award, Best Play); Legally Blonde the Musical (2011 Olivier Award, Best Musical); Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Tony® Award, Best Musical); You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; If/Then; The Seagull; Burn This, Caroline, or Change; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest starring Gary Sinise, and Death of a Salesman (1999 Tony® Award). For the IPN, he served as producer for the Broadway productions of Spamalot (2005 Tony® Award, Best Musical), Ragtime (revival) and The Color Purple. All told, his productions have received more than 139 Tony® Award Nominations, and 40 Tony® Awards.

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Episode 466 - Burke Swanson

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Burke Swanson currently stars on Broadway as James Hooper, Jr. in the most Tony Award winning play of 2025 - Stranger Things The First Shadow.

He made his Broadway debut, immediately following his graduation from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), when he originated the role of “Jack” in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo, He recently wrapped up a the First National Tour of Back to the Future: The Musical where he starred as “George McFly”. On television he can be seen in Harlem.

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Episode 465 - John Proctor Is The Villain

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Kimberly Belflower is a playwright and educator originally from a small town in Appalachian Georgia. This is her Broadway debut, and she’s probably crying about it right now. Plays include JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN (2024 Huntington Theatre, 2022 Studio Theatre, 2019 Kilroys List, published by Broadway Licensing, Farm Theatre College Collaboration Project); LOST GIRL (2018 Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Kennedy Center Darrell Ayers National Playwriting Award, published by Concord Theatricals); and SAINT PIGTAIL (commissioned and developed by Studio Theatre, 2023 O’Neill Finalist). Kimberly has worked with South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, Alliance Theatre, Ojai Playwrights Conference, among others. She was also a narrative lead at Meow Wolf, where she wrote a short film with original music by Beach House. Kimberly proudly holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and teaches playwriting at Emory University in Atlanta.

Gabriel Eber - Broadway: Matilda The Musical (Tony Winner, Featured Actor), Pass Over, Casa Valentina, Brief Encounter, Time And The Conways, Therese Raquin, Red. Off-Broadway: 4000 Miles (OBIE Winner), Preludes, Gently Down The Stream, Sally & Tom, Peer Gynt, Prometheus Bound. Film/TV: News Of The World, “Dickinson,” I Am A Seagull, “Mr. Mercedes,” Ricki And The Flash, The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, and the upcoming Dope Thief. As a singer, he’s performed at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall and with the New York Philharmonic.

Fina Strazza - Broadway: Matilda in Matilda the Musical. Off-Broadway: Animal, A Loss of Roses, Member of the Wedding. TV: “Paper Girls” (series lead), “Law and Order: SVU” (recurring), “Madam Secretary,” “FBI: Most Wanted” “Last Week Tonight.” A student at NYU’s Tisch, her eight films include Above the Shadows, A Christmas Melody (recording “Oh, Santa!” with director Mariah Carey), and Netflix’s upcoming “Fear Street: Prom Queen.”

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Epiosde 464 - Jeb Brown

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Jeb Brown has had a decades long career on stage and in film and televsion. Jeb appeared in productions on and off-Broadway including Grease, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, in which he originated the role of Don Kirshner. For his performance in Dead Outlaw, Brown was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

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Episode 463 - Chris Bauer

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0000

CHRIS BAUER has appeared in over 300 episodes of television, 40 feature films, and several theater productions on Broadway and Off. His multiple long running television credits include Frank Sobotka in ‘THE WIRE’, Andy Bellefleur in ‘TRUE BLOOD’, and Bobby Dwyer in ‘THE DEUCE’ for HBO. Most recently he starred as pro wrestler Wild Bill Hancock on ‘HEELS’ for Starz, where he also appeared in ‘GASLIT’ with Julia Roberts and Sean Penn, and ‘SURVIVORS REMORSE’, produced by LeBron James, and played Joe McCarthy in the Peabody Award winning ‘FELLOW TRAVELERS’ for Showtime. On Apple TV Plus, he played Deke Slayton in the inaugural season of ‘FOR ALL MANKIND’, and appeared as Det. Tom Lange in ‘PEOPLE VS OJ’ for FX. Recent feature credits include co-starring with Denzel Washington in the Warner Brothers film ‘THE LITTLE THINGS’, ‘MONEY MONSTER’, and ‘SULLY’. He received an Outer Critic’s nomination for playing Mitch in ‘STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE’ on Broadway, and has originated roles in plays by David Mamet, Jez Butterworth, and John Patrick Shanley throughout a long career in theater. Upcoming credits include the limited series' 'Unspeakeable' for Paramount Plus, and 'His/Hers' for Netflix. On film he will be seen in 'Henry Johnson' and 'Our Hero Balthazar', as well as '3 Holes and a Donut', a feature film he wrote and directed. Chris is a native of Los Angeles, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, and a metalhead.

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Episode 462 - Georgia Stitt

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0000

GEORGIA STITT is an award-winning composer, lyricist, music producer, pianist, and activist. Her original musicals include Snow Child (commissioned by and premiered at Arena Stage, directed by Molly Smith), Big Red Sun (11th Hour Theater in Philadelphia, NAMT 2010), and a children’s musical, Samantha Spade, Ace Detective (TADA Youth Theater), which won “Outstanding New Musical” from the National Youth Theatre in 2014 and is now licensed by Concord Theatricals. Other shows include The Danger Year, The Big Boom, The Water (winner of the 2008 ANMT Search for New Voices in American Musical Theater), Common Ground, and Mosaic.

Georgia has released four albums of her music: A Quiet Revolution (2020), My Lifelong Love (2014), This Ordinary Thursday (2007), and Alphabet City Cycle (featuring Tony-nominated actress Kate Baldwin, 2009). She is currently at work on a new album of theatrical art songs and an oratorio called The Circling Universe. Her choral piece with hope and virtue (using text from President Obama's 2009 inauguration speech) was featured on NPR, and both her orchestral piece, Waiting for Wings, co-written with husband Jason Robert Brown, and her piece for solo clarinet, Fanfare for the Ups and Downs, were commissioned and premiered by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Georgia served for several years as the composer-in-residence at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, and she has written many pieces for choir, including A Better Resurrection, De Profundis, and The Promise of Light, which has often been performed by the LA Master Chorale.

Georgia is the Founder and President of Maestra Music, an organization that provides support, visibility, and community for women and nonbinary theater musicians, and through that work she has won an Obie Award and a Lilly Award and has been featured in Forbes, Billboard, Playbill, Opera News, and The New York Times. In collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, she and her team at Maestra created the RISE Theatre Directory which seeks to build a more equitable and inclusive theater industry by centralizing DEIA tools and resources. Georgia is in leadership at The Dramatists Guild, The Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing, and MUSE (Musicians United for Social Equity). She has produced albums and musical events for singers and has worked in the music department on projects including Broadway’s 2023 revival of Parade, NBC’s The Sound of Music (Live!), the film version of The Last Five Years (starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan), Off-Broadway’s Sweet Charity (starring Sutton Foster), Disney/ABC’s Once Upon a Mattress (starring Tracey Ullman and Carol Burnett), and the recent Netflix film, 13: The Musical. In her eight years living in LA, Georgia worked for America’s Got Talent, Clash of the Choirs, and Grease: You’re the One That I Want, and she wrote songs for MTV’s The American Mall. She currently teaches Musical Theater Writing at Princeton University, has previously taught at Pace University and USC, and is a frequent keynote speaker and master class instructor. Georgia lives in New York with her husband and their two wonderful daughters. www.georgias

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Episode 461 - Jeffrey Seller

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Jeffrey Seller is an Tony Award-winning American theatrical producer best known for his work on Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, and Hamilton, as well as inventing Broadway’s first rush ticket and lottery ticket policies. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1986, Jeffrey moved to New York City where he worked, as a publicist, booking agent, and producer. With his business partner Kevin McCollum he produced three Best Musical Tony Award-winning Broadway shows; Rent, Avenue Q, and In the Heights. With increasingly expensive Broadway ticket prices, Seller and McCollum invented Broadway’s first rush ticket policy early on in the production of Rent. The idea was to keep the show accessible for people “in their 20s and 30s, artists, Bohemians-the people for whom Jonathan Larson wrote the show.” A select number of front row tickets would be sold for $20 on a first come per-serve basis. Rush tickets became so popular that people began to sleep on the streets outside the theater to get a spot at the front of the line. Out of concern for the safety of those who participated in the Rush policy Seller and McCollum created Broadway’s first lottery ticket policy, which kept cheap tickets accessible to a young audience by selling $20 tickets to the winners of a drawing. Together Seller and McCollum also produced De La Guarda, Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party, High Fidelity, and the revival of WestSide Story. After working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on In the Heights, he produced Hamilton. Hamilton has gone on to receive widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. In June 2016, Hamilton received 11 Tony awards of a record-breaking 16 nominations, including a Best Musical win for Seller, making it his fourth Tony Award. He is the author of the memoir, Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir.

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Episode 460 - Julia Knitel

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Julia Knitel - Broadway: Dead Outlaw ( Tony award nominee), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Carole King, first national tour), Bye Bye Birdie. Off-Broadway: A Letter to Harvey Milk (Lucille Lortel nomination). Select New York/Regional: Nora in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Portland Stage Co.), Ingrid in Volleygirls (NY Musical Festival: Best of Fest). Film: Miles.

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Episode 459 - Julie Halston

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Julie Halston is one of New York's busiest actresses and was the recipient of the 2021 Isabelle Stevenson TONY AWARD for her advocacy on behalf of The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Her Broadway credits are numerous, including Tootsie, Hairspray, Gypsy, Anything Goes, and The Twentieth Century, and most recently Our Town. She received the Richard Seff Award for her acclaimed performance in You Can't Take it with You and has garnered four Drama Desk nominations for her Broadway and off-Broadway work. Miss Halston was a founding member of Charles Busch's legendary theatre company and co-starred with Mr. Busch in many productions including The Divine Sister, Red Scare on Sunset, and The Lady in Question. They starred together in the independent feature film, The Sixth Reel. In addition, Miss Halston recently completed the independent feature films, Intermedium and Simchas and Sorrows and Chosen Family with Heather Graham Television credits include a recurring role on the latest Gossip Girl, guest roles on The Good Fight, Almost Family and Divorce. In addition, she has reprised her role as the popular character, Bitsy Von Muffling on the Sex and The City reboot, And Just Like That on MAX. Miss Halston's web series, Virtual Halston was a pandemic hit with over 40 YOUTUBE episodes.”

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Episode 458 - Florencia Cuenca

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Florencia Cuenca is a Mexican actress, singer, writer, and director currently starring on broadway in Real Women Have Curves. She entered the artistic world at the age of 3 acting alongside her father in stadiums and theaters throughout Mexico and the United States. In Mexico, she is known for telenovelas such as “De que te Quiero te Quiero, Muchachitas Como Tú, and for being part of the successful Mexican musical Si Nos Dejan, the Mexican premiere of Shrek the Musical and Selena the Musical. Her first album Aquí – The New Standards led to a tour around Mexico, Latin America, and New York City and being awarded the Hot House Jazz Award 2016 for Best New Jazz Artist.

She has performed Off-Broadway in shows such as Children of Salt and A Never-Ending Line. She was recently seen playing the role of Estela in the world premiere of the musical Real Women Have Curves at A.R.T. As a singer-songwriter, she has performed in prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s/54 Below, and others. Director selected credits: Desaparecidas (JACK), A Never Ending Line (Mexico City). Her new album Broadway in Spanglish was released by Concord Theatricals Recordings. She is interested in developing projects that celebrate diversity, and especially women and the Latinx and Hispanic community.

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Episode 457 - Kyle Selig

Mon, 26 May 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Broadway: Jacob Jankowski in Water for Elephants, Originated the role of Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, Elder Price in The Book of Mormon on Broadway. National Tour/Regional: The Book of Mormon, October Sky, Joan of Arc: Into the Fire by David Byrne, West Side Story at the Hollywood Bowl. Film/ television: “Welcome to Flatch”, “Monster High”, “FBI: International”, “Cat Person”, “The Housewives of the North Pole”, “Mulligan”, “Christmas in Tahoe” for Hallmark Channel, “Madame Secretary”, “Evil”. 2010 Jimmy Award winner and proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Instagram: @kaselig

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Episode 456 - Shannon Lewis

Mon, 19 May 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Shannon began her career as a performer and has appeared in 10 Broadway musicals over a 25 year career. She is most known for her performance of “I Gotcha” in the Tony Award winning original Broadway cast of FOSSE.

As a choreographer, Shannon has extensive experience creating for film and television as the choreographer of Saturday Night Live’s Film Units, creating dances and movement for viral videos such as “I’m Just Pete”, “Gladiator Twosical”, “Shrimp Tower”, ”Big Boys” and many more. She has also choreographed multiple pre-taped and live projects for NBC’s “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon and HBO's “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver. Shannon is the Creative Director and Choreographer of the NBC/ Universal Upfront at Radio City Music Hall. She has also created, directed and choreographed many theatrical and dance projects at such respected venues as Carnegie Hall, Ballet Jazz Montreal, Roundabout Theatre Company, Signature Theatre NYC, Town Hall, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Alvin Ailey Citicorp Theatre, Dreamworks, CLI, Dance Out Loud, NY Times Center, Bay Street Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Ogunquit Playhouse and The York Theatre Company.

Shannon is the founder of FIRESTART Creative; producing and developing impactful, creative projects for film, theatre, television and live events. Her original dance short “Don’t Go” was nominated for a 2023 World Choreography Award.

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Episode 455 - Julie Tucker

Mon, 12 May 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Julie Tucker is a highly acclaimed casting director with a remarkable career spanning over two decades. Recognized for her outstanding contributions to the industry, she boasts an impressive tally of nine Emmy nominations and two Emmy Awards. Additionally, Julie has been honored with five Artois awards from her peers for her excellence in casting.

Her journey began in the theater at The Public, and her introduction to Television started with the casting of the first three seasons of Law and Order: SVU, after which she founded her own casting company.

Julie’s current projects include Queen Latifah’s The Equalizer, the upcoming Limited Series for Netflix “The Beast in Me,” starring Claire Danes, Mathew Rhys and Brittany Snow and the hits series "Doc," for Fox.

Her extensive portfolio includes a diverse range of projects with her former partner Ross Meyerson, such as The Oscar nominated short “Red White & Blue, "The Expanse," "The Americans." “The Affair,” "Nurse Jackie," “Fallout,” the Jennifer Lopez feature film, "Marry Me." Notable past projects include: "Damages" (Emmy and Artios Award), "Six Feet Under" (Emmy and Artios Award for NY Casting), "Rescue Me" (Artios Award), and “Homeland” (Artios Award). She has cast 100’s of hours of television, several dozen pilots and a few movies.

In addition to her work in television and film, she had been on staff and cast for The Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theater Club, and The Williamstown Theater Festival. Her involvement in the 1997 Broadway production of A View From the Bridge, where she had the privilege of being in the room with Arthur Miller, remains a highlight of her career.

Before transitioning to casting, Julie directed Off-Broadway and assisted directors Terrence Malick and Martin Charnin.

She currently is serving on the Board of Directors for The Casting Society.

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Episode 454 - Erich Bergen

Mon, 05 May 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Currently starring in Broadway’s BOOP! The Musical, Erich Bergen is best known for his performance as Blake Moran on television's Madam Secretary, and for his portrayal of Bob Gaudio in the Clint Eastwood film, Jersey Boys, reprising his performance from the stage production of the hit musical. On Broadway, Erich also starred in Waitress and Chicago, and has also been seen on television in Bull, The Good Fight, Gossip Girl, and more. As a Producer and Director, Erich has spearheaded many live, virtual, and television events including work with NBC, CNN, President Obama, Clive Davis, Glenn Close, Michael Kors, and other high-profile icons and outlets. IG: @erichbergen

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Episode 453 - Kelsie Watts

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 04:50:00 -0000

Kelsie Watts’s musical journey began in Lubbock, Texas, where she found her voice at two years old in a family of musicians. From early performances in church and school to studying opera and commercial music at Belmont University in Nashville, she developed her craft and gained recognition. Her self-released music led to a feature on AJ McLean’s 2020 single “Hurts to Love You,” while her viral rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “I Dare You” on The Voice Season 19 earned her a spot on Team Kelly and millions of views.

Now an independent pop artist, Kelsie continues to inspire with her music and advocacy. Her single “Live Out Loud” became the anthem for the Tokyo Sky Tree Global Campaign during the 2021 Olympics, followed by empowering tracks like “Look What You Missed” and the poignant ballad “I Can’t Say Goodbye,” honoring her late brother who she lost to mental health struggles. In 2024, she released “After Midnight” and “Forgetful,” a Diane Warren-penned duet with Nate Amor. Beyond music, Kelsie is a dedicated mental health advocate, collaborating with organizations like Didi Hirsch and the Not Alone Challenge.

Kelsie stars on Broadway in the musical, SIX.

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Episode 452 - Adam Platt

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Adam Platt is a contributing editor at New York Magazine and was chief restaurant critic between 2000 & 2022. He won the James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for Restaurant Reviews in 2010. During the course of nearly twenty-five years in the magazine business, Platt has written for a variety of publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Observer, Esquire, and Condé Nast Traveler. He is the author of The Book of Eating and is currently writing another book. He lives in New York City.

He can be found on social media platforms as @plattypants

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Episode 451 - Eric Bogosian

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 12:30:00 -0000

ERIC BOGOSIAN (Playwright) is the author of plays, solos, and novels, including TALK RADIO, subUrbia, and PERFORATED HEART. He received a Drama Desk award, three Obie awards, and a Guggenheim fellowship. He has also been nominated for the Pulitzer and a Tony award. Bogosian earned the Berlin Silver Bear for writing and starring in the film adaptation of his play TALK RADIO. His historical account of "Operation Nemesis," the death squad that avenged the Armenian Genocide, was published by Little, Brown in 2015. As an actor, Bogosian has starred in LAW & ORDER: CI (NBC), BILLIONS (Showtime), SUCCESSION (HBO), the Safdie brothers' UNCUT GEMS, and most recently INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (AMC) as the interviewer, Daniel Molloy. He produces a website, 100monologues.com, featuring dozens of New York's most vibrant actors. Bogosian is married to director Jo Bonney.

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Episode 450 - Natalie Margolin and Jaki Bradley

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0000

NATALIE MARGOLIN (Playwright) is a Brooklyn-based playwright. Her plays have been developed with Broadway Video, The WP, The Hearth, Colt Coeur, and Fault Line Theatre. Her play The Party Hop, written for Zoom, was published by Dramatist Play Service and produced in high schools and colleges across the country during the pandemic. Currently, she is developing projects with Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video and Mark Gordon Pictures.

JAKI BRADLEY (Director) is a director for theater and film. She has directed at Berkeley Repertory, NYTW, Ars Nova, NYSAF, CTG, Denver Center and Arena Stage, among others. In film, she has written for Netflix, Paramount, AGBO and FX, directed music videos and the short films Spa Day, The Big Ask, and Chow, and is preparing her feature directorial debut, The One. Jaki is a Fulbright Scholar and a proud member of SDC and WGA.

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Episode 449 - Merri Sugarman

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Initially an actress ('Les Miserables', 'Aspects of Love', et al.), Merri found herself out West some years back where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting, then Liberman/Patton Casting, working on such shows as Seinfeld, Party of Five, HBO’s Band of Brothers, the feature film My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Miramax feature film "Playing By Heart", starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie.

In 2000, Merri moved to Dreamworks Studios as the Casting Executive in charge of TV Pilots and Series- including "Spin City", “Freaks and Geeks” and the critically acclaimed "The Job", starring Denis Leary. She was then offered a position as the Director of Casting for Dramas and Movies at ABC Television, overseeing the casting of the series "Alias", "NYPD Blue", "The Practice" and the made for television movies "Gilda Radner - It's Always Something" and "The Music Man", starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth, to name just a few.

Merri then returned to the East Coast to teach and coach actors – something she still does (and loves) as time permits, when Tara Rubin offered her a Senior Casting Director position where she’s been happily ensconced ever since, working on, among many others - the Broadway, touring and international companies of THE WHO’S TOMMY, COMPANY, AIN’T TOO PROUD, JERSEY BOYS,THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES, SCHOOL OF ROCK, MISS SAIGON, A BRONX TALE, CLUELESS the Musical, TREVOR the Musical (2023 Artios Award) and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (2024 Artios Award)

The TRC office is also responsible for the casting of Billy Crystal’s series “Before” for Apple TV and the Broadway productions of The Outsiders, SIX and Death Becomes Her, just to name a few

Merri also casts for many theaters regionally – including The Papermill Playhouse, Lyric Opera of Chicago,

The Old Globe, Seattle Rep, The Goodman and The La Jolla Playhouse.

She is the very proud Casting Director of the critically acclaimed web series SUBMISSIONS ONLY and also boasts having cast many other independent TV & film projects, workshops and readings.

In 2024, Merri took on some passion projects on the side, as well. These include the highly acclaimed and starry concert production of “FOLLIES” at Carnegie Hall for Transport Group’s annual benefit gala, and a reading of a new play at The Actors Studio written by Lyle Kessler (“Orphans”) and directed by Academy Award winner Bobby Moresco – starring Chazz Palminteri, Tim Blake Nelson and Gina Gershon. In addition, Merri is now also the Casting Director at The South Carolina New Play Festival.

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Episode 448 - Caroline Aaron

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Caroline Aaron is known to theatre, film and television audiences, as well as a published author and playwright.She made her Broadway debut in Robert Altman's "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean,Jimmy Dean" and later appeared in the film. The following Broadway season, she starred in the revival of "The Iceman Cometh". She next starred in Mike Nichols's Broadway smash comedy "Social Security". She returned to Broadway starring in "I Hate Hamlet." She headlined the west coast premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosensweig" and was acknowledged with both a Helen Hayes and Dramalogue Award. Next on Broadway she starred in Woody Allen's comedy "Honeymoon Hotel". She headlined Lincoln Center's award winning play "A Kid Like Jake." She played the title role in "All The Days" at the McCarter Theatre and was named best actress by several newspapers in the New York/New Jersey area. She headlined "Call Waiting" at The. Odyssey theatre which became a hit and was later made into a film available on Amazon Prime.On film Caroline has been in over a hundred films and is frequently in demand from top directors including Woody Allen, the late Mike Nichols, Nora Ephron, Paul Mazursky, and Robert Altman.Favorite film roles include “21 & 22 Jump Street”, “Just Like Heaven", "Nancy Drew", "Surveillance", "Love Comes Lately", "Edward Scissorhands", "Anywhere But Here", The Big Night", and "Bounce" among others. Later this year she will be seen in "Theatre Camp", "Between Two Temples", and "The Fourth Dementia".Television audiences are also familiar with her work as a guest star on hundreds of shows. She has recurred on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ghosts, Episodes and Transparent. She is best known for her role as Shirley Maisel on the hit Amazon series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

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Episode 447 - Taylor Polidore Williams

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Taylor Polidore Williams

Currently leading the cast of Netflix’s BEAUTY IN BLACK, Taylor stars as Kimmie, a stripper whose fate takes a turn when she crosses paths with the wealthy, dysfunctional family behind a cosmetics dynasty and a devious trafficking scheme.

This past summer, Taylor was seen starring opposite Meagan Good in Tyler Perry and Amazon Prime Video’s fan favorite film DIVORCE IN THE BLACK, which topped the Amazon charts for several weeks after its debut. Taylor is perhaps best known for heavily recurring in FX’s critically acclaimed SNOWFALL as well as The CW’s ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING. She is also an accomplished voice over artist, having voiced characters for Nickelodeon, Disney, and Peacock, among others.

Taylor is a proud alumna of HBCU Clark Atlanta University and is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is extremely passionate about the rights and welfare of young people and is a Court Appointed Special Advocate for youth in foster care.

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Episode 446 - Abubakr Ali

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0000

Abubakr Ali starred in Anything’s Possible (MGM/Orion Pictures) dir. Billy Porter, and was the titular lead in Netflix/Dark Horse’s series “Grendel.” He recently finished working on Kathryn Bigelow’s upcoming untitled Netflix feature film. Other credits include “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (NBC), “Walking Dead: World Beyond” (AMC), “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz) and “Katy Keene” (CW). Theatre credits include Toros (Second Stage), Inherit the Wind (Pasadena Playhouse), We Live in Cairo (A.R.T.), Kiss (Yale Rep), Twelfth Night (Yale Rep) and work with The 24 Hour Plays, Roundabout Theatre Company, NYTW, Atlantic Theater Com pany, The Public and others. MFA: Yale School of Drama. @theabubakrali

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Episode 445 - Katie O’Brien

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Katie O’Brien is a writer, actor, producer, and showrunner. She, along with her comedy group, The Katydids, co-created, wrote, produced, and starred in the hit comedy, Teachers, which ran for three seasons and fifty episodes on TV Land. She worked as the co-executive producer for Disney + The Santa Clauses starring Tim Allen. Currently, she is the creator, writer, executive producer, and showrunner for Tubi’s first original scripted series, “The Z-Suite,” starring Lauren Graham which premiered on February 6, 2025.

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Episode 444 - Michael Mayer

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Award-winning director Michael Mayer has worked in a broad spectrum of media from theatre and opera to television and film.

Current theatre: Swept Away, a new musical featuring songs of The Avett Brothers which opened November 19, 2024 on Broadway, the hit revival of Little Shop of Horrors now playing at the Westside Theatre, the national tour of his hit Broadway revival of Funny Girl (which starred Lea Michele) and the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, which recently ended its Broadway run. Recent opera: Jeanine Tesori and George Brant’s new opera Grounded which opened the Metropolitan Opera season on September 23, 2024 with performances running until October 19. Upcoming opera: a new production of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera this season opening on December 31, 2024. Other Broadway credits include Adam Driver and Keri Russell in Burn This, Head Over Heels (featuring the songs of The Go-Go’s), Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Tony Award, best musical revival, also National Tour), Spring Awakening (Tony Award/Best Musical and Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Director; also London, National Tour, Vienna, Tokyo, and Seoul productions); Green Day’s American Idiot (also co-author, Drama Desk Award for Best Director; also US, UK and Asia tours); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award/Best Musical also London and National Tour), Side Man (Tony Award/Best Play also London and Kennedy Center Productions), A View from the Bridge (Tony Award/Best Revival), Michael Moore’s The Terms of My Surrender, Everyday Rapture, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Triumph of Love; off-Broadway credits include Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street (BAM), Chess (Kennedy Center), Love, Love, Love (Roundabout), Brooklynite (Also co-author, Vineyard), Whorl Inside A Loop (with Dick Scanlan, Second Stage), 10 Million Miles (Atlantic): Angels in America. London: a record-breaking West End run of Funny Girl and a UK tour. Tokyo: As You Like It (Toho Theatre).

Film: A Home at the End of the World (Excellence in filmmaking, National Board of Review, GLAAD nomination), Single All the Way for Netflix, Flicka, The Seagull. He was featured in both the documentaries Those You’ve Known on HBO and Broadway Idiot.

Television credits Include: SMASH (Pilot, producing director: Season One), two seasons of Alpha House (Amazon), and producer for the HBO film WIG.

He made his Metropolitan Opera debut with a celebrated new production of Rigoletto, followed by a co-production (with the English National Opera) of Nico Muhly’s Marnie, and a new production of La Traviata, which broke box office records. He directed the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s Grounded at the Washington National Opera. Grounded opened the Met’s 24/25 season on September 23, 2024, and his new production of Aida will premiere at the Met on New Year’s Eve 2024.

Additional Awards and fellowships: the inaugural Daryl Roth Creative Spirit award, Drama League Founders Award, Jefferson, Ovation, Alan Schneider, and Carbonell awards; Fox Foundation, Drama League and TCG/NEA Directing Fellowships.

He serves on the Boards of SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society) and the Arthur Miller.

Photos by Sergio Villarini for Broadway.Com- assisted by BrookeBellPhoto

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Episode 443 - Peter Gallagher

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Peter Gallagher has delivered critically acclaimed performances in film, television and theatre. He has starred in many films, including: sex, lies and videotape, American Beauty (SAG Award), The Player, Short Cuts (Golden Globe), The Idolmaker, Dreamchild, While You Were Sleeping, The Underneath, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, Center Stage, Mr. Deeds, Palm Springs and the upcoming Humane. Gallagher’s recent television work includes: “Truth Be Told,” “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” as Mitch, “Grace and Frankie” as Nick, “Grey’s Anatomy” as Dr. Hamilton, “Law & Order SVU” as Chief Dodds, “Covert Affairs” as Arthur Campbell and Schmidt’s dad on “New Girl,” “Togetherness,” “Californication,” “Rescue Me” and “The OC” as Sandy Cohen. His Broadway credits include: Guys and Dolls (Drama Desk nomination), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (with Jack Lemmon, receiving a Tony Award Nomination), The Real Thing (The Clarence Derwent Award), The Corn Is Green (Theatre World Award), A Doll’s Life, Noises Off , The Country Girl, Grease (Original production) On The Twentieth Century and Left On Tenth. Gallagher was honored with a Light on the Hill Award and a Jumbo Award from Tufts University, the Steve Chase Humanitarian Award, the Inspire Award from AARP for his Alzheimer’s advocacy, a Jewish Image Award for his portrayal of Sandy Cohen and the Elsa Rose Fabares Award from The Alzheimer’s Association. He continues to support The Alzheimer’s Association, The Entertainment Community Fund and Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS.

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Episode 442 - Grey Henson

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Grey most recently played Buddy in Elf the musical on Broadway. He received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for his performance as Damian in the original Broadway cast of Mean Girls. He was recently seen playing Michael in tick, tick… BOOM! at the Kennedy Center and Storyteller 2 in the Tony nominated musical Shucked on Broadway. He played the role of Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon on Broadway after originating the role on the first national tour. Grey recurred as Tate in Girls5Eva on Netflix and can be seen in the Sony Pictures film A Journal for Jordan directed by Denzel Washington. Carnegie Mellon University Drama.

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Episode 441 - Ethan Slater

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Tony Nominee Ethan Slater can most recently be seen in the feature film Wicked, where he portrays the role of Boq. The film will be followed up by Wicked: Part 2, where Slater will reprise his role, and will be released by Universal Pictures in November of 2025. In another recent film, Slater also stars in the drama film Lost on a Mountain in Maine, based on the novel. He is currently in production on the indie feature The Designer, alongside Gina Gershon and Katherine Waddell.

Slater is best known for his Broadway debut as SpongeBob in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theatre World and Broadway Beacon Award. He recently starred in Spamalot on Broadway as The Historian / Not Dead Fred / Prince Herbert. His additional theater credits include an Off-Broadway revival of Assassins, and a Williamstown Theatre Festival performance of Marcel on the Train.

In television, Slater has starred in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and as Joel Grey in FX’s Fosse/Verdon.

Slater’s musical achievements include the concept album Edge of the World with Nick Blaemire in 2021, featuring Norbert Leo Butz and Lilli Cooper. He additionally released two EPs “Life is Weird” in 2020, and “Wanderer” in 2019.

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Episode 440 - Spencer Garrett

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Spencer Garrett is a third-generation actor whose career spans 30 years in film, television and theatre. The son of former SAG President and multi-hyphenate actor/activist Kathleen Nolan ('The Real Mc Coys, 'Peter Pan' on Broadway) and grandson of actors Clara Kennedy and Stephen Ellsworth - all of whom plied their trades on the famed Goldenrod Showboat Theatre on the Mississippi River in St Louis - Spencer has had acting in his bones since childhood. The choice to follow in his family's footsteps

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Episode 439 - Julianna Margulies

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Broadway: Festen. Stage: Ten Unknowns (Lucille Lortel Award), The Vagina Monologues, Intrigue With Faye, The Substance of Fire, Fefu and Her Friends. Television: “The Morning Show,” “Billions,” “The Hot Zone,” “Dietland,” “The Good Wife” (two time Emmy and SAG Award winner, Golden Globe, Critics Choice awards), “The Sopranos,” “The Grid” (Golden Globe nomination), “The Mists of Avalon” (Golden Globe nomination), “ER” (Emmy and six-time SAG award winner). Film: Millers in Marriage (upcoming), Three Christs, The Upside, Stand Up Guys, City Island, Snakes on a Plane, The Darwin Awards, Slingshot, Ghost Ship, Evelyn, The Man From Elysian Fields, What’s Cooking?, The Newton Boys, A Price Above Rubies, Paradise Road and Traveller. Author: Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life.

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Episode 438 - Bob Levine 1929 - 2025

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0000

A conversation with my father.

Robert (Bob) Levine was born on December 16th, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Julius, was a Certified Public Accountant by profession, his mother, Tess, was a homemaker and president of the P.T.A and both my grandparents were constantly volunteering for the many organizations that supported the causes they believed in.

Their commitment to social activism was passed down to my father and his siblings and then to me and it is my hope that my children will continue that legacy to be activists for the things they believe in and to use their voices even when others wish it to be silenced.

During the Covid-19 pandemic my visits with my parents were limited to good weather days when we could be outside with each other and talk from a distance. This conversation was recorded during one of those visits in December of 2020 at their home.

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Episode 437 - Maria Dizzia

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Maria Dizzia was last seen in the Broadway Revival of Macbeth and starred in the national tour of Heidi Schreck's acclaimed play What the Constitution Means to Me. Other Theatre: If I Forget, The Layover, Belleville (2013 Drama Desk Nomination), Uncle Vanya, In the Next Room (2010 Tony Award nomination); Eurydice and many more.

She made her directorial debut with the Amios Theater Company production of The Loneliest Number (2018 NY Innovative Theater nomination) and most recently directed Marin Ireland's Pre-Existing Condition at the Connelly Theater.

In 2019 she starred in the Academy Award winning short The Neighbors' Window directed by Marshall Curry for which she also earned the Best Actress Award at the Short Shorts Festival. Maria portrayed Polly on three seasons of Orange is the New Black and had recurring roles on The Staircase, The First Lady, The Undoing, 13 Reasons Why, Horace and Pete, Louie, Emergence, Red Oaks and Royal Pains.

Other select television and film credits include: The Good Nurse, Christine, Life and Beth, The Outside Story, The Deuce, The Newsroom, Prodigal Son, While We’re Young, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Margin Call, The Good Wife, Master of None, Elementary, Fringe, Law & Order and Law & Order Criminal Intent.

She can currently be seen in Paramount+’s series School Spirits, the independent films My Old Ass & Christmas Eve in Miller's Point as well as recurring on Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Before with Billy Crystal and Judith Light.

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Episode 436 - Ross Meyerson

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0000

ROSS MEYERSON is best known for his work as an award-winning television and film casting director. He won an Emmy for his work on ‘Damages’ in 2007 as well as having received seven additional nominations. The short film “Red, White and Blue” his last casting project has been nominated for a 2024 Oscar. He has been nominated sixteen times for CSA’s prestigious Artios Award and was fortunate enough to have won twice for ‘Homeland’ and ‘Rescue Me’. Other notable shows Ross has cast include ‘The Affair’, ‘The Americans’. ‘Nurse Jackie’, ‘’Dexter : New Blood’, “The Equalizer’, ‘The Expanse’, ’The Big C’, ‘The Following’, ‘Seven Seconds’, ‘Hunters’, ‘In Treatment’, ‘Sneaky Pete’, ‘True Blood’(pilot) and many others. The list of showrunners, writers and directors he has had the privilege of working with include Alan Ball, David Milch, Denis Leary, Peter Tolan, Paul Feig, Kevin Williamson, Joel Fields, Joe Weisberg, Brett Ratner, Bryan Cranston, George Nolfi, Dan Futterman, Clyde Phillips, Sarah Treem and Veena Sud.

In addition to his work as a casting director Ross has also works producing and developing new works for the screen and stage. He recently produced ‘I’ll Be Right There’ starring Edie Falco, Bradley Whitford, Michael Rapaport, Charlie Tahan, Michael Beach, Jeanie Berlin and Sepideh Moafi . ‘I’ll Be Right There” was selected in the Hampton, Newport, Santa Barbara and Jackson Hole Film Festivals. He will begin shooting his next film, ‘The Yeti” in late January. His next project in development is the feature film ‘Juliet’ written by Jen Richards and recently chosen for the GLAAD list and The Black List.

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Episode 435 - Robert Greenblatt

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:00 -0000

ROBERT GREENBLATT is one of television’s most prolific executives and producers, with a career spanning broadcast television, cable, streaming, and the Broadway stage. As Chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment until 2020, he ran HBO, TNT, and oversaw the launch of HBO Max which — as Max — now has over 100 million subscribers.

As Chairman of NBC Entertainment from 2011 to 2018, he brought NBC back to #1 after a decade in last place with acclaimed series such as The Voice, the Chicago trilogy, This Is Us, The Blacklist, Smash, Superstore, and The Good Place. His passion for theatre resulted in reviving the lost art of live musicals on television and NBC became the proud home of The Sound of Music Live! (seen by 20 million people), Peter Pan Live!, The Wiz Live!, Hairspray Live!, the Emmy-winning Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!, and Annie Live! (for which he was also executive producer).

Greenblatt is a Peabody and Golden Globe-winning producer in television with credits that range broadly from The Gilded Age and Six Feet Under to The Hughleys, American Family, and Elvis. He is also a prolific Broadway producer and the recipient of four Tony Awards and two Oliviers. He is currently lead producer with Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg of the musical adaptation of Smash, which will debut on Broadway in April, 2025.

Prior to NBC, Greenblatt was President of Showtime Networks from 2003 to 2010 engineering a significant renaissance of that cable network with a string of hits such as Weeds, Dexter, Shameless, Nurse Jackie, Californication, This American Life, and The Tudors. He began his career at Fox Broadcasting where he is responsible for indelible shows that included Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, The X-Files, Party of Five, Ally McBeal, King of the Hill, and The Sopranos, a pilot he developed that eventually found its way to HBO.

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Episode 434 - Alyse Alan Louis

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0000

ALYSE ALAN LOUIS - Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Teeth (Playwrights Horizons/OCR). Since 2011, she’s been part of Teeth’s development. Broadway: Amélie (OCR), Disaster, Mamma Mia! Off-Broadway: Drama Desk nomination for Soft Power (Hillary/The Public/Grammy nominated OCR); White Girl in Danger (Second Stage/OCR); A New Brain (Encores!/ OCR); The Civilians’ Pretty Filthy (Abrons/ OCR). @alyselouis

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Episode 433 - Greg Germann

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Greg Germann is an actor known for his work in film, television and on Broadway where he starred with Mark Rylance in BOEING BOEING. He was a member of Circle Repertory Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre and has performed at Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theatre, La Mama, Second Stage among others. Created roles in Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins, Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower, Only You, Found A Peanut and many more.

He has also appeared in numerous films including TALEDEGA NIGHTS, FRIENDS WITH MONEY, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, SWEET NOVEMBER, QUARANTINED, ONCE AROUND, among others.

Greg is best known for the many characters he has created on the small screen, including Tom Koracick on GREY’S ANATOMY and Richard Fish on ALLY McBEAL, as well as House of Lies, Once Upon a Time and many more.

During the war in Afghanistan Greg traveled there twice as a goodwill ambassador, visiting thousands of troops from Kandahar to Kabul along with dozens of Forward Operating Bases (F.O.B’s) across the country.

For over 15 years he’s been involved with Anthony Shriver’s organization BEST BUDDIES, which is dedicated to creating employment and inclusive living opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). At one time servingon the California Advisory Board.

For almost 20 years Greg has had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors for THE PEOPLE CONCERN Los Angeles, whichis dedicated not just to manage the unacceptable crisis of people experiencing homelessness, but ending it! Greg recently served as the Board Chair.

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Episode 432 - Laura Donnelly

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Laura grew up in Belfast, Ireland, and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

She won the ‘Best Actress’ Olivier Award and was further nominated for a Tony Award and Evening Standard Theatre Award for her portrayal’ of ‘Caitlin’ in the critically acclaimed production of Jez Butterworth’s THE FERRYMAN, directed by Sam Mendes.

The "triumphant, bold piece of theatre” appeared at the Royal Court and Gielgud Theatre in London before transferring to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway.

Laura now stars in THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA on Broadway, a new play by Butterworth and Mendes. Donnelly reprises her role from its debut on the West End which saw her earn a ‘Best Actress’ Olivier nomination. Other stage highlights include her role as ‘Other Woman’ in THE RIVER (West End and Broadway) written by Butterworth and directed by Ian Rickson, THE WASP (Trafalgar Studios), PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! (Donmar Warehouse), JUDGEMENT DAY (Almeida Theatre) ROMEO AND JULIET and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (both at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and DANCING AT LUGHNASA (Lyric Theatre, Belfast).

For television, Laura starred alongside Gael Garcia Bernal in a Marvel Studios one-off Halloween special called WEREWOLF BY NIGHT (Disney+) and as ‘Amalia True’ in HBO’s fantasy series THE NEVERS also starring James Norton, Eleanor Tomlinson, Olivia Williams and Nick Frost. She is also known for playing 'Jenny Fraser’ in the Golden Globe nominated drama, OUTLANDER. Further credits include the International Emmy Award winning series, SUGAR RUSH (Channel 4), THE FALL (BBC) starring Jamie Dornan and Gillian Anderson, MERLIN (BBC), the ABC production of MISSING, the BAFTA award-winning drama OCCUPATION (BBC), BRITANNIA (Amazon Studios), HEX (Sky One) and BEST (BBC).

Laura’s film credits include Fox Searchlight’s TOLKIEN, THE PROGRAM (StudioCanal), HELLO CARTER (Bankside), DREAD (Seraphim Films), INSATIABLE (Kirby Films) and RIGHT HAND DRIVE (Pine Road Pictures).

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Episode 431 - John Slattery part 2

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 21:16:00 -0000

In 2013, Slattery directed his first feature film, God's Pocket, which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. He is currently on the HBO series Veep.

Apart from his role on Mad Men, Slattery is also known for roles on Homefront; the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon; the HBO series K Street; guest appearances on Will & Grace; Judging Amy; Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives.

Other films include Mona Lisa Smile, Flags of our Fathers, Charlie Wilson's War and The Adjustment Bureau.

In 2015, Slattery portrayed journalist Ben Bradlee Jr. in the Academy Award winning film Spotlight, and also appeared in the Netflix comedy series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, for which he earned a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series.

Little Known Fact - He is an avid surfer.

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Episode 430 - John Slattery part 1

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 21:14:00 -0000

In 2013, Slattery directed his first feature film, God's Pocket, which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. He is currently on the HBO series Veep.

Other films include Mona Lisa Smile, Flags of our Fathers, Charlie Wilson's War and The Adjustment Bureau.

Little Known Fact - He is an avid surfer.

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Episode 429 -Samantha Mathis

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Samantha Mathis - A native New Yorker, Samantha Mathis has had a distinguished career in entertainment. Mathis captivated audiences in popular shows such as "Billions", "The Strain”, "The Good Wife" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm” and proved her versatility in features like The Clovehitch Killer, Being Frank, and upcoming, The Exorcism with Russell Crowe. Mathis made her Broadway debut in Arthur Miller's The Man Who Had All the Luck opposite Chris O'Donnell. She also starred in the Broadway production of Moises Kaufman's 33 Variations, alongside Jane Fonda. Recently, she appeared in Collected Stories at the Geffen Playhouse and Fortin Bras at the Signature Theater.

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Episode 428 - Kenneth Lonergan

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Plays: This is Our Youth (The New Group, 1997 Drama Desk Award Best Play nominee; 2015 Tony Award Best Revival of a Play nominee); The Waverly Gallery (2001 Pulitzer Prize finalist); Lobby Hero (Playwrights Horizons, 2001 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award Best Play nominee; 2003 Olivier Award Best New Comedy nominee, 2018 Tony Award Best Revival of a Play nominee); The Starry Messenger (The New Group, 2009); Medieval Play (Signature Theatre, 2012); Hold on to Me Darling (Atlantic Theater Company, 2016; 2024) and The Waverly Gallery (Broadway, 2018).

Film: You Can Count on Me, 2001 Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee for Best Original Screenplay; Margaret – Extended Edition, 2012 European Film Critics’ FIPRESCI Award; and Manchester by the Sea; 2016 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, 2016 BAFTA Film Award for Best Original Screenplay, among numerous other international awards and nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Director. Screenplays include Analyze This (co-writers Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan) and Gangs of New York (co-writers Jay Cocks and Steve Zaillian; 2003 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay).

Teleplays: “Howards End” (BBC and Starz Network 2017-2018, 2018 BAFTA TV Award for Best Mini Series nominee).

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Episode 427 - The Hills of California stars - Nancy Allsop & Lara McDonnell

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:23:00 -0000

NANCY ALLSOP - Theatre includes: The Hills Of California (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End); The Fever Syndrome (Hampstead Theatre); God Bless the Child(Royal Court Theatre); Annie (Piccadilly Theatre, West End); The Sound of Music(International Tour); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Manchester Cathedral). Television includes “Young Wallander” (Netflix).

LARA McDONNELL - Lara’s feature credits include the Academy Award-winning Belfast, written and directed by Kenneth Branagh for Focus Features/Universal; Artemis Fowl, also directed by Kenneth Branagh, for Disney; Greatest Days for Elysian Films; Visitation (Blinder Films); The Delinquent Season (Parallel Films) and Love, Rosie (Canyon Creek/Constantin Films). Television includes “The Last Bus” (Wildseed/Netflix), “The Holiday” (Chalkboard), “Ballistic” (Automatik Entertainment/New Regency) and “To Walk Invisible,” written and directed by Sally Wainwright for BBC. Stage work includes the title role in Matilda for the RSC/West End and The Hills of California in the West End.

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Episode 426 - Owen Thiele

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Owen Thiele is an actor and writer based in Los Angeles. He’s currently leading FX’s Snowflakes, set to premiere in early 2025. He’s known best for Theater Camp, I Think You Should Leave, Dollface, and Hacks. He has a podcast that lives under Alexandra Cooper’s Unwell network called “In Your Dreams with Owen Thiele” and he is developing a semi-autobiographical 30 minute comedy with Ilana Glazer and Kent Alterman at Amazon Studios.

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Episode 425 - Susanna Styron

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Susanna Styron is a writer and director for film and television, and a documentary filmmaker.

Her latest documentary short, MY FATHER’S NAME, won Best Documentary in the NYWIFT Online Shorts Festival and is on the 2024-25 festival circuit. Susanna’s documentary feature, OUT OF MY HEAD, premiered in MoMA's Doc Fortnight and went on to win Best International Documentary at the Melbourne Documentary Film festival. Her other documentary credits as writer/director include 9/12: FROM CHAOS TO COMMUNITY; IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS; and SUSPENDED SENTENCE. She began her documentary career as an Associate Producer for ABC-TV's documentary division, Close-Up.

Susanna's debut feature, Sony Pictures' SHADRACH, starring Harvey Keitel and Andie MacDowell, which she directed and co-wrote, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was one of New York Press critic Armond White's top ten films of the year. She wrote and directed for Sidney Lumet's TV series 100 CENTRE STREET, and wrote for Tom Fontana's BORGIA. Susanna co-authored several TV movies for Hallmark Hall of Fame and Lifetime, including an adaptation of Ann Tyler's BACK WHEN WE WERE GROWN-UPS, with Blythe Danner, Peter Fonda and Faye Dunaway; and the award-winning TAKING BACK OUR TOWN, with Ruby Dee. Her dramatic short, HOUSE OF TEETH, which she wrote and directed, won numerous awards on the festival circuit, aired on Shorts TV, and is available on Amazon. She directed several episodes of Brooke Adams and Lynne Adams' web series ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE.

Susanna’s personal essays have appeared in The Yale Revue, SPIN Magazine, The New York Times and Real Simple magazine.

She serves on the Special Projects Committee of the Directors Guild of America, and the Executive Committee of the Writers Guild Initiative, where she conducts writing workshops with underserved communities such as caregivers of wounded veterans, undocumented immigrant youth and LGBTQ asylum seekers, among others.

She currently has projects in development with The Levinson/Fontana Company, Cinetic Media, and EP/Showrunner Carol Barbee.

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Episode 424 - David Wain

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0000

David Wain is the director and co-writer of six feature films, including Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, Wanderlust, They Came Together and A Futile and Stupid Gesture.

On television, Wain co-created, directed and co-starred in The State, Childrens Hospital, Stella, Medical Police, and two Wet Hot American Summer mini-series for Netflix. Currently he is the director and executive producer of Mr. Throwback, starring Steph Curry and Adam Pally.

He's acted in dozens of movies & TV shows including Broad City, Another Period, Drunk History, Portlandia, Bob's Burgers, Murderville and his own web series Wainy Days.

And over the past few years, he’s been jamming, touring, and making videos as the drummer in the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band.

He grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, then did 26 years in Manhattan before moving to Los Angeles where he now lives with his two teenage sons.

Lots more at davidwain.com

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Episode 423 - Gavin Creel

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0000

1976 - 2024

Gavin Creel received a Tony Award® for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in HELLO, DOLLY! starring Bette Midler. After making his Broadway debut originating the role of Jimmy Smith in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, for which he received his first Tony Award® nomination, Creel went on to star in the Broadway productions of HAIR (Tony Award® nomination), LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, SHE LOVES ME, THE BOOK OF MORMON, and WAITRESS. Creel was among the star-studded cast of New York City Center Encores! critically acclaimed production of INTO THE WOODS starring as Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince. The celebrated production transferred to Broadway where Creel reprised his role as Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince opposite Sara Bareilles, Brian d’Arcy James, Joshua Henry, Julia Lester and Patina Miller.

Gavin received an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Elder Price in the London Production of THE BOOK OF MORMON and also appeared on the West End in MARY POPPINS, HAIR, and WAITRESS.

This fall, Gavin brings WALK ON THROUGH: Confessions of a Museum Novice to Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater for a limited run. In his theatrical songwriting debut, Gavin takes us on an intimate, relatable journey of discovery and transformation through the lens of the art at The Met Museum that captured his imagination.

On television, Creel recently performed a solo PBS concert special with “Stars on Stage",” starred as Troy in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series “American Horror Stories” and played Bill alongside Julie Andrews in “Eloise at the Plaza” and “Eloise at Christmasttime.”

As a songwriter, Creel is currently writing an original musical piece entitled WALK ON THROUGH, based on the collections at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The musical has been selected for the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s 2022 National Musical Theatre Conference and the concert meets musical was highlighted in The Day. He has released three original albums: GoodTimeNation, Quiet (which landed on Billboard’s “Top Heat Seekers”), Get Out, and his single “Noise” raised money and awareness for marriage equality. Creel was a co-founder of Broadway Impact, the first and only grassroots organization to mobilize the nationwide theater community in support of marriage equality.

A native of Findlay, Ohio, Gavin is a proud graduate of University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance and a 2022 Fellow at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

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Episode 422 - Evan Handler

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Evan Handler is beloved by millions for portraying Harry Goldenblatt, divorce-lawyer-turned-husband to Kristin Davis’s Charlotte York, on HBO’s groundbreaking series, and films, “Sex and the City,” it’s current MAX follow-up, “And Just Like That,” as well as Charlie Runkle on Showtime’s seven season “Californication.”

In addition to authoring two highly acclaimed books, Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors, and It’s Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive, Evan has played leading roles in ABC’s “It’s Like, You Know…,” and NBC’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” STARZ’ “Power,” and made numerous memorable guest appearances on “Lost,” “The West Wing,” “Six Feet Under,” “Necessary Roughness,” and “Friends.” In 2000, Evan played Larry Fine in ABC’s TV movie “The Three Stooges,” followed by additional “real life” portrayals of Lloyd Blankfein in HBO’s “Too Big to Fail,” Alan Dershowitz in FX’s “People vs. OJ Simpson,” and Hal Prince in FX’s “Fosse/Verdon,” each of which garnered numerous wide-ranging awards.

On the big screen, Evan played a leading role in Ron Howard’s “Ransom,” starring Mel Gibson, and featured and leading roles Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers,” “Taps,” “The Chosen,” and “Sweet Lorraine.” He’s currently visible in David Duchovny’s directorial effort, “Reverse the Curse.”

Prior to his work in film and television, Evan earned acclaim in seven Broadway productions, all performed between his twenty-first and thirtieth birthdays, and all in spite of losing nearly five years of that span to his fight against a supposedly “incurable” leukemia. During this time Evan starred in Broadway productions of “Six Degrees of Separation,” “I Hate Hamlet,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Broadway Bound” and “Master Harold...and the boys.” Evan also worked extensively in off-Broadway and regional theater at NY’s Public Theater, Manhattan Theater Club, Playwrights Horizons, Seattle Rep, and Steppenwolf, performing early plays by Donald Margulies, Robert Schenkkan, Jez Butterworth, and numerous others.

Evan’s first book, Time On Fire, details his unlikely recovery from the leukemia diagnosed in the mid-1980s. His second book, It’s Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive, describes the twenty-year period post-illness, and Handler’s surprisingly circuitous journey toward gratitude, using tales of serial dating, absurd relationships, unexpected depressions, and, ultimately, lasting love and a miracle conception.

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Episode 421 - Lucie Tiberghien

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Lucie Tiberghien - A Brooklynite since 2001, Molière in the Park’s Founding Artistic Director Lucie Tiberghien was raised in France and Switzerland. Specializing in new work, Lucie spent 15 years developing and directing new plays in New York City and all over the country. She directed World Premieres at La Jolla Playhouse, CATF, Second Stage, Rattlestick Theater, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Kansas City Rep, Manhattan Class Company and more. As a translator and adapter, Lucie’s work has been produced in Paris and in New York. In 2021, she was awarded the prestigious designation of chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, by the French Government.

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Episode 420 - Lindsey Ferrentino

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Lindsey Ferrentino is an American playwright with three world premieres in the 2024 season. In May, she opened The Artist in the UK (co-adapted with Drew McConie, Theatre Royal Plymouth,) and this August, she will premiere the new musical The Queen of Versailles (book by Lindsey Ferrentino, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, starring Kristin Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham, The Colonial Theater).

Her other produced plays include Ugly Lies the Bone (The Lyttleton - National Theatre, UK, Roundabout Theatre Company, NY, over 100 productions worldwide), Amy and the Orphans (Roundabout Theatre Company), This Flat Earth (Playwrights Horizons), The Year to Come (La Jolla Playhouse) — among others. Her plays have been translated into Spanish, German, and Portuguese and have been produced across the US, in London, Germany, Spain, and Venezuela. This winter, Lindsey will direct her first feature film - an adaptation of her play Amy and the Orphans for Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films.

She has various film projects in development at Netflix and Sony Pictures — with producers including Higher Ground, 3 Dot Entertainment, Dylan Clark Productions, Defiant by Nature. Lindsey is the recipient of The Arc’s prize for Entertainment Industry Excellence for her writing centered on disability inclusion. Other prizes include: the Kesserling, ASCAP Cole Porter Playwriting Prize, Paul Newman Drama Award, Laurents/Hatcher Award, NYU Distinguished Alumna Award, and Hunter College’s 40 Under 40 Distinguished Alumna. Lindsey is repped by CAA, Anonymous Content and Felker & Associates.

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Episode 419 - Stan Herman and Ann Leary - Memoirs

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Stan Herman The three-time Coty award-winning designer Stan Herman is truly a pioneering man. Not only

was he the President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America for sixteen years, but also

the founding president of 7th on Sixth Corporation; the fashion shows in Bryant Park. With

KOMAR, Stan has incorporated his ready-to-wear design savvy to become America’s foremost

designer of robes and loungewear.

His comfortable, lifestyle driven products can be found on QVC, QVCUK, QVCItaly. After over

24 years on air he has built a return customer base of over 300,000 people and has sold over $150

million worth of robes alone. Furthermore as the leading uniform designer in the world his

uniforms arguably cover more bodies than any other single designer.

As a pioneer in the industry, Stan popularized "fashion at a price" with his Mr. Mort label; a label

sought by vintage collectors today. When most designers were relegated to backrooms, he served

as a spokesman for the creative side of the industry, championing designer names on labels, and

watching out for the good of his colleagues. He was on the vanguard of designer boutiques with

Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and in-store designer partnerships with Henri Bendel.

Mr. Herman popularized the Designer Uniform. His list of corporate clients has included many

of the world's leading corporations. FedEx, Jet Blue, United Airlines, TWA, U.S. Airways

McDonald's, and Amtrak, Avis, Humana, RCCL, and Securitas along with Las Vegas Hotels

including Paris, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo and Mandalay Bay. He just launched the redesign for

the newly re-opened Regency Hotel as well as the rest of the Loews Hotel system. He has

redesigned the next look for FedEx and the new JetBlue uniform.

Ann Leary is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels, THE FOUNDLING, THE CHILDREN, THE GOOD HOUSE, OUTTAKES FROM A MARRIAGE, and the memoir, AN INNOCENT, A BROAD.

She has written for numerous publications including Ploughshares, NPR, Real Simple and the New York Times. Her novel, THE GOOD HOUSE was adapted as a motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline and will be released in theaters in September, 2022.

Her new essay collection, I’VE TRIED BEING NICE (Simon Element/MarysueRucci) will be published on June 4, 2024

Ann and her husband Denis Leary live in New York.

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Episode 418 - Chilina Kennedy

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Chilina Kennedy is known for playing Carole King in the musical Beautiful on Broadway for over 1,200 performances. She also recently originated the Tony-award winning role of Dina on the First Broadway National Tour of The Band’s Visit. Chilina’s first appearance on Broadway was in 2012 when she played Mary Magdalene in Des McAnuff’s Jesus Christ Superstar, which also had successful runs at the Stratford Festival of Canada and the La Jolla Playhouse.

Other US credits include the world premiere of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, in which she originated the role of Phoebe at Hartford Stage and The Old Globe in San Diego (San Diego and Connecticut Outer Critics nominations), the world premiere of A Sign Of The Times as Cindy (Delaware Theatre Company), Binky in the Off-Broadway world premiere of This Ain’t No Disco (Dir. Darko Tresnjak/Chor. Camille A. Brown) and Sophie in the 1st US National Tour of Mamma Mia!.

Selected Canadian credits include the title role in Ted Dykstra’s Evangeline (Charlottetown Festival and original recording), the title role in Ross Petty’s Pantomime The Little Mermaid (Toronto Critic’s Award), three seasons at the Stratford Festival (three Broadways World Awards) including Maria in Gary Griffin’s West Side Story, Eva Peròn in Evita, Lois Lane in Kiss Me Kate, three seasons at the Shaw Festival, the World Premiere of The Lord of the Rings (Mirvish), Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Stratford/Toronto), Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest (Neptune), and the title role in Mary Poppins (Theatre Aquarius).

Chilina is also a singer/songwriter with a debut album What You Find in a Bottle, released in 2015. Chilina has written a new musical Call It Love with Eric Holmes, who is known for being a writer for “The Good Fight” on CBS. Featuring music and lyrics by Chilina, book co-written by Eric and Chilina, and musical arrangements by Rick Fox, Call It Love has been developed in the New York City area by Eclipse Theatre Company (http://eclipsetheatre.ca/). Chilina has worked with Burt Bacharach, guest starred in concert with the TSO, Colm Wilkinson and Jason Robert Brown. You can hear Chilina’s voice on CBC’s “Celebrate the Seasons” and “Carols for a Cure.” Chilina is a graduate of Sheridan College and the Birmingham Conservatory for classical theatre

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Episode 417 - Stephen Belber

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Stephen Belber’s plays have been produced on Broadway and in over 25 countries. They include Match (Frank Langella), McReele (Anthony Mackie), Dusk Rings A Bell (Kate Walsh/Paul Sparks), Fault Lines (Noah Emmerich, Josh Lucas, Dominic Fumusa), The Power of Duff (Greg Kinnear/Jennifer Westfeldt/Ben Platt/Dominic Fumusa), Tape, Geometry of Fire, Don’t Go Gentle, The Muscles In Our Toes, Joan, and others. He was an Associate Writer/actor for The Laramie Project, and co-writer/actor on The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, both of which have been consistently performed around the world. He’s written & directed 3 feature films: Management (Jennifer Aniston/Woody Harrelson), Match (Patrick Stewart/Carla Gugino), and What We Do Next (Karen Pittman/Corey Stoll). Film scripts include Tape (Ethan Hawke/Uma Thurman, directed by Richard Linklater), The Laramie Project (associate writer, Emmy nomination), Drifting Elegant, (Josh Stamberg/Jennifer Mudge) and O.G., (Jeffrey Wright, HBO Films). Two film remakes of Tape, in India and Hong Kong, will be released in the coming year, and a play version is currently running in rep in Israel. Has worked on numerous studio films (including Dallas Buyers Club), and developed and sold projects to all the major studios, with actors and directors such Bennett Miller, Todd Phillips, Jay Roach, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Philip Seymour Hoffman, George Tillman, Greg Mottola, Sam Rockwell, David Gordon Green, and Anthony Mackie. Television includes Law & Order SVU, Rescue Me, Tommy, The First, and pilots for HBO, Netflix, F/X, ABC, TNT, USA, Fox, Paramount, Sony, and History Channel. He created and is showrunner for an 8-part original TV series called The Madness (starring Colman Domingo), which will be released by Netflix on Thanksgiving Day, 2024.

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Episode 416 - Eric William Morris and Noah Weisberg

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0000

ERIC WILLIAM MORRIS Broadway: King Kong, Coram Boy, Mamma Mia! Eric frequently collaborates with composer Joe Iconis, starring in Be More Chill (Original Cast Recording, Two River Theatre), Things to Ruin (OCR, 2nd Stage) and Bloodsong of Love (Ars Nova). TV/Film includes Fleishman is in Trouble, Only Murders in the Building, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Mind Hunter, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and the recent feature film Pinball (Hulu). Other regional/Off Broadway: Michael R. Jackson's White Girl In Danger (2nd Stage/Vineyard) Richard Greenberg's The Perplexed (MTC); Songbird (59E59, Two River); The Ballad of Little Jo (OCR, Two River); The Last Goodbye, Dog & Pony (The Old Globe). His album of original rock music, Do You Understand? is available on all streaming platforms. @theericwmorris

NOAH WEISBERG Willy Wonka in the Broadway tour of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Broadway: South Pacific, Enron, Elf, Legally Blonde. Shakespeare in the Park: Two Gentlemen of Verona. TV: Quentin on Showtime’s Super Pumped, Danny Michael Davis on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Brett on Modern Family, The Neighborhood, Major Crimes, Law & Order, K.C. Undercover, Wisdom of the Crowd, The Good Wife, iCarly, Franklin & Bash, Bad Teacher, Bones, The New Normal, Cashmere Mafia, Love Monkey, Indoor Boys. Film: writer, director, actor in award winning Thank You Kindly and What’s Life Got to Do with It. Education: NYU, UCB, Second City. Instagram: @NoahWeisberg.

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Episode 415 - Historical Fiction Author Panel - LIVE From Bryant Park

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Historical Fiction Novelists Marjan Kamali, Ann Hood and Iris Mwanza live from Bryant Park

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Episode 414 - Bill Rauch

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Bill Rauch is the inaugural Artistic Director of Perelman Performing Arts Center. His work as a theater director has been seen across the nation, from low-income community centers to Broadway in the Tony Award-winning production of Robert Schenkkan’s All the Way and its sequel The Great Society, as well as at many of the largest regional theaters in the country. His other New York credits include the world premiere of Naomi Wallace’s Night Is a Room at Signature Theatre, the New York premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s The Clean House at Lincoln Center Theater, and a site-specific Occasional Grace in multiple Manhattan churches for En Garde Arts. From 2007 to 2019, Bill was artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), the country’s oldest and largest rotating repertory theater, where he directed seven world premieres and 20 other plays including several by Shakespeare as well as innovative productions of classic musicals including a queer re-envisioning of Oklahoma! Bill is also co-founder of Cornerstone Theater Company where he served as artistic director from 1986 to 2006, directing more than 40 productions, most of them collaborations with diverse rural and urban communities.

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Episode 413 - Danya Taymor and Emma Pittman

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Emma Pittman is a Mississippi native, Wagner College graduate, and winner of “The Search For Roxie.” Broadway: Chicago (Roxie & Annie), Back to the Future OBC (Ensemble) Regional: The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet), Damn Yankees (Lola). Emma is also a teaching artist, director, and choreographer. Her choreography credits include: On the Twentieth Century, Into the Woods, and The Cradle Will Rock.

Danya Taymor is a New York based director and winner of the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for The Outsiders. She reopened Broadway with Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu's Pass Over, the first play back after 18 months of darkness on Broadway (New York Times 10 best shows of 2021). Other recent work includes: Samuel Beckett's Endgame (Gate, Dublin), Will Arbery's Pulitzer Prize Finalist Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Obie Award, Callaway Award for Outstanding Direction) and Evanston Salt Costs Climbing (New Group), Jeremy O. Harris' "Daddy" (Almeida, London + New Group/Vineyard), Korde Arrington Tuttle's Graveyard Shift (Goodman Theater), Martyna Majok's queens (Lincoln Center), Danai Gurira's Familiar (Steppenwolf), and Brian Watkins’ My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer and Wyoming (The Flea + Lesser America). Her world-premiere production of Pass Over was filmed in collaboration with Spike Lee, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Amazon Prime. Recipient of the Cullman Award for Extraordinary Creativity from Lincoln Center. BA: Duke University.

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Episode 412 - BETTY

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 23:21:00 -0000

Legendary Indie Rock trio BETTY, Alyson Palmer (vocals, bass, guitar), Elizabeth Ziff (vocals, guitar, electronic programming) and her sister, Amy Ziff (vocals and cello), use beguiling melodies, compelling lyrics and signature harmonies to create energetic live shows that mix music, performance art, politics and comedy.

BETTY sings of joy, love, longing, sex, food, heartbreak, and the universal hilarity of human existence. More than a band, BETTY uses music to channel their passion for representation, fairness and equality. From the beginning, they’ve blended their voices for causes they fight for, their talents in collaboration with other artists of every medium, and their time in support of women and girls, worldwide.

In addition to creating, performing and recording together as a group of independent artists since 1986, BETTY travels the world as Arts Envoys for the US Department of State. To further their humanitarian outreach and cultural diplomacy, Gloria Steinem advised them to form a non-profit, which they did in 2014. The BETTY Effect’s mission is using music and performance techniques to help others communicate and connect for personal power, social progress and peace, especially women and girls and LGBTQIA communities.

BETTY has been featured on national and international radio, television – including their iconic theme song for the L Word – and in films, commercials, jingles, recordings, streaming projects and concert venues across five continents. They have contributed as guest artists to dozens of recordings and compilation albums, and their soundscapes can be heard in art installations, like Darren Waterston “Filthy Lucre” at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MOCA), The Smithsonian Institute and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Their Off-Broadway musical, BETTY RULES, was another show in a glittering string of hits directed by Michael Greif (Days of Wine and Roses, Hell’s Kitchen, Dear Evan Hanson, Next to Normal, RENT.)

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Episode 411 - Water For Elephants on Broadway

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0000

WADE McCOLLUM (Actor)

Broadway: Wicked (Witch’s Father, Wizard/Dr. Dillamond cover) London’s West End: World Premiere of It Happened in Key West (Carl) Broadway Tours: Lincoln Center Theatre’s My Fair Lady (Karpathy/Higgins cover), Priscilla Queen Of The Desert (Tick/Mitzi), Jersey Boys (Norm). Off-Broadway: Make Me Gorgeous, (Kate/Kenneth Marlowe), Triassic Parq (Velociraptor of Faith), Secondary Dominance (The Muse), and McCollum’s Lortel Nominated and Norton Award-winning performance as Ernest in Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. World Premieres: Water For Elephants, Alliance Theatre (Wade); Michael Weller’s A Welcome Guest, CATF (Shimeus); Rob Askins’ The Carpenter, Alley Theatre (Gene); Fly By Night, TheatreWorks Palo Alto (The Narrator). Select Theatre: I Am My Own Wife, PCS (Charlotte/Others); A Lie Of The Mind, PCPA (Jake); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Willamette Rep (Puck); Batboy the Musical, PCS (Batboy); The Rocky Horror Show, Triangle Productions (Frank-N-Furter); The Santaland Diaries, Syracuse Stage (Crumpet); Cabaret, Dallas Theatre Center (Emcee) – Dallas/Fort Worth Theatre Critics Award; Hedwig And The Angry Inch, Triangle Productions and L.A.’s Celebration Theatre (Hedwig) – Drammy, Ovation, Los Angeles Critics Circle, and Garland Awards. Select TV and film: “FBI: MW,” “Madame Secretary,” “The Knick,” “Nightcap,” “At Home with Amy Sedaris,” Options, “Prodigal Son,” Delicate Instruments, “Submissions Only,” and Ernest Shackleton Loves Me on broadwayhd.com. www.wadesong.com

Rick Elice ( Book Writer)

On Broadway: Jersey Boys (Best Musical, 2006 Tony Award, 2007 Grammy Award and 2009 Olivier Award); The Addams Family; Peter and the Starcatcher (winner of five 2012 Tony Awards);and The Cher Show (winner of two 2019 Tony Awards). In the pipeline: The Princess Bride and Smash, co-written with Bob Martin; Silver Linings Playbook, a musical adaptation of the popular film; The Marvels, a musical adaptation of the popular novel; and Treasure, an original musical written with 2021 Ed Kleban Award-winner Benjamin Scheuer. From 1982-1999, as creative director at Serino Coyne Inc, Rick created and produced ad campaigns for more than 300 Broadway shows, from A Chorus Line to The Lion King. From 1999-2009, he served as creative consultant for The Walt Disney Studio. Charter member, American Repertory Theatre. Trustee, The Actors’ Fund. BA, Cornell University; MFA, Yale Drama School; Teaching Fellow, Harvard University. Heartfelt thanks to those he’s been lucky enough to know, whose work makes him grateful for the day he was born: Sondheim, Stoppard, Bennett, Prince, Fosse, Robbins, Nichols, Tune, Nunn, Timbers, McAnuff, Laurents, Lippa, Stone, Taymor, Papp, Schumacher, Schneider, Costello, Coyne, Brickman, and eternally, Roger Rees. Hey Rog, look who’s running away with the circus!

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Episode 410 - Elisabeth Seldes Annacone

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Elisabeth Seldes Annacone is a screenwriter, producer and educator with over three decades experience in film & TV. Her career started working with Oliver Stone on WALL STREET, TALK RADIO, and BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY.

Elisabeth then served as VP for Francis Ford Coppola, during DRACULA, SECRET GARDEN, and BUDDY. As a Sr. VP at MGM, Elisabeth had a helping hand in films like GET SHORTY, MULHOLLAND FALLS, TWO DAYS IN THE VALLY. After getting her MFA from UCLA in screenwriting, Elisabeth’s first feature, THE GREAT LILLIAN HALL was released by HBO and stars Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates Pierce Brosnan, Jesse Williams and Lily Rabe. It is currently a New York Times critics’ pick. Her pilot, WEEKENDS, is at UTV with Debra Chase producing.

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Episode 409 - Calista Flockhart

Sat, 06 Jul 2024 20:50:00 -0000

Calista can be seen starring in Ryan Murphy’s series FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans. The second installment of the Feud anthology is based on Capote's Women by Laurence Leamer and focuses on the story of how Truman Capote befriended society women Barbara "Babe" Paley, Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli, Slim Hayward, Pamela Churchill, C. Z. Guest, and Jackie Kennedy’s sister Lee Radziwill and then betrayed these women for a story. Calista stars as Lee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedy’s younger sister and wife of a Polish prince, who developed a strong kinship with Capote thanks in part to her poor relationship with Kennedy. The series also stars Tom Hollander as Capote, Naomi Watts, Chloë Sevigny, Diane Lane and Molly Ringwald.

Flockhart made her TV debut portraying the title role in FOX’s widely popular and award-winning series “Ally McBeal,” created by David E. Kelley. She also starred in ABC’s critically acclaimed TV drama, “Brothers & Sisters,” a family soap revolving around the Walker family and their lives in Los Angeles. Additional TV credits include “Full Circle,” “Supergirl,” Lisa Kudrow’s improvisational comedy series on Showtime “Web Therapy,” “Facetiming with Mommy,” and the DreamWorks’ TV Series, “The Penguins of Madagascar.”

Flockhart returned to her theatre roots as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf for the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. She made her Broadway debut opposite Julie Harris in The Glass Menagerie, for which she received the Theatre World Award and the Clarence Derwent Best New Talent Award. New York theater credits include Neil LaBute’s Bash: Latter Day Plays; The Three Sisters; Warren Leight’s The Loop, which landed her the role of Gene Hackman’s daughter in Mike Nichols’ “The Birdcage;” Sophistry; Sons and Fathers; Wrong Turn at Lungfish; All for One and Caryll Churchill’s Mad Forest.

Flockhart was “Juliet” in Romeo and Juliet at The Hartford Stage; “Cordelia” in King Lear at The Actors Theater in Louisville; “Irina” in The Three Sisters at the Goodman Theater in Chicago; and “Emily” in Our Town directed by the legendary Jose Quintero.

Flockhart’s film credits include the independent thriller Fragile; Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her with Glenn Close and Cameron Diaz; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, co-starring Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Everett; Drunks; The Birdcage, which received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble; and Telling Lies in America co-starring Kevin Bacon and Brad Renfro.

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Episode 408 - The Notebook On Broadway

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Dorian Harewood

Broadway: The Mighty Gents, Streamers, Don' f Call Back, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Jesus Christ Superstar. National Tour: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Madame Lily, Miss Moffat. Regional: Purley (Kennedy Center). Film: Gothika, Levity, Pacific Heights, Full Metal Jacket, The Falcon and the Snowman, Against All Odds. TV: "Big Sky, " "Bel-Air," "9-1-1," "Criminal Minds," "Private Practice," " 7th Heaven," "The Practice," "12 Angry Men," "PlI Fly Away," "The Jesse Owens Story," "Roots: The Next Generations." Awards: NAACP Image Awards for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for "I* Il Fly Away" and Best Actor in a Television Mini-Series for "The Jesse Owens Story;* Theatre World Award for Best New Actor for Don't Call Back.

Maryann Plunkett

Originated the role of Older Allie at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in Fall 2022. Other Broadway includes: Agnes of God, Sunday in the Park with George, Me and My Girl (Tony Award®), The Crucible, St. Joan, A Man for All Seasons, The Seagull. Off-Broadway: Deep Blue Sound, The Sean O' Casey Dublin Trilogy at Irish Rep, The Lucky Ones, Aristocrats, Richard Nelson 's 12-play Rhinebeck Panorama (seen over a span of 11 years, onstage in NYC, on tour around the world, and live on Zoom during the pandemic). Films: Showing Up, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Little Women, MAD, Blue Valentine, The Family Fang, The Rhinebeck Panorama. TV: recurring roles on both "Manifest" and "Dr. Death" ; others include "New Amsterdam, " "The Knick," "Chicago Med," "Law and Order" franchise, "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Plunkett is a founding member of Portland Stage Company and is a coach and mentor. She has performed in Shakespeare, Chekhov, and as narrator with the Britten Sinfonia.

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Episode 407 - Samantha Pauly

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0000

SAMANTHA PAULY : Grammy nominee, Drama Desk winner. Broadway: Original Katherine Howard in SIX. West End: Eva Peron in Jamie Lloyd’s critically acclaimed Evita. Regional: SIX, Honeymoon In Vegas, Elf, Hairspray, Godspell, and more. Represented by Stewart Talent, Lohne/Graham Management, Gersh Agency, Imprint PR. @sampauly

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Episode 406 - Kecia Lewis

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Kecia Lewis is celebrating 40 triumphant years as a dynamic storyteller on stage and screen in the entertainment industry. Lewis' rich career of portraying formidable women has come full circle with her critically acclaimed, Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle nominated, and Lucille Lortel Award winning performance of Miss Liza Jane in Alicia Keys' Broadway hit musical Hell's Kitchen. Entertainment Weekly proclaims "Lewis is commanding...her voice is a weapon, and she knows just when to fire." Kecia's Broadway journey began with her debut at 18 years old in the original company of Dreamgirls. In addition to originating on Broadway iconic roles in Once On This Island, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Leap of Faith, Kecia has graced the Broadway stage in The Gospel at Colonus (with Morgan Freeman), Big River, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (standby for Nell Carter) and Children of a Lesser God. Off Broadway she has starred in the title role of Mother Courage (CSC), The Skin of Our Teeth (TFNA - Obie Award Winner), Dessa Rose (LCT - Drama Desk nom.), and Marie and Rosetta (ATC - Lortel & Drama League Nom, Obie Award Winner). Kecia's work on the reboot of MAD ABOUT YOU was loved by fans and critics alike. Other selected TV guest and recurring roles include "And Just Like That" (Max), "With Love" (Amazon), "The Passage (Fox), The Blacklist (NBC), Law and Order SVU (NBC) and “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” (Hulu). As a vocalist Kecia has performed in Canada, Switzerland, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Russia. Kecia can also be seen in Evan Parter’s feature “The Independent” alongside Brian Cox, Jodie Turner-Smith and John Cena which is now streaming on Peacock.

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Episode 405 - Eden Espinosa

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Eden Espinosa - After developing Lempicka at The Williamstown Theatre Festival and The Jolla Playhouse, Eden is thrilled to return to Broadway and originate her second titular role. Broadway: Wicked (Elphaba), Rent (Maureen), Brooklyn the Musical (Broadway). Tour: Falsettos (Trina, National Tour). Off-Broadway: Gardens of Anuncia (Mami, Lincoln Center), Rain (The Old Globe), In The Heights (Kennedy Center), Lizzie (Emma, Signature), and Merrily We Roll Along (Mary, Huntington). Eden's original albums are available on all streaming platforms. @edenespinosa.

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Episode 404 - Ben Shenkman

Mon, 27 May 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Ben Shenkman recently completed his seventh season of BILLIONS and recurred on the final season of THE GOOD FIGHT, Peacock's THE CALLING, and Robert & Michelle King's Spectrum limited series THE BITE.

He had regular roles on Shondaland's ABC series FOR THE PEOPLE and five seasons of ROYAL PAINS, recurred on CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, and was featured in the acclaimed HBO limited series THE NIGHT OF and ANGELS IN AMERICA (Emmy and Golden Globe noms.) Movie credits include THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, BLUE VALENTINE, THEN SHE FOUND ME and PI.

On Broadway he appeared in Larry David's FISH IN THE DARK, SIGHT UNSEEN and PROOF (Tony nom.)

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Episode 403 - Winnie Holzman and Paul Dooley

Mon, 20 May 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Winnie Holzman’s so-called writing career began innocently enough, writing and performing sketch material with the comedy group “Serious Bizness.” Next came an MFA from NYU in musical theatre, as well as a musical: “Birds of Paradise,” which was produced Off-Broadway and directed by her teacher, Arthur Laurents.

She soon shifted gears, (and coasts) joining the writing staff of the ground-breaking television series “thirtysomething” and then creating theseries, “My So-Called Life,” which starred Claire Danes and which, thanks to MTV (and now HULU) has been seen all over the world.

She collaborated “once and again” with her mentors Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz on their critically acclaimed series “Once and Again;” and later collaborated with her daughter Savannah Dooley on their one hour drama series “Huge;” as well as with Cameron Crowe on the Showtime series “Roadies.”

She is the book writer of the international hit musical Wicked, which has a score by the acclaimed composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Wicked celebrated 20 years on Broadway this past fall.

She recently completed both screenplays for the film adaptation of Wicked. Her play Choice, an early version of which had its world premiere at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, in 2016, will be produced this spring at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey.

She is a proud member of the Writers Guild of America West, and the Dramatists Guild, and has been married to the wonderful character actor Paul Dooley for only 39 years.

Paul Dooley is an actor, writer, and comedian, and has appeared in hundreds of movies, TV shows, and plays. His films include Breaking Away, Sixteen Candles, Runaway Bride, Popeye, Insom-nia, Waiting for Guffman, and the Cars franchise. His television appearances include roles in Curb Your Enthusiasm, My So-Called Life, Star Trek, Dream On (Emmy-nominated), and The Practice (Emmy-nominated). He lives in Burbank, California, with his wife Winnie Holzman

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Episode 402 - You Can Count On Me Reunion Recorded Live at The Center at West Park

Mon, 13 May 2024 15:12:00 -0000

Welcome to a conversation hosted by Ilana Levine with the director, writer and stars of You Can Count on Me. Recorded live in NYC with guests Kenneth Lonergan, Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin and J. Smith-Cameron.

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Episode 401 - Jeremy Shamos

Mon, 06 May 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Jeremy Shamos was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the Pulitzer Prize winning play CLYBOURNE PARK, for which he also received Lucille Lortel Award and Drama League Award nominations. His other stage appearances include the Broadway productions of Steve Martin’s METEOR SHOWER, Michael Frayn’s NOISES OFF, Richard Greenberg’s THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, and David Mamet’s GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, as well as the off-Broadway productions of the original GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL, IF I FORGET (Drama Desk Award nomination), ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER (Drama Desk Award nomination), THE QUALMS, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), DINNER WITH FRIENDS (Lucille Lortel Award), and ENGAGED, for which he received the Obie Award.

He appeared most recently on stage in Stephen Sondheim’s final musical HERE WE ARE. His work on film and television has provided the opportunity to collaborate on many acclaimed features, including MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, BAD EDUCATION, THE BIG SICK, and BIRDMAN, and many prestigious series including THE HANDMAID’S TALE, BETTER CALL SAUL, SUCCESSION, DEAD RINGERS, NURSE JACKIE, and FOSSE/VERDON. For his recurring roles as part of the ensembles of both THE GILDED AGE and ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, he earned SAG Award nominations for his work on both award winning series.

An MFA graduate of New York University, he resides with his family in Brooklyn.

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Episode 400 - Bernard Telsey

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Bernard Telsey graduated from New York University in 1981 with a degree in Theater Administration and Acting. Soon after, he co-founded MCC Theater with Robert LuPone. Simultaneously, Telsey began working at Meg Simon and Fran Kumin’s office as an assistant for six years, and then as a casting director at Risa Bramon & Billy Hopkins Casting.

He opened his own casting office in 1988. Since then, he, along with his staff of casting directors, associates, and assistants, have cast such Broadway shows as Rent, Wicked, Hamilton, Hairspray, In the Heights, The Color Purple. Recent productions include Days of Wine and Roses, Kimberly Akimbo, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Parade, Some Like it Hot, and the upcoming Cabaret, The Notebook, Lempicka, and The Mother Play including countless national tours, Off-Broadway productions, and regional theater productions across the country.

Film credits include the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, The Color Purple and Mean Girls: the Musical. Other films include Theater Camp, The Little Mermaid, Tik, Tik...Boom, Mary Poppins Returns, In the Heights, The Greatest Showman, Into the Woods, A Most Violent Year, Pieces of April, Margin Call, Sex and the City 1 & 2, Rachel Getting Married, Across the Universe.

Telsey’s current television projects include “And Just Like That”, “Only Murders in the Building”, “The Gilded Age” “Tracker” and “Death And Other Details”. Previous credits include “Schmigadoon”, “Fosse/Verdon”, “This Is Us”, “We Crashed” “Jesus Christ Superstar Live”, “Smash” and “The Big C”.

Telsey won an Emmy Award for casting the pilot of “Ugly Betty” and was nominated for “Only Murders in the Building”, “Fosse/Verdon,” “This Is Us,” “Grease! Live”, “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “The Big C.” He won an Independent Spirit Award for casting Margin Call and was the 2016 recipient of the Casting Society of America’s Hoyt Bowers Award for his contributions to the profession. His staff has cumulatively won over 20 Artios Awards for excellence in casting.

Telsey served as the New York Vice President of the Casting Society of America and sat on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He remains one of the Artistic Directors of MCC Theater with William Cantler.

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Episode 399 - Gordon Greenberg

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Gordon Greenberg has directed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in London’s West End, written for television and stage, and developed, directed and produced new works for arts institutions across America.

Current Directing/Writing projects include The Heart of Rock and Roll , which opens on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theatre in April, 2024, following its record breaking run at The Old Globe, the hit Off-Broadway show Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors (Director & Co-Writer, with Steve Rosen, New World Stages & podcast starring John Stamos, Laura Benanti, & Annaleigh Ashford), a new musical about Picasso (directing & co-writing with Stephen Schwartz & Caridad Svich), the NBC television series Most Talkative (Co-Executive Producer/Writer, NBC, Blumhouse, Andy Cohen), Crime and Punishment, A Comedy (directing & co-writing with Steve Rosen) for the Old Globe, a London revival of The Baker’s Wife (Menier Choclate Factory, 2024), Single White Female (A.T.G.), The Wedding Banquet (Ang Lee, Hua Musicals, Taiwan), Ghost Tour, The Play, and the new comedy podcast series Rolling Calls starring Julie Halston & Richard Kind (co-writer, Steve Rosen). His acclaimed revival of Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf starring Calista Flockhart and Zachary Quinto at the Geffen Playhouse won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Revival. Variety called it “Inspired”, the L.A. Times called it “Unerringly good…Qunto & Flockhart expose something infinitely fragile in Edward Albee’s shatterproof play”, Entertainment Weekly called it “A riveting production…brilliantly staged by Gordon Greenberg”, and the Wall Street Journal called it “Intriguing…Here, unusually, there is the suggestion that the oncoming dawn may truly presage a fragile new beginning.”

Other directing work includes the revisal of Working (Drama Desk Award, adapted with Stephen Schwartz and Lin-Manuel Miranda), Jacques Brel…(Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Award noms), Terms of Endearment with Alfred Molina & Calista Flockhart (Geffen Playhouse for Greg Berlanti), the stage adaptation of Tangled (Disney), Johnny Baseball (Williamstown), Stars of David by Jeanine Tesori, Tom Kitt, Tony Kushner (Daryl Roth), Pirates! (created with Nell Benjamin, Huntington, Paper Mill, Goodspeed, MUNY), Band Geeks! (also co-writer, Goodspeed, NEA grant), The Baker’s Wife (Paper Mill, Goodspeed), 1776 (Paper Mill), Floyd Collins (Signature), the Klezmer-Rock reimagining of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Yentl (Asolo Rep), Blue Sky Boys by Deborah Breevort (Capital Rep.), the professional premiere of Edges The Musical (Capital Rep.), the acclaimed reimagining of Jesus Christ, Superstar starring Billy Porter (Helen Hayes, St. Louis MUNY), the U.S. national tour of Guys & Dolls, Disney’s Believe, the Disney Fantasy Christening (with Neil Patrick Harris & Jerry Seinfeld), West Side Story (MUNY, Circle Award nom), Happy Days, A New Musical (Paper Mill, Goodspeed, U.S. National Tour), Vanities, A New Musical (Theatreworks Palo Alto - San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Award), We The People (Lucille Lortel Theatre & Paper Mill Playhouse), Rags (Roundabout, workshop), and the all-female workshop of Man of La Mancha (Mirvish, Toronto), Other writing work includes, for television, Herbie Rebooted for Disney, Emerald City Music Hall, an original movie musical for Nickelodeon Television and Scramble Band, an original movie musical for the Disney Channel, The Single Girls Guide (co-writer Tommy Newman) for Dallas Theatre Center, Ars Nova, Capital Rep, the podcast Theatre Camp (with Jonathan Marc Sherman) for Sirius XM, Killing Time (with Steve Rosen), an At Home Play Commission from The Old Globe, and the new book of Meet Me In St. Louis for the St. Louis MUNY's 100th Anniversary.

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Episode 398 - Ann Harada

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0000

ANN HARADA originated the role of Christmas Eve in Avenue Q on Broadway and in the West End. Other Broadway: Cinderella, Into the Woods, 9 to 5, M Butterfly, Seussical, Les Miserables. Selected Off-Broadway: Dear World, Fairycakes, Emojiland, Dropping Gumballs on Luke Wilson, Pacific Overtures, Brooklynite and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Regionally: Babbitt (LaJolla Playhouse), The Closet (Williamstown), Matilda, Beauty and the Beast, & Mamma Mia (MUNY). Recent film: Jerry and Marge Go Large and Disenchanted. Add’l film: Sisters, Admission, and Hope Springs. She is one of the stars of the musical series Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+) Add’l TV: Gotham, Blue Bloods (recurring), Younger, Jim Gaffigan Show, The Good Wife, 30 Rock, House of Cards, Master of None, and Smash. Insta/Threads: @iamannharada, X:@annharada

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Episode 397 - Camryn Manheim

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Camryn Manheim is an actor, author, and activist. She is best known for her Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning role as the feisty defense attorney Ellenor Frutt on the legal drama series, The Practice. In her long career that spans over 40 years, she has appeared in over 60 television shows, 40 movies, and countless plays. Currently, you can see her on location in the streets of New York City playing Lieutenant Kate Dixon on Law & Order. Her other notable credits include: Ghost Whisperer, Stumptown, The L Word, Ally McBeal, Criminal Minds, Person of Interest, Two and a Half Men, Will & Grace, Utopia, The Magicians, Waco, How I Met Your Mother, Cop Car, Elvis, An Unfinished Life, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, Happiness, The Laramie Project, Dark Water, and The Road to Wellville. In 2015, Camryn made her Broadway debut in Deaf West’s Tony-nominated production of Spring Awakening. Manheim received her B.F.A from UC Santa Cruz and her M.F.A from New York University. In 1999 Manheim fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a New York Times best-selling author with her book, Wake Up, I'm Fat! When she’s not filming, she teaches and lectures all over the United States and abroad.

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Episode 396 - Daisy Prince

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Daisy Prince’s directing work includes the Original Off-Broadway production of The Last Five Years and the Original Off-Broadway production of Songs for a New World, both by Jason Robert Brown; It's Only Life: The Songs of John Bucchino at Rubicon Theatre (Los Angeles Ovation Award and Independent Award, Best Direction) also at Theatre Row for SPF and American Songbook at Lincoln Center; Jessica Molaskey's Pentimento with John Pizzarelli, Christine Ebersole, and Frank McCourt at The 92 Street Y. Daisy's concert staging includes Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Sondheim at Town Hall 50th SubCulture Residency Concert June 2019, NYSF Public Theater, PUBLIC SINGS!, Jazz at Lincoln Center's American Songbook Lance Horne: First Things Last, Lyrics and Lyricists at 92nd St. Y, The Genius of Autism, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Tom Kitt: An Evening at Stella Del Mare at Joe's Pub. As a performer, Daisy's credits include Merrily We Roll Along (Meg, Original Broadway Cast), Follies in Concert (Young Phyllis, Lincoln Center); Pal Joey (Linda English, Encores! City Center), Michael John LaChiusa's The Petrified Prince (Elise, NYSF Public Theater), and featured performer with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Her recordings include all the above and Grateful: The Songs of John Bucchino. In addition, she co-produced three plays with Bonnie Metzgar and Thalia Field as House Frau, inc. at BACA downtown. Daisy is a graduate of Brown University, has spent 20 years teaching as part of the New York City faculty of Syracuse University's The Tepper Semester, and is a proud member of the SDC.

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Episode 395 - Max Burkholder

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Max Burkholder stars as the lead of Seth MacFarlane’s critically acclaimed series TED, a prequel to the hit film franchise. He plays the leading role of “John Bennet” (the younger version of Mark Wahlberg’s character from the films), a good-hearted teenager who is still in his awkward teenage phase. With Ted’s help, John hilariously navigates adolescence, dealing with everything from first dates to high school bullies. Premiering on January 11, 2024, Ted launched as Peacock’s most-watched original title ever through its first three days on the platform.

Burkholder is perhaps best known for his portrayal of “Max Braverman” in NBC’s long running award-winning series PARENTHOOD, from producers Jason Katims, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Here Max raised awareness while portraying a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome. After the second episode aired, Asperger’s was one of the most frequently searched terms on Google. He also played the lead role in Paramount TV’s WHEN THE STREET LIGHTS GO ON for DGA, Oscar, IDA, and Emmy-nominated director Brett Morgen. His notable recurring roles include HBO’s IN TREATMENT and BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

In film, Burkholder starred in Debra Eisenstadt’s hit Sundance comedy BLUSH opposite Wendy McLendon-Covey; and in the title role of BENJAMIN, alongside comedy veterans Rob Corddry, Kevin Pollak and Dave Foley.

Burkholder began his career at a very young age in films including DADDY DAY CARE directed by Steve Carr, FRIENDS WITH MONEY directed by Nicole Holofcener, and a starring role in the Michael Bay-produced hit feature THE PURGE opposite Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey.

In the world of voiceover, Burkholder has voiced characters on a number of hit series including Amazon Prime’s INVINCIBLE, FAMILY GUY, THE CLEVELAND SHOW, AMERICAN DAD and THE LAND BEFORE TIME.

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Episode 394 - Christopher Fitzgerald

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Christopher Fitzgerald is an actor and singer known for his role as Boq in the musical Wicked, Igor in the musical Young Frankenstein, and Ogie Anhorn in the musical Waitress - he also starred on Broadway in Spamalot, Company, Act Of God and Amour. He earned Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award nominations for his performances in Waitress and Young Frankenstein and won the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Waitress.

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Episode 393 - Michael Cyril Creighton

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0000

Michael Cyril Creighton is currently seen as “Howard Morris" on Hulu’s "Only Murders in the Building” opposite Steve Martin, Martin Short & Selena Gomez. Other TV credits include the final season of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Dexter: New Blood,” “A League of Their Own,” "Dash & Lily," "High Maintenance," "Bob's Burgers,” "AJ & the Queen," "2 Broke Girls," "New Amsterdam," "Graves," "Blue Bloods," "Nurse Jackie," "Orange is the New Black," "30 Rock,” and more. Creighton played abuse survivor "Joe Crowley" in "Spotlight," the 2016 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture and won the Robert Altman Award at the Indie Spirit Awards as part of the film's ensemble. Other Film credits include Cord Jefferson's "American Fiction," Steven Spielberg's "The Post," "Game Night," "Paper Spiders," and "The Outside Story." On stage he has been seen in Sarah Ruhl’s Stage Kiss (Playwrights Horizons), Jordan Harrison’s The Amateurs (The Vineyard Theatre) and four World Premieres by The Debate Society (Cape Disappointment, You’re Welcome, Buddy Cop 2 and Blood Play.) He wrote, created and starred in the WGA Award winning web series "Jack in a Box”, which was inspired by working in a theatre box office for 12+ years.

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Episode 392 - Annie Parisse

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Annie Parisse can be seen in the recently released feature GIVING BIRTH TO A BUTTERFLY as well as a leading role in the forthcoming feature THREE BIRTHDAYS along with ERIC LARUE, marking the directorial debut for Academy Award Nominee Michael Shannon.

Parisse was seen on FX’s MRS AMERICA for FX and was a Series Lead on Netflix’s FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE created by Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco. Additional credits include the Hulu series, THE LOOMING TOWER opposite Jeff Daniels, THE FIRST opposite Sean Penn, as well as HBO’s original film PATERNO opposite Al Pacino. Annie also starred on the hit HBO Series, VINYL produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger. Her work includes, series regular roles on THE FOLLOWING for FOX opposite Kevin Bacon, LAW & ORDER, RUBICON for AMC and her incredible arc in the HBO mini series, THE PACIFIC for Steven Spielberg. Other notable television work includes HOUSE OF CARDS, THE BIG C, PERSON OF INTEREST and UNFORGETTABLE.

Annie made her Broadway debut in the revival of Craig Lucas's PRELUDE TO A KISS directed by Daniel Sullivan and she starred in CLYBOURNE PARK, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Off Broadway she starred as the title role in the Pulitzer Prize nominated BECKY SHAW garnering a Lortel Nomination for her performance. Additional credits include: LONG LOST at MTC, THE LAYOVER at 2nd Stage, Playwrights Horizons's ANTLIA PNEUMATICA, Shakespeare in the Park's ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL and MEASURE FOR MEASURE, THE INTERNATIONALIST (Drama Desk Nomination), MONSTER, and THE CREDEAUX CANVAS at Playwrights Horizons.

Annie's feature work includes the independent feature WILD CANARIES (SXSW Grand Jury Nomination), AND SO IT GOES directed by Rob Reiner, PRICE CHECK, ONE FOR THE MONEY, MY OWN LOVE SONG with Rene Zellweger and Forest Whitaker, HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS opposite Kate Hudson and MONSTER-IN-LAW with Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez.

Parisse hails from Anchorage, Alaska and resides in New York.

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Episode 391 - Anthony Edwards

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Anthony Edwards is probably best known as Dr. Mark Greene on the series “ER.” Edwards has received four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Edwards has won three Screen Actor's Guild Awards (Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in 1996 and Best Ensemble Cast in 1998 and 1999.) He won the Golden Globe Award in 1998. In the theater Edwards was seen on Broadway in Children of a Lesser God, Classic Stage Company’s Month in the Country, WPA Shem Bitterman’s Frozen, Williamstown Theater festival Harvey and Joyce Carol Oates’s Black. Edwards has starred in more than twenty features, including his memorable turn as "Goose" in the blockbuster feature Top Gun. Other feature film credits include; Consumed, Experimenter, Big Sur, Motherhood with Uma Thurman, Flipped directed by Rob Reiner, and Zodiac directed by David Fincher. Thunderbirds, Forgotten, Playing by Heart, The Client, Miracle Mile, Mr. North, Hawks, Pet Semetary II, Delta Heat, Landslide, The Sure Thing, Gotcha, Revenge of the Nerds, Heart Like a Wheel, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Edwards recently starred in both the Apple series “WeCrashed” and the Netflix mini-series “Inventing Anna”, created by Shonda Rhimes. Other television credits include ”Law and Order True Crimes: the Menendez Murders”, “Zero Hour”, “Girls”, “Blue Bloods”, “Billions”, “Northern Exposure” and “It Takes Two” as well as the telefilms “In Cold Blood”, “El Diablo”, “Hometown Boy Makes Good”, “Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story”, “High School USA” and “The Killing of Randy Webster”. Edwards made his feature directing debut with My Dead Boyfriend in 2016. He also directed several episodes of “ER”. Edwards was an Executive Producer of the HBO biopic “Temple Grandin”, which won multiple Emmys and Golden Globes.

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Episode 390 - Gabby Beans

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:30:00 -0000

GABBY BEANS is a Tony Award nominated actress. Some of her recent TV credits include Apple's "Presumed Innocent", HBO’s “Succession,” CBS’ “Blue Bloods”, CBS’s “The Good Fight,” Netflix’s “House of Cards,” and Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.” Theater credits include Jonah at Roundabout Theater, The Skin of Our Teeth at Lincoln Center (Tony Award Nomination for Best Lead Actress), I’m Revolting at the Atlantic Theater Company, Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater Company, and Mary Seacole at LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater.

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Episode 389 - Hannah Cruz

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0000

HANNAH CRUZ stars in The Connector at MCC. Other theater credits include Only Gold (Camille, MCC)., Suffs (Ruza, The Public). Tour: Hamilton (IRNE Best Actress, Eliza), Bullets over Broadway (Ellen). Regional: The Da Vinci Code (American Premiere, Ogunquit Playhouse, Sophie Neveu) and Young Frankenstein (OP, Inga). Insta @thisishannahcruz.

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Episode 388 - Jelani Remy

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Jelani Remy

Broadway: Back To The Future, Ain’t Too Proud, The Lion King.

Other theater credits include: High School Musical, Smokey Joe’s Café, AppleBoys, Oscar Michaeux Suite, Love Around the Block, Cabaret, Mozart: Her Story. Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star and Chita Rivera Award recipient.

BCEFA NextGen Advocate.

@itsjelaniremy

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Episode 387 - Coral Peña

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:18:00 -0000

Coral Peña stars as Aleida Rosales in the critically acclaimed AppleTV+ series "For all Mankind." Coral entered the show for the show’s sophomore season and each year the storyline for her character has gained more significance and Coral’s performance is receiving great praise.

Coral starred in the play "Our Dear Dead Drug Lord" at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles and can be seen in the indie Thelma opposite Fred Hechinger which will be premiering at Sundance in 2024. She can also be seen in the indie Story Ave opposite Asante Blackk and Luis Guzmán which premiered out of SXSW and had its theatrical release late in 2022. Previously, she appeared alongside Meryl Streep, in Steven Spielberg's The Post and in the Amazon film Chemical Hearts, opposite Lili Reinhart and Austin Abrams.

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Episode 386 - Joe Mantello

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0000

JOE MANTELLO (Director). Broadway directing credits include: Grey House, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Hillary and Clinton, Three Tall Women, The Boys in the Band, Blackbird, The Humans, Airline Highway, The Last Ship, Casa Valentina, I’ll Eat You Last, The Other Place, Other Desert Cities, Pal Joey, 9 to 5, Laugh Whore, November, The Ritz, Three Days of Rain, The Odd Couple, Glengarry Glen Ross, Wicked, Assassins (Tony Award), Take Me Out (Tony Award), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Love! Valour! Compassion!

Off-Broadway: Here We Are, Dogfight, The Pride, A Man of No Importance, The Vagina Monologues, bash, Corpus Christi.

As an actor he has appeared in American Horror Story: NYC (FX), Hollywood, The Watcher (Netflix), The Normal Heart (HBO, Emmy Nom.) and upcoming FEUD Season 2: Capote vs. The Swans (FX) Broadway: The Glass Menagerie, The Normal Heart (Tony nom.), Angels in America (Tony nom.)

Recipient of Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Clarence Derwent, Obie, Joe A. Callaway and SDCF “Mr. Abbott" awards. Member of the Theatre Hall of Fame.

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Episode 385 - Sharon Brous

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 20:09:50 -0000

Sharon Brous is the founding and senior rabbi of IKAR, a trail-blazing Jewish community based in Los Angeles. A leading voice at the intersection of faith and justice in America, she has been named #1 Most Influential Rabbi in the U.S. by Newsweek/The Daily Beast. She blessed both President Obama and President Biden at their National Inaugural Prayer Services, and her TED Talk “Reclaiming Religion” has been viewed 1.5 million times. Brous’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. She lives with her husband, David Light, and their children in California.

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Episode 384 - Barbara Barrie

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Barbara Barrie has had a distinguished career in film, television and theatre. On Broadway, she has appeared in Company (Tony Award nomination), The Selling of the President, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, California Suite, Torch Song Trilogy, and, most recently, in the Broadway transfer of Significant Other, for which she received the Actors' Equity Association Award for the Best Performance in a Supporting Role by a Veteran Actor. Her notable off-Broadway credits include I Remember Mama (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination), The Vagina Monologues, Current Events, After-Play, The Crucible, The Beaux' Stratagem, Love Letters, Isn't It Romantic? and The Killdeer (Obie Award and Drama Desk Award). Her best known television series appearances include "Law & Order" (Emmy Award nomination), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (Emmy Award nomination), "Breaking Away" (Emmy Award nomination), "Suddenly Susan," "Enlightened," "Nurse Jackie," "Once and Again," "Barney Miller," "Thirtysomething" and "Family Ties." Her mini-series and television movie credits include "Scarlett," "Roots: The Next Generation," "A Chance of Snow," "My Left Breast," "The Odd Couple: Together Again," "Tell Me My Name," "To Race the Wind," "American Love Affair," and "Barefoot in the Park." Film credits include ""Somewhere Only We Know," One Potato, Two Potato" (Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival), "Breaking Away" (Academy Award nomination), "Judy Berlin" (Independent Spirit Award nomination), "Frame of Mind," "Second Best," "Hercules," "Private Benjamin," "The Bell Jar" and "Thirty Days."

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Episode 383 - Zach Schonfeld

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 19:35:00 -0000

Zach Schonfeld is a freelance writer, journalist, and critic based in New York. He writes about culture for Pitchfork, Vulture, Spin Magazine, and many other publications. He was formerly a senior writer for Newsweek, where he was on staff for five years. His first book, Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth, was published in 2020 as part of the 33 1/3 series. How Coppola Became Cage is his second book.

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Episode 382 - David Schwab

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 18:43:00 -0000

David Schwab, is a screenwriter based in New York City. Since 2014, Mr. Schwab has been an adjunct professor of screen writing at the Graduate Film school at Columbia University. He has also taught at the French National Film School, La Femis, and also at Sundance Colabs. Mr. Schwab received his MFA in Film from the Columbia University School of the Art where his thesis script, MR. VERNER'S PYGMY, was purchased by Scott Rudin. Since then Mr. Schwab has written for, among others, Warner Brothers, Animal Logic, Hollywood Pictures, Propaganda, HD Net Films, and Paramount Pictures. Mr. Schwab was the 2014 Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grantee for his script, FRANCIS TURNBULL – which was also selected for the 2013 Hampton Film Festival writer’s lab. FRANCIS TURNBULL is being produced by Oren Moverman (THE MESSENGER, LOVE AND MERCY, TIME OUT OF MIND) and Wren Arthur (PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION). Jennifer Fox (THE TALE, BEIRUT: THE LAST HOME MOVIE) will direct. Mr. Schwab recently completed KACZYNSKI, a TV pilot about the Unabomber for SightUnseen pictures. Oren Moveman will direct.

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Episode 381 - Julie Benko

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0000

JULIE BENKO is an actor, singer, and writer based in New York City. She recently marched her band out on Broadway as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, joining the annals of theatrical lore for her sensational understudy-to-star trajectory in the show. Between her tenure as the standby, alternate, and full-time Fanny, she played the role over 180 times and received numerous accolades for her interpretation, including Theatre World’s Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre She was also called the 2022 “Breakout Star for Theater” in The New York Times, named among “10 Broadway Stars to Watch for 2023” by Variety, honored as one of “40 Under 40” for Crain’s New York Business, hailed by CBS Mornings as “Broadway’s breakout star,” and profiled in numerous national media outlets such as The New York Times and Time. This fall, she is originating her first role on Broadway, playing Ruth in the long-gestating Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical Harmony.

Her recent album Hand in Hand (Club44 Records), a duo effort with her pianist-composer spouse Jason Yeager, won the BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award for “Best Commercial Album” and received a MAC Award nomination for “Best Major Album.” Her debut jazz album is Introducing Julie Benko. She has played leading roles in many Off-Broadway and regional productions and enjoys a vibrant concert career, having headlined sold-out shows at Birdland, 54 Below, and many other venues around the country. She won first prize and the Johnny Mercer Award in the national American Traditions Vocal Competition and holds a BFA in Drama and an MFA in Acting (yes, both) from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. As a writer, Julie has worked across mediums. In 2020, she wrote, directed, and starred in her first short, The Newlywed’s Guide to Physical Intimacy,which has won praise in numerous international festivals. Her first full-length play, The District, was named a semifinalist at the 2022 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Her new holiday EP, Christmas with You, is available from Club44 Records.

JulieBenko.com. Instagram/TikTok @JujujulieBee

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Episode 380 - Mike Doyle

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Mike's second feature film, PASSING THROUGH, which he wrote and directed premiered in Torino Italy, later screening in festivals in Europe and more recently, here in NY at Soho International Film Festival, where it picked up nominations for Best Film, Best Actor, and the Audience Award. Mike's feature film debut, SELL BY, which he also wrote and directed, premiered in Toronto in 2019 at Inside Out, then traveled the festival circuit garnering awards including best feature, best screenplay and best director. It was acquired by Netflix under the title ALMOST LOVE, and stars Kate Walsh, Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Michelle Buteau, and Patricia Clarkson. Mike's first film, SHINER, a short starring Amy Ryan, premiered at Tribeca and launched his directing career. Mike most recently directed THE CHASE, a short film written by Nick Jandl. With Nick, Mike is executive producing and writing the series TODO POR AMOR with Stampede Entertainment and CBS Viacom. Mike became WGA when he was hired by Judd Apatow and Universal to pen the comedy, UNTITLED GAY MARRIAGE. Mike is a veteran actor, with years of experience in film and television, working with greats like Clint Eastwood (Jersey Boys), Karyn Kusama (The Invitation), Richard LaGravenese (You're Not You), Nancy Savoca (Union Square), & Martin Campbell (Green Lantern) to name a few. He was last seen on NBC's NEW AMSTERDAM and Showtime's CITY ON A HILL. Mike holds a BS in economics from Georgetown, and he trained as an actor at The Juilliard School.

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Episode 379 - Denis O'Hare

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0000

DENIS O'HARE has been nominated 3 times for Emmy Awards for his work in THIS IS US and AMERICAN HORROR STORY. Other television appearances include THE NEVERS, TRYING, TRUE BLOOD, AMERICAN GODS, THE GOOD WIFE, and BIG LITTLE LIES. He won the Tony Award for Richard Greenberg's TAKE ME OUT (Obie Award, Drama Desk Award) and an OBIE for his performance in AN ILIAD of which he is also the co-writer. Other stage credits include ASSASSINS (Tony nomination), SWEET CHARITY (Drama Desk Award), CABARET, INHERIT THE WIND, MAJOR BARBARA, ELLING, RACING DEMON, HAUPTMANN, INTO THE WOODS, TEN UNKNOWNS, and TARTUFFE at London's National Theatre. Film credits include INFINITE STORM, SWALLOW, LATE NIGHT, THE GOLDFINCH, NOVITIATE, THE NORMAL HEART, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, THE PROPOSAL, DUPLICITY, MILK , CHANGELING, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, MICHAEL CLAYTON, A MIGHTY HEART, HALF NELSON, GARDEN STATE, 21 GRAMS, THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY, PRIVATE LIFE, and THE PARTING GLASS of which he is the screenwriter.

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Episode 378 - Theresa Rebeck

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Theresa Rebeck is a prolific and widely produced playwright, whose work has been staged across the globe. Her work on Broadway includes Bernhardt/Hamlet, Dead Accounts, Seminar, Mauritius and the upcoming play I Need That (starring Danny DeVito, premiering Fall 2023). Other notable plays include the New York Times Critics Pick Dig (which she also directs), currently playing at Primary Stages/59E59 Theaters; Mad House, which played a critically acclaimed world premiere on London’s West End starring David Harbour and Bill Pullman; Seared (MCC), Downstairs (Primary Stages), The Scene, The Water’s Edge, Loose Knit, The Family of Mann and Spike Heels (Second Stage), Bad Dates, The Butterfly Collection and Our House (Playwrights Horizons), The Understudy (Roundabout), View of the Dome (NYTW), What We’re Up Against (Women’s Project), Omnium Gatherum (Pulitzer Prize finalist). As a director, her work has been seen at The Alley Theatre (Houston), the REP Company (Delaware), Dorset Theatre Festival, the Orchard Project and the Folger Theatre. Major film and television projects include Trouble, with Anjelica Huston, Bill Pullman and David Morse (writer and director), “NYPD Blue,” the NBC series “Smash” (creator), the female spy thriller 355 (for Jessica Chastain’s production company), and her most recent film Glimpse, available for streaming now. As a novelist, Rebeck’s books include Three Girls and Their Brother and I'm Glad About You. Rebeck is the recipient of the William Inge New Voices Playwriting Award, the PEN/Laura Pels Foundation Award, and a Lilly Award.

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Episode 377 - Qui Nguyen

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 06:41:14 -0000

QUI NGUYEN is a playwright, screenwriter, and co-founder of the pioneering geek theatre company, Vampire Cowboys. His plays include Vietgone, Poor Yella Rednecks, Bike Wreck, and the critically acclaimed Vampire Cowboys shows Revenge Song, She Kills Monsters, Soul Samurai, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G, Alice in Slasherland, Fight Girl Battle World, Men of Steel, and Living Dead in Denmark. For TV/film, he’s written for Marvel Studios, Netflix, AMC, SYFY, and PBS. He most recently wrote Disney’s Raya and The Last Dragon (nominated for a 2022 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature) and is currently co-directing and writing Disney’s. Strange World.

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Episode 376 - Mark Armstrong and Warren Leight

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Mark Armstrong (he/him) is a Brooklyn-based theater director and the Artistic Director of The 24 Hour Plays. His production of Eric Bogosian’s Drinking in Americafeaturing Andre Royo (NYT Critic’s Pick) enjoyed an extended run at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre and a live audio capture was released as an Audible audio play. Highlights with The 24 Hour Plays include annual productions of The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, The 24 Hour Musicals, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues (which engaged millions of viewers worldwide beginning March 2020) + partner productions across the US. As a director, his collaborators include Emily Mann (Execution of Justice, Playhouse Creatures + NYU Tisch mainstage), Christopher Shinn (Falling Away, Ensemble Studio Theatre; The Coming World; Williamstown), Dan O’Brien (From Kandahar to Canada, EST; The Angel in the Trees, Production Company) and many others. As Director of New Work for Keen Company, he created the Keen Playwrights Lab for mid-career playwrights and directed Old Folks by Max Posner and 30 Million by Jason Kim and Max Vernon. Recently, he developed and directed The Accidentwith drummer Kid Millions at Roulette. Assistant professor (part-time), The New School for Drama; proud member SDC and UAW 7902; alum Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and Williamstown Theater Festival Directing Corp.

Warren Leight is the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony-winning author of Side Man, as well as No Foreigners Beyond This Point (Drama Desk nomination), Home Front, Fame Takes a Holiday, Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine (ATCA nomination) and The Loop. He also wrote the book of the musical Mayor (Drama Desk nomination) and co-wrote the book of Leap of Faith (Drama Desk nomination). Warren was showrunner and Executive Producer of the NBC drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” from 2011 – 2016 and 2019-2022 (Imagen, NAACP and PRISM Awards). Previously, he was showrunner and Executive Producer of HBO's Peabody Award-winning “In Treatment,” the FX drama “Lights Out,” and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.”

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Episode 375 - Katie Rose Clarke

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Katie was born and raised in Houston, TX. Best known for her role as Glinda the Good in the Broadway production of Wicked, she was also Glinda in the first national touring company of Wicked. Her Broadway debut was as Clara Johnson in The Lincoln Center Theatre’s production of The Light in the Piazza directed by Bartlett Sher. Also, as Clara, she appeared in the first national touring production of The Light in the Piazza. Her Broadway credits also include Hannah Campbell in Allegiance and Ellen in Miss Saigon. She will be seen this fall as Beth in Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway following a run earlier this year at NYTW.

On camera, she can be seen in roles on CBS’ The Good Wife and NCIS: New Orleans, as well as the independent film Maybe There’s A Tree. She also performed as Clara in the PBS national broadcast of Live from Lincoln Center: The Light in The Piazza.

In regional theatre she is recognized for her role as Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years at the Long Wharf Theatre. For this role she was awarded the Connecticut Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in 2014. She was also seen in the East Coast debut of Craig Lucas’ play Prayer For My Enemy as Marianne Noone at the Long Wharf Theatre Company directed by Bartlett Sher. Clarke appeared in the staged concert of Parade as Mrs. Phagan conducted by Jason Robert Brown at Lincoln Center.

She lives in New York with her husband and family.

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Episode 374 - John Rubinstein

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0000

John Rubinstein originated the title role in the Broadway musical Pippin, directed by Bob Fosse, and won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his performance in Children of a Lesser God. Other Broadway appearances include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ragtime, Hurlyburly, M. Butterfly, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Drama Desk nomination), Getting Away with Murder, Fools, Love Letters, and the 2013 Pippin revival. He appeared off-Broadway in Counsellor-at-Law (2005 Lucille Lortel Award, Outer Critics' Circle and Drama League nominations), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Urban Blight, Cabaret Verboten, and Morning's at Seven. Regionally: Wicked in LA, and the international tour of the Pippin revival. He starred in the TV series, “Family” (Emmy nomination), and “Crazy Like A Fox”, and over 300 episodes. Films include “Being the Ricardo’s”, “Hello, I Must Be Going”, “21 Grams”, “Red Dragon”, “The Boys from Brazil”, “Someone to Watch Over Me”, “Daniel, Zachariah,” and “Getting Straight”. He directed the world premiere of A. R. Gurney's The Old Boy, and Counsellor-at-Law, Company, Brigadoon, Macbeth, The Three Sisters, Phantasie, Nightingale, The Rivals, A Little Night Music, Guys and Dolls, Into The Woods, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and The Rover. He composes film and TV music (“Jeremiah Johnson”, “The Candidate”, “The Dollmaker”, "China Beach", among others), hosted two classical music radio programs, played keyboards in a rock band, and has recorded over 200 audiobooks, most numerously Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series of Los Angeles crime novels. He is married to Bonnie Burgess, and their son Max is the youngest of his five children, joining Jessica, Michael, Peter, and Jacob.

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Episode 373 - Peter Friedman and Sydney Lemmon

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Peter Friedman - has been in the original New York productions of works by Wendy Wasserstein, Simon Gray, C.P. Taylor, Charles Fuller, Annie Baker, Amy Herzog, Max Posner, Greg Pierce, Jennifer Haley, Deborah Zoe Laufer, The Debate Society, Rachel Bonds, Lauren Yee, Will Eno, Michael Mitnick, Kim Rosenstock, Will Connolly, Gunnar Madsen, Joy Gregory, John Lang, Susan Stroman, David Thompson, John Kander, Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens, and Stephen Flaherty. He’s performed in NYC revivals of plays by Paddy Chayefsky, Reginald Rose, Donald Margulies, Chekhov, and Shakespeare. Film: The Savages, Safe, Single White Female. TV: “Brooklyn Bridge,” “High Maintenance,” “The Muppet Show,” “The Affair,” “The Path,” “Succession.”

Sydney Lemmon - Off-Broadway debut. Broadway: Beau Willimon’s The Parisian Woman. Film: TÁR, Firestarter, Velvet Buzzsaw. Television: “Helstrom,” “Succession,” “Fear the Walking Dead” (Saturn Award Nomination). She can next be seen alongside Halle Berry in the forthcoming feature film The Mothership. Sydney is a graduate of Boston University, LAMDA and the Yale School of Drama.

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Episode 372 - Danielle Anne Trussoni and A.J. Jacobs

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Danielle Anne Trussoni is a New York Times,[1] USA Today,[2] and Sunday Times Top 10 bestselling novelist. She has been a Pulitzer Prize in Fiction jurist,[3] and wrote the "Dark Matters" column for the New York Times Book Review for five years, from 2018-2023. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, where she was a Maytag Fellow. Her novels have been translated into 33 languages.

Her work includes six books: Falling Through the Earth (2006), Angelology (2010), Angelopolis (2012), The Fortress (2016), The Ancestor (2020), and The Puzzle Master (2023). The Puzzle Box is forthcoming in 2024. She is the recipient of the Michener-Copernicus Society of America award, the Dana Award in the novel, and The New York Times Top 10 Book of the Year[4] for her first book. In addition to being published in The New York Times Book Review, she has also been published in The Guardian, The New York Times Magazine, and Tin House. Her writings have been widely anthologized.

A.J. Jacobs is an author, journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help.

His latest book is called The Puzzler.

His first book is called The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (Simon & Schuster, 2004). The memoir spent two months on the New York Times bestseller list.

After trying to improve his mind, he turned to his spirit. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (2007) tells of his attempt to follow the hundreds of rules in the Good Book. It spent three months on the NYT bestseller list, and was praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and others. It appeared on the cover of the evangelical magazine Relevant, but was also featured in Penthouse. (Jacobs is proud to be a uniter, not a divider).

In 2012, Jacobs completed his mind-spirit-body self-improvement trinity with Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection. It is the tale of his quest to be as healthy as humanly possible for which he revamped his diet, exercise regimen, sleep schedule, sex life, posture and more. He wrote the book on a treadmill desk (It took him about 1,200 miles).

He also published a collection of essays called My Life as an Experiment: One Man’s Humble Quest to Improve Himself (2010). The book contains experiments featuring George Washington’s rules of life, marital harmony, marital disharmony, multitasking and nudity – not in that order. It includes the Esquire piece ‘My Outsourced Life,’ which also appeared in Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Workweek.

Jacobs’s new book It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree.” It’s about the extraordinary changes happening in family research and DNA, and how they have an impact on politics, race relations, health and happiness. The book has been praised by Kirkus (“delightful”), Booklist (“a real treat”) and Publisher’s Weekly (“entertaining and lively.”)

In addition to his books, Jacobs written for The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, New York magazine and Dental Economics magazine, one of the top five magazines about the financial side of tooth care.

He has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The Dr. Oz Show, Conan and The Colbert Report.

He has given several TED talks, including ones about living biblically, creating a one-world family, and living healthily.

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Episode 371 - Heather Hach

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Heather Hach is an accomplished screenwriter, Broadway librettist, and novelist. Her work includes screenwriting for Freaky Friday and What to Expect When You're Expecting, and she was nominated for a Tony and Drama Desk Award for her work on Legally Blonde: The Musical. She was formerly an improv comedy cast member with ComedySports, an editor at Sports and Fitness Publishing, and a judge on MTV’s reality show “The Search for the Next Elle Woods.” Her upcoming book, The Trouble with Drowning [GreenLeaf Book Group] comes out October 17, 2023.

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Episode 370 - Randy Rainbow

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Randy Rainbow is a four-time EMMY® and GRAMMY®-

nominated American comedian, producer, actor, singer,

writer, satirist, host, and New York Times bestselling

author, best known for his popular web series, The Randy

Rainbow Show. His musical parodies and political spoofs

have garnered him worldwide acclaim and four consecutive

EMMY® nominations for Outstanding Short-Form Variety

Series. His debut solo album, A Little Brains, A Little Talent

(Broadway Records), earned him a 2023 GRAMMY®

nomination for “Best Comedy Album”.

Touring the U.S. with his sold-out solo musical comedy

concerts, the influencer and Internet sensation's viral

comedy videos have received hundreds of millions of views

across all social media and digital platforms. His fresh take

on politics and current events has led to interviews and

profiles by The Washington Post (magazine cover story),

CBS Sunday Morning, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Hollywood

Reporter, CNN, NPR, ABC News, OUT, People, and

Entertainment Weekly.

As the Washington Post noted, “Randy Rainbow has found

his spotlight through the Internet, emerging as a viral

sensation who dispenses musical comedy salve for a

divided nation.”

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Episode 369 - Vineyard Folk

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Vineyard Folk

by Tamara Weiss & Amanda Benchley

The true soul of Martha’s Vineyard, captured through the eyes of the talented artists and artisans who live there.

Vineyard Folk leads us on an intimate journey into the lives and inspirational places of some of the many talented artists who have always made up the larger community of Martha’s Vineyard. The island, located just seven miles off the coast of Cape Cod, has a long history as geographic muse: Lillian Hellman and William Styron wrote overlooking the Vineyard Haven harbor, and Thomas Hart Benton—whose influence is still felt in island painters today—depicted the stone walls and winding roads of what is known as “up-island” more than a hundred years ago.

Now, a new generation continues to build on these creative legacies, inspired by the island’s ever-changing light, endless beaches, historic towns, and rolling fields. Vineyard Folk features painters, potters, poets, musicians, and actors, among many others, and the unique ways they work, live, and play.

Above all, Vineyard Folk is a love letter to a remarkable island community. With personal interviews and candid photography, it is a collage of creativity, resilience, and hope. We celebrate these artists captured at this golden moment of time that may not last forever.

On this episode you will meet some of the artists featured in the book- Brooke Adams, Brad Silberling, Michael Johnson, Juli Vanderhoop, Elizabeth Ceceil and author Tamara Weiss.

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Episode 368 - The Ukeladies

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Laurie David is an award winning producer and activist. For over a decade she has been dedicated to raising awareness and making real change to environmental issues. She is the executive producer of the Academy Award winning documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth and other socially relevant docs including Fed Up. Biggest Little Farm, Mayor Pete and the Social Dilemma.

She is also the author of -The Family Dinner - Great Ways To Connect With Your Kids One Meal At A Time, The Down To Earth Guide To Global Warming and Imagine It- A handbook for a happier planet.

Kate Taylor recorded her first album, Sister Kate, in 1971. Her second album KATE TAYLOR was produced by her brother James Taylor in 1976.She has since released many records, raised a family and continues to write original songs and perform them all over the world.

Judy Belushi Pisano met her first husband John Belushi while still in high school. She was instrumental in his career while forging her own path in the entertainment industry. Judy worked with both the National Lampoon Magazine and the National Lampoon radio hour. She is an author and her books include - TheMom Book, Samurai Widow and Belushi . As a designer Judy created The Blues Brothers logo and record album covers and partnered with Dan Akroyd to create the House Of Blues music and restaurant franchise. She continues to develop movies and shows based on The Blues Brothers and over the years she has played music with some of the most well known rock stars on the planet.

Joanne Ashe is the visionary founder of Journeys In Film - a nonprofit organization focused on leveraging the educational power of film to engage students with pressing global issues of critical concern. Journeys in Film develops curriculum and teaching materials centered on impactful films and has reached thousands of students with its classroom discussions that encourages students to think critically about the worlds most important challenges.

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Episode 367 - Jose Llana

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Jose Llana returns to Broadway in the highly anticipated production of David Byrne & Fat Boy Slim’s Here Lies Love, for which he earned a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for creating the role of “Marcos” at the Public Theatre. He most recently starred as The King Of Siam in Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony Award Winning revival of The King & I on Broadway, the US National Tour and the UK Tour. Previous Broadway credits include Chip Tolentino in William Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee (Drama Desk Award, dir. James Lapine), El Gato in Wonderland, Wang Ta in David Henry Hwang’s adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, Angel in RENT (dir. Michael Greif), Jessie-Lee in Streetcorner Symphony and his debut as Lun Tha in the 1996 Revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King & I opposite Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Phillips. Off-Broadway appearances include Adam in Falling For Eve (York), Gabey in On the Town (dir. George C. Wolfe, Delacorte) and Adam Guettel’s Saturn Returns (dir. Tina Landau, Public Theater). Regional appearances include Bill Sikes in Oliver! (Papermill), Guillaume in Cameron Mackintosh’s Martin Guerre (Guthrie Theater), Tin Man in Ballad of Little Jo (Steppenwolf Theater, dir. Tina Landau, Jefferson Nomination - Best Supporting Actor) and Candide in Candide (Prince Theater, Barrymore Nomination - Best Actor). TV/Film appearances include HBO’s Sex and the City opposite Margaret Cho and Hitch with Will Smith. Appearing on numerous cast albums Jose is also a best-selling recording artist on the VIVA Philippines label. He has made two appearances with American Songbook in 2019 and 2015 which led to the release of his second solo CD, Altitude in the spring of 2016.

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Episode 366 - Paul Rudnick and Joel Thurm

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Paul Rudnick is a novelist, playwright, essayist and screenwriter, whom the New York Times has called, “one of our pre-eminent humorists.” His plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world, and include I HATE HAMLET, JEFFREY, THE MOST FABULOUS STORY EVER TOLD, VALHALLA, REGRETS ONLY, and THE NEW CENTURY. He has won an Obie Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award, and two of his short plays have been included in STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS. His novels include SOCIAL DISEASE and I’LL TAKE IT, both from Knopf and PLAYING THE PALACE from Berkley. He’s a regular contributor to The New Yorker and his articles and essays have also appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, Vogue and Vanity Fair. HarperCollins has published both Mr. Rudnick’s Collected Plays and a group of essays entitled I SHUDDER. His essays have also been included in the New Yorker anthologies FIERCE PAJAMAS and DISQUIET, PLEASE.Mr. Rudnick is rumored to be quite close to Premiere magazine’s film critic Libby Gelman-Waxner, whose collected columns were published by St. Martins under the title IF YOU ASK ME. Ms. Gelman-Waxner has also reviewed in the pages of Entertainment Weekly, and the column now appears every few weeks on The New Yorker website.Mr. Rudnick’s screenplays include IN & OUT, SISTER ACT, the screen adaptation of JEFFREY, and ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES. His Young Adult novels, entitled GORGEOUS and IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT, have been published by Scholastic.Mr. Rudnick has appeared on the Today show, Real Time with Bill Maher, Conan O’Brien, A Prairie Home Companion, and Fresh Air, among other programs. Mr. Rudnick’s new play, Guilty Pleasure, will be directed by Christopher Ashley and produced at the LaJolla Playhouse. On September 12, 2020, HBO began airing Coastal Elites, written by Mr. Rudnick, directed by Jay Roach, and starring Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson and Kaitlyn Dever. He’s currently writing a screenplay called EX-HUSBANDS, based on an original idea by Billy Eichner, for Amazon. His new novel, FARRELL COVINGTON AND THE LIMITS OF STYLE, will be publshed in June of 2023 by Simon&Schuster

From his humble beginnings growing up on his grandfather's dairy farm in New York, JOEL THURM became one of the most admired, powerful, and accomplished casting directors in Hollywood, Early on, Thurm's instincts proved beyond reproach when he recognized John Travolta as much more than a teen idol, casting him in the TV movie THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE. It was during his years as Vice President of Talent and Casting for both Paramount Television and NBC that he discovered the remarkable Phoenix family, from which River and Joaquin became A-list movie stars. With his insider's knowledge, irreverent style, and biting wit, Thurm tells the stories of his key involvement in such iconic movies and shows as GREASE, AIRPLANE!, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, CHEERS, TAXI, THE LOVE BOAT, FANTASY ISLAND, STARSKY & HUTCH, CHARLIE'S ANGELS, THE GOLDEN GIRLS, KNIGHT RIDER, THE COSBY SHOW, HILL STREET BLUES and many, many more. SEX, DRUGS, AND PILOT SEASON is the ultimate backstage pass to the boardrooms of Manhattan and the executive suites of Hollywood where show-business history was made.

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Episode 365 - Liana Hunt

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Liana Hunt is a New York City based actor, singer and dancer who has appeared on Broadway, National Tours, regionally, on television and in films.

Originally from Vermont, Liana received her BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and graduated with honors a semester early to star as Sophie on the National Tour of Mamma Mia!. After touring the country with the show, Liana was brought to Broadway, making her Broadway debut as Sophie in Mamma Mia! at the age of 23. Liana also starred on Broadway as Katherine Plumber in Disney’s Newsies.

She has returned to Broadway this summer in Back to the Future Musical that is adapted for the stage by the movie’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and is directed by the Tony Award-winning John Rando. She stars in the production as ‘Lorraine McFly’.

Liana has performed on stages all across the country. Some of her favorite National Tour credits include the role of Nessarose in Wicked and Margo in Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star. Favorite regional credits include creating the role of Jessie Randolph in Clint Black’s new musical, Looking for Christmas, at The Old Globe, the St. Louis MUNY’s centennial production of Meet Me in St. Louis (Rose), and Noel Coward’s Private Lives at the Riverside Theatre (Sybil).

Liana has studied Improv with UCB and is a part of the sketch comedy show SHIZ: Broadway Meets Sketch Comedy, which has had runs at UCB in Hell’s Kitchen and Improv Asylum, produced by National Lampoon.

Liana also teaches musical theatre masterclasses to kids of all ages and coaches.

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Episode 364 - Max Chernin and Alfred Uhry

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Max Chernin Broadway: Parade, Bright Star, Sunday In The Park with George. NYC: Brooklynite (Vineyard), Golden Apple (Encores!) Regional: Passing Through (Goodspeed), Daddy Long Legs (Theatre Raleigh), Elf (Pioneer). Television: “Dickinson,” “Blacklist.” CCM Alum. @maxcherns.

Alfred Uhry (Book) is distinguished as the only American playwrights to have won a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, and two Tony Awards. A 1958 graduate of Brown University, he began his professional career as a lyric writer under contract to the late Frank Loesser. He made his Broadway debut in 1968 with Here’s Where I Belong, which ran for one night. He had better luck with The Robber Bridegroom in 1976, which won him his first Tony nomination. He followed that with five recreated musicals at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. His first play was Driving Miss Daisy, which began life at the 74-seat upstairs theatre at Playwrights Horizons in 1987 and went on to run for three years and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. The film version, starring Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy, won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1989 and gained Uhry his own Oscar for Best Screenplay. His next two Broadway outings won him Tony Awards: The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Best Play of 1997) and Parade (Best Book of a Musical 1999). In 2014, he was inducted into both the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.

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Episode 363 - Stars of Life of Pi on Broadway - Mahira Kakkar and Salma Qarnain

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Mahira Kakkar: Off-Broadway: 7 Minutes, Waterwell; Here We Are, Theater for One; Addressless, Rattlestick; Opus, Primary Stages; Harper Regan, Atlantic; Romeo and Juliet, Public Theater; The Winter’s Tale, TFANA; When January Feels Like Summer, EST; Henry VI, NAATCO; Arturo Ui, Classic Stage Company; Ms. Witherspoon, Playwrights Horizons; Clive, The New Group. Regional: Life of Pi, A.R.T.; Skylight, McCarter Theatre; Rafta Rafta, Old Globe; Our Town, OSF; Monsoon Wedding, Berkeley Rep; Bedroom Farce, Huntington Theater Company; Inana, Denver Center; The Crucible, Cleveland Playhouse; Five Mile Lake, McCarter Theatre; Comedy of Errors, Hartford Stage, Jesus in India, Magic Theater. Film/TV: “A Suitable Boy” (series lead), “Manifest” (recurring), “New Amsterdam,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Blacklist,” “Louie,” “Odd Mom Out,” “Sweet Refuge,” “Bite Me,” Hank and Asha (Napa Valley Film Festival Best Actress, Wild Rose Festival Best Actress, Slamdance Audience winner, Bronze Lens winner), “Law & Order,” “Orange Is the New Black.” Training: Juilliard, SITI, Harold Guskin; B.A. Jadavpur University. mahirakakkar.com

Salma Qarnain is a versatile Pakistani American actor, thrilled to be making her Broadway debut in the adaptation of one of her favorite books. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award recipient, an AUDELCO nominee, and an award-winning theater and film producer. She has performed across major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, HBO Max, Hulu, Showtime), regionally, Off-Broadway, and Off-West End. Most recently, she produced the 2023 Oscar-qualified short film, Silent Partner (19 festivals / 4 Oscar qualifiers; 8 awards / nominations) and Speak Up Brotha!, which is premiering at the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival. Selected credits: Bars and Measures (Off-Broadway); Acquittal (Off-Broadway); Rain + Zoe Save the World (Off-West End); “That Damn Michael Che” (RECUR, HBO Max); “FBI” (CBS); “The Blacklist” (NBC); “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC); “For Life” (ABC). Graduate of Stanford, MIT, Harvard Business School. Proud member of SAG•AFTRA, AEA, Equity. Thank you to Roderick, Gary, Lolita, Max, Finn, Duncan, Benton, Patrick, A.R.T, and Annette for getting me here. Love you, X! For my sisters Ayesha, Sonia, and Zehra and my parents Qarnain and Rashida in the stars. IG: @salma.qarnain; salmaqarnain.com

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Episode 362 - Micaela Diamond

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Micaela Diamond starred as Lucille Frank in the Tony Award winning revival of Parade in 2023. She made her Broadway debut as ‘Babe’ – the youngest Cher – in The Cher Show. She recently appeared in both The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical and Leanord Bernstein’s opera Mass at the Kennedy Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival’s Row, and Ethan Coen’s A Play Is A Poem in Los Angeles. Television and film: NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live,” Peggy in Tick, Tick… Boom

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Episode 361 - Camelot

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0000

ANDREW BURNAP - won the 2021 Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play for his performance in Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, after a successful run at the Young Vic in London and a transfer to the West End. Additional theater credits include the titular role in the West Coast premiere of Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride (Geffen Playhouse, director Mike Donahue), Nicky Silver’s This Day Forward (Vineyard Theatre, director Mark Brokaw) and Troilus in Troilus and Cressida (The Public, director Daniel Sullivan). TV and Film credits include the upcoming The Front Room (A24) and Disney’s live-action Snow White; as well as “Under the Banner of Heaven” (Hulu); “WeCrashed” (AppleTV+); The Chaperone (director Michael Engler); and Spare Room. Andrew graduated from the Yale School of Drama.

DAKIN MATTHEWS - LCT: Henry IV (Drama Desk Award). Broadway: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Iceman Cometh, Waitress, The Audience, Rocky, The Best Man, A Man for All Seasons. New York: Shakespeare in the Park, The Bridge Project at BAM, Playwrights Horizons, City Center Encores!, The Acting Company. Over 200 regional productions. Recent film credits include True Grit, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies and Zero Charisma. Over 250 television credits including “The King of Queens,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Gilmore Girls.” Former Artistic Director of three professional companies, an award-winning playwright and translator, an Emeritus Professor of English and a Shakespeare scholar.

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Episode 360 - Katey Sagal

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:28:00 -0000

Katey Sagal has entertained audiences in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles throughout her notable career. Her television credits include “Sons of Anarchy” (Golden Globe Award), “Superior Donuts,” “8 Simple Rules,” and “Married…With Children.” She has also appeared in feature films including “Bleed for This,” “Pitch Perfect 2” and “The Good Mother.” An accomplished singer, Katey has released the CDs “Well” and “Room” and performs with her band The Reluctant Apostles. Her first book, “Grace Notes: My Recollections,” was published in 2017 by Simon and Schuster. Katey can currently be seen on “The Conners” on ABC and starred in the title role of the ABC series “Rebel.”

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Episode 359 - Gavin Creel

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Gavin received an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Elder Price in the London Production of THE BOOK OF MORMON and also appeared on the West End in MARY POPPINS, HAIR, and WAITRESS.

A native of Findlay, Ohio, Gavin is a proud graduate of University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance and a 2022 Fellow at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

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Episode 358 - Alfred Uhry

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:45:00 -0000

ALFRED UHRY is a graduate of Brown University. He is the only American playwright to have won a Pulitzer Prize (Driving Miss Daisy), an Academy Award (Driving Miss Daisy) and two Tony Awards (The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Parade). In 2014 he was inducted into both the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame and the Theater Hall of Fame. He is the proud father of four daughters and the proud grandfather of six granddaughters and two grandsons. He lives in New York.

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Episode 357 - Javier Muñoz and Jessie Mueller

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Javier Muñoz is an actor and activist whose impressive body of work spans theater, film and television. He is best known for starring and co-creating the role of "Alexander Hamilton'' in the hit musical HAMILTON on Broadway for two years after Lin-Manuel Miranda departed the show (and was his alternate prior to that). He got his break starring as “Usnavi” in IN THE HEIGHTS on Broadway, also created by Miranda.

Javier starred in the dark comedy indie feature, MONUMENTS, opposite David Sullivan & Marguerite Moreau, the indie feature LOVE RECONSIDERED and stars in THREE MONTHS, opposite Troy Sivan and Judy Greer, on Paramount+. He voices a lead character in the Disney Jr. animated series, Eureka! Other TV credits include recurring role on Shadowhunters, Blindspot and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Javier is also an outspoken activist for LGBTQ+ rights, a Global Ambassador for (RED), which fights to end HIV/AIDS, and supporter of GMHC.

Jessie Mueller is a Tony and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer. She was last seen on Broadway in Tracy Lett’s The Minutes. Other recent credits include the Kennedy Center’s Guys & Dolls, The Music Man, Julie Jordan in the Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (Tony & Grammy nominations, Drama Desk Award), originating the roles of both Jenna in Waitress (Tony, DD & Grammy noms) and Carole King in Beautiful-The Carole King Musical (Tony, Grammy & DD Awards.) Concert appearances include Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Lyric Opera, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Film and Television: Steven Spielberg’s The Post, Madam Secretary, Blue Bloods, Hulu’s Candy, and Lifetime’s Patsy & Loretta. She can be heard as part of the kooky cast of Netflix’ Centaurworld and Wondery’s Melon’s House Party. New studio recordings include My Heart Says Go and Diary of A Wimpy Kid, The Musical. She is an Arts Education champion for groups such as Rosie’s Theatre Kids (rosiestheaterkids.org) and a long-time supporter of The Entertainment Community Fund (entertainmentcommunity.org) & Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids (broadwaycares.org).

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Episode 356 - Alex Brightman

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Alex Brightman is a two-time Tony-nominated actor for his performances in Beetlejuice the Musical and School of Rock. Other Broadway credits include Matilda, Big Fish, & Glory Days. Most recently, Alex was seen on stage in Lewberger's The Wizard of Friendship as Ketih's Dad. You can also hear him on the upcoming cast recording of The Wizard of Friendship as Flim Flam the Sausage Man. Alex can be seen on the current (and final) season of The Blacklist on NBC as forensic analyst Herbie Hambright. Other TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Documentary Now!, The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, and Important Things w/ Demetri Martin. Alex is the voice of Pugsley/Temeluchus on the acclaimed Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park. Other cartoon credits include Helluva Boss, Teen Titans Go!, and the upcoming Scooby Doo and the Haunted High Rise. As a writer, Alex has developed series with NBC, Universal Studios, 20th Century, and Warner Brothers. He is currently developing Cleaners, an animated musical comedy, with his writing partner (and Spamalot cast mate) Nik Walker, and Singular, a New York romantic comedy, with 20th Century Studios. Alex’s play, Everything Is Fine, recently received a developmental reading/workshop at Manhattan Theatre Club (directed by Cynthia Nixon), and is expected to have its world premiere in 2024. Alex lives in New York City and has a dog named Kevin.

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Episode 355 - Young Playwrights Ukraine

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0000

In the fall and winter of 2021/2022 Laura Cahill taught screenwriting to 8 young acting students

from Kyiv on Zoom in English. Their last class was February 6th, 2022. The war started 18 days

later. Most of the students fled their homes.

Laura reunited with her students and started teaching them playwriting.

On May 1st, she started teaching a second playwriting class that had been advertised on a a

Telegram channel for art programs for Ukrainian Youth. It was supposed to last four weeks.

Most of those students were still in Ukraine, but some had fled.

The May class went so well, they decided to keep going, so on June 1st, the two classes came

together and formed Young Playwrights Ukraine.

On July 24th, six months after the war started, they had a reading of 18 short works with

professional actors on Zoom for an audience. The cast included noted actors David Morse,

Cara Buono, Ann Dowd, Kevin Corrigan, Misha Brooks, Bridgette Lundy-Paine, Ivanna Sakhno,

Stefanie Lavie Owens, Oona Laurence and others.

The plays were subsequently produced by Orion Theater in Stockholm Sweden, directed by

Lars Rudolfsson, who had been in the audience on July 24th. The plays opened on March 20th,

2023, to outstanding reviews and ran for 30 performances. Laura and ten of the playwrights met

in person for the first time in Sweden for the opening night.

The collection is soon to be published by Smith&Kraus

Young Playwrights Ukraine continues to meet every Saturday and Sunday to write. They’re

currently working with professional mentors including Theresa Rebeck, Peter Hedges,

Jacquelyn Reingold, Kate Robin, Alexis Scheer, as well as Will Arbery, Stephen Belber, Erin

Cressida Wilson, Keith Bunin, Jessica Goldberg and Suzanne Heathecoate on a collection of

ten minute plays that tell their stories of living with war.

Aside from the mentors, they have special talks with professional artists like filmmaker Mary

Harron, TV creator Michelle King, Juilliard professor Kathleen McNenny, casting director Rob

Decina, Playwright/TV writer Aurin Squire and others.

Writers and directors offering help with this project include Warren Leight, Matthew Carnahan,

Mark Brokaw, Paul McCrane, Whitney White, Lila Neubauer and more.

The Young Playwrights Ukraine Festival of Ten Minute Plays is set for August 20th on Zoom.

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Episode 354 - Steven Soderbergh, Emma Sheanshang and Dan Algrant

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Steven Soderbergh (Producer) is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. He most recently directed this year’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance, as well as the forthcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle.” He earned the Academy Award in 2000 for directing Traffic, the same year he was nominated for Erin Brockovich; and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for his 2013 HBO film “Behind the Candelabra.” Soderbergh earlier received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for sex, lies, and videotape, his feature film directorial debut. That film also won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Soderbergh has also worked as a theatrical director, creating and directing the play Tot Mom at the Sydney Theatre Company in December 2009; as well as directing the world premiere of Scott Z. Burns’ play The Library at New York’s Public Theater in April 2014.

Emma Sheanshang (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter from New York City. Her first play, Every Girl Gets Her Man, was performed at the Soho Playhouse.Greetings from Tim Buckley, a film she co-wrote with director Dan Algrant, starring Penn Badgley and Imogen Poots, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

Dan Algrant (Director) is a film director and writer. His films include Greetings from Tim Buckley (Focus World/Tribeca), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Naked in New York (Fine Line Features) and People I Know starring Al Pacino (Miramax Films). Dan has also directed HBO’s Emmy winning “Sex and the City” and award-winning short films including Some Film Chopping Wood. He directed the documentary Anything for Jazz about piano legend Jaki Byard, executive produced How to Grow a Band about prodigy mandolinist Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers and acted in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience and Let Them All Talk with Meryl Streep, Candace Bergen and Lucas Hedges. Current directing projects include the film Little Rootie Tootie, executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg; and Cathedrals, a documentary spanning nearly fifty years of the lives of two young men living in the Cathedral Housing projects in Boston, MA.

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Episode 353 - Miriam Silverman

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:10:00 -0000

Miriam Silverman’s Broadway credits include The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window and Junk. Other theater credits include - A Delicate Ship at The Playwrights Realm, Everything You Touch at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, You Got Older at Page 73, The Hour of All Things and Finks at Ensemble Studio Theatre (Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress), Septimus and Clarissa at Ripe Time, The Witch of Edmonton at Red Bull Theater, Hamlet at The Public Theater/NYSF and Bone Portraits at Walkerspace at Soho Repertory Theatre. Regional credits include The Moors at Yale Repertory Theatre; The Dog in The Manger (Helen Hayes Award nomination), Measure for Measure, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, As You Like It and the world premiere of David Ives’s The Liar at Shakespeare Theatre Company, where she is an affiliated artist; Extremities and Moonchildren at the Berkshire Theatre Festival; Peer Gynt at the Guthrie Theater; Awake and Sing! at Arena Stage, As You Like it at the Folger Theatre and numerous productions with Trinity Repertory Theatre. Film and Television credits include Breaking, Bad Education, Fleishman Is In Trouble, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisle, Dead Ringers, Elementary, Pan Am, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Better Days Ahead.

She received her BA and MFA from Brown University and is a recipient of the 2011 TCG Fox Foundation Fellowship.

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Episode 352 - Julian Lerner

Mon, 29 May 2023 05:00:00 -0000

The talented Julian Lerner is quickly becoming a star to watch on not only on the stage, but the big screen. Lerner will next be seen starring as ‘The Artful Dodger’ in New York City Center’s production of Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!” The show also stars Lilli Cooper, Raúl Esparza, Tam Mutu, Benjamin Pajak, and Mary Testa.Lerner can currently be seen in ABC’s hit reboot “The Wonder Years.” Lerner plays ‘Brad Hitman,’ lead character Dean’s (Elisha Williams) best friend, a smart, good-natured kid with a sense of humor. He’s described by Adult Dean as “the Pee Wee Reese to my Jackie Robinson. That is, if Pee Wee Reese were Jewish and Jackie Robinson couldn’t catch a fly ball.” Set in the same era as the original, the series is a family comedy-drama that looks at how the Williamses, a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, AL, in the turbulent late 1960s made sure it was the Wonder Years for them too. The second season is set to premiere on June 14, 2023. In 2022, Lerner completed production on “Boys of Summer,” a fantasy-adventure film directed by David Henrie. The film, which is set in the summer of 1997, follows a trio of best friends (Lerner, Mason Thames, and Abby James Witherspoon) who team up with a retired detective (Mel Gibson) to confront a supernatural entity that has recently moved to Martha’s Vineyard.

Early in 2021, Lerner starred in Netflix’s hit film “Yes Day” opposite Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, and Jenna Ortega. Based on the novel of the same name, “Yes Day” follows Allison (Garner) and Carlos (Ramirez) who decide to give their kids a "yes day", where for 24 hours, the children make the rules. Lerner plays their son ‘Nando,’ a fun, energetic kid who is slightly nerdy and has a love of science. The film was the streaming giant’s second-biggest Kids & Family release – it was watched in nearly 53 million homes.

For the past three years, Lerner has played ‘Lucas’ in the animated series “Alma’s Way” for PBS. Written by Sonia Manzano, Maria from “Sesame Street,” the show is inspired by her childhood growing up in the Bronx. ‘Lucas’ is one of ‘Alma’s’ best friends and is an aspiring pop singer. Lerner can also currently be heard playing the 12-year-old version of Brian Cox in “From Now,” a podcast series available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The podcast also stars Richard Madden, Erin Moriarty, David Dastmalchian, and more.

On the silver screen, Lerner has been seen in Netflix’s “Pottersville” where he starred opposite Michael, Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, and more. He was also featured in Netflix’s animated adaptation of the best-selling video game “Dragon Quest.”

On the stage, he starred in the out-of-town trial for a new Broadway show in Fall 2019 called “Last Days of Summer” as well as touring the country in the National Broadway Tour of Les Misérables.

Lerner currently resides in New York.

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Episode 351 - Julia Mayorga

Mon, 22 May 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Julia Mayorga was born in Los Angeles, Ca. She attended the Terry Knickerbocker studio in New York to study acting. During her first year attending the Knickerbocker conservatory she booked a series regular role on the show AMERICAN RUST. She is currently shooting season 2 of the show. Mayorga can also be seen in RARE OBJECTS starring opposite Katie Holmes.

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Episode 350 - NaTasha Yvette Williams & Kevin Del Aguila

Mon, 15 May 2023 13:13:00 -0000

NaTasha Yvette Williams Broadway: Tina, The Tina Turner Musical (Zelma), Chicken and Biscuits (Brianna), Waitress (Becky), Chicago (Mama Morton) A Night With Janis Joplin (Aretha, Joplinaire) The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Mariah) The Color Purple (Sofia). Selected TV/Film Credits: “Partner Track” (Nella), “Run the World (Aunt Grace), “Harlem (Rebecca), “FBI ( Mrs. Adamu) “New Amsterdam” (Esther) ,“The Good Fight." Some movies: The Historical Thriller ALICE (Ruth) on Prime video and Disney’s BETTER Nate than Never (Principal), Follow insta @Natashayvettewillliams. Proud Black Theatre United and Actor’s Equity Member.

Kevin Del Aguila has been part of the original Broadway companies of Frozen (as Oaken), Peter and the Starcatcher (as Smee), and Rocky (as everybody in Philadelphia). He’s performed in a myriad of off-Broadway shows including Peter and the Starcatcher (NYTW/New World Stages), Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Public/Shakespeare in the Park), Jacques Brel (NYC revival), God Bless You Mr. Rosewater (Encores), and A Christmas Carol (TheaterworksUSA). His television guest appearances include “Peg + Cat,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Deadbeat,” and children everywhere have heard his voice as a Troll in the Disney blockbuster movie “Frozen.” In his spare time, Kevin is a multi-Emmy-winning TV writer, lyricist for stage & screen (Lortel, Drama Desk, and Emmy noms), and book-writer of the hit comedy Altar Boyz (Outer Critics Circle Award), which made history as one of the longest running off-Broadway musicals ever. Kevin’s other stage adaptations include musical versions of the Dreamworks movie Madagascar and the smash book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. www.kevindelaguila.com

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Episode 349 - Kevin Cahoon

Mon, 08 May 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Broadway: Shucked, The Who’s Tommy, The Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rocky Horror Show, The Wedding Singer. Off Bway: Hedwig and the Angry Inch ( also Boston, San Francisco, Edinburgh Fest ), The Foreigner (Lortel nomination), The Wild Party (MTC), How I Learned To Drive (Second Stage), The Shaggs ( Playwrights Horizons ). TV/ Film: Monarch, Glow, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Nurse Jackie, Modern Family, Good Wife, Six Degrees, NCIS, CSI, Elementary, Franklin and Bash, Odd Mom Out, The Mentalist, Mars Needs Moms, So Cold The River, I Am Michael, Curse Of The Jade Scorpion, One Night, among others. NYU Tisch. @kevincahoon

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Episode 348 - Deirdre Connolly

Mon, 01 May 2023 05:00:00 -0000

Deirdre Connolly is the Executive Producer of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. In 2009, she helped to launch late-night’s first live, interactive talk show alongside host Andy Cohen. Under Deirdre’s leadership, WWHL has become a late night and pop culture phenomenon, hosting guests such as Hillary Clinton, Oprah, Lady GaGa, Mindy Kaling, Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lawrence. The show has produced over 2400 episodes and was recently renewed through 2023. Deirdre also works in development at Embassy Row producing pilots and series including Bravo’s groundbreaking Fashion Queens.

Prior to her role at Watch What Happens Live and Embassy Row, Deirdre was a producer at MTV’s Total Request Live, which led her to temporarily relocate to London to launch TRL for MTV UK. As a prominent female leader in late-night, Deirdre has been featured in LA Times, The Washington Post, Boston College Magazine, Glamour and as a panelist for both Variety and NYWIFT. Deirdre’s success is a direct reflection of her passion and commitment to those around her and a love of making great television.

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Episode 347 - Zoë Wanamaker

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0000

ZOË WANAMAKER is an actress with a multitude of Film, TV, and Theatre credits to her name. Theatre: Zoë is a 2-time Olivier Award winner, and 9-time nominee, for her work on the West End including: Once in a Lifetime (Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Revival), The Time of Your Life, Twelfth Night, Mother Courage and her Children, Othello, The Crucible, Electra (Olivier Award – Best Actress), Boston Marriage. She has also received 4 Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for her work on Broadway in Piaf, Loot, Electra, and Awake and Sing! (won a special Drama Desk award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance). Additional West End credits include: The Devil’s Disciple, Ivanov, Wild Oats; or, The Strolling Gentleman, The Taming of the Shrew, Captain Swing, Piaf, Mrs. Klein, Dead Funny, The Glass Menagerie, All My Sons, All On Her Own and Harlequinade, The Birthday Party, Constellations. She has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, as well as other regional productions including: Cabaret, Much Ado About Nothing, Kiss Me Kate, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Crucible, The Last Yankee, The Old Neighbourhood, His Girl Friday, The Rose Tattoo, Much Ado About Nothing, The Cherry Orchard, Stevie, Elegy, and Two Ladies. TV: Zoë is most known for her British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award nominated work on “Love Hurts” (Tessa Piggot) and “Prime Suspect” (Moyra Henson), in addition to other television work on “My Family” (Susan Harper), “Doctor Who” (Cassandra), “Brittania” (Queen Antedia), and “Shadow and Bone” (Baghra). Other TV credits include: “Edge of Darkness,” “Paradise Postponed,” “Once in a Life Time,” “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” (Ariadne Oliver), and “Mr. Selfridge,” Film: Zoë received a BAFTA nomination for her role as Ada Leverson in Wilde. She has also starred in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Madame Hooch), Five Children and It (Martha), It’s a Wonderful Afterlife (Mrs. Goldman), and My Week with Marilyn (Paula Strasberg).

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Episode 346 - David Gordon

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0000

David Gordon is editor of TheaterMania.com and president of the Outer Critics Circle. He made his Broadway debut playing himself in The Prom, and is most proud to be Felicia's husband, McKayla's father, and Umm and Omar's cat parent.

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Episode 345 - Amy Irving

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 15:15:00 -0000

Amy was brought up in the world of theater. She was put on stage from the time she was nine-months-old, her father was the director and her mother was the actress, they didn't want baby sitters for their children, so if she wasn't performing, she would stay in the wardrobe department or her mother used to put her in the second row center where she could watch her. And, before she was 10-years-old, she had already worked in several plays. At a young age, Amy Irving was trained at the American Conservatory Theater and Britain's London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (L.A.M.A.D.A.). She made her off-Broadway debut at the age of 17 and, from that moment to date, she received critical acclaim, appearing in such plays as: "Heartbreak House" (1983), "The Road to Mecca" (1988), "Broken Glass" (1994), "The Three Sisters" (1997), "The Guys" (2002), "Ghosts" (2002) and "Celadine" (2004), among others.In 1976, Amy made her film debut, playing "Sue Snell", one of her most unforgettable characters in Stephen King's Carrie (1976), a classic in the horror genre, taken to the big screen by director Brian De Palma. For the next few years, Irving continued working in important films, The Fury (1978), also directed by De Palma, Voices (1979) and The Competition (1980). Later, in 1983, she gave a fine performance as "Hadass", in Barbra Streisand's Yentl (1983), and won an Oscar nomination for her great work in that successful film. Two of her best opportunities arrived in the late 80s, when she played "Anna Anderson" in Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986) and "Isabelle Grossman" in the romantic comedy, Crossing Delancey (1988); she received a Golden Globe nomination for each movie.

She went on to starring roles in Voices, Honeysuckle Rose, The Competition and Micki and Maude.

In 2023 Amy released her album -BORN IN A TRUNK- featuring ten cover songs pulled from her life and career.

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Episode 344 - Taylor Iman Jones

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0000

TAYLOR IMAN JONES currently stars in SIX on Broadway and recently played Andy in the new musical The Devil Wears Prada in Chicago.

Broadway: original casts of Head over Heels and Groundhog Day. Off-Broadway and regional: Roundabout’s Scotland, PA; Tale of Despereaux; The Who’s Tommy at Kennedy Center; Hamilton and American Idiot tours.

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Episode 343 - David Marshall Grant

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 18:58:00 -0000

DAVID MARSHALL GRANT

Broadway credits include “Bent,” so-starring with Richard Gere, and “Angels in America,” for which he was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. He has appeared in over twenty-five movies, including “American Flyer,” “The Chamber,” “Air America,” “Stepford Wives,” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Television work include Bobby Kennedy in “Citizen Cohn,” “And the Band Played On,” “Thirty-Something,” “Party Down,” and “Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem,” which will air this summer on Hulu.

David’s first play, “Snakebit” was produced off Broadway and was nominated for a Drama Desk award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and was named one of Time Magazine’s best plays of the year. Other plays include “Current Events” at The Manhattan Theater Club, and “Pen” at Playwrights Horizons. He has been a writer/executive producer on “Brothers and Sisters,” “Nashville,” “Smash,” “Code Black,” and “A Million Little Things.”

He recently co-wrote the film, “Spoiler Alert" with Dan Savage

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Episode 342 - Jennifer Kahn

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0000

When she's not not behind her computer or visiting the shops in Florida and Houston, our CEO and Founder Jennifer Wheeler Kahn is probably chasing her two boys #InternHudson and #InternJudah around the house, park, library, or museum.

Kahn was a professional Stage Manager for 17 years getting to work on such shows as: The Deaf West Revival of Spring Awakening (Broadway), In the Heights (National Tour), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (La Jolla Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse), Hold Onto me Darling (Off-Broadway at the Atlantic), Kinship (starring Cynthia Nixon and Christopher Lowell at Williamstown Theatre Festival), and many productions at The Old Globe Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.

Over her last 4 years as a Stage Manager she also ran a blog on giveback and ethical style. SCENERY was born as the love child of these two parts of her heart. Ethical style, Theatre, and giving back to make theatre more accessible for others.

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Episode 341 - Adrian Holmes

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0000

With over 100 film and television credits to his name, award-winning actor, Adrian Holmes, has become one to watch in the entertainment industry. He can be seen starring opposite Ian Somerhalder, in the Netflix vampire-drama series, "V Wars" based on the popular bestselling book series by Jonathan Maberry. The series follows Dr. Luther Swann (Somerhalder) who enters a world of untold horror when a mysterious virus transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne (Holmes), into a murderous predator. On the film front, Holmes can be seen in the Universal Pictures' action-thriller "Skyscraper" alongside Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Holmes is well-known for starring as Nick Barron on Bravo's original award winning series, "19-2" and for his portrayal of Captain Pike on the long running CW series, "Arrow." In 2017, he took home Canada's top honor in film and television for "19-2," with the Canadian Screen Award for Best Male Lead in a Dramatic Series. The show also won Best Drama series at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards and was also nominated for a 2016 International Emmy Award. "19-2" is now streaming on Crave TV, Akorn, and Amazon. In addition to working in front of the camera, Holmes received a producer credit, for co-producing, alongside Step by Step Productions, the docudrama "Barrow: Freedom Fighter", which was shot in his homeland of Barbados.Additional film credits include Sony/TriStar Pictures' "Elysium" & "Debug", WWE Studios' "Vendetta," "Frankie & Alice", IFC's "Wrecked," and Warner Bros' "Red Riding Hood." Born in Wrexham, North Wales, with family from Barbados, Holmes grew up in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. The eldest of three boys, Holmes was a natural entertainer as a child. In junior high school, his drama class wrote a play for a local drama festival called, "The Challenge: An Environmental Happening" which was awarded Outstanding Junior Play, and Holmes awarded Outstanding Junior Actor. From that moment on he knew he wanted to pursue a career in acting.He continued to perform in stage productions throughout high school and college and studied his craft in Vancouver with a few different coaches including world-renowned coach Larry Moss, and Ivana Chubbuck. He also studied in New York at Black Nexxus Inc. held at the Times Square Arts Centre. In 2004, Holmes received his first LEO Award nomination [the Canadian Emmys], for his work in the series "The Collector" and then again in 2017 for his work in "19-2." In 2020 he had won for his work in the comedy Web-Series, "Hospital Show". When he isn't working, Holmes enjoys traveling, and tries to get back to see his family in England and Barbados as much as possible. He likes to keep active in his down time and is always up for a good round of golf. Holmes splits his time between Vancouver, LA and London.

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Episode 340 - Jessica Stone

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Jessica Stone worked as an actress on and off-Broadway, in television and in film for decades before transitioning to directing. Broadway credits included Anything Goes, Butley, The Odd Couple, The Smell of the Kill, Design for Living, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Grease. Her directing career began in earnest with her all-male 2010 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has since been directing all over the country at such theaters as The Old Globe, A.C.T, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Two River Theatre Company, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival among others. Productions include As You Like It, Kate Hamill’s Vanity Fair, Barefoot in the Park, Dancing at Lughnasa, Bad Dates, Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood! (world premiere), Ripcord, Bad Jews, Arms and the Man, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Charlotte’s Web, June Moon, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Absurd Person Singular, Kimberly Akimbo (off-Broadway premiere at the Atlantic). Most recently, Stone directed the original Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo, which opened in November 2022. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.

Jessica Stone went from working actress to one of the most in-demand Broadway directors. Listen as she describes how she manages a thriving career, marriage and motherhood and… who were the directors in her life that helped shape how she runs a rehearsal room and why now that she has found directing she really doesn’t miss being an actress - plus a deep deep dive Into the journey of Kimberly Akimbo how it went from workshop to Broadway - all that and more this week on the Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine podcast.

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Episode 339 - Nicholas Podany

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Classically trained actor Nicholas Podany is quickly making a name for himself in the world of entertainment. Nicholas started his career on Broadway in the wildly successful play Harry Potter and The Cursed Child as Albus Potter.

Nicholas will next be seen in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! alongside Billy Crudup, Hank Azaria and Allison Pill. The series, which is set in a retro-future world, centers around a group of traveling salesmen hawking lunar timeshares. It will premiere in February of 2023.His other television credits include: the CW’s Hart of Dixie and Netflix’s Archive 81.

Nicholas is also a singer songwriter, who served as a singer/bassist for the rock band Across Coves. The band has embarked on many tours across the country, opening for bands such as Maroon 5. Nicholas has also released four solo songs, including “Telling Myself” which was released in February 2020.Nicholas is a Juilliard graduate who currently resides in New York City.

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Episode 338 - Jennifer Simard

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Simard is a Tony Award, four-time Drama Desk Award, three-time Drama League Award and Lucille Lortel Award nominee.

Broadway credits include: Company (Sarah); Mean Girls (Adult Woman); Disaster! (Sister Mary Downey, Tony nomination); Hello, Dolly! (Ernestina); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (opposite Mo Rocca); and the companies of Sister Act and Shrek the Musical.

Off-Broadway credits include the original companies of Forbidden Broadway: SVU; The Thing About Men; and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Film credits include The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Wish You Were Dead and Sisters.

Television credits include: "Girls5Eva," “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The King of Queens”, and “Younger.”

Jennifer can be seen playing the role of 'Patsy' in Ray Romano's upcoming Feature Film directorial debut dramedy.

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Episode 337 - Tamsen Fadal

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Tamsen Fadal is known as a primetime evening news anchor in New York City and the host of a nationally syndicated entertainment show, and while reporting is her profession, she has won 13 Emmy awards.

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Episode 336 - Liz Garbus

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Liz Garbus is one of America’s most celebrated documentary filmmakers. She has received two Academy Award nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards and a Grammy nomination for her body of work, which includes “Harry & Meghan”; “The Farm: Angola, USA”; “What Happened, Miss Simone?”; “Bobby Fischer Against the World”; “Nothing Left Unsaid”; “The Fourth Estate”; “All In: The Fight for Democracy”; and “Becoming Cousteau” among others. Her scripted feature debut, “Lost Girls,” premiered at Sundance in January 2020. Since then, she’s continued her foray into the scripted world by directing the season 4 finale of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which earned her an Emmy nomination. In 2019, Garbus co-founded, alongside her Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning husband, Dan Cogan, Story Syndicate, a premium film and television production company that provides a home for talented filmmakers, producers, journalists, thinkers and artists to create innovative, ambitious and elevated visual content.

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Episode 335 - Jenny Gersten

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Jenny Gersten serves as Line Producer for Beetlejuice on Broadway and National Tour, Executive Producer for the musical Born for This, Producer of Musical Theater for New York City Center, and Interim Artistic Director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She sometimes produces commercially, including the award -winning Off Broadway “pie shop” production of Sweeney Todd. She works with Jessica Hecht on The Campfire Project, an arts program that primarily serves Syrian and Ukrainian refugees overseas. Previously, Jenny served as Executive Director of Friends of the High Line and as the Associate Producer of The Public Theater in New York City. At sea, she is the Creative Producer of Virgin Voyages.

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Episode 334 - Scott Wittman

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award winning lyricist, director, writer, and conceiver, Scott Wittman co-wrote the lyrics for the hit musical Hairspray (Tony, Grammy, Olivier Award winner) with creative partner Marc Shaiman. Wittman also served as an executive producer on the hit film starring John Travolta.

Scott was nominated for a Golden Globe, Grammy, and two Emmy Awards for the original songs on NBC’s musical drama Smash. While working on the show, he co-wrote songs for Jennifer Hudson, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters, and Liza Minnelli. Shaiman and Wittman’s original score for the Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell was released by Sony Records.

Scott & Marc’s Broadway writing credits include Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, which Scott also directed, Catch Me If You Can (Tony nom. for Best Musical), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway and the West End.

Scott has created and directed two Broadway shows, three studio recordings, and three sold-out Carnegie Hall concerts for Patti LuPone. He has created solo shows for Christine Ebersole and Nathan Lane, as well as writing for Bette Midler’s 2015 Divine Intervention World Tour. Off-Broadway, he conceived and directed Jukebox Jackie starring Justin Vivian Bond, Cole Escola, and Bridget Everett at La Mama., and Bridget Everett’s Rockbottom at the Public Theatre.

His notorious and legendary Downtown shows are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York

Marc and Scott also wrote the score to Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns starring Emily Blunt, Lin Manuel Miranda, and Meryl Streep. Directed by Rob Marshall. Their song, “The Place Were Lost Things Go” was nominated for an Oscar.

He recently joined the Marvel Universe with his song cowritten with Marc for “Rodgers:The Musical for “Hawkeye”.

They have written a new musical version of “Some Like It Hot” to premiere on Broadway in the fall of 2022.

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Episode 333 - Michael Canzoniero

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Michael Canzoniero is an award winning writer/director working out of his film studio MCM Creative in midtown Manhattan. Born in the Bronx, and raised on the east end of Long Island, Michael grew up obsessed with making movies alongside his cousin Marco Ricci. After attending the University of Notre Dame, where he had his first taste of Hollywood working as a production assistant on the iconic sports movie “Rudy”, Canzoniero was accepted to NYU Graduate Film, alma mater of his directing hero Martin Scorsese. But it was his apprenticeship of maverick indie filmmaker Abel Ferrara (King of New York, Bad Lieutenant) that he credits as the formative piece in learning to make his own highly personal, independent films. After Canzoniero’s thesis film “Pishadoo” was awarded the Princess Grace award for the nation’s best student film, Michael and his cousin Marco co-wrote and co-directed the popular 2009 SXSW comedy “The Marconi Bros.”. He followed this with several more comedic indie films starring his Tony-winning friend and frequent collaborator Dan Fogler (who recently portrayed Francis Coppola in Paramount’s The Offer). In 2022, Canzoniero theatrically released his fifth feature “Making The Day” which had its premiere at Cinequest Film Festival and is now available on Amazon video.

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Episode 332 - Quentin Plair

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Quentin Plair was recently seen in the Peabody Award-winning Showtime series The Good Lord Bird, and a lead role on Roswell, New Mexico, Quentin will star this November 22nd in the Hulu Limited series, Welcome to Chippendales, opposite Kumail Nanjiani. Quentin trained rigorously to dance for this breakout role as ‘Otis,’ the first and sole Black dancer at Chippendale’s at its inception. Otis is taken under the wing of self-made founder Steve Banjeree (Nanjiani) in this fictional crime series (based on true events). Below is the Vanity Fair first look image of Quentin in the role and here is the teaser trailer. Quentin will then star opposite Kathryn Hahn in the Hulu series Tiny Beautiful Things (early 2023) based on author Cheryl Strayed’s NYT bestseller and helmed by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Productions.

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Episode 331 - Micayla Brewster

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Micayla Brewster is a freelance Social Media Manager who oversees the digital presence of brands within the world of Arts & Culture. Past and current clients range from museums to musicals, books to bands, podcasts to performers, and films to forums on advocacy, to name a few.Formerly, she was an Account Manager at Marathon Digital, a social media agency that represents Broadway shows and live entertainment clients in NYC and around the world. While there, she led innovative social media campaigns for shows such as HAMILTON, Hadestown, Be More Chill, and Freestyle Love Supreme, among others.Previously, she has worked at media and entertainment companies such as theSkimm and Paramount Pictures. She is deeply passionate about the strategy behind creative digital marketing campaigns, as well as re-watching The Office. @MicaylaBrewster, www.MicaylaBrewster.com

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Episode 330 - Sarah Ruhl

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Sarah Ruhl is a playwright . Her plays include- How to Transcend a Happy Marriage; The Oldest Boy; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Pulitzer Prize finalist); The Clean House (Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize). Other plays include For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday; Stage Kiss; Dear Elizabeth; Passion Play, a cycle (PEN American Award, The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center); Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Helen Hayes Award); Melancholy Play; Eurydice; Orlando; and Late: a cowboy song. Her plays have been produced around the country and internationally, translated into fourteen languages. Her books include Smile, a memoir; 100 Essays I Don’t have Time to Write and Love Poems in Quarantine. Opera: Libretto for Eurydice (Metropolitan Opera, composer Matthew Aucoin). Awards: MacArthur “Genius” Grant, Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, Helen Merrill Emerging Playwrights Award, Whiting Writers’ Award, MacArthur Fellowship, Lily Award, PEN Center Award for a mid-career playwright. Education: M.F.A., Brown University (with Paula Vogel). Teaches at the Yale School of Drama.

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Episode 329 - Julie Boardman

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Julie Boardman is an entrepreneur and Tony Award-winning producer. She recently conceived and produced I'm Still Here, a 90th anniversary celebration for the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, featuring archival materials from the Theatre on Film and Tape archive, interviews with Broadway legends and emerging creatives and reimagined musical numbers with a cast of over 100 artists. In fall 2020 she produced In Our America: A Concert for the Soul of the Nation and Artists for Change. She is currently a co-producer on the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. Other Broadway credits include: An American in Paris (Tony nomination), Carousel (Tony nomination), Company (Tony Award), Dames at Sea, Head Over Heels, Hughie, Indecent (Tony nomination), and The Inheritance (Tony Award). Tours: An American in Paris, Dreamgirls, Peter and the Starcatcher. West End: An American in Paris (Olivier nomination), Academy Award winner Florian Zeller's The Son. Julie is a Tony voter and member of The Broadway League. She is on the Theatre Committee at New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Leadership Council for the Costume Industry Coalition, the Creative Advisory Board of Festival Internazionale del Musical Milano, the Musical Theatre Advisory Board for the University of Southern California, the Advisory Board for the Musical Theatre Conservatory at Orange Country School of the Arts, and an arts advocacy coalition of arts leaders in NYC. Through her company Boardman Productions she has has worked with some of the worlds leading brands including Nike, Maybelline, Evian, Vogue, Victoria’s Secret, Microsoft, Diet Coke, VitaminWater, Samsung, Game of Thrones, Disney’s The Lion King and many more on their activations and fan experiences. With over 14 years working in experiential and promotional marketing, she is thrilled to combine all of her talents to create The Museum of Broadway. @msjulieboardman

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Episode 328 - Colin Donnell and Patti Murin

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Colin Donnell is an actor and musician who will next be seen as the lead in Peacock’s “Irreverent,” which premieres November 30, 2022. He is well known to television audiences for his roles on NBC’s hugely popular franchise “Chicago Med,” the CW series “Arrow,” and as Scotty Lockhart on the Showtime “The Affair.” He is also known for his Broadway performances in Violet, Anything Goes, and Jersey Boys, as well as the Regional and Off-Broadway productions of Wicked, Mamma Mia!, Merrily We Roll Along, Love's Labours Lost, among many others. In 2020, Donnell and his band The Nineteen Twenty released their debut album Chaos + Cocktails.

Patti Murin is an accomplished stage and television actress who will next be seen in the upcoming Hallmark film In Merry Measure which will be released on November 11, 2022. Murin is well known for her critically acclaimed Broadway performances, which include originating the role of ‘Princess Anna’ in Disney’s Frozen, the titular role in Lysistrata Jones, her Broadway debut in Xanadu, as well as Glinda in the national tour of Broadway’s renowned show Wicked. She previously appeared in Hallmark’s Holiday for Heroes, as well as alongside her real-life husband Colin Donnell in Love on Iceland. On television, Murin has starred as recurring character ‘Dr. Nina Shore’ in NBC’s “Chicago Med,” as well as ‘Ana’ in USA’s “Royal Pains.” Murin has narrated a variety of audiobooks written by the likes of authors Jodi Picoult, Christina Lauren, Katherine Center, and more.

In the fall of 2022 the married duo released an album together - “Something Stupid”

The album was produced by Robbie Rozelle for Broadway Records.

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Episode 327 - Casey Likes

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Casey Likes made his Broadway debut in Almost Famous The Musical as ‘William Miller' starring alongside Solea Pfeiffer and Chris Wood. Created and written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Jeremy Herrin, this adaptation from the 2000 film chronicles an adolescent's experience touring with an up-and-coming band when given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone. He will next be seen as 'Gene Simmons' in the Neil Bogart biopic Spinning Goldthat will be released on March 31, 2023 and as 'Richie Shepard,' the leading role in MGM's feature Dark Harvest.

Previous film credits include Everything Must Go, where he portrayed a young Will Ferrell. TV credits include the recent Crypt TV and Facebook Watch series The Birch, as well as National Geographic's American Blackout. As a filmmaker, he has won awards for the direction of his films Seriously and How to Romance, including the top prize in the Arizona Student Film Festival. His latest two self-produced films Thespians and I Got You can be seen on YouTube now,

At the age of 17, Likes won the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Award for "Best Lead Male" and was a finalist in the 2019 High School Musical Theatre Awards, AKA The Jimmy Awards.

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Episode 326 - Sara Woster

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:16:00 -0000

Painter and art teacher Sara Woster founded The Painting School in Brooklyn, NY in an effort to share her passion for painting with her community. Woster shows her artwork internationally and has illustrated several children’s books. Painting Can Save Your Life: How and Why We Paint from Penguin Random House / TarcherPerigee is Woster's how to/memoir dedicated to encouraging more people to try this transformative art. She lives with her family in Brooklyn and the Catskills.

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Episode 325 - Jennifer Westfeldt

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 06:00:00 -0000

An actress and filmmaker, Jennifer Westfeldt is perhaps best known for writing, producing and starring in the indie films Kissing Jessica Stein (Indie Spirit Nomination, Golden Satellite Award, GLAAD Media Award, multiple Audience Awards), Ira & Abby (Best Actress/HBO Comedy Festival, multiple Audience Awards), and Friends with Kids (Top Ten Films of 2012, New York Magazine, NPR), which also marked her directorial debut. Her television credits include Younger,This Is Us, Girls, 24, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Notes from the Underbelly, and Children’s Hospital, among others.

Jennifer made her Broadway debut opposite Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town, directed by Kathleen Marshall, for which she received a Tony nomination, a Theater World Award and a Drama League Award. Other notable stage work includes the world premieres of Scott Z. Burns’ The Library at the Public Theater, directed by Stephen Soderbergh; Nell Benjamin’s The Explorer’s Club at Manhattan Theater Club; Nicky Silver’s Too Much Sun opposite Linda Lavin at The Vineyard Theater; Joe Gilford’s Finks at NYSAF; Cusi Cram’s A Lifetime Burning at Primary Stages; and Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros’ Big Sky at The Geffen Playhouse. On the writing side, Jennifer recently adapted Robinne Lee’s novel The Idea of You to the screen; the film, starring Anne Hathaway and directed by Michael Showalter, is shooting this fall for Amazon Studios.

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Episode 324 - Saidah Ekulona

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Saidah Arrika Ekulona is an award-winning theatre, television and film actress. She's originated roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in regional theatres and international theatres, and originated the role of Mama Nadi in the Pulitzer Prize winning play RUINED, for which she won an Obie Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Jeff Award, Audelco Award and the Black Theatre Alliance Award.

She's currently shooting a Series Regular role as Ebunoluwa on BOB LOVES ABISHOLA, can also be seen as Toni Chapman in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, and has been a recurring featured Guest Star on SNOWFALL, BETTER CALL SAUL, BULL, KEVIN CAN WAIT, IMPASTOR, and has also Guest Starred in SCANDAL, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, WHY WOMEN KILL, ROOM 104, THE 100, and SHAMELESS, among others. Saidah's film work includes DARK WAS THE NIGHT, HONEYGLUE, CHRISTIAN MINGLE, THE DEN, THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123, RIGHTEOUS KILL, and others.

Theatre credits include BROADWAY: Well OFF-BROADWAY: An American Daughter (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Othello; Unconditional; Well; The Square; Romeo and Juliet (Public Theatre/NYSF); The Thugs (Soho Rep); Fabulation (Playwrights Horizons); A Streetcar Named Desire (NYTW), The Thugs (Soho Rep) and more.

Saidah received her BA from Albright College and her MFA in Acting from University of Minnesota.

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Episode 323 - Tovah Feldshuh

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 06:00:00 -0000

TOVAH FELDSHUH who will be celebrating her 50th year onBroadway, is a six-time Emmy and TonyAward nominee and four-time winner ofthe Drama Desk and Outer Critics CircleAwards. Her multi-decade career onBroadway has given us indelible performancesin Cyrano, Rodgers Hart, Dreyfusin Rehearsal, Yentl, Sarava!, Lend Me aTenor, Golda’s Balcony, Irena’s Vow andPippin. Her extensive Off-Broadway andregional credits include her recent portrayalsof Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Supreme CourtJustice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. TV audiencesknow her from “Holocaust,” “The WalkingDead,” “Law & Order,” “Salvation,”“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Scenes Froma Marriage.” Her film credits includeKissing Jessica Stein, A Walk on the Moon,Brewster’s Millions, Just My Luck, Daniel,The Idolmaker, Clifford, Golda’s Balconyand Armageddon Time opposite AnthonyHopkins. Tovah has filled venues all overthe world with her celebrated concerts. Heraward-winning memoir Lilyville was #1 inparent child relationships on Amazon. FollowTovah’s travels on Instagram: @Tovahfeld.tovahfeldshuh.com

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Episode 322 - Christine Ebersole

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0000

CHRISTINE EBERSOLE, is currently celebrating her new album After the Ball from Club44 Records, has captivated audiences throughout her performing career. Recognized with a string of honors that includes two Tony Awards, she has appeared in twenty Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, as well as gracing television series and specials, films, concerts, recordings and opera. It was for her “dual role of a lifetime” as Edith Beale and Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens that Ebersole won her second Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, as well as virtually every available Off-Broadway honor. Other memorable New York roles include her Tony-winning turn as Dorothy Brock in the hit revival of 42nd Street, her Tony-nominated portrayal of Elizabeth Arden opposite Patti LuPone in War Paint, her Tony- and Outer Critics Circle-nominated appearance in Dinner at Eight, her Obie-winning and Drama Desk-nominated appearance in Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, her performance as Guinevere alongside Richard Harris and Richard Burton in Camelot, and her leading roles in Oklahoma!,On the Twentieth Century, Steel Magnolias, The Best Man, and the revival of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. In 2018 she made her operatic debut under James Conlon’s leadership as the Old Lady in Francesca Zambello’s production of Candide at LA Opera.

Recently starring as Lucille Dolittle, a role based on Lucille Ball, in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-nominated Licorice Pizza, Ebersole has appeared in numerous feature films. Previous film credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, Amadeus, Black Sheep, Dead Again, Folks!, Ghost Dad, My Girl 2, Richie Rich, Tootsie, True Crime, and The Big Wedding, which features her account of her original song “Gently Down the Stream.” Since launching her TV career alongside Eddie Murphy as a regular cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” Ebersole has also accrued a long list of television credits. Currently starring in Chuck Lorre’s hit CBS sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola,” she recently portrayed Estelle Schneider in the award-winning Netflix series “The Kominsky Method,” and has appeared on “American Horror Story,” “Blue Bloods,” “Madam Secretary,” “Murphy Brown,” “Pose,” “Search Party,” “The Colbert Report,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Will & Grace” and Gypsy, in which she played Tessie Tura to Bette Midler’s Mama Rose.

Ebersole has performed at some of the nation’s foremost concert halls, including New York’s Carnegie Hall, L.A.’s Disney Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Her concert highlights include appearances in San Francisco Symphony’s tribute to Leonard Bernstein, concert versions of The Grapes of Wrath at Carnegie Hall and of A Little Night Music with the Boston Pops, and Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall and The Rodgers & Hart Story: Thou Swell, Thou Witty, both of which were filmed for broadcast on PBS TV. A celebrated recording artist, her discography includes Christine Ebersole: Live at the Cinegrill, In Your Dreams, Sunday in New York, Christine Ebersole Sings Noël Coward, and Strings Attached. www.christineebersole.com

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Episode 321 - Suspense Author Panel - Live From Bryant Park

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Ilana sits down with new release authors of suspenseful work:

Hell Town - Casey Sherman

A Fatal Overture - Kathleen Marple Kalb

Birthday Girl - Niko Wolf

The Darkness Of Others - Cate Holahan

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Episode 320 - Justin Bell Guarini

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Justin Bell Guarini’s robust performance career launched with the first season of American Idol in 2002. His stage and screen appearances since then include Broadway productions of American Idiot, InTransit, Paint Your Wagon, Romeo and Juliet, Wicked, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Justin has hosted nationally broadcasted shows like Idol Wrap and Idol Tonight along with live red carpet events for the TV Guide Network, the Oscars, the Emmys, and the Grammys. He continues to reprise his role as the lovable “Lil’ Sweet” in the award winning national commercial campaign for Diet Dr. Pepper.

In 2019, Justin founded The Warrior Artist Alliance (Warrior Artist Empire LLC) to help performers achieve the success they deserve in a challenging industry. He shares his tips, tricks, breadth of experience, and warrior mindset with a community of performers through podcasts, his best selling book “Audition Secrets”, blogs, and dynamic training programs.

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Episode 319 - Amy Brenneman

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Amy Brenneman divides her time evenly between acting, producing, and political activism.

She earned a degree in Comparative Religion at Harvard, with a specialty in Indo-Tibetan Religion, studying sacred dance and indigenous ritual in Kathmandu. She was a founding member of the Cornerstone Theater Company, which specializes in site-specific community-based theater on themes of social justice.

Other theater: CSC Rep, Lincoln Center Theater, LA Theater Works, LATC, Williamstown Theater Festival, En Garde Arts, Spark, The American Repertory Theater, Yale Rep, Playwrights Horizons, and the Geffen Playhouse.

Amy co-created, wrote and starred in Mouth Wide Open (The Yard, American Repertory Theater) and Overcome (The Yard). Overcome will have its premiere at South Coast Repertory as part of the 2021-2022 season.

Amy created, executive produced and starred in “Judging Amy” (two TV Guide Awards, three Golden Globe nominations, Producer’s Guild Nomination, three Emmy Award nominations, People’s Choice SAG nomination) based on the work of her mother, the Honorable Judge Frederica Brenneman. Other television: “NYPD Blue” (2 Emmy nominations, SAG award), “Frasier,” “Heartbeat” (exec producer), “Goliath” and Shonda Rhimes’ “Private Practice.” Amy starred in “The Leftovers” (Peabody Award, Critic’s Choice nomination).

Amy’s most recent television roles include playing opposite Jeff Bridges in the critically acclaimed FX/hulu series “The Old Man;” opposite Elisabeth Moss in “Shining Girls” on Apple TV+; and “Tell Me Your Secrets” on Amazon Prime.

Film credits include: CASPER, FEAR, DAYLIGHT, HEAT, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, PEEL, THE LOOK OF LOVE and WORDS AND PICTURES opposite Clive Owen. Amy has a long collaboration with Rodrigo Garcia, with whom she worked on NINE LIVES, THINGS YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER and MOTHER AND CHILD.

Amy produced and directed the documentary “The Way the World Should Be” about the trailblazing work of the CHIME Institute and its mission of inclusive education. She created and hosts the podcast “The Challengers” now in its third season.

As a teacher, she has taught drama and creative process the CHIME Charter school, which specializes in educating children of all abilities. She has also taught at Harvard and UCLA, among others.

For her activist work, Amy has been honored by Women in Film, The Brady Center, the League of Women Voters, the California State Assembly, the National Children’s Alliance, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Help Group, the Producer’s Guild of America, among others. In 2016, she was part of the amicus brief for the Supreme Court case Whole Women’s v. Hellerstedt, ensuring that abortion clinics remain open in Texas and elsewhere; she received the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from The Feminist Majority for her ongoing commitment to reproductive rights. In 2019 Amy received the Change Agent Award from En Garde Arts in New York. She has served as keynote speaker for NARAL, Cal-Tash, The Council for Exceptional Children and on the steps Supreme Court.

Amy splits her time between Los Angeles and West Tisbury, MA. She is married to writer/director Brad Silberling and has two children, Charlotte and Bodhi.

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Episode 318 - Darren Goldstein

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Darren Goldstein Broadway: Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, Bloody Bloody, Andrew Jackson. Off-Broadway: The Bedwetter (Atlantic Theater) Continuity, The Madrid (Manhattan Theatre Club); Rasheeda Speaking, The Good Mother, Abigail's Party (Lortel Nom. Featured Actor), Mouth to Mouth, Terrorism (all at The New Group); Oohrah! (Atlantic Theater); Mary Rose (The Vineyard). Regional: The Forgotten Woman (Bay Street), Beyond Therapy (Williamstown/Bay Street). Film: Sharper (upcoming), Paterno, Detroit, The Girl on the Train, Limitless. TV: Charles Wilkes on “Ozark,” Jackie Bennett on “American Crime Story: Impeachment,” Oscar Hodges on “The Affair,” “Under the Banner of Heaven,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Blindspot," "Damages,” “American Odyssey.” MFA: NYU Graduate Acting Program.

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Episode 317 - Jennifer Griffin

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Griffin is an American journalist who works as the chief national security correspondent at the Pentagon for Fox News. Griffin graduated from Harvard University in 1992, receiving a B.A. in Government. Prior to working at the Pentagon, Griffin started her career reporting for The Sowetan newspaper in Johannesburg, South Africa, covering Nelson Mandela’s prison release and South Africa’s transition from apartheid. She then lived in Islamabad, reporting on the rise of the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan before moving to Moscow in 1996 where she reported for three years on the end of the Boris Yeltsin era and the rise of Vladimir Putin. In 1999, Griffin became a Jerusalem-based correspondent for 7 years, providing coverage of the Second Palestinian Intifada, suicide bombings, military incursions and failed peace deals. In 2000, she provided on-site coverage of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, its withdrawal from the Gaza strip and Yasser Arafat’s funeral. In 2005, Griffin conducted a rare interview with former Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon before he lapsed into a coma. Griffin later coauthored with her husband NPR correspondent Greg Myre This Burning Land: Lessons from the Front Lines of the Transformed Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Since 2007, Griffin has reported daily from the Pentagon where she questions senior military leaders, travels to war zones with the Joint Chiefs and Secretaries of Defense, and reports on all aspects of the military. Since 2010, Griffin has hosted the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine's Heroes of Military Medicine Awards. For the past decade, Griffin has also hosted the Wounded Warrior Experience, which features stories from wounded veterans and service members. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Prevent Cancer Foundation and an Advisory Board Member for Report for America, an effort by the Ground Truth Project to save local journalism. She was recently awarded the Transatlantic Leadership Network 2022 Freedom of the Media Gold Medal Award for Public Service and received the Medal of Honor Foundation’s “Tex” McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2015.

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Episode 316 - Debut Novel Panel - Live From Bryant Park

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Ilana hosted a live event at Bryant Park in New York City in the summer of 2022 with five authors who just published their debut novels.

Liz Alterman, The Perfect Neighbor

David Santos Donaldson, Greenland

Francesca Giacco, Six Days In Rome

Anne Heltzel, Just Like Mother

Matt James, First Impressions: Off Screen Conversations With a Bachelor on Race, Family, and Forgiveness

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Episode 315 - Jeffrey Richman

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Jeffrey Richman is the Co-Creator and Executive Producer of the Netflix series “Uncoupled.” Prior to that, he was an Executive Producer of “Modern Family” for ten seasons, earning five Emmy Awards (including one for Outstanding Script), three Writers Guild Awards, three Producers Guild Awards, and a Golden Globe for Best Comedy. He has served as Executive or Co-Executive Producer on “Wings”, “Frasier” (another Emmy Award for Best Comedy), “Stark Raving Mad”, “Charlie Lawrence” (Creator), “Jake in Progress”, “Stacked”, “Rules of Engagement”, “Desperate Housewives” and “Back to You.” He also received an Emmy nomination for writing the 82nd Annual Academy Awards with hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

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Episode 314 - Marsha Mason

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Marsha Mason has received four Academy Award nominations for her roles in the films The Goodbye Girl, Cinderella Liberty, Only When I Laugh and Chapter Two. She has been the recipient of two Golden Globe Awards for her film roles and an Emmy Award nomination for her role on “Frasier.” Her other TV credits include “The Middle,” “The Good Wife,” “Madam Secretary,” and “Grace & Frankie.” Broadway roles include Impressionism with Jeremy Irons, Steel Magnolias, The Night of the Iguana, The Good Doctor, King Richard III, and Cactus Flower. Off-Broadway she co-starred in the world premiere of Terrence McNally’s Fire and Air at Classic Stage and Little Gem at the Irish Repertory Theatre (Outer Critics Circle Award winner for Outstanding Actress in a Play). Regionally she has starred in All’s Well That Ends Well at Shakespeare in Washington, DC, A Doll’s House at ACT in San Francisco, Arms and the Man at Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and Watch on the Rhine at Arena Stage in Washington, DC.

As a director, Marsha, has helmed productions of Neil Simon’s Chapter Two and Steel Magnolias at the Bucks County Playhouse, Chapter Two and the first female An Act of God with Paige Davis at the Arizona Theatre Company, Juno Swans for Second Stage in New York City and the world premiere of Tennessee Williams’s Talisman Roses starring Amanda Plummer at the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown, Mass. Marsha was Associate Director with Jack O’Brien for the Roundabout Theater’s production of All My Sons on Broadway. She received a Daytime Emmy® Award for Direction of “Little Miss Perfect”.

In 2020, she directed Walter Bobbie and Brooke Shields in The Man Who Came to Dinner for Bucks County Playhouse, starred with Brian Cox in Dear Liar for Bucks County, and opposite Richard Dreyfus in The Letters of Noel Coward for Bay Street Theater.

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Episode 313 - "Truly Inspiring“ - A panel with the authors of four “truly inspiring” books written by the following "truly inspiring“ authors: Zain Asher, Karen Hopkins, Katherine Gregorio and Tim McLoughlin

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Live in Bryant Par - a panel with the authors of truly inspiring people written by the following “truly inspiring“ authors - Zain Asher, Karen Hopkins, Katherine Gregorio and Tim McLoughlin

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Episode 312 - Patrick Page

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Patrick Page received a Tony Award nomination and a Grammy Award for his work in Hadestown

on Broadway after starring as Hades in the off-Broadway, Citadel Theatre and National Theatre

productions. Other Broadway: The Inquisitor in Saint Joan, Valentina in Casa Valentina, Buckley

in Time to Kill, Adult Men in Spring Awakening, DeGuiche in Cyrano de Bergerac, Green Goblin

in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons, Decius Brutus in Julius

Caesar, Scar in The Lion King, The Grinch in Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Lumiere

in Beauty and the Beast, and Mackie in The Kentucky Cycle. Other New York: Cymbeline

in Cymbeline (New York Shakespeare Festival/Delacort), Max in The Sound of Music (Carnegie

Hall). Regional: Page recently created the roles of Dom Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre

Dame at La Jolla Playhouse and Papermill Playhouse, and Captain Dragutin Dimitrijevic in Rajiiv

Joseph’s Archduke at the Mark Taper Forum. He is an Associate Artist of The Old Globe in San

Diego (Cyrano, Malvolio), and the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, D.C.

(Coriolanus, Prospero, Macbeth, Iago, Claudius). Film: Upcoming Spirited for Apple+, In The

Heights, Estella Scrooge, The Sixth Reel. Television: Richard Clay on The Gilded Age for HBO;

recurring on Elementary, Madam Secretary, Flesh and Bone and guest starring roles on Evil, NCIS:

New Orleans, The Good Wife, The Blacklist, Chicago P.D., and Law and Order: S.V.U.

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Episode 311 - LIVE from Bryant Park - Favorite "Beach Reads" Authors

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Today’s episode features authors Jenny Mollen ( City Of Likes), Grant Ginder (Let’s Not Do That Again), Annabel Monaghan (Nora Goes Off Script) and Meredith Schorr ( As Seen On TV.)

The Reading Room in Bryant Park with a storied history in the park, the Reading Room provides the use of books, newspapers, and magazines in the park during warm weather months. You'll also find a robust schedule of literary events, including Books on Broadway, Authors, BookClub, Poetry, StoryTime, and much more!

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Episode 310 - Jared Grimes

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Tony-Nominated JARED GRIMES is a true quadruple threat having starred on Broadway and Film/TV as an actor, singer, dancer and choreographer. He has danced alongside Wynton Marsalis, Gregory Hines, Ben Vereen, Jerry Lewis, Fayard Nicholas and also performed for Barack Obama and Ted Kennedy at the Kennedy Center. Grimes has toured with Musical legend, Mariah Carey, under the choreography of Marty Kudelka, and danced for artists such as Common, Salt-n-Pepa, Envogue, Busta Rhymes and the Roots.

Jared made his choreography debut in Cirque Du Soleil's, Banana Shpeel off-Broadway, choreographed commercials for Chilis and also assisted choreography with Kristin Denehy for Macy's popular Kids Bop commercial.

In the world of acting, Jared is known for his recurring role of “Adrian” on NBC’s hit show Manifest. He performed the lead role of “Jackson” in the Annapurna feature film SWING KIDS and Sammy Davis Jr.’s “Birth of the Blues” on Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook for PBS. Other film credits include Paramount's, "The Marc Pease Experience", starring Ben Stiller, New Line Cinema's "Little Manhattan" and Elevation Filmwork's' "First Born," starring Elizabeth Shue.

In 2014, he won the prestigious Astaire Award for Outstanding Male Performer in the Broadway show After Midnight. Jared plays the role of “Eddie Ryan” in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl.

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Episode 309 - Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer, Between the Lines is an empowering and enchanting new musical for anyone who has ever sought to find their place in the world. An outsider in a new town and a new school, Delilah seeks comfort in the pages of her favorite book, where she feels heard and understood. But as the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur in both extraordinary and astonishing ways, Delilah has to confront whether she alone has the power to rewrite her own story.

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Episode 308 - Alex Edelman

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Alex Edelman is a comedian and writer whose Orthodox Jewish upbringing has informed critically and commercially acclaimed work for the stage and screen. He is known both for his solo shows - three, all award-winning, sell-out hits in London’s West End and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - and for his TV writing. At the start of the pandemic, he served as the head writer and executive producer of Saturday Night Seder, a star studded 70-minute special, posted on YouTube, that has so far raised $3.5 million for the CDC Foundation (COVID-19) Emergency Response Fund

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Episode 307 - Tom Moore and Ken Waissman

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Tom Moore directed the original Broadway production, eight national tours, and two London productions of Grease in the West End. He also directed Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize–winning ’night Mother, the subsequent film, and other Broadway productions, receiving two Tony nominations. Moore directed many years of film and television, earning three Emmy nominations along the way. His most recent project was the documentary on the Flying Trapeze, The Flight Fantastic.

Ken Waissman discovered Grease at the Kingston Mines Theatre in Chicago, where it was running on weekends in the summer of 1971. Ken and his then partner Maxine Fox produced the original Broadway production, plus eight national tours and two London productions in the West End. Ken is a Tony Award– winning producer whose iconic hits, in addition to Grease, include Agnes of God and Torch Song Trilogy. He is one of only two producers in the history of Broadway to have a musical run over three thousand performances and a play run over one thousand performances.

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Episode 306 - Amir Arison

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Amir Arison stars as Aram Mojtabai on NBC’s hit series “The Blacklist.

Notable recurring roles in television include work on HBO’s “Girls,” the Emmy Award-winning “Homeland,” NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Zero Hour,” “Dallas,” “True Justice,” and “State of Georgia,” as well as Julia Stiles’ hit web series “Blue.” Recent guest star appearances include “American Horror Story,” “NCIS,” “The Mentalist,” “Major Crimes,” “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” “Gossip Girl,” “Fringe” and “See Dad Run,” among others. Arison has also been a series regular on Bryan Singer’s acclaimed Digital Series “H+” for Warner Bros.

Arison’s film credits include “A Merry Friggin’ Christmas” with Robin Williams, “Big Words,” “I Hate Valentine’s Day” with Nia Vardalos, Tom McCarthy’s “The Visitor,” “Today’s Special,” “Vamps” with Alicia Silverstone, and the upcoming “Jane Wants a Boyfriend.”

Arison also has an extensive background in theater, which includes the New York premieres of Stephen Belber’s “The Muscles in Our Toes,” “Aftermath” (Drama League Nominee), Christopher Durang’s “Why Torture Is Wrong… ,” Charles Mee’s “Queens Boulevard,” “A Very Common Procedure,” “Modern Orthodox,” “Omnium Gatherum” (Pulitzer Finalist), “Candy & Dorothy” and “A First Class Man.”

Internationally, Amir starred in Michael Kahn’s award-winning “Love’s Labour’s Lost” (RSC’s Complete Works Festival). Notable regional credits include appearances in productions at The Shakespeare Theatre D.C., The Huntington Theatre Company, Yale Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Long Wharf Theatre, Portland Center Stage, The Lyric Theatre, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Olney Theatre Center and the Dorset Theatre Festival.

Amir grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended Columbia University in New York City. He recently made his Broadway debut playing the leading role of Amir in The Kite Runner on Broadway.

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Episode 305 - Neil Pepe

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Neil Pepe is an acclaimed director and has been the Artistic Director of Atlantic Theater Company since 1992. Neil has been a master teacher at the Atlantic Acting School at New York University Tisch School of the Arts and an associate adjunct professor of directing at Columbia University Graduate Film Division. He has been a guest at The O’Neill Playwrights Conference as well as the American Theatre Wing. Neil holds an Honorary Doctorate as well as a BA from Kenyon College in Ohio. He has served on the Board of ART/NY as well as the Selection Committee for Harold and Mimi Steinberg Playwriting Award as well as the Pew Charitable Trust in Philadelphia.

As a director, Neil’s Broadway credits include David Mamet;s American Buffalo, Doug Wright, Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green’s musical Hands on a Hardbody, the acclaimed revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow, as well as Mamet’s A Life in the Theatre. At the Atlantic, Neil has most recently directed John Guare’s 3 Kinds of Exile, Moira Buffini’s Dying For It, Jez Butterworth’s Parlour Song, Mojo and The Night Heron. Other Off-Broadway and Regional credits include: Ethan Coen’s Happy Hour, Offices and Almost an Evening; Harold Pinter’s Celebration and The Room; Adam Rapp’s Dreams of Flying, Dreams of Falling; David Mamet’s American Buffalo (Donmar Warehouse, Atlantic); Romance, Keep Your Pantheon/School (Center Theatre Group, Atlantic); Zinnie Harris’ Further than the Furthest Thing (Manhattan Theater Club); Jessica Goldberg’s Refuge (Playwrights Horizons); Frank Gilroy’s The Subject Was Roses with Martin Sheen (CTG) and Eric Bogosian’s Red Angel (Williamstown Theater Festival).

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Episode 303 - Michael R. Jackson

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Michael R. Jackson wrote the book, music and lyrics for the 2022 Tony Award winner for Best New Musical- A Strange Loop. He won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics’ Circle–winning A Strange Loop (which had its 2019 world premiere at Playwrights Horizons in association with Page 73 Productions) was called “a full-on laparoscopy of the heart, soul, and loins” and a “gutsy, jubilantly anguished musical with infectious melodies” by Ben Brantley for The New York Times. In The New Yorker, Vinson Cunningham wrote, “To watch this show is to enter, by some urgent, bawdy magic, an ecstatic and infinitely more colorful version of the famous surreal lithograph by M. C. Escher: the hand that lifts from the page, becoming almost real, then draws another hand, which returns the favor.” In addition to A Strange Loop, he wrote book, music, and lyrics for White Girl in Danger. Awards and associations include a New Professional Theatre Festival Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, an ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Award, a Whiting Award, the Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Obie Award, an Antonyo Award, a Fred Ebb Award, a Windham-Campbell Prize, and a Dramatists Guild Fellowship. He is an alum of Page 73’s Interstate 73 Writers Group

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Episode 302 - Deniz Akdeniz

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0000

An Australian native, Deniz Akdeniz has quickly made a name for himself through his performances of beloved characters.

Deniz will next be seen reprising his breakout and widely beloved role of ‘Max’ in the upcoming second season of the critically-acclaimed and award-winning HBO Max series THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT alongside Kaley Cuoco and Zosia Mamet, which will be premiering in Spring 2022.

He was most recently seen in the new hit Warner Bros for FOX series ,THE CLEANING LADY, produced by Shay Mitchell. His other recent TV credits include: Freeform’s SIRENS and ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME where he played the role of ‘Aladdin.

On the film side, Deniz is widely known for his role in I, FRANKENSTEIN, directed by Stuart Beattie. He was also seen in THE WATER DIVINE directed by Russell Crowe, Focus Feature’s THE HIGH NOTE, Netflix’s SIGHTLESS opposite Madelaine Petsch and the Australian box office feature hit, TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, where he was nominated for an Inside Film Award in the category of “Best Actor.”

Prior to acting, Deniz trained and competed professionally in MMA.

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Episode 301 - Harvey Fierstein

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0000

HARVEY FIERSTEIN wrote the books ( or adapted the books ) for the Broadway musicals Funny Girl, Kinky Boots. Newsies as well as Torch Song Trilogy (Tony®, Drama Desk, and OBIE Awards), La Cage aux Folles (Tony® and Drama Desk Awards), The Sissy Duckling (Humanitas Award), A Catered Affair (12 Drama Desk nominations), Safe Sex (Ace Award), Legs Diamond, Spookhouse, Flatbush Tosca, Common Ground, and more. His political editorials have been published in The New York Times, TV Guide, The Huffington Post, and broadcast on PBS’s “In the Life”. His children’s book, The Sissy Duckling, is now in its fifth printing. As an actor, Mr. Fierstein is known worldwide for his performances in films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day, and on stage in Hairspray (Tony Award®), Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy (Tony Award®), and TV shows such as “Smash,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Good Wife,” “Cheers” (Emmy nomination), “The Simpsons,” and “Nurse Jackie.”

Acclaimed originally for his groundbreaking writing and performance in his 1981 Torch Song Trilogy, Harvey Fierstein has refined and redefined the persona of the drag queen in the theater. Two years later, Fierstein brought that insight and humor into his book for the musical adaptation of La Cage aux Folles. As Frank Rich wrote in the New York Times, this “is the first Broadway musical ever to give center stage to a homosexual love affair – but don’t go expecting an earthquake. The show at the Palace is the schmaltziest, most old-fashioned major musical Broadway has seen since ‘Annie,’ and it’s likely to be just as popular with children of all ages.”

Fierstein subsequently wrote the book for Legs Diamond (1988) with music and lyrics by Peter Allen, who also starred in the show. He did not return to Broadway until 2002, when he took on the role of Edna Turnblad in the musical adaptation of Hairspray (book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan; music by Marc Shaiman; lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman). According to Ben Brantley, Fierstein’s performance as Edna “is not just a cross-dressing sight gag. She’s every forgotten housewife, recreated in monumental proportions and waiting for something to tap her hidden magnificence.”

After playing Tevye in the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof, Harvey Fierstein wrote the book and starred in the 2008 musical, A Catered Affair. As a writer and actor, Fierstein has won three Drama Desk Awards and four Tonys®, most recently for his portrayal of Edna in Hairspray.

His most recent memoir is called I Was Better Last Night.

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Episode 300 - David Morse

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0000

DAVID MORSE received Emmy® nominations for his roles on “House” and HBO’s “John Adams,” and has appeared in numerous television series, including Emmy-nominated “Escape at Dannemora," “The Chair,” “The Morning Show," “The Deuce," "The Good Lord Bird,” “Hack,” “Treme,” “True Detective,” “Outsiders,” and “St. Elsewhere." Morse’s film credits include The Green Mile (1999), 16 Blocks (2006), The Hurt Locker (2009), World War Z (2013) and Concussion (2015). A stage veteran, Morse is currently on Broadway in Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize winning show How I Learned to Drive, reprising the role he originated opposite Mary-Louise Parker Off-Broadway in 1997. He previously starred on Broadway in the 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. His other notable stage performances include the 1984 Los Angeles production of Of Mice and Men; Lanford Wilson’s Redwood Curtain, in which he originated the role of Lyman; Heather MacDonald’s An Almost Holy Picture; the Broadway production of The Seafarer; the Off-Broadway production of The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin; and the original Off-Broadway production of How I Learned to Drive, for which he won a Lucille Lortel Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Obie Award®.

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Episode 299 - Emily Rothstein

Mon, 30 May 2022 05:00:00 -0000

New Jersey native Emily Rothstein began her career after graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in Cinematic Arts. She spent nine years at ABC Studios where she worked in both drama and comedy development, assisting the drama team in the development of such series as AMERICAN CRIME and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, and the comedy team on THE MUPPETS and AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE. She has been working at NBC Universal on the comedy development team across all platforms since September of 2019 where she is responsible for developing new projects in addition to identifying new voices and emerging talent. She has worked on series such as “Wolf Like Me” and on the upcoming series based on the “Pitch Perfect” movie franchise for Peacock in addition to “Mr. Mayor” on NBC.

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Episode 298 - Melissa Gilbert

Mon, 23 May 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Melissa Gilbert starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the hit NBC television show Little House on the Prairie. She has starred in numerous movies and plays and served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild. She is the author of Prairie Tale, Daisy and Josephine, My Prairie Cookbook, and Back to the Prairie. She resides in the Catskills and New York City with her husband, Timothy Busfield.

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Episode 297 - Mona Monsour

Fri, 13 May 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Mona Monsour ( Playwright) THE VAGRANT TRILOGY will make its New York City debut in April 2022 at the Public Theater, directed by Mark Wing-Davey; the production was in technical rehearsals in March 2020 and was postponed due to Covid-19. UNSEEN will have its West Coast debut at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in spring 2022, directed by Evren Odcikin. WE SWIM, WE TALK, WE GO TO WAR premiered at SF’s Golden Thread in 2018 (dir. Odcikin). THE VAGRANT TRILOGY was presented at Mosaic Theater in June 2018, (dir. Wing-Davey.) Of the trilogy: THE HOUR OF FEELING (dir. Wing-Davey) premiered at the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and an Arabic translation was presented at NYU Abu Dhabi, as part of its Arab Voices Festival in 2016. URGE FOR GOING: productions at the Public Theater (dir. Hal Brooks) and Golden Thread (dir. Odcikin). THE VAGRANT was commissioned by the Public and workshopped at the 2013 Sundance Theater Institute. THE WAY WEST: Labyrinth (dir. Mimi O’Donnell); Village Theater (dir. Christina Myatt); Steppenwolf (dir. Amy Morton); and Marin Theatre Company (dir. Hayley Finn).

Other credits: IN THE OPEN, for Waterwell, directed by James Dean Palmer, and ACROSS THE WATER, written for third-year MFAs at NYU (dir. Scott Illingworth). Mona was a member of the Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group. With Tala Manassah she has written FALLING DOWN THE STAIRS, an EST/Sloan commission. Their play DRESSING is part OF FACING OUR TRUTHS: SHORT PLAYS ABOUT TRAYVON, RACE AND PRIVILEGE, commissioned by the New Black Festival. Commissions include Playwrights Horizons and La Jolla Playhouse. 2020 Helen Merrill Award, 2012 Whiting Award. 2014 Middle East America Playwright Award, MacDowell Colony 2018, New Dramatists Class of 2020. Mona writes for NBC’s New Amsterdam and is creating series for FlipNarrative and AMC International. BEGINNING DAYS OF TRUE JUBILATION, directed by Scott Illingworth and conceived with her company SOCIETY, was part of New Ohio’s Ice Factory Digital Festival in summer 2020. In September 2020, Mona received the prestigious Kesselring Prize, awarded by the National Arts Club to one playwright a year. She was nominated by Seattle Rep for her play THE HOUR OF FEELING.

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Episode 296 - Jodi Picoult

Mon, 09 May 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Jodi Picoult is the author of 27 novels, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide. Her last eleven books have debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and five have been made into movies, with two more – A SPARK OF LIGHT and BOOK OF TWO WAYS – being adapted as limited series. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction, the Alex Award from YALSA, the NH Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit, and the esteemed Sarah Josepha Hale Award. She holds honorary doctor of letters degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of New Haven. Two of her books, BETWEEN THE LINES and OFF THE PAGE (co-written with daughter Samantha van Leer) have been adapted as a Broadway-bound musical; she is also the co-librettist of the new musical BREATHE, which premiered in 2021, and of the musical adaptation of THE BOOK THIEF musical, which will premiere in the UK in 2022. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.

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Episode 295 - Mary Clay Boland

Mon, 02 May 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Mary Clay Boland is a two time Emmy award winning casting Director.

Boland started her career at Circle Repertory Theater where she had the honor to work with many brilliant playwrights and actors. Circle Rep was the perfect atmosphere to hone Mary Clay’s casting instincts and enable her to witness the best acting has to offer. Transitioning to television Boland became the Casting Associate at Walken/Jaffe Casting where she was the Casting Associate on the first two seasons of the Emmy award winning show The Sopranos as well as the feature films But I’m a Cheerleader, The Legend of Wiry Spindell, First Look and many other films over a three year period.

Boland then moved on to the casting department of Warner Brothers Studios television where she worked on casting over 40 pilots including Everwood, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, George Lopez, and Without a Trace. While at Warner Brothers, Boland also cast the first two seasons of Third Watch, NBC and Witch Blade. In addition to that Boland was also responsible for the New York casting of their existing LA based shows ER, THE WEST WING, and FRIENDS. Throughout her career, Boland has also served as the Casting Director for many independent films that have played heavily on the festival circuit. Such films as MARCONI BROS. starring Dan Fogler, BEST THIEF IN THE WORLD starring Mary Louise Parker, CONFESS starring Melissa Leo, and many more.

Mary Clay worked as the Casting Director for CBS’ AS THE WORLD TURNS for 8 years and won two Day Time Emmys for Outstanding achievement in casting a drama series.

Boland went on to open her own company where she cast the first season of the Adult Swim series YOUR PRETTY FACE IS GOING TO HELL. She also cast a Warner Bros. Web series FINDING CODY starring Cody Simpson. She cast the film FOUR which won best ensemble cast at the LA Film Festival.

For the last eight years Mary Clay has focused on motherhood while also keeping her foot immersed in the Louisville Film community. She has resided on the board of the Louisville Film Society. She was appointed by the mayor to be on the Louisville Film Commission. On the commission she acted as a liaison between New York and Los Angeles film productions that wished to shoot in KY and take advantage of their state tax film incentives. She taught media and film studies as a guest lecturer for the Governor’s School of the Arts and has also led multiple workshops on auditioning technique.

In 2022 Mary Clay took over as head of MCM Creative’s casting division where she will be focusing on scripted television and features. MCM is a full service production and post-production facility located in midtown Manhattan. www.mcmcasting.com

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Episode 294 - Kathleen Monteleone

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Kathleen Monteleone is an actress, singer/songwriter, producer and writer who captivates audiences with her memorable performances and storytelling.

Born in Germany, Kathleen is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College where she majored in theatre/musical theatre. Her career kick-started when she competed for the role of Sandy on NBC’s GREASE: You’re the One That I Want. Soon after she landed roles as Elle Woods in the national tour of Legally Blonde The Musical and Dede Halcyon-Day in Tales of The City The Musical. She made her Broadway debut originating the role of Heather Stovall in Hands On A Hardbody.

On the television side, Kathleen’s credits include the feature Are You Joking? directed by Jake Wilson, TNT’s Good Behavior alongside Michelle Dockery, and Comedy Central’s Goatface with Hasan Minhaj.

Monteleone will next be seen starring in the feature film American Reject, which she also wrote and produced. The film, directed by Marlo Hunter, is a big-hearted comedy about a finalist who gets the boot from America’s hottest singing competition and is forced to move back in with her mother as reality cameras follow her every move. It is inspired by Kathleen’s true story and is a tale of finding oneself that features original music. The film won both “Best of Fest” at the Adirondack Film Festival and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at Bend Film Festival in 2020. In addition, the film screened at the New Orleans Film Festival and the Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival in November of the same year, where the Las Vegas jury awarded Kathleen “Best Actress.” The film is set to release on-demand in April 2022.

Monteleone splits her time between New Orleans and New York City with her husband and 4 children.

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Episode 293 - Sharon Wheatley

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Sharon Wheatley originated the role of Diane in COME FROM AWAY where she appears nightly at The Schoenfeld Theater. Sharon can also be seen in the film version for Apple TV +, and on the cast recording. Previous Broadway includes Avenue Q, Les Misérables, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Also a writer, Sharon’s most recent book DRIVE Stories From Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere, about finding happiness in hard moments, came out March 1, 2022 and is available on her website sharonwheatley.com and wherever books are sold.

Sharon is mom to Charlotte and Tobi, and wife to stage manager, Martha Donaldson. They are animal people, often unable to sit on their own couch due to the four legged creatures seeking comfort there.

Sharon grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and went to college there, getting her BFA in musical theater from CCM. Sharon has done a little TV stuff and a little film stuff, but really loves writing most of all. In addition to her most recent book, DRIVE, Sharon has a previous memoir, ‘Til the Fat Girl Sings.

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Episode 292 - Peri Gilpin

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0000

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Episode 291 - Brad Oscar

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Brad Oscar has been seen on Broadway in Mrs. Doubtfire, Something Rotten! (Tony nomination), Big Fish, Nice Work..., The Addams Family, Spamalot, The Producers (Tony nomination), Jekyll & Hyde and Aspects of Love. National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera, Young Frankenstein, Jekyll & Hyde. West End: The Producers. Off Broadway: Broadway Bounty Hunter, Nassim, Sweeney Todd (Barrow Street Theatre), Forbidden Broadway (Theater East). Regional credits: The Gods of Comedy (McCarter/Old Globe), Hairspray (KC Starlight), The Squirrels (La Jolla Playhouse), Fiddler on the Roof (Barrington Stage), Barnum (Asolo Rep, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Carbonell Award for Best Actor, Musical), The Mystery of Irma Vep, Cabaret, Damn Yankees (Arena Stage). Film: Ghost Town, The Producers. TV: Madam Secretary, Smash, The Good Wife, three Law & Order.

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Episode 290 - Elaine Del Valle

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Elaine Del Valle is a Brownsville, Brooklyn bred Puerto Rican multi-hyphenate filmmaker.

She is the winner of the HBO Latinx short film award, and was featured in the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Director showcase. Her films have been supported by WarnerMedia 150, Knight Foundation, Fractured Atlas and the Sundance Institute.

As a WRITER/DIRECTOR her short films, Me 3.769 and Princess Cut, went on to air on HBOmax. Her most recent project, Brownsville Bred recently won the Audience Award at the 2022 SXSW Festival in the “Episodic Pilot Competition” category

Showrunner/Director/Screenwriter: Elaine Del Valle, Producers: Adrienne Lovette, Elaine Del Valle, Leslie Cohen, Debbie Esko-Gold, Eddie Frente

Elaine is a Lynn Shelton award finalist and two-time Imagen Impact award nominee. Redefine Magazine and Miami New Times named her a Filmmaker to Watch. Ad Age called her short documentary, Tagged (filmed entirely on a mobile phone) “compelling.”

While Elaine loves expressing emotion through her camera, she’s most proud of being referred to as an “actor’s director.” Her many years as an ACTOR trained by Wynn Handman at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, combined with her passion to bring authentic Latina voices to entertainment is what led her to create her autobiographical one-woman stage play, Brownsville Bred.

Elaine went on to perform Brownsville Bred off-Broadway, where the New York Times raved, "From Girlhood Trials To Onstage Triumph."

Empowered and fulfilled by the experience, Elaine would continue to act while creating content representative of her Latina experience. Elaine's most recent acting role is as a recurring guest star in the ABC series Queens.

As a WRITER/CREATOR, Elaine's original drama pilot, The System, landed a pilot order with CBS and Sutton Street Productions (Jane The Virgin). Under her banner company, Del Valle Productions and Casting, Elaine is a CSA casting director who has cast talented actors in hundreds of projects and PRODUCED over 50 film titles.

Elaine spends her free time speaking at youth director & arts programs in underserved communities.

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Episode 289 - Will Swenson

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0000

Broadway: Waitress, Disaster, Les Miserables, Hair (Tony Award Nomination), 110 in the Shade, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Brooklyn: The Musical, Lestat. Off-Broadway, tours and concerts: Assassins, Rock of Ages, Camelot (NY Philharmonic), The Slugbearers of Kayrol Island, Adrift In Macao, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Miss Saigon, We Will Rock You, Fame. Will's first feature film as a writer and director was Sons of Provo, which won several film festivals, and was released in 2005.

He is married to actress Audra McDonald.

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Episode 288 - Eleri Ward

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0000

ELERI WARD is an New York City-based actor, singer, and musician whose original pop music has been called “soaring” (Nexus Music Blog), “astonishing” (Rising Artists), and “dreamy” (Neon Music). Her most recent EP, Friction, was released in 2021. She has been singing and acting since she was eight years old, and has always strived to carve out her own space with the uniqueness she brings to the theater. Eleri studied songwriting at Berklee College of Music before transferring and graduating from The Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Musical Theater and an emphasis in Songwriting, which shows itself clearly in the way she has taken on the Sondheim canon. www.eleriward.com @eleriward

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Episode 287 - Steven Sater

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Steven Sater is the author and lyricist of Spring Awakening, winner of eight Tony Awards on Broadway and produced in 25 countries around the world. He has also collaborated with Duncan Sheik on Umbrage (HERE); Nero (Magic Theatre, New York Stage and Film); The Nightingale (La Jolla Playhouse and American Conservatory Theater); and the critically acclaimed album Phantom Moon (Nonesuch). Other plays include the long-running Carbondale Dreams; Perfect For You, Doll (Rosenthal Prize); Umbrage (Steppenwolf New Play Prize); A Footnote to the Iliad (New York Stage and Film); Asylum (Naked Angels); and a reconceived musical version of Shakespeare’s Tempest (Lyric Hammersmith). He is currently at work with Burt Bacharach on a new musical as well. Additionally, Sater works as a pop/rock lyricist and screenwriter (the forthcoming Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remake for Sony Pictures). Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score, the Drama Desk and Outer Critics’ Circle awards for Best Lyrics, the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Musical for Spring Awakening.

His most recent project includes the Grammy nominated album Some Lovers , co written with Burt Bacharach.

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Episode 286 - Jamie Bernstein

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Jamie Bernstein is a writer, narrator, broadcaster and filmmaker who has transformed a lifetime of loving music into a career of sharing her knowledge and excitement with others.

Inspired by her father Leonard Bernstein’s lifelong impulse to share and teach, Jamie has devised multiple ways of communicating her own excitement about orchestral music. Beginning 15 years ago with “The Bernstein Beat,” a family concert about her father’s music modeled after his own groundbreaking Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Jamie has gone on to design, write and narrate concerts for worldwide audiences of all ages about the music of Mozart, Copland, Stravinsky, and many others.

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Episode 285 - Adam Duritz

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0000

For more than two decades, the GRAMMY and Academy Award-nominated rock band Counting Crows have enchanted listeners worldwide with their intensely soulful and intricate take on timeless rock & roll. Exploding onto the music scene in 1993 with their multi-platinum breakout album, August and Everything After, the band has gone on to release seven studio albums, selling more than 20 million records worldwide, and is revered as one of the world’s most pre-eminent live touring rock bands.

In October 1996, the band's double-platinum sophomore studio album, Recovering the Satellites, debuted at number one and further solidified their growing reputation as one of the leading American alternative rock bands in the world. A follow up to their early success; Counting Crows went on to release This Desert Life (1999), Hard Candy (2002), Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (2008), Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) (2012), Echoes of the Outlaw Roadshow (2013),and Somewhere Under Wonderland (2014.) In 2004, Counting Crows recorded the chart-topping “Accidentally in Love” for the animated motion picture Shrek 2. The instant success of the track earned them an Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Song” at the 2005 Academy Awards, a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Original Song” and a GRAMMY Award nomination for “Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.”

In September 2014, Counting Crows released their critically acclaimed seventh studio album, Somewhere Under Wonderland, which debuted at No. 10 on the charts and was heralded by The Daily Telegraph as “… the best collection of songs since their debut.” The album consisted of nine sprawling tracks around rich sonic tapestries, which yielded some of the most grandiose yet intimate songs Counting Crows had recorded to date. 2018 marked 25 years since the band's inception and sent Adam Duritz, Jim Bogios, David Bryson, Charlie Gillingham, David Immergluck, Millard Powers, and Dan Vickrey back on the road for the “25 YEARS AND COUNTING” tour. In 2021, Counting Crows ranked #8 on Billboards’ “Greatest of All Time: Adult Alternative Artists” 25th anniversary chart.

After seven years, Adam Duritz and Counting Crows have returned with Butter Miracle: Suite One released on May 21,2021.

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Episode 284 - Lorin Latarro

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Lorin Latarro is the choreographer for Broadway’s MRS. DOUBTFIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS, The Public’s THE VISITOR, and Broadway bound THE OUTSIDERS and LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE.

Lorin choreographed Broadway and London’s WAITRESS and LA TRAVIATA at The Met Opera. Lorin is directing Candace Bushnell’s one woman show, IS THERE STILL SEX IN THE CITY.

Additional Broadway choreography includes Les Liaisons Dangereuse with Janet McTeer and Liev Schreiber, and Waiting for Godot with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Lorin is the Associate Choreographer of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and American Idiot. Rigoletto at The Met Opera (assoc), Huey Lewis’s Heart of Rock And Roll (Old Globe), Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), Chess (The Kennedy Center), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street for “This American Life” (Brooklyn Academy of Music), The Public Theater’s Twelfth Night and The Odyssey (Delacorte Theater), Queen of the Night which garnered a Drama Desk Award (Diamond Horseshoe), Assassins, Fanny, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (City Center Encores!), Superhero (Second Stage), Beaches (Drury Lane Theatre), and A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre Center).

Lorin directed #DateMe at The Westside Theatre, A Taste Of Things To Come at Chicago On Broadway and The York.

Lorin performed in fourteen Broadway shows including Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out, Fosse, Swing!, Kiss Me Kate, A Chorus Line, and Man Of La Mancha. Lorin danced for Robert Wilson, Martha Graham, and Momix. Lorin has also worked with Pina Bausch, Jiri Kylian, Robert Battle, Frankie Manning, Ryan Francois, Pete Townsend, Green Day, Sara Bareilles, Melissa Etheridge, Cameron Crowe, and Charlize Theron.

Ms. Latarro holds a BFA from The Juilliard School where she is also an adjunct professor. She also holds a degree from NYU Tisch Film And Television Directing Fundamentals. She is a Drama Desk, Lortel, and Chita Rivera nominee. Lorin has traveled to India and Africa multiple times to work with The Gates Foundation in family health and planning. Lorin is the founder of ArtAmmmo.org Artists Against Gun Violence as seen in the NY Times, PBS, Rachel Maddow, BBC.

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Episode 283 - Carla Stickler

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Carla Stickler is a woman of many talents. She is currently a Software Engineer at G2 in Chicago. She is an advocate for artists looking to make a career change into tech and a member of Artists Who Code. She loves chatting with folks interested in shifting gears from the arts to programming and especially hopes to get more women into the field!She spent over 10 years performing in Broadway musicals, most notably, Wicked. She is a world traveler having performed the role of Liesl in The Sound of Music-Asia Tour and the role of Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia! on the National Tour throughout Canada and the US. Carla has headlined as a Guest Entertainer onboard Norwegian Cruise Lines and Disney Cruise Lines.

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Episode 282 - Emma Laird

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Emma Laird is quickly establishing herself as one to watch with her powerful performances as an actress on the rise. She was most recently recognized by Variety as one of the “Ten Brits To Watch” in 2021.

Laird can currently be seen as a lead in the Paramount + series Mayor of Kingstown opposite Jeremy Renner and Dianne Wiest. The series, co-created by Taylor Sheridan and Antonie Fuqua, follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. She plays Iris, a dancer who uses her charms to her benefit, until those charms are used against her. The series will drop on the streaming platform November 14th, 2021.

Emma began her acting career starring in various short films, including Florence Kosky’s In Conversation With A Goddess which was a an official selection at Shorts On Tap X Time Out London in 2019.

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Episode 281 - Bess Kalb

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Bess Kalb is an Emmy-nominated comedy writer and the bestselling author of “Nobody Will Tell You This But Me,” a New York Times Editor’s Choice. She wrote for eight years on Jimmy Kimmel Live. She also writes for The New Yorker's "Daily Shouts." She received a WGA Award in 2016. She has written for the Emmy Awards, the Oscars, and the 2020 DNC. She is the head writer and EP of Yearly Departed on Amazon Prime.

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Episode 280 - Arian Moayed

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0000

Arian Moayed is an Iranian-born award-winning actor and

the co-founder of Waterwell, a civic-minded and

socially conscious non-profit art and education

company.

With Waterwell, recent productions include The

Flores Exhibits, a series of videos in which artists,

lawyers, advocates, and immigrants read the sworn

testimonies of children held in detention facilities at

the U.S./Mexico border (flores

exhibits.org), The Courtroom: a re-enactment of one

woman’s deportation proceedings, named "Best

Theater of 2019" by The New York Times, and a

dual-language Hamlet (Arian played the title role).

Waterwell also created Fleet Week Follies, an

annual festival of music, food, and kid-friendly

activities, free to military service members and their families.

At the Waterwell Education Program, over 250 students per year receive world-class arts

training and education in advocacy at the Professional Performing Arts School, all free of

charge. He has been a faculty member for nearly 15 years, currently teaching the Artist as

Citizen and Senior Capstone classes.

As a writer/director, Arian has created the Emmy-nominated thriller, The Accidental Wolf,

produced by Topic, starring Tony-winners Kelli O’Hara, Laurie Metcalf, Sahr Nguajah, and

many more. Current writing projects include 28 Mordad (upcoming), a film version of The

Courtroom (Archer Gray/Topic) and a film adaptation of The Man in Red. He is currently

writing an autobiography about his family’s immigration story.

Notable acting credits: Broadway's The Humans (Drama Desk Award), Bengal Tiger at the

Baghdad Zoo (Tony nomination), Guards at the Taj (Obie Award), Emmy-winning Succession

(HBO), and an upcoming Shonda Rhimes’ series, Inventing Anna (Netflix).

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Episode 279 - Todd Almond

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0000

TODD ALMOND is known for his singular songwriting in addition to his work as an accomplished performer. He recently toured the U.S. in his original musical Kansas City Choir Boy starring alongside rock icon Courtney Love, and starred in three of his original musicals at the famed Delacorte Theater in Central Park (The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, and The Odyssey). His musical Girlfriend – based on the Matthew Sweet album of the same title – is a perennial favorite for theater companies around the country, and he is currently collaborating with producer David Foster on a new, original musical. He has previously collaborated with Sarah Ruhl (Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical), Jenny Schwartz (Iowa), Laura Benanti (In Constant Search for the Right Kind of Attention), Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz (“Twohander”), Kelli O’Hara (“Live at Carnegie Hall”), and Andrew Rannells (“Live from Lincoln Center”).

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Episode 278 - Andréa Burns

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0000

ANDRÉA BURNS received an Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for her portrayal of Gloria Fajardo in Broadway’s On Your Feet! She is a winner of a Drama Desk Award for her creation of the role of Daniela, the saucy hairdresser in the Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights.

Ms. Burns began her career touring the opera houses of Europe as Maria in West Side Story when she was 18 years old. She has appeared on Broadway as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as Vicki Nichols in The Full Monty, as Googie Gomez in The Ritz and has sung concerts at Carnegie Hall. She starred opposite Nathan Lane on Broadway in the Lincoln Center production of The Nance which subsequently broadcast on PBS' "Great Performances". Ms. Burns was in the original company of Jason Robert Brown’s critically acclaimed Songs for a New World and has since become one of the foremost interpreters of his work. Burns portrayed Lucille Frank in the national tour of Jason Robert Brown's Parade, directed by Harold Prince, for which she received a Touring Broadway Awards nomination for Best Actress. She was also selected by Stephen Sondheim to create the role of Celeste in his musical Saturday Night in its New York premiere.

Ms. Burns' debut solo album A Deeper Shade Of Red was described by Playbill as "superb on all counts”. “100 Stories," a single she co-wrote with her brother, music producer Mike Burns, rose to the #2 spot on the 2006 Billboard Hot Dance Club Play charts. A favorite at 54 Below Broadway Supper Club, Andréa performs her one woman show all of over the world, which has been hailed by the New York Times as “ uproarious, ebullient and playful”.

Television credits include Mad About You (Reboot), Jessica Jones, Kevin Can Wait, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, Rescue Me, The Electric Company (2009 TV series), and Wonder Pets. She can also be heard on the original cast recordings of On Your Feet!, In The Heights, Songs for a New World, This Ordinary Thursday - The Songs of Georgia Stitt, Saturday Night, It’s Only Life, Dear Edwina, Shine, Broadway Bound, and Broadway Musicals of 1953.

Ms. Burns can be heard as the voice of Elaine Stritch in Alexandra Jacob’s new biography, “Still Here - The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch.”

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Episode 277 - Darby Stanchfield

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 16:00:00 -0000

Darby Stanchfield stars as ‘Nina Locke’ in the Netflix hit show Locke and Key.

Stanchfield is well-known for her role as ‘Abby Whelan,” the spunky and outspoken investigator on all seven seasons of the Shonda Rhimes hit ABC show “Scandal” alongside ‘Olivia Pope’ (Kerry Washington). She also r stars in the Disney+’s film “Stargirl” which was adapted from the best-selling novel.

Prior to “Scandal,” Darby was featured in season two of AMC’s Emmy ® Award winning drama “Mad Men.” In the hit series, Darby played the role of Helen Bishop, a liberal single mother who relishes in stirring up controversy with Betty Draper, the wife of an iconic advertising guru. Other television credits include starring opposite Nathan Fillion in ABC’s crime thriller “Castle,” a recurring role as Shannon Gibbs on CBS’s military drama “NCIS,” and a spot on CBS’s action packed series Jericho where she played “April Green.” In addition, Darby has appeared in roles across a host of successful television series including “Burn Notice,” “CSI: Miami,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “CSI: New York,” “The Mentalist,” “Private Practice,” “Bones,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Without a Trace,” and Monk .

Her feature film credits include Adrienne Shelley's critically acclaimed “Waitress,” opposite Nathan Fillion and Keri Russell, and an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's “The Picture of Dorian Gray” co-starring opposite Josh Duhamel.

Darby can be heard in a recording of Neil Simon's “Biloxi Blues” with Josh Radnor and Justine Bateman, part of an ongoing series of radio plays that LA Theatre Works produces for NPR.

Originally from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Darby is a graduate of The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco where she received a Master Of Fine Arts degree

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Episode 276 - Emma Nelson

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Emma Nelson’s powerful performances have established her as a young actress on the rise.

Nelson can be seen in the Netflix drama film The Unforgiveable alongside Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis. The film follows a woman who attempts to rebuild her life after serving time in prison for committing a violent crime.

Nelson made her big screen debut in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel Where’d You Go Bernadette, helmed by Academy Award nominee Richard Linklater. Emma played the character of Bee, the daughter of the eponymous Bernadette, portrayed by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and also starred Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne and Kristen Wiig.

A native of the Chicago area, Emma has participated in many local theater productions including a lead role in the pre-Broadway production of Trevor! The Musical, which was produced and directed by the renowned Marc Bruni.

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Episode 275 - Caissie Levy

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Caissie Levy most recently seventh Broadway show, as Rose Stopnick Gellman in Roundabout’s revival of Caroline, Or Change, after originating the role of Elsa in Disney's blockbuster hit, Frozen. She recreated the iconic role of Fantine in the 2014 revival of Les Misérables on Broadway, and is known to New York and London audiences for originating the roles of Molly in Ghost, and Sheila in the Tony Award winning revival of Hair. Her other Broadway credits include Elphaba in the Broadway and Los Angeles productions of Wicked, Penny in the Broadway, 1st National Tour and Toronto companies of Hairspray and Maureen in the national tour of Rent. Off-Broadway, she played Patti Davis and Julie Nixon in the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's First Daughter Suite at The Public Theater, and Sara in the Off-Broadway production of Murder Ballad. She has starred in the short films Options and Ms. Bula Banerjee, and guest starred opposite Sean Pertwee on Fox's Gotham. In concert, she headlined Carnegie Hall with the NY Pops, backed up Sir Rod Stewart during his Las Vegas residency, guested with The United States Military Academy at West Point, and performed solo shows to sold-out audiences across the US and the UK. Recordings include Frozen, Ghost, Hair, First Daughter Suite and over twenty singer/songwriter's albums, including her own EP, With You, available everywhere.

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Episode 274 - Marc J. Franklin

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Marc J. Franklin is a New York City-based photographer specializing in portrait and editorial photography, currently working as the Photo Editor and Principal Photographer for Playbill. His photos have been featured in The New York Times, The LA Times, Vogue, Elle, The Paris Review, Out Magazine, The Boston Globe, Mashable, People Magazine, and more. Highlight subjects include Hilary Clinton, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tina Fey, Jeremy Pope, Darren Criss, Lauren Ridloff, and many others.

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Episode 273 - James Calleri

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0000

JAMES CALLERI along with his partners Paul Davis and Erica Jensen own Calleri Jensen Davis, a creative casting partnership. They have been awarded 16 Artios Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. James proudly served on the Board of the Casting Society of America for many years. He is an Associate Professor of Theater at Columbia University School of the Arts where he co-heads the Graduate MFA Acting Program. He is the co-author with Robert Cohen of ACTING PROFESSIONALLY: RAW FACTS ABOUT CAREERS IN ACTING published by Palgrave MacMillan, in it’s eighth edition it is one of the leading books in the country for young actors. He also runs his studio www.calleristudio.com where he coaches and explores the craft with professional actors. He resides in New York City and Saugerties, New York.

Broadway Theater: Broadway credits include the current running Thoughts of a Colored Man and his office will cast the upcoming revival of For Colored Girls…this Spring. Other credits include Burn This starring Adam Driver and Keri Russell, Fool for Love starring Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell, and Hughie starring Forest Whitaker, The Visit starring Chita Rivera and Roger Rees, Renee Fleming in Living on Love, the Tony winning revival Hedwig & The Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall, the revival of The Elephant Man starring Bradley Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola which traveled to London's West End as well and Of Mice and Men with James Franco, Chris O'Dowd and Leighton Meester.

Other Favorite Broadway credits include: Venus in Fur with Tony-winner Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy, 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda, A Raisin in the Sun with Sean Combs, Audra MacDonald, Phylicia Rashad, Chicago with Usher, and James Joyce’s The Dead starring Christopher Walken.

Off-Broadway includes Ives Lives of Saints and his revival of All in the Timing, Buyer & Cellar, Murder for Two, The Hilltown Plays, Satchmo at the Waldorf, My Name is Asher Lev, the long-running Fuerza Bruta and The Revisionist with Vanessa Redgrave and Jesse Eisenberg.

Most proud of long terms collaborations with : Playwrights Horizons (10 seasons) including such premieres as Betty’s Summer Vacation, Lobby Hero, Small Tragedy, Goodnight Children Everywhere, Violet to name a few. Over 10 years with Classic Stage Company- including A Month in the Country with Peter Dinklage & Taylor Schilling, Peter Sarsgaard as Hamlet, Passion, New Jerusalem, Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya with Maggie Gyllenhaal & Peter Sarsgaard and The Seagull with Dianne Wiest & Alan Cumming.

and was Resident Casting Director ... for CSC, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Long Wharf Theater, The Flea, Keen Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, and Playwrights Realm. Other: City Theater, Berkeley Rep, Oregon Shakes, Naked Angels, New Georges, stageFARM, Epic Theater Ensemble and many seasons of SPF (Summer Play Festival) and NY Stage & Film Company.

Some long running past productions... include Fuerza Bruta, Lobby Hero, The Guys, Fully Committed, Dinah Was, and The Vagina Monologues Nat’l Tour.

TV: Love Life for HBO, Dickinson for Apple+, Queens for ABC , NY casting for When They See Us for Netflix, The Path for Hulu, Army Wives, Lipstick Jungle, Z Rock on IFC, the critically acclaimed A Raisin in the Sun on ABC also the hit series Ed, Hope & Faith, and Monk.

Film: Beautiful Darkness, I Origins, Emoticon ;), Saint Janet, Another Earth, Refuge, Merchant Ivory’s The City of Your Final Destination, Heights, and The White Countess, Yearbook, Lisa Picard is Famous, The Jimmy Show, Ready? OK!, Trouble Every Day, Peter & Vandy and Armless.

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Episode 272 - Kimber Elayne Sprawl

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Kimber Elayne Sprawl originated the role of Marianne in Girl From The North Country at The Public Theater and on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include A Bronx Tale, and Beautiful:The Carole King Musical. She performed in the National tour of The Lion King and regionally she appeared in The Niceties at the Milwaukee Rep and Memphis at the Walnut Street Theater. She is a graduate of CCM.

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Episode 271 - Bonnie McKee

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Bonnie McKee made a name for herself as a pop songwriter, writing 10 #1 hit songs for the chart topping stars of the past decade, and for her own career as an indie pop artist. After years of packing big emotional stories into tidy 3 1/2 minute songs and creating her own colorful music videos, she is finally expanding into a new realm of story telling. April Kills The Vibe is Bonnie’s screenwriting and directing debut.

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Episode 270 - Dori Berninstein

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Dori Berninstein is a four-time Tony-winning Broadway producer, an Emmy-award-winning director, producer and writer of film and television, a Golden Globe Nominee and the founder and CEO of The Broadway Podcast Network.

Dori joined Ryan Murphy as Producer on the Netflix movie adaptation The Prom (Golden Globe Nominee), based on Dori’s Broadway musical The Prom (Best Musical – Drama Desk Award).

Dori’s other Broadway Shows include: Is This A Room, Dana H., the 2021 revival of Company, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Tony Award – Best Play Revival); Legally Blonde: The Musical (Olivier Award – Best Musical), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award – Best Musical), The Crucible, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Tony Award – Best Play Revival), Fool Moon (Special Tony Award), Flower Drum Song, Enchanted April and Golden Child.

As a Documentary Filmmaker, Dori directed, wrote and produced: The Show Must Go On (launching November 2021), ShowBusiness: The Road To Broadway (Showtime); Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love (Emmy Award / American Masters); Carol Channing: Larger Than Life (Showtime); Gotta Dance (adapted for the stage as Half Time); Some Assembly and The Last Blintz.

For Television, Dori directed and produced Joshua Bell: Music at Home (PBS - 2020), Eavesdropping with Alan Cumming (Oxygen) and The Isaac Mizrahi Show (Oxygen).

Dori is the recipient of Broadway’s Robert Whitehead Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Theatre Producing and the Jacob Burns Vision Award. She is the curator and moderator of The Jacob Burns Actor’s Fund “Life On Stage” series. Dori is also partnered with illustrator Justin “Squigs” Robertson on the creation of the Lights of Broadway Trading Cards (www.lightsofbroadway.nyc) and is the co-founded Camp Broadway, an immersive behind-the-scenes Theatre Camp for kids.

Dori executive produced and/or supervised over 50 feature, special f/x and/or animated productions, including Isaac Mizrahi’s award-winning documentary Unzipped, Dirty Dancing) and Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3-D. She has executive produced websites for Oprah and President Clinton. Dori has worked as a Producer and/or an Executive for DreamWorks Theatricals, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, NBC, MTV, Sesame Workshop, Oxygen Media, Vestron Pictures, and Walt Disney Imagineering. Dori began her professional career as an Investment Banker in Mergers & Acquisitions for Morgan Stanley

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Episode 269 - Jane Kaczmarek

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Jane Kaczmarek is best known for her role as Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, for which she received 7 consecutive Emmy nominations, 2 Televisions Critics Awards (the only woman to receive such recognition), and nominations for the Golden Globe and SAG Award .Her television career began with The Paper Chase, St. Elsewhere, and Hill Street Blues after graduating from The University of Wisconsin and the Yale School of Drama.

In New York Kaczmarek has appeared both On and Off Broadway and at the Berkshire Theatre Festival ,the Eugene O'Neill Playwright Conference, The Williamstown Theatre Festival where she and Alfred Molina appeared in Tom Holloways ' AND NO MORE SHALL WE PART directed by Ann Kauffman . Also at Williamstown , with S. Epatha Merkerson in Jen Silverman's THE ROOMATE. Most recently she appeared as the Stage Manager in the Deaf West - Pasadena Playhouse production of Our Town . . Jane frequently hosts and reads on the Symphony Space Radio program SELECTED SHORTS.

Los Angeles credits include KINDERTRANSPORT (Ovation Award), the premiere of Pulitzer Prize winning DINNER WITH FRIENDS and RAISED IN CAPTIVITY(L.A. Drama Critics Award) HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES (Mark Taper), GOOD PEOPLE (Geffen, Ovation nomination), and at L.A.Theatre Works -AWAKE AND SING , DEATH OF A SALESMAN with Stacey Keach and as Inge Morath in ARTHUR MILLER: A LIFE . She and Alfred Molina recorded A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE for BBC Radio and appeared as James and Mary Tyrone in LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT at the Geffen Theatre . The production was filmed and is available for viewing on BROADWAY HD.

Jane is the founder of Clothes Off Our Back, an online auction that raised over 4 million dollars for children's charities by selling celebrity finery. She has traveled k to India, Tanzania and Rwanda to visit their hospitals and the children they help. She serves on the Board of the Pasadena Educational Foundation, the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and the Pasadena Playhouse. She lives in Pasadena with her 3 children .

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Episode 268 - Mary McCormack

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Mary McCormack is one of today’s boldest and most versatile actresses, continually challenging herself with roles that often defy Hollywood standards and bring to light the complex lives of ordinary women. The LA Times says, “McCormack has a kind of 20th century sass, a lively impertinence you find in classic Hollywood comedians like Barbara Stanwyck, Irene Dunne and Rosalind Russell.” She has shown her immense talent working in film, television and on stage, and has tackled roles ranging from slapstick comedy to intense drama. Tony-nominated for her role in Broadway’s “Boeing Boeing” opposite Mark Rylance, she is also widely known for her four seasons as a regular cast member of “The West Wing" (two SAG Award nominations), as the lead of USA’s critically acclaimed “In Plain Sight,” and for her role opposite Howard Stern in Private Parts.

McCormack’s recent television work includes starring roles in the ABC series “The Kids Are Alright,” the AMC series “Loaded,” the NBC comedy series “Welcome To The Family” as well as arcs on such shows as HBO’s “The Newsroom,” “Scandal” (ABC), Gus van Sant’s award-winning miniseries “When We Rise” (ABC), “House of Lies” (Showtime) and the “Will & Grace” reboot (NBC). McCormack will also appear in the new Hulu Blumhouse anthology series “Treehouse.” McCormack can also be seen in the HBO Max feature Unpregnant. In non-scripted, McCormack produces the hit game show “25 Words or Less” alongside Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky which was just renewed for a second season. Next up, McCormack can be seen staring in the STARZ series “Heels.”

McCormack returned to the Broadway stage in 2008 to star in “Boeing Boeing” alongside Christine Baranski, Mark Rylance and Bradley Whitford. Marc Camoletti’s classic sixties comedy won the Tony for Best Revival and earned McCormack a 2008 Tony nomination for “Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play.” Additional stage credits include a highly successful run opposite Alan Cumming as Sally Bowles in the Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall-directed Broadway production of “Cabaret” for the Roundabout Theatre Company, as well as the acclaimed London stage production of Neil LaBute’s play “Bash,” the David Warren-directed productions of “My Marriage To Earnest Borgnine” and Jon Robin Baitz’s “A Fair Country.”

McCormack breakout performance, opposite Howard Stern in Private Parts, won her universal critical acclaim. McCormack’s additional television and feature credits include: Aaron Sorkin’s NBC smash hit “The West Wing,” a recurring role on “ER,” Right At Your Door, the Stephen King thriller 1408, Christopher Guests’ “For Your Consideration,” the Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney HBO political series “K-Street,” as Justine Appleton in Steve Bochco’s “Murder One,” as well as the USA Network miniseries “Traffic,” directed by Stephen Hopkins (24). In addition, McCormack has appeared in varied roles in such films as Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star opposite David Spade; K-PAX opposite Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey; Full Frontal, directed by Steven Soderbergh and opposite David Duchovny and Catherine Keener; High Heels & Low Lifes with Minnie Driver; Mystery, Alaska, written by David E. Kelley and starring Russell Crowe; Other Voices, with Stockard Channing and Campbell Scott; The Broken Hearts Club, opposite John Mahoney and Timothy Olyphant; The Big Tease opposite Craig Ferguson; Gun Shy with Sandra Bullock and Liam Neeson; the Clint Eastwood film, True Crime; Mimi Leder’s Deep Impact; The Alarmist, opposite Stanley Tucci; Father’s Day and Miracle on 34th Street. She also appeared in Michael G. Cooney's The Men and the feature film Drone with Sean Bean as well as Amazon’s period drama American Girl: Mary Ellen.

Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, McCormack is a graduate of Trinity College and resides with her family in Los Angeles.

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Episode 267 - Leo Sheng

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Born in Hunan, China, and raised by two moms outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan, I grew up as one of the only Asian kids in school. And, one of the only queer kids. I stood out from my peers, and for a while, I struggled to really embrace it. I came out as trans when I was 12 and started my social transition in middle school. With the support of a local group for queer and trans youth, I found a way to share my story. I learned how to tell my story in my own words. And later, I went public, documenting my transition online. Through Instagram, Huffington Post Articles, and MTV Voices, I documented my medical transition. I found a community of trans men and queer and trans people of color during my journey. Since coming out, my activism has centered the narratives of trans people, particularly trans people of color; authentic representation in the media; and deconstructing gendered systems.

On screen Leo stars as Micah Lee on Showtime’s THE L WORD - GENERATION Q

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Episode 266 - Kristolyn Lloyd

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Kristolyn Lloyd is an award winning Broadway Actress and Singer who is located in New York. She most recently was Jo March in an Off-Broadway Production of Little Women and Princess Faye in Bliss the Musical in Seattle. She is most known for originating the role of Alana Beck in the Tony Award Winning musical Dear Evan Hansen as well as more noticeable roles such as Heather Duke in Heather the Musical Off-Broadway and Dayzee on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She has worked as an audition coach, teacher, and director for all ages and was more recently honored with the Core Values Award for Artistry Professionalism and Compassion by Broadway For All, an organization committed to the inclusion and equity of BIPOC young professionals in the arts. She has directed and produced her own shows as well as assisted for Tony Award winning directors. She is an Activist and an Artist and is passionate about investing in and educating a more diverse and eclectic future generation of artist.

Her training includes a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, John Rosenfeld Studios, and The Upright Citizens Brigade. Before having a successful acting career spent her summers coaching competitive swimmers and Tri-athletes. She was a lifeguard and a fitness instructor for all ages but specialized in cardio and plyometrics training. When she has the time she trains and runs in marathons and triathlons on the east and west coast or you can find her in Cross Fit or Core Rhythm Fitness. She believes that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything and that pushing yourself physically has mental and spiritual benefits.When training or co-training she focuses on the now and achieving personal goals one step at a time in the gym and in the kitchen.

Photo Credit- Anthony Chatmon

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Episode 265 - Ethan Slater and Nick Blaemire

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Ethan Slater is an actor, writer and musician (mostly) based in New York. He was nominated for a Tony Award, and won the Drama Desk Award for playing SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Musical, which also happened to be his Broadway debut! As a writer, some upcoming projects include the films Intervenors and Silent Mode, both of which he co-wrote and co-stars in. He’s released two EPs of original music, available on Spotify (or wherever you listen to stuff). As an actor, other theater includes: Who’s Your Baghdaddy..., PEMDAS, Camelot (Lincoln Center), and when theater returns this fall (!), he will be playing Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer in Assassins at Classic Stage Company. Some TV/film credits: Fosse/Verdon (FX), Law and Order (NBC), Murphy Brown (CBS), SpongeBob: Live On Stage (Nickelodeon), Evol, Untitled Vanessa Del Rio Biopic (upcoming), Kurt. (upcoming). IG: @ethanslater TW: @ethansaslater

Nick Blaemire is a writer and performer based in Brooklyn. At 23 years old, Nick wrote the Broadway one-night-sensation rock musical Glory Days, which has since had over 50 productions around the world -- and will re-open in Japan in Fall 2021. He has written five other original musicals: A Little More Alive (commissioned by Broadway Across America, produced at Williamstown, Kansas City Rep, Barrington Stage, and is optioned as a feature film); Soon (premiered at Signature Theatre, upcoming at the Prima Theatre Fall 2021); Fallout (with Kyle Jarrow), Edge of the World (with Ethan Slater) and Space Dogs (with Van Hughes, upcoming Winter 2022 Off-Broadway at MCC Theatre). Nick has released three EPs of pop songs, all available on iTunes, Spotify, etc. As an actor, he most recently completed the National Tour of Falsettos as Mendel, recurred on Dash & Lily on Netflix, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Jon in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tick, Tick...Boom!. IG: @blaemire TW: @nickblaemir

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Episode 264 - A Tribute to Willie Garson

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0000

1964-2021

Rarely at a loss for work, Garson had appeared in over 300 episodes of

television and more than 70 films. Garson is best known for his long

runs on television, as Mozzie on WHITE COLLAR, Stanford Blatch on SEX

AND THE CITY, and Henry Coffield on NYPD BLUE. Other TV series

include ASK HARRIET, and JOHN FROM CINCINNATTI. He had been

recurring as the grifter with a heart of gold Gerard Hirsch on "HAWAII

5-0" since 2015.

Born in New Jersey, he started training at The Actors Institute In New

York, before majoring in Psychology and Theater at Wesleyan

University. After graduation, he quickly started landing guest roles on

shows such as CHEERS, FAMILY TIES, THIRTYSOMETHING, LA LAW, as

well as continually recurring on a wide array of shows including XFILES,

TWIN PEAKS, TWO & A HALF MEN, STARGATE, PUSHING

DAISIES, THE PRACTICE, ALLY MCBEAL, JUST SHOOT ME, SPIN,

SALVATION, etc etc. His favorite longform on TV was Dr. Kreutz for

Steven Spielberg in the acclaimed miniseries TAKEN.

On the big screen, other than reprising his SEX & THE CITY role for two

features, he has collaborated with the Farrely Brothers on 3 films,

SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, KINGPIN, and FEVER PITCH, as well as

appearing in SOAPDISH, GROUNDHOG DAY, MARS ATTACKS, THE

ROCK, BEING JOHN MALKOVITCH, FEED, POLKA KING, and many

others. He has often been re-used by such varied directors as Spike

Jonze, Michael Bay, the late great Mike Nichols, and Ron Shelton.

Garson continued to perform with various bi-coastal theater companies

such as Naked Angles, Manhattan Theater Club, The Roundabout

Theater, and The Geffen. He is very involved with many charities,

including AMFAR, Camp Joslin for Diabetes, Doctors Without Borders,

Habitat for Humanity, and especially The Alliance for Childrens Rights,

which facilitates adoptions in LA County---this has a special place in the

Garson family, as Willie adopted his son Nathen in Los Angeles in 2010,

and has twice served as National Spokesman for National Adoption Day,

as well as winning the Francis Wheat Award from The Alliance, and

many others. Willie and Nathen speak about adoption nationwide.

Aside from acting, Garsonwas known as a world-class poker player,

having been nicknamed "Evil Willie" on the first episode of CELEBRITY

POKER SHOWDOWN, and continued to play in tournaments all over the

world, both for charity, and through the WORLD POKER TOUR.

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Episode 263 - Ngozi Anyanwu and Daniel J. Watts

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0000

NGOZI ANYANWU is a playwright, storyteller, and most recently a 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award winner. Previous productions include Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre in NYC / Center Theatre Group in LA) and The Homecoming Queen (sold-out world premiere run at Atlantic Theater Company). Good Grief was on the Kilroys List 2016 and a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and won the Humanitas Award. The Homecoming Queen was on the Kilroys List 2017 and was a Leah Ryan Finalist. Her play Nike… (Kilroys List 2017) was workshopped at The New Black Fest in conjunction with The Lark and The Strand Festival in conjunction with A.C.T and Space on Ryder Farm. Ngozi also has commissions with NYU, The Old Globe, Two Rivers Theatre, Atlantic Theater, and Steppenwolf. Anyanwu has also received residencies from LCT3, Space on Ryder Farm, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The New Harmony Project, New York Stage and Film, and Page 73. She attended Point Park University (BA) and received her MFA in Acting from University of California, San Diego.

DANIEL J. WATTS is an NYC-based multidisciplinary artist. For acting, Watts is a 2020 Tony Award nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his portrayal of Ike Turner in the hit Broadway musical TINA. He has appeared in nine Broadway shows including Hamilton, Memphis, and After Midnight. He received the Barrymore Award (People’s Light) and the LA Ovation Award (Geffen Playhouse) for Best Featured Actor for his portrayal of Sammy Davis, Jr. in Lights Out: Nat King Cole opposite Dulé Hill. TV credits include Season 3 of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Seasons 1 & 2 of “The Last OG,” “Blindspot,” and “Vinyl.” Off-Broadway he has starred as the title character in Suzan-Lori Parks' Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead (Signature Theatre) and Whorl Inside a Loop (Second Stage Theater). A play-on-words, Daniel J. Watts’ The Jam pays homage to Watts’ great-grandmother who, after making jam from scratch, would share with others what she was unable to consume herself. The Jam is Watts’ continuation of that legacy, blending elements of stand-up comedy and compelling storytelling with his original spoken word, often set to music and/or dance. The Jam: Only Child was a wide success at the 2020 Public Theater Under the Radar Festival and has also streamed as part of the Signature Theater (DC) 2020-2021 season. Inaugural (2020) ANTONYO Award Winner for Best Quarantine Content. His original work and musical collaborations are featured on Raphael Saadiq’s newest album “Jimmy Lee,” Tituss Burgess’ “Saint Tituss,” Divinity Roxx’s “ImPossible,” Nick Blaemire’s “Ampersand;” as a contributing artist for Armstrong Now in conjunction with The Louis Armstrong House Museum; and featured in the young adult anthology "How I Resist" edited by The New York Times Best Seller Maureen Johnson for Wednesday Books/Macmillan. His TED talk “To Accomplish Great Things, You Need to Let Paint Dry” appears at go.Ted.com/danieljwatts. Watts is an artist in residence at ASU Gammage and also serves as an adjunct professor of NYU's Tisch New Studio. BFA, Elon University Music Theatre Program. 2021 Commencement SpDaniel J. Watts has appeared in eight Broadway shows including Tina : The Tina Turner Musical, Hamilton, In The Heights and Memphis.

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Episode 262 - Aneesa Folds and Anthony Veneziale

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0000

ANTHONY VENEZIALE (Two-Touch) is conceiver and co-creator FLS and FLS Academy. Founding member of American Immigrants (San Francisco). He has used improv techniques to create endeavors with Thomas Kail & Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Bartlett, “The Electric Company”), Daveed Diggs (The Freeze), numerous networks/companies (HBO, Cartoon Network, Sesame Workshop, Boardwalk Pictures, Google) and co-founded speechlessinc.com, an improv thinking company that helps humans create, collaborate, and find their authentic voice. STAGE: Freestyle Love Supreme, Servicemen, Death in One Acts, and Trashin': Time to Waste. TV: ”Sex and the City”, “Freestyle Love Supreme”.

ANEESA FOLDS made her Broadway debut in Freestyle Love Supreme in 2019. Off-Broadway/NYC: Sistas The Musical. Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, Arrow Rock Lyceum. National Tour: Ragtime.

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Episode 262 - Maddie Baillio

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Maddie Baillio can be seen in the live action remake of CINDERELLA on Amazon. Maddie stars in the film as one of the evil step-sisters to Camilla Cabello’s Cinderella and Idina Menzel’s step-mother. She is a trained musical theater actress who first burst onto the scene as Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s HAIRSPRAY LIVE! After beating out thousands for the role. She most recently starred in the Netflix film DUMPLIN’. Maddie is also an accomplished vocalist who has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

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Summer Break

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 00:14:08 -0000

Ilana shares a quick end of summer note

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Episode 261 - Adam Pascal

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 01:51:57 -0000

Adam Pascal was born on October 25, 1970, in the Bronx and raised in Syosset, New York. He started singing in various rock bands when he was 12, playing the local New York club scene for many years, and has been singing in bands, as a solo artist, in movies, or on the Broadway stage ever since. In 1996, Adam tried out for the then unknown, off-Broadway production of Rent. He landed the role of Roger Davis. Adam was nominated for a 1996 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical), and won a Drama League and Obie award for his performance as Roger. The Show went on to become a worldwide success and one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. In 1997 He reprised the role of Roger (the first of several times he would do so) for the West End Premiere of Rent. In 1998, Adam’s career expanded to the big screen in the independent film SLC Punk! In

2000, Adam was cast as Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s new Broadway musical Aida, for which he received a Drama League award. In May of 2000, his debut solo album, Model Prisoner, was released. Also in 2000, Adam co- produced the hit off-Broadway play Fully Committed with fellow former Rent cast member, Jesse L. Martin. The show went on to garner many awards and played to sold out houses in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and London. In October 2003, Adam once again visited the Broadway stage, this time, asked to be the final Emcee in the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall production of Cabaret at Studio 54, as part

of the closing cast. Also during that time Adam starred alongside Jack Black, as Theo, the lead singer of “No Vacancy” in 2003’s School of Rock. Finally in 2004, Adam’s second CD, Civilian, was released in November, again on Sh-k-boom records. In 2005, Adam reprised the role of Roger in the movie version of Rent. Adam’s journey with Rent finally came to conclusion when in 2009, he reprised the role one last time alongside Anthony Rapp, in Rent The Broadway Tour which traveled all over the U.S. as well as Japan and South Korea.

In 2008, Adam played the role of Freddie Trumper in the Tim Rice/Abba Musical Chess, alongside Josh Groban, and Idina Menzel for two sold out performances at The Royal Albert Hall, in London. The DVD is currently on sale worldwide. In 2010/11 Adam starred as Huey Calhoun in Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical Memphis and in 2013 Adam starred as Billy Flynn in Broadway’s long running hit Chicago. In 2015 Adam starred as Chad in Broadway’s Disaster. In 2017 Adam starred as Shakespeare on Broadway and in the first national tour of the musical Something Rotten. Most recently he starred as Edward Lewis in Broadway’s Pretty Woman and Harold Hill in the 5 Star Theatrical’s production of The Music Man.

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Episode 260 - Rosanny Zayas

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Rosanny currently stars as a series regular lead on Season 2 of Showtime’s THE L WORD: GENERATION Q.

She will next be seen in Sam Esmail's limited series ANGELYNE for Peacock and UCP.

Among her many NYC theater credits, Rosanny starred in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for the Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park). She recently performed the role of “Natasha” in the Roundabout Theater’s workshop of Anton Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS spearheaded by Resident Director Sam Gold. Rosanny's brilliant performance in the titular role of Jose Rivera's MARISOL while at Juilliard catapulted her into the NYC theater world.

Rosanny is a major talent out of Juilliard – recurring recently on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for Netflix, MODERN PERSUASION on Hulu, as well as THE CODE, and INSTINCT for CBS.

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Episode 259 - Bill Irwin

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0000

BILL IRWIN: Original member of Kraken and San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus. Original works include: On Beckett, Old Hats, Fool Moon, Largely New York, The Harlequin Studies, Mr. Fox: A Rumination, The Happiness Lecture, and The Regard of Flight.

Theatre: The Iceman Cometh, Show Boat (SF Opera), Endgame, Bye Bye Birdie, Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Waiting for Godot (2009 Drama Desk Nomination), Broadway/West End revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (2005 Tony Award, Helen Hayes Award), The Goat or Who is Sylvia, King Lear, Accidental Death of An Anarchist, 5-6-7-8 Dance! , Waiting For Godot at Lincoln Center, Scapin, The Tempest, Garden of Earthly Delights, Texts for Nothing, A Flea In Her Ear, 2003/2004 Signature Theatre Playwright in Residence, The Seagull, A Man's A Man, 3 Cuckolds.

Television: PBS Great Performances: Bill Irwin Clown Prince, Third Rock from the Sun, Northern Exposure, Sesame Street, Elmo's World, The Regard of Flight, Closing Ceremony 1996 Olympic Games, The Cosby Show, The Laramie Project, Subway Stories, Bette Midler: Mondo Beyondo, Law and Order, Life on Mars, A Gifted Man, CSI, The Good Wife, Lights Out, Monday Mornings, Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, Quarry, Sleepy Hollow and Legion on FX.

Film: Irresistible, HBO’s Confirmation, Interstellar, Identity Theft, Rachel Getting Married, Higher Ground, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Definitely, Maybe; Igby Goes Down, Lady in the Water, Dark Matter, Raving, Across The Universe, Popeye, Eight Men Out, Silent Tongue, Illuminata, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, My Blue Heaven, A New Life, Scenes from a Mall, Stepping Out.

Awards: National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer's Fellowship, a Guggenheim, a Fulbright and a MacArthur

Fellowship.

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Episode 258 - Eric Petersen

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Eric Petersen stars in the AMC series “Kevin Can F*** Himself” alongside Annie Murphy. A dark comedy that mixes single-cam and multi-cam shooting in front of a studio audience to re-examine the trope of the passive sitcom wife while peeking into her secret life, the series was developed by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and created by Valerie Armstrong.

A veteran of television and the Broadway stage, Petersen’s previous television credits include the TV Land series “Kristie,” and voicing Ant’ney the pigeon on the hit DreamWorks’ animated show “Madagascar: A Little Wild” now available on Hulu/Peacock. On stage Petersen has starred in the hit Broadway production and national tour of “Shrek: The Musical,” as Shrek, “School of Rock” as Dewey Finn, the musical “Escape To Margaritaville,” as Brick, and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

Petersen hails from the Chicago suburb of Carol Stream, Illinois. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he earned a degree in Acting. He currently resides in both Los Angeles and New York with his wife and two children.

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Episode 257 - Lillias White

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Described by The New York Times as a “one-of-a-kind performer who combines the sass of a classic blues mama with the skill of a Broadway star,” Lillias White is world-renowned for her glorious voice and extraordinary ability to communicate the heart of a song.

Her performance in Cy Coleman’s Broadway musical, The Life, won her the TONY® AWARD for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for a second TONY® AWARD for her brilliant work in Fela! Additional Broadway credits include: Barnum, Dreamgirls, Cats, Carrie, Once on This Island, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Chicago. Other Off-Broadway and Regional Credits include The Public Theater’s Romance in Hard Times, for which she won the OBIE® AWARD, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (directed by Phylicia Rashad), for which she won the NAACP AWARD, and the Carnegie Hall Concert version of South Pacific, starring Reba McEntire, which was also broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances.

In addition to receiving Broadway acclaim, Lillias is internationally-recognized for her TV and film work. Lillias received the DAYTIME EMMY® AWARD for her role as Lillian Edwards for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series on Sesame Street in 1992, and is beloved by audiences around the world for voicing the lead muse Calliope in Disney’s animated feature Hercules. Film credits include Pieces of April (starring Katie Holmes) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (starring Jim Carrey). Recent TV credits include the Baz Luhrmann-directed NETFLIX series The Get Down, as well as Russian Doll and Search Party. She has appeared in cabarets and concert halls around the world, including The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. She can be heard on several Broadway cast albums, in addition to her acclaimed From Brooklyn to Broadway.

Get Yourself Some Happy! which is Lillias’ first solo studio album, was released on July 23, 2021 via Old Mill Road Recording.

Instagram @LilliasWhiteOfficial

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Episode 256 - Alyssa Limperis

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Alyssa first trained at UCB, and continues to do stand up all over the country. She has performed her solo show “No Bad Days”, in which she uses stand-up, sketches and even Zumba to look back on losing her father to brain cancer, at multiple festivals including Providence Fringe, Cinderblock and Improv Boston. She continues to host a podcast with May Wilkerson called “Crazy; in Bed”, where the two best friends join each week to discuss mental health, pop culture and more.

Alyssa stars in the Gravitas Ventures film, TOO LATE, which can be found in select theaters and on digital platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Fandango Now and all major cable/satellite platforms.

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Episode 255 - Andy Señor Jr.

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Andy Señor Jr. was born and raised in Miami, Florida. In the summer of 2021 he made his film directorial debut with the HBO Original Documentary Revolution Rent, Executive produced by Neil Patrick Harris . He was the Associate Director of Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s musical On Your Feet! on Broadway, Netherlands, and UK West End Productions as well as Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. He served as Associate Director on the new musical FLY at Dallas Theatre Center w Jeffrey Seller.

Andy made his professional debut in the Tony Award winning musical RENT as "Angel," playing the role on Broadway, London’s West End, and US National and International Tours. Later he became the Assistant Director to Michael Greif on the RENT revival Off Broadway, and went on to re-stage the production in Tokyo, Japan and the historic production in Havana, Cuba. Most recently he directed two new Nilo Cruz plays, Tsunami and Farhad and the Secret of Being.

He holds a BFA in Theatre from Florida International University who honored him with a Torch Award, noting him as a distinguished alumni, and further trained at The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare LAB where he appeared in All’s Well That Ends Well at the PUBLIC Theatre

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Episode 254 - Kimiko Glenn

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Kimiko Glenn is best known for her work as 'Brook Soso' in the award-winning Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, which garnered her three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series. As well as her work voicing ‘Peni Parker' in the Oscar winning animated phenomenon SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDERVERSE.

Recently, Kimiko can be seen in the YouTube Original, LIZA ON DEMAND, and the Freeform feature GHOSTING starring opposite Aisha Dee. She appeared in the second season of THE GUEST BOOK on TBS and DRUNK HISTORY as 'Maya Lin' on COMEDY CENTRAL. She has also guest starred on HBO's hit-series, HIGH MAINTENANCE, and was in second season of the Facebook Watch series SACRED LIES opposite Juliette Lewis.

On the big screen, Kimiko was most recently seen in the feature film CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET starring opposite Alexandra Daddario. Her other feature credits include the feature film NERVE alongside Emma Roberts and Dave Franco and the feature film, IN REALITY. Kimiko is also known for her recurring role on FX's MARRIED, and made a memorable cameo on Comedy Central's BROAD CITY.

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Episode 253 - Britton Smith

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Britton Smith is Co-founder and President of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC), In addition to his work as an advocate and facilitator and adjunct prof. at Columbia Law School, Britton is a Broadway actor recently featured in Be More Chill, Shuffle Along and After Midnight. Front man and songwriter Britton Smith leads Britton & The Sting with electric passion and mission for total community.

The pack of musicians embody liberation in their fusion of SOUL, funk and it’s unique electro-neo groove. Recently featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Fault Magazine, and The New Yorker - Britton & The Sting’s latest single “Burn” was highlighted on Paper Magazine’s “Bops Only” 10 Songs You Need to Start Your Weekend Right” list, as well as a featured 2020 NPR Tiny Desk Submission Top Pick.

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Episode 252 - Sammi Cannold

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Sammi Cannold is a director who is one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, class of 2019. Recent theater credits include Evita (New York City Center), Endlings (New York Theatre Workshop, A.R.T.), Ragtime on Ellis Island, Violet on a moving bus (A.R.T.), and Allegory (La Jolla Playhouse WOW). Upcoming projects include Carmen (Lincoln Center w. MasterVoices), a documentary film, and a feature film. Associate director credits include the Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre... (dir. Rachel Chavkin). Sammi has also served as an Artistic Fellow at the A.R.T., a member of Cirque du Soleil's Creative Cognoscenti, and a Sundance Institute Fellow and developed work with Playwrights Realm, The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, New York Stage and Film, Cirque du Soleil, and Nickelodeon. She holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.A. from Harvard University. www.sammicannold.com

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Episode 251 - Regina Taylor

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Actress/director/playwright/educator/activist Regina Taylor is a Meadows Distinguished Visiting Artist. She is the playwright-in-residence at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, a three-year appointment through the National Playwright Residency Program established by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and HowlRound Theatre Commons. Taylor is also writing new plays for Audible and for Southern Methodist University (the black album, about what it is to be Black in 2020).Her playwright credits include Bread (Edgerton Award, WaterTower Theatre); Crowns (four Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Director); Oo-Bla-Dee (Steinberg-ATCA award); Drowning Crow (Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club); The Trinity River Plays (Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award); and stop.reset. (Signature Theatre Residency 5).Taylor received the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair in Theatre at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. An artistic associate of Goodman Theatre, Taylor is its most produced playwright.Taylor is featured in Netflix’s All Day and a Night starring Jeffrey Wright and Ashton Saunders and directed/written by Joe Robert Cole (writer for Black Panther), and guest stars on Council of Dads (NBC), The Red Line (producer Ava DuVernay, CBS), The Good Fight, and Lovecraft Country (producers Jordan Peele, J. J. Abrams and Misha Green). For her television role as Lily Harper in I’ll Fly Away, Taylor received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress, three NAACP Image Awards and two Emmy Award nominations. Her other television roles include The Unit. Taylor was the first African American lead in Masterpiece Theatre’s Cora Unashamed, starred as Anita Hill in HBO’s Strange Justice (Gracie Award), and was featured in A Good Day to Die starring Sidney Poitier. She has co-starred in USA Network’s Dig and guest starred in Elementary and The Black List. Taylor’s film credits include Saturday Church, The Negotiator, Courage Under Fire, Clockers, and Lean on Me. Taylor was also the first Black woman to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway.

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Episode 250 - Zoey Deutch

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:44:00 -0000

A vibrant and diversely talented actress, Zoey Deutch can recently be seen in Sony’s highly anticipated sequel to ZOMBIELAND for director Ruben Fleischer, starring opposite Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Woody Harrelson. She also can be seen in Ryan Murphy’s first series for Netflix THE POLITICIAN, starring opposite Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow, and is currently shooting its second season. Most recently, Deutch starred in and produced the independent feature BUFFALOED, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and just released for Magnolia to rave reviews. Deutch can also be seen as the female lead of Netflix’s hit romantic comedy SET IT UP starring opposite Glen Powell. Recently announced, she and Glen will be reteaming with the same team of filmmakers for a new Netflix romantic comedy, tentatively titled MOST DANGEROUS GAME with Deutch and Powell also on board as exec producers. Additional credits include Max Winkler’s FLOWER, Russo-Young’s BEFORE I FALL, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, RICHARD SAYS GOODBYE opposite Johnny Depp , REBEL IN THE RYE opposite Nicholas Hoult, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! from writer/director Richard Linklater, WHY HIM? opposite Bryan Cranston, and more recently THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN, which she also produced.

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Episode 250 - Steve Basilone

Mon, 31 May 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Steve Basilone is an American television writer and producer. He attended Emerson College in Boston before eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue several writing opportunities. He eventually ended up on "Community" from 2011 to 2013 penning a number of episodes alongside his writing partner (and former Emerson College classmate) Annie Mebane. Basilone has since moved on this other projects including the "The Michael J. Fox Show". He was married to Lauren Morelli, a fellow television writer who works on the Netflix original series "Orange is the new Black". Morelli filed for divorce after two years upon coming out as a lesbian in 2014. Basilone currently serves as writer and producer of the ABC sitcom "The Goldbergs".

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Episode 249 - Kurt Sutter

Mon, 24 May 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Kurt Sutter is a storyteller. That obligation has manifested into writing, producing, directing,

and acting. Born and raised in the homogenous suburbs of Jersey, his home positioned

between the Mafia-stronghold neighborhoods to the west and Rahway State Prison to the

east. Sutter would struggle with those conflicting influences -- absolute authority and

unbridled rebellion -- for most of his life.

After graduating from Rutgers University with a BA in Mass Media & Film, Kurt spent

several years as an actor in NYC, performing in off-off-Broadway theatres, meatpacking

warehouses, and NYPD holding cells. His theatre work eventually led to teaching and

directing and in the mid-nineties he joined the faculty of The Gately-Poole Acting Studio on

Theatre Row, teaching the Sanford Meisner Technique and directing productions at The

Nat Horne Theatre.

In the late 90’s Kurt was awarded an MFA Fellowship to attend Northern Illinois University.

In Chicago, his exposure to the dramatic masters -- Strindberg, O'Neill, Genet -- inspired

Sutter, and he began writing unproducible plays and cultivating ideas for the screen. After

graduating with a Master of Fine Arts, Kurt moved to Los Angeles where he began his

writing career.

In 2001, he landed his first gig on FX's The Shield. Starting as a staff writer, he finished the

last two seasons as an Executive Producer. Then, in 2008, Kurt created the critically

acclaimed drama series Sons of Anarchy for FX. Its seven-year run is the most successful

episodic series in the history of the network. In 2014, he followed up SOA with the

medieval drama series, The Bastard Executioner. Then, co-created the next chapter of the

Sons saga, Mayans MC. Mayans is entering its third season on FX. Kurt also ventured into

reality programming with a documentary series on the Discovery Channel, Kurt Sutter’s

Outlaw Empires.

In 2015, Sutter made his feature writing debut with Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhaal and

directed by Antoine Fuqua.

A collaboration with award-winning BOOM! Studios produced several successful comic

books for Sutter. Including Sons of Anarchy and two originals -- Lucas Stand, about a

drug-addicted vet turned hit man for Hell. And Sisters of Sorrow, where victims of abuse

spin their pain and rage into vengeance through the cover of vigilante nuns. The next four

issues of Sisters will be on shelves in 2021.

As an actor, Kurt had recurring roles on The Shield and Sons of Anarchy. Playing an

Armenian hitman with a foot fetish and an incarcerated outlaw with a proclivity for ironic,

self-mutilation. Chaos Walking, directed by Doug Liman, is Sutter’s first feature film role.

Awards/Nominations

Peabody Award (The Shield)

Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics:

“Come Join the Murder” (SOA)

Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics:

“Day is Gone” (SOA)

Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Original Main Title Music:

“This Life” (SOA)

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Episode 248 - Annabelle Gurwitch

Mon, 17 May 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Annabelle Gurwitch is an actress, activist, and New York Times bestselling author of five books including her latest You're Leaving When, Adventures in Downward Mobility. Other books include: I See You Made an Effort (a Thurber Prize finalist), Wherever You Go, There They Are; and Fired! (also a Showtime Comedy Special). She’s written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, amongst other publications and is currently adapting You're Leaving When? for HBO, centering on her Los Angeles Times op-ed about hosting an at-risk housing insecure couple in her home which was recognized with a 2020 Los Angeles Press Club excellence in journalism award. Gurwitch was the longtime cohost of Dinner & a Movie on TBS; a regular commentator on NPR; and host of WA$TED for the Discovery Channel. Her acting credits include: The World Premiere of Donald Margulies' Coney Island Christmas, The West Coast Premiere of Wendy MacLeod's Women in Jeopardy, and the West Coast Premiere of David Greenspan's Go Back to Where You Are. Her performance in the title role of Joe and Betty off Broadway and in Los Angeles won her inclusion in "The Top Ten Performances of the Year in Theater" in both The New York and LA Times. Other credits include: Seinfeld, Murphy Brown, Boston Legal, Dexter, and Melvin Goes to Dinner. She performs her stories with The Moth and at arts centers around the country. Gurwitch lives in Los Angeles and co-hosts the Tiny Victories podcast on the Maximum Fun Podcast Network, which Vulture called a “bright spot of light and laughter in 2020.”

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Episode 247 - Jeffrey Omura

Mon, 10 May 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Jeffrey Omura is an artist, activist, labor leader, and candidate for New York City Council District 6. As an actor, he recently appeared on TV in The Blacklist, Limitless, Succession, and Hawaii Five-0, and he's known for his work onstage across the country. He's a founding member of both Fair Wage Onstage and Be An Arts Hero, and an elected officer of Actors' Equity Association. If elected, he will be the first openly gay person to represent District 6 and the first Japanese American ever elected to office in New York State.

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Episode 246 - Jennifer Todd

Mon, 03 May 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Todd has been a film and television producer for over 20 years, and some of her notable credits include THE WAY BACK (2020), ALICE IN WONDERLAND and ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, MEMENTO, and the AUSTIN POWERS franchise. In 2017 and 2018, Jennifer produced the 89th and 90th Annual Academy Awards with Michael DeLuca for ABC, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. She currently serves as an Academy Governor representing the Producers Branch.

Jennifer is currently producing films under her banner, Jennifer Todd Pictures, with a first-look feature deal at MGM. She is partnered with director Thomas Kail (FOSSE/VERDON, HAMILTON) in television, under an overall deal with Walt Disney Television Studios. She also currently serves as an Executive Producer on the Showtime series CITY ON A HILL.

Prolific in both independent and studio films as well as television, Jennifer has been nominated for three Emmys, two Golden Globes, and the PGA David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Longform Television. She has won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Picture, Women In Film's Lucy Award, The Glaad Media Award and a People's Choice Award. From 2012 to 2018, Jennifer served as the President of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's production company Pearl Street Films, where she produced LIVE BY NIGHT for Warner Bros., which Affleck directed and starred in. She also served as an Executive Producer on JASON BOURNE in 2016. Additionally, Jennifer was an Executive Producer on HBO’s PROJECT GREENLIGHT, as well as the series INCORPORATED for the Syfy channel.

Some of Jennifer’s other credits include CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER, MUST LOVE DOGS, PRIME, BOILER ROOM, NOW AND THEN, and the HBO film IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK II.

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Episode 245 - Jeremy Wein

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0000

JEREMY WEIN (Producer) is a producer and director based in New York City. Jeremy is the founder and artistic director of the virtual theatre initiative Play-PerView. His additional producing credits include Open Mike Eagle: Anime, Trauma, + Divorce: Live Emotional Processing Event (Dynasty Typewriter) Kevin McDonald: ALIVE (Theatre Row, Dynasty Typewriter), Neva (Brooklyn College) Godspell (2011 Broadway Revival) Faux Snow (Thespis Theater Festival), Take Me Home (Incubator Arts Project, Associate Producer, dir. Meghan Finn) and the 2012 documentary The Bitter Buddha (Co-Producer). He is also the founder of the New York City Podcast Festival, which he produced from 2013-2018. His directing credits include 8 by Dustin Lance Black (BMCC) and Neva by Guillermo Calderon (Brooklyn College). He recently produced the debut EP for The U.S Open (featuring Shawn Randell, William Jackson Harper, Steven Boyer, Diana Oh, Jeff Biehl and Bobby Moreno), which will be released later this year. Follow him on Twitter: @ThisMyShow and Instagram: @JeremyWein90

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Episode 244 - Jordan Thierry

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Jordan Thierry is a documentary filmmaker, activist, and storyteller. He has worked for over a decade to highlight the stories of people of color and working to undo the ongoing legacy of systemic racism in the U.S.A.

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Episode 243 - Kate Burton

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Kate Burton is best known for her Tony nominated work on Broadway (where she last appeared in Present Laughter with Kevin Kline) and for her Emmy nominated work in Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. On film, she was most recently seen in Where’d You Go, Bernadette! She can also be seen on television in Inventing Anna, Prodigal Son, Charmed and Supergirl. She is a professor at USC and lives in Los Angeles.

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Episode 242 - Sergio Trujillo

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Internationally renowned theater choreographer and director, SERGIO TRUJILLO is the first ever Latinx recipient of the Tony Award for Best Choreography. He was honored with the Tony in 2019 for AIN’T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS. Additionally, he won the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for MEMPHIS. Sergio was previously nominated for several awards including a Tony Award for ON YOUR FEET!, Drama Desk Awards for HANDS ON A HARDBODY, LEAP OF FAITH, MEMPHIS, and JERSEY BOYS, a Lucille Lortel Award for SAVED, and received an Ovation Award for EMPIRE. He made his Broadway debut in 1999, dancing in JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY. As a dancer, he has performed on Broadway in GUYS AND DOLLS, VICTOR/VICTORIA, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, and FOSSE. Sergio made his choreographic debut in 2005 with Broadway’s ALL SHOOK UP. His success expanded from there with JERSEY BOYS — which continues to grow in popularity worldwide. In 2011, four of his productions ran simultaneously on Broadway: NEXT TO NORMAL (2010 Pulitzer Prize), THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MEMPHIS (Olivier Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, NAACP Award, Drama Desk Award nomination, Astaire Award nomination), and JERSEY BOYS (Greenroom Award, Olivier Award nomination, Drama Desk Award nomination, Dora Award nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award nomination). Adding to his list of Broadway choreography credits are SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL (Chita Rivera Award, NAACP Award nomination), A BRONX TALE (Chita Rivera Award nomination), and GUYS AND DOLLS (Astaire Award nomination). Recent directing credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s PARAMOUR currently playing in Germany, ARRABAL for American Repertory Theater (Elliot Norton Award for best direction), the North American tour of FLASH DANCE THE MUSICAL, and the Broadway concert of GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE. Sergio is bringing a number of Latinx musicals aimed at bringing forth the stories of the Hispanic Culture in America. Some of his favorite future productions include: WAITING FOR SNOW IN HAVANA based on the book of the same title by Carlos Eire, LIVES IN LIMBO based on the book by Roberto Gonzales, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES based on the play by Josefina Lopez, and CASA DE LAS FLORES inspired the Netflix Series by Manolo Caro. He has introduced audiences to his choreography in many noteworthy Off-Broadway shows including INVISIBLE THREAD for Second Stage, ROMEO & JULIET for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and KISMET for New York City Center Encores!, THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK for Dodger Stages, and BARE: A POP OPERA for the American Theatre for Actors.

Sergio works and resides in New York City. He is proud to be the first choreographer ever invited to serve as a voting member of the American Theatre Wing’s Advisory Committee for the Tony Awards, is an avid supporter of and serves on the advisory boards of R.Evolution Latina and New York Theatre Barn, and is an active member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Sergio is Colombian born, and was raised in Toronto. He studied science at the University of Toronto, and later pursued further education by attending chiropractic school. Recently he was distinguished as one of the Top 100 Colombians in the world by President Juan Manuel Santos and was voted as one of the top 50 Creative Colombian Artists in the world by Forbes Magazine. Since 1990, he has been in a loving and inspiring relationship with actor Jack Noseworthy. They married in 2011 and were ecstatic to welcome their baby boy, Lucas Alejandro Truworthy, in March 2018.

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Episode 241 - Eden Espinosa & Karen Olivo

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Eden Espinosa is most recognized for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in "Wicked” on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Other credits include originating the title character in “Brooklyn the Musical”, Flora in “Flora the Red Menace,” and Maureen in the closing company of “Rent” on Broadway. Eden also originated the role of Sadie Thompson in the world premiere of “Rain”, at the Old Globe Theater. She portrayed Eva Peron in TPAC and Studio Tenn’s production of “Evita”. In 2017 she toured Denmark and London playing Emma Borden in the rock musical “Lizzie”. She played Mary Flynn to rave reviews in Maria Freidmans productions of “Merrily We Roll Along” at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. Eden was Daniela in Kennedy Center’s “In The Heights”. Also portrayed Anita in West Side Story for the BBC PROMS at the Royal Albert Hall. Most recently she originated the role of Tamara De Lempicka in the world premiere of “Lempicka” at Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Rachel Chavkin. Her television appearances include shows such as Law and Order, Ugly Betty, and Elementary. Voiceover credits include Cassandra in the Disney Channel’s Tangled the Series, Robot Chicken, MAD TV, Elena of Avalor, and Titan Maximum Eden’s debut album, Look Around, charted in the Pop iTunes top 50 between Adele and Katy Perry. Her second album REVELATION of all new original music was released in January 2019.

Karen Olivo is a television, film, and stage actor who is most recognized for her Tony Award-winning performance as Anita in the acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story, a role for which she also earned Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations. Some of her Broadway theater credits include originating the role of Vanessa in the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights (2008 Astaire Award) and starring as Faith in the Broadway production of Brooklyn The Musical. She played the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton and currently stars as Satine in Moulin Rouge on broadway. Additional theatre credits include Murder Ballad at the Manhattan Theater Club, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage at 2nd Stage, and The Miracle Brothers directed by Tina Landau at the Vineyard Theatre. Olivo is also recognized for her many television appearances including recurring & guest-starring roles on “The Good Wife,” “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,” “Chase,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Conviction,” and “Law & Order.” Karen Olivo is a native New Yorker who currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Olivo recently taught Musical Theater Styles at UW-Madison as well as working as a teaching artist and writer for Theatre LILA, she serves on the Advisory Committee for Forward Theater and she also coaches students in her private Madison studio. Karen also released her first solo, ‘Leave,’ album in 2017. www.Karenolivo.com

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Episode 240 - Howard Sherman

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 05:00:00 -0000

Howard Sherman is a theatre administrator, writer, and advocate. He has been executive director of the American Theatre Wing and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, managing director of Geva Theatre, general manager of Goodspeed Musicals, and public relations director of Hartford Stage, as well as interim director of the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. He has also held administrative positions at the Westport Country Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays.

Since 2012, he has been the US columnist and a feature writer for The Stage newspaper in London, and in 2018 was named Contributing Editor of Stage Directions magazine. His writing has appeared in a number of other publications including Slate, The New York Times, The Guardian, and American Theatre magazine.

Howard frequently consults, writes and speaks on issues of censorship and artists’ rights in both academic and professional theatre and he created the Arts Integrity Initiative in 2015 to focus on those efforts. He has delivered keynote addresses for, among others, the Educational Theatre Association, KCACTF, Florida Association for Theatre Education, and the Texas Educational Theatre Association’s Arts Program Administrators Conference. He was cited as one of the Top 40 Free Speech Defenders in 2014 by the National Coalition Against Censorship and received the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund’s “Defender” Award in 2015.

A native of New Haven, Connecticut and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Howard resides in New York with his wife, producer Lauren Doll.

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Episode 239 - Josh Malina

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 05:00:00 -0000

After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in Theatre Studies, Josh made his professional acting debut in the Broadway production of Aaron Sorkin’s A FEW GOOD MEN. He went on to star as Jeremy Goodwin in Sorkin’s critically acclaimed television series SPORTS NIGHT. Later, Josh co-starred as Will Bailey in Sorkin’s multi- Emmy winning THE WEST WING. Other Sorkin credits include the hit features THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT and MALICE.

For three seasons, Josh portrayed multi-millionaire Peter Alpert on USA Network’s hit IN PLAIN SIGHT. Josh’s film credits include the comedy A VIEWFROM THE TOP with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike Meyers, IN THE LINE OF FIRE with Clint Eastwood, and BULWORTH with Warren Beatty and Halle Berry. For seven seasons, Josh co-starred as David Rosen on ABC’s hit show SCANDAL.

A co-creator of Bravo’s hit show CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN, and a co-host of the podcast THE WEST WING WEEKLY, Josh was seen recently as President Siebert on the final season of THE BIG BANG THEORY. He can currently be seen on the final season of Showtimke’s SHAMELESS

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Episode 238 - Mauricio Martinez

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0000

MAURICIO MARTÍNEZ is a Mexican Emmy Winning actor, Broadway veteran and recording artist. He recently starred as Emilio Estefan in On Your Feet! The Story Of Emilio & Gloria Estefan on Broadway and in the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical memoir Unmasked at PaperMill Playhouse. He can also be seen in NBC Universo’s original Emmy Wining TV series “El Vato” on Netflix.

Mauricio’s television credits include multiple Telenovela’s in Univision and Telemundo like Señora Acero and La Mujer Del Vendaval as well as the 40th Annual Kennedy Honors on CBS and “The 2019 Gershwin Prize” on PBS (performing next to artists like Patti Labelle, Cindy Lauper, Rita Moreno, Andy García and Gloria Estefan).

In the Mexico City stage, Mauricio starred in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever, The Drowsy Chaperone, Sweet Charity, the premiere Spanish versions of Off Broadway's The Last Five Years, Songs From An Unmade Bed and Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge, among others.

Mauricio has released two Latin pop albums available on iTunes and is currently working on his first english album with Broadway Records. Follow @martinezmau on Instagram & Twitter Facebook.com/MauricioMartinezOficial

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Episode 237 - Julia Murney

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Julia Murney last appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked after playing the role on the national tour for which she received an Acclaim Award. Other New York credits include Lennon, The Wild Party (Drama Desk nomination), The Vagina Monologues, Falling (Drama Desk nomination), A Class Act, The Landing, Saved, Crimes of the Heart, Queen of the Mist, and Time and Again (Lucille Lortel nomination). She’s been seen regionally all over the U.S.- Signature, Muny, Williamstown, Reprise!LA, Sacramento Music Circus, NCT, Lyric, Rubicon and Goodspeed, to name a few-and in concert she has performed solo shows nationally as well as in NYC at Feinstein's/54 Below, Birdland, Joe's Pub & Ars Nova. Symphony appearances have ranged from Carnegie Hall to The Kennedy Center, Caramoor to Town Hall, from Malaysia to Maui & a lot of spots in between. Among her TV credits are Madam Secretary, 30 Rock, Sex and the City, Elementary, Brothers and Sisters, Ed, NYPD Blue, all the Law and Orders, First You Dream and about a gazillion voiceovers. A Syracuse University graduate, her recordings include the original cast albums of The Wild Party and A Class Act, the Grammy nominated Actor’s Fund Benefit of Hair and her first solo album I’m Not Waiting, which is available on iTunes & on her website, juliamurney.com. Twitter: @juliamurney Instagram: @pepamama

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Episode 236 - Max von Essen

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Max von Essen is a Tony, Drama Desk and Grammy nominated singer and actor best known for his role as Henri in the award winning production of An American in Paris on Broadway. Most recently, he completed a year long run in the Broadway production of Anastasia and then toured the country in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of Falsettos. Other Broadway credits include Evita, the revivals of Les Miz and Jesus Christ Superstar, Dance of the Vampires, and the closing company of the original Les Miz. Additional New York credits include Yours Unfaithfully, Death Takes a Holiday, The Jerry Springer Opera, Hello Again, Finian's Rainbow and The Fantasticks. Tours include Xanadu, West Side Story and Chicago. TV & Film include Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, Boardwalk Empire, The Good Wife, Royal Pains, Gossip Girl, Seven Lovers, Sex and the City 2, and the webseries Submissions Only.

Max's concert work has brought him all across the country and Canada, including The Kennedy Center, Birdland Jazz Club and a recent solo debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. Recordings include An American in Paris, Evita, Death Takes a Holiday, Finian's Rainbow, Love Songs of Andrew Lloyd Weber, and his debut solo album, Call Me Old Fashioned: The Broadway Standard, now available on iTunes.

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Episode 235 - Nicole Kang

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Nicole Kang stars in the CW television series BATWOMAN as Mary Hamilton.

Kang was also seen on Greg Berlanti's Lifetime/Netflix series YOU. In the highly successful show, based off of Caroline Kepnes’ bestselling novel, she starred as Lynn alongside Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail and Shay Mitchell. Her other television credits include: THE CODE, INSTINCT and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK.

On the big screen, Kang was most recently seen in SWALLOW, which premiered at the TriBeCa film festival, and will next be seen in TEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, THE SOCIAL ONES and FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.

She has starred in numerous productions on stage including the 2016 production of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY at the Folger Theatre, for which she earned a Helen Hayes Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play.

Kang is an NYU BFA trained actress and a proud member of The Actor’s Studio.

#ProtectMary

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Episode 234 - Felicia Fitzpatrick

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0000

How do you navigate managing the social media site for an entertainment magazine when there is a national crisis happening? How do you share content that works for both older and newer Broadway fans? How do you keep the conversation about theater going when there is no live theater due to a global pandemic? Meet Felicia Fitzpatrick the social media director for Playbill- the theater publication known all around the world to theater lovers. Felicia is the first black female department head at Playbill and is a pioneer in the social media landscape. She also hosts “CALL AND RESPONSE” a podcast that explores the intersection of Blackness and the performing arts.

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Episode 233 - Ty Burrell & Bill Wrubel

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Did you ever wonder what the relationship between the stars and the writers of a hit sitcom is like? Go behind the scenes with Modern Family’s Ty Burrell and writer/exec producer Bill Wrubel

With a range of performances across television, film, and theater, award winner Ty Burrell continues to proves himself as one of the finest and most versatile actors today.

Burrell starred on ABC’s critically acclaimed hit, Modern Family. The actor garnered countless awards for his fan-favorite role of ‘Phil Dunphy’ including the 2014 and 2011 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series; the 2012 Critics Choice Television Award for the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; as well as the 2012 Comedy Award in the category of Performance by An Actor – TV.

In 2012, Burrell shared the TCA Award with Nick Offerman for Individual Achievement in Comedy. Additionally, he has received notable nominations from the Teen Choice Awards, the Television Critics Association Awards, the People's Choice Awards, the American Comedy Awards and the Kids' Choice Awards, all for his role on the series.

In July 2020, Burrell launched his production company, Desert Whale Productions, and signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV, the studio behind the acclaimed comedy series, Modern Family. Desert Whale’s first sale under the deal is for the comedy show, Yours, Mine & Paul. The show centers on a woman named Lauren who agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend, Paul, and his husband Xander despite her and Xander hating each other. The show has been put into development at ABC and it was recently announced Sarah Hyland is set to star in the series.

On stage, Burrell starred to incredible reviews in the world premiere of Caryl Churchill's two-hander play, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You, at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Burrell's extensive Broadway and Off-Broadway theater credits include the highly acclaimed Signature Theater Off-Broadway production of Burn This opposite Edward Norton, Catherine Keener and Dallas Roberts; starring as Lord Buckingham in the Public Theater's production of Richard III opposite Peter Dinklage and directed by Peter DuBois; and starring opposite Debra Monk and Judy Greer in Paul Weitz's Show People, directed by Peter Askin at Second Stage Theater.

Burrell has been a longtime supporter of KIDS IN THE SPOTLIGHT (KITS) which trains youth in foster programs and other under-served youth to create, write, cast and star in their own 10-minute short films. This training culminates in an annual film festival where they present “Movies by Kids, for Kids.” During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Burrell created the program, “Tip Your Server,” to raise money for restaurant employees in Salt Lake City, Utah who lost their jobs due to restaurant closures. Burrell and his wife, Holly, donated $100,000 of their own funds to help ease the burden for the vulnerable members of the Salt Lake community.

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Episode 232 - Alex Boniello

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Alex Boniello is an actor, musician, writer, and Tony Award winning producer from New York City. Most recently, he starred as Connor Murphy in the Broadway production of “Dear Evan Hansen” and has also appeared on Broadway as the voice of Moritz in Deaf West’s revival of “Spring Awakening.” Additionally, he is represented on Broadway in “Hadestown” for which he received a Tony Award as a co-producer. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, he created “Broadway JackBox” and "Broadway Whodunit" alongside his Dear Evan Hansen co-star, Andrew Barth Feldman. Broadway JackBox has raised over $100,000 for the Actor’s Fund since its creation. He can be seen in numerous television shows and films, has appeared in many theatre productions across New York City and North America, and his original work as a songwriter and singer is available wherever music is sold.

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Episode 231 - Father's Day

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0000

A conversation with my father.

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Episode 230 - Cheyenne Jackson

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0000

Cheyenne Jackson is a Grammy-nominated actor, singer, and songwriter who most recently was seen starring in HBO Max’s four-part LGBTQ+ Docuseries "Equal," Peacock's "Saved by the Bell" Reboot as well as Kenny Ortega's hit Netflix series "Julie and the Phantoms."

Cheyenne previously collaborated with Kenny Ortega as he appeared in Disney's hugely popular "Descendants 3." He appeared in multiple seasons FX and Ryan Murphy's award-winning horror anthology "American Horror Story." On television, Jackson has also starred on HBO's "Watchmen," Paramount Networks “American Woman,” opposite Alicia Silverstone, NBC’s 30 Rock as “Danny Baker” for four seasons, and “Dustin Goolsby” on Glee. Other television credits include "The Morning Show," "Family Practice," "Life on Mars," "Ugly Betty," "It Takes a Village," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Local Talent," "HR," and "Law and Order."

Jackson has appeared in numerous films including the 2006 Academy Award-nominated United 93, Behind the Candleabra, The Green, Price Check; Lola Versus, Love is Strange, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, Mutual Friends, Opening Night, Beautiful Now, Day out of Days and Hello Again. He will also appear in the forthcoming feature, Werewolves Within.

On and off Broadway, Jackson has starred in The Performers, The Most Happy Fella, 8, Finian’s Rainbow (Drama Desk nomination), Damn Yankees, Xanadu (Drama League and Drama Desk nominations), The Agony & the Agony, All Shook Up (Theater World Award, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle nominations), the premiere cast of Altar Boyz, Aida, Thoroughly Modern Millie, On the 20th Century, and The 24 Hour Plays

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Episode 229 - Stanley Wayne Mathis

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0000

A Native of Washington D.C. Has just finished a successful Three year run of The First National Tour Of The Book Of Mormon. He has been seen on Broadway in The Book Of Mormon, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Wonderful Town, Kiss Me Kate,You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, The Lion King, Jelly’s Last Jam and Oh Kay. Off Broadway credits include: St. Louis Woman with Vanessa Williams(Ugly Betty)at City Center’s Encores, Death Of A Salesman at Yale Rep with Charles Dutton(Rock), Lynn Nottage Ruined at Florida Studio Theatre, August Wilson’s Radio Golf at Kansas City Rep, Gem Of The Ocean(Seattle Rep) directed by Phylicia Rashad, Fences(Bristol Riverside Theater), Master Harold And The Boys(Triad Theater/Greensboro Carolina),You Can’t Take It With You(Pioneer Theater Co/Salt Lake City Utah,Blues For An Alabama Sky(Cleveland Playhouse), Day Of Absence( Baltimore Center Stage), Of Mice And Men(Dallas Theater Center), Cinderella(PaperMill Playhouse/ NJ) Williams And Walker (Bermuda Theater Festival)and Spunk directed by George Wolf at The Mark Taper Theater in LA and The Royal Court Theater in London. Television: Law & Order, Criminal Intent, SNL, Late Night With Conan O’Brien. Film: Magic Sticks, Dark Streets(SuperFly), Brother To Brother( Sundance Winner), Santa Baby (Animation Starring, Eartha Kitt, Gregory Hines and Vanessa Williams),Family On Board and Steve McQueen’s Shame. He has danced with Charles Moore African Drummers And Dancers. Done Commercials and voice-overs, and has taught and directed as a Teaching and Guest Artist for Rosie’s Theater Kids, Creative Arts Team NYU, Periwinkle Productions, Sacred Heart Arts Program, New Jersey Playwrights and The Brazo Valley Troupe of Bryan Texas. He studied Musical Theater at The Washington International College in D.C., HB studios and Cythia Belgrave’s Studio in NYC and was a member of Ebony Impromptu Theater Company in Washington D.C. He is a recipient of The Fred Astaire Award 1989, Monarch Award,1991, and The 2006 Adelco Award, Stanley is currently working on his won one-man show entitled “ Truth Be Told” and his multimedia play called “Preachin’ To The Choir/An Inconvenient Truth”. You can also catch Stanley as Principal Evan Ward on NBC’s Premier Season of “Rise” by the producers of Hamilton and Friday Night Lights.

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Episode 228 - Sean Allan Krill

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Sean Allan Krill is an American actor who has crafted a career on Broadway, off-Broadway, at prestigious regional theaters, and in television. He studied at Wayne State University, where he received the Lily Tomlin Scholarship for Theatre. Sean was nominated for a 2020 Tony Award, Best Performance by a Featured Actor, for his role as Steve Healy in Jagged Little Pill, the acclaimed Broadway musical inspired by Alanis Morissette's groundbreaking 1995 album. He is also a Carbonell Award and Leon Rabin Award nominee, a Joseph Jefferson Award and Craig Noel Award recipient, and lives in New York, NY.

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Episode 227 - Brittney Johnson

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Broadway: Wicked, Les Mis , Motown, Sunset Boulevard, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

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Episode 226 - Andrew Barth Feldman

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0000

ANDREW BARTH FELDMAN won the 2018 National High School Musical Theatre Award (aka the Jimmy Award) as a high school sophomore, and went on to make his Broadway debut as the title character in the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen as a junior in high school. In his “spare” time, Andrew runs a theatre company, Zneefrock Productions. Founded when Andrew was twelve years old, Zneefrock’s productions raise money for NEXT for Autism and have included Be More Chill, reimaginings of The Last Five Years and Seussical, and an original Star Wars parody musical called “SW: A New(sical) Hope,” which recently had a production at Feinstein's/54 Below. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrew, with Tony Award Winner Alex Boniello, created "Broadway Jackbox,” a hit web series where Broadway stars play games and raise money for The Actors Fund, as well as "Broadway Whodunit," a live, virtual, improvised murder mystery party series with Broadway stars. Andrew will soon be attending Harvard University.

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Episode 225 - Celia Rose Gooding

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Celia Rose Gooding made her debut as Frankie Healy in the world premiere of Jagged Little Pill as well as the Broadway production. Past roles include Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown and Carmen Diaz in Fame at The Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy in New York City. Celia has studied Acting and Film at the Berridge Conservatory in Normandy, France with a concentration in Shakespeare, and studied dance at The Alvin Ailey Institute. She is a graduate of Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York with honors in performing arts. She is currently a student at Pace University in New York City, majoring in Musical Theatre.

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Episode 224 - R.J. Cutler

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0000

R.J. Cutler is an award-winning producer and director who has made some of the most significant documentaries of the past quarter century. Cutler’s films include The War Room, A Perfect Candidate, The September Issue, The World According to Dick Cheney, Thin and Listen to Me Marlon. He has also been a pioneer in the area of non-fiction television, having created such landmark programs as “American High,” “Freshman Diaries,” “30 Days” and many others. Cutler’s scripted work includes conceiving and directing “Nashville,” directing the feature film If I Stay (starring Chloe Grace Moretz), and creating, writing, directing and producing the award-winning podcast The Oval Office Tapes. Cutler’s upcoming projects include the feature documentary Belushi, which he directed and produced and which will air on Showtime later this year. He is also the producer and director of The Untitled Billie Eilish Documentary, an intimate look at the last year in the life of the 18 year-old pop sensation whose music has been streamed over five billion times. Cutler’s documentary series “Dear…” will premiere on Apple TV+ this spring, and his musical drama “Bronzeville” (which he executive produces along with John Ridley, Alicia Keys, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Platt) has been ordered straight-to-series by Showtime. Cutler has been nominated for an Academy Award and numerous other awards, and he is the recipient of two Emmys, two Peabody Awards, a GLAAD Award, two Cinema Eye Awards, and two Television Academy Honor Awards. In 2009, the Museum of Television and Radio held a four-day retrospective of Cutler’s work. Cutler and his wife Jane live in Los Angeles with their daughter Madeleine, their son Maxwell, and their dog Dexter.

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Episode 223 - Joaquina Kalukango

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Joaquina Kalukango received a 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award honor and a 2020 Tony Award nomination for her work in Slave Play. In total, Slave Play received 11 Tony Award nominations, the most for any play in Broadway history. Other Broadway: The Color Purple (revival), Holler If Ya Hear Me and Godspell. Off-Broadway: Red Letter Plays: F***ing A (Signature), Our Lady of Kibeho (Signature), Antony and Cleopatra (The Public Theater/ RSC), Emotional Creature (Signature/ Berkeley Rep) and Rent (NYTW). Recipient of a 2012 Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk nominee for Hurt Village (Signature). Television: HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” “When They See Us” (Netflix), and “Instinct” (CBS). Upcoming film: Regina King’s directorial debut One Night in Miami. Instagram: @Joaquinakalukango

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Episode 222 - Eden Espinosa

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Eden Espinosa is most recognized for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in "Wicked” on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Other credits include originating the title character in “Brooklyn the Musical”, Flora in “Flora the Red Menace,” and Maureen in the closing company of “Rent” on Broadway. Eden also originated the role of Sadie Thompson in the world premiere of “Rain”, at the Old Globe Theater. She portrayed Eva Peron in TPAC and Studio Tenn’s production of “Evita”.

In 2017 she toured Denmark and London playing Emma Borden in the rock musical “Lizzie”. She played Mary Flynn to rave reviews in Maria Freidmans productions of “Merrily We Roll Along” at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. Eden was Daniela in Kennedy Center’s “In The Heights”. Also portrayed Anita in West Side Story for the BBC PROMS at the Royal Albert Hall. Most recently she originated the role of Tamara De Lempicka in the world premiere of “Lempicka” at Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Rachel Chavkin.

Her television appearances include shows such as Law and Order, Ugly Betty, and Elementary. Voiceover credits include Cassandra in the Disney Channel’s Tangled the Series, Robot Chicken, MAD TV, Elena of Avalor, and Titan Maximum Eden’s debut album, Look Around, charted in the Pop iTunes top 50 between Adele and Katy Perry.

Her second album REVELATION of all new original music was released in January 2019.

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Episode 221 - Lauren Patten

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Lauren Patten originated the role of Jo in the new Alanis Morissette musical Jagged Little Pill both on Broadway (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards) and in the American Repertory Theater’s world premiere. Other theatre credits include: the Broadway production of Fun Home, The Wolves (Obie and Drama Desk winner), and Steven Levenson’s Days of Rage (Second Stage). Film and television credits include: “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Fight,” “Succession,” The Big Sick. www.laurenpatten.com @pattenlauren

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A Conversation with David Gordon of TheaterMania

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0000

David Gordon is president of the Outer Critics Circle and Senior Features Reporter at TheaterMania. He is a graduate of Hofstra University (BA in Journalism) and Brooklyn College (MA in Theater History and Criticism).

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Episode 220 - Kate Rockwell

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Kate Rockwell recently starred as the original Karen Smith in Mean Girls: The Musical at the August Wilson Theater, which garnered her a Drama Desk Nomination. A natural brunette, her previous Broadway dumb blondes include originating the role of Skylar in Bring It On: The Musical, as well as roles in Rock of Ages, Hair, andLegally Blonde. She’s also been seen recently as Nina Bennett on Fox’s Almost Family, and on High Maintenance, Deadbeat, and Sex and the City: the Movie. Rockwell released her debut solo album, Back To My Roots, in 2018 on Broadway Records, and has performed her solo concert by the same name at Birdland Jazz Club, City Winery, and other venues in NYC. She is a WSET-certified wine lover and has the two cutest dogs on the planet.

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Episode 219 - Hubert Point-Du Jour

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0000

The consummate New York actor, Tisch graduate Hubert Point-Du Jour has performed in over 20 plays commissioned by the likes of The Old Globe (The Two Gentleman of Verona), The Public (Tiny Beautiful Things) and Shakespeare in the Park (Kenny Leon’s Much Ado About Nothing) as well as been honored in two Obie Award winning productions (A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes; A Map of Virtue), all while simultaneously balancing a growing television career. After a string of appearances on Happyish, Madame Secretary, The Path, Blindspot and Elementary, he is making his series lead debut alongside Ethan Hawke in Showtime’s limited event series, The Good Lord Bird. An adaptation of James McBride’s novel by the same name, the series follows Hawke’s abolitionist ‘John Brown’ as he leads Point-Du Jour’s ‘Bob,’ Joshua Caleb Johnson’s ‘Onion’ and a small army of anti-slavery insurgents on a journey to raid the federal armory in Harpers Ferry in effort to ignite a slave revolt. Often serving as ‘Brown’s’ conduit to what’s actually going on with slaves, ‘Bob’ become integral to ‘Brown’ in his endeavors.

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Episode 218 - Jessica Vosk

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Jessica Vosk was beginning her concert tour this year before the world shut down—and also had the Honor of recently starring as the Narrator in the 50th anniversary of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, at Lincoln Center. She also created the role of Aunt Val in the world premiere of Becoming Nancy last year, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Before that, she finished an acclaimed run as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway, having played the role for 2 years. Vosk also recently starred in the NYC Ballet Jerome Robbins tribute Something to Dance About, directed by Warren Carlyle and re-created the role of Fruma Sarah in the most recent revival of Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof. Other Broadway: Finding Neverland, The Bridges of Madison County. She starred as Anita in the Grammy-nominated San Francisco Symphony’s West Side Story. Debut Solo Album “Wild and Free” available for purchase at www.jessicavosk.com. Follow along @jessicavosk

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Episode 217 - Erica Gimpel

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:24:00 -0000

Erica Gimpel is an actor, singer-songwriter, producer and screenwriter. Known internationally for her performance as “Coco Hernandez” in the groundbreaking hit series FAME, Erica has gone on to star in numerous primetime and cable shows including: CHICAGO MED, SHUT EYE, TRUE BLOOD, CRIMINAL MINDS, GREY’S ANATOMY, NIKITA, RIZZOLI & ISLES, HOUSE, ER, PROFILER, and VERONICA MARS. Most recently Erica played "Trish" on the CBS drama GOD FRIENDED ME for two seasons.

Film credits include: TUESDAY MORNING RIDEwith Ruby Dee, Wayne Wang’s SMOKE opposite Forest Whitaker, Abel Ferrara’s cult classic THE KING OF NEW YORK with Christopher Walken, Hal Hartely’s NO SUCH THINGwith Helen Mirren, FREAKY FRIDAY opposite Jaime Lee Curtis, ROMEO AND JULIET IN HARLEM, with Harry Lennix and Aunjanue Ellis. Next, Erica will be seen in SYLVIE'S LOVE with Tessa Thompson on Amazon Prime’s special Christmas release.

Off-Broadway and Regional credits include: originating the roles of “Mayme” in Lynn Nottages’saward-winning INTIMATE APPAREL, “Glory Bee” in Sam Shepard’s STATES OF SHOCKopposite John Malkovich, and “Nelly” in Jose Rivera’s EACH DAY DIES WITH SLEEP. Erica received the Los Angeles Stage Raw Award for Best Solo-Performance, for her dynamic portrayal of multiple characters in the one-woman play SISTER by Michael Phillip Edwards.

Having earned gold and platinum records for her work on FAME. Erica began producing her own music as a singer-songwriter. The title track from her debut album SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND FLY is featured in the indie film HILL and GULLY, anOfficial Selection at Pan African de Cannes.

As a screenwriter, Erica is currently developing several projects through her company WOMANS PARADISE PRODUCTIONS, dedicated to creatingfemale driven stories that inspire hope, passion and healing. Erica is the recipient of the LA Femme Film Festival’s “INNOVATIVE AWARD”, and is also an active member of the world peace organization, the SGI-USA dedicated to pursuing the values of peace, culture and education.

Over the years Erica has used her talents to highlight different causes near to her heart by creating and producing benefit concerts focusing on women’s issues, homelessness, child abuse and the rise is of racially motivated acts of violence. Knowing first hand the transformative power the performing arts has on young people's lives, Erica teaches and mentors young artists whenever her schedule permits.

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Episode 216 - Stephan Bogardus

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Stephen Bogardus was featured in the Broadway revival of Man of La Mancha as Dr. Sanson Carrasco. Previously, he starred as Gabriel Conway in James Joyce’s, The Dead. He has also appeared on Broadway as reporter Mike Connors in High Society and choreographer Gregory Mitchell in Terrance McNally’s Love! Valour! Compassion! for which he received a Tony Award nomination and Obie Award. He was featured in the Alan Menken/Tim Rice opus King Davidwhich opened Disney’s newly restored New Amsterdam Theatre and in productions of Les Miserables and The Grapes of Wrath. Mr. Bogardus is an original member of the Broadway production of Falsettos. He created the role of Whizzer in the 1981 off-Broadway production of William Finn’s March of the Falsettos at Playwrights Horizons. Nine years later he reprised the role in Falsettoland at Playwrights Horizons and the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Between these engagements he portrayed Marvin in a revival of Finn’s In Trousers at the Promenade Theatre. Stephen made his Broadway debut in the 1980 revival of West Side Story as Mouthpiece and later starred as Tony in Paris and at the Hamburg Staatsoper. Stephen’s extensive Off-Broadway work includes The Pavilion (Rattlestick) Genesis and Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Public Theatre), Feathertop (WPA Theatre) No Way to Treat a Lady (Hudson Guild) and Love! Valour! Compassion! (Manhattan Theatre Club). For the City Center’s ‘Encores!’ he has co-starred in productions of Sweet Adeline and Allegro. For Los Angeles’ like-minded ‘Reprise!’ series he co-starred in Bells Are Ringing. He portrayed Gaylord Ravenal in the national tour of Show Boat, the writer Stine in the L.A. production of City of Angelsand Freddy Trumper in the national tour of Chess. Regionally, he appeared at Arena Stage as Rene Gallimard in M. Butterfly, as Bob Wallace in Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at the Wang Center in Boston, in the American premiere of Doug Lucie’s Progress at the Long Wharf Theatre and Ray Davies’ 80 Days at the La Jolla Playhouse. On television he has guest starred on ‘Ed’, ‘Now and Again’, ‘Law and Order’ (also ‘Special Victims Unit’ and ‘Criminal Intent’), ‘New York Undercover’, ‘Murder She Wrote’, and ‘Tour of Duty’. His films include Alchemy, Second Best, States of Controland Love! Valour! Compassion! Mr. Bogardus attended Princeton University where he was a member of The Triangle Club and The Nassoons.

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Episode 215 - Kelly Hutchinson

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 15:18:29 -0000

KELLY HUTCHINSON IS AN ACTOR/WRITER WHO HAS APPEARED ON

BROADWAY, OFF-BROADWAY, TV AND FILM. KELLY RECENTLY WROTE ON

THE FIRST TWO SEASONS OF "DEAD TO ME" FOR CBS STUDIOS/NETFLIX

(WGA AWARD NOMINATION FOR BEST NEW SERIES). SHE WAS FEATURED

IN THE 2019 "YOUNG AND HUNGRY LIST" WHICH REPRESENTS THE MOST

TALKED ABOUT, MOST IN DEMAND, AND MOST IMPACTFUL WRITERS OF

2019.

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Episode 214 - Liz Caplan

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0000

LIZ CAPLAN has been teaching and coaching voice since 1978 in New York City and lectures throughout the United States and Europe.

Her students are currently featured in principle roles on Broadway, as artists in the recording industry, as well as actors on Film and TV. Many have also won the prestigious Tony, Grammy and Emmy awards. Besides working vocally with recording artists, Liz also does consulting work for all the major record labels.

Additionally, Liz has the honor of working with many Tony and Grammy Award winning musical directors and arrangers. She consults on many projects long before they are fully realized, and as a result, she is able to get a sense of the upcoming trends in both musical theater and the music industry. Her students, therefore, benefit from a teacher who has an awareness of these new productions and their various musical styles.

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Episode 213 - Jordan Firstman

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Jordan Firstman is an Actor and writer, known for The Disgustings (2014) and Sold (2014). He is a man of personality that has over 198,000 followers on Instagram.

He, along with Charles Rogers (director) Charles Rogers, co-wrote and co-starred in the short film Men Don't Whisper, which was an official selection at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival as well as the 2018 South by Southwest Film Festival. The film follows a gay Couple with masculinity issues who attempt to sleep with women. It is produced by JASH and also stars Fort Tilden and Search Party actors Bridey Elliott and Clare McNulty, as well as a guest appearance by SNL alum Cheri Oteri. Rogers is also one of the filmmakers behind the multi-director feature film Black Dog (film), Red Dog, produced by James Franco and Rabbit Bandini Productions, starring Logan Marshall-Green, Chloë Sevigny, and Whoopi Goldberg, which premiered at the 2015 International Film Festival of Guanajuato. The film was a class project at the NYU Graduate Film program, taught by James Franco, wherein ten student filmmakers adapted the poetry of Stephen Dobyns.

Jordan is best known for his celebrated darkly comedic works The Disgustings, Sold and most recently Call Your Father, which he is adapting into a television series. He is a writer on the TBS series Search Party, which Charles co-created and executive produces

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Episode 212 - Nicolette Robinson Returns

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0000

NICOLETTE ROBINSON starred in Waitress on Broadway. Nicolette holds the distinction of being the first African American woman to play the musical's leading lady, "Jenna." On television, Robinson played ‘Jane’ on Showtime’s Golden Globe Award-winning drama series, The Affair. She has also appeared on Hart of Dixie, Unforgettable, Perfect Couples, and Cold Case, among others. Most recent and upcoming roles include "Sade" in Freeform's limited series, Love in the Time of Corona, and "Barbara Cooke" in Regina King's One Night in Miami. Robinson is a graduate of UCLA's School of Theater, Film, & Television.

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Episode 211 - Jennifer Ashley Tepper Returns

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Jennifer Ashley Tepper is producer of the musicals Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love In Hate Nation. She is also the Creative and Programming Director at Feinstein's/54 Below, and the author of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series. She is the creator of The Jonathan Larson Project and historian consultant on the upcoming film version of tick, tick...BOOM! Tepper was recently named recipient of a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award.

As the leader of Feinstein's/54 Below's creative programming team, Tepper is responsible for programming every show at the Broadway supper club and concert venue. She has curated and overseen the production of over 3500 shows, ranging from musicals in concert, to original solo acts, to theatrical reunions, to songwriter celebrations, and beyond. Feinstein's/54 Below has become notable for being the only venue of its kind: presenting over a dozen shows every week, specializing in Broadway acts, and welcoming both traditional cabaret and innovative new work. Tepper's leadership has been instrumental in making the locale "Broadway's Living Room", where on any given night one can find Broadway's biggest stars and emerging talents side by side, creating and sharing new work in an intimate theatrical environment.

Tepper's producing work on original ventures at the venue has gained praise from publications including The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Playbill, Newsday, the New York Post, and more. From Hit List (the live concert version of the fictional musical from NBC's Smash) to Smile: A Broadway Reunion Concert to her collaborations with musical theatre writers both established and emerging, Tepper has, according to Theatermania, "brought her encyclopedic knowledge and typical gusto to the venue, knowing just what musical theatre enthusiasts are looking for."

Tepper is the co-creator of the Bistro Award-winning concert series, If It Only Even Runs A Minute, now in its 7th year. ...Runs A Minute celebrates short-lived Broadway and off-Broadway musicals in concerts that feature photos and research as well as songs. Each concert also boasts original cast members and writers telling stories, as well as songs that have never been recorded. The series thus far has comprised over 250 performers and over 200 'under-appreciated' shows. AM New York has called the series: "Artistically compelling... displays the blood, guts, sweat and tears that go into making Broadway shows."

As a writer, Tepper has authored three volumes of The Untold Stories of Broadway series, published by Dress Circle. For these books, Tepper interviewed 250 theatre professionals about the Broadway theaters themselves and their stories of working in each house. The books cover over 70 years of our theatrical history, shared through first-hand interviews with Broadway professionals who were there. The Untold Stories of Broadway books comprise stories with actors, producers, directors, writers, designers, stagehands, door men and women, musicians, house managers, press agents, ushers, and many more. Interspersed with interviewees' stories are Tepper's own tales and discoveries about each historic building. The Untold Stories of Broadway partners with a charitable organization that receives proceeds from each volume, and is currently partnered with Broadway Impact, the Theatre Development Fund, and the Broadway Green Alliance. Published in 2013, 2014, and 2016, each book has occupied the #1 spot on Amazon.com's Best Sellers List in Broadway & Musicals. NBC New York has called the books an 'inspiring Must-Read'.

Tepper was recently named one of the 10 professionals on Backstage Magazine's "1st Annual Broadway Future Power List", alongside Alex Timbers and Leigh Silverman. According to the article: "Proving herself both a zeitgeist predictor and theatrical historian with her eclectic programming, Tepper is leading the conversation on contemporary musical theatre."

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Episode 210 - Marshall Herskovitz

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0000

MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ is a writer, producer, and director who has won numerous awards for his work in television and film. Born in Philadelphia, he attended Brandeis University, then moved to Los Angeles in 1975, where he attended the American Film Institute. One of his classmates was Edward Zwick, and there the two created what is currently the longest-surviving creative partnership in Hollywood: The Bedford Falls Company, named for the town in Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. In the ensuing decades they created such TV series as thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again; and Herskovitz variously produced and/or wrote many films with Zwick, including Legends of the Fall, Traffic, The Last Samurai, and Blood Diamond. Herskovitz also directed Jack the Bear and the cult-favorite Dangerous Beauty.

In 2007, Herskovitz created the groundbreaking online series and social network quarterlife, which at the time was the internet’s most successful scripted series, and the first online series to transition to network television.

A longtime environmentalist, Herskovitz has served on the board of several organizations dedicated to fighting climate change.

He is a past president of the Producers Guild of America.

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Episode 209 - Sasha Hutchings

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Sasha Hutchings is an actress, foodie, lover of manatees, and collector of too many house plants. She was most recently seen as Laurey Williams in Oklahoma!, winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival. Sasha is notably an original cast member of Hamilton. Additional Broadway credits include My Fair Lady, Rocky, Motown, and Memphis. TV credits include Paula Kelly on Fosse/Verdon, The Bold Type, Jessica Jones, Master of None, Blue Bloods, and The Dangerous Book for Boys. Sasha is a teaching artist with the Arthur Miller Foundation, Epic Theatre Ensemble, and New York City public school theatre programs. She holds a BPA in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University.

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Episode 208 - Kelly AuCoin

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Kelly AuCoin is currently shooting season 5 of Showtime’s Billions, on which he plays ‘Dollar’ Bill Stearn. He also currently plays Warren Sloan on Freeform/HULU’s The Bold Type. Recent other recurring TV roles includes Pastor Tim on FX’s The Americans, Hercules Mulligan on AMC’s TURN, and Gary Stamper on House of Cards. Other TV includes Blacklist, The Slap, Madam Secretary, Person of Interest, The Following, The Good Wife, Elementary, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, Body of Proof, Gossip Girl, White Collar, The Sopranos, Without A Trace, and many Law & Order episodes of various suffixes. His film credits include the upcoming The Good House (Amblin), False Positive (A24) and A Shot Through The Wall, as well as previous apperances in, among others, The Post, The Wizard of Lies, Julie & Julia, The Kingdom, All That I Am (SXSW Award; Ensemble Acting), Drunk Parents, Benji The Dove, Police State, The Music Never Stopped, and The Word. Theatre credits include Octavius Caesar in Julius Caesar on Broadway opposite Denzel Washington, The 24 Hour Plays Broadway, and the first national touring company of Copenhagen. He was part of the Drama Desk Award-winning ensemble cast of The Wayside Motor Inn (Signature Theatre), and his other Off-Broadway credits include Long Lost and Of Good Stock (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Call (Playwrights Horizons), Some Men (Second Stage), Boy (Primary Stages), Happy Now? (Primary Stages), Jailbait (Cherry Lane), The Ladies Of The Corridor (Peccadillo), and The Fifth Column (Mint Theater). Regional appearances include Yale Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown, Syracuse Stage, Folger, Hartford Stage, TheatreVirginia, Virginia Stage, and New York Stage & Film. He is a former member of the Oregon Shakespeare festival acting company.

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Episode 207 - Raúl Esparza

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Raúl Esparza is a Cuban-American stage and television actor, singer, and voice artist, best known for his role as New York Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Rafael Barba in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit where he had a recurring role in season 14 and was promoted to a series regular in seasons 15 to 19. He has received Tony nominations for his role as Philip Salon in the Boy George musical Taboo in 2004; Robert in the musical comedy Company in 2006; a lazy and snarky man in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming; and an aggressive volatile movie producer in David Mamet's Speed the Plow. He played the role of Riff Raff on Broadway in the revival of The Rocky Horror Show and the role of Caractacus Potts in the Broadway musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Esparza has been nominated in all Tony categories for which an actor is eligible. He is widely regarded for his versatility on stage, having performed musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, Boy George, and the Sherman Brothers and plays by Mamet, Pinter, William Shakespeare, Tom Stoppard, and more. His film work includes Sidney Lumet's Find Me Guilty and Wes Craven's My Soul to Take and his television credits include roles on The Path, Medium, Hannibal, and Pushing Daisies. He narrated the audiobook for Stephen King's Under the Dome, as well as several others, and sings in concerts all over the country.

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Episode 206 - Jelani Alladin

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Jelani Alladin is an artist and activist, mostly known for his stage work including Disney’s Frozen on Broadway and Hercules at the Public Theater. Upcoming TV/ Film: The Walking Dead: The World Beyond (AMC) and Respect (MGM). In addition, Jelani also writes and produces; having recently founded Dumont Millennial Productions. Jelani has a BFA in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts.

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Episode 205 - Lauren Marcus

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Lauren is an acclaimed singer-songwriter who reaches over 90,000 listeners monthly. As

an actor, she recently made her Broadway debut as Brooke Lohst in the viral sensation Be

More Chill while enjoying her first month-long residency at the legendary Rockwood

Music Hall in New York City.

As an actor, select regional and New York credits also include: Audrey in Little Shop of

Horrors (Pittsburgh Public Theater), Brooke Lohst in Be More Chill (Two River

Theater and Signature Theatre), Brigid in The Humans (St. Louis Rep), Amy

in Company (Barrington Stage), Beatsville (Asolo Rep), The Jonathan Larson

Project (Feinstein’s/54 Below), Mary Flynn in Merrily We Roll Along (Sharon

Playhouse), Pregnancy Pact (Weston Playhouse), and Miss Asp in Love in Hate

Nation (Two River Theater).

Lauren is an alumnus of the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project, and released

her debut EP, Never Really Done With You, in July 2016. In 2015, her children’s musical,

The Meanest Birthday Girl (book/lyrics), was part of the New York Children’s Theatre

Festival and played the Player’s Theatre in Greenwich Village. Love Letter (co-written by

husband Joe Iconis), an original cabaret show exploring the lives and music of Johnny

Cash and June Carter Cash, played sold out runs at both Don’t Tell Mama’s and

Feinstein’s 54 Below.

Lauren is a current writer for GoNoodle Inc.’s new girl group, The Best Tees. She holds a

Bachelor of Music from NYU and a Master of Arts from The Royal Conservatoire of

Scotland.

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Episode 204 - Marisa Tomei

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Marisa Tomei continues to bridge the gap between rich, dramatic performances and smart, comedic turns. Marisa won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny. Tomei subsequently earned Academy Awards nominations for her performances in In the Bedroomand The Wrestler.

Marisa recently wrapped her run as “Serafina Delle Rose” in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of the acclaimed Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattoo, which marked Marisa’s return to the Broadway stage. She also recently wrapped production on Netflix’s action film, Sweet Girl, where she will appear alongside Jason Mamoa.

Next, she will star alongside Pete Davidson in Universal Pictures’ The King of Staten Island, a comedy film from Judd Apatow. The film will premiere as the opening night film at 2020 SXSW, before releasing nationwide on June 19, 2020.

Recently, Marisa returned to the silver screen for ABC’s live special of Live In Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All In The Family & The Jeffersons, where she starred as ‘Edith Bunker’ alongside Woody Harrelson, Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes. The one-night only events aired live on ABC on May 22 and December 18, 2019, and garnered three Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live).

Last year, Marisa reunited with Ira Sachs for independent drama, Frankie, which had its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. She also reprised her role of “Aunt May” in Sony Entertainment and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Far From Home. The film released in theaters on July 2, 2019, dominating the box office weekend.

Her other notable film credits include: The Big Short, Love is Strange, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Ides of March, Loitering with Intent, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, What Women Want, Happy Accidents, and Slums of Beverly Hills. She also recently appeared on television in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and FOX’s “Empire,” among others. A veteran of the theater, Marisa starred as ‘George’ in Sarah Ruhl’s “How To Transcend a Happy Marriage” at Lincoln Center in 2017. Her previous Broadway credits include: Will Eno’s “The Realistic Joneses” (2014 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance), Caryl Churchill's “Top Girls” (Drama Desk Award nomination), “Oh! The Humanity” and “Other Good Intentions,” “Marie and Bruce,” “Design for Living,” “We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!,” “Waiting for Lefty,” “Rocket to the Moon,” “Demonology,” “Dark Rapture,” “Slavs!,” “The Comedy of Errors,” and “The Summer Winds,” among others. Tomei is a founding member of the Naked Angels Theater Company in New York City.

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Episode 203 - Ariana DeBose

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Ariana DeBose is a Tony-nominated actress known for her varying roles on stage as well as on screen. DeBose is perhaps best known for her role as “Disco Donna” in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. For the same role, she was nominated for a Drama League Award for “Distinguished Performance” and won a Chita Rivera Award for “Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show.”

DeBose recently wrapped production on Ryan Murphy's Netflix adaptation of the hit-Broadway musical THE PROM, where she stars as Alyssa alongside Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden. In December, DeBose will be seen in Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated reimagining of the Academy Award-winning musical WEST SIDE STORY. DeBose was chosen from thousands of actresses to portray the iconic role of Anita, which earned Rita Moreno an Oscar in 1962.

In 2015, DeBose appeared alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda in the groundbreaking, Tony-winning musical Hamilton as a member of the original cast in both the Broadway and off-Broadway productions. A film version of the production will be released on Disney+ in July. After her departure from Hamilton in 2016, DeBose completed a run as Jane in the original Broadway cast of A Bronx Tale.

Her additional theater credits include: Leading Player in the Tony Award-winning revival of Pippin, Mary Wilson of the Supremes in Motown The Musical, Nautica in Andy Blankenbuehler’s Bring It On: The Musical and ensemble in Stephen Sondheim's Company. Other credits include: The Breaks (VH1), Blue Bloods (CBS), OLTL’s Star Crossed Lovers Series and Season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance (FOX), where she was a top-20 finalist.

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Episode 202 - Annie Golden

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Annie Golden considers herself the illegitimate child of the legitimate theatre, having been discovered on the Bowery fronting a rock band, and cast by Milos Forman as Jeannie in Hair, the 1978 film. Annie was an original cast member for five seasons of the award-winning Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK; silence is golden, and so is Annie’s character, Norma Romano! She will also be seen on Season Three of HBO’s HIGH MAINTENANCE in Spring 2019 as “Bambie,” which was written for her by the show’s creators. She can also be seen in the upcoming feature film BITE ME. On Broadway and off, she was last seen in Violet, and created the role of Georgie Bukatinsky in The Full Monty; Sondheim’s original Squeaky Fromme in Assassins, the off-Broadway production at Playwrights Horizons, directed by Jerry Zaks; Ah! Wilderness with Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards; On The Town; and Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey. Her other numerous film credits include Touched With Fire opposite Katie Holmes; Twelve Monkeys; Baby Boom; Brooklyn Rules; Suddenly Seeking Susan; I Love You, Phillip Morris; and Miles. Her television credits include “Difficult People,” “The 2-2,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Cheers,” “Miami Vice,” and “Third Watch”.

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Episode 201 - Nik Walker

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Nik Walker is an actor, cinephile, theme park nerd and collector of talented frenemies. Currently leading the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud (after 3 years as Aaron Burr in the Broadway and touring companies of Hamilton), he’s also been seen in Motown the Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, on TV in Law and Order SVU, and regionally at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe and The Denver Center, to name a few. A playwright, he is the co-writer of Company One’s ARTiculation, and the creator of The Bloody Boston Trilogy. He is cohost of the talk show The Chaos Twins, hosted by BroadwayWorld, and his movie podcast, Little Justice, is streaming with the Broadway Podcast Network. @nikkywalks

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Episode 200 - Mira Sorvino

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 13:33:00 -0000

Mira Katherine Sorvino was born in Manhattan. She is the daughter of Lorraine Davis, an actress turned drama therapist, and veteran character actor Paul Sorvino. Her father's family were Italian immigrants. The young Sorvino was intelligent, an avid reader and an exceptional scholar. Her father discouraged her from becoming an actor, as he knew how the industry often chews up young stars. She attended Harvard, majoring in Chinese, graduating magna cum laude in 1989, largely on the strength of her thesis, a Hoopes Prize-winning thesis on racial conflict in China, written and researched during the year spent in Beijing, which helped her fluency in Mandarin Chinese.

However, she showed interest in a career in acting from an early age, and moved to New York City to try her hand in the City's film industry, waitressing, auditioning and working at the Tribeca production company of Robert De Niro. She succeeded in getting a little television work in the early 1990s, but got her first film job in the independent gangster movie Amongst Friends (1993), on which she worked her way up the ladder behind the camera to eventually associate-produce the film, and, more importantly, was eventually cast as the female lead. The indie production was well-received, and Sorvino's performance attracted enough buzz to get her cast in two more movies, one a more prominent indie, Barcelona (1994), the other her first Hollywood feature, Quiz Show(1994), and her skillful performances brought her yet more attention.

An exceptionally poised and articulate young woman, she may have seemed inappropriate to play a crazy hooker, but Woody Allen took the chance, and her magnificent performance as the female lead in his Mighty Aphrodite (1995) proved her range as a performer and earned her an Oscar (at the tender age of 29) for Best Supporting Actress. Since winning the Oscar, Sorvino has continued to take a wide range of roles, including another stretch as Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996), co-starring with another very intelligent and skilled young actress, Ashley Judd. Forays into action and horror, such as Mimic (1997) and The Replacement Killers (1998) show that Sorvino is not above being playful in the film roles she chooses.

However, what forever cemented her role in popular culture was her performance as charmingly silly California beach girl Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), in which she and co-star Lisa Kudrow utter one hilarious absurdity after another. She is most recently featured in Ryan Murphy's Hollywood on Netflix.

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Episode 199 - Nicole Blaine

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Nicole Blaine’s first stand-up special with Comedy Dynamics, Life's A Bit, is available on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and a variety of cable outlets. She is thrilled to embark on a midwest tour this summer for Scary Mommy Live, and you can catch her on the upcoming season 3 of Laugh After Dark on Amazon Prime. Nicole has been seen on NBC’s The Today Show, E’s That Morning Show, SFSketchfest, Big Sky Comedy Festival, The International FringeNYC Festival, Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and HBO’s Women in Comedy Festival.

Nicole and her producing partner/husband/assistant, Mickey Blaine, executive produced and directed the stand-up special, Burning the Light, which debuted on HBO in 2016. You can see Nicole perform every Monday night at the Kibitz Comedy Show at Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles. LA Weekly describes her as “a remarkable performer with brains, beauty and rich comic delivery,” and her honest (and crass) observations showcase her “humor, passion, dazzling charm and a naturalness that many performers, or even civilians, would kill for." (Backstage West) She lives in Santa Monica with her husband and two kids. They all suck so she has great material.

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Episode 198 - Lena Hall

Mon, 25 May 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Lena Hall is an American actress, singer and songwriter best known for her work on Broadway originating the role of Nicola in Kinky Boots, and her Tony Award-winning performance as Yitzhak in the 2014 revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which also earned her a Grammy nomination for the musical's official album. She made history by becoming the first person to play both Hedwig and Yitzhak in the same production during the national tour of the musical in 2016. Her other Broadway credits include Cats, 42nd Street, Dracula, the Musical and Tarzan, the Musical.

Hall has also starred in Off-Broadway productions such as Radiant Baby, Bedbugs!!!, Rooms: A Rock Romance, The Toxic Avenger, Prometheus Bound, Chix6, and the 2017 original play How to Transcend a Happy Marriage. Hall has appeared in films such as Sex and the City (2008), The Graduates (2008), Born from the Foot (2009), The Big Gay Musical (2009), and Becks (2017), for which she received widespread critical acclaim. She has also appeared on TV shows like ABC's All My Children, HBO's Girls, Amazon Prime's Good Girls Revolt, and voiced the role of Countess Coloratura on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. In 2020, she will star on TNT's science fiction epic Snowpiercer.

Hall was the lead singer of the band The Deafening, they released an album with original songs in 2012 titled Central Booking. In 2015, Hall released her first solo album, Sin & Salvation: Live At the Carlyle.

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Episode 197 - Taylor Trensch

Mon, 18 May 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Taylor Trensch was most recently seen in To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway almost directly after taking over the title role in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. Other credits include the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!, in which he played Barnaby Tucker. Other Broadway credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Matilda and Wicked. He also was featured in the off-Broadway productions of Bare and Rent and on the first national tour of Spring Awakening. He's been seen in world premieres at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Dallas Theater Center, La Jolla Playhouse, Barrington Stage. On screen, he's been seen in Nickelodeon’s Nella the Princess Knight.

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Episode 196 - Noah Galvin

Mon, 11 May 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Noah Galvin - Film: Booksmart (Dir Olivia Wilde), Assassination Nation (Dir Sam Levinson). TV: "The Real O'Neals" (ABC). Broadway: Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen. Off-Broadway: MCC, NYTW, Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Vineyard, Signature, Barrow Street, Rattlestick, and more. Regional: Huntington, Bay Street Theatre, Goodspeed, and more. Tours: Les Miserables (3rd National). Audiobooks: "Perks of Being a Wallflower", "What if it's Us", and others. 2019 Audie Award Nominee.

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Episode 195 - Rebecca Naomi Jones

Mon, 04 May 2020 05:00:00 -0000

REBECCA NAOMI JONES is an Americanactress and singer best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals Passing Strange, American Idiot, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.Jones was born in New York City, New York, to a musician father. Her mother is Jewish and her father is African-American. Jones performed in the children's chorus of the Metropolitan Opera as a youth and graduated from the Berkeley Carroll School in 1999. "I did theatre all throughout middle school and high school and was really into it, the same with singing," she said. Jones received her BFA in drama from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and appeared in the national tours of Rent and Caroline, or Change.In 2007 Jones made her Off-Broadway debut in Passing Strange, which transferred to Broadway on February 28, 2008. She created the role of Whatsername in the Green Day rock opera American Idiot, which opened on Broadway on April 20, 2010.[1]Paper magazine said of Jones, "She's carved out a nice niche for herself as the girl to call when there's a cooler-than-thou musical in town." In 2012 Jones played the Narrator in Manhattan Theatre Club's Off-Broadway musical Murder Ballad, for which she received a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress. Jones returned for the show's engagement at the Union Square Theatre, which ran from May 22, 2013, to July 21, 2013. Later that summer, Jones appeared in a new musical adaptation of Love's Labour's Lost at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. On June 2, 2014, Jones received a Lilly Award, a prize designed to honor women in the theater. On April 14, 2015, Jones replaced Lena Hall as Yitzhak in the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Jones played the role through the production's end on September 13.In 2017 she starred as Vanessa in Significant Other on Broadway.In 2018 Jones starred as Laurey Williams in Daniel Fish's production of Oklahoma! at St Ann's Warehouse. The production transferred to Broadway at The Circle In The Square Theatre in March 2019.

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Episode 194 - Erika Henningsen

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Erika most recently starred as Cady in Mean Girls on broadway. She has also been seen as Fantine in the recent Broadway revival of Les Miserables, Kim Ravenal in PBS’ Live from Lincoln Center: Show Boat and Beth in Signature Theatre’s world premiere of Kathleen Marshall/Sheryl Crow’ musical, Diner. She was featured opposite Tyne Daly in York Theatre Company’s staging of Jerry Herman’s Dear World and has also starred as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Sophie in Mamma Mia! at PCLO. She is the recipient of Alan Eisenberg Actors’ Equity Award and graduate of University of Michigan BFA Musical Theater.

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Episode 193 - Tim Busfield

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0000

TIMOTHY BUSFIELD is a Producer, Writer, Director and Emmy Award winning actor with over 650 professional credits. As a director, his most recent film Guest Artist, written by and starring Jeff Daniels, is scheduled to be released internationally in July of 2020. The film has won many awards since its premiere at The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, including Best Director at the New York Independent Film Festival.

As an actor he has been a series regular or recurring character on 20 television series including the currently running “For Life”, “Almost Family”, “thirtysomething,” “The West Wing,” “Entourage,” “Designated Survivor,” “Sleepy Hollow,” Secrets and Lies,” “ED,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Trapper John, M.D.,” “The Byrds of Paradise,” “Champs,” “Family Ties,” “Without A Trace,” “The Paper Chase,” “Reggie,” “All My Children”, “One Dollar”. He recently appeared in the mini-series “The Loudest Voice”.

Mr. Busfield has appeared in over 40 television movies and feature films, including Field of Dreams, Stripes, Revenge of the Nerds, Nerds in Paradise, Quiz Show, Sneakers, Striking Distance, Little Big League, First Kid, National Security, 23 Blast, Strays and Trucks. His short film One Smart Fellow which he codirected, co-wrote, and also acted in, won many film festivals nationwide in 2015-2016.

Timothy has directed over 140 episodes of television, including “This Is Us“ and multiple episodes of “The Fosters” (also directed the pilot), “thirtysomething, “Children’s Hospital”, “Sports Night,” “Damages,” “Lipstick Jungle,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Without A Trace,” “Las Vegas,” “The Night Shift,” “Secrets and Lies,” “The Glades,” “Designated Survivor,” “Law and Order SVU”, “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings”, “The Rookie”, “The Conners”, and many more.

He has served as a Producing Director on six television series including “Secrets and Lies,” “Mind Games,” Lipstick Jungle,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Without A Trace,” “ED” and the mini-series “Maneater.”

In theatre, he has appeared in over 50 regional theatre productions including productions at The Long Wharf, The Mark Taper Forum, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, and The Westport Country Playhouse. And on Broadway twice, most recently as Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men.” He has also directed more than 35 professional productions and written dozens of children’s plays. Mr. Busfield founded two of America’s most successful professional theatres, The Fantasy Theatre (AKA the B Street School Tour) and The B Street Theatre, both in Sacramento, California.

Now in their 33rd season, the theatres perform annually for over 250,000 children and adults at their facility in Sacramento and in schools throughout northern California. He has an honorary PhD from Michigan State University and has served as an Artist in Residence and Director of National Content for their PBS affiliate WKAR.

Timothy splits his time between New York City and Sullivan County, NY with his wife, television icon and fantastic cook, Melissa Gilbert.

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Episode 192 - Wayne Brady

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Multiple Emmy award-winning and Grammy Award- nominated Wayne Brady has made his mark on stage and screen as an actor, singer, dancer, improviser, songwriter and television personality.

In December 2019, Brady was named the winner of season two of “The Masked Singer,” arguably the biggest performance competition show in the world. His musical artistry won over the judges and audiences all across the country. On the heels of his win, Brady dropped a brand-new original single, entitled “Flirtin’ w/ Forever,” which quickly climbed the streaming charts, as well as an accompanying music video.

Long an accomplished singer and performer, Brady’s debut album was released in September 2008, with his version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" earning him a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance category.

Brady is known across America as host of the iconic CBS game show, “Let’s Make a Deal,” which has earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards – Outstanding Game Show Host and Outstanding Original Song. His previous foray into daytime television, “The Wayne Brady Show,” earned him two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Talk Show Host. Brady was also nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards – winning one – for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his stellar work on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

In 2004, Brady teamed up with Dave Chappelle in the now classic “Chappelle’s Show” sketch spoofing the film, “Training Day.” The clip became legend and is constantly quoted and listed as one of the top sketches in the history of that show.

Brady’s additional television credits include a recent role on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” which earned him yet another Daytime Emmy Award nomination. He also recurred on the 2018 USA Network series, “Colony,” 2016’s SyFy series, “Aftermath,” and on the CBS comedy series, “How I Met Your Mother.” Guest appearances include roles on “Key and Peele,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” and “30 Rock.” Wayne can soon be seen on ABC’s “Mixed-ish,” CBS’s “The Neighborhood” and has a major recurring arc on CW’s “Black Lightning.”

On stage, Brady made his Broadway debut starring as ‘Billy Flynn’ in the long-running hit musical, “Chicago.” In November 2015, Brady starred as ‘Lola’ in “Kinky Boots,” Broadway’s Tony Award- winning Best Musical, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. His interpretation of the lead role was so popular, he was asked to return for a limited run in spring 2016. In January 2017, Brady assumed the lead role of ‘Aaron Burr’ in the Chicago production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award- winning “Hamilton” for three months. In Fall 2019, he reteamed with Miranda, making several appearances in the improvisational hip-hop spectacular, “Freestyle Love Supreme.”

Wayne Brady currently resides in Los Angeles.

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Episode 191 - Brogan Ganley

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Brogan Ganley has been teaching meditation for over a decade. She has worked in hospitals in oncology and general wards, with patients and staff, in public and private schools with teachers and children, office/corporate environments, community centers and in private practice. Brogan has seen first hand how the modalities she uses can profoundly change people’s lives and this keeps her incredibly passionate about the work she does.

After years of study in India, Nepal, New Zealand, UK and the US, she began teaching Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga in 2007, became a Reiki Master in 2012, and Urban Zen Integrative Therapist in 2012.

Brogan grew up in very rural New Zealand, where nature and the landscape played a huge role. Taking care of your own health and healing with the aid of nature and community was simply the way it was done.

Brogan and her husband have two children and have lived in Brooklyn for 14 years. They have 40 acres of wooded land in upstate New York, completely off-grid, solar and hydro power where she meditates, restores, creates and harvests plants for healing to be used throughout the year.

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Episode 190 - George Salazar Returns

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Most recently starred in the Pasadena Playhouse production of Little Shop of Horrors.

He was previously seen off-Broadway in Keen Company's Drama Desk-nominated revival of tick, tick... BOOM! and in David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's hit off-Broadway immersive musical, Here Lies Love. George made his Broadway debut singing "Light of the World" in the 2011 Revival of Godspell and toured with the second national company of Spring Awakening prior to that. Regional credits include the world premiere of Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz's Be More Chill, the world premiere of Joe Iconis, Lance Rubin, and Jason "SweetTooth" Williams' Broadway Bounty Hunter, the world premiere of Raging Skillet, and "Chip Tolentino" in ...Putnam County Spelling Bee. He was also a cast member of the 10th Annual CBS Diversity Showcase in Los Angeles.

George's TV credits include CBS' BULL, HBO's DIVORCE, & appearances on CBS' LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, ABC'S THE VIEW, OWN'S THE ROSIE SHOW, and the 2012 TONY AWARDS telecast. He appears on various recordings including GEORGE SALAZAR AND JOE ICONIS: TWO-PLAYER GAME (Ghostlight), BE MORE CHILL (Ghostlight), THE LIGHTNING THIEF (Broadway Records), GODSPELL (Sh-K-Boom), BROOKLYN CRUSH (Broadway Records) and MOMENT BY MOMENT.

For more information, follow him on Instagram and Twitter @georgesalazar or visit his website at www.thegeorgesalazar.com

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Episode 189 - THE SHOW MUST GO ON - EXCEPT WHEN IT CAN’T

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0000

A special episode of Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

On March 12th, 2020 Broadway shows and performances all over the United States came to an immediate halt but the voices of all the artists are going strong while waiting for shows to reopen or mourning the shows that will not be able to come back.

Listen to Ilana and her friends Joe Iconis, Kristin Chenoweth, Judy Kuhn, Beth Malone, Kathryn Gallagher and Jonathan Marc Sherman tell their tales of shows ending abruptly and what that means to them and the community at large.

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Episode 188 - Elizabeth Stanley

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Elizabeth Stanley is a Drama Desk Award nominee, and widely recognized stage and screen actress.

She can currently be seen starring as Mary Jane Healy in Jagged Little Pill featuring the beloved music of Alanis Morissette, a book by Diablo Cody, orchestrations by Tom Kitt, and directed by Diane Paulus. Stanley originated the role in its World Premiere at Harvard’s American Repertory Theater. In the show’s Broadway bow, Variety said that she portrayed Mary Jane with “with infinite compassion in a stunning performance.”

She originated the roles of Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet and Allison in Cry-Baby. Additional Broadway credits include the revival of On the Town (Drama Desk Nomination) and the Tony Award-Winning revival of Company. She also appeared in the First National Tours of The Bridges of Madison County and Xanadu.

On television, Stanley can be seen in “NOS4A2” (upcoming), “FBI,” “The Get Down”, “The Affair,” “Black Box,” “Made in Jersey,” “Fringe,” “The Chappelle Show,” and “PBS Great Performances – Company.”

She resides in New York.

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Episode 187 - John Slattery Returns

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0000

John Slattery is an American actor and director. He is best known for his role as Roger Sterling in the AMC drama series Mad Men. He has received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and two Critics' Choice Television Awards for AMC's series Mad Men. He was also part of the Mad Men ensemble cast that won two SAG Awards. In 2013, Slattery directed his first feature film, God's Pocket, which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. He is currently on the HBO series Veep. Apart from his role on Mad Men, Slattery is also known for roles on Homefront; the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon; the HBO series K Street; guest appearances on Will & Grace; Judging Amy; Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives. Other films include Mona Lisa Smile, Flags of our Fathers, Charlie Wilson's War and The Adjustment Bureau. In 2015, Slattery portrayed journalist Ben Bradlee Jr. in the Academy Award winning film Spotlight, and also appeared in the Netflix comedy series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, for which he earned a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series.

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Episode 186 - Zachary Quinto

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Zachary Quinto hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Carnegie Mellon where he received a BFA in Acting.

In 2007 he was cast as Sylar on the hit NBC series Heroes. That same year, he was cast as Spock in the JJ Abrams directed reboot of the Star Trek franchise. He starred in the first season of American Horror Story in 2011, and won a Critic’s Choice Award and Emmy Award nomination for his portrayal on American Horror Story: Asylum.

Quinto appeared in the 2010 Signature revival of Tony Kushner’s Angels In America, for which he won a Theater World Award and a Drama Desk Award nomination. He made his Broadway debut in the 2013 Tony Award winning production of the Glass Menagerie. He was also seen in MCC’s production of Noah Haidle's Smokefall and in the Joe Mantello directed revival of The Boys in the Band.

Quinto began his production company Before the Door Pictures in 2008 and produced such films as Margin Call, All Is Lost, A Most Violent Year, and Aardvark. Quinto hosts the unscripted show In Search Of on the History Channel, and is currently starring in the AMC series NOS4A2.

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Episode 185 - Zane Pais

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Zane has appeared most recently in Sunday (Atlantic Theater Company, dir. Lee Sunday Evans). Other selected theater includes Dead Poets Society (CSC, dir. John Doyle), Mercury Fur (The New Group, dir. Scott Elliott), and Skylight (McCarter Theater, dir. Emily Mann). Film/TV: “Room 104” (HBO, dir. Lila Neugebauer), Margot at the Wedding (dir. Noah Baumbach), Alba & June (short, dir. Pepi Ginsberg), and Minyan (upcoming, dir. Eric Steel, premiering at Berlin Film Festival 2020). Zane also wrote a television pilot which was optioned by Sony.

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Thoughts From The Rehearsal Room - Bonus Episode!

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 20:16:57 -0000

It’s week 2 of previews of The Peeplexed - the new Richard Greenberg play - opening March 3rd at Manhattan Theater Club and Ilana shares some thoughts with her listeners from her dressing room at the theater. Tune in to Ilana’s audio journal as she sorts out the preview process and other tales and mishaps as the play transitions from the rehearsal room to the stage.

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Episode 184 - Nikki M. James

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Nikki M. James most famously, originated the role of Nabalungi in the Broadway hit musical, Book of Mormon, for which she won the Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. After her award winning performance, Nikki went on to star as Éponine in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables.

James starred on the Fox series Proven Innocent. James received rave reviews for her starring role as Viveca in Kirsten Child’s musical The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin in Encores! Off-Center production at City Center. The musical review was an ambitious follow up to Nikki’s portrayal of Portia, Brutus’ proud wife, in The Public Theatre’s extremely press worthy and politically prescient version of Julius Caesar at Shakespeare in the Park in 2017. Nikki reprised her role of Viola in the musical version of Twelfth Night this past summer under the direction of Oskar Eustis at the Delacorte Theatre.

Recent notable work in television includes a starring role in CBS’ quirky series Braindead and a recurring guest arc on the hit series The Good Wife, CBS’ Bull, Escape From Dannemora on Showtime and reprised her role of Monica from The Good Wife on the CBS All Access series The Good Fight. Her film credits include: Lucky Stiff and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. She has also performed several sold-out, one-woman cabaret shows at popular New York City venues such as 54 Below and Joe’s Pub.

No stranger to Broadway, Nikki has starred in productions of All Shook Up and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Other memorable theater productions include; Romeo and Juliet, Caesar and Cleopatra alongside Christopher Plummer, The Wiz, Bernarda Alba, House of Flowers and Preludes. She resides in New York City and holds a BFA in Drama from NYU.

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Episode 183 - Dominic Fumusa Live at Notre Dame University

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Dominic Fumusa is best known for playing "Kevin Peyton" opposite Edie Falco on Showtime's acclaimed show "Nurse Jackie" which ran for seven seasons from 2009-2015. Fumusa's extensive theater experience includes originating roles in the NY premieres of Sarah Ruhl's Stage Kiss and Passion Play, Richard Greenberg's Tony Award winning Take Me Out (NY and London), Melissa James Gibson's Obie Award winning [sic] and Stephen Belber's plays The Power of Duff, Fault Lines and Tape (NY, London and Los Angeles). His Broadway debut was in the 1998 revival of Wait Until Dark opposite Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino. Select regional theater credits include numerous plays at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the Stratford Festival in Canada, the Huntington Theater in Boston, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Humana Festival at the Actors Theater of Louisville. Fumusa's film work includes playing the real life hero John "Tig" Tiegen in this year's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi directed by Michael Bay. Last year Fumusa appeared opposite Will Smith and Margot Robbie in the romantic comedy Focus. Other film work includes Allegiance, Helena from the Wedding, Management and Little New York. Other television work includes upcoming recurring roles on "Homeland" (Showtime) and "Taken"(NBC). He has also had numerous guest and recurring roles on such shows as "Blue Bloods," "Elementary," "Person of Interest," "Damages," "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," "Bones" and many others. Fumusa earned his BA in Government from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI in 1991 and his MFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1994. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, actress and producer Ilana Levine, and their two children, Georgia and Caleb.

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Episode 182 - Derek Klena

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Derek Klena has been seen on Broadway as Fiyero in Wicked, Michael in The Bridges of Madison County and Dmitry in Anastasia. His off-Broadway credits include Dogfight and Carrie. Regionally, he has appeared in Anastasia (Hartford Stage), Diner (Signature Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company), Unknown Soldier (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Hairspray (Hollywood Bowl) and Jagged Little Pill (A.R.T.). His TV credits include Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Blue Bloods, Quantico, Law & Order: SVU and The Carrie Diaries. Derek can currently be seen in the broadway production of Jagged Little Pill.

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Episode 181 - Amanda Green

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 12:30:00 -0000

Amanda Green is a Tony-nominated lyricist/composer. She is the recipient of the 2013 Frederic Loewe Award from the Dramatists Guild (with collaborator Trey Anastasio) for her music for Hands On A Hardbody (lyricist; co-composer), one of two new musicals she premiered on Broadway in the 2012-2013 season. She also co-wrote the lyrics for Bring It On (currently on its second National Tour). For her work on Hands she was nominated for a Tony Award, Two Drama Desk Awards (music, lyrics) and an Outer Critics Circle Award. She was nominated for a third Drama Desk Award the same year for her lyrics (with Lin Manuel Miranda) for Bring It On. Also on Broadway:High Fidelity (lyrics). NY and regional credits: Stars of David (original songs; 2013; DR2 Theater). Arthur Laurents asked her to write additional lyrics for the revival ofHallelujah Baby (Arena Stage, directed by Mr. Laurents). For The Love Of Tiffany: A Wifetime Original Musical (lyricist, co-star; NY Fringe Festival). “Put A Little Love In Your Mouth! The Songs Of Amanda Green” (Second Stage Theater, Joe’s Pub); Up The Week Without A Paddle (2001 LADCC Nomination (Best Score), Backstage's Garland Award (Best Score). She is also an award-winning performer (2 MAC Awards, BISTRO Award) who performs her work, along with Broadway stars, in concerts everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Birdland to The Bluebird Café in Nashville. She has acted in musicals on Broadway and regionally, including originating the role of “Gary Coleman” in Avenue Q at The O’Neill Center. Legendary guitarist Trey Anastasio performs songs he and Amanda have co-written in arena concerts around the country with his bands PHISH and TAB. Other Awards: The Jonathan Larson Award, The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Abe Olman Award. TV: The Wonder Pets. BMI Musical Theater Workshop, Alumni; B.A. Brown University; Dramatists Guild member.

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Episode 180 - Kori Withers and Chris Stills

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Chris Stills is a celebrated troubado ur who ’s releases include h is debut album 100 Year Thing produced by Ethan Johns, on through to the eponymous Chris Stills and most - recently, Don’t Be Afraid where Chris reconnected with that “California kid who loves Leon Russell and Tom Petty” . Raised between California and France, Chris has cultivate d his music internationally along side a successful a cting career where he’s played Julius Caesar in the top - grossing French musical Cleopatra - The Last Queen of Egypt . Stills went on to also appear opposite Mélanie Laurent in in the French film Requiem for a Killer and later landed a foot firmly in both music and acting camps when his contributions to the long - running U.S.hit series of Shameless led to a regular guest spot across two seasons of the show. Chris’s music is sought - after in film and television including his songs “Live To Live” on A merican Hustle and Black Betty in Hot Pursuit . He also sang the Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” in the 2018 Oscar ® winning movie I, Tonya . As a philanthropist, he’s the co - producer and musical director for “ Light Up the Blues ” - an annual concert to benefit Autism Speaks

Kori Withers is the daughter of acclaimed artist Bill Withers and can be found at KoriWithers.com

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Episode 179 - Michael Zegen

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Michael Zegen can currently be seen starring on the critically acclaimed Amazon series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. The series is recently won the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, a 2018 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, the Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Television Series, Musical or Comedy and the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy Series. The show is returning for it’s third season on Friday, December 6th.Previous television includes his standout recurring role as ‘Benny Siegel' on HBO's “Boardwalk Empire,” for which he was included in the 2015 SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Other recurring television arcs include: "The Walking Dead," "Girls," "How To Make It In America," "Happyish" and all seven seasons of "Rescue Me.” Michael’s film credits include Noah Baumbach's FRANCES HA, John Crowley's Oscar-Nominated film BROOKLYN, Greg Mottola’s ADVENTURELAND, and Ang Lee’s TAKING WOODSTOCK.

Earlier this year, he wrapped production on the independent feature “The Stand-In” opposite Drew Barrymore. Michael was recently seen as 'Mikhail Medvedenko' in Michael Mayer's film adaptation of Anton Chekhov's THE SEAGULL, opposite Annette Bening and Elisabeth Moss. Other upcoming films include Sebastian Silva’s ensemble indie TYREL in which Michael appears alongside Michael Cera, Jason Mitchell and Caleb Landry Jones that premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival; and the musical film BECKS with Lena Hall.

On stage, Michael starred as ‘Marco’ in the Broadway production of in Ivo Van Hove’s Tony-award winning "A View From The Bridge" opposite Mark Strong. Michael’s previous theater credits include originating the role of ’Ted’ in The New Group's production of "The Spoils," written by and co-starring Jesse Eisenberg for director Scott Elliott and the role of ‘Liam’ in Joshua Harmon's smash hit play "Bad Jews” directed by Daniel Aukin for Roundabout Theater Co.

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Episode 178 - Daniel J. Watts

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Daniel J. Watts can be seen in TINA: The Tina Turner Musical and has appeared in eight Broadway shows including Hamilton, In The Heights and Memphis. Off Broadway he has starred in Suzan-Lori Parks' Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World (Signature Theatre) and the world premiere of Whorl Inside A Loop (2nd Stage). TV credits include recurring roles on Amazon’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, NBC's Blindspot and HBO's Vinyl and The Deuce. The Good Wife (CBS), Blue Bloods (CBS), Odd Mom Out (Bravo), The Night Of (HBO), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Person of Interest (CBS), Broad City (Comedy Central) and Smash (NBC). He currently appears as Felony in Tracy Morgan's new comedy series The Last OG on TBS. Daniel J. Watts' The Jam an homage to his great grandmother who made homemade jam from scratch and gave away what she couldn't eat herself, is a spoken word/storytelling experience fusing a live band, song, dance and multimedia where Watts encourages audiences to focus on social similarities opposed to differences.

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Happy New Year

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 06:00:00 -0000

A message from Ilana

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Episode 177 - Melissa Errico

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 06:00:00 -0000

Melissa is best known for her starring roles on Broadway, but her career is characterized by diverse interests in many creative corners of show business. She has had a steady career in television, appeared in feature films, and performed in non-musical roles in Off-Broadway plays by Shaw, Wilde, and others. She has also explored music as both a recording artist and concert singer, releasing several music albums and working with some of the world’s best symphonies and jazz and cabaret spaces. More recently, she established herself as a writer, publishing essays in The New York Times and beyond. As a musical theater actress, she starred in the Broadway musicals Anna Karenina, My Fair Lady, High Society, Dracula, White Christmas, and Amour which won her a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and began a longtime association with its composer Michel Legrand. Melissa was recently honored with a caricature at Sardi’s in celebration of her Broadway starring theatrical performances, her concerts as well as her engaging essays for The New York Times on the actor’s art.Her latest album Sondheim Sublime was released to critical acclaim, with The Wall Street Journal calling it, “The best all-Sondheim album ever recorded.” And throughout 2017, 2018, and 2019, Melissa performed successful and extended runs at Feinstein’s/54 Below of her solo concert “Melissa Sings Sondheim” celebrating the music of Stephen Sondheim and won raves when she brought it to London’s Live at Zédel for her sold-out UK concert debut co-written with Adam Gopnik in 2018. She also brought her Sondheim program to The Ravinia Festival in the fall of 2018 and appeared again at Feinstein’s/54 Below in for the new Sondheim CD release in November 2018. Her 2019 Sondheim performances include playing The Baker’s Wife in three concert performances of Into the Woods with Tony Award-winner Alice Ripley in March, the run of “Wordplay” at Lyrics & Lyricists produced by Ted Chapin for the 92nd Street Y in April, and being a featured performer on the forthcoming PBS Poetry in America portrait of Stephen Sondheim. Melissa also returned to London in May 2019 to Live at Zédel with her Sondheim concert after her sold-out run in 2018.

Her solo CDs include Blue Like That (EMI/Capitol Records), Lullabies & Wildflowers (Universal), Legrand Affair (Ghostlight/Sony), and What About Today? Melissa Errico Live at 54 Below (Broadway Records; CD & DVD). In December 2017, Melissa had a new single release (Ghostlight/Warner Music Group) “Hurry Home” written by multiple Oscar-winner Michel Legrand, made an accompanying music video with filmmaker Gary Gardner, and proudly sings it on the title credits of the film Max Rose.

Television roles include the series Central Park West by Darren Star, recurring roles on Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick (Catherine), and Showtime’s Billions (June). Melissa also recently finished shooting a role in The Magnificent Meyersons, an Eric Oppenheimer film with Kate Mulgrew (2019 release). Her other feature films include Frequency with Dennis Quaid and Life or Something Like It as Angelina Jolie’s character’s best friend.

Melissa has also served on The National Endowment for the Arts and has published essays for The New York Times and is a contributing essayist in Cristina Cuomo’s The Purist and other magazines. She is married to tennis player and sports commentator Patrick McEnroe and they have three young daughters and a Yorkie named Pepper.

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Episode 176 - Ryan J. Haddad

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 06:00:00 -0000

Ryan J. Haddad is an actor, playwright and autobiographical performer based in New York. His acclaimed solo play Hi, Are You Single? was presented in The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival and continues to tour the country. Other New York credits include My Straighties (Ars Nova/ANT Fest), Noor and Hadi Go to Hogwarts (Theater Breaking Through Barriers), and the cabaret Falling for Make Believe (Joe’s Pub). Regional credits include The Maids, Lucy Thurber’s Orpheus in the Berkshires (Williamstown Theatre Festival), and Hi, Are You Single? (Guthrie Theater, Cleveland Play House, Williamstown Theatre Festival). Television credits include “Bull,” “Madam Secretary,” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Haddad has performed original work at La MaMa E.T.C., the New Museum and The LGBT Center of New York City. His plays in development include Good Time Charlie and Dark Disabled Stories. He is a member of The Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group and a former Queer|Art Performance and Playwriting Fellow under the mentorship of Moe Angelos. Learn more at www.ryanjhaddad.com and follow him on social @ryanjhaddad.

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Episode 175 - Hadestown Stars - Eva Noblezada & Amber Gray

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 06:00:00 -0000

EVA NOBLEZADA previously starred in Hadestown at National Theatre in London. Last fall, she shot the lead role in the upcoming indie, Yellow Rose. In 2017–18, Noblezada starred on Broadway in the title role of the revival of Miss Saigon, receiving a Tony nomination. Variety called her Broadway debut performance “entrancing.” She previously starred in the London revival of Miss Saigon and played Eponine in the West End revival of Les Misérables. Noblezada was a high school student in Charlotte, NC, when she was discovered by casting director Tara Rubin at the 2013 Jimmy Awards in New York City.

AMBER GRAY stared in Hadestown (London’s National, Edmonton’s Citadel: Sterling Award, NYTW: Lortel nomination); Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway: Theatre World Award, Kazino, Ars Nova); Daniel Fish’s production of Oklahoma! (Bard SummerScape); An Octoroon (TFANA, Soho Rep, P.S.122); and Taylor Mac’s A 24 Decade History of Popular Music: 1900’s–1950s (NYLA/UTR). Gray is a member of The TEAM and has codeveloped and performed in their Mission Drift, Primer for a Failed Superpower and the upcoming Reconstruction. Gray can always be found with political activist group and show Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping. Recent television: “Escape at Dannemora.” MFA: NYU.

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Episode 174 - Ella Rubin

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 06:00:00 -0000

ELLA RUBIN can currently be seen in THE ROSE TATTOO on Broadway where she stars as Rosa, the daughter of Serafina, who is played by Marisa Tomei. On the big screen she has been featured in THE REWRITE, a film in which she also plays Marisa Tomei’s daughter. She can be seen on the small screen in the Hulu series DIFFICULT PEOPLE, Showtime’s BILLIONS and UNFORGETTABLE on CBS. Ella studied theater and performing arts at New York’s Professional Children’s School. Ella is an advocate for social change and raising awareness for climate change. She recently enforced a new policy in her high school to turn the cafeteria entirely green, and enforce once a week “eco-awareness” day. This summer she traveled to Tanzania to help build a kitchen at a school that didn’t have one (and therefore wasn’t able to serve lunch), and has also traveled to Peru to help enforce women’s access to education and to Costa Rica to learn about turtle conservation in their oceans.

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Episode 173 - Ruthie Fierberg

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 06:00:00 -0000

Ruthie Fierberg is a New York City-based journalist and current Senior Features Editor at Playbill, creating innovative and engaging content through in-depth written, multimedia, and video pieces focused on the arts. She is also the host of Playbill's Live From the Red Carpet specials from the opening nights. A graduate of Barnard College, she has written for such national publications as Good Housekeeping, Parents, American Baby, Parents Latina, and Backstage magazines. Ruthie has moderated panels for the 92Y, the JCC of Manhattan, Disney Theatrical Productions, BroadwayCon 2016–2019, and the annual American Performing Arts Professionals Conference. She has guested on SiriusXM Volume radio and a number of podcasts as a guest expert. A lover of theatre, tennis, and yoga, Ruthie is also involved with such causes as Covenant House International and The Actors Fund.

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Episode 172 - Willie Garson, Part 2

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 03:51:40 -0000

Ilana and Willie conclude their conversation in this episode.

Rarely at a loss for work, Garson has appeared in over 300 episodes of

television and more than 70 films. Garson is best known for his long

runs on television, as Mozzie on WHITE COLLAR, Stanford Blatch on SEX

AND THE CITY, and Henry Coffield on NYPD BLUE. Other TV series

include ASK HARRIET, and JOHN FROM CINCINNATTI. He has been

recurring as the grifter with a heart of gold Gerard Hirsch on "HAWAII

5-0" since 2015.

Born in New Jersey, he started training at The Actors Institute In New

York, before majoring in Psychology and Theater at Wesleyan

University. After graduation, he quickly started landing guest roles on

shows such as CHEERS, FAMILY TIES, THIRTYSOMETHING, LA LAW, as

well as continually recurring on a wide array of shows including XFILES,

TWIN PEAKS, TWO & A HALF MEN, STARGATE, PUSHING

DAISIES, THE PRACTICE, ALLY MCBEAL, JUST SHOOT ME, SPIN,

SALVATION, etc etc. His favorite longform on TV was Dr. Kreutz for

Steven Spielberg in the acclaimed miniseries TAKEN.

On the big screen, other than reprising his SEX & THE CITY role for two

features, he has collaborated with the Farrely Brothers on 3 films,

SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, KINGPIN, and FEVER PITCH, as well as

appearing in SOAPDISH, GROUNDHOG DAY, MARS ATTACKS, THE

ROCK, BEING JOHN MALKOVITCH, FEED, POLKA KING, and many

others. He has often been re-used by such varied directors as Spike

Jonze, Michael Bay, the late great Mike Nichols, and Ron Shelton.

Upcoming films include WALK TO VEGAS, MAGIC CAMP, and BELLMEN.

As a director, Garson has directed episodes of WHITE COLLAR and GIRL

MEETS WORLD, and, with Warner Brothers, is developing a half hour as

producer/creator, which he will also appear in. LONE PINE, a feature for

Garson to direct, is currently also in development.

Garson continues to perform with various bi-coastal theater companies