Episodes

  • Ep8 - Bobby Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez

    Ep8 - Bobby Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez
    Jun 15 2021
    Imagine writing the most popular song in the world. With your spouse. Bobby and Kristen are the composer/lyricists behind Frozen, Book of Mormon, Avenue Q and more! And yet they have a tight knit family life. They joined us for journey through their childhoods, teen years, training - and changing diapers at the Oscars. They are wonderful people and artists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Ep7 - Billy Porter

    Ep7 - Billy Porter
    Jun 8 2021
    The outspoken and outrageous Tony Award winning star of Kinky Boots and Emmy Award winning star of television's Pose, Billy is an old friend of ours, having appeared as Jesus in Gordon's production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Helen Hayes in 1999. We were blown away by Billy's forceful call for educators and students to reach outside of their comfort zones and expand their circles. Having won a place at Pittsburgh's competetive arts high school and then a scholarship to prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, Billy was cast in his first Broadway show before graduating. But his career path was not always smooth. You will want this inspiring, funny and heartwarming interview with everyone you know in theatre! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Ep6 - Chita Rivera

    Ep6 - Chita Rivera
    Jun 1 2021
    West Side Story, The Rink, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman. Need we say more? Chita Rivera was an inspiration in this 2020 interview where she shared many backstage stories along with words of wisdom to anyone looking to make a life in the theatre. She discussed what it was like to work with her legendary collaborators: Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Fred Ebb, John Kander, and Terrence McNally, to name a few. Her talent, positivity, dedication, and perseverance all add up to one word — legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 mins
  • Ep5 - Diana Rigg

    Ep5 - Diana Rigg
    May 25 2021
    British stage royalty and known to audiences around the world for her tv work from The Avengers to Game of Thrones, Diana Rigg visited with us while she was appearing as Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center. We loved her refreshing honesty, deep knowledge of craft and viewpoints on education and subsuming to the work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • Ep4 - Andrew Rannells

    Ep4 - Andrew Rannells
    May 18 2021
    Andrew Rannells took Broadway by storm when he starred as Elder Price in Book of Mormon and transitioned to television stardom in Girls, The New Normal, and Netflix's The Prom. In this hilarious interview, he talks about his journey from high school to Broadway and beyond, from pitching his song higher than anyone else could reasonably match to protect his job to growing up in Omaha. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Ep3 - Terrance McNally

    Ep3 - Terrance McNally
    May 11 2021
    Our far-ranging conversation with one of America’s most important playwrights, Terrance McNally, was the highlight of our 2017 Broadway Teachers Workshop event. We learned how Ethel Merman made a lasting impression, how his first job out of college led to an around-the-world adventure with a famous novelist, and why teachers have held such an esteemed place in his life. McNally's stories about New York 'then and now' remind us how important theater is as a cultural beacon for the city and how — for him — it remained at the center of his life. Described by Philip Galens for The New York Times as “the bard of American theatre,” McNally was the recipient of five Tony Awards, for Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class (Best Play), for Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime (Best Book of a Musical), and for Lifetime Achievement in 2019. Other plays include Frankie and Johnnie in the Claire de Lune, The Ritz, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, and Corpus Christi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Ep2 - Patti LuPone

    Ep2 - Patti LuPone
    May 4 2021
    We caught up with Patti LuPone at her Connecticut home in the middle of the pandemic last summer, and she shared her unflinchingly honest thoughts on the state of the world, her career, and how her education prepared her for the obstacles that life puts in your path. A former band geek, Patti’s father was a school principal who nurtured her love for theatre, from her first stage appearance in a grade school production of The Mikado to Juilliard. Join us for a profoundly passionate and revealing conversation that brings us into the mind and heart of one of America’s most accomplished performers and underlines the lessons that have helped her navigate a long and varied career. Also, she’s soprano! Who knew? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • Ep1 - Pasek & Paul

    Ep1 - Pasek & Paul
    May 3 2021
    The year 2017 was a very good one for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. After winning the Academy Award for their work in “La La Land” (in one of the most surprising Oscar nights ever), the duo’s musical Dear Evan Hansen took home six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score. We sat down with them fresh off their amazing wins to talk about everything from a pre-Oscar dinner with Justin Timberlake to how they used to get out of dance class when they were musical theatre students at the University of Michigan! Recorded live at the Broadway Teachers Workshop in July 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins