Backstage with Becca B.: Recent Episodes
Becca Brown
From the West Coast to Broadway, Becca Brown is bringing you interviews with some of the best talent in theatre.
On this episode I talked with Laura Sky about when she first discovered her passion for theatre, how she became a well-rounded performer growing up, being accepted into Harvard and making history as one of the first women to perform in their historic Hasty Pudding Theatricals (the oldest theater group in the country), studying at Texas State University and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, how studying Shakespeare has helped her as an actress, originating the roles of Lila in White Rose and Marie Van Goethem in The Little Dancer off-Broadway, starring as June in Gypsy at Goodspeed Playhouse, her experience as Ermengarde on the tour of Hello Dolly!, her audition experience for Back To The Future on tour where she plays Linda McFly and understudies Lorraine, tackling comedy on stage, what cities she’s looking forward to visiting on tour, and more!
On this episode I talked with Tilly about her lifelong connection to dance, childhood aspirations to join Alvin Ailey, and her transformative decision to pursue musical theater, how choreographer Sonya Tayeh influenced her transition into musical theatre, her passion for storytelling through dance, her favorite projects, her Broadway debut in Moulin Rouge, her initial insecurities about singing, booking Moulin Rouge as a vacation swing, her love for the various tracks she played in Moulin Rouge and how the show helped her towards building confidence when it came to singing, how she became involved with The Outsiders and the choreography process for the show, creating the character Ace in The Outsiders, advice she’d give to dancers who want to be on Broadway, winning the Chita Rivera Awards, The Outsiders’ recent recognition at the Tony Awards, the fan support The Outsiders has received, dream roles, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Victor about his early memories of theatre, including watching "Peter Pan" in a park and being captivated by "Phantom of the Opera.”, his experience at the Boston Conservatory, where he appreciated the comprehensive training and the merger with Berklee College of Music, strengthening his assets as a performer by learning to dance, which enriched his skills as an actor and singer, his experiences in regional theater, particularly in "A Chorus Line," where he formed deep connections with the cast and audience, his audition process for "The Outsiders," the preparation involved in character development, the unique experience of playing both Sodapop and Darrel in the show and the audience's response to seeing actors in different roles, “The Outsiders’” Tony Award wins and it’s universal appeal which makes the story popular, his dream roles in theatre, the importance of self-confidence within the industry, and more!
On this episode I talked with Melody about her passion for theater and her dream to be a Broadway dancer, both the challenges and growth she experienced in both dance and singing, her experience on her first National Tour of Finding Neverland where she played Peter Pan, the ins and outs of a non-equity tour including one night stops and small stages that don’t fit the entire set, the lasting friendships she formed with her tour mates, some of whom will be her future roommates and colleagues, her lifelong passion for the musical Cats and how it influenced her as a young dancer and inspired her to pursue her dreams, the challenges and emotional rollercoaster of her auditions for the show, from the initial disappointment of not being called back to the unexpected opportunity that eventually led to her joining the production, her dream of playing Victoria in Cats, her Broadway debut in The Outsiders where she plays Beverly and understudies both Marcia and Cherry, how she has prepared to understudy two roles, Tony Awards Day, The Outsiders winning best musical, self-confidence, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Caden about his journey to becoming a theater performer, his childhood involvement in summer camps and regional theater productions, his decision to attend T. Schreiber's Acting Conservatory in New York, his passion for Shakespeare, the possibility of being in Shakespeare in The Park one day, studying improv and the transformative effects of improv on acting and theater, his audition process for the role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future on tour alongside his preparation to take on the role, which cities he’s looking forward to visiting on tour, his favorite scenes in Back To The Future The Musical, his dream movie-to-musical adaptions, advice he’d give to young performers, and much more!
On this episode I talked with SarahGrace about various aspects of her career journey, including her childhood dream of becoming an actor, her dedication to dance, singing, and acting that helped her become a well-rounded performer, living in Tokyo during her childhood and the impact it had on her formative years, her audition process for the National Tour of Phantom Of The Opera where she played Meg Giry, how she prepared to head out on the road for a National Tour, the process of making the character of Meg her own, how her acting changed based on who was playing Christine opposite her, vocal stamina when singing such high notes, what made her want to audition for The Outsiders and what the audition was like for her, making her Broadway debut in the original Broadway cast of a show and creating the character of Marcia for the stage, the unique elements of the show, such as the rain and blood effects, her favorite scenes and the challenges of mastering certain scenes, performing at the Tony Awards, the show’s Tony Award win for Best Musical, recording the cast album, why people should come see The Outsiders on Broadway, dream roles, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jason about his journey as an actor, from his early ambitions to his multifaceted artistic career, filming Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies where he played Buddy Aldridge, what it was like filming music numbers for the show and how long they took, how he is similar to Buddy, his audition for The Outsiders where he originally went in for Bob Sheldon before going in for Sodapop, how his portrayal of Sodapop has changed since the La Jolla Playhouse run, getting to make his Broadway debut, the intricate staging of the show, his favorite scenes, the profound emotional impact of The Outsiders, how Sodapop Curtis was inspired by S.E. Hinton’s cousin, the milestones that come with being part of an original Broadway cast, nuances of confidence in the industry, imposter syndrome and the necessity of a supportive network to foster self-assurance, his music which can be found on all streaming platforms, and more!
On this episode I talked with Kevin about his journey into theater, the multifaceted influences that contributed to his artistic development, from his family's love for music to his athletic background, his thought process behind choosing Carnegie Mellon University for drama school, his love and passion for writing his own music, his audition experience for The Outsiders on Broadway and his love for the book which the show does a good job matching the tone of, the impact of reading The Outsiders in school and how the black and white aesthetic and themes resonated with him, writing a poem about masculinity and fathers and sons during a trip to Atlanta, which he later shared with his cast during rehearsals for The Outsiders, the evolution of portraying the character of Bob from La Jolla Playhouse to Broadway, the challenges of creating a complex character and the learning experiences gained, how he prepared to make his Broadway debut, self confidence in this industry, and much more!
I talked with Emma Pittman the beginning her early exposure to theatre, how she became a well-rounded performer who can tackle singing, acting, and dancing on stage, entering Broadway.com’s contest “The Search For Roxie” and winning the show, getting to make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago, her fresh take on Roxie Hart, what made her want to audition for Back To The Future on Broadway, learning the choreography for a dance heavy show, her audition process for The Outsiders and previously being a fan of the book & movie, adapting a complex narrative to a different medium, the realistic portrayal of the diverse characters The Outsiders, meeting S.E. Hinton (the author of The Outsiders), recording the cast album (OUT NOW), the creative and technical aspects of bringing the musical to fruition, and more!
On this episode I talked about Liana's early passion for theater, her decision to attend NYU for theater school, her subsequent role in the national tour of Mamma Mia where she played Sophie Sheridan, making a well-known character her own on both Broadway and tour, playing Katherine Plumber in Newsies on Broadway, the insane choreography and dances in Newsies, auditioning for Nessrose in Wicked and booking the tour, studying comedy and improv, her involvement in sketch comedy, the underrated musical Bright Star where she played Margo Crawford, her current role as Lorraine in Back To The Future on Broadway, her experience transitioning from rehearsals to the stage with the intricate effects of the production, bringing the show to a new generation and the heartwarming experience of witnessing parents share their love for the film with their kids, meeting Lea Thompson, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Natalie about her passion for acting and childhood memories, the importance of regional theater in providing opportunities for aspiring actors, her audition experience for Wicked, the emotional rollercoaster of waiting and self-doubt during the process, how she prepared to make her Broadway debut, self-confidence, maintaining a healthy lifestyle while performing 8 times a week on Broadway, performing on a raked stage with a wheelchair, the intricacies of Nessarose’s character arc, portraying Nessa’s transformation and the importance of eliciting empathy from the audience, dream roles, favorite Jonas Brothers songs, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Coby about how he discovered his passion for theatre, the atmosphere of the theater community, his experiences at performing arts high school and UCLA, becoming a well-rounded and versatile performer, playing Moritz on the Spring Awakening national tour and the show’s impact on both the cast and the audience, the changing perception of understudies and standbys in the theater industry, how audiences are now celebrating the individuality of each performer they see in a show, his Broadway debut in Brighton Beach Memoirs, taking on the role of Cunningham (standby) in Book of Mormon and the importance of tackling comedy as an actor, understudying Roy and Richard in The Shark Is Broken on Broadway and working with Alex Brightman, Collin Donnell, and Ian Shaw, the importance of being prepared at any moment to deliver a stellar performance, timing, playing Papi in The Band’s Visit on tour, self-confidence as a working actor in the entertainment industry, stepping into Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway where he was welcomed with open arms, his rehearsal process for Merrily, learning the role of Charley, potential upcoming Charley dates, dream roles, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Jordan about when her passion for theatre and performing started, the moment she knew she wanted to make theatre a career for herself, growing up on the east coast and whether she went to theatre shows often, becoming a well-rounded performer, playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid at B’way Method Academy, workshopping shows, what peaks her interest when reading a script for a play or musical, playing Kizette in Lempicka at La Jolla Playhouse, her audition process for Younger Allie in The Notebook, her experience premiering the show at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, when she found out out that the show would be transferring to Broadway, the preparation that goes into making one’s Broadway debut, making the role of Allie her own, developing chemistry for the show, funny moments on stage, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Amelia about her journey to becoming a theater performer, growing up in Taiwan, the influence of "Phantom of the Opera" on her career, her move to NYC and going to school at AMDA, working at the Majestic theatre as an usher and the first time she heard about the show “How To Dance In Ohio”, auditioning for "How to Dance in Ohio,” connecting to the character of Caroline who’s based off of a real life person, the complexities of Caroline’s storyline in “How To Dance In Ohio”, how connecting with the real Caroline who inspired the stage character Caroline inspired her, the chemistry and close-knit bond the “How To Dance In Ohio” actors shared, the importance of embracing one's identity and the need for more representation when it comes to autistic actors in tv, film, and theatre, dream roles, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Delaney about her early experiences in theater, the impact youth theatre had on her life, the challenges of college auditions, her audition for Les Misérables, getting cast as Cosette, the emotional experiences of portraying roles in Les Misérables, the Broadway caliber talent on the @lesmizus tour, vocal care and health while on tour, working on self-confidence in the industry, her dream roles, Delaney's new musical she’s writing, "Stone Cold," and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Kate about when she realized she could work professionally as a theatre performer, choosing to go to school at OCU to study theatre, her most valuable takeaway from going to school there, playing Grizabella in Cats The Musical on a Cruise, joining the 2016-2017 tour of “Into The Woods”, working with actors and actresses she admires, the intricacies of playing characters in "Into the Woods" and "Les Misérables," focusing on the emotional depth and vulnerability required for characters such as The Baker’s Wife and Fantine, her audition journey for the role of Rachel in MJ the Musical, the personal growth and enriching experience she continues to gain from being a part of the cast of MJ The Musical, the importance of enjoying performances, the unique perspective she brings to the MJ The Musical as Rachel and how it resonates with non-theater-going audiences, the perseverance and dedication required to navigate the performing arts industry, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Jordan about discusses his journey to becoming an actor, including his inspiration from watching conductors in shows like Wicked, his Broadway debut in West Side Story, how he became the standby for Tony, why he chooses to advocate for the normalization of having alternates and covers for roles on Broadway, working on the Maestro with Bradley Cooper and how his background in theater helped him adapt to screen acting, his experience playing Orpheus in Hadestown and his favorite song to perform, his role in the Neil Diamond musical, A Beautiful Noise, and how he arranged and sang the song "Shiloh" on the cast recording, working with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Bad Cinderella, the close-knit cast of the Bad Cinderella, meeting Audra McDonald, and much more!
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On this episode I talk with LA theatre legend Dionne Gipson about when she knew she wanted to be a performer, the moment people discovered she could sing growing up, her music inspirations like The Clark Sisters, Donny Hathaway, Whitney Houston, Prince, and more, what inspired her to go to graduate school for theatre, booking Dream Girls at 14th St. Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia, going on tours with artists like Keith Sweat, signing to a major music label with her rock band ‘Edith’s Wish’, what brought her to Los Angeles, how she got involved with LA theatre, finding out about and joining the group of @ftrlive talent, getting to watch and be a part of For The Record Live’s growth in the LA community, how she met Bradley Bredeweg and got involved with his shows Invincible and Scissorhands Musical, why Scissorhands Musical is able to successfully reopen every holiday season in LA since 2019, what makes Scissorhands Musical a good show to see this holiday season, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Vaughan Reilly about the moment she realized she wanted to be an actress, how her mom inspired her growing up, her roles on stage in regional theatre productions, some of her absolute favorite shows including Beetlejuice which she one day hopes to star in, her audition process for The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the preparation process for a movie as big as The Hunger Games, how the cast bonded on set, singing LIVE in the movie, why Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a MUST SEE, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Grant Reynolds about when he knew he wanted to be a theatre performer, the first professional theatre show he saw, his favorite style of dance, why he chose to study at Carnegie Melon University and what his greatest takeaway there was, why he likes being in shows that challenge traditional theatre, performing at The Muny, his audition process for Sky in Mamma Mia, how quickly the cast managed to bond during rehearsal and how that bond strengthens their performance on stage, his favorite ABBA song, why theatre fans should come see Mamma Mia in a city near them, his Broadway bucket list, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Amaya about making her Broadway debut at age 10 as July in Annie, being a part of the prestegious Broadway cast of The King & I at Lincoln Center and soon after toured with The King & I, her singing group with her two sisters called The Braganza Sisters and how they came up with the idea to form a group, her audition process for Hadestown on tour where she is the second Filipino to play the part of Eurydice, seeing Eva as Eurdyice before being cast in the show and how seeing Eva in the show inspired her, walking on a turntable in the dark, making the character of Eurydice her own, the blue in Amaya’s Eurydice wig, dream roles she has, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Izaiah about the moment he realized how much he loved performing, how he became a well-rounded performing and dancer growing up, Studio One Dance, realizing tap dancing is connected to musical theatre and performing at Chicago High School, being involved with Riverdance, what Riverdance is about for those who don’t know, why Riverdance is such an extraordinary show to see, his first audition for Funny Girl on Broadway where he actually saw Jared Grimes, booking the role on tour and getting to bring the infectious energy of Eddie Ryan to stages across North America, stepping into the rehearsal room for a national tour, why people should come see Funny Girl on tour, dream shows that’d he’d love to be a part of, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Jonny about first discovering his passion for the performing arts, theatre, and playing piano, the first show he saw growing up, who inspires him, how he got involved with the LA theatre community and what makes the LA theatre community so special, where the idea to start recording himself playing the piano for TikTok came from, his favorite person on TikTok who has ever done a duet with him, Tramp Stamp Granny’s and bringing a bit of theatre to the night life in Los Angeles, How To Dance In Ohio coming to Broadway on November 15th which will mark his co-producing Broadway debut, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Leana about going to military school for six years, joining a dance conservatory during her sophomore year of school which led her to audition for a production of Hairspray and falling in love with the feeling of being on stage, becoming a well-rounded performer, the first theatre show she ever saw, workshopping the world premiere Rattlesnake Kate at Denver Center for Performing Arts, getting to share a story that takes place in Colorado on stage in Colorado and how audiences reacted, the music in Rattlesnake Kate written by Neyla Pekarek, workshopping Romy and Michele where she played Michele, how she thinks not being familiar with Romy and Michele helped her play the part of Michele during the workshop process of the show, her audition for Merrily We Roll Alone and finding out she booked the New York Theatre Workshop engagement, learning who her costars were for the show and stepping into the rehearsal room for both the NYTW production and the now Broadway production of the show, the camaraderie the cast has, learning she’d be making her Broadway debut with the show, why people should come see Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Jordan about the path that lead him to musical theatre, the first show he saw as an audience member, being a competitive swimmer at Fresno Pacific University, making it to the 2012 Olympic Trials, how having the mentality of an athlete has helped in theatre, his favorite regional theatre show he’s been in, learning to play the guitar when he starred as Captain von Trapp in Fresno Pacific University’s production of The Sound Of Music, performing at shows in Walt Disney World, his audition process for the National Tour of Wicked, getting to be part of the cast that reopened Wicked post-pandemic in Dallas, how watching Curt Hansen’s performance as Fiyero ultimately inspired him, navigating tour life, making his Broadway debut in Wicked as Fiyero, Broadway vs. Tour audiences, his dream roles, his interactions with Norm Lewis, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Nicole about the moment she knew she wanted to be a theatre performer, her mom’s involvement in theatre and on Broadway and being exposed to theatre from an early age, getting cast as the lead in Thoroughly Modern Millie in school and why that role and show is so important to her, how Sutton Foster inspires her, how going to an arts school prepared her for the professional world of theatre, her favorite regional production she’s been a part of, her audition for Les Miserables where she covers 8 track and understudies Eponine, her first Eponine show, getting to perform at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, and MUCH MORE.
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On this episode I talked with James about when he first discovered his love for theatre, the first theatre show he ever saw, his favorite regional show he’s been a part of and why, how going to Arizona State University helped him jumpstart his career, his decision to move to Nashville after college where he recorded an EP with a 53 piece orchestra, the National Tour of Les Miserables where he understudied Enjolras, playing a real life person, Gerry Goffin in Beautiful The Carole King Musical, making his Broadway debut as Fiyero in Wicked and how he made a role like Fiyero his role, plus Encores! NYCC’s recent production of The Light In The Piazza that where he played Fabrizio, working Ruthie Ann Miles, and more!
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On this episode I talked with Vanessa about the moment she knew she wanted to be a performer, becoming a well-rounded performer, building a theatre resume in Canada where she grew up, her favorite regional production of a show she’s been in and why, the Canadian premiere of Kinky Boots where she starred as Nicola, winning awards for her performances like the Dora Awards and why the awards she’s won in Canada are so special to her, auditioning for shows in New York, her audition for New York, New York on Broadway and the process of moving to New York, how she relates to Francine Evans and what made her excited about stepping into the role, her job as a standby, the day she made her Broadway debut, her dream roles, and MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Tara about what made her realize she wanted to be a performer, the first show she saw that really inspired her, becoming a well rounded performer, what lead to her deciding to go to the University of San Diego and the most valuable lesson she learned there, her favorite regional production of a show she’s done, the several shows she’s been a part of on the Disney Cruise Line and the challenges when it comes to performing on a moving ship, her favorite Disney character to play and her dream Disney character to play, her audition for Wicked plus the first cast she ever saw in Wicked, the rehearsals and preparations pre-making her Wicked debut as Nessarose, how she goes about making such a 3-dimensional character like Nessa her own on stage, what makes Wicked successful, being a vacation swing for the Aladdin national tour, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Aline about the moment she realized she wanted to be a theatre performer, what the first show she ever saw was, her favorite regional production of a show that she’s done, why shows Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Cinderella in Into The Woods were shows on her bucket list, being in the cast of Off-Broadway’s Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation, impressions + comedy, dancing, her audition for Katherine Howard on the Boleyn Tour Of SIX U.S. Tour, putting her own spin on the character of Katherine Howard, and more!
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On this episode I talked with Aline about the moment she realized she wanted to be a theatre performer, what the first show she ever saw was, her favorite regional production of a show that she’s done, why shows Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Cinderella in Into The Woods were shows on her bucket list, being in the cast of Off-Broadway’s Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation, impressions + comedy, dancing, her audition for Katherine Howard on the Boleyn Tour Of Six, putting her own spin on the character of Katherine Howard, and more!
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On this episode I talked with Jackera about the moment she knew she wanted to be a performer growing up, her favorite regional/educational show she’s ever done, the most valuable lesson she learned at Sam Houston State University where she earned her BFA, her audition process for Beetlejuice, what her reaction was when she heard she’d been cast as the Girl Scout and an understudy for Lydia, preparing to go on a tour, how intricate the Beetlejuice set is, how she makes her track and Lydia her own, what representation on stage means to her, her inspirations, advice for young performers, and more!
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On this episode, I talked with Drew about where his love for theatre and performing stemmed from, what helped him become a well-rounded performer, studying at Elon University and what he learned at Elon that helped him further his career the most, getting involved in workshops and labs such as Chasing Rainbows and The Outsiders, Casey Nicholaw’s Mean Girls and The Prom, why comedy is important to tackle as an actor, his current show New York, New York, understudying three roles in the show, why people should buy tickets to see New York, New York on Broadway, and MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Zurin about when she first knew she loved performing, her first Broadway show Shuffle Along in 2016 and how she got involved, being a part of an iconic show like The Lion King on Broadway, understudying both Gretchen and Karen in Mean Girls and her process for learning two roles in one show that are so different, the national tour of Tina Turner The Musical where she currently plays Tina Turner, making the role her own while staying true to Tina Turner’s story, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Ioana about the moment she knew she wanted to perform on stage, dancing on stage with people like Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, her favorite non-Broadway piece of choreography, working with Emmy winner Mia Michaels, making her Broadway debut as an original cast member in Wicked and how she got involved in Wicked, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 on Broadway, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ on Broadway and why more shows like Dancin’ should continue to be showcased on Broadway in the future, how Bob Fosse’s choreography has influenced and inspired her as a performer, and MUCH MORE!
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I talked with Tony about when he made his national tour debut in Beauty In The Beast as LeFou, his experience in Kinky Boots on tour and what it means to him to see LGBTQA representation on stage, keeping his stamina up when touring + singing and dancing eight times a week, his reaction when he got cast on the Hamilton tour and if the energy of the audience at shows like Hamilton affects his performance, his favorite memories playing Mungojerrie in Cats, his recent Broadway debut in Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with University of Cincinnati Graduate Max Chernin about the moment he knew he wanted to be an actor/performer, what attracts him to the shows he’s been in both regionally and on Broadway, how he’s become a well-rounded performer, making his Broadway debut in Steve Martin’s Bright Star as Max, preparing to make a Broadway debut, New York City Center and Broadway’s revival of Sunday In The Park With George, learning the pacing for the show Sunday In The Park and acting with facial expressions while playing the second soldier, working with Jake Gyllenhaal, why Sondheim shows continue to inspire in the theatre world, his current show, the revival of Parade on Broadway, where he plays Mr. Turner and is a standby for Leo Frank plus an understudy for Hugh Dorsey, making characters he understudies his own, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Daniel about his first introduction to theatre and when he fell in love with live theatre, growing up close to NYC and Broadway, when he realized that performing on stage could be a career for him, deciding where to go to college and what he learned in college at Rider University that has helped him since, his favorite regional shows he’s been a part of: Newsies and Next To Normal, his audition for & Juliet on Broadway and whether he had previously heard about the hype the show has overseas in London, preparing mentally to make a Broadway debut as a performer, his process for learning multiple tracks in a rehearsal room, understudying Romeo and how he makes the role his own, his dream role, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Jason about the moment he fell in love with theatre and performing, the most valuable lesson he learned in college that has helped him as a professional in the theatre industry, his audition for Les Miserables, making his Broadway debut in Les Miserables in 2014 after touring with the show, how he made the iconic character Enjolras his own, joining Phantom Of The Opera on Broadway as a vacation swing, what the job of a Broadway vacation swing entails, opening Into The Woods as the Baker at the famous New York City Center and later being a standby for four male tracks in the recent Broadway revival of Into The Woods, his process for learning four tracks in a show, what keeps shows like Phantom and Into The Woods new for him even after being part of the show(s) for a while, why people should buy tickets to come see him on the Into The Woods tour, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Emily about when she fell in love with theatre and realized she wanted to perform for a living, the first show she ever saw, working on becoming a well-rounded performer while growing up, joining Wicked’s 2nd National Tour as an Elphaba standby, her audition process for Wicked on tour and her reaction when she booked the show, learning about a standby’s job through becoming a standby in Wicked, her favorite Elphaba song to sing, why she believes Wicked has been open for as long as it has been and is one of the longest running Broadway musicals, life on the road, getting the chance to be in Bat Out Of Hell in North America as Raven for a short time, what interested her most when it came to Bat Out Of Hell, joining the cast of Almost Famous as Anita Miller during it’s beginning stages and getting to perform at The Old Globe in San Diego, making her Broadway debut this year with Almost Famous, making the role(s) she plays in Almost Famous her own on stage, why people should come see Almost Famous before January 8th, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Jade about the moment they knew they wanted to perform onstage in theatre for a living, the first professional show they ever saw, when they came to the realization that they could sing, friends who have supported them throughout auditions, Jade’s favorite show they’ve performed in regionally and why, why regional theatre is special to them, Stage West Calgary in Canada, their audition process for Jagged Little Pill on tour and the hype surrounding the cast announcement for the tour, getting to rehearse alongside the entire cast, non-binary representation in the theatre industry + onstage, how they make the character of Jo authentic and relatable, singing You Oughta Know by Alanis eight times a week, their dream roles which include Orpheus in Hadestown and Elphaba in Wicked, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Kristine Reese about the moment she knew she wanted to perform on stage, why it’s never too late to discover your passion for something, getting to teach up and coming performers all that she’s learned through her experiences performing on National Tours, Broadway stages, and regionally (check out https://www.kristinereese.com/coaching/ for more), her national tour debut in Mamma Mia and getting to step into the shoes of an iconic character like Sophie Sheridan on stage, why touring with Mamma Mia was so memorable for her, playing Donna in Mamma Mia at City Springs Theatre, booking the first National Tour of Wicked and portraying Nessarose, her favorite Nessarose moments in the show, Wicked Witch Of The East, what makes Wicked such a successful show to this day, her Broadway debut in Les Miserables, her dream to play Fantine in Les Mis, advice she would give to young performers, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with Grace about when she first knew she wanted to be a theatre performer, playing Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz in Kindergarten, the first professional show she ever saw, how she worked on a well-rounded performer growing up, changing her major to theatre during her junior year of college, how everyone’s journey and career path is different, performing in Into The Woods at The Hollywood Bowl where she played Florinda, advice she got from Patina Miller while working with her in Into The Woods at The Hollywood Bowl, touring with A Christmas Carol in 2021, her introduction to the world of understudying, her audition for Hadestown on Broadway, the day she made her Broadway debut in Hadestown, her process for learning multiple lead roles in Hadestown (Eurydice and two fates) as well as her track in the workers chorus, why Hadestown is as successful of a show as it is, her goals and her bucket list, Quinta Brunson’s inspiring Emmy speech, representation, her friends’ business “Homemade Thursdays”, and more.
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On this episode I talked with Chelsea about when she knew she wanted to be an actress, sing, and perform, the first show she ever saw, why she chose to go to the University of Michigan and what the most valuable thing she learned there was, her favorite regional show to be a part of and why, playing Minnie Fay on the tour of Hello Dolly!, preparing to join a National Tour for the first time, her audition for Wicked, her reaction when she found out she’d be in Wicked and was an understudy for Glinda, the first cast she ever saw in Wicked, the day she made her Glinda debut, using her knowledge in dance + theatre to offer wisdom and teach young performers, and more!
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On this episode I talked with Erica about how she first got into theatre and performing, the moment she realized that she performing on stage was an actual career path, the first theatre show she ever saw, how dancing helped her become a well-rounded performer, making her Broadway debut in Matilda where she was a swing and understudied Lavender and Amanda, stepping into a rehearsal room for a Broadway show as a young performer, what she remembers from the day she made her Broadway debut, performing in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, dancing with Meghan Trainor at The Halo Awards, her audition for Mean Girls on Tour, how she prepared to hit the road and go on tour with the company of Mean Girls Musical, being the youngest in the cast, mastering difficult choreography in Mean Girls, who inspires her, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Jalen Harris about when he knew he wanted to perform on stage and sing for living, becoming the well rounded performer he is today, auditioning for American Idol at age 15 and what made him want to audition, his experience on American Idol and what he learned from being on the show, his audition for the National Tour of The Lion King, getting cast in the ensemble and as a Simba understudy on his first National Tour and then becoming lead Simba on the tour, how he brought himself to the character of Simba on stage, why The Lion King is the longest running Disney show on Broadway, the current tour he’s on: Ain’t Too Proud where he portrays Eddie Kendricks from The Temptations, stepping into the role of a real life person and finding the balance between playing that real life person accurately while making the role in the show his own, the most fascinating thing he’s learned about Eddie Kendricks and The Temptations from doing research from the role, singing and dancing simultaneously, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Delphi about whether she’s always known she wanted to perform in theatre/on stage, about living in various places around the world and continuously finding theatre in all those places, what the first show she ever saw was, her favorite regional shows she’s participated in and why, Shakespeare, getting to be a part of the National Tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella where she understudied Ella, the magic of playing a well known character like Ella on stage, tour life and staying healthy on the road while performing in 8 shows a week, getting to play Belle and Ariel on stage plus why representation is so important, auditioning for Into The Woods on Broadway where she understudies four roles including Little Red, Lucinda, Florinda, and Rapunzel, and sometimes is the Milky White puppeteer, making history as the first Asian American Little Red on Broadway, working alongside Sara Bareilles, Joshua Henry, and more, her dream show to be in, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Jack about the moment he knew he wanted to perform on stage and do theatre, the first show he saw was that made him realize theatre was what he wanted to do, finding regional theatre in Chicago to participate in and winning the 2016 Broadway in Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Award for best actor which led to a Jimmy Awards Nomination, his most memorable moment getting to participate in the Jimmy Awards, his audition for the Moulin Rouge tour, finding out he’d be on the tour as a swing and understudying Christian PLUS The Duke on the tour, the rehearsal process for tour before hitting the road, his Christian debut, why fans should come see Moulin Rouge on tour, and MUCH MORE!
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On this episode I talked with English about her first introduction to theatre, how studying ballet at City Ballet in North Carolina helped her and still helps her when it comes to performing and singing, getting nominated for and participating in the Jimmy Awards in High School, the most valuable advice she received from guest mentors at The Jimmy Awards, getting the opportunity to workshop the Pasek/Paul/Levenson Project, now known as Dear Evan Hansen, booking the tour of If/Then and learning the ins and outs of tour life in 2015-2016, why If/Then is still a show that holds relevance, whether she knew going into audition for Mean Girls that she would be standing by for three lead roles: Cady, Janis, and Regina, her process for learning all three roles and how she made the roles her own, when she found out she’d be leading the tour as Cady and how her portrayal of Cady has changed over the years, her dream roles, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with F. Michael Haynie about when they first realized theatre and performing was for them, their Broadway debut in Wicked, their first Glinda and Elphaba in the show, bootlegs and why/how bootlegs of shows don’t always show the best version of a show, self confidence in the theatre world, auditioning for Frozen, their rehearsal process for Frozen and how long it took to master puppetry, how their portrayal of Olaf has changed from pre-pandemic to now, life on the road, their solo show coming up on July 30th at 54 Below (and via live stream), what it’s like to put a solo show + a setlist for said solo show together, being part of a cast as special as the Frozen Tour cast is, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Dylan about when he fell in love with acting and performing, what the first show he was ever in was, choosing to go to Carnegie Mellon for college and what the most valuable lesson he learned at the school was, his audition process for Beautiful The Carole King Musical, how he made the Gerry Goffin his own on stage while sticking to the true story of his life, getting to meet Carole King, starring as Danny Zuko in Grease in Toronto and learning the choreography for the role, his first Broadway show Betrayal in which he was an understudy for three roles in the show, how the cast of Betrayal inspired him, his new show Leopoldstadt coming to Broadway this fall, his process for learning the lines of multiple characters as an understudy, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Ellen about what her first introduction to acting was and when she fell in love with acting and performing, the first theatre show she remembers seeing, the first theatre show she was ever in, going to an open call for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and booking the role, making her Broadway debut as a child when she played Jemima in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, what life as a Broadway kid was like, her audition for The Clique and knowledge of The Clique books, when she knew that The Clique would become a hit movie in 2008, playing a role that was so 3-dimensional, touring as a swing with Kinky Boots, understudying Lauren and Nicola in the show, her audition for Frozen on Broadway and her fondest memories of being part of the cast of Frozen on Broadway even for a short time pre-pandemic, and much more!
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On this episode I talked with Alexa about when she fell in love with performing and musical theatre, when she started dancing and how dancing helped her become a well-rounded performer, her experience performing at Theatre Under The Stars in Houston, Texas and what made her enjoy performing there, performing with Lythgoe Family Panto, how an audition for Mean Girls led her to getting cast on The Prom Tour, her reaction when she learned she booked The Prom, how she prepared to go on tour, mastering the choreography in the show, her favorite song in the show and favorite dance number, how she’d convince theatre fans to come see The Prom on tour, and much more!
On this episode I talk with Alex about his first role as Frog #1 in Narnia: The Musical, when he fell in love with musical theatre, choosing the University of Michigan to study at and what the most valuable lesson he learned there was, booking the National Tour of Legally Blonde right after college, his audition process, what it was like taking a show with as much popularity as Legally Blonde on tour across North America, portraying Riff in West Side Story’s International Tour in Paris, how audiences in Paris are different from audiences in the United States, his Broadway debut in Hadestown and what he knew about Hadestown pre-auditioning, understudying Hades and making the role his own, his bucket list, and much more!
https://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/kirk-douglas-theatre/2021/block-party/
On this episode I talked with D’Lo (he/they) about his solo autobiographical show “To T, or not to T” OPENING TONIGHT and now playing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre through July 10th, his passion for writing poems as a kid and what inspired the poems he wrote, what peaked his interest when it came to becoming a writer, actor, and stand up comedian, coming out to his parents after finishing college and then deciding to move to New York City, writing stories about himself, his life, and his transition journey, advice he has for other trans storytellers, why representation is so important, and much more!
SPECIAL THANK YOU to Center Theatre Group's Emyli Gudmundson for making this interview happen.
On this episode I talked with Lissa deGuzman about when she discovered she was passionate about theatre and performing, how her older brother inspired her growing up, the first show she was ever in, why she decide to go to Belmont University and her most valuable takeaway, her audition for the Aladdin tour, getting to tour the country doing what she loves with her brother, how many tracks she covered as a swing, learning all her tracks plus being prepared to understudy Jasmine, becoming the assistant dance captain for the Aladdin tour, getting bumped up to lead Jasmine on tour, making her Broadway debut in King Kong and why it was such a special experience, auditioning for Wicked and her reaction when she was told she’d be going on tour as Elphaba, vocal stamina while on the road singing Elphaba songs EIGHT TIMES a week, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Joey about when he first realized he had a passion for theatre, how he became a well-rounded theatre performer growing up, enrolling in Grad School at NYU for musical theatre writing, his favorite regional theatre shows he’s performed in, his audition for the tour of Newsies, what makes Newsies a fan favorite show, joining the tour of A Bronx Tale as Calogero, how A Bronx Tale and Newsies are similar and how they’re different, his favorite city he’s toured in, his dream role, self confidence, and much more.
On this episode I talk with Jess about the moment he knew he wanted to be a performer, making his Broadway debut in The Boy From Oz as a kid and Hugh Jackman bringing the curtain back up so Jess could bow one more time, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas on Broadway breaking Wicked’s box office record at one point while he was in the show, what made him want to audition for So You Think You Can Dance and whether he ever thought he’d make the top 8 on the show, what touring with SYTYCD was like, his audition process for Newsies, when he realized how popular a show Newsies was, the Newsies 10th Anniversary, the makeup in Cats (in which he played Mungojerrie), his dream roles, his upcoming GreenRoom 42 solo show, and more!
On this episode I talked with Chibueze about when he discovered his passion for music, why music and telling stories through music means so much to him, the moment he realized he wanted to be a theatre performer, how he worked on become a well-rounded performer while growing up, what made him choose to study at NYU Tisch University and his most valuable takeaway, why Once has been his favorite regional show, his audition for Hadestown on tour, how he first heard of Hadestown and what made him want to audition for the National Tour, the rehearsal process before heading out on the road, what makes Hadestown a show musical theatre fans should come see, what advice he would give Orpheus, his dream role, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Maya about falling in love with dance at a young age, her favorite dance style, when she discovered she also had a passion for theatre, her favorite regional show she’s been in and why, what makes regional theatre special, how she decided to go to Point Park University for school and what her most valuable takeaway was from Point Park’s dance and musical theatre program was, her audition process for Moulin Rouge on Broadway, whether she ever expected to be auditioning for Broadway so soon after college, audition tricks and tips, learning the dances for the audition process, what the day she made her Broadway debut was like, her favorite dance number in Moulin Rouge, her favorite costume in the show, why theatre fans should come see Moulin Rouge on Broadway, her dream show, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Charlie about the moment he knew he wanted to be a theatre performer, how he became a well-rounded performer while growing up, getting to be Dickens in his dream show “The Secret Garden”, auditioning for and booking his first Broadway show, Bridges Of Madison County, while still in college, what being part of the rehearsal process as an original Broadway cast member is like, the day he made his Broadway debut in Bridges of Madison County, getting cast in Book of Mormon on Broadway and whether he was a fan before auditioning for it, why Book of Mormon is as popular as it is on Broadway, his audition process for Tina, what he learned about Tina’s life while reading the script during the rehearsal process that he found most fascinating, how he has gone about making a real life person, Roger Davies, his own, why theatre fans should come see Tina on Broadway, how he works on self confidence, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Ilda about how she got involved in the entertainment scene while growing up in Panama, how she has become a well-rounded performer, Dancing With The Stars Panama and what her experience on the show as professional dancer taught her, the reason she chose to go to New York Film Academy to study theatre, the opportunity she had to be an associate choreographer in Carousel and Chess at NYFA, West Side Story at Paper Mill Playhouse, Signature Theatre, and on Broadway, what keeps the show West Side Story fresh time and time again, how West Side Story continues to stay relevant, her audition process for Luz in the West Side Story movie, how she stayed calm and composed going into the audition knowing that Steven Spielberg would be directing the movie, the rehearsal process for a movie musical with lots of choreography, the most challenging dance number in the movie to film, the set design of West Side Story, her dream role, self-confidence, and more!
On this episode I talked with Tasia Jungbauer about when she fell in love with theatre vs. when she realized she could perform on stage as a career, why a regional show in her hometown left her inspired, how she ended up choosing to go to Pepperdine University to study theatre and the valuable takeaways that came from Pepperdine’s theatre program, the first Broadway show she ever saw in New York, her audition for Moulin Rouge The Musical and whether or not she knew at the time of her audition that there was interest in her covering three roles, what prepared her most when it comes to being a swing on Broadway, the day she made her Broadway debut, why theatre fans should come see Moulin Rouge on Broadway, what makes swings and understudies such a vital part of Broadway shows, her dream show to be in, her television debut in AppleTV’s WeCrashed happening this year, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Morgan about when she figured out she wanted to be a theatre performer, how she has worked on becoming a well-rounded performer, why she consider herself an actress first, making her Broadway debut in Be More Chill where she understudied four different characters, her learning process for learning four different roles in the same show, why she thinks Be More Chill had/has such a huge fanbase, Moby Dick at A.R.T., why being a part of Moby Dick as Pip was so special to her and inspired her to name her dog Pip, Rachel Chavkin’s work, her audition process for the Hadestown tour, the building blocks along the way that help shows become successful, the process of making the character Eurydice her own for the Hadestown National tour, her dream role on stage, self confidence in the entertainment industry, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Matt about how participating in a mock trial in middle school played a part in why he got into performing on stage, how growing up he worked to become a well-rounded performer, what he finds so special about participating in regional theatre shows, his National Tour Debut (The Magic Treehouse Musical), joining the national tour of Beautiful, the process of learning four different parts in one show, his Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, his favorite Carole King song, what made him want to audition for Jersey Boys on tour, his audition process, what goes into making the roles he plays in musicals about real life people his own while also making sure to sticking to the story he’s telling on stage, how he keeps his performance fresh when performing in the same show 8 times a week, why people should come see Jersey Boys on tour, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Mia about her beginning with dance, whether she ever though dance would lead to her performing on stage in a musical theatre show, what the first Broadway show she saw that made love theatre was, what her most valuable takeaway was from her college experience at Marymount Manhattan University, the very real hustle that comes with being a part of the entertainment / theatre industry, why she decided to take the LSAT post college while working FIVE side jobs, how she balanced dance, studying for the LSAT, and her jobs, how she got involved with Moulin Rouge as an associate choreographer, what an associate choreographer does for a show, being given the opportunity to be a swing, her recent Broadway debut with Moulin Rouge, how many tracks she covers and her process for learning multiple tracks, her favorite dance number in the show, her dream show to be in, and MUCH MORE.
On this episode I talked with Belén about when she knew she wanted to perform on stage, what the first show she ever saw live was, playing violin, accordion, and piano, how/if playing multiple musical instruments has helped her with theatre, advice she’d give to those from other countries where musical theatre isn’t as popular on how one can get involved with theatre, her off-broadway debut in Assistants The Musical, auditioning for Hadestown, the rehearsal process for the National Tour of Hadestown, bonding with her cast, and getting to see @hadestown on Broadway with the whole tour cast, learning how to walk on a turntable, harmonizing with the other fates, what makes Hadestown a special show, her dream role on stage, self confidence, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Megan and Adriana about when they realized they wanted to perform on stage and entertain audiences, when it occurred to them they could do that as a living, the first theatre show they saw, advice when it comes to choosing a college, what prepared them most for The Prom National Tour auditions, their previous knowledge when it came to The Prom, what the audition process is like when you’re auditioning for a role that requires lots of dancing, how to pack for a National Tour, what the rehearsal process for The Prom was like, understudy rehearsals and put-ins, their favorite numbers in the show, technique’s for learning difficult choreography, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jisel about when she realized she wanted to be a theatre performer, when she realized the she could in fact make a career out of being an actress/singer/dancer, her college experience and how she ended up getting her BA in Theatre Arts at California State Fullerton, why Cosette in Les Miserables has been one of favorite regional theatre roles, her audition for Waitress On Tour and her reaction when she learned she booked the role of Jenna, her favorite song to sing in the show, how she stays healthy while traveling on the road and performing multiple times a week, what Jenna would have been up to during the pandemic, her dream role on stage (we’re manifesting Jisel as Eurydice in Hadestown), self-confidence, her idea to auction off art and donate money to charities (follow Jisel for more information), and MUCH MORE.
On this episode, I talked with Phoenix about when she realized she wanted to be a theatre performer, the moment she realized she had the talent to make performing in theatre a career, why Annie made her fall in love with theatre, how she worked on and still works on becoming a well-rounded theatre performer, making her Broadway debut in The Color Purple where she was not only a swing, but also the assistant stage manager, how she prepared to learn the tracks she was covering in The Color Purple, the day she made her Broadway debut, her audition process for Eponine on the National Tour of Les Miserables, how she prepared to live on the road when she learned she got cast on the Les Mis tour, whether she’s more of an Eponine or Cosette in real life, auditioning for Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway and whether she realized at the time of her audition how popular the show had become, how Phoenix prepared to step into the shoes of a 3-Dimensional character like Alana Beck in Dear Evan Hansen for the first time, ART’s Macbeth In Stride, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Austin about how he managed to get through the quarantine/lockdown period without live theatre, the moment he knew he wanted to be a performer, the first show he ever saw, his favorite role he played pre-Frozen and why, his audition process for Hans in Frozen, whether auditions ever become less nerve racking, touring with his wife Caroline, how he steps into the villains shoes in Frozen, whether he’d rather play a villain or a hero in a show, his and Caroline Innerbichler’s perfect comedic timing during Love Is An Open Door, what show(s) Caroline and him have talked about doing together one day, self confidence, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode, I talked with Lyndie about finding out she loved performing through starting out yodeling as a kid, how starting out yodeling in the long run helped her vocal technique and vocal strength and helped her become a well rounded performer, how going to Rider University for even a short time before getting cast as Maureen in Rent helped her to be prepared to take on a leading role on a national tour, what her audition for Rent was like, why she thinks Rent is still a beloved show to this day, life on the road, self confidence, how she spent her time during quarantine, and much more!
On this episode I talked to Brennyn about the moment she realized she wanted to be an actress, why she doesn’t limit acting to just the stage and continues to explore all mediums of art, her decision to go to AMDA as opposed to other four year universities, her favorite regional show she’s ever been a part of, her audition for Eponine in Les Miserables, whether not knowing much about Les Miserables before getting cast in the show helped her to make Eponine her own, her audition for Dreamgirls and what made her want to audition for a West End show, how audiences on West End differ from audiences on Broadway, vocal tips and tricks that help her keep her voice healthy while playing parts like Eponine in Les Mis and Deena in Dreamgirls, her dream to originate a role on stage one day, why she loves teaching the up and coming stars of tomorrow, and much MORE!
On this episode I talked with David about discovering his love for theatre at age 14 when he joined choir, how since age 14 he’s become a well-rounded performer, why he decided to go to Connecticut College to earn his degree in vocal performance and theatre and what the most valuable thing he learned at college was, why The Full Monty has been one of his favorite shows to perform in on stage, his audition for Dr. Pomatter in Waitress and how he reacted when he learned he booked the show, getting the special opportunity to rehearse with a full cast not once, but twice, how his portrayal of Dr. Pomatter has changed from pre-pandemic to now, why he thinks Waitress has such a loyal fanbase, his dream role on stage, self confidence, and much MORE!
On this episode I talked with Bethany about how dance lead her to theatre, making her Broadway debut when she was only 8 years in old in Gypsy opposite Bernadette Peters, being cast in Bye Bye Birdie at age 12 opposite John Stamos, what it was like being a Broadway kid and how her childhood differed from other children, how many tracks she covered when she was in Bye Bye Birdie and how she was able to master all the tracks, her audition process for Diana, being a part of an original show and the bond working on an original show creates for cast members, her role as dance captain for Diana, what it was like filming the stage musical for TV (catch the pro-shot on Netflix on October 1st), why people should come see Diana when it reopens, her dream show to be in, her jewelry business, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Marie about balancing sports and theatre when she was a child and when she realized she wanted to concentrate more on theatre, the first theatre show she saw and how it inspired her, being a performer on the Disney Cruise Line, how she became part of Full House The Musical (off-Broadway) where she starred as DJ Tanner, the first cast she saw on stage when she saw Wicked, her audition process for the 2nd National Tour of Wicked, where she was when she got the call that she booked the tour, the rehearsal process for touring shows and the day she made her official debut on the Wicked tour, what rehearsing for Elphaba while performing in the ensemble EIGHT times a week is like, the song she’s most looking forward to singing when she makes her Elphaba debut, what makes Wicked relevant to this day, audition rituals she has, how she works on self confidence, doing tarot readings, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with DJ about what made him want to be a theatre performer and when he realized he could make a career out of it, what the first show he ever saw was, the regional roles he tackled as a kid which helped him to become a well rounded theatre performer, why he chose to study musical theatre at University of Cincinatti and what the most valuable lesson he learned there was, what makes regional theatre productions worldwide so special, getting to perform as Flounder in The Little Mermaid and why playing Flounder has been one of his favorite roles to play, his audition for the Wicked tour, the casting process, his reaction when he was told he’d be playing Boq on the tour, working on staying healthy and keeping up stamina while on the road, what he thinks makes Wicked such a popular (pun intended) show, his dream roles, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode this episode I talked with Delaney about what made her fall in love with theatre, the first show see saw and the first show she was in that made her realize that acting and being on stage was in fact a career path she could take, how she worked on becoming a well rounded performer growing up, college auditions and what made her choose to go study theatre at BYU, getting to star as Christine in a production of Phantom Of The Opera while at BYU, how she got her audition for Side Show on Broadway and what the audition process was like, the day she made her Broadway debut, how she handled the responsibility that came with not only being a swing in Side Show, but understudying both leads (Daisy and Violet), getting cast to go on the Beautiful tour in between Side Show and Kinky Boots and what makes tour life special, getting cast in Lauren in Kinky Boots on Broadway, what made Lauren a character she enjoyed playing, how she makes roles her own, her dream roles, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Adrienne about when she realized she loved performing, her passion for opera that led her to studying opera, participating in Porgy and Bess at Court Theatre in Chicago and deciding she instead wanted to pursue musical theatre, what prepared her for a career in musical theatre and how she became a well-rounded performer, what makes regional theatre so special, how her audition for The Lion King came about and what it was like, what stepping into the world of The Lion King as Nala and making her Broadway debut in The Lion King was like, her favorite stage door memories, deciding to take a small break from The Lion King to play Hattie in the 2nd Revival of Kiss Me Kate on Broadway, bringing herself to the characters she plays on stage, her dream roles, her show she co-hosts on Youtube, 32 Bar Cut, and how the idea for the show came to be, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked to Sara about when she first discovered her love for theatre, how she worked on becoming a well-rounded theatre performer growing up, why when it came time for college she chose to study at Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts, the valuable lessons she learned from the program at Webster, her favorite regional show she participated in pre-Wicked and why she loves regional theatre, her audition process for Wicked, her reaction when she got told she had been cast in the show, how she handles understudying a character who’s older than she is like Madam Morrible, her favorite ensemble scenes in the show, how she keeps up her stamina on tour whilst traveling and performing eight times a week, working with different Glinda’s, why theatre fans should come see the Wicked Tour when it opens back up in Dallas, her dream roles, self confidence in the industry, her workout videos on Instagram, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Hayley about when her interest in theatre began, what it was like making her Broadway debut at age 12 when she was cast as a standby for both Louisa and Brigitta in Sound Of Music, finding out what a standby was and what the pressure for a child is like when covering not one, but two roles in a show, being involved with just about everything Hairspray from the National Tour, to Broadway, to the movie, understudying Penny and Amber in Hairspray and making those two very different characters her own, learning the choreography for Hairspray and keeping up her stamina whilst dancing on stage eight times a week, performing on stage vs. performing in front of a camera, getting to cross her dream role of Glinda in Wicked off her bucket list, how she made her version of Glinda was unique, taking on hosting and interviewing some of her friends and former castmates on carpets, her love for @synthialink’s workouts, and much more!
On this episode I talked with JJ about how growing up in a family who was involved in theatre and watching his sisters perform on stage made JJ realize that he wanted to be a performer too, how growing up he worked on becoming a well rounded performer, how he managed to balance a million and one different things (including theatre) while in high school, auditioning for colleges and why he chose to study theatre at Elon University, the many regional shows he’s been a part of, his love for the show Hairspray, his audition for Book of Mormon on Broadway soon after college, his reaction when he was told he’d be a swing in the show, his process for learning seven different tracks in the show, getting to be part of the cast of the World Premiere of Bliss The Musical at 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, why he thinks Bliss The Musical should be put on a Broadway stage, how he’s become TikTok famous over the past year, what made him want to create a TikTok account and how TikTok allows him to express himself in ways other social media platforms can’t, his participation in Ratatouille The Musical, teaching upcoming theatre performers during quarantine, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jared about how he’s always been into entertaining people since he was little, why he chose to study theatre at Elon University and how earning a BFA in Musical Theatre from Elon kickstarted his career, making his National Tour Debut in Dear Evan Hansen almost immediately after he graduated from college, what the audition process for Dear Evan Hansen was like for him, what he knew about how popular Dear Evan Hansen was before taking the show on it’s First National Tour, when he found out he’d be making his Broadway debut as Jared in Dear Evan Hansen, how he separates himself from the character when the character he’s playing share his name, his favorite fan memories, celebrities he’s met who have come to see him in Dear Evan Hansen, the original musical he wrote “Mazkapan”, what he’s been up to over the past year, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Ali about when she knew she wanted to have a career in theatre, why she fell in with theatre when she saw her first theatre show ‘A Chorus Line’ live as an audience member, why she decided to go to Yale University and study psychology instead of auditioning for a musical theatre program, how studying psychology helped her better understand the characters she’s played in different shows over the years since, her experience working at Disneyland, her Broadway debut as Cosette in Les Miserables and her previous experience on the Les Miserables National Tour, playing Maria in West Side Story on an International Tour, the different countries she had the opportunity to explore while on tour with West Side Story, her journey auditioning for Christine in Phantom Of The Opera on Broadway, how she makes iconic characters she’s played on stage like Cosette, Maria, Tuptim, and Christine her own, how she works on vocal control and vocal stamina, her current theatre bucket list, how she’s stayed busy over the past year, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Dan about how his love for theatre stemmed from when he saw Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan in Pittsburgh, how he learned as much about theatre as he could growing up and became a well rounded performer, his favorite regional show he’s performed in, what makes regional theatre so special and why he likes to be a part of regional theatre shows, what his audition process was like for Newsies and why he wanted to audition for the role of Jack Kelly in the show, what the rehearsal process was like for Newsies, how long it took the cast to perfect the dancing in the show, how he worked on building his stamina and staying emotionally healthy during the tour whilst traveling and performing eight times a week, his company Mindfulness In The Arts that he founded with his Newsies co-star with Ben Cook, what Mindfulness In The Arts is and why Ben and him decided it was important to create it, his love for all things Disney, his dream roles, what he’s been up to this past year during quarantine, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jacque Carnahan and Michael Holzer about when their interest in theatre and the arts started, what kickstarted their interest in theatre, how Jacque’s experience performing on stage in theatre helps her when it comes to working behind the scenes, her one woman show “Main Street to 42nd Street”, what lead Michael to discover the theatre industry after getting a degree in computer science, whether he ever saw himself working in theatre and the arts, Jacque’s company Believe NYC, how the idea for Believe NYC came to be and what makes it a top quality program for anyone who’s interested in the arts, Michael’s company Educational Travel Adventures, why the travel industry, how ETA overlaps with arts, how Jacque and Michael met and came up with the idea for the Arts For Autism Benefit Concert, why introducing theatre and music to kids with autism is important, where people can buy tickets for this year’s virtual Arts For Autism concert, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Adante about when he first realized he loved performing, when he realized he could make a career out of performing, his move from South Dakota to Los Angeles, why he chose to go to school at AMDA and how AMDA helped him further his career in musical theatre, getting cast in the Los Angeles revival of Carrie: The Musical, being part of an immersive theatre show, his audition for “Mean Girls: The Musical”, his reaction when he got the role, getting to play Aaron Samuels and inspire kids and teens in the audience every night, how he brings himself to the role of Aaron, his dream roles, what he’s most looking forward to when live theatre returns, what he’s been up to during this past year, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Shereen about what is what like to make her Broadway debut at age 9 as Young Nala in The Lion King and how magical it is to step into the world of a classic movie you’re a fan of, what being on a Broadway stage at such a young age taught her to help her go forward in the world of theatre, why she made the decision to go to Julliard School and what her audition process for getting into Julliard was like, her audition for the West Side Story Revival on Broadway, what her reaction was when she found out she had been cast as Maria, what the rehearsal process for the revival was like and how special it was to build a revival show from the ground up, what makes now a good time for a West Side Story Revival, her dream roles on stage, her new song “Still Standing”, future music, her love for Marvel, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Daniel about where his passion for theatre stemmed from, how he became a triple threat performer, how studying at Rockford College benefited him going forward in the industry, getting the part of Mungojerrie on the National Tour of Cats, learning how to “act like a cat” on stage through dance, learning how to paint his face for the show, his journey with Wicked and Newsies, the process of memorizing not only his ensemble track in Wicked and Newsies (‘Race’), but also memorizing blocking for the characters of Boq in Wicked and Davey in Newsies, getting to step into Mean Girls on Broadway to save the day as a vacation swing, his audition for the Frozen National Tour, what the rehearsal process with the entire cast was like for Frozen, his favorite thing thus far about touring with Frozen, his dream roles, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Hannah about how she really got into theatre and discovered her love for theatre, why regional theatre though often under appreciated is so special, the moment she realized that she had the talent and could in fact make a career out of theatre, her audition process for the Frozen tour, her reaction when she was cast to be in the show, how rehearsing for a show at it’s beginning helps build believable chemistry between cast members of that show, which choreography in Frozen is the most challenging, how long it took for all the choreography to come together, why people of all ages should come see the Frozen Tour when it resumes, her dream role in theatre and why, how she works on self confidence in this industry, the company she co-founded “Bringing You Broadway” which brings theatre and the arts to kids with disabilities, the virtual concert “Bringing You Broadway” has that’s coming up on April 2nd, and MUCH MORE!
(Note: this episode is in TWO PARTS). On this episode I talked with Chelsea about when she knew that she wanted to be a performer, being part of a theatre loving family, her family trip to NYC on which she show 11 SHOWS IN 10 DAYS, how she has worked on becoming a well rounded performer and consistently built her resume in Los Angeles, her audition for Frozen at The Hyperion, how she makes the role of Elsa her own, a memory with an audience member from Frozen at The Hyperion that she holds closest to her heart, how she got her audition for Wicked on tour, the job of a standby, how she as an Elphaba standby stayed constantly prepared backstage, her Elphaba debut, working on self confidence in an industry in which you’re constantly auditioning, taking advantage of this past year and deciding to go back to school, projects she’s been working on in quarantine, and MUCH MORE
(Note: this episode is in TWO PARTS). On this episode I talked with Chelsea about when she knew that she wanted to be a performer, being part of a theatre loving family, her family trip to NYC on which she show 11 SHOWS IN 10 DAYS, how she has worked on becoming a well rounded performer and consistently built her resume in Los Angeles, her audition for Frozen at The Hyperion, how she makes the role of Elsa her own, a memory with an audience member from Frozen at The Hyperion that she holds closest to her heart, how she got her audition for Wicked on tour, the job of a standby, how she as an Elphaba standby stayed constantly prepared backstage, her Elphaba debut, working on self confidence in an industry in which you’re constantly auditioning, taking advantage of this past year and deciding to go back to school, projects she’s been working on in quarantine, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Chilina about her impressive resume, making her Broadway debut as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, how she put herself in Mary’s shoes and put her own spin on the character, staying positive in one’s own life while playing such an emotional role, what makes fans love Jesus Christ Superstar, her audition Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, how she portrayed Carole King’s growth and journey on stage, what she learned about Carole King’s story that she previously didn’t know through doing research for the show, what made her want to continue playing Carole King in Beautiful over 1,200 times, getting to meet Carole, being part of The Band’s Visit tour as Dina, what attracted her to the role of Dina, balancing her home life with theatre, working on self confidence in the theatre industry, her original album “What You Find In A Bottle”, the musical she wrote called “Call It Love”, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Megan about her childhood dream to be a popstar like Britney Spears, the moment she saw her first theatre show and realized she could live out those popstar dreams in a way and perform for an audience on stage in musicals, her experience in the theatre department at Brigham Young University and what made their theatre program appealing to her, getting cast in Wicked as Nessarose shortly after graduating, the first cast she ever got to see in Wicked (Eden Espinosa as Elphaba and Deedee Magno Hall as Nessa), the acting choices she made to display the journey that Nessarose goes through in Wicked, what makes Wicked so special, her audition for Mean Girls, why the rehearsal process for the Mean Girls Tour was special, how she brings herself to Gretchen, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Gabrielle about how performing on stage as always been her passion, getting to go on the 30th National Tour of Annie as Kate where she understudied Annie as kid, auditioning as a kid vs. auditioning as an adult and how it’s different, the reason she chose to study theatre at Boston Conservatory and why she loved the program there, auditioning for Dear Evan Hansen and eventually being brought in as a vacation understudy for Zoe and Alana then getting bumped up to the full time Zoe and Alana understudy, the moment she learned she would be taking over as the lead Zoe in Dear Evan Hansen, what it was like stepping into Zoe’s shoes and making the character her own, what she thinks makes Dear Evan Hansen such a special show, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Anthony Festa about the moment he had to choose between sports and theatre and why he chose theatre, the moment he realized he could sing and that he could make a career out of performing on stage, why he chose to study theatre at Cortland State University, his first professional audition, going on tour in Europe as Tony in West Side Story, what international audiences are like, his audition experience for Wicked, prior dance experience that helped him when it came to dancing in the ensemble in Wicked, understudying Fiyero and putting his own spin on the character, his recent experience touring with Miss Saigon, how getting the opportunity to travel to Vietnam helped him dive into Chris’ world, advice he has for performers in the theatre industry, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode Courtney and I chatted about the moment she realized she wanted to perform on stage, the first show she ever saw, the show she’s seen the most times and why she’s seen it the most times, her experience at Guildford School of Acting where multiple Six cast members have studied theatre/acting, how she got cast in the show Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, what makes that show so special and why she thinks it’s an important story to tell, her audition for Six, whether she’d heard of Six before getting cast in it, how she puts her own spin on Anne Boleyn, her favorite fan memory thus far, her dream roles, self confidence in the industry, both of our short attention spans, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Maiya about her experience at Gilford School of Acting where she participated in school productions of The Secret Garden, Hair, Cats, and more, the makeup skills she picked up while she was in Cats at GSA, auditioning for Six and Motown The Musical around the same time, her reaction when she found out she got the role of Catherine Parr, the challenges of tour life, her West End debut, the moment she realized how big of a deal Six was becoming, her original 2020 plans which included being Mimi in Rent and being part of the cast of Cases The Musical for it’s West End Premiere, the Cases album coming out on February 12th, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Kristin about how her mom’s involvement in and love for musical theatre translated to her, about working with adults in theatre shows as a kid and realizing that theatre was a career path, the reason she chose to stay close to home to study theatre and go to Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts, how that school helped go forward into her professional theatre career, doing readings and shows with TheatreWorks, how she got her audition for The Lightning Thief Musical, how touring before their Broadway run helped the show’s overall success, the day she made her Broadway debut, why she enjoyed portraying a kid in The Lightning Thief, her dream roles, funny moments on stage, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Emily about the moment she knew she wanted to be a performer, her college experience and why she almost changed majors, her audition for Miss Saigon came about when her dad sent Cameron McIntosh an email asking about upcoming auditions, how surreal it was for her when she ended up booking the understudy for Kim in Miss Saigon on Broadway, her favorite part about working with the kids who play Tam in Miss Saigon, what the day she made her Broadway debut was like, how she prepared to take on the role of Kim for the first time, touring with Les Miserables as Eponine, what it was like stepping back into the role of Kim, but as the lead on the Miss Saigon tour, how her Kim changed over the years, how she keeps up the positivity in real life when she’s playing characters in heavy shows like Miss Saigon and Les Miserables, her dream roles, what she’s been up to in quarantine, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Donna Vivino about making her Broadway debut at only eight years old when she originated the role of Young Cosette on Broadway in Les Miserables, what goes through a young kid’s mind when they’re making their Broadway debut, her experience being the youngest in the cast of Les Miserables, her favorite Hairspray moments, her audition experience for Wicked, the number of times she played Elphaba in Wicked (comment below if you know the exact number), how she’s similar to Elphaba and how she’s different from Elphaba, how her Elphaba changed as she played the role more, what advice she gave to her sister Natalia before going on the road to tour with Wicked as the Elphaba Standby, her experience playing Grizabella on the Cats National Tour for a short time pre-shut down, the company she founded Broadway Unlimited and getting to teach young, up and coming performers, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Aimie about whether or not she’s always known she wanted perform on stage, what helped her jumpstart her professional theatre career the most, her West End debut as Daniela in In The Heights, whether she had previous knowledge of Spanish before getting cast in “In The Heights”, the secret as to why those in the UK are so much better at American accents, than American’s are at British accents, winning BBC’s Voice of Musical Theatre, originating the role of Katherine Howard in Six on West End, getting to watch the show grow from it’s Off-West End stages, to it’s UK tour stage, to it’s West End stage, what it was like to earn an Olivier Award Nomination, the West End premiere of Pretty Woman and how she manages to put her own spin on Vivian Ward, the virtual dance classes she offers, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode, I talked with Justin about what he’s been up to during quarantine, where his love for musical theatre stemmed from, going to University of Central Florida to study musical theatre, how his college experience helped his career skyrocket, when he made his Broadway debut, how difficult the jobs that swings and understudies have are, the pressure involved with playing an iconic character such as Drew in Rock Of Ages on Broadway, getting cast as Peter Parker in Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark on Broadway, his collection of comic books and action figures that he owned growing up, how he stepped into the shoes of a character he was a fan of growing up and put his own spin on the character, working with Andrew Lloyd Webber during NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar how he’s trained his rock voice and simultaneously kept it healthy, his dream roles, Broadway singing secrets, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Samantha about the first theatre show she ever saw, the moment she realized that she wanted to be an actress and that it was possible for her to perform on stage, how she worked on becoming the well-rounded and multi-talented performer she is today, getting to play Eva Peron in Evita THREE TIMES, West End included, what prepared her to be in a show like Evita where she’s the main character and center of the show, getting to see Six on West End while she was in London playing Eva in Evita, when she learned about Six and how the audition for Six came about for her, how she puts her own spin on real life historical figures in shows like Evita and Six, her dream roles on Broadway, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Ruby about when she discovered she loved musical theatre, her vocal training and how it’s prepared her for the shows she’s starred in, how she discovered For The Record Live, what it’s like to play multiple characters within in one For The Record show, her favorite FTR show, what makes For The Record so successful, touring with We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, and Grease, acting on camera vs. acting on stage, when she first heard about Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour, her audition for Indigo and her involvement in creating the show and character, what her Broadway debut was like, playing Marilyn Monroe in Marilyn! A New Musical, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Emily about diving into the theatre industry as a child and immediately falling in love, why she chooses to live in Los Angeles vs. New York, her introduction to the LA theatre community, leading Carrie The Musical at La Mirada, her introduction to For The Record, her audition experience for For The Record Brat Pack, landing the role of The Basketcase in FTR Brat Pack and playing the role on both land, being part of FTR Live’s Love Actually during past holiday seasons, her dream roles, how everyone can play a part in keeping theatre alive, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Kerry about her glowing resume, the day she made her West End debut, taking over the role of Elphaba after Idina Menzel in 2006 and being the first ever British Elphaba in Wicked, the difference between playing Elphaba on West End and playing Elphaba on Broadway, how her Elphaba was different when she returned to the role in 2008, how she managed to have the vocal stamina needed to sing Elphaba songs EIGHT TIMES a week, other roles she’s played such as Grizabella in Cats, her Christmas song “One Beautiful Christmas Day” she recorded this year (which you can go check out now anywhere you listen to music now), and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Cailen about the moment she realized she wanted to be a theatre performer, how growing up in Fresno and going to school where Audra McDonald went to school made her realize that if Audra grew up where she did and made it then she could too, why she chose to study theatre at UC Irvine and continue with their program, the most valuable lesson she learned in college, her audition process for Mean Girls, how she puts herself into the shoes of Gretchen and Regina (two characters who are incredibly different) and plays them both so well, what her Broadway debut was like, how she works on self confidence in such a tough industry, teaching masterclasses and coaching up and coming performers, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jake about the moment he first knew he wanted to perform on stage, going to auditions in NYC as a kid, how he works on being a well-rounded performer, his experience in the musical theatre department at UCLA, the viral performance of Waitress he starred in at UCLA, the off-Broadway production of Superhero he got to be in, his audition for Dmitry on the Anastasia tour, his experience performing Anastasia for North American audiences, his favorite stage door memory, his dream roles, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Taylor about the moment she realized she wanted to combine all three of her passions and be a theatre performer, how dance, specifically ballet, has helped her career on stage, her reason for wanting to go study theatre at TCU, booking the lead Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie at Goodspeed Opera House, her audition experience for the National Tour of Anastasia, what she learned from life on the road with Anastasia, getting to understudy Anya and sing iconic songs like Journey To The Past, her dream roles, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Ben about his experience at Ithaca College, how going to Ithaca kickstarted his professional career, auditioning for Spring Awakening and booking Ernst on the First National Tour, playing Davey in Newsies, the moment he knew Newsies was going to be a hit on Broadway, being committed to learning the choreography for the dance numbers in Newsies, his favorite memory from being part of the cast, playing Barry Mann on the Beautiful tour, teaching masterclasses this year, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Kate about how having parents who were involved in theatre and growing up around theatre world instilled her love for theatre, how she worked to become a well-rounded and triple talented theatre performer, getting to play Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, why she ended up choosing to go to Carnegie Mellon to study theatre, making her Broadway debut in the My Fair Lady revival at Lincoln Center, getting cast in The Prom, getting to be part of a show during it’s beginning stages and watching it grow, the many roles she understudied/covered in The Prom, how she as an actress perfected each of those roles, working on Flying Over Sunset pre-pandemic, the future for Flying Over Sunset, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jessie about when she knew she wanted to be a performer and be on Broadway, 36 Questions the Podcast Musical and what made her want to take on the role of Natalie/Judith in it, getting cast to be Dawn on the Waitress tour, how she managed to adjust to life on the road with Waitress, how she ended up getting involved in the off-Broadway production of Cruel Intentions Musical, her involvement with Hadestown since it’s New York Theatre Workshop Days, when she was told she’d be a part of the Original Broadway Cast of Hadestown and be not only a swing, but also an understudy for Eurydice and two of the fates, and much MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jewelle Blackman about breaking into the theatre industry in Canada, starring in shows like The Lion King and Dreamgirls on Canada stages, how playing the violin has helped her in the theatre industry, how she first heard of of Hadestown and what made her want to audition for the show, when she heard that she would be going to Broadway with the show, how her and fellow Fates Kay and Yvette harmonize perfectly every night, what she thinks makes Hadestown so successful, “If The Fates Allow (A Hadestown Holiday Album)” which is out now, an upcoming project she’s working on, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Jillian about her experience at Boston Conservatory, how it helped prepare to audition for Broadway and National Tours, getting to go on a tour as magical as the R+H Cinderella tour, her reaction when she got cast in the National Tour of Wicked and what her audition process was like, getting to understudy iconic roles such as Glinda and NessaRose, whether she thinks she’s more of a Cosette or Eponine, getting to play lead Cosette on the National Tour of Les Miserables, how her Cosette is different and more likable from an audience perspective than the character has been in the past, her dream roles on stage, and MUCH more!
On this episode this I talked with Harrison about when he realized he wanted to be an actor and perform on stage, the reason he chose to transfer schools, valuable advice and lesson he took away from his school experience, how he got involved in the LA theatre community, his work with After Hours Theatre Company over the years, how After Hours Theatre company has been successful at making their shows immersive, the virtual theatre productions that After Hours has produced this year, their upcoming virtual Christmas show, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Elena about her when and how she decided to trade gymnastics for theatre, how her gymnastics past helped her with the audition for the World Premiere of Bring It On The Musical, getting to tour the country as part of the Mamma Mia ensemble, her Broadway debut, her reaction when she was told that she was going to play Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia on Broadway, her most memorable experiences from being part of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, getting to meet Carole King, her dream roles, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Audrey about how she was able to overcome obstacles that got in her way when she was young, how going to school and getting her BFA in Theatre at Penn State University helped her believe in herself, how she got cast as a swing in her first National Tour “Anything Goes”, how her first National Tour prepared her for the National Tours she’s been part of since, her Cinderella tour journey, playing the lead role Alice on the National Tour of Bright Star, the fanbase Falsettos has and what made being part of a show like Falsettos so special, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked to Damon about the moment he realized he really wanted to pursue theatre as career, how he decided to go to the school he went to to study theatre, getting cast in a dance heavy show like Newsies and making his Broadway debut at age 20, maintaining the stamina needed to perform and dance eight times a week, being in Disney’s Aladdin, being part of the beginning stages of shows like The Prom and Dear Evan Hansen and how much shows change in those beginning stages, his experience playing Robbie on NBC’s Rise, his upcoming projects “Bringing You Broadway” & Netflix’s “Tiny Pretty Things”, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Sophie about when she discovered she had a passion for performing on stage in theatre shows, her audition for BBC’s “Over The Rainbow”, becoming the runner up at only 17, Andrew Lloyd Webber calling her mom to tell her he wanted her to be the alternate Dorothy in “Wizard Of Oz” in London, what it was like becoming the lead Dorothy and singing an iconic song like “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” eight times a week, getting cast as Glinda in Wicked UK, what made her and Alice Fearn such an iconic Glinda & Elphaba duo, her covers/songs on iTunes, Spotify, and Apple Music, Singing With Sophie lessons, and more!
On this episode I talked with Jonalyn about growing up in a family that was very into theatre, going to school for theatre at Syracuse University, what it takes to be a Broadway understudy or swing, her reaction when she found out she was making her Broadway debut in Bullets Over Broadway, her experience not only being in the ensemble of Mean Girls on Broadway, but also understudying Regina, Karen, and Cady, finding out she’d be lead Karen Smith on the Mean Girls tour, teaching dance lessons with Artists and Beyond and Broadway Plus, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Daniel about making his Broadway debut in Bye Bye Birdie, learning the choreography for Newsies, understudying Boq in Wicked on Broadway, characters he’d want to play besides Boq if he went back to Wicked, the reason he took on the role of Mike Teavee in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory on Tour, workshops for Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hansen, and more that he’s participated in, his recent experience in Fly at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, and more!
On this episode Addison and I talked with Jackie about the most valuable lesson she learned at University of Connecticut where she got her degree in theatre, her Broadway debut in Hair, what it takes to play a role like Elphaba and be the longest running Elphaba in WICKED The Musical, who she would cast opposite her in a Wicked movie, the character choices she made to distinguish between Liz/Beth in If/Then Musical, George Street Playhouse's A Walk On The Moon, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Natalie about her transition from sports to theatre as a kid, her college experience majoring in theatre, what made her decide to move to Los Angeles for theatre rather than New York, how she got involved in the Los Angeles theatre community, how she discovered Rockwell Table & Stage and got cast in Bradley Bredeweg's Scissorhands Musical, what makes performing at Rockwell Table & Stage so special, her improv and comedy experience and how it helped her with League Of Their Own Unauthorized and Never Been Kissed Unauthorized, Starry Musical, her dream roles, how she works on self confidence, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Kara Lindsay about the moment she knew she wanted to be a performer, the most valuable thing she learned while at school at Carnegie Mellon University, how she prepared to originate the role of Katherine Plumber in “Newsies”, how she made Glinda her own in Wicked, getting to be quirky and silly during “Popular”, how she got starstruck when she got to meet Carole King while playing Cynthia Weil in “Beautiful”, people who inspire her in the theatre world, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Dana about growing up loving performing so much that she would direct and produce shows for her parents with her siblings, her school experience, what valuable lessons she learned about the theatre world in school, audition tips she has for young actors and actresses, how she got cast in Beetlejuice, what it’s like to be part of a show from it’s workshop stages and witness the shows growth, what goes into developing a character, how she made the role of Lydia her own, what she thinks makes Beetlejuice such a well-received show, the incredible Beetlejuice fanbase, her dream roles, teaching with BroadwayPlus and Artists and Beyond, and more!
On this episode I talked with Erin about how there really wasn’t a moment when she wasn’t performing, how a theatre show in Fullerton, California led to her being cast as a double in The Parent Trap, filming a Mary-Kate and Ashley’s You’re Invited video, how shortly after her freshman year of college she got cast to be in WICKED The Musical, her experience playing Glinda on both National Tours, in Chicago, in Los Angeles, and on Broadway, getting to participate in shows such as Sondheim on Sondheim, Amazing Grace Musical, Chaplin, and In Transit Broadway, her dream role, how excited she’ll be when live theatre can take place safely again, the Wicked movie, and MUCH MORE!
On this episode I talked with Patrick about when he decided to make a career out of performing and acting, when he discovered that he could sing, his experience in the BFA program in college at Cal State Fullerton, getting cast in five productions of West Side Story, his Broadway debut, his experience in Mamma Mia, his favorite Abba song, performing on National Tours VS. performing on Cruise Ships VS. performing in one place, his introduction into the For The Record Live family, performing in Baz Star-Crossed and Brat Pack, getting cast as Eddie in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, his Bailamos duet with Alex Newell, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Allison about growing up in Florida and finding theatre to participate in there, about her decision to go study theatre at The Boston Conservatory, what she learned while in college, her time-gap between graduating from college and getting cast to be on the 2nd National Tour of Wicked, how quick her audition experience for Wicked was, how going to work and being in Wicked even after almost five years on tour is still enjoyable for her, when she found out she was going to be the LEAD Glinda on tour, how she's like Glinda and how she's different from Glinda, her dream roles in theatre, actors and actresses she'd love to work with on stage, and much more!
On this episode I talked with Janine about when theatre and performing became the career path she knew she wanted to pursue, the outstanding musical theatre program at University of Michigan where she went to school, her impressive resume and how she’s able to find work in the theatre industry whether it’s regional work or on Broadway constantly, what it was like playing an iconic role like Rizzo in Grease on Broadway, her tour experiences, how she’s expanded her career path and is also pursuing TV and film, the album she’s working on, and MUCH MORE.
On this episode I talked Elizabeth about how she hasn't always been into Broadway, what career path she thought she would have while growing up, her work as an entertainment journalist, how she and her husband came up with the idea for the company Broadway Roulette, whether or not she expected Broadway Roulette to take off and become a popular way people buy tickets to Broadway shows, her favorite customer feedback, how her and team brainstormed a new experience for Broadway fans during quarantine called Broadway Mixers, Broadway Roulette's new partnership with Playbill, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with Lana and Nathan about how they first discovered their passion for performing, their education experiences, creating their own content on YouTube their performances on stage pre-Rockwell Table & Stage, their favorite show they’ve seen the other in, what’s so special about Rockwell Table & Stage, the Christmas movie they recently filmed, Nathan’s movie The Rising Hawk coming out on October 2nd, and more!
On this episode I talked with Micaela about the passion and love for theatre and performing she's had since a young age, the theatre presence that many people aren't aware of on the west coast, her experience on the First National Tour of Sister Act and understudying Mary Roberts, how she got cast for WICKED The Musical, the Elphaba and Glinda pairs she's performed alongside, how she memorizes the parts of multiple tracks in Wicked, getting to be Nessarose, her Broadway debut, and more.
On this episode I talked with Bianca about why and when she decided to move to Los Angeles, her college experience, the first theatre show she got cast in in California, her introduction to Rockwell Table and Stage and how she got involved in shows there, her singing and songwriting career, her new song “Friends“ which she produced, and more!
On this episode I talked with Kalyn about when she first knew she wanted to perform on stage, why she chose to get double bachelors degrees in musical theatre and anthropology, her favorite show she got to participate in besides The Prom, her audition experience for The Prom, getting the chance to represent and be an inspiration for up and coming actresses like her younger self, the importance of not being afraid to address mental health, and much more.
On this episode I chatted with Eva about starting off in dance, her long list of choreography credits and how she attained all of them, playing Maria in West Side Story at Citadel Theatre, how Sousatzka the Musical led to her being cast as Christine Daaé, her experience on the Phantom Of The Opera Tour, and more.
On this episode I talked with Afra about her experience as a Radio City Rockette, Thanksgiving Day Parade performances, her Broadway debut in Wicked, what it was like to be a part of original Broadway casts of shows like In The Heights, Ghost, and Shuffle Along, how people she’s worked with have inspired her, her experience performing at the Tony Awards, about what she thinks makes Hadestown such a special show, and more.
On this episode I talked with Stella and Arwen about their start with theatre, their audition process for Frozen, how they’re similar to Anna, their favorite thing about touring, what school is like on tour, their favorite Frozen songs, their future dream roles, and more!
On this episode I chatted with Natalie about her love for performing since being a child, her experience on MTV’s “Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods” competition on which she placed fifth, the work and determination it takes to be successful in TV & Film, how she got involved in shows at Rockwell Table & Stage, what makes the shows at Rockwell so special, and more.
On this episode I talked with Kristyn about finding theatre to participate in in cities that aren’t particularly known for theatre, her education experience at Oklahoma City University, how and why she decided to move to LA instead of NYC, advice on how to audition both with and without an equity card, how she got involved with Cherry Poppins, The Art Couple (which was supposed to be part of Center Theatre Group's season this year), and more.
On this episode I talked with Caelan about her experience seeing her first theatre show, how she balanced her major in musical theatre and minor in communications in college, her dance experience, her audition process for The National Tour of Frozen, her full circle moment getting to watch Caroline Bowman on stage at her hometown theatre Paramount Theatre during the Evita tour to getting to perform on stage at that same theatre with her this year, and much more.
On this episode I chatted with Keri about what career path she thought she'd have when she was little vs. the career path she has now, her college musical theatre experience, what advice she'd give to young performers in the business, her Broadway debut in Waitress, the National Tour of Cats on which she played Grizabella, her current dream roles, a musical she'd like to see made into a movie, and much more.
On this episode I talked with Zach about choosing many different career paths in the world of theatre instead of just one, his education experience and the valuable lessons he was taught, the lightning in a bottle success that Cruel Intentions: The Musical had, his experience being an understudy in The Other Josh Cohen, the new musicals he’s written, his next collaboration with Jordan Ross Schindler, and much more.
On this episode I talked with Chadd about how he's always done everything in theatre whether it's been on stage or off, how he got introduced to the LA theatre and Rockwell Table & Stage community, what the hardest thing about stage managing is, what people would be surprised to know is in his job description, his current project on Broadway On Demand with Frankie Grande, and much more.
On this episode I talked with Greer about how her passion for theatre started early on, her education experience in theatre during high school and college, how she balanced filming a hit TV show while simultaneously going to school at University of Southern California, how she became part of the cast for both The OC Musical and I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Unauthorized Musical, what makes LA theatre special, her favorite Starbucks Christmas cup, Disney Princesses, and more.
On this episode I talked with Brian about what the experience is like forming a band and going on tour 200 days a year, his short move to Nashville, how he became part of the musical theatre world in Los Angeles in 2018, how his confidence has grown, what made both LA theatre shows he's done so far so successful, and more!
On this episode I talked with Natalie about how her education prepared her to take on the tasks of being a swing and an understudy, her Broadway debut in Billy Elliot the Musical, her experience on the Matilda tour, being in the original cast of Groundhog Day Musical, her experience on the road with the First National Tour of Frozen, and MORE!
On this episode I talked with John about his love for Grease (which he later starred in a production of), his biggest takeaways and life lessons he learned at University of Cincinnati, how timing is everything, how his West Coast theatre debut came to be, the For The Record Live series, going on tour with Cruel Intentions Musical, and MORE
On this episode I talked with Jennafer about theatre in Houston, Texas, her move to New York, her audition experience for Wicked, why WICKED The Musical is still relevant 13 years later, her first time in Glinda's bubble, and MORE
On this episode I talked with Sarah about her experience at NYU Tisch School of The Arts, her favorite role to play in college, her audition experience for WICKED The Musical, her dream roles, the funniest mishap that's happened to her while on stage, and more!
On this episode I talked with Tali about her experience with musical theatre at Penn State, workshopping shows, how her Broadway debut in Be More Chill happened, her audition process for the Wicked tour, what life on the road is like, how she makes the role of Elphaba her own, and more.
On this episode I talked with Jordan about what made her decide to move to LA, traveling back and forth between the East Coast and West Coast. how she was first introduced to the Los Angeles theatre community, what made "Romeo & Juliet: Love Is A Battlefield" where she played Benvolia so special, how perfectly Bradley Bredeweg adapted Edward Scissorhands into a musical for the stage, her future theatre bucket list, and more!
On this episode I talk with Claire about how watching her mom perform in theatre has inspired her to do the same, when she started learning how to play piano, how she got cast in “Power Rangers Dino Charge”, her experience performing on stage with For The Record Live on land and sea, and much more.
On this episode I talked with John and Molly about Cruel Intentions: The Musical and how they met working on it, the moment John realized how beloved a show Hadestown is, Molly’s audition process for Last Man Standing, how they work on self confidence, Disneyland, and much more.
In this episode Lindsay Pearce talks about how she got involved in The Glee Project, the many shows she's participated in in the LA theatre community, and her Broadway debut as Wicked's newest lead Elphaba!
On this episode I chatted with Jordan about being the co-creator for the highly successful musical, Cruel Intentions: The Musical, just how many roles behind the scenes he’s handled over the past five years in the LA theatre world, the difference between LA theatre, tour, and New York, the future of LA theatre, and much more.
On this episode Lila Coogan about her experience making her Broadway debut at age 13 in Mary Poppins, her reaction when she got called and told that she was THE LEAD ANYA on the first national Anastasia Tour, her adorable corgi puppy she got in May, and much more.
On this episode Olivia Valli talks about her high school and college musical theatre experience, how she got cast as in the ensemble in Wicked and was an Elphaba understudy shortly after graduating college, her experience playing her grandmother Mary Delgado in Jersey Boys, being the first actor/actress in Broadway & Off-Broadway history to play someone who she's directly related to, and more!
In this episode Michael Thomas Grant talks about the evolution of his portrayal as the Geek in FTR Brat Pack over the years, the famous story of how he ended up going on for act two of opening night of UMPO Jurassic Park, the difference between an UMPO show and a For The Record show, how he got cast on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, how he celebrated getting cast, and much more.
In this episode Matthew Scott Montgomery talks about when he realized he wanted to be an actor, how volunteering to work in a parking garage led to a lot of his success in booking auditions, how his shows "Spook Night" and "Dead Boys" came to be, how he’s now taken on musicals, and much more.
In this episode Shelley Regner talks about the success of Cruel Intentions: The Musical, how special the LA theatre community is, how she ended up getting cast in Pitch Perfect, the plot she would write for a fourth Pitch Perfect movie, and much more!
In this episode Janaya Jones talks about the difference between performing in shows at Rockwell Table & Stage vs. shows such as Frozen Live at The Hyperion at Disneyland / California Adventure, how she got cast as Esméralda in #HunchbackOfNotreDame in San Diego, her Broadway dream, and more.
In this episode Alex Nee talks about his experience touring with Once the Musical and American Idiot The Musical, his Broadway debut in A Christmas Carol on Broadway this past winter, his involvement in one of my favorite shows #RJBattlefield, and more.
In this episode Parissa Koo talks about #TheGleeProject and #AmericanIdol auditions, what led to her move to LA, her audition for For The Record Live’s #TheBratPack, her dream roles, one of them being Eurydice in Hadestown, and more.
In this episode Amanda Kruger talks about her perseverance and determination when it came to auditioning to be part of the Rockwell Table & Stage family, her favorite show she’s been a part of at Rockwell and why, gives some FABULOUS wisdom to aspiring performers, and more.
Hear Pablo talk about producing and arranging music for “Swingin’ With The Mouse”, learn how he decided to start producing, hear what he would tell his younger self now, and more