Part 3 – The Drama Desk Awards: The Press Room: The 64th Drama Desk Awards took place on June 2nd 2019, at the Town Hall Theatre on 43rd Street. The press room, where the winners are escorted after accepting their awards and giving their acceptance speech, was a few doors down on 43rd St at a local restaurant. The Drama Desk Awards are special in that they nominate from shows across Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway all in the same categories. Please be sure to visit https://www.dramadeskawards.com/ for more info about these awards. This 5-part mini series brings you exclusive, behind-the-scenes content from the 2019 awards season, ranging from the Tony Nominations themselves to red carpets to press rooms and conversations with this year’s biggest winners. Interviews in this episode: Rachel Chavkin: Hadestown (Outstanding Director of a Musical) Celia Keenan-Bolger: To Kill a Mockingbird (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play) Nick Powell: The Ferryman (Outstanding Sound Design in a Play) Charles G. Lapointe: The Cher Show (Outstanding Wig and Hair Design) Bradley King: Hadestown (Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical) David Korins: Beetlejuice (Outstanding Set Design for a Musical) Bob Mackie: The Cher Show (Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical) Dori Berinstein, Bill Damaschke, and Jack Lane: The Prom (Outstanding Musical) Extra closing standards Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve seen Diana Salameh and Erik Piepenburg’s work but you may not know it. Diana and Erik are employees of NYC marketing agency Serino Coyne. Diana is the director of marketing and communications and Erik is a features editor. Both of them are responsible for helping spread the word about your favorite shows. In this episode they discuss what marketing and advertising actually is (it’s a bit confusing but stick with them), how their love of theatre drew them to their current roles off the stage, and the need for equality in the workplace and worldwide. Connect with Diana and Erik online: Diana- Instagram: @_dianasalameh Diana - Twitter: @_dianasalameh Erik - Instagram: @erikp57 & @you.donut.own.me Erik - Twitter: @erikpiepenburg Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 2 – The Drama Desk Awards: Red Carpet: The 64th Drama Desk Awards took place on June 2nd 2019, at the Town Hall Theatre on 43rd Street. The red carpet was setup on the corner of 43rd St and 6th Ave, which is where the content for this episode comes from. The Drama Desk Awards are special in that they nominate from shows across Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway all in the same categories. Please be sure to visit https://www.dramadeskawards.com/ for more info about these awards. This 5-part mini series brings you exclusive, behind-the-scenes content from the 2019 awards season, ranging from the Tony Nominations themselves to red carpets to press rooms and conversations with this year’s biggest winners. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making his Broadway debut at just 16 years old in The Music Man, Chase Brock has grown into the role of choreographer on many projects on the stage and screen. He is perhaps most well known as the choreographer of Be More Chill, giving the show its distinct “finger tutting” style. After beginning his Broadway career as a performer, Chase ultimately decided to turn to the creative side of the table. He is credited for creating additional choreography for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Chase has choreographed various other stage productions in New York, regionally, and internationally. He also run his own dance company, The Chase Brock Experience. Follow Chase online: Instagram: @instachasebrock Twitter: @chasebrock chasebrock.com chasebrockexperience.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 1: Tony Nominations: Jillian wakes up early. Like super early. And heads to the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts and Lincoln Center to hear the 8am ET presentation of the 2019 Tony Award nominations. Brandon Victor Dixton and Bebe Newarth present, along with Gayle King, real life bff of Oprah and CBS morning show host. This 5-part mini series brings you exclusive, behind-the-scenes content from the 2019 awards season, ranging from the Tony Nominations themselves to red carpets to press rooms and conversations with this year’s biggest winners. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ann Harada captured our hearts in Avenue Q, where she played the insightful and hilarious Christmas Eve. She has been on Broadway since 1988, making her debut in M. Butterfly. She has played various roles in shows such as Seussical, Les Miserables, 9 to 5, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and more.  On this episode, Ann discusses her long career, including becoming a mom while being a working actor. We also talk about her new streaming musical “No One Called Ahead” (which was filmed for a brand new streaming media format) and how film and the internet is changing the theatre industry. Connect with Ann online: Twitter: @annharada Instagram: @iamannharada No One Called Ahead: noonecalledahead.com StreamingMusicals.com  Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Kinnunen and Isabelle McCalla are not only co-stars of The Prom, but real life besties. Playing Emma and Alyssa respectively, they have a strong sense of trust which is clear to all on and off the stage. Tony nominee Caitlin Kinnunen made her Broadway debut in 2008 at the age of 16 in Spring Awakening. She went on to star in The Bridges of Madison County. Most recently, Caitlin received a 2019 Tony nomination for her performance as Emma in The Prom. Isabelle McCalla made her Broadway debut in 2018 as Jasmine in the production of Aladdin after coming off of the tour of the same name, and now stars as Alyssa also in The Prom. This episode dives deep into their amazing friendship (dare we say they are soulmates!?), what they love most about performing, the support from their family, and why they continue to do what they do. They discuss figuring out their own sexuality, and what their respective roles in The Prom have taught them about themselves. They are both strong advocates for mental health and therapy and deal with their own stresses and anxiety in strong and unique ways. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcastTheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two Time Tony Winning Director Des McAnuff has been directing on Broadway for over 30 years. His latest Broadway hit, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life And Times of The Temptations has landed him another Tony nomination for best direction of a musical. He his career includes 48 Broadway credits across a career spanning more than 37 years, he has directed and/or produced so many of the most popular Broadway shows of our lifetimes. As a duel American/Canadian citizen, Des was born in Illinois but grew up in Ontario. As a young adult, he moved to New York to pursue a career in the arts.  He made his directorial debut with Big River, for which he won a Tony Award. He went on to becoming the artistic director of La Jolla playhouse for several years. Some of his other credits include, The Grapes of Wrath, The Secret Garden, Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Forum, 1776, Footloose, Urinetown, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Into the Woods, Matilda The Musical, A Bronx Tale The Musical, Groundhog Day, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and of course Big River & Jersey Boys for which he won his two Tonys. Check out Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations online at ainttooproudmusical.com. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Casey Nicholaw has been credited for having “galvanized the modern form of the classic musical comedy” – Playbill.com. The nine musical comedies he’s shepherded to Broadway thus far have earned 62 total Tony Award nominations and 14 wins.  This Tony-Award winning director, choreographer, and actor began his Broadway career as a performer in 1992 in the original cast of Crazy For You, before going on to perform in shows such as Victor/Victoria, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Saturday Night Fever, Seussical, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He has either directed, choreographed, or directed AND choreographed many iconic shows such as Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone, Elf, Book Of Mormon, Disney Aladdin, Something Rotten, and Mean Girls. He’s personally received 11 Tony nominations, 6 drama desk award nominations, and 6 outer critics circle award nominations. His latest show to open on Broadway, The Prom, just netted him his latest Tony nom for best direction of a musical.  Check out Casey’s shows currently running on Broadway: theprommusical.com meangirlsonbroadway.com bookofmormonbroadway.com aladdinthemusical.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This special episode features Becca Lee, Teddy Toye, and Mary Antonini, three of the amazing ensemble members from The Prom. Their real-life friendship translates to their on-stage characters in a way very few other shows can claim, adding to endless list of what makes The Prom such an amazing show to watch. The Prom is nominated for 7 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. On the episode, Teddy, Becca, and Mary tell heartfelt stories about their time with the show. They tell the story of the group of teenagers who chose to spend their actual prom nights seeing The Prom. We hear about Becca’s dancing stint for the NY Knicks, Teddy’s love of golf, and Mary’s validation as a triple threat by playing Anita not once, but twice in two production of West Side Story. We discuss the energy and stamina (and literal training) required to maintain Casey Nicholaw’s high-intensity hip-hop choreography 8 shows a week. The audience feedback and validation that these 3 discuss is incredibly meaningful, changing them for the better one show at a time. Connect with Becca, Teddy, and Mary Becca: IG – @beccaleebackstage Teddy: IG/Twitter @teddytoye Mary: IG – @maryemily18 Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a young child, Christopher Sieber would create and perform his own shows in front of a window in his living room. The grass and unsuspecting passerby was his audience. Fast forward several yeras and he’s taken the plunge, moving to New York City. He eventually lands his Broadway debut in 2004 staring as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. He then joins other iconic casts, such as Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Into the Woods before his legendary stint as Sir Dennis Galahad in Monty Python’s Spamalot (a role which he had 4 days’ notice to prepare for!). After roles in Shrek The Musical, La Cage aux Folles, Matilda the Musical, and Pippin, he now finds himself as the arrogant, self-centered character of Trent Oliver in The Prom, which has been nominated for 7 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  Far from the string of arrogant characters, his real-life personality is humble, kind, and loving. Listen in to hear more. Connect with Christopher: Twitter: @therealsieber Instagram: @christopher_sieber Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before there was the May 2019 The Prom takeover, there were episodes 9 and 14 with Beth Leavel and Dori Berinstein. Please take a moment to revisit their episodes to hear each of their unique stories! Find The Prom Online via ThePromMusical.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 28 year veteran of the Broadway stage, Angie Schworer, a true-life gypsy has been part of the original casts in 9 out of 11 of her Broadway credits, which include Will Rogers Follies, Annie Get Your Gun, Young Frankenstein, Catch Me If You Can, Something Rotten, The Producers, and more. She is now starring as “Angie” in The Prom, which was just nominated for 7 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Connect with Angie: Instagram: @angieschworer Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warren Carlyle is a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critic Circle Award winning director and choreographer. To top it all off, he was just nominated for 2019 Tony Award for best choreography for Kiss Me, Kate, now playing on Broadway through June 30, 2019. This British-born powerhouse has a mile long resume and a big heart that just needs to dance. Warren has worked with the likes of Bob Fosse to Mel Brooks to Susan Strohman to Hugh Jackman and so many others. In this episode, he discusses his humble beginnings as a hyperactive child in the UK which led him to start dancing professionally. He caught his big break when he moved over to the US to work on The Producers in 2000. Warren is now working on the revival of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. He’s previously won a Tony Awards for best choreography for After Midnight, in which he also received a second nomination for Best Direction. Other popular credits include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Christmas Story, She Loves Me, and Hello Dolly. Connect with Warren on Instagram: @warrencarlyle Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Lamon is currently starring as Sheldon in The Prom on Broadway (which was nominated for 7 2019 Tony Awards including best musical). Josh made his Broadway debut in 2009 in the revival of Hair before landing iconic roles in Elf, Finding Neverland, and Groundhog Day. He has also toured Hair and Wicked.  However, all of this success did not come easily. In this episode, Josh discusses growing up in California with his adoptive family. He fell in love with theatre as a child but ultimately failed out of acting school in Philadelphia. After escaping an abusive relationship, he wound up in New York where he ended up reluctantly auditioning for the show that would ultimately become his Broadway debut. Josh continues to grow his career and is in the process of starting his very own podcast “Josh Swallows Broadway,” coming soon to a podcast feed near you (45:20)!  Connect with Josh: Instagram: @josh.lamon Twitter: @joshlamon joshlamon.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A true multi-hyphenate, Michael Kushner is an amazing example of how you can be heavily involved in theatre without being on stage all the time. He is an actor, producer, makeup artist, and photographer whose work has been featured in The New York Time, Vogue, The Tony Awards in addition to publications in print and online internationally. He is the creator of The Dressing Room Project (which photographed the first #BlackGlinda on Broadway), and is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons. Michael has produced several web series and films with Wesley Taylor. In addition, he’s recently begun investing in productions, most notably Be More Chill. Michael continues to strive for ways to express himself and is an integral part of the Broadway community. Listen to this episode to collect all of these secrets and more… Connect with Michael: Instagram: @themichaelkushner, @thedressingroomproject, @sandwichthefrenchbulldog www.michaelkushneronline.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Micaela Diamond traded in freshmen year for opening night. This powerhouse 19 year old is currently making her Broadway debut as Babe in The Cher Show. A New Jersey/New York native, she has been training her whole life for this and is now taking the world by storm. Micaela began dancing at 2 years old. She quickly out grew all of her local dance studios so her mother opened her own studio. When she was 11 years old, she and her mother moved from New Jersey into New York to pursue a career in musical theater. A week before she was scheduled to start her freshman year at Carnegie Mellon, Micaela got the call that she would be staring in The Cher Show on broadway. In this episode Micaela discusses how singing always made her feel bigger and seen when she was a child. She also talks about how she navigates negative thoughts to ultimately keep a positive outlook. Micaela loves not being a normal teen and using her voice to represent the bisexual and larger queer community, in addition to what it means to her to be of the lucky few to help secure Cher, one of our generation’s biggest legends, into the Broadway history books. Connect with Micaela:  Twitter: @micaeladiamond_  Instagram: @micaela_diamond Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loren Lott is the brilliant Broadway belter, turned TV star. She has appeared on Broadway in Motown the Musical and Once on this Island after making it to the top 16 in American Idol season 14. She is now playing Ana Hamilton in The Young and the Restless. In this episode Loren discusses getting her degree in television production and her views on getting an education in the entertainment industry. She talks about some behind the scenes happenings during her time with American Idol, and how that effected her. Loren tells the story of how she saved the day at Once On This Island and she ends with talking about her goals and where she sees her future self. Connect with Loren: Instagram and Twitter: @lorensharice Facebook.com/LorenSharice Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Uranowitz is a two-time Tony-nominated actor best known for his roles as Adam in An American in Paris and Mendel in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos. Both roles resulted in his Tony nominations. He was also nominated for a Drama Desk award for Falsettos. With credits that also include Prince of Broadway and the touring production of Rent, he was most recently seen in The Band’s Visit on Broadway and has appeared on TV in productions including Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Dietland, Bluebloods, and Inside Amy Schumer. Brandon is now playing Larry in Burn This on Broadway. In this episode, Brandon discusses growing up in show business but ultimately deciding to be a normal teenager once he hit high school. Growing up in a jewish household, he was concerned about coming out to his parents as gay but learned to live his truth in college. He has played amazing roles on broadway but he is most proud of getting to play a gay character in the new play Burn This. Connect with Brandon on Instagram via @branuran Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony nominee Jarrod Spector made his Broadway debut as Gavroche in the original production of Les Misérables, and went on to play a record-breaking 1500 performances as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on Broadway. He’s been seen on the national tours of Les Misérables and Jersey Boys and in the off-Broadway productions of Hamlet. Jarrod was nominated for both a Tony and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his performance as Barry Mann in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He can now be seen in The Cher Show as Sonny Bono. In this episode, Jarrod discusses beginnings as a Broadway baby. When he found traditional college was not his path, he chose a new one which lead him to New York. He speaks of the importances of being honest with and taking care of oneself. Connect with Jarrod online: Twitter/Instagram:@jarrodspector www.facebook.com/jarrod.spector Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patti Murin made her Broadway debut in 2007 in Xanadu. She went on to originate the title character of Lysistrata Jones in 2011. Following that, she played Glinda in the first national tour of Wicked in 2012. Patti is pathologist Nina Shore on the NBC medical drama television series Chicago Med. She can currently be seen as Princess Anna in Frozen the Musical on Broadway. In this episode, we discussPatti’s first show, Cinderella, included the Shoop Shoop songIntentional parentingUploading our consciousness into The CloudWhy The Bachelor’s Colton and Cassie made their first, public date a trip to see Patti in Frozen on BroadwayBeing a Disney princess now for a second timeDealing with severe anxiety and depressionWhy she still cries every time she calls out of a showThe best parts of bringing Anna to lifeTo read the Refinery29 article referenced in the podcast, click here. Connected and support Patti online: IG/Twitter: @pattimurin Muddypawsrescue.org Drink her wine! Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After starting as an ensemble member and understudy, Noah J. Ricketts has taken over the role of Kristoff in Frozen the Musical on Broadway. The Louisville native first began performing when a childhood injury left him with a broken wrist and a theatre summer camp. Noah attended arts boarding school his senior year of high school. After graduation he joined Broadway Dreams in which he traveled around to world to teach performance to young people. Noah made his Broadway debut in Beautiful, which he also performer in the national tour. After a long audition process, he joined the company of Frozen as a member of the ensemble and understudy for Kristoff and Pabbie. He recently took over Kristoff full time! Connect with Noah: Instagram/Twitter: @noahjrkts www.broadwayconnection.net Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony, Emmy, and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt has been writing and arranging music for over three decades. He talks about his long career on and off Broadway and how his art grows with him. Tom is best known for Next To Normal, Bring It On, American Idiot, and many others. His newest musical is called Superhero and is playing at 2nd Stage in New York (as of March 2019). In this interview he discusses his early days growing up outside of New York City, which lead him to fall in love with Broadway. Tom discusses the difference between being a composer, arranger, orchestrator, music director, and how they all play an important part in making musicals come to life. He’s found over time that his process changes depending on the project and as he’s grown and changed, his writing style has too. Connect with Tom on Instagram: @tomkittmusic Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Currently starring in Frozen the Musical on Broadway as Olaf, she is the first woman in history to play this role on any stage or screen!  She made her broadway debut as the original Bridget in the Reading, Workshop, World Premiere, National Tour, and Broadway production of Tony Nominated Bring It On: The Musical. She then went on to star alongside Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, and LaChanze in the original cast of If/Then in Washington, D.C. and on Broadway before working with Jimmy Buffett in Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville on Broadway.  Interview content begins at 3:40. Hear Ryann perform a ventriloquist act at 46:00. Connect with Ryann:Twitter/IG – @ryannredsRyannredmond.comConnect with The Theatre Podcast:Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcastFacebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcastTheTheatrePodcast.comAlan’s personal Instagram: @alansealesJillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochmanEmail us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think.Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Carroll joins us this week to kick off our Disney’s Frozen on Broadway takeover month. Joe recently joined the company of Frozen as Prince Hans, but he’s no stranger to playing a prince. He formally played Prince Topher in Cinderella. His other Broadway credits also include Once, Romeo and Juliet, and Bandstand. Joe recently starred in the Boston production of Moulin Rouge and has been featured on various television shows including Chicago Fire and All My Children. On this episode, Joe discusses his childhood as a sports kid until an injury led him to spend time learning music. He decided to pursue musical theatre is college at the University of Michigan. He landed his first Broadway show shortly after moving to New York City and has been hustling ever since. Connect with Joe online: Instagram and Twitter: @Joe_CarrollMich Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony winning director Christopher Ashley is best know for various shows including Come From Away, Memphis, Xanadu, and All Shook Up and is the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. In this episode, he speaks about his time at Yale as a math major who spent a lot of time in the theatre department. We discuss his career as a Broadway director, which eventually lead him to a Tony Award for best direction of a musical for Come From Away (and even how it is going to be made into a film!).  Christopher speaks about the difference between the New York and California theatre communities, the importance of arts funding and how theatre brings people together and creates a sense of community. Find more information about the La Jolla Playhouse by visiting lajollaplayhouse.org. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With over 25 years in the industry, John Bolton is the ultimate showman. He made his Broadway debut in 1994 and has been honing his comedy skills ever since. In this episode, John discusses his upbringing in Rochester, New York, where he was a leading member of his community theatre. Once arriving in New York City, he spent his time studying comedy legends. He built his reputation in Broadway community, eventually leading him to take on roles picked out for him directly from creative teams. John has starred in many many show, with some of the most notable being How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Titanic, Spamalot, Contact, Curtains, Dames At Sea, and A Christmas Story. John is currently starring as Vlad in Anastasia on Broadway, which he has been a part of since the 2016 Hartford, CT production. Anastasia ends its spectacular run on Broadway on March 31, 2019 so get tickets before it’s too late! Connect with John on Instagram and Twitter via @itsjohnbolton Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode features Tony nominee Chad Kimball, currently starring in the Broadway production of Come From Away. The episode discusses a wide range of topics from Chad’s early life in Seattle, to attending Boston Conservatory, joining Civil War on Broadway three weeks before closing, and even how he kicked his addiction to adderall after severely hurting himself during Memphis. (watch the full, live performance of Memphis here) Chad made his broadway debut in 1999 in the production of Civil War, followed by the off-Broadway revival of Godspell in 2000. He went on to play Milky White the cow in Into The Woods, which led to rave reviews. Chad has appeared in, Good Vibrations, Lennon, Memphis (Tony nom), and is currently starring in Come from Away. Connect with Chad: IG: @chadkimball76 Twitter: @chadkimball1Facebook.com/ChadKimballFanPage  Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visiting the podcast this episode are the dynamic duo Jana Robbins and Haley Swindal – a pair that meet somewhat recently in This One’s For the Girls off-Broadway and have gone on to become a producing, acting, singing, writing powerhouse team. They are currently performing their sold out show “We Just Move On – The Songs of Kander and Ebb” at Feinstein’s/54 Below. In this episode, we cover a wide range of topics including why Jana decided to add writing and producer to her credits, and what it was like for Haley to grow up with a love for theatre in the midst of her baseball-loving family (her grandfather is the late Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner!). Tony nominee Jana Robbins made her Broadway debut in 1974 win the musical Good News, followed by many others including I Love My Wife, Crimes of the Heart, and Gypsy before making her Broadway producing debut in 2005 with Little Women, followed by Ragtime (Tony nomination). In the winter of 2017, Jana joined other renowned theater artists and producers as part of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s Artistic Council. She is currently the lead producer behind the smash hit, “Fiddler on the Roof – In Yiddish” (http://fiddlernyc.com/).  Haley Swindal is about to make her principal Broadway debut as Matron Mama Morton in the hit revival of Chicago (congrats!), but made her Broadway debut in 2013 in the production of Jekyll & Hyde. She has numerous off-Broadway credits to her name as well, including The Secret Garden, Damn Yankees, and of course, This One’s for the Girls. Connect with Jana via JanaRobbins.com and Haley via @hswindal on Instagram. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harrison Chad may have been a big part of your childhood without you even knowing it. Best known for his voiceover performance of Boots from Dora The Explorer and Tarzan in Tarzan 2, Harrison has been in the entertainment business for most of his life. He was a Broadway kid, starring in Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, and Caroline or Change. Harrison has been seen on Smash and SNL. In 2006 he took on the role of producer for the off-broadway play “Straight.” He can currently be heard on the musical podcast Loveville High as Noah. Connect with Harrison: Instagram: @harrisonchad7 Twitter: @HarrisonChad Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special bonus episode, we talk to the cast and creative team of Loveville High – A Prom In Nine Musical Podcasts at their NYC launch party. Learn all about how this musical podcast came to be, what the cast loves about it, and even some embarrassing prom stories. Interviewees include:David Zellnick (1:00)Harrison Chad (6:56)Connor Ryan (15:45)Mason Alexander Park (23:20)“Call Me Adam” (33:35)Connect with Loveville High:Twitter/Instagram: @LovevilleHighFacebook.com/LovevilleHighLovevillehigh.comConnect with The Theatre Podcast:Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcastFacebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcastTheTheatrePodcast.comAlan’s personal Instagram: @alansealesJillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochmanEmail us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think.Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is with Kathryn Allison. In 2014 she was chosen out of 200 singers to win the NY Musical Theatre Festival’s Next Big Broadway Sensation contest put on my New World Stages. She is an alumni of Paper Mill Playhouse where she won the Douglas Michael Krueger Scholarship in addition to having Bucks County Playhouse and The Muny on her resume. Kathryn was also recently featured by Broadway.com as 1 of the 5 rising stars they’d pick to play Dorothy in The Wiz Live! Now currently in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway and playing Madison in the new podcast musical Loveville High (LovevilleHigh.com).  Connect with Kathryn: Instagram and Twitter: @kathryndallison Web: kathryn-allison.comSoundcloud.com/kathryn-allison Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dori Berinstein is a four-time Tony Award-winning producer, Emmy Award-winning director, and Robert Whitehead Award recipient from the Commercial Theater Institute. She began her career at Morgan Stanley in Mergers & Acquisitions before transitioning to strategic planning for NBC and Paramount. After graduate work at Harvard for Business, The Kennedy School of Government (Public Policy & the Arts), and later at the Yale School of Drama, she immersed herself in film and special effects before taking an opportunity to run a division for Walt Disney Imagineering. Dori is now producing The Prom on Broadway. Her theatre credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Crucible, Flower Drum Song, Legally Blonde, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And The Prom.  Her film & tv credits include Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love, Gotta Dance, The Last Blintz, Some Assembly Required, ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway, Eavesdropping with Alan Cumming, and The Isaac Mizrahi Show. Connect with Dori: Instagram: @dori.berinstein dramaticforces.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we speak with Michael Lee Brown. Michael made his Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen as an understudy for the three male teens; Evan, Connor, and Jared. He is now the Evan Hansen alternate, in which he takes the stage weekly to play the role, all while still understudying the roles of Connor and Jared.  Outside of the theater, Michael is a singer/songwriter. He has a new EP out called Way It Used To Be. During our conversation, we dive into his humble beginnings, the difference between an understudy and an alternate, and what he loves so much about theatre, Broadway, and Dear Evan Hansen. Connect with MLB: Twitter: @HeyMichaelLeeB IG: @HeyMichaelLeeBrown “Way It Used to Be” – EP on Spotify Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actresses, singers, teachers, composers, comedians, and hosts of 10KDollarDay, a podcast about fake luxury travel, Alison Burns Jackson and Lulu Picart tell the story of who they are, how they met, their theatre history, and why podcasting has become their new passion. Fake luxury turns to comedy every week on 10KDollarDay. As their acting and teaching careers continue to thrive, they continue to reinvent themselves, most recently through podcasting. They were both seen off-Broadway in Disenchanted!, a show that sets the record straight on the original Disney storybook heroines you think you already know.  Connect with Alison, Lulu, and the 10KDollar Day Team: Instagram: @10KDollarDay, @AlisonBurnsJackson, @LuluPicar Twitter: @10KDollarDay Web: 10kdollarday.com Facebook: /10KDollarDay YouTube: Click here Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ani DiFranco is certainly no stranger to performing in front of thousands. She is a gold record maker, grammy award winner, and one of this generation’s leading ladies of rock. While an amazing singer & musician but also poet, songwriter, and activist, Ani is also a lover of Broadway and was a key collaborator to Anias Mitchell in the creation of Hadestown The Musical, coming to Broadway in 2019. Connect with Ani DiFranco: https://www.righteousbabe.com/ & http://anidifranco.com/Facebook.com/RBRecords Twitter: @righteous_babes and @anidifranco IG: righteousbabe & anidifranco YouTube.com/righteousbaberecs Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week host Alan Seales and Producer Jillian Hochman present their favorite shows of 2018, both on and off Broadway. Favorites include: Spongebob Squarepants The Musical, Head Over Heels, The Prom, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, Hamilton, The Band’s Visit, Daniel’s Husband, The Cher Show, Lifespan of a Fact, King Kong, and many more. A special shout out to all of our guests this year on the podcast and all of their brilliant performances this and past years. We’re looking forward to all that’s to come in 2019 including Oklahoma!, Hadestown, Be More Chill, Kiss Me Kate (because Jillian loves Will Chase!). We want to hear what your favorite shows of 2018 were. Let us know via [email protected]. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Raleigh, North Carolina native Beth Leavel! Beth currently stars as Dee Dee Allen in The Prom on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in the original cast of 42nd Street and was featured again in the 2001 revival. The Prom marks her “lucky 13th” show in Broadway! Past credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (Tony) Baby It’s You (Tony nomination), in addition to Show Boat, The Civil War, Mamma Mia!, Elf, and Bandstand. In this episode, Beth sheds light on the fact that she never even knew what musical theatre was until her senior year of high school (she auditioned to meet guys!), and how she quickly changed paths to make performing her life’s work once she was bitten by the acting bug.  Connect with Beth: Instagram @BethLeavel Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ali Stroker is unstoppable. We fell in love with her while she was on The Glee Project but in recent years has made history as the first person in a wheelchair on Broadway in the 2015 production of Deaf West’s Spring Awakening. From a very young age, all Ali has wanted to do is perform after the acting bug bit her when she was cast in a neighborhood production of Annie. She was recently seen in the off-Broadway production of Oklahoma! at St. Ann’s Warehouse, and can be heard in the upcoming podcast, Loveville High (lovevillehigh.com). In this episode, she speaks about disability awareness, representation, education, how she positively overcomes the daily struggles, and why she actually doesn’t prefer being called an ‘inspiration’ to others. Connect with Ali: Instagram: @alistroker Twitter: @alistroker Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David Seales If you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Broadway belter talks about how she never actually expected to end up on Broadway after her early pop career as one half of the duo Or-N-More. Orfeh dreamt of pop stardom while growing up in New York City. Broadway was never a goal of hers. She talks about her start in drama school, which led her to a music career and record deal. When plans changed, she found herself auditioning for Broadway and she’s been here ever since.  She also recounts an amazing story describing the first time she and now-husband Andy Karl went on stage together that she literally made him forget an entire scene! Orfeh earned a Tony nomination playing Paulette in Legally Blonde The Musical in additional to other notable roles in Saturday Night Fever and Footloose. She can currently be seen as Kit De Luca in Pretty Woman The Musical. Connect with Orfeh: Instagram: @Orfeh Twitter: @official_orfeh facebook.com/official.orfeh www.youtube.com/orfehandandykarl Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan’s personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nancy Opel has a long career spanning over three decades. She is now appearing on Broadway as Wicked’s Madame Morrible. She was nominated for the 2002 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and won an Obie as Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown. In addition, she was nominated for the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical in Honeymoon in Vegas. Nancy has appeared in Evita, Teddy & Alice, Sunday in the Park with George, Anything Goes, Triumph of Love, 2004’s Fiddler on the Roof, Memphis, the 2014 revivial of Cinderella as Madame. She was also title character in the first national tour of The Drowsy Chaperone. Connect with Nancy Twitter: @NancyOpel IG: @opelnyc Web http://www.nancyopel.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan’s personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonnie Milligan discusses her childhood, growing up in a religious household in Illinois, finding self confidence in controlling her narrative, and the importance of representation on the stage. Bonnie is currently making her Broadway debut in Head Over Heels as Princess Pamela, though she has been with the show since its early years in workshops and out of town tryouts. She tells us about being active and using her voice to promote love, light, and acceptance. Connect with Bonnie: Instagram: @beltingbons Twitter: @BeltingBonnie Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan’s personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olivier Award winning and three time Tony nominated actor Andy Karl joins us this week. Throughout his time in New York, he has done 13 Broadway shows, earning him the trust of the Broadway community. He tells us about his early beginnings, his definition of success, and the changes he sees in the theatre community over time. Andy is currently starring as Edward in Broadway’s Pretty Woman: The Musical. He’s also known on TV as Sgt Mike Dodds on Law & Order: SVU. Past roles include (our favorite) Kyle the UPS Guy in Legally Blonde The Musical, Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys, Rocky Balboa in Rocky The Musical (Tony nomination), Bruce Granit in On The Twentieth Century (Tony nomination), Phil Connors in Groundhog Day (Olivier Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Tony and Drama Desk nominations), in addition to many other shows like Wicked, 9 to 5, The Wedding Singer, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Altar Boyz. Connect with Andy: Facebook.com/TheAndyKarl Instagram.com/Andy_Karl Twitter.com/Andy_Karl Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcastTheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we talk to actor, singer, dancer, writer, and director Wesley Taylor. Wesley speaks to growing up in Orlando with the performance bug. He landed his first role on Broadway six months out of college originating the role of Franz in Rock of Ages. He then moved on to play Lucas in The Addams Family. Wesley went on to star in the hit TV show Smash and Spongebob Squarepants the Musical on Broadway. We discuss finding early success, mental health, the importance of artist financial planning, his various web series, and what’s next. Connect with Wesley on social: Twitter: @WesTayTay Instagram: @sirwestaytay facebook.com/WesTayTay Billy Green Could Be Worse Indoor Boys Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcastTheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Jillian's personal Instagram: @jillianhochman Email us at [email protected]. We want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices