As a special episode for Women's History Month, music director Julianne Merrill and broadcast technology director Jessica Ryan join the podcast to talk about one of WINMI's favorite organizations, Maestra, and their annual Amplify concert.    Maestra was founded by composer Georgia Stitt (who has been on this podcast before), and Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin (also a former guest) hosts the third annual evening of music by Maestras like Cyndi Lauper, Debra Monk, Brenda Russell, and Lucy Simon. Their music performed by some of Broadway’s brightest stars, including: Abby Mueller, Andy Kelso, Alysha Umphress, Bre Jackson, and Blake Stadnik (yet another former WINMI guest). Amplify is a hybrid event, with in-person performances at in New York City and a virtual simulcast with online-only features by our partners at All Together Now (Jessica's company) available worldwide on March 27, 2023. Learn more about Maestra and how you can help them Amplify women musicians. Jessica mentioned Broadway statistics on female composers, find them here on Maestra's website. Timeline of this episode... 03:12 - Welcome and Maestra information 09:50 - Story #1: What drew Jessica and Julianne to the arts 14:07 - The pandemic's effect on the arts 18:20 - Story #2: The intersection of technology and the arts 32:46 - How Actors Equity is (not) helping theaters embrace the digital age 38:57 - Jessica's big and wonderful idea! 44:10 - Story #3: Maestra and the Amplify concert    

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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

As collaborative as theater can be, there are sometimes when the creative process can be more like herding cats—with no clear direction as everyone tries to get on the same page…hopefully. And that’s Broadway or community theater, a web series or major motion picture. I’ve certainly been in shows that started off a bit chaotic but got better as the cast and creative team could unify around a singular vision for the show. But today’s guest has a few stories about the various ways shows come together, some more successful than others. 

Lisa Howard began her Broadway career almost 20 years ago with a little show with a big name: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Since then she’s gone on to originate roles in three other Broadway shows and will be talking about two of them in this episode. The first is 9 to 5, which she calls one of the roughest rehearsal periods she’s ever gone through, followed up by Escape to Margaritaville, a fun show for the cast that didn’t find as much fun here in New York City. And we end with a discussion of a topic that she says comes up in every interview--but for this podcast, she wanted to talk about it on her own terms rather than it being something someone else found brave or unusual.

Timeline of this episode's conversation:

02:50 - Lisa and me performing in 42ND STREET at Goodspeed 

04:58 - Lisa shares what made SPELLING BEE so much fun

09:55 - Story #1: 9 TO 5's rough rehearsal process

22:12 - How to become a subscriber and stop listening to these promos :)

23:34 - Story #2: Why Escape to Margaritaville was fun for the cast but not audiences

35:14 - Story #3: How being plus-sized is portrayed onstage and in interviews

Audio clips were used from Ghostlight Records and 2005 Tony Awards.

 

Subscribe to WINMI

If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:

• Subscribe to get early access to episodes and bonus content  
• Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
• If you'd like to support WINMI but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.

 

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

One of the important aspects of Black History Month is that it’s not just about what happened 50, 100, 200 years ago. It’s also about the present, the world around us and what’s happening now to bring greater representation and celebration of African-American accomplishments and contributions. Of course, we should recognize and respect what has come before us. Black history is an integral part of American history and culture. But it’s also important to recognize the lives and experiences of those we meet and work with everyday.

Sharon Catherine Brown, or ShayCat as I came to know her during our recent production of Anne of Green Gables, is someone with such a rich history of experiences and a wealth of knowledge and insight from her 45 years as an actress and singer on both stage and screen, notably in TV shows with all-black casts like Good Times, The Jeffersons, and A Different World. It is a surety of herself and confidence in her actions that makes her someone to admire and applaud. Not because she’s better than you or me, not because she’s got it all together (which she'd be the first person to admit that's not the case), but rather because she is one of us, she’s gone through her own challenges and felt the ups and downs of this career and has come through them a better performer and a better person.

So it is with great pleasure that I bring you the second half of our conversation. She talks about a nightmare experience on stage in Flora, The Red Menace and recalls the milestone TV shows she was a part of with all-black casts, and she also emphasizes the importance of knowing our worth as actors. 

 

Subscribe to WINMI

If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:

• Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content  
• Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production

If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.

 

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

One essential ingredient to any actors career is experience. It allows us to develop our craft and hone our skills over time. With each performance, we refine techniques, learn from mistakes, and develop greater emotional and psychological depth in our performances. But this growth in credibility and authenticity in acting comes as much from our offstage lives as it does from our onstage experiences. And today’s guest shares both personal and professional challenges that have shaped her not only into a great actress, but an amazing person as well.

Sharon Catherine Brown has appeared in films like A Chorus Line and Sister Act 2, in soap operas like Generations, and sitcoms like The Jeffersons, Good Times, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But theater is where she got her start and remains her first love. From Broadway productions of Dreamgirls and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to the national tours of The Wiz, Rent, and Jekyll & Hyde, ShayCat (as she’s known to friends) has the kind of experiences and resume that any actor would love to have. She and I met this past year doing a new musical version of the classic novel, Anne of Green Gables. And in part one of our conversation, she shares with us the long line of performers in her family (namely Johnny Brown, her father), a harrowing experience in her first Broadway show (Maggie Flynn), and the moment she knew she was born to be a drama queen.

Timeline of this episode's conversation:

03:27 - How she got the name ShayCat 

05:39 - Story #1: Coming from a long line of Broadway performers

19:55 - Story #2: The moment she knew she was a drama queen 

36:50 - Performing difficult scenes with children as well as adults

43:15 - Productions needing to cast big names to get an audience

 

Subscribe to WINMI

If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:

• Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content  
• Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
• If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.

 

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

Welcome to Season 7!

One of the joys that can come from being an actor, besides getting to perform on stage, and feeling the energy of a live audience, is that of working with other wonderful actors and collaborating on stage as well as building friendships off stage. Throughout the past six seasons, I’ve had the pleasure of bringing on some of these wonderful castmates, and not only share with you their stories, but I to get to learn a little more about them as well.

This past year I was cast in my second production of 42nd Street, this time at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. You heard from Kate Baldwin last season, and so for this first episode of the season, I wanted to bring on another wonderful performer from that production. 

Blake Stadnik is probably most well known for his role as Jack Damon in NBC’s This Is Us, but he’s actually been performing since his childhood thanks to his mother, who introduced him to dancing and performing after he lost the majority of his eyesight due to Stargardt’s Disease. He went on, though, to get his BFA in musical theater from Penn State University.

In our conversation, Blake will talk more about this disease and how it’s impacted his life on and off stage. We’ll also discuss the responsibilities of being an actor, and how Blake has had to remind himself at times why he is a performer. Lastly, he shares the tragic events that led to his father’s passing, the impact of that loss, and the ways in which he carries on his father’s legacy.

Timeline of this episode's conversation:

03:12 - Blake and Patrick discuss 42nd Street at Goodpseed 

06:54 - How Blake dances with Stargardt's Disease

13:53 - Story #1: Not getting cast because of his disability

19:47 - The limits others place on Blake vs. those he places on himself

33:11 - Story #2: Blake's internal struggle with selfishness for being an actor 

38:55 - Story #3: Losing his father just as he was about to start This Is Us

49:23 - Missing his father and carrying on his legacy

 

 

Subscribe to WINMI

If you wanna listen to our full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get episodes a week early from now on, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:

• Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content  
• Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
• If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for access to the bonus content.

 

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Welcome to Season Seven of Why I’ll Never Make It, an award-winning theater podcast. After a few weeks off, I’m so excited to be back for another year of great guests and wonderful discussions. Some of these artists are just getting started in the business, while others are Tony-nominated actors and directors. 

I’m your host and producer, Patrick Oliver Jones, an actor and singer living in New York City with more than 30 years of experience. This season I’ll be talking with guests every other week as they share meaningful stories and experiences that have affected them and their careers. The defining moments uncover personal setbacks as well as professional failures. 

As always your support of this podcast is both needed and appreciated. One of my ongoing efforts is to transcribe each episode for more accessibility to deaf and hard of hearing artists. But that takes time and money, something in short supply as a one-man production team, so please consider a one-time donation or monthly subscription:

• Donors will get a shoutout on the podcast.
• Subscribers get the added benefit of bonus content as well as early access to every episode.
• Subscriber episodes include the full interview along with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions. 

So as you can see there’s a lot to look forward to in 2023! Join me on Mondays every other week for engaging stories and candid conversations as we talk more about Why I’ll Never Make It. 

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Each of us has an inner voice that can be very loud and persuasive. Hopefully, it’s pushing us to do better and reminding us of all we can accomplish. But sometimes it leads us to believe that the theater industry is too hard and constantly tells us we’re not good enough or don’t deserve an amazing acting career.

With an inner critic like that it’s gonna be really difficult to motivate ourselves to keep going, to go to that next audition. The very title of this podcast is an example of the ways in which we can stifle our own potential. Yes, training and talent are certainly important too, but it’s our mindset that is the key to using our training and talent to their fullest extent.

So as we start off this new year, I’m continuing where we left off last week with Brooke McNamara by talking with another psychologist, Alisa Hurwitz. In this episode from 2020, we dive into why mindset is so important, and how we actors can better handle rejection and the challenges we face in this business.

Support this podcast in one of two ways:

• Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes  
• Make a one-time Donation to the podcast

 

Timeline of this episode's conversation:

04:25 - Setting Realistic and Aspirational Goals 

15:59 - Defining Success as an Actor

20:17 - The Peter Principle

24:45 - Comparing Ourselves to Others

27:03 - Our Performance Onstage and Online

32:51 - Strategies of How to Push Forward in Life and Career

35:43 - The (Not-So) Secret of Positive Thinking

 

Her moniker Dr. Drama comes from her many analytical interviews, discussions, and articles on theater, specifically her lifelong passion for musical theater. She’s even consulted on regional and off Broadway productions on elements related to psychological concepts and mental health issues. So she is the perfect person to help us face some of the realities of this make-believe world of theater, a profession that can bring us tremendous joy but also disappointment and frustration.

Follow Alisa: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website 

Happy New Year! Thank you for listening to Why I’ll Never Make It!

The next season is just a few weeks away and I wanted to start off the year by going back to conversations I had to with two psychologists in 2020. I think their insights are a good reminder for us as we continue to grow and better ourselves as artists.

The first one you’ll hear from is Brooke MacNamara, Ph.D. We talk about the amount of training, coaching, and practice it takes to continually hone our craft as performers. One often talked about strategy is called the 10,000 Hours Rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, who you’ll also be hearing from throughout this discussion. But Dr. MacNamara, has done research that shows the importance of quality over quantity.

In his 2008 book Outliers: The Story of Success, Gladwell proposes this 10,000 Hours Rule based on a study of violinists conducted by psychologist Anders Ericcson. And the rule is pretty simple: mastery comes after someone practices one skill, like playing the violin, and according to Gladwell “10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness.” This rewind episode focuses on this rule, its implications, and how or if it can even be applied to us as artists.

• Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes  
• Make a one-time Donation to the podcast

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

 

Happy birthday and thank you for joining me as Why I’ll Never Make It turns 5 years old today! It was on December 28, 2017 that this theater podcast began from very humble beginnings and has slowly gained attention and even some accolades in the past five years of talking with actors and creative professionals.

There’s a certain kind of magic in the art of theatre, as the Tony award-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell once said, ”It has the power to transform an audience, an individual, or en masse, to transform them and give them an epiphanic experience that changes their life, opens their hearts and their minds and the way they think.” The same can be said of podcasting as well.

Why I’ll Never Make It strives to engage and enlighten with every episode as I have insightful and meaningful conversations with artists who truly share from the heart about their own experiences and challenges in this industry. And in this anniversary episode I’ll be sharing some of those former guests of the past year as well as provide an overview for what this podcast has accomplished in 2022.

Please consider a monthly subscription to bonus episodes OR a one-time donation, which will help offset the cost of producing this podcast. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your support is so very much appreciated!

 

Guests mentioned and featured in this retrospective episode...

• Matt Vinson and Matte O'Brien - writers of Anne of Green Gables
• Kate Baldwin - Tony-nominated actress
• Barton Cowperthwaite - dancer and actor on stage and screen
• Elizabeth Swain - acting teacher and Broadway actress
• Steven Warner - former child actor and professional ice skater
• Brian Patacca - podcaster and life coach for actors
• Briana Packen - actress and movement coach
• Al Blackstone - Emmy-winning director and choreographer
• Judy Tenuta - award-winning comedian
• Muriel Miguel - Artistic Director of Native American Spiderwoman Theater Company

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Back in October of this year we lost a beloved star of the stage and screen, Angela Lansbury. Her performing career spanned 80 years in which she received six Tony Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and one Laurence Olivier Award. And despite her years in television and movies (her last film role was Glass Onion in 2022), theater was always her first love, having appeared in 14 Broadway productions and four national tours.

But as you’ll hear in this special episode (with a big help from fellow podcaster Dan Delgado), it was a long and bumpy journey towards the role in Mame that would cement her Broadway career and earn her that first Tony Award. You'll hear from composer Jerry Herman and from Angela Lansbury herself in this unlikely audition story of how a character actress from the movies became a leading lady on Broadway.

 

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OR

Make a one-time Donation to the podcast

 

Subscriptions and donations help support the production of this podcast, not only improving audio and recording capabilities, but it also helps create transcripts like the one available for this episode.

 

Episode research and sources:

• "Look Back at Angela Lansbury in the Original Broadway Production of Mame" - Playbill
• "How Angela Became Mame" - Medium
• But Darling, I'm Your Auntie Mame! by Richard Tyler Jordan (2004)
• Anyone Can Whistle - Wikipedia
• MAME - Wikipedia

Sound bites came from these full interviews:

• Angela Lansbury Discusses Mame - Television Academy
• Broadway MAME - Sony MasterWorks
• Broadway ANYONE CAN WHISTLE - Sony MasterWorks
• Jerry Herman with Barbara Walters on 20/20 (1984)
• Lansbury with Barbara Walters (1985)
• Herman Interview for Musical Theater Guild
• Herman on NPR 
• “Open a New Window” - 1971 Tonys Awards
• "We Need a Little Christmas" Piano Version - Steven C
• Opening Night of MAME in 1966 - Fred Robbins, radio reporter

At times certain reports or articles conflicted on particular details or order of events, so best efforts were made to rely on the most reliable sources and err on the side of those who knew more about the events surrounding Lansbury's journey.

Back in September of this year, news came out that both shook and shocked the Broadway theater world: Phantom of the Opera will be closing and have its final performance in February 2023. After 35 years, the longest running Broadway show in history, this iconic show was going to be leaving the Majestic Theater for good. That closing date has since been updated to April 16th, no doubt due to the increase in ticket sales after that initial closing announcement, nonetheless the end of an era is near.

I’ve worked with many a performer who have never known a Broadway without Andrew Lloyd Webber and Phantom of the Opera. This show was the first musical I ever really fell in love with, I mean that cast recording album has sold millions of copies (with an all-new, eight-disc Global Edition recently released). I certainly listened to that original cast recording with Michael Crawford ad nauseam in high school, and it was a big inspiration for me wanting to not only pursue theater but actually set my sights on a Broadway career, which has yet to come to fruition. But my guest today has been on Broadway with this show for 15 years, and he’ll be sharing some fascinating and funny stories from his long tenure with Phantom of the Opera.

Jeremy Stolle is the final guest for season 6, and he and I first met doing Gaston at Disney World down in Florida. Now, if that sounds familiar to you, Will Swenson is another Broadway actor who’s been on the podcast, and he and I also shared Gaston duties during my time at Disney World. But Jeremy left Disney and came to New York a little bit before me, and during his years with Phantom has performed the featured part of Passarino in the ensemble, the supporting role of Piangi, and has also played the two leading roles of Raoul as well as the Phantom himself. We talk about what has kept him at the show for so long and the various opportunities, experiences, and mishaps it’s given him these past 15 years. 

Support this podcast in one of two ways:

• Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes  
• Make a one-time Donation to the podcast

 

Timeline of this episode's conversation:

01:49 - Jeremy and Patrick discuss their Gaston beginnings 

07:07 - Jeremy struggled when he first came to NYC

09:43 - Personal histories with Phantom

19:55 - Story #1: Phantom and the infamous swoosh

28:18 - The pressures of playing the Phantom

33:14 - Story #2: Raoul and the cheeky bow

39:08 - The differences between Phantom and Raoul

43:14 - Story #3: Meeting his idol, Anthony Warlow

48:48 - Sharing a dressing room with Denzel Washington

 

 

Jeremy Stolle Has an Idea...

The stamina of doing 8 shows a week is certainly something that every performer has to train for and be able to maintain, but there is also a stamina for auditioning. Going in, time and time again, to sing 32 bars or perform a monologue, or go through a scene with a reader or another actor. This takes preparation and constant readiness for whatever may come at you in the audition room. This especially true when it’s a role that you have either done before or have auditioned for many times previously, you have bring a fresh energy to it each time.

Well, in this week’s audition story Jeremy talks about one of the many times he has auditioned for Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Although this time he tried a different take on the character, with hilarious results. To get bonus episodes with Audition Stories and more, become a monthly or yearly subscriber and earn the title of WINMI Producer. You’ll be helping maintain and sustain this podcast while also getting extra conversations with guests like Jeremy. You could even give it as a gift...now there's an idea :)

 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

During the past 30 years there’s been a growing list of pop and rock musicians trying their hand at musical theater. And they range in style and scope from artists like Cindy Lauper, Dolly Parton, and Elton John to rock bands like The Who, Green Day, and The Go-Go’s. Well, today’s guest has been venturing into musical theater and is from a band you may not have heard of, but their name is certainly one you’re not likely to forget: The Slants.

Simon Tam, founder and bassist of the all-Asian rock band, has recently begun a transition from rock star to musical writer, and he shares why this new artistic endeavor is so important to him. But his path up till now has taken some surprising turns...

We talk about the bullying he faced as a child just because he’s Chinese. He gives the reasons why he and the band turned down not one but two million-dollar contracts. And then there's the famous eight-year trademark battle that ultimately landed him and the band’s name at the Supreme Court. It’s what has branded Simon as a Troublemaker -- a name he now wears as a badge of honor.

Timeline of this episode and relevant weblinks:

• 01:49 - Welcome and Simon talks about the impact of theater
• 06:11 - Story #1: Being bullied at a young age
• 10:03 - Asian racism and his parent's struggles
• 14:28 - Story #2: The trademark battle and the Supreme Court
• 24:15 - The impact of the court case on the band
• 33:51 - Story #3: Turning down million-dollar contracts
• 46:29 - An NPR feature that put The Slants on the map
• 48:52 - The growth and reach of The Slants Foundation

 

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OR

Make a one-time Donation to the podcast

 

 

Stop Bullying

Bullying has been part of school, and even workplaces, for years. Sometimes it involves physical attacks and intimidation or verbal attacks like what Simon had to deal with when he was young (name calling, teasing, and taunting). But it can also be indirect, such as spreading rumors or trying to make others reject someone. More recently, though, technology and social media have created a new venue for bullying that has expanded its reach. Cyberbullying happens online like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, where bullies can send hurtful, ongoing messages 24 hours a day. Adult bullying is a thing, too. 

Preventing and stopping bullying involves a commitment to creating a safe environment where children can thrive, socially and academically, without being afraid. The same can be said of theaters, rehearsal rooms, on-set, and backstage as well and the importance of providing dependable, non-toxic conditions to do the best work possible. Studies done from the early 2000s found that 30 percent of Americans will be bullied over the course of their careers. 

 

 

Audition Story

The Slants took band membership very seriously, and Simon used to make candidates applying for my band fill out a 4 page questionnaire, then audition on stage in an empty venue while being filmed. With a monthly or yearly subscription you not only help WINMI Podcast production, but you also get to listen to more in-depth and behind-the-scenes stories like this one -- all on your favorite podcast app. Become a WINMI Producer today!

The Slants Foundation

In 2018, members of Asian-American dance rock band The Slants decided to expand their cultural work by using their platform, resources, and experience to better serve the community. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to changing culture using arts and activism. They seek to amplify underrepresented voices, especially those within the Asian-American community and those addressing controversial and timely issues through a social justice lens. If you're an AAPI artist or what to join their cause, please learn more about The Slants Foundation.

 

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----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Do you want to be famous or do you want to be an actor? Very few truly achieve both. For most of us it’s a choice, and the direction we choose impacts the roles and opportunities that we pursue going forward. Today’s guest has been presented with both during his career and came to discover which one mattered more to him. 

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part 3)

In the early 2000s, Ben Curtis was training to be a serious actor at NYU, but one commercial audition for Dell computers completely changed the trajectory of his life and career. He became the face of the computer company, performing in about 26 national commercials over the span of four years.  Ben shares with us the lessons he learned from reaching a level of fame that he never imagined, but he also talks about how it led him down some dark paths that took him years to resolve and come out of.

• 02:28 - Welcome and Ben talks about coming to NYC
• 06:02 - Story #1: Becoming the Dell Dude
• 11:01 - The business of commercial acting
• 16:34 - When Ben realized he was "famous"
• 21:31 - Story #2: The reality check of getting arrested
• 33:55 - Story #3: Surviving 9/11 through drugs and alcohol
• 41:14 - Lessons he has learned and now shares with other men

Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes  

OR

Make a one-time Donation to the podcast

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

 

Dude, You're Getting Well 

Ben's mission with the podcast is to share the real challenges that leaders, innovators, and influencers face every day as humans -- to show that it's okay to be human and have hard days, that all people experience pain and challenges. He wants to shed light on how we overcome these odds, the tools that we can use for self-care and sur-thrival, all while growing our vision and sharing these lessons with others.

 

 

Audition Story

In this week’s bonus episode, Ben shares an experience back in Chattanooga when he had to choose between playing on the school’s soccer team or doing theater. He couldn’t do both. While you can probably guess which one he chose, as often happens it didn’t quite turn out quite the way he had hoped. Subscribe to WINMI and get access to this and other bonus episodes.

Final Five Questions

In this interview, Ben shared his journey from fame to failure and points in-between. And the conversation continues on the WINMI Blog as he answers five final questions about “making it” and useful advice he's received.

Discover even more about Ben here.

 

One of the greatest obstacles to becoming a better performer is thinking you aren’t good enough, that the dreams and aspirations you have for yourself are just too far out of reach and beyond your capability. So in today’s episode we explore that feeling with someone who knows all too well the crippling effect of self-doubt and self-criticism.

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part Two)

Elaine Romanelli is a singer, songwriter, and actress who has performed off Broadway and on radio as well as hosted an improvised streaming show and released three vocal albums of original music. She also teaches singers and composes church music, so Elaine stays pretty busy. But she also recognizes the importance of fostering collaboration and finding her own tribe of like-minded souls. Not only has it helped her as she continues to create new work, but it has been a source of support when her own confidence is tested and that self-doubt creeps back in.

• 02:21 - Welcome and how Elaine found WINMI
• 02:29 - Story #1: Why she left classical music
• 10:59 - Her experiences with criticism and finding her own voice
• 22:47 - How to listen to Elaine's audition story
• 24:11 - Story #2: Losing her singing partner and going solo
• 37:22 - Story #3: Finding connection and her own tribe
• 49:58 - Combining art and activism as one piece in the puzzle 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

 

 

Singer/Songwriter and Her Three Albums

These studio albums and EPs explore personal journeys and showcase Elaine's unique voice and storytelling. They range from pop/rock and jazz to blues and alternative, with a dash of country thrown in for good measure.

"Life as a solo artist can be isolating, with so much time spent alone writing, practicing, organizing, booking, driving for hours on end. There’s more to do every day than one person possibly could manage."

And as host and producer of this podcast, I can certainly relate to the joys and frustrations of doing it all on your own. This gets back to the idea of collaboration and finding your tribe we speak about in this interview (44:21), having a support system in place to carry us through when it all gets a bit overwhelming.

 

 

Audition Story

There is no better place to have fun than the audition room. However, the pressure of performance and booking the role can often get in the way of enjoying ourselves. In this week’s audition story Elaine talks about a time when she was determined to show her personality and bring a bit of levity to the audition process…and singing a song about farting certainly helped her achieve that goal. Subscribe to WINMI and get access to this bonus episode.

Final Five Questions

In this interview, Elaine explores her journey from singer to songwriter with hopes of returning to theater again soon. And the conversation continues on the WINMI Blog as she answers five final questions about “making it” and lessons she’s learned along the way.

Every November, as the weather and leaves continue to change and we enter a season of Thanksgiving as well as gift-giving, this podcast sets aside a few episodes to focus on how we can make our lives and our careers better and more fulfilling. And so we begin the third annual presentation of this enlightening series...

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part One)

You’ll hear from artists, coaches, and performers and how they have a found balance between their on stage and off stage lives, providing perspective and insight from their own challenges and experiences. Jules Helm starts us off with a focus on self-care and personal growth, using movement and acting techniques to bring both our mind and body into alignment. He will be sharing his own journey of self discovery as he learned to better love himself and be more comfortable with others, keeping performance onstage rather than having it mask the rest of his life as well. We will also get into the various techniques he teaches to bring actors into a more authentic presentation of themselves as well as their characters. As Jules says, “The first step toward great acting is deeper self-discovery and realization,” which is a great place for us to start bettering ourselves and bettering our careers.

• 02:42 - Jules and his hometown of Portland
• 08:26 - Story #1 and being inspired by Charlie Chaplin
• 18:52 - Story #2 and how the world conditions us
• 31:45 - Story #3 and his teaching of actors
• 44:12 - The Williamson Technique

Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes on Supercast 

OR

Make a Donation to the production of this podcast

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

 

 

The Williamson Technique

Developed by Loyd Williamson, this movement practice is most often taught to actors in conjunction with the Meisner Technique, because it pairs well with the particular emotional demands placed on actors. Williamson collaborated with and was a student of American choreographer and dancer Anna Sokolow. He was watching Sokolow’s dancers move freely and without tension, while at the same time he observed Meisner’s actors were crippled physically by the size of their emotional lives. Thus, the development of the Williamson Technique began as a movement training for actors that is loosely based in modern dance. It is designed to help the actor access and inhabit a physical instrument (i.e. the body) that is open, released, vulnerable, expansive, and responsive. The Williamson Technique emphasizes these primary objectives:

1. Free the actor’s instrument by accessing awareness and permission. Cultivate the student’s connection to his personal, ‘truthful‘ experience, and the permission to act on it expansively.   
2. Enhance the actor’s sensual (of or relating to the five senses) relationship with the world, thereby creating a vivid connection with and sensitivity to impulses.  
3. Bring that freedom and connection with one’s surroundings into ensemble collaboration and the creation of original physical performance.

 

 

Audition Story

Connection is definitely one of the bed rocks of acting and performing on stage, whether it’s with the fellow performers on stage or the audience itself. In our main conversation, Jules mostly talked about a connection with ourselves first and foremost, but there is also the important connection with the role or the show that we’re in or auditioning for. In this week’s bonus episode Jules shares an audition story that took him out of his comfort zone and into the world of the Blue Man Group.

Become a monthly subscriber to get access to this and other bonus episodes.

Final Five Questions

After our main conversation, Jules sat down to answer the five final questions. Among several topics, he shares what success has meant to him (a continuation of what he mentioned in the second story) and what frustrates him most about this industry, particularly in New York City. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.

 

Back in 2008, I made the move to New York City to finally pursue my acting career here. And after a couple of years of doing regional work, though, I was looking for more opportunities that could keep me in the city. So I went to the Actors Fund (now called the more generic Entertainment Community Fund and featured on previous episodes), and at that time they offered assistance to actors looking to beef up their non-performing resume. I talked with someone about places I’d work at in the past, and she asked if I had considered approaching non-profit organizations. Of the ones I looked through, the one that stood out to me was a children’s charity called Only Make Believe. I sent them an email and setup a time to meet with a woman named Melissa who was in charge of their volunteers at the time. That was in March of 2010, and what began as a few hours here and there of volunteer office help led to part-time work as their Media Consultant and assisting with their gala and other marketing efforts. 

Learn more about this amazing children's organization: https://www.onlymakebelieve.org

And all of it was the idea of one woman: Dena Hammerstein. She started out as a British actress who eventually came to the US, met and married into a famous Broadway family, and began producing shows here in New York. In 1999, Dena established Only Make Believe, and every November since 2001 they have held their annual gala to raise funds and awareness for the work they do. In the last episode you heard from Joe DiPietro about his beginnings with the organization, but today you’ll hear from the founder herself in this encore presentation of our conversation back in 2018 for a special segment of this podcast called The Spotlight Series. At the time Dena was still head of the whole organization. We talk about her early years as a TV and film actress in London and then what led her to establish Only Make Believe.

Find out a bit more about Dena's early years in TV and film: IMDB

 

Giving Dena a Better Episode

When this interview was originally recorded back in 2018, I only had one microphone and guests and myself would sit on either side of that mic for the interviews, so audio quality wasn’t that great. For this episode I’ve been able to go back and improve that audio quality as best I can, thanks in part to the financial support of listeners like you. 

Get Bonus Episodes by supporting WINMI with a monthly subscription

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Donate to this podcast and help further its production efforts

Also in 2020, as the pandemic was upon us and Dena was spending more and more time in London, it seemed the appropriate time for her to step aside. So I’ve edited this conversation (using better software, thanks again to listener support) as a reminder of her legacy and the important work she has left to a new generation of capable leadership as they carry on Dena’s vision for years to come.

 

 

 

For the past 23 years, a non-profit theater company called Only Make Believe has been creating and performing live in-person and virtual interactive theater for children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education programs. It started here in New York City but has since opened an office Washington, DC with some outreach in other cities as well. In the next episode you’ll hear an encore presentation of my conversation with founder Dena Hammerstein. But for today, I’m sitting down with one of the board members and the director of their annual gala, who has known Dena and OMB since its inception.

Joe DiPietro is certainly no stranger to theater and has been writing for the stage since 1991. His musicals and plays have received multiple awards and nominations on and off-Broadway, including Memphis starring Montego Glover and All Shook Up with Cheyenne Jackson. He talks about these two talented performers and shares his affection for Only Make Believe.

We also get into two of his most recent Broadway shows: Diana, the Musical and Living on Love, his lone Broadway play so far (starring former WINMI guest Douglas Sills). Both shows had their own challenges coming to and surviving on Broadway. In fact, Diana filmed their stage production for Netflix during the Covid shutdown, and that movie notoriously went on to win Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Screenplay and Worst Picture, among others. But Joe takes it all in stride and shares with us not only his passion for theater but also what has kept him going through the ups and downs.

You can support Why I’ll Never Make It as well through Subscriptions or Donations.

• 03:02 - Joe's introduction to theater
• 05:30 - Only Make Believe and its mission
• 13:58 - Montego Glover and Cheyenne Jackson
• 19:32 - How you can help OMB and WINMI
• 21:37 - Diana, the Musical
• 34:31 - Living on Love
• 45:16 - His theater writing process

 

Staying cooped up anywhere can be difficult for anyone, but facing the four walls of a hospital room 24/7 can be especially tough -- draining even. For more than 20 years, Only Make Believe has brought happiness to thousands of children in hospitals and care facilities in New York City and the DC area through live interactive theater. To date, approximately 95,000 children have been impacted by OMB’s services, and that number continues to grow each year.

Because OMB knows that “freeing a child’s imagination is a valuable part of the healing process,” the organization works with a team of professional actors to provide interactive theater for sick children using nothing by a backdrop, along with a supply of props, costumes and imagination, of course.

What happens next is quite magical to say the least. By the end of an OMB show, the same children who were having the worst day imaginable and didn’t intend on participating are dancing, laughing and having fun. Professional actor Chris Wilson, who has since gone on to become OMB's Director of Programming & Communications, calls days like this a job well done. “Only Make Believe allows theater to become a truly immersive experience. The actors transform the space, interact with the audience, and adjust the show to the needs of each group of children,” Wilson said. “I am a firm believer that the performing arts have the ability to allow children to think and grasp concepts in a different way.”

Learn more about Only Make Believe and how you can help.

 

The 2022 Only Make Believe Gala

Join OMB as they celebrate those who inspire us with their dedication to philanthropy and raise funds to support our interactive theatre programming in hospitals, care facilities, and schools with special education programs. They have garnered so much the support for their virtual & hybrid galas over the past 2 years, and are certainly ecstatic to be BACK ON BROADWAY in person with former WINMI guests like Brad Oscar and Kathryn Allison. Only Make Believe's annual gala has earned a reputation as New York’s most entertaining and unique charity event of the season! 

 

The art of theater is really just storytelling, and the stories that are told from region to region often come from within those communities and offer a shared experience on the stage. Broadway illustrates this with musicals like In the Heights, Allegiance, and The Color Purple—even shows like Noises Off and 42nd Street provide a backstage glimpse of the theater community. Well, today’s guest is here to share her stories as a Native American, and the specific experiences that have helped her foster and create a unique kind of storytelling that values the past as much as the present and future. 

Muriel Miguel has been working in the world of experimental theater since the 1960s, when she was an actor in the Open Theater, a pioneering avant-garde ensemble founded by the visionary director Joseph Chaikin. When Spiderwoman Theater was formed in 1975 by Muriel and her two older sisters Lisa and Gloria, she conceived of it as a direct push back against the sexism that she says was plaguing the American Indian Movement at the time. 

As part of her creative journey, Muriel developed the art of storyweaving, which is Spiderwoman’s signature Indigenous performance practice. You’ll learn more about this as Muriel intertwines stories and experiences throughout our conversation, sharing important moments that have shaped who she is as a woman, a Native American, and an artist.

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get bonus episodes  
• Or if you prefer, make a one-time donation to support this podcast 

 

 

Spiderwoman Theater was founded when Muriel Miguel gathered together a diverse company of women, which included both of her sisters. They were of varying ages, races, sexual orientation, and worldview. The collective sprang out of the feminist movement of the 1970s and the disillusionment with the treatment of women in radical political movements of the time. They questioned gender roles, cultural stereotypes, and sexual and economic oppression. They took on issues of sexism, racism, classism, and the violence in women’s lives. 

Spiderwoman broke new ground in using storytelling and storyweaving as the basis for the creation of their theatrical pieces. The performers wrote and performed personal and traditional stories and with Muriel as the “outside eye”, they were organically layered with movement, text, sound, music, and visual images. Their weaving of humor with popular culture and personal histories along with their sometimes shocking style excited the hearts and spirits of women (and sometimes men) in the United States, Canada, and all over the world.

 

 

Audition Story

Though Muriel has been crafting her own theater work for decades now, she’s also sought to work and study at other venues like Julliard. In this week’s bonus episode, Muriel recounts the time as a teen when she auditioned as a dancer at this famed  institution. But she didn’t have ballet slippers, which caused quite a fuss in the room.

Become a monthly subscriber to get access to this and other bonus episodes.

Final Five Questions

After our main conversation, Muriel sat down to answer the five final questions. Among several topics, she shares what success has meant to her (a continuation of what she said at the very end of this episode) and what frustrates her most about this industry, particularly in New York City. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.

For a more detailed bio of Muriel, check out this 2019 article from Southern Theatre.

 

The life of an actor is often a cross between a seesaw and a rollercoaster. Sometimes it’s as simple as an up or down choice between opportunities and trying to find the balance in our life and work. While other times we’re just along for the ride (especially when it comes to auditions and callbacks), going in ways we can’t control and just doing our best to make the best choices in the moment. And today’s guest reminds us how unpredictable that rollercoaster be and that finding balance can oftentimes be difficult. 

Ricky Schroeder has been dancing since he was 3 years old and has gone on to do a variety of projects from musicals like Kinky Boots and Hairspray Live to television shows including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Pose. Now, his name may sound similar to another actor from Silver Spoons and NYPD Blue, but on Twitter he’s quick to point out he’s not that Ricky Schroder. In fact, he’s been working to make his mark as more than just a dancer but rather an all around performer in the areas of acting, singing, and even improv. So this conversation with Ricky will be slightly different from other episodes as it highlights a journey common to all actors, one of hopeful expectation as well disappointing missed opportunities. 

The shows we discuss in this episode: 

• Kinky Boots
• Once Upon a One More Time (Britney Spears musical)
• Muriel’s Wedding (musical)
• The Last O.G. (starring Tracy Morgan)
• POSE (starring Billy Porter)
• Younger (starring Sutton Foster)
• Broadway 4D
• Bye Bye Birdie Live
• The Last Five Years - available to monthly supporters...become one today :)

 

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

Please consider a monthly subscription to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes as well OR if you'd rather, you can make a one-time donation to help offset the production costs of this podcast. Whichever way you choose, your support is so very much appreciated!

 

 

Career Transition for Dancers

Ricky spoke about expanding his own artistic work and efforts beyond dancing because of his love of acting and singing and wanting to be seen as more than just a dancer. While this rings true of many dancers looking to open up more creative and career opportunities for themselves, some are looking beyond dance for other reasons. That’s where Career Transition for Dancers (and the Entertainment Community Fund) steps in. 

• Maybe you're a professional dancer dealing with a career-threatening injury or illness and aren't sure what to do next.
• Perhaps you feel burnt out in your dance career, wondering if there’s anything else you could do for work.
• You're possibly thinking of starting a family or are simply looking for more financial stability but don’t know where to start.

Whatever your situation, the Career Transition For Dancers program offers career counseling, educational scholarships and panel discussions to assist you in navigating these choices and expanding new opportunities for your next chapter. 

 

 

Final Five with Ricky Schroeder 

After this main conversation, Ricky sat down to answer the five final questions. Among several topics, he shares why "making it" is an elusive concept and how social media can put undue pressure on some performers. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.

Follow Ricky: Twitter | Instagram | Website

 

For only the second time in my career, I’m doing back to back shows at the same theater. First there was Anne of Green Gables this past summer and now there’s 42nd Street here at the Goodspeed Opera House. It’s a show I’ve done before a few years back and in the same role as well, only this time there’s a lead producer who’s working to bring this production (and hopefully its cast) to Broadway. It has Carina-Kay Louchiey as the young starlet Peggy Sawyer and Max von Essen as the hard-nosed director Julian Marsh. I’m in the role of Pat Denning, playing opposite one of my favorite leading ladies of Broadway...

Kate Baldwin, who plays the veteran actress Dorothy Brock, joins the podcast to talk about this current production of 42nd Street and why it means so much to the both us. Then we take a surprisingly candid and unvarnished look at her career and why she was told she’d probably never have one in theater. We also discuss the ways we performers often compare ourselves to others and how to handle those times when someone else books the show instead of us.

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the making this podcast and its production efforts

 

MAESTRA, founded by Georgia Stitt

As Kate mentions in this episode, she and Georgia Stitt have worked together for years. And it was back in 2017 that MAESTRA MUSIC was formed by this composer/lyricist and music director to give support, visibility, and community to the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. Their membership is made up of female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers, music directors, orchestrators, arrangers, copyists, rehearsal pianists and other musicians who are an underrepresented minority in musical theater.

It was back in Season 4 that Stitt came on this podcast to talk about her career and this wonderful organization.

 

FINAL FIVE QUESTIONS WITH KATE BALDWIN

In addition to our main conversation, Kate answered the five final questions on topics that we only briefly touched on in this episode. She shares her definition of "making it" as well as what annoyed her most about some singers (riffing). She also discusses music directors, her early days in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and the importance of going where you are loved. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.

Follow Kate: Website | Instagram 

Sometime before the pandemic, I auditioned for a small off-Broadway production of the Lerner and Loewe musical The Day Before Spring. It was at the York Theater, which is known for reviving or refreshing older musicals that may not be done very much. I wasn’t cast in that particular production, and like most failed auditions I put it out of my mind as soon as it was done. But I do remember the director behind the table, and so I finally reached out to bring him onto the podcast.

Marc Acito is a playwright, novelist, and director. He talks about the work that he does in adapting older shows or contemporary works, bringing fresh set of eyes and perspective to creative process. Marc is also a writer of his own work from plays like Bastard Jones and novels including How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater to short films like Mad/Woman. And through each of these mediums, he’s had his stumbles and failures, but he’d be the first to tell you how grateful he is for those lessons learned. 

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the making this podcast and its production efforts
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter 
• Watch full episodes and special excerpts on YouTube 
• Get a free copy of WINMI’s collection of Creative Wisdom 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

MAD / WOMAN

Storm Large mostly writes about two subjects: female empowerment and mental illness. Applying her songs to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's feminist classic "The Yellow Wallpaper" felt as if they were written for the material. Storm and I bonded in 2007 over the shared experiences of being just commercial enough for everyone to wonder why we weren't more successful and just alternative enough to sabotage ourselves. Perhaps not coincidentally, we both survived mentally ill mothers. At least twice mine woke up in a pool of her own blood after being beaten senseless by a raging boyfriend.

Because I wanted to create a subjective experience as liberated from the male gaze as possible, hiring an all-female crew proved essential. Their and Storm's input influenced innumerable decisions I never would have had the insight nor courage to make. I'll be forever grateful to them as well as the diverse group of post-production artists who essentially served as my film school for my filmmaking debut.

Watch it on Film Freeway 

 

Final Five with Marc Acito

After this main conversation, Marc stuck around to answer the five final questions. He shares his definition of "making it" as well as what keeps most Broadway shows from doing the same. He also discusses minimum wage, happy marriages, and one of the best theater people around, Andre DeShields. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.

Follow Marc: Website | LinkedIn 

 

One of the themes of this podcast has been actors figuring out ways to be successful, even when the industry isn’t making that path an easy one. It can require to go beyond our actor training and discover new and hidden talents within ourselves as we forge new paths or even new careers.

Steve Harper is an actor, writer, and producer of the stage and screen. He shares his own real life actor’s nightmare in a Shakespeare production in Cincinnati. But we also discuss how he found himself without a plentiful array of shows and roles he could connect with, so he began writing and producing theater, which in turn led him into television and writing for superheroes like Stargirl as well.

We talk about the collaborative process of TV writing versus his singular process of writing for theater. He has a new collection of his short plays recently published that leads us into a delicate yet important conversation of race and non-traditional casting and what it means to be a black actor in theater. 

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the production efforts in making this podcast
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter
• Get a free copy of WINMI’s collection of Creative Wisdom

 

A Few Short Plays to Save the World by Steve Harper

With a focus on inclusivity, humor, and insight, Harper brings current subjects to light in an enduring and entertaining way, much in the same way that his work does writing and producing for TV shows such as the CW’s “Stargirl”, “God Friended Me” and ABC’s “American Crime”. 

The plays were originally performed at theaters such as The American Airlines Theater on Broadway, The John Houseman Studio (NYC), New Jersey’s Vivid Stage, The American Theater Company (Chicago), Baltimore Playwrights Festival, Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center and The Falcon Theater in L.A. (NBC Universal) to name a few.  

Buy it on Amazon or at a book shop near you.

 

Follow Steve: Website / YouTube / Twitter / IMDB 

 

 

As noted in the previous episode, auditions are the backbone of this industry. It is the fundamental job of every actor to do as many jobs as we can and do each one to the best of our ability. But there is an important gatekeeper when it comes to submitting our self tapes or actually getting in the audition room, and that is the casting Director. You’ve heard from Actors and their experiences in front of the audition table. Well, now it’s time to hear from the other side of that proverbial table and what goes in to casting, and the vital role they play in the production for the stage or screen.

Daryl Eisenberg, along with fellow casting director Ally Beans, works to create a comfortable space for actors, so they can take risks and really show their full potential as artists. You’ll hear Daryl’s thoughts on how actors can make their mark in the audition room or on a self-tape, and then you’ll get an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how she uses her position and expertise to make the audition process enjoyable and inclusive for artists on both sides of the table.

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the production efforts that make this podcast possible
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter
• Watch interviews on WINMI's YouTube channel
• Read the Final Five with Daryl Eisenberg on the WINMI Blog

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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, top 25 theater podcast and is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones. It is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

 

 

Audition Stories of Diversity and Inclusion

Covid certainly has changed the way we now audition, with self-tapes and Zoom auditions becoming the norm. But the summer of 2020 also changed the way we think about who is coming to the auditions and what that creative team looks like. In this week’s bonus episode, Daryl shares a few of her own experiences as she advocates for more diversity on both sides of the table. You’ll also hear how she works with fellow casting director Ally Beans, who is both partner and collaborator in the casting process.

Bonus episodes like these are only available to monthly supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. So if you’d like to help this podcast as well, then please consider a monthly subscription and get access to bonus episodes like the Audition Stories.

 

 

CASTING OFFICES IN NYC

Some of the biggest casting offices for stage and screen (like Eisenberg/Beans) reside in New York City, and at the top of the list is...

The Telsey Office

Formerly known as Telsey + Company, The Telsey Office is perhaps the best known casting office for commercials, film, television, and course, theatre. The company has bases in both New York City and Los Angeles.

Recent Broadway: Waitress, MJ the Musical, Flying Over Sunset, Mrs. Doubtfire, Diana, West Side Story, Tina, The Sound Inside, Beetlejuice, Gary, Oklahoma!, Be More Chill, To Kill a Mockingbird, Network, The Cher Show, The Prom.

Website: www.thetelseyoffice.com

Contact: info@thetelseyoffice.com | 917-277-7520

Tara Rubin Casting

Rubin began her company in 2001 after working for 15 years as a Casting Director at Johnson-Liff Associates. She is a graduate of Boston University and serves on the board of the Casting Society of America.

Recent Broadway: Six, Ain't Too Proud, Summer, The Band's Visit, Prince of Broadway, Bandstand, Indecent, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, Cats, Disaster!

Website: www.tararubincasting.com

Contact: tararubincasting.info@gmail.com | 212-302-3011

Binder Casting

Binder Casting was founded nearly 40 years ago by Jay Binder, who passed away in April 2022, and has been a part of RWS Entertainment Group since 2016. The office has cast 150+ Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Touring productions, in addition to countless national and international projects spanning both stage and screen.

Recent Broadway: The Lion King, In Transit, Dames at Sea, It Shoulda Been You, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Born Yesterday, White Christmas, Finian's Rainbow.

Website: bindercasting.com

Contact: info@bindercasting.com | 212-586-6777

Stewart/Whitley

An award-winning office in New York City that delivers excellence and innovation in casting. Respect for the creative process: the artistic teams, actors and all who collaborate in it is paramount. Connecting creativity is at the cornerstone of what they do.

Recent Broadway: Hadestown, The Lightning Thief, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Pippin, Chicago

Website: www.stewartwhitley.com

Contact: info@stewartwhitley.com | 212-635-2153

Wojcik Casting Team

Wojcik/Seay Casting opened its doors in January of 2009 with the national non-union tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has also been featured in Season 2 of the podcast. But Gayle Seay has since gone to become Artistic Director of Stages St. Louis, while Scott Wojcik continues to cast shows in and out of New York.

Recent Broadway: Jesus Christ Superstar, Motown

Website: wscasting.com

Contact: info@wscasting.com

Jim Carnahan, CSA

Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Kiss Me, Kate, Tootsie, Burn This, The Ferryman, Head Over Heels, Travesties, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Angels in America, Farinelli and the King, Time and the Conways, 1984, Groundhog Day, The Price, The Cherry Orchard, Long Day's Journey Into Night, She Loves Me, Noises Off, Fun Home.

Stephen Kopel, CSA

Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Jagged Little Pill; Kiss Me, Kate; The Play That Goes Wrong; Beautiful; Sunday in the Park with George; Amélie; She Loves Me; Noises Off; Violet; The Glass Menagerie; Harvey; Once; Anything Goes

Caparelliotis Casting

Recent Broadway: The Minutes, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, In the Height of the Storm, Ink, Hillary and Clinton, King Lear, The Waverly Gallery, The Nap, The Boys in the Band, Saint Joan.

Daniel Swee, CSA

Recent Broadway: Pass Over, The Great Society, To Kill a Mockingbird, Six Degrees of Separation, Oslo, The Present, The Heidi Chronicles, The Audience

Cindy Tolan, CSA

Recent Broadway: Company, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Betrayal, Macbeth, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Other standouts on the theatre scene:

Bass/Valle Casting Bob Cline Casting Franck Casting HBD Casting Jamibeth Margolis Casting Klapper Casting Laura Stanczyk Casting Michael Cassara Casting

 

As much as we actors wish it wasn’t so, auditioning really is our job. Performing it’s just an added perk, if we do that job really well. That being said though, there are times when we mail an audition and simply couldn’t have done any better, yet we still don’t book the part. Such is the life and labor of an actor.

Welcome to the annual episode of Audition Stories…the good, the bad, and the hysterical. And today you’ll be getting a sampling of the bonus episodes available to monthly supporters of this podcast. You’ll hear from the following actors, directors, and choreographers as they share their most memorable auditions:

• Barton Cowperthwaite - actor and dancer from Tiny Pretty Things
• Misty Rosas - actress, singer and performance artist from The Mandalorian
• Carmen Cusack - actress and singer from Bright Star and Flying Over Sunset
• Jerry Mitchell - director and choreographer of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman
• Al Blackstone - director and choreographer from So You Think You Can Dance
• Michael Learned - famed actress from The Waltons
• Kathryn Allison - actress and singer from Company and Aladdin
• Briana Packen - actress and coach from Movement 4 Everybody
• The Prom Tony Nominees - Caitlin Kinnunen, Beth Leavel, and

  Brooks Ashmanskas

 

I love sharing these stories and episodes, but it does take time and resources to do it. Currently, about 90% of podcast production costs come out of my own pocket. So I would greatly appreciate if you would consider joining Why I’ll Never Make It and support the ongoing efforts of this podcast:

• monthly subscriptions with access to bonus episodes and more
• yearly subscriptions at a $20 discount off the monthly options
• one-time donations to help the ongoing production of this podcast

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It's an award winning Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

 

When it comes to “making it” as a performer onstage or on screen, it’s usually as an actor, singer, or dancer.  Most people tend to gravitate toward the one(s) they’re most comfortable with and can truly express their artistry. Barton Cowperthwaite is a dancer first and foremost, with performances ranging from the opera La Traviata to Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound dance tour. The esteemed choreographer Lar Lubovitch describes Barton as a “movement poet” and credits him with having what he calls musical visualization. “Rather than hearing the music, this kind of dancer has the impression of being the music.”

But Barton has also been singing the music as well in productions at City Center Encores and in the national tour of American in Paris. He’s also been exercising his acting chops in a few movies and of course in his breakout role of Oren in the Netflix series Tiny Pretty Things. Through all of it, Barton has proven he’s much more than just a good mover and a pretty face.

In this conversation, he shares both the joys and disappointments of working on a hit TV show that ended up being canceled, he opens up about realizing his own weaknesses as a performer and needing to constantly work at improving his abilities, and he talks about the time he went on for the lead role in An American in Paris with just 15 minutes notice. 

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the production efforts in making this podcast
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter 
• Get a free copy of WINMI’s collection of Creative Wisdom 

 

Ljósið (The Light) from Cylan Shaffer

Before there was American in Paris, before Tiny Pretty Things, Barton was cast as the lead dancer in a wordless and moving piece from filmmaker Cylan Shaffer. It tells the story of a man who desires to overcome the restraint of his fears and then embarks on a journey towards discovery. Ljósið is an extraordinary performance piece of stunning emotion as two dancers (including Brandon Coleman) explore the boundaries of loss, love, denial, and acceptance. Watch it here.

 

 

Tiny Pretty Things Explores Sexuality on Netflix

Fans of this show were ravenous in their love and affection for these characters. One such fan created a compilation video which highlights one of Barton's more vulnerable and intimate storylines in the show -- his character's relationship with Shane (Brennan Clost). Watch it here.

 

 

Final Five with Barton Cowperthwaite

After our conversation on the joys of dancing and the struggles of being seen as more than just a dancer, Barton answers five final questions on the inspirations and advice he's received throughout his time onstage and onscreen. You'll find his answers and more on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Barton: Website | Instagram | IMDb
• Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 

Back in the summer of 2020, the lockdowns were in full swing, there was so much uncertainty around Covid and what the pandemic would mean for the arts, and there was a new Netflix docuseries everyone was talking about, a little show called Tiger King. Well, in the midst of all that I sat down with composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa. He talked about a few of his bigger profile shows like The Addams Family, Big Fish, and of course The Wild Party as well as a Tiger King parody he did with Kristin Chenoweth.

We discuss the years of writing and rewriting he's put into his various shows as well as the challenges and big budgets that come with creating a Broadway musical—something that I have seen firsthand this summer with Anne of Green Gables and its continuing creative journey. So join me as I take a look back at this insightful and honest conversation with my friend and fellow artist Andrew Lippa. (Recorded April 8, 2020)

• Website - https://andrewlippa.com
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/lippaofficial
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lippaandrew
• Recent shows: The Man in the Ceiling, I Am Harvey Milk, Unbreakable

Join Why I’ll Never Make It as a monthly supporter to get access to Bonus Episodes  and also check out WINMI's YouTube Channel.

 

Thank you for your continued understanding through Anne of Green Gables rehearsals and performances here at Goodspeed in Connecticut. Due to limited time and resources I'm not able to to get out a new episode each week, but I hope you're enjoying the smaller bonus episodes and encore interviews like this one. 

• Donate to increase the production efforts of this podcast
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter
• Get a free copy of WINMI’s collection of Creative Wisdom from former guests

 

In the previous episode, I spoke with a musical writing team about their process of writing a full show for the stage with a cast and creative team bringing their story to life. But in today’s episode I’m speaking with a singular artist about her one-woman show and the long journey it took to go from thoughts and ideas in her head to an actual production and a dramatic podcast as well.

Gina Harris has performed in theaters and jazz clubs in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. She’s a veteran of the famous improv group The Groundlings and had a leading role in the Broadway and national touring productions of Beethoven’s Tenth. A show that you’ve probably never heard of, and Gina will share with us why that is.

But she also talks about dealing with the loss of her parents and mentor, what led her to write a one-woman musical called The Magic of Ordinary Things, even though she’d never written a song before in her life, and how she went through 10 different directors before finally finding the right person to guide her creative efforts.

Learn more about Why I’ll Never Make It at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the production efforts in making this podcast
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter
• Get a free copy of WINMI’s collection of Creative Wisdom 

 

The Magic of Ordinary Things (stage show and podcast)

How do you go on when the people you love die? If you could see them one more time, what would you say? What would you want to hear?

Well, Gina Harris got the chance. The Magic of Ordinary Things is a musical memoir — a theatre piece, a dream, a Sufi Tale with original music.  It tells the story of how moments missed and things once taken for granted become the stepping stones to a new life. It reminds us that it's never too late.

Written and performed by Gina Harris • Directed by Michael French

 

Final Five Questions with Gina Harris

After our conversation on the inspirations and struggles of creating her one-woman show, Gina answered five final questions on the inspirations and advice he's received throughout her time in theater. You'll find her answers and more on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Gina: Website | Instagram | YouTube
• Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 

   

In the last episode, I spoke with composer Matt Vinson and writer Matte O'Brien about their new musical Anne of Green Gables. It was the first time I’ve spoken with a musical writing team here on Why I’ll Never Make It, and so for the two of them I thought I would bring back a bonus episode I haven’t done in a while: The Final Five.

After that main interview they answered five final questions about what “making it” means to them, lessons they’ve learned both as individuals and as a writing team, as well as useful advice that has helped them creatively and personally.

Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the production of making this podcast
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter
• Get a free copy of WINMI’s collection of Creative Wisdom 

 

Writing a musical is a long process, and once the writers are have finished that last page…that’s really only the beginning of their journey. By the time an actor comes along to audition for it, there’s usually been years of drafts, workshops, and revisions. 

Listeners of this podcast know that this summer has been a welcome return to the stage for me in a new theatrical adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, my first musical since the covid shutdown. And it all started with a self-tape audition back in February of this year that then culminated in several callbacks with the creative team a few weeks later. Well today, I’m joined by two of the people who were in that audition room: composer Matt Vinson and writer Matte O'Brien.

A transcript of this interview can be found here.

While there have been individual writers and composers on previous episodes, this is the first time welcoming a musical writing team to the show. Matt and Matte have done several musicals together, but for this conversation we focus on the many years it has taken for Anne of Green Gables to get to Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut, and how they are preparing for its potential future. Matt and Matte share three stories of its humble beginnings, learning to take (and not take) feedback from others, and how actors influence the rewriting and editing process. 

Learn more about Why I’ll Never Make It at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
• Donate to the production efforts in making this podcast

 

Anne of Green Gables Concept Album

As this musical has gone through various readings and workshops, there have been a number of people taking on these characters and singing these songs. And throughout this episode you’ll hear samples of music from Anne of Green Gables, taken from a Concept Album and subsequent recordings. Those featured in this episode include:

• Oh, My Diana - Chris McCarrell
• Different Kind of Girl - Michelle Veintimilla
• The Asylum - Jenna Rubaii
• I Wanna Know You - Chris McCarrell
• Make a Move - Aurelia Williams
• Different Kind of Girl (Reprise) - Juliette Redden

Listen as Matt and Matte answer the Final Five questions and read their Writer's Notes on Anne of Green Gables.

 

The Queer Life of L.M. Montgomery

Her 1908 novel about a red-headed orphan girl has sold more than 50 million copies and made her known throughout the world with generations of fans. But what is really known about L.M. Montgomery, who was called ‘Maud’ by close friends and family. She started out as a single schoolteacher, but went on to marry a minister, gave birth to two sons, and wrote many more books. 

But in 1985, publication began of a journal Montgomery had been keeping for fifty-three years. It was quite a shocking exposé of a woman who was often depressed, dealt with a horrible marriage, yet found her greatest happiness from deep, intimate and meaningful relationships with female friends.

And so for decades an undercurrent of Lesbianism has been debated not only for the central character of Anne Shirley but also the author herself. This came to a head in 2000 when professor Laura Robinson published a paper named “Bosom Friends: Lesbian Desire in L. M. Montgomery’s Anne Books,” where she argued that Anne had more passionate relationships with her female friends than her male love interest. This has not sat well with those who view Anne’s female friendships as both innocent and platonic.

Read more about this ongoing debate…

• Bosom Friends Affair
• Professor suggests Anne of Green Gables was Lesbian
• The Gay Anne of Green Gables Scandal
• Netflix is at It Again…Homosexuality in Anne of Green Gables
• The Queer Life of L.M. Montgomery

 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted and produced by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones in association with WINMI Media, LLC. It received the Communicator Award of Distinction in 2022 and is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot. WINMI is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

The songs clips in this episode from the musical Anne of Green Gables are written by Matt Vinson and Matte O'Brien and used with their express permission. Outro Music is by Blue Dot Sessions and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. 

 

Just like actors show off their skills in the audition room, other artists and creatives have their own ways of showcasing talents to prospective theaters, directors, or employers. And these interviews can be just as anxious and nerve-racking as what we actors face, especially if you aren’t as prepared as you could be.

Adam Stocker is a Broadway costumer and returns for this bonus episode to share a story from his junior year at Western Michigan University. He recounts an interview he had for what would’ve been his first internship. However, from the moment the phone interview began, Adam was caught off-guard and just trying to keep up…

• Follow Adam: Website | Instagram 
• Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 

A transcript of this interview can be found on the WINMI Blog and is available thanks to financial supporters of this podcast. You'll also find Adam's Final Five questions on the blog as well.

 

 

Welcome back to Why I’ll Never Make It and this special episode which is very different from the usual Audition Stories that are normally reserved for monthly supporters of this podcast. But I wanted to offer this conversation with Adam to all listeners like you as an invitation to subscribe to bonus content on Supercast, the Patreon alternative for podcasters. 

With your subscription, you’ll be helping this podcast continue to produce important and insightful interviews with a wide range of creative artists and actors. So become a supporter of WINMI today, and you’ll have my utmost appreciation and a lot of bonus episodes to listen to.

 

This past week as Anne of Green Gables went into tech rehearsal and we finally had our first public performance, I was reminded that there is a very particular important step that happens as you leave the rehearsal studio and finally start working on stage and that is the introduction of costumes. For me as an actor the adding of costumes is a big step forward in the development of my character. It informs how I move, how I stand or sit, and gives a sense of class or position, even the confidence my character has. And so today I’m talking with someone who does costumes for a living and shares with us the true artistry that goes into this element of theater making.

Since moving to NYC from Michigan, Adam Stocker has made costumes for Broadway, Off-Broadway, cruise ships, and even Disney. Lately, he's also been advocating for workers rights and focusing on inequalities in theater that affect the costume industry. And this was actually how we connected on Instagram, as he was creating posts and messages to find solutions for a more equitable future.

Learn more about Why I’ll Never Make It at whyillnevermakeit.com 

• Donate to the production efforts in making this podcast
• Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast
• Get a copy of Patrick Oliver Jones' free collection of Creative Wisdom
• Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted and by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

ICONIC BROADWAY MUSICAL COSTUMES

Clothes make the man — and the woman — as the old adage proclaims. And that is doubly so in the case of theater. Those who act on the stage will tell you that the costumes are the final piece in their transformation into their characters. The work of a great costume designer is to establish personality, time, place, and attitude through the right clothing. And the work of stitchers, pattern makers, and technicians like Adam Stocker is to bring the designer's vision to life (and make it last 8 shows a week for months, even years, on end). Over the many decades of the Broadway musical there have been some amazing costumes on the stage, but there are a few standouts that have achieved legendary status. Back in 2020, Broadway Direct took a look at 14 of Broadway's most iconic musical costumes.

 

Final Five Questions with Adam Stocker

After our lengthy interview on the ins and outs of costume-making, Adam answered five final questions on the inspirations and advice he's received throughout his time in theater. You'll find his answers and more on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Adam: Website | Instagram 
• Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 

 

For the past four weeks I’ve been in rehearsals for a new musical adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. During that time I even got Covid for the second time and had to miss several days of rehearsal while I was recovering. In fact, I wasn’t the only one who got Covid during the rehearsal process, so it’s been quite a journey for the creators and the cast as a whole and putting the show together. But we’ve now done all the blocking and scene work and are headed into tech rehearsals this week.

With that in mind I wanted to revisit a conversation from June 2020 with a playwright who is still just getting started in his own journey as a writer, an actor, a director and producer. Cris Eli Blak has remained one of my favorite guests and was someone who actually found me and requested to be a guest on the podcast. I’m so grateful for him reaching out and for the very personal, honest, and at times uncomfortable conversation we had. We talk about the writing process of bringing a show from the page to the stage as well as what it means to him to be a Black writer in theater today. He was only 21 when we sat down for this interview, but his insights and life experiences show maturity and wisdom far beyond his years. 

Topics covered in this episode:

 - Do The Right Thing 30 Years Later 

 - Spike Lee on HuffPost Live 

 - The Brother's Survivor short film 

 - The World Changes Through Art 

 - Our Duty to Confront Racism in Theater Industry 

 - "Like Father, Like Son" on the Logue Lounge 

 - All-White Production Of HAIRSPRAY In Texas Raises Eyebrows 

 - Should There Be All-White Productions of HAIRSPRAY? 

 

"I want to give a shoutout to the people who push me, drive me, motivate me and hold me accountable. So, this goes out to my mother. This goes out to my grandfather. This goes out to my grandmother. This goes out to my sister. This goes out to my aunt. This goes out to everyone who came before me. This goes out to the late great August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry who are on my personal Mt. Rushmore. And this is to everyone who wakes up and turns their dreams into goals and their goals into realities, for everyone who struggles and keeps going anyway."

Follow Cris: Instagram / YouTube / Medium 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website / Blog

 

Cris Eli Blak Answers the Final Five

After our conversation, Cris answers the Final Five. He shares why he'd love to teach and his dream to be in CATS as well as what he learned from Tyler Perry.

A transcript of this interview can be found at the WINMI Blog and is available thanks to those who support this podcast.

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Producing a podcast isn’t cheap and it needs support from followers and listeners like you. With your help WINMI can continue to share these important stories in audio format but also using tools like video production and transcription options, which would greatly increase WINMI’s accessibility to more artists.

So please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast), which will help further podcast production. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!

 

Among the many repercussions of the Covid pandemic, it caused actors, including myself, to question our purpose, our abilities, and our own belief in what it means to be an artist. Well, today’s guest had many of these same doubts and questions well before there was any pandemic affecting our industry. He felt an internal struggle between what he wanted to do and what he thought he should to be doing.

Brian Patacca is a life coach and podcaster as well as a non-denominational minister, but he started out as an actor, grinding it out, going to auditions, looking for representation. And he shares three stories of how he let go of expectations and allowed himself to find his purpose, to find his true calling. In the process he had to let go of plans and the very clear path he had laid out for himself. But in doing so he found a joy and fulfillment beyond anything he had anticipated. 

Get a copy of WINMI’s free ebook Creative Wisdom. 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get bonus episodes with Brian on Supercast
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted and by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Kai Engel and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

Artist Spotlight - BRIAN BREAKS CHARACTER

No more romanticizing the starving artist – let’s leave that to Moulin Rouge and Rent. The Brian Breaks Character podcast takes you behind the scenes with people who proudly walk the path LEAST taken. Inspiring industry insiders, working actors, and solopreneurs offer down-and-dirty advice (and lotsa laughs), all while spilling the tea on how to bring home the bacon (or seitan) in a creative field.

Brian proves that when actors and artists follow their purpose instead of playing by a tired set of industry rules (i.e. limiting beliefs), they can skip the drama, generate momentum, and build excitement around who they are and what they love to do the mostest. 

 

 

FINAL FIVE with Brian Patacca

Brian helps actors get what they want without all the struggle. He’s helped actors as “The Representation Whisperer” and through his wildly popular online courses, coaching program, and entertaining podcast, Brian teaches actors how to market themselves authentically, use gratitude to open doors, and ultimately make more money.

Brian is a graduate of Northwestern University, CTI’s Co-Active Coach Training Program, Marianne Williamson’s Teaching the Teachers – and on top of the education you’d expect a coach to have, Brian brings a spiritual and grounding approach to the biz that is rooted in his training as a non-denominational Reverend. And on the WINMI Blog he answers five final questions we didn't get to in this podcast episode, sharing the importance of making an impact as an artists rather than just making it in this industry.

• Follow Brian - Life Coach / Instagram / Podcast / YouTube

 

 

This past week I started rehearsals up in Connecticut at the Goodspeed Opera House doing a new musical version of the beloved Anne of Green Gables. It’s a well-known story around the world but especially in its home country of Canada. So in honor of that I thought I would bring a Canadian onto the podcast. 

Ashley Victoria Robinson  is an actress, writer, producer and podcaster, and though she and I won’t be talking about Anne of Green Gables, we do hit upon some of the themes from that story...dealing with the loss of family and how that can impact our lives, finding our place in this world and where we belong, and learning how to control our emotions and our words so that they don’t get us into trouble.

Now, I hadn’t met Ashley until we sat down for this interview, But just like Anne is constantly searching for that kindred spirit, I too found a wonderful connection with Ashley throughout our conversation and thankfully a kindred spirit in this industry.

• Subscribe to WINMI and get bonus episodes with Ashley on Supercast
• Ashley answers the Final Five questions on the WINMI Blog
• Check out the podcast website and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a top 25 theater podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in this episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

 

 

Ashley Victoria Robinson & Unladylike Theatre present The Bearer of Bad News at the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Festival 

Most actors are used to working in a traditional power structure where actors are subservient to directors. There’s a very clear sense of who is in charge and whose opinions matter the most. Ashley met her Unladylike co-founders (Tiana Randall-Quant and Kendell Byrd) under these very circumstances. They found collaboration as the three of them really drew on each other through the creative process.

Ashley recognizes a school of thought in contemporary theatre that is Socratic in its approach, where everyone is equal is therefore more “feminine.” Unladylike Theatre was established by 3 femmes, trying to bring feminine sensibilities to every step in the creative process. And so their mission statement is: Reimagining the future through femme-forward theatre.

The Bearer of Bad News is their debut production, which they worked on for about 2.5 years total. Bearer of Bad News explores the intersection of identity and purpose set against the backdrop of a world irrevocably altered by climate change. Unladylike looks forward to future projects as well, whether an update of a classic work or creating fresh new pieces of theater. 

 

Ashley Victoria Robinson: Canadian Hobbit

She's been seen on stages all over the world including: The Wallis Annenberg, Theatre West, Hollywood Fringe Festival, Ottawa Fringe Festival, Youth Infringement Festival, Sock N Buskin, Cupcake Theater, and more. She's also a podcaster like me, hosting the Geek History Lesson podcast (alongside Jason Inman), was even the face of Twitter marketing for podcasters, and is the co-creator of The Red Shirt Diaries.

Ashley has been featured in several international commercial campaigns including Intel alongside The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons. On TV Ashley has shown off her acting chops on shows like Good Trouble (Freeform), Snowfall (FX), Pump (Urban Flix TV), and Hotel Secrets & Legends (Discovery Channel). Her comic book writings "Science! The Elements of Dark Energy" and the "Jupiter Jet" series are both award-nominated for Best Graphic Novel. 

 

June is always a busy time for New York City with two major events taking place: one is of course the month-long Gay Pride celebration and the other is the biggest day of the Broadway season -- the Tony Awards. And today’s guest ticks off both of those boxes.

Jerry Mitchell is a prolific Broadway Director and choreographer as well as a gay advocate with shows like Broadway Bares and Kinky Boots, just to name a few. He is also an eight-time Tony nominee, but he is quick to point out that he’s lost out on the award six times. In our conversation, he discusses his creative career, full of fascinating anecdotes, and shares the importance of knowing our worth as artists, loving what we do on and off stage, and the value in saying "yes."

• Subscribe to WINMI and get bonus episodes with Jerry on Supercast
• Check out the podcast website and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a top 25 theater podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in this episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

 

Everybody Say Yeah!

You've heard what Jerry has to say about Kinky Boots. Now listen as the musical force behind this Tony-winning show is interviewed by ABC News in Australia. Cyndi Lauper has been a source of celebration and inspiration for music lovers since the 1980s. Then she turned her talents to theater, writing the music for this international smash hit.

 

This Month's Artist Spotlight: Broadway Bares

Broadway Bares’ 30th anniversary celebration, originally set for June 21, 2020, was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The in-person event is set to return this month and will more bodacious dancers, fierce queens, and sexy starlets.

Broadway Bares was created in 1992 by Mitchell, then a Broadway dancer, as a way to raise awareness and money for those living with HIV/AIDS. In Broadway Bares‘ first year, Mitchell and six of his friends danced on a New York City bar and raised $8,000. Since then, Broadway Bares has raised more than $21 million for Broadway Cares.

“Every dollar donated during Broadway Bares helps those across the country affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses receive healthy meals, lifesaving medication and more,” Broadway Cares Executive Director Tom Viola said, referring to last year's online presentation. “As we look toward better and brighter days ahead for everyone, I’m so glad that everyone chose to twerk from home with us.”

 

Final Five with Jerry Mitchell

Nine years ago, Jerry Mitchell received the Abbott Award, a lifetime achievement award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation. The award is named in honor of renowned director George Abbott and is presented to a director or choreographer in recognition of lifetime achievement. That same year he was also nominated for two Tony Awards for choreography and direction in Kinky Boots. Since then he has lived another lifetime of experiences and shows like On Your Feet, Becoming Nancy, Pretty Woman, and the many subsequent incarnations of Kinky Boots. Read more insights and experiences from Mitchell on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Jerry - IBDB | Instagram 

 

The past couple of weeks have been difficult for this country, once again grappling with gun violence caused by madmen with evil intentions. This has unfortunately become an ongoing issue with people, politicians, and pundits saying a whole lot but doing very little. 

Four years ago this spring, a new play opened off Broadway called Church & State. It dealt with the contentious intersection of God, guns, and politics and featured four actors on a single set. I consider myself very fortunate to have been a part of this production as the understudy for the two male actors. It was written and produced by two former guests of this podcast: Jason Odell Williams as the playwright and his wife Charlotte Cohn as lead producer.

In this special episode, they share the passion and persistence that goes into creating works like Church & State that can actually make a difference in the hearts and minds of audiences, especially on such an important issue like gun violence.

References in this episode:

• The Power of Political Theater - Brooklyn Rail 
• The Critical Role of Humor in the Grief Process - St. Catherine University
• Jason Odell Williams (playwright)
• Charlotte Cohn (director and playwright)
• Sandy Hook Promise 
• Safer Country 
• Brady Campaign 

 

Church & State Origin Story - Jason Odell Williams

The seeds for this play date back to 2007. The issue of gun violence in America first became important to me after the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech. I went to UVA (Virginia Tech's “football rival”) and the images on TV of candlelight vigils by Cavaliers for their rival Hokies touched me profoundly. And I realized then, like many Americans, that we had a problem in our country. Guns were a national crisis.

Then the shooting in Tucson where Gabby Giffords was shot. And I watched the news, riveted and angry, scared and hopeless. How could this happen? To one of our own politicians? Will this force Congress to finally take action? When it didn't, I wondered, bleakly, if the response would have been different if something like this had happened to a Republican.* And I couldn't get that dark, nagging thought out of my head.

Then over the summer of 2012, I was talking to a friend from Raleigh, NC about religion and politics and a new seed was planted for this vague idea I had cooking for a play, somehow combing religion, guns and politics. And then in Dec. 2012, the tragic shooting in Newtown. And I'd had enough. I had to turn my rage and fear into action. So I did what I know how to do. I wrote a play.

A month later, in January 2013, I had a first draft of what would eventually become Church & State. I had three friends read the play with me in our living room. We talked about what worked what didn’t. I shared the play with a few director friends who offered some great feedback. And eventually one director, Ralph Meranto from JCC CenterStage in Rochester, read the play saw a lot of potential. He committed to producing it if we could develop it together.

So for the next few months, I’d write a draft, he’d ask questions and make comments and suggestions, I’d do a rewrite and we’d repeat the process. I think it was late 2015 when we felt good about the final product. I then shared the play with two friends in DC who loved it and wanted to do a reading for their Actors Salon. And that was the first public reading, January 2016. I knew then the play was basically ready. (BroadwayBox)

*Just a week after Church & State's Off-Broadway production closed, a gunman walked onto a baseball field at Eugene Simpson Park in Alexandria, Virginia, opening fire on politicians and wounding Republican U.S. Representative and House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and four others. 

 

Of the many actors I’ve interviewed and talked to personally I would say that there are at least two main objectives for most of them. One falls under auditions: getting in the biggest rooms for the best roles. And the second one falls under agents: getting representation that can get you into those bigger rooms. 

My on-camera agent Brian Keith Graziani and I have been working together since late 2020 for a range of projects--from commercials and industrials to TV dramas and docu-series. Brian himself started out as an actor and singer, and just sort of fell into casting, which then led to talent management and representation. While he still loves performing, this new career path has allowed him to have a greater impact on the careers and livelihoods of other actors.

Having had such wide-ranging experiences in theater, Brian is uniquely qualified to guide and represent actors like myself. And he certainly has a lot to say, he’s not one to hold back what he thinks at all, especially when it comes to auditioning, communication, and one of my least favorite parts of this business: self-tapes.

 

Connect with Brian and The Hell's Kitchen Agency - Website | Instagram | Email 

 

 

Audition and Submissions Tips When Using an Agent by Brian Keith Graziani

• If you decline an audition through an online system, email your agent as well. They often do not get notifications when you decline for some reason. 
• Unless your tape request specifies not needing one, always include a slate (stating name, height, and location).
• Be sure to double check casting self-tape labeling requirements (i.e. how to name the video file) and how to submit it (YouTube, DropBox, eco-cast, etc.). Each office has their own system for receiving and organizing submissions.
• Be sure to double check if casting specifies they want everything in one file or separate files. If casting doesn't specify, it's probably best to separate files as a safe alternative. 
• Double check due dates! Extensions are sometimes possible, but asking for it after everything is due just makes everyone look like we dropped the ball. 
• Be open about needing a break. The self tape fatigue struggle can be real and it's important to communicate such a feeling if you ever need a minute to recharge. 

A piece of advice: Say yes and get seen. Unless you feel like the quality of work you're presenting wouldn't present you in the best light, there is always merit to getting into the "room" and making sure casting knows who you are. If you have a major "why" then ask...but remember, every minute spent trying to convince you to submit for a job is a minute that could have spent submitting or pushing you, so trust the process. 

Are any traits that make for a successful actor? The answer is always "the actors who work the most and garner the most fruitful results from auditions are the ones who work with an agent daily to make their expectations clear". Clearly communicate what you will do, and want to do, just as much as what you won't do.

 

 

Final Five Questions

When it comes to theater, Brian Keith Graziani has been many things — actor, singer, casting director, talent agent. And each job has given him new perspective and understanding of what it means to succeed in this very subjective and finicky industry. After sharing his three stories from his time in the business, He also answers five final questions on the WINMI Blog.

 

“There are few things that can cause joy, shame, contentment, anxiety and stress the way that money does,” says Korrena Bailie, Consumer Finance Editor at Forbes. “If your finances cause you stress and anxiety, it’s natural to want to keep this to yourself because you might feel embarrassed or ashamed about the decisions you made.” (NY Times)

Well, one artist who is trying to break down that wall of fear or shame when it comes to money is lighting designer and fellow podcaster Ethan Steimel. And in this episode we both confront the stigma around such discussions. He shares three specific stories of his own financial journey, including how he paid for college and one important money issue that’s come up between him and his wife. 

• Subscribe to WINMI and get bonus episodes with Ethan on Supercast

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a top 25 theater podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in this episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

 

 

Artist Spotlight: Abundance Bound

Miata Edoga is a former guest of WINMI (Season 4) and is the CEO and Founder of Abundance Bound. For over two decades, she has been helping individuals of all backgrounds establish a healthier, more compassionate relationship with their money – whether they are just starting out, starting over, or starting to wonder how they should handle their growing wealth. Lear more about her Financial Empowerment Program.

 

 

This week's BIG NEWS...

Why I’ll Never Make It is now an award-winning podcast, having been recognized by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts at their 28th Annual Communicator Awards. WINMI was given the Award of Distinction in the area of Featured Episode for producing a Tribute to Alvin Ailey. He was dancer & choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and spent his life preserving the African-American cultural experience through dance and music.

With over 5,000 entries received from across the US and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals. So it is such a thrill to be recognized for the work that went into this celebratory episode on the life and career of a luminary like Alvin Ailey.

 

 

• Follow Ethan - Website / Podcast / Instagram 

 

 

There are two fundamental sides to every actor: the artistic part of us that loves rehearsing and performing, and then there’s the business aspect which handles money, contracts, and other details. Both are absolutely crucial to our success. But while we are good at taking lessons, getting coachings, or joining classes to work on that creative side, we aren’t often as diligent or even aware of our need to build up our fiscal muscles and business know-how.

That’s where Ethan Steimel comes in and his podcast Artistic Finance. He crunches the numbers and breaks down the nitty gritty of various financial concepts within the arts. And in this special collaboration and presentation with Artistic Finance, Ethan talks with Jonathan Cerullo about seeing ourselves and our careers as more than an artistic craft. It is so important that our business side gets just as much attention and preparation as the creative side.

 

Support WINMI through PayPal donations or monthly subscriptions. 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted and by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in this episode by John Bartmann is Public Domain.

 

 

This Month's Artist Resource: Artistic Finance Podcast

Lighting Designer and podcast host Ethan Steimel has always been curious why some artists get big breaks and others never break through to financial security. Why do artists pursue careers that are guaranteed to hold financial risk? Why do some artists get paid more than others for doing the same job? These questions led to creating Artistic Finance in order to have honest conversations with artists about money. He even sat down with WINMI host Patrick Oliver Jones for an episode about his own finances.

 

 

Financial Wellness at The Actors Fund

The Financial Wellness program was created to help actors and other creatives identify financial goals and get clear about a particular starting point. In time you'll learn and implement specific strategies for organizing expenses and how to plan for multiple and episodic sources of income, which can often be infrequent and erratic in this business. They also guide artists in developing a savings plan, gaining clarity around debt management, and how to build and maintain healthy credit. Ultimately, you'll examine the behaviors and thinking patterns that impact your financial habits and begin to align your actions with your intentions. Listen to my conversation with Rebecca Selkowe, director of the Financial Wellness program.

 

5 Reasons Why Actors Need a Financial Plan

Last January on Backstage, actor, writer, and financial coach Brooke Tyler Benson discussed the importance of having a financial plan, which outlines your current money situation and future goals as well as the steps it will take to get there. For too long we’ve been fed the starving artist trope, meaning we haven’t been taught the importance of creating our own financial plan. So she gives five reasons why actors should put “create a financial plan” at the top of their next to-do list. Read more on the WINMI Blog.

 

No matter how many conversations I have with artists, no matter how many episodes this podcast releases, I’m amazed at the variety of insights and lessons that each person brings to these discussions. But in this episode, I think we hit upon one of the biggest obstacles, if not THE biggest, that holds us back as actors and creatives--and that is fear. Being afraid of vulnerability or not making enough money or not being cast or simply not being good enough.

This fear is the cause of our self-doubt and uncertainty and it can hold us back or even paralyze us from moving forward. Today, I’m talking with David Dean Bottrell, who knows all too well what fear can do to us. Though he's been in TV shows like Boston Legal and After Forever (created by former guest Kevin Spirtas), David has also battled fear as an artist and has even written a book to help us navigate the ins and outs of this business to become a Working Actor.

David joins the podcast to talk about three specific examples of fear...

• His upbringing and the strange reaction his family had to success.
• The book he wrote and how completely inadequate he felt while writing it.
• His desire to imitate and be someone else, rather than understand or even accept his own unique talents. 

Support WINMI through donations or subscriptions - https://winmi.supercast.com

Podcast hosted and produced by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

 

This week's Artist Resource - WORKING ACTOR

This veteran character actor draws on his 35+ tumultuous years of work in the entertainment industry to offer a witty, informative and very honest guide to breaking in, making a living, and making a life in the fabulous trenches of show business.  

"Both practical and inspiring...open-eyed and unsentimental...This is no guru-like tome, but a hands-on, working manual written out of true experience and enthusiasm for what can be achieved.” --Alfred Molina

"Weaves a lifetime’s worth of experience navigating the slings and arrows of the acting game into a compilation of personal stories and pragmatic lessons to enlighten, encourage and forewarn both the novice and more advanced performer." --The Los Angeles Times

 

The Final Five Questions

Learn more of David's journey from Louisa, Kentucky to Los Angeles and New York, as he chronicles various roles and milestones. It highlights his struggle and successes as well as covers topics we didn't get to in this interview. Find it on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow David - One-Man Show | Twitter | Instagram

 

One of the main themes and messages of this podcast has always been that success can mean different things to different people, and how someone gets there, if they get there, seems to take a different path each time. Today’s episode is with someone that I had the privilege of working with in the musical adaptation of First Wives Club back in 2015 in Chicago (with Faith Prince and Christine Sherrill). We were gearing up for a hopeful Broadway transfer that unfortunately never happened.

But Carmen Cusack gave a memorable performance in that show and a few years later went on to star in her Broadway debut of Bright Star and most recently Flying Over Sunset. Her journey to Broadway has been a very unique one – from Denver and Texas to London and Shanghai. But as you’ll hear in her stories, the bumpy road to success is as much a personal journey as it is a professional one...

• Jazz lounges not Broadway theaters are her true musical home
• Her tumultuous relationship with Sunday in the Park with George
• James Lapine and Flying Over Sunset
• Through the loss of theater during Covid, she finds her musical voice

• Follow Carmen - Website | Twitter | Instagram

Get access to bonus episodes by supporting WINMI - https://winmi.supercast.com

Podcast hosted and produced by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

 

The Backstory of Carmen Cusack and the Final Five Questions

Learn more of the details of her journey from Denver to Broadway, as she chronicles her various roles and milestones. It highlights both the struggle and the joy of her time onstage, and finding the freedom to explore her own voice and artistry. Find it on the WINMI Blog.

 

Years after the failed Lerner & Loewe movie musical of The Little Prince, producer Joseph Tandet tried again, but this time with composer John Barry and a full Broadway production, which brought with it a whole new set of problems. The Little Prince and the Aviator began rehearsals in late 1981 and starred TV and film actor Michael York as the pilot with a 10-year-old newcomer in the title role - Anthony Rapp.

I am so thrilled to have Anthony joining me today! We talk about that troubled production, which actually never opened on Broadway, and we also discuss other shows like Rent and Star Trek Discovery. So in today’s episode you’ll be hearing four stories from his life and career:

• How he was cast in The Little Prince and the Aviator and why it failed
• Three movies where the directors wanted to cast him but producers did not
• How Rent changed his life and what it was like coming back to the show years later
• Dealing with the loss of his mother and the memoir and one-man show it inspired

Find more episodes at whyillnevermakeit.com.

Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

 

 

Bonus Episode: Anthony Rapp Talks About You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

This week's main episode is already full of intimate stories and insights from Anthony's life and career. But there's a special segment from our interview saved just for subscribers. He goes into details of the collaborative process to create this Broadway revival production and what led to it's short-lived run.

So you can give a one-time donation (via PayPal) or get access to bonus episodes like these with a monthly subscription (via Supercast). Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help and support are so very much appreciated!

 

 

The Final Five

Anthony Rapp has been acting and singing professionally since he was nine years old. Even with an extensive list of wonderful achievements, Rapp also knows the hardships and uncertainty of this business. And through it all he's discovered what truly matters most in his life and career. He gives further thoughts and insights in the Final Five.

• Follow Anthony - IBDB | Twitter | Instagram
• Support WINMI through donations or subscriptions - https://winmi.supercast.com

 

As an actor it is rare to have long stretches of employment, especially in theater. Television actors can certainly be a part of a successful show for years on end. Same goes for movie franchises where roles can come back film after film. But for most of us, it is simply job to job. One show ends and we work hard to book the next one.

For Steven Warner, he had just done the biggest role in his life…at the age of seven. So what was next for him? In part two of our conversation we explore the years after The Little Prince and how his life and career took a dramatic turn. It’s a story of persistence and tenacity but also a recognition of the realities we face as actors and how it’s as much a personal journey as an artistic one.

• Why I’ll Never Make It website 
• Follow @winmipodcast on Instagram
• Listen to Two Princes Part 1 and Part 2 on The Industry podcast

 

Holiday on Ice

Holiday on Ice originated in the United States in December 1942. It was the brainchild of Emery Gilbert of Toledo, Ohio, an engineer and builder who created a portable ice rink. He took his idea of a traveling show to Morris Chalfen, a Minneapolis executive, who supplied the financing, and George Tyson, who used his theatrical background to create the show. All owners except Morris Chalfen sold their shares of the North America Holiday on Ice to Madison Square Garden Corporation in 1964, while Chalfen retained ownership of the international Holiday on Ice tour and remained as executive producer of the North America company.

In August 1971, General Ice Shows, Inc., parent company of Ice Follies, had purchased Holiday on Ice (North America) from Chalfen and Madison Square Garden Company. By the time Steven Warner had joined the company, Ice Follies had merged with Holiday on Ice, operating as a combined show.

A traditional element in each Holiday on Ice show is the precision number with its famous spinning wheel, in which the skaters link arms with each other, one by one, lengthening the two spokes which spin around a center point. For many years, the traditional kickline, the light finale with illuminated costumes and fireworks fountains, ended shows. Since 1988, each show has been given an official name with a unique identity highlighting its main production theme and weaving the various numbers into a unitary presentation. 

• Watch Holiday on Ice with Steven Warner from 1985, performing Disco
• A Movie Star at 8, but He'd Much Rather Be an Ice Skater - New York Times

 

 

Final Five Questions with Steven Warner

As a child actor, Steven Warner was working with some of the most talented and famous actors and directors in Hollywood. But as a teenager his path took a turn away from film and has only recently begun a slow turn back to the camera again. And in these five final questions, he addresses topics we didn't get to in this conversation and provides extra insight into the importance of determination and handling rejection. You can find his Final Five on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Steven - Twitter
• Support WINMI - https://winmi.supercast.com

 

One of my all-time favorite movie musicals is Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe's adaptation of THE LITTLE PRINCE in 1974. It starred such legendary performers as Bob Fosse, Richard Kiley, Gene Wilder, and Donna McKechnie. It may not have done well at the box office or with many critics, but there's a lot to love about this star-studded film. 

So today’s episode is going to be slightly different from most episodes of Why I’ll Never Make It. That’s because it was born out of a collaboration between myself and another podcast called The Industry, hosted by Dan Delgado. In some ways it’s like the movie version of this podcast, focusing on the challenges and failures that go into film production and takes a closer look at some of the lesser known and sometimes forgotten stories of Hollywood.

So I reached out to Dan with the idea for an episode about this film adaptation of LITTLE PRINCE, I am so grateful that he ran with this idea. Ultimately, it became a two-part miniseries, covering not only that Lerner and Loewe movie musical but also the recent Netflix movie adaptation and a couple of Broadway productions as well. So today you’ll get to hear our examination of The Little Prince movie musical, as I introduce you to Steven Warner and what went wrong with one of my favorite movie musicals of all time. 

This episode only features about 20 min of my interview with Steven about The Little Prince. Listen and watch our full interview by subscribing to Why I’ll Never Make It.

Listen to "Two Princes" on The Industry (hosted by Dan Delgado), which goes on to talk about the other Little Prince film from Netflix and two Broadway productions.

 

Back in January 2022, this podcast held its first ever live event. It was a night of conversation with Emmy-winner Kevin Spirtas. He not only shared stories and struggles from his time on Broadway and television, but he also sang five songs that evening highlighting the work he has done and moments that have meant the most to him throughout his career.

And so on today’s episode you’re going to hear a portion of this cabaret performance and discussion that was presented here in New York City at the Green Room 42. In fact, BroadwayWorld was there that night and called the evening “entertaining and informative.” They were extremely complementary of Kevin and his performance and even had a few nice things to say about me (as well as some well-deserved critiques). It was a rare chance to see Kevin Spirtas in a candid interview, opening up about personal and professional experiences that he doesn’t often talk about in public. I am immensely grateful to have shared the stage with Kevin and happy to showcase a portion of our honest and frank conversation with you today.

Accompaniment provided by Eugene Gwozdz Hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones

Anyone who supports or donates to this podcast will get access to the full audio and video of this performance. https://whyillnevermakeit.com/ 

• Follow Kevin - Website / Instagram / Twitter 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

In 1987, HBO had a comedy special called Women of the Night. It featured four women who were known regionally and at certain comedy clubs, but had yet to really reach a national audience. They were Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone, Rita Rudner, and today’s guest Judy Tenuta. In fact, for the next four years each one of these women would be named Best Female Stand-up Comic at the American Comedy Awards (with Tenuta being the first in 1988).

So throughout the 1980s and 90s Judy was a part of a big boom for women in comedy. She branded herself as The Love Goddess and starred in national commercials, published her first book, and received Grammy nominations for her comedy albums. And if you’ve seen the movie Waiting for Guffman, one of my all-time favorite films, you’ll notice a certain Judy Tenuta T-shirt worn by Corky St. Clair.

However, her introduction to the stage was actually as an actress, and in college she majored in theater. In this interview we’ll talk about her transition from plays and musicals to stand-up comedy as well as her long-standing connection with the LGBTQ community. But first she shares with us the cancer diagnosis she received during the height of the Covid pandemic. As the Aphrodite of the Accordion, though, she hasn’t let that stop her, and this past New Year’s Eve she released a music video called “Kicking Cancer’s Ass.” It’s in perfect keeping with her campy and offbeat persona that has made Judy Tenuta one of the most unique comedians and performers of her generation.

Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones. Find a transcription of this episode on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Judy - YouTube / Instagram / Twitter 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode by John Hartman and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

In the final episode of Season Five, I spoke with a talented and passionate actress and producer Debra Ann Byrd. In our conversation, she mentioned one of the professors that had a significant impact on her own training and understanding theater. Debra Ann spoke so highly of this mentor that I looked her up and decided to ask her to come on his podcast as well.

But Elizabeth Swain is so much more than just a professor of theater. She is a Broadway actress with national tours and television credits as well. And she is quite the prolific director as well, with a specialty in classics like Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies. Elizabeth is also a member of the prestigious Antaeus theater company in Los Angeles. As you’ll hear Elizabeth is the perfect guest for Women’s History Month as she provides such a unique and wide perspective through her decades of work both on stage and off.

And in today’s episode you’ll be hearing three stories from her life:

• Her first theater tour before she had actually decided to be an actress
• Balanced her growing Broadway career with motherhood
• How and why she was ousted from Barnard College

Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

 

 

 

This Week's Spotlight: Antaeus Theater Company

Antaeus began in 1991 as a project of the prestigious Center Theatre Group. Founding Artistic Directors Dakin Matthews and Lillian Groag believed there could be a world-class classical ensemble in a city driven by the TV and film industry. They brought together a remarkable group of 30 members in Los Angeles to embark on this ambitious project. The group came together every Monday night to read, study and rehearse great classical plays.

After three decades and hundreds of readings, workshops and productions later, Antaeus has established an impressive reputation as a leader in the Los Angeles intimate theater community. Elizabeth Swain is a regular faculty member with the Antaeus Academy and has directed numerous productions for the company. As Antaeus continues to grow and mature, we remain committed to producing full seasons of plays, providing professional training and arts education programs, and utilizing our home as much as possible.

 

 

Women's History Month: Aprha Behn

“All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.” - Virginia Woolf

Aphra Behn, one of the most influential dramatists of the late 17th century, was also a celebrated poet and novelist. Her contemporary reputation was founded primarily on her "scandalous" plays, which she claimed would not have been criticized for impropriety had a man written them. Her first play, The Forc'd Marriage (published, 1671), was produced in London, and Behn became one of the period's foremost playwrights. Her most famous novel, Oroonoko (1688), is based on her experiences in the West Indies and her friendship with a prince of the indigenous peoples. She earned her living in the theater and then as a novelist until her death on April 16, 1689. For more about her history, including service as a spy for King Charles II, check out this Smithsonian article. 

 

 

WINMI Begins Outsourcing Projects

Thanks to recent support of Why I’ll Never Make It (through donations and monthly subscriptions), an effort has been made to hire outside help to work on various projects for the podcast. One is ongoing and has to do with IMDb listings and another involved organizing episode within Podbean, WINMI's hosting service. Due to errors on the part of this hired help, this podcast feed saw a lot of unintended activity the past couple of weeks. So first off, I want to apologize for the confusion and know that steps were taken to not let that happen again. Secondly, it was a wake up call for better vetting and training of such workers to more easily accomplish the task they are hired for. The next big task will be transcriptions for each episode.

So please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast), which will help offset the cost of this important service. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!

 

 

The Final Five

Though studying economics first, Elizabeth Swain eventually found a place in theater and has gone onto to acting, directing, and teaching. She has guided so many students through the Classics, and continually inspires a new generation of artists. You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Elizabeth - Website | Twitter | Antaeus
• Support WINMI through donations or subscriptions - https://winmi.supercast.com

 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The art of performing is certainly filled with joy and passion and can offer a creative fulfillment not found another professions. But as this podcast highlights with each episode, there are also underlying bouts of stress, anxiety, and frustration that come with being an artist and offering our creativity to the world. Last year I sat down with Mostafa Ashraf and his co-host Yara to talk about performance anxiety on their podcast Mental Talk. So I wanted to share with you this candid discussion with Mo and Yara about my own struggles with doubt and worry and what I do to push through that. 

 

• Listen to Mental Talk - https://blog.pod.link/1535397612

Their show is produced by a nonprofit organization called Advice Seekers, which aims to provide help in the areas of mental health and online anti-bullying campaigns. 

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• Check out other Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter
• Get access to Audition Stories and other Members-Only Episodes
• Show WINMI some love and help with an opportunity for some Podcash
• Get a copy of WINMI’s free ebook Creative Wisdom

 

Back in 2014, I met today’s guest as we were both working on a workshop of a new musical based on the hit movie FIRST WIVES CLUB. We both continued on with the show as it traveled to Chicago for its out of town pre-Broadway tryout. However, the musical never made it to New York. But as you’ll hear in my conversation today with Terron Brooks, the journey of most performers is never a straight line and certainly there are many more failures and disappointments than successes.

Terron certainly knows something about success: he's a two time NAACP award nominee and widely recognized for his critically acclaimed role as the great Eddie Kendricks in the Emmy award winning NBC miniseries The Temptations, not to mention his Broadway shows and concerts around the country. Through music, acting, writing, and speaking, Terron wants to encourage everyone to reach their highest potential, including himself. And today he's brought us three stories on how he's had to learn that lesson the hard way:

• Story #1 (04:34) Managing his own expectations of success after the fame of starring in the The Temptations.
• Story #2 (26:26) Confronting the possible loss of his voice and what that would mean for his career.
• Story #3 (43:02) How his son's autism diagnosis helped him learn to face his own pains and disappointments and become a better father and husband. 

Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter / YouTube whyillnevermakeit.com

 

 

Please help WINMI with a Few Kind Words...

April Michelle Davis is Executive Director the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) and she says, “In every aspect of life, personal or professional, words form the basis of relationships with others. The written word preserves and transmits knowledge, evokes alternate worlds, and provides endless food for thought. Words Matter Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate words and focus on why they matter.”

I would certainly appreciate a few words from you to help WINMI as it seeks a grant from Podca$h, an organization aiming to support small, independent podcasts and their ideas. This Spring they’re awarding between $250 and $5000 in sponsorship to hundreds of podcasters and with your help WINMI can be one of them. Please show me and this podcast some love and give my Podca$h application a boost. Thank you!

 

 

This week's Artist Resource: Honest Answers

Honest Answers with Terron Brooks invites listeners to reconnect to the soul. Everybody in the world asked the same questions, but the answers are never the same. Terron takes you behind the scenes as his guests reveal honest parts of their story you’ve never heard before. Experience and unrehearsed, open and candid conversation with creative forces like Leon, Shoshana Bean, Sheila E, Stephanie J. Block, and more. You’ll hear transparency and vulnerability from the most inspiring sources. 

 

 

Final Five Questions with Terron Brooks

Terron has traveled many roads in his life and career. On his journey there have been plenty of lessons, but the greatest has been discovering his authentic self and using his gifts to serve humanity. And in these five final questions, he addresses topics we didn't get to in this conversation and provides extra insight into the importance of grace and living authentically. You can find his Final Five on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Terron - Website | Instagram | YouTube
• Support WINMI through donations or subscriptions - https://winmi.supercast.com

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

In honor of Black History Month, this episode is an encore presentation of two pioneering Black artists and the legacy they left in the performing arts.

 

Vinnette Justine Carroll, PhD - Actress, Playwright, Director, Teacher

Vinnette Justine Carroll’s professionalism in theatrical arts paved way for black professionals in the industry. She was an actress and playwright who expressed herself through gospel music. In a 1979 interview, Carroll told The Times, “I decided my salvation was to create something for myself, a theater for myself and others where your main worry wasn’t getting a TV series. When I first heard gospel -- I’d grown up in the Anglican church -- I just flipped. You mean religion can be like this?”

She was the first black female to direct on Broadway as well as receive a Tony nomination for direction in Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, a gospel-infused musical revue. The show was conceived by Carroll and Micki Grant supplied the music and lyrics. It was nominated for four Tony Awards. Four years later, she was reunited with Grant, along with Alex Bradford, in the production of Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, which earned them three more Tony nominations. 

Perhaps nothing sums up Carroll’s indomitable spirit better than her own words. In a 1967 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Carroll shared part of her experience as an artist, saying: “I have had a great deal of hurt in the theater both as a Negro and as a woman, but I don’t get immobilized by it.”

Learn more about Carroll's life and arts career - https://iforcolor.org/vinnette-carroll/

Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope - https://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/dont-bother-me-i-cant-cope_85983.html

Vinnette Carroll Repertory Company - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnTRHStO8ho

 

 

 

Alvin Ailey - Dancer, Choreographer, Artistic Director

When it comes to the performing arts and certainly to dance, there are few people more worthy of admiration, of inspiration and imitation than Alvin Ailey. He was both uniquely gifted and qualified to tell the African-American experience which he lived and saw and reacted to through the art of dance. 

One of my most treasured experiences and memories of being here in New York City is getting to watch the Alvin Ailey American dance concerts each winter and summer. They consist of powerful and moving performances by amazingly talented dancers. And so it was only natural that my thoughts would go to the stories and emotions told through the pieces that Alvin Ailey choreographed himself, namely his iconic Revelations, which was inspired by his involvement within the Southern Black church. In fact, all of his work came forth from the people and places and experiences of his life.   

Learn more about Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison, Robert Battle, and Lester Horton 

Watch Ailey's masterpieces: Cry, Masekela Langage, and Revelations 

Videos and interviews used in the making of this Alvin Ailey tribute:

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre at 50 A Golden Anniversary Celebration 
• Big Lives: Profiles of LGBT African Americans - Alvin Ailey 
• Alvin Ailey Celebrates 50th - CBS
• Judith Jamison: Early Days with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Alvin Ailey and the Importance of the Arts - The New Yorker
• Alvin Ailey connects cultures through dance
• Alvin Ailey speaking at UCLA  - 3/9/1983
• Revelations from a lifetime of dance - TEDtalk 

 

 

Show Your Support

Please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast) to support the ongoing work and mission of Why I’ll Never Make It. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!

 

 

No matter what profession you’re in, setting goals is an important part of finding the best path to get you there. For actors and performers our goals can be big ones like being on Broadway or come down to specific shows or roles that we want to do. But just because you know your goals, does that mean you also have a clear picture of your mission as an artist or the purpose of your life?

My guest today is Gina Morgano, a fellow singer and podcaster who also teaches voice. And she’s brought along three stories that highlight that distinction between what we do as an artist and who we are as individuals. One story deals with an illness and losing her voice, while another talks about her big move to New York yet not getting cast in any shows. Since then Gina has found her joy in concerts rather than musicals, and in this episode she helps us understand that self-awareness is key to both reaching our goals and finding our purpose even as they may change direction.

Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter 

 

 

Help WINMI with a Few Kind Words...

Not everyone can support this podcast financially, but anyone can give a 2-3 sentence review to help WINMI as it seeks a grant from Podca$h. They are currently in a drive to support small, independent podcasts and their ideas. So they’re awarding between $250 and $5000 in sponsorship to hundreds of podcasters and with your help WINMI can be one of them. Please show me and this podcast some love and give my Podca$h application a boost.

 

 

This week's Artist Resource: Vocal Mentorship

A powerful voice is about much more than how you sound. As we talked about in this episode, it’s about being secure in who you are and wholeheartedly offering your creativity to the world so that you can make a difference in people’s lives. And Gina's dream for singers is for them to understand the value of their own voice. That’s why these are not your normal voice lessons. These are life lessons - training for your inner voice as well as your outer one - so that you can embody freedom, ease and expansion while serving audiences to your highest capacity. Learn more here and discover a new facet of your voice and yourself.

 

 

Final Five Questions with Gina Morgano

As a voice teacher as well, Gina Morgano brings an important perspective to her work as a performer. And in this episode she shares the wisdom and experience she’s gathered from her own performing and the work she’s done with her students. In these five final questions, she addresses topics we didn't get to in this conversation and provides extra insight into the work and practice she puts into being a performer. You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Gina - https://www.ginamorgano.com
• The Practice Parlor Podcast - https://www.ginamorgano.com/podcast
• Support WINMI through donations and subscriptions - https://winmi.supercast.com

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

With live theater happening once again here in New York, one of the joys has been seeing friends back on stage, doing what they do best. And I certainly hope to be joining them soon, but in the meantime it’s wonderful to reconnect with today’s guest. Kathryn Allison is a singer and actress who I got to know at The Muny in St. Louis, just as she was really beginning her professional career. 

But she’s gone on to perform in Wicked, Aladdin and currently the revival of Company. (She seems to have a thing for Broadway shows with one-word titles.) But as Kathryn shares her three stories with us today, being on Broadway doesn’t replace the importance of mental health, nor does it make her forget those embarrassing auditions when she didn’t book the show, and it also doesn’t mean that the work of inclusion is done as Kathryn continues to push for more access and a continuing search for strong, diverse voices.

Get a copy of WINMI’s free ebook Creative Wisdom. 

 

 

Listen to Kathryn's Other Audition Story

In addition to the audition story shared in this episode, Kathryn recalls another audition for Waitress and performing for Sara Bareilles. This is in a special bonus episode where she also discusses her experience of doing in-person auditions again.

Bonus episodes like this are only available to supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. And a big thank you goes to to Courtney Potts for becoming the latest WINMI Producer. Courtney actually chose the yearly subscription option, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the support!

So if you’d like to help this podcast as well, then please consider an ongoing subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast). There is also an option to give a one-time donation (via PayPal), both of which help offset the cost of producing 50+ episodes each year. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!

 

 

Find a Reader for Your Next Self-Tape: WeAudition

And as self-tapes are now the norm, WeAudition has been a great help to me this past year and provides a wonderfully creative, safe space to create the best video submissions possible. I just recently used them in a TV self-tape for Uncoupling and got a callback! Join today using the promo code WINMI25, which not only saves you money but it also helps support WINMI through this affiliate link. So join me and thousands of actors helping each other rehearse auditions and make better self-tapes.

 

 

The Final Five

In these five final questions Kathryn addresses topics not covered in that episode, providing extra insight into her work and experiences in the performing arts.

1. What job within the arts do you feel is the most undervalued or least recognized?
2. What does success or “making it” mean to you? 
3. What/Who inspires you most an an artist and creative?
4. Name a personal lesson that took you awhile to learn or one that you are still working on to this day?
5. What’s the most useful advice you’ve received, and how have you applied it to your life or career?

You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Kathryn - YouTube / Spotify / Instagram 
• Follow WINMI - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

The act of creating is both a testament to and a full embodiment of its creator. An actor gives so much of themselves to the role that they’re playing. A dancer utilizes every muscle to express an emotion. A writer pulls from their own life and experiences to create other worlds and powerful stories. And so it is only natural that we often tie our own self-worth and meaning to the success or failure of that creation. 

Today, I’m talking with Emmy-winning director/choreographer Al Blackstone, who I had the pleasure of working with a few years back. He brings us three stories of doubt and uncertainty and aloneness, when his own talent as a dancer was questioned and his value as a director was dismissed. This is an honest conversation on who we really are beyond the labels of actor or artist and how the idea of “making it” comes more from ourselves than from the acceptance or validation of others. 

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones (Off-Broadway actor and singer)

 

Listen to This Week's Audition Story

In addition to the three main stories, there are bonus episodes where guests like Al share memorable audition stories as well. Al talks about when he was at a dancer call years ago for the revival national tour of Sweet Charity. It's a story that any non-dancer (like myself) can definitely relate to. And these bonus episodes are only available to monthly supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. Producing this podcast isn’t cheap, and with your help I can reach a wider audience with things like more video and transcription options, which would greatly benefit deaf and hard of hearing artists, for example.

So please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast), which will help offset podcast production costs. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!

 

 

Freddie Falls in Love

Al also shares a fourth story about a show he actually created called Freddie Falls in Love. In 2019, this dance narrative production was presented at the famous Joyce Theater in New York City, marking a personal and professional highlight in Al's career. However, the NY Times had a very different opinion about his show, calling it a "frothy" and "meandering production" among other things. Al admits that he hasn’t really spoken publicly about this review and how much it devastated him. But in a special conversation he opens up what this review did to him, offering heartfelt candor and insight into how he handled such public rejection. To access this bonus episode (and more) go to support.winmipodcast.com.

 

 

This Week's Artist Spotlight: MOMEN NYC

Born out the pandemic to meet the needs of dancers, who just needed the time and space to move again. Al co-founded MOMEN NYC as a way to bring adult dancers together so they could focus on their craft and make lasting connections with other dancers. He truly believes deeply in the power of dance, community, and kindness to express what is more true about ourselves and help bring us all closer together. Follow MOMEN on Instagram for the latest updates.

 

 

The Final Five

For the past few seasons, the Final Five has been a bonus episode to this podcast, but for Season 6 it’s in the form of a blog post where guests answer the five final questions. You can find Al's Final Five on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Al - YouTube / Instagram / Website 
• Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter 

 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in our way as actors is ourselves. Whether it’s self-doubt and a disbelief in our own abilities or maybe it’s giving too much weight to the criticism or expectations of others, or maybe a shift in priorities comes along and we have to make life decisions that go against our creative ambitions.

To kick off season six, I’m talking with actor and coach Briana Packen about ways we can stop getting in our own way. She brought three stories with her today: one about the importance of training and mastering our craft, a second one how the me too movement still has ramifications today for her as a mother and teacher, and finally the need for balance and stability not only as an actor but as an individual as well. 

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter

 

 

Help WINMI Transcribe Every Episode

One of my goals this season is to help Deaf/hard-of-hearing actors like John McGinty access the Why I’ll Never Make It podcast by offering transcriptions of each and every episode (I actually did it once). However, this is both time-consuming and would add a major cost to the production of this podcast (approximately $5000 per season). Regardless, I think the effort is worth it, don't you? So I’ll definitely need your financial help to make this a reality.

Please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast), which will help offset the cost of this important service. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!

 

 

This Month's Artist Resource: Movement 4 Everybody

For about a decade now, Briana and her colleague Julia Crockett have been teaching movement to actors at conservatory programs and are thrilled to finally offer their classes to people not currently enrolled in an acting or university program. These classes are designed for everyone – artists, non-artists, professionals, unprofessionals, dancers, non-dancers, people afraid of dance, queers, beards, clowns, tops, bottoms, switches, queens, kings, cat AND dog people. You can strengthen your artistic physical practice, crack open your creativity, become more present in your body, or simply have a good time. Whatever your reason for going, you will leave feeling stronger, more connected, more creative, and with a richer connection to your body and others. Contact them for the latest class schedule or follow them on Instagram.

 

 

The Final Five

For the past few seasons, the Final Five has been a bonus episode to this podcast, but for Season 6 it’s going to be in the form of a blog post where guests will answer five final questions. And Briana starts it off by talking about learning from her mistakes and the ability we have as actors to grow and change throughout our life and career. You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.

• Follow Briana - YouTube / LinkedIn / IMDb 
• Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter 

 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Happy birthday, WINMI! Welcome to the 4th Anniversary Episode of Why I'll Never Make It.

Normally at the end of each season I take a chance to look back at the guests and conversations we’ve had throughout the year. But for this special episode you aren’t gonna be getting some "best-of" retrospective (although I will be counting down the Top 5 guests of 2021). Instead I’m bringing back two former guests and introducing you to a new creative as we talk about what this year has meant for theater in general as well as special events coming up next year.

Featured in this episode...

• Clayton Howe and his podcast Entertainment(X) 
• Justin Guarini, MoonAmie Productions, Terry Knickerbocker, Will Swenson, and Brad Oscar & Diego Prieto 
• Check out Season Five on Why I’ll Never Make It's YouTube Channel 
• Matthew Stern and Broadway Stage Manager Symposium
• Anna Robb and TheaterArtLife
• EPIC Event - use promo code EPICPODCAST for 15% off tickets at https://www.globalepicevent.com 
• Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter and check out Artist Resources on the website

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Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Kai Engel and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The experiences of our lives affect the paths we choose and help make us who we are today. In part one of my conversation with Debra Ann Byrd, she revealed the ups and downs of her own life that eventually ignited a desire to perform and pursue a life on the stage. But just as it was with her personal journey, Debra’s path toward becoming an actor was slow but steady and her first steps as a producer started from very meager beginnings.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

At her very core, Debra is a storyteller and that is on full display in this episode as she talks about taking on Shakespeare’s iconic role of Othello as well as the early years of forming her own company…Take Wing and Soar Productions. 

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com  Learn more about WINMI podcast - http://whyillnevermakeit.com

• Follow Debra - Becoming Othello / Instagram / IMDb 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

I first found out about Debra Ann Byrd through an article in the Guardian titled “Black Shakespeare champion working to change views on color blind casting.” She was just starting a residency at Stratford upon Avon, and this article talked about one of Debra's college professors who discouraged her from getting into classical theater. That story alone piqued my interest, so I reached out to her and the conversation that we ended up with certainly had many more stories than that one instance.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

Most actors can talk about how they got into theater and then trained and grew from there. But for Debra it was definitely a start-and-stop journey that veered off course several times throughout her life due to personal, medical, and racial issues that she had to face and deal with. Her story has so many interesting twists and turns that I just couldn’t fit it into one single episode. 

So we start off Part One with a unique story of who Debra looked up to as a child. But as we continue our conversation you’ll hear an array of hardships and challenges that would cause any of us to question ourselves and wonder what to do next. But listen carefully, and you’ll also hear an inner strength and a hope infused into each one of those struggles. It is certainly inspiring and a true testament to the strength of Debra’s character and spirit.

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

• Follow Debra - Website / Instagram / IMDb 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

In this day and age of everything going digital, and especially with zoom becoming an important part of both personal and professional connections, it’s a very rare moment to have a phone interview. But back in August of 2021 I had the privilege of calling up a wonderfully talented actress both on stage and on screen, four-time Emmy winner Michael Learned. Though she is best known for playing Olivia Walton, on the long-running 70's TV show The Waltons, it’s important to point out that she has had a stellar Broadway career as well, which began in 1969 with a production of Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters, produced in association with the San Francisco-based American Conservatory Theater.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

But as you’ll hear in this intimate and revealing Interview, she’s also had to face her own struggles and disappointments. She opens up about divorce, alcoholism, and regret. We also discuss the evolution of women’s roles on television and the stage, and Michael confesses her true feelings of playing Olivia all those years on The Waltons. She has such depth of knowledge and experience so we start off talking about her about longevity as an actress and what has kept her going for 60 years. 

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Music in this episode by John Bartmann is Public Domain.

Bettering Ourselves and Bettering Our Careers (Part Four)

The main focus and message of this series has been on storytelling. From Kate who talked about how to use our voices and acting skills to connect with casting directors as well audiences, to Max who broke down the elements of a good story and how to craft that for print, stage, or screen.

For today’s episode I’m talking with composer and audio producer Matt Sav about musical storytelling and as you’ll hear in our conversation, to go from that initial idea to an actual finished product can be a long and sometimes stumbling journey. While we focus in on his audio drama In Strange Woods, Matt and I also talk in broader terms of production, composition, and writing as well as the future of podcasting as it provides a new way for artists to create and tell their musical stories. 

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter.  Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

• Follow Matt - Podcast / Musicals / Instagram
• Learn more about Storytelling
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Kai Engel and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part Three)

Though the theater is my main focus as both an actor and a podcaster, it is often interesting and educating to talk with those outside the theater world. And while today’s guest has performed on many stages, he is the last person who would consider himself to be an actor of any sorts. Nonetheless, Max Stossel has a lot to teach us actors about how we present and perform stories (and how we can even write our own). Max is an award-winning poet, filmmaker, speaker and former media strategist, and was named one of the best storytellers of 2016 by Forbes. 

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

Max has traveled around the world, and his performances have been described as mind-expanding, profound, and hilarious all at once. And in this episode we talk about his one-man show Words That Move, which was selling out theaters all over the country before Covid, and is currently being developed into a digital special. 

And if that last name Stossel sounds familiar to you, you know of his father, journalist and sometimes contrarian John Stossel. While I do my best to keep this podcast free from political themes and discourse, I did ask Max about his father and what he has taught him about telling stories and using video as a medium. Max goes on to discuss the importance of staying authentic and true to yourself, especially on social media. But we start our conversation with the basics of storytelling and how to get our thoughts and ideas down onto the page. 

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com  Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.

• Follow Max - Website / Instagram / Twitter 
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part Two)

This is a continuation of part one’s look at voiceover work and acting behind the mic. You will hear from a group of actors, directors, and producers applying voiceover and acting techniques into their radio play podcast called Standby for Places. As the pandemic was shutting down most opportunities for actors, this group of artists found a way to keep acting and producing throughout the pandemic.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

Standby for Places was co-created by Freda Mattea, Margie Zarcone, and Graydon Gund. They then brought on Dunya Karam and others to make it a full audio drama production team. And I’ll be talking with three of them today. They’ll give us a bird’s eye view as well as hands-on experience of the art and craft of producing audio dramas, which gives us actors a new way to both exercise and explore our creativity. To be a part of their audio drama productions, contact them via email: info@standbyforplaces.org

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

• Follow Standby For Places - Instagram / Facebook 
• Learn more about Storytelling and Communication
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part One)

Today begins the second annual presentation of this month-long series with actress and voiceover coach Kate McClanaghan. We will be touching on the various aspects of voice work and technique but also addressing some fundamental struggles every actor faces.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

About 30 years ago Kate founded Actors’ SOUND ADVICE with fellow producer and coach Jeff Finney. Together they sought to provide an honest and personalized approach to career consulting, voiceover coaching, and demo production. And as both an actress and casting director, Kate has a unique dual perspective of what is expected of us as actors, both in the audition room as well as in performance. So while this episode may be focusing on the art and craft of voiceovers, these lessons and insights are useful to most any actor on stage or on screen as well.

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 

• Follow Sound Advice - Website / Backstage / Twitter 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by John Bartman is in the Public Domain.

One of the themes of this podcast is how we as actors are constantly changing, adjusting, tweaking our careers as we transition from stage or screen or commercials or voiceover. But that same kind of transition happens for those behind the table as well.

Patrick Millsaps has had a unique journey of being an attorney turned political adviser and pundit to then becoming a talent manager and ultimately movie producer and studio head, taking the skills from one job to the next. Patrick’s story is not only one of diverse experiences and opportunities but also one of persistence and a constant drive to learn and improve. He was often a fish out of water, but that didn’t stop him from constantly diving into the deep end…headfirst.

Watch this full episode or Final Five on YouTube

Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes like the Final Five on Supercast.

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I'll See You in My Dreams (2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1VbBOTXzfI Finding Noah (2017) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvLe1q3Wkdk  Kane Studios - https://kanestudio.com/production  There Are Better Ways to Protest Georgia’s Abortion Law Than a Boycott (2019) - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/georgia-s-abortion-law-are-better-ways-protest-a-boycott-guest-column-1210096 

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As an actor, one of the more difficult attitudes for me to manage is that of jealousy, and an elevated sense of competition for roles and even status in this industry. I’ve particularly noticed this as theater is opening up again after the long pandemic shutdown and other actors, not me, are back onstage again. My guest today, Peter Allen Vogt, is a talented actor in his own right but has struggled with this as well from time to time, especially considering he has a well-known identical twin who is also an actor and comedian. 

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I first got to know Peter Allen Vogt working for Disney. Both he and I worked at Tokyo Disney as well as the theme park in Orlando. He has since moved on to Universal out in Los Angeles, and he is also appeared in such TV shows as Hannah Montana, Parks and Recreation, and American Horror Story. But our first love is still theater. Whether it’s classic shows or new musicals, Peter brings a larger than life quality to all of his roles. In fact, his size has been one of Peter‘s notable characteristics for many years. In our conversation today he shares his weight loss journey and what that has meant for his career. But first we talk about what keeps Peter going and the longevity of his career as well as the importance of surrounding yourself with those who support and nurture you as an artist.

Final Five episode - https://youtu.be/HwiOlNZQVC0

Topics and people covered in this episode:

• Streetmosphere - street performers in the various Disney theme parks who don’t have a theater or a home, but rather perform in the street for guests as they pass by.
• 1776 - a Broadway musical from 1969 with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone, based on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
• Grumpy Old Men - a new musical with book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, and lyrics by Nick Meglin (adapted from the Warner Bros. motion picture written by Mark Steven Johnson).
• Cathy Rigby - Olympic gymnast, theater actress and producer
• Glenn Casale - director, actor, and writer; former Artistic Director of Sacramento Music Circus
• Mark Jacoby - Broadway and TV/film actor
• Blake Hammond - stage and screen actor
• Ken Page - longtime musical theater performer on stage and screen
• Michael Kostroff - stage and screen actor who was a WINMI podcast guest back in Season One
• Actors' Co-Op Theater - began in 1987 with a dozen actors and operates two 99-seat Equity-approved theatres on the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood.
• Chicago City Limits - New York's long running award-winning and critically-acclaimed comedy revue that started in 1977 and relocated from Chicago to New York in 1979. 
• Fellowship! - a musical parody stage play based on The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien's, with book by Kelly Holden-Bashar & Joel McCrary and music by Allen Simpson

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Every year more and more artists come to this country and face the challenges of the language and the culture as well as the nuances of auditioning and performing in America. 

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

Born in Italy with a Vietnamese background, Alessandra Mai Vinh began dancing at the age of 13. In Italy, she became known for working on national TV shows, commercials, and tours, as well as choreographing and dancing for several popular artists. In 2012, on a mission to pursue her dreams, she decided to move to New York City, where she attended Broadway Dance Center. Years later she moved to her current home in Los Angeles.

In this episode, she talks about the unique obstacles of immigrating to the US as a performer, and she shares her thoughts on greater representation for Asians on stage and on screen. But we also get into the challenges common among all performers -- the self-doubts and judgments that can come from comparing our accomplishments to others.

Watch Alessandra answer the Final Five questions - https://youtu.be/G0Vc1xw5IkE

• Follow Alessandra - Instagram 
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Kai Engel is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Balancing work and life is a tough juggling act for most any actor or artist. But adding another person, a relationship, to the equation can be even more difficult to maintain. And actors as a whole aren’t known for the longevity of their relationships. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Brad Oscar and Diego Prieto are actors and husbands who have learned their own lessons in both working and living as a couple. Brad has appeared in nine Broadway shows and is a Tony-nominee for his performances in The Producers and Something Rotten. Diego has performed at some of the biggest regional theaters and is also an actor with one of my favorite organizations, Only Make Believe, bringing interactive theater into children’s hospitals and care facilities.

These two talented gentlemen remind us that just like our acting careers, being in a relationship isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence through the ups and downs. We talk about how they met, what they've learned living and working together, and how they support each other emotionally and creatively. 

Topics covered and mentioned:

• 9 Reasons Why Dating Actors is a Bad Idea by Dr. Ali Binazir
• "Two Lost Souls" from Damn Yankees, sung by Brad and Diego
• Checking in with Brad Oscar from Mrs. Doubtfire
• Brad & Diego's wedding at Arena Stage
• "A Musical" Karaoke Track from Something Rotten

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Chad Crouch (Podington Bear) is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

In part one of our conversation Misty Rosas talked about an opportunity to finally pursue one of her first passions as an artist -- singing -- and the thrill of opening for her favorite band Air Supply.

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In the second half of our conversation we’ll talk a bit more about that journey to becoming a singer again. We also get into how to handle our own inner critic, and I’ve even included the final five questions in this episode, where we do an even deeper dive into her work in the Mandalorian. But first Misty shares the joy and fulfillment that can come from finally saying yes to yourself.

Watch the full interview with Misty on YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTYRUFqmHBCZjAZ999bHTbha-2CR3yVGu

See Misty dancing - https://www.imdb.com/video/vi556710937

• Follow Misty - Website / Instagram / YouTube
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

For more of Misty's music go to http://www.mistyrosas.com/music.html 

Other music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

I’ve been a fan of The Mandalorian since it debuted in 2019, and when I found out that one actor had played two wonderful characters on the show (Kuiil and Frog Lady) I was really impressed with her work. That’s when I looked up Misty Rosas and discovered her long résumé of other character work besides the Disney+ Star Wars series. She is also a dancer, singer, gymnast, stunt woman, and voiceover artist.

And while her résumé is impressive, it was when I read her personal story that I truly became a fan of Misty. So we will certainly be talking about the Mandalorian and other movies and shows that she’s been a part of, but it is her personal and medical challenges with hearing loss that really forged her character and made her not only the actor but also the person that she is today.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

I have to admit that there have only been a handful of interviews in the five seasons of this podcast where I was a mixture of nervous and excited to talk to a guest, my time with Misty was certainly one of those time. But as you’ll hear in part one of our conversation, she has a warm and open heart with so much wisdom to share from the lessons she’s learned in her life and career. And I am so grateful she came and this podcast to share it with you and me.

Henson Digital Puppetry Systems - https://youtu.be/m6Qdvvb1UTs

Watch the full interview with Misty on YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTYRUFqmHBCZjAZ999bHTbha-2CR3yVGu

• Follow Misty - Website / Instagram / YouTube 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

----------

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

"All Out of Love" performed by Air Supply, written by Graham Russell and Clive Davis for Arista Records.

Other music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

We're less than a week away from the 2020 Tony Awards ceremony (finally!) so I wanted to bring back this special episode all about those surprising Tony Award Nominations (announced 11 months ago) and the fallout from them. My conversation is with music director, conductor, and fellow podcaster Nate Patton. Nate and I first met when he was associate conducting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway. And his podcast called Booked It.

The title to one of his episodes was “Broadway is broken and I alone can fix it.” And it's this kind of witty, tongue-in-cheek, knowledgeable opinion that I wanted to bring on the show as we talk about things like:

• The lone best actor nomination of Aaron Tveit
• The complete snubbing of The Lightning Thief
• Only plays being nominated for best original score

Nate and I will also get into these topics and more, including what these nominations in general say about the state of theater, and we even make a few Tony predictions.

You can also watch this full conversation (with 7 extra minutes) on YouTube - 

Here are links to the people and topics discussed in this episode:

• Broadway reaches for normalcy with Tony Award nominations 
• ‘West Side Story’ Won’t Reopen on Broadway
• Snubs and Surprises: The Tonys Point a Middle Finger at The Lightning Thief 
• Tony Award Snubs, What Ifs And That Strange Case Of Aaron Tveit
• The 2020 Tony Award nominations were weird and sad 
• Tony Awards Announces 2019-2020 Nominating Committee
• Outer Critics Circle Honorees 
• Tony Nominee Reactions 

Support WINMI and get access to a members-only private podcast feed.

Join the monthly WINMI Newsletter by going to whyillnevermakeit.com 

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Incidental music in this episode by Chad Crouch and Admiral Bob and used under a Creative Commons License.

 

When it comes to work as an actor, there’s that old adage of "feast or famine" or "when it rains it pours." For myself that has meant going 11 months without any work…all while still auditioning of course.  While there have been other times when three shows come up at once, and I had to decide which ONE of them I’m going to do.

In Part Two of my conversation with Rodney Hicks, we’re going to be talking about the feasts and famines of his career -- various shows and original casts he’s been a part of as well as the shows he didn’t get and the lessons he’s learned from both experiences. As he shared in Part One, Come From Away marked a time in Rodney’s life that was certainly a feast. Not only was the show a wonderful chance for him to create and perform a rich character, but the show itself was getting a lot of buzz and it opened on Broadway with a lot of fanfare and high expectations. At the same time other aspects of his performing and coaching career were also taking off.

But his diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia and it’s unfortunate progression took him in a very unexpected direction. And that’s where we pick up our conversation today: a look at everything that was going right in his life and how quickly it all changed. 

We also discuss the upcoming Tony Awards and his bookend contracts in the original Broadway run of RENT.

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• Follow Rodney - Website / Playwrights Center / Instagram
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Incidental music in this episode is by Hyson is used under Creative Commons License.

Here in America, we just marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11. And on the eve of that anniversary a live recording of the Broadway production of Come From Away was released. It featured many past and present members of the cast. But one of the original cast members, Rodney Hicks, was absent from the filming. And in part one of our conversation, Rodney takes us through his long journey with the show and how it came to a sudden end. But he reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is still some light to be found.

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• Follow Rodney - Website / Playwrights Center / Instagram 
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode that comes from Soundstripe ("Retreat" by Gold Coast) is used under a Promo Enterprise Agreement.

Other music in the episode provided by Karaoke Queen Brasil is used under Creative Commons.

As we came to the end of part one of our conversation Will Swenson and I were talking about the deeper questions of who we are as artists and as individuals in the absolute importance of bringing ourselves, our full selves to the stage. This is certainly one of the biggest lessons that we have to learn as actors and performers, and I throw in a couple of questions about lessons he and his wife Audra McDonald have learned from each other.

Also in this episode, the Final Five has been included. Though these five final questions are normally a bonus members-only episode, it's been added here as I try out a slightly different format for the show. What do you think?

But we start off talking about Will’s performance in the Broadway revival of HAIR back in 2009. It was certainly a vast departure from the Will I had known both on stage and off, and it seemed as though that show and the character of Berger in particular allowed him a freedom and an energy that he had never gotten to express on stage before.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

If you'd like to watch Part Two of our conversation on YouTube, then become a WINMI supporter. Click the link below to get access to other special episodes and bonus content as well.

• Support WINMI and receive Members-Only Episodes
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter
• Follow Will Swenson on Twitter

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

For the next three weeks I’ll be talking with two Broadway actors and a music director about their careers in New York and their own thoughts on the Tony Awards and theater in general. I start today with actor and singer Will Swenson, a Tony nominee for his outstanding work in the revival of the musical HAIR back in 2009. He's someone I’ve known since the late 90s when we were working at Disney World in Orlando, both sharing the role of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. We are both baritone leading man, who grew up in the church, and both had first marriages that didn’t last.

We have shared so much in common that one of my initial reasons for bringing him on the podcast was to figure out what I could’ve done differently, what are the one or two things I could’ve done that would’ve let me mirror his path, his career. But instead what I came away with was a greater understanding of shared experience, of commonalities we all have, both professional and personal, that go far deeper than who is better than who or who has a better life or career.

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There’s a lot to digest here, and so I decided to split up our conversation into two parts. In this episode you’re basically getting an intimate conversation between old friends, celebrating the big moments and successes like his Broadway debut, the Mormon films he made, and of course his Tony nomination. But more importantly there’s a lot of listening, learning, and healing as we discuss the low points as well.

If you'd like to watch Part Two of our conversation on YouTube, then become a WINMI supporter. Click the link below to get access to other special episodes and bonus content as well.

• Support WINMI and receive Members-Only Episodes
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter
• Follow Will Swenson on Twitter 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Whether from personal experience or hearing stories from the past two episodes on this podcast, you know that almost anything can happen in an audition room. Sometimes it’s magical moments, while other times are filled with frustration. Yet even still, the most “perfect“ audition doesn’t always lead to a call back or a contract. It is this uncertainty that can bring both excitement and dismay. Not to mention the fact that auditioning for the stage is slightly different from auditioning for the screen. And with me today to discuss these differences is television and film actor Darren Darnborough, CEO of WeAudition.

Listeners of this podcast get 25% off a WeAudition Membership by using the promo code WINMI25. https://www.weaudition.com 

Darren grew up in London and started to work as a professional actor around the age of 16. He earned a degree in film and media from the University of London but has also been very entrepreneurial throughout his career. In 2002, for example, he co-created StuckForStaff.com – the world's first online marketplace for promotional staffing. 

But in 2006 he decided to relocate to Los Angeles to focus on his acting career and has appeared on shows like MacGyver, 2 Broke Girls, and True Blood. He was even writer and director of his own film called Stefano Formaggio, which is available on Amazon prime. 

I first met and got to know Darren when he reached out to me as the CEO of WeAudition.com back in January of this year. He is someone truly dedicated and motivated to helping all actors get better at their craft and reach even greater heights in their career. And I’m very proud and grateful that he’s become a big fan of this podcast. You’ll certainly be hearing about more collaborations together in the future. But for today, I sit down with Darren to talk about his own journey as an actor, the wonderful opportunities he’s been given as well as the hard lessons learned along the way. He reveals a lot during our conversation and gave me new perspective not only on auditioning but the art and business of being an actor as well.

Part Two of our conversation can be found at https://youtu.be/IfPxrNynsoU

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• Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 
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• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

 

For most theater actors, Broadway is the ultimate status to attain in this industry. It’s the highest level any of us can reach and is the utmost definition of making it. But just because an actor has been on a Broadway stage, it doesn’t mean they don’t go through the same frustrations and doubts that we go through. And that really gets to the heart of Why I’ll Never Make It and especially today’s episode, which is brought to you by We Audition (get 25% off membership with promo code: WINMI25).

This is part two of my focus on Audition Stories the good, the bad, and the hysterical. You’ll hear from the following Broadway stars about the trials and tribulations of auditioning, including those pesky self-tapes...

• Mykal Kilgore - actor and R&B singer from MOTOWN and HAIR
• Hannah Elless - actress and singer from GODSPELL and BRIGHT STAR
• Douglas Sills - iconic leading man from SCARLET PIMPERNEL and THE ADDAMS FAMILY
• Gabrielle Ruiz - quintessential triple threat from IF/THEN and CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
• Geoffrey Owens - actor and director best known as Elvin from THE COSBY SHOW
• Sally Wilfert - actress and singer from ASSASSINS and KING DAVID
• Will Swenson - actor and singer from WAITRESS and PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT
• Justin Guarini - American Idol and Broadway actor from WICKED and IN TRANSIT

Here's a special gift to you for listening to these stories (and reading these notes) - a bonus video episode with Adrienne Walker sharing her LION KING audition story. Enjoy!

Get more audition episodes by joining WINMI and supporting the work of this podcast. You can choose a one-time donation or continuous monthly giving with access to bonus content. I love sharing these stories and episodes, and I hope that you'll choose to donate and help WINMI make it. :)

Listen to previous Audition Stories here and check out Artist Resources.

Follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter - @winmipodcast

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

This summer has seen actors returning to the stage as some regional theaters have returned to normal with a summer season and live audiences. And with that of course has seen an increase in auditions. So it is with great pleasure and excitement that I welcome you to the third annual Audition Stories here on the podcast. The last time these audition episodes were on the podcast was a month before the Covid shutdown. And there have been a lot of guests with a lot of great stories since then. 

Today’s episode, brought to you by We Audition (promo code: WINMI25), is actually part one of these wonderful tales from the room where it happens. Now, we’ve been doing a lot of self tapes lately, but it's time for a need a reminder of the happy and hysterical things that can happen in person and in front of the audition table. And at the end of this episode none other than Bryan Cranston has some sage words of wisdom we can all apply to auditions and self-tapes. 

Here's the list of former guests sharing their audition experiences:

• Chaz Wolcott - triple threat performer who also directs & choreographs
• Megan Carver - actress and singer who also produces films
• Damian Thompson - classically-trained actor who does musicals...occasionally
• Meredith Aleigha Wells - dancer and singer diagnosed with POTS
• Carrie Bernans - actress and stuntwoman in Black Panther
• Alex Pires - actor and writer who created his own web series
• Kimberly Faye Greenberg - actress and singer known for her Fanny Brice show
• Christophe Zajac-Denek - little person actor, musician, stuntman, and podcaster
• Eric Jordan Young - actor and singer who directs and produces
• Bryan Cranston - amazing actor who tells us a thing or two

Get more audition episodes by joining WINMI and supporting the work of this podcast. I love sharing these stories and episodes, and I hope that you'll choose to donate as much as you've benefited yourself from this podcast. Thank you!

Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

For the past week I have been doing a deep dive into podcasting at a yearly conference called Podcast Movement. It's a place where podcasters like me can learn how to make better episodes, conduct riveting interviews, engage with listeners like you even more, and figure out ways to make my podcast both sustainable and profitable. The goal is to give you and future listeners even more reasons to come back week after week for another episode. At last year‘s conference I actually met a guest you’ve already heard from earlier this season, Ashley Monique Menard. 

Listen to Ashley's WINMI episodes and follow her on Instagram.

She is one energetic, fun, and talented lady who talked about her own creative journey and zeroed in on the idea of patience and what we expect from ourselves. Right after she appeared on WINMI podcast, she invited me on her own podcast called Eff Your Fears. It is a bold and deliberate effort to help artists overcome what holds them back. Because as we all know fear is one of the biggest reasons why we’ll never make it. 

So while I’m off learning and growing to be a better host and producer of this show, I wanted to share my conversation with Ashley on her podcast. You’ll certainly learn more of my story and hear it from a unique and quirky perspective that only Ashley can bring. 

Join WINMI: Memberships / Instagram / Twitter / Monthly Newsletter

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes and videos
• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers

All this and more can be found at the website: whyillnevermakeit.com 

 

Last year I started releasing bonus episodes to those who supported this podcast on a monthly basis. Well, this is one of those special episodes with Kristen Hetzel. I brought along the co-hosts of Olympic podcast Keep the Flame Alive. Jill and Allison ask questions which bring a different perspective to my conversation with this silver and bronze medal duathlete. They ask about Team USA, correlations between acting training and athleticism, and even wonder about guys who challenge Kristen to dumb physical contests. It's a wide ranging talk that offers unique insight for us actors. Thank you Jill and Allison!

• Support WINMI with one-time donations or monthly giving, please go to the website. 
• Sign up for the monthly newsletter 
• Learn more about Keep the Flame Alive by checking out my recommendation episode. 

And here's a bit of behind-the-scenes info... Jill and Alison actually recorded their part separately. I asked Kristen the questions, and then added their audio with some editing magic to create the bonus episode you have here. Enjoy!  

As the Olympics head into their second week, it’s been a great reminder of the lessons we as artists can learn from these Olympians.

Remember the episode with Sally Wilfert? She reminded us singers how we are small muscle athletes. And anyone who’s been through a tech rehearsal process knows what a marathon can feel like and striving to reach the finish line.

Mindset and mental health are also so important. Athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are recent examples of how competition and especially expectation can wear down even the best performers.

In November 2020, WINMI did a five-part series called "Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers" and in the last episode of that series I spoke with Kristen Hetzel. She is a Team USA silver and bronze medalist in the duathlon (which is running and cycling) and she's also an actress, model, personal trainer, motivational speaker, and holds a doctorate in physical therapy.

Today’s episode is a rewind back to my conversation with Kristen. She shares her secret to getting it on the field and how she overcomes what stands in her way. Most importantly, Kristen gives a lot of insight into how the two worlds of sports and acting are similar and why the discipline and lessons of one can help the other.

• Follow Kristen: Website / Instagram / Twitter 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

 

When it comes to theater we all know Broadway and the big lights of New York City. There’s also organizations like the public or playwrights horizons that present notable off Broadway productions as well. But for the most part stage work is done by small to midsize theaters across the country some bring in equity Actors but a lot of them don’t. They are simply gathering together actors, directors, and designers to put on a show to entertain and engage local audiences. 

Well, the music industry is much the same way. There are the A-list stars that go on the Tonight Show and sign record deals with Sony or Motown records. But most of the music being produced in America is done by smaller independent artists who simply love the joy of performing and songwriting. Sydney Irving is someone who was born to sing and perform, you can hear it from the moment you press play on any one of her five albums. As a native of Syracuse New York, Sydney’s first album was released when she was only 14 and her latest is an EP that just came out in May. And last year she was twice named artist of the year by two different organizations.

Being a teenage female singer songwriter, it’s probably no surprise that she looks up to Taylor Swift and was inspired by her to pick up the guitar and start writing music. But Sydney‘s influences don’t stop there. She’s into Barnes Courtney, post Malone, and Ryan Adams. But also surprisingly she pulls a lot of influence from older artists Like AC/DC, the doors, and her current favorite Tom Petty. 

We will certainly be talking about those influences and how they’ve impacted her own singing and songwriting. And you’ll even get to hear a song off of her latest EP all I need is you at the end of this episode. But first we talk about the early success that she’s had in her career and the hard work it took to get her there as well as her disregard for social media and why she prefers other ways to connect with friends, family, and her fans. 

After getting a chance to meet and talk with her I certainly count myself among one of her fans, and I’m sure by the end of this conversation you’ll be one too.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

• Follow Sydney - Website / Instagram / YouTube 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

"All I Need Is You" by Sydney Irving is also used with permission.

 

During this past year as Covid wrecked the theater scene, ending so many shows and seasons, Andrew Lloyd Webber was doing his best to bring musicals back to the West End. And in much the same way, although for very different reasons, it was Lloyd Webber in the 1980s who was bringing the modern musical theater to Germany and the rest of Europe with grand spectacles like Cats.

At that time Sabine Kvenberg was a stage actress at the very start of her performing career. So of course when Cats came along, she jumped at the chance to audition for it. And for most of her career, music and musical theater has been at the forefront. She's recorded original music, performed in various touring productions in Europe, and also found plenty of work on screen as well.

Since moving to America, though, she has taken an active role in coaching and mentoring current performers as they navigate their careers, both on stage and on screen. She’s also a public speaker, an author, and even has her own YouTube channel and future podcast. Which is actually how we met, through a podcasters forum led by another former WINMI guest, Dave Jackson. 

Secrets on How to Succeed in Showbiz - A Practical Workbook for the Future Star (by Sabine Kvenberg)  

In our conversation today, Sabine recounts the lessons she has learned in front of audiences as well as in the audition room. She gives us a deeper understanding of the importance of mindset and preparation when it comes to our professional and personal lives. It is this wealth of creative wisdom that she imparts to her students, and thankfully will be sharing it with us as well. 

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

• Follow Sabine - Website / Instagram / Coaching 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Communication and interacting with each other through words is really at the heart of what it means to connect and relate to other people. This is even more clear as actors and writers in the way that we tell stories and share experiences. Clear and understandable communication is a vital part of the performing arts. We do this through dance, visual media, physical gestures, and other ways, but most importantly though language. 

For Damian Thompson, this of course has been an essential part of his career, from Shakespeare productions like MacBeth and King Lear, to contemporary plays like Angels in America and Little Rock. He even wrote and starred in his own short film called Black?

But it hasn’t always been easy for him to communicate verbally , especially in auditions and cold readings. As a young child he suffered from a speech disorder that affects approximately 3 million Americans speakers, and that is stuttering. 

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

And so in today’s conversation we talk about things that Damian has had to overcome. We even get into the importance of not only diverse but accurate representation within the arts. But we start of with Damian sharing how his stuttering and Martin Luther King‘s “I Have a Dream" speech eventually led him into theater…with a little help for Dawson’s Creek. 

• Follow Damian - Vimeo / Instagram / IMDB 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes like the Final Five.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 15 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Hyson is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

in many ways today’s episode is almost a masterclass from beginning to end in how to bridge the gap between being artist and an entrepreneur. Ashley Danyew is a musician and educator who shares how she has had to branch out in many different directions to build both an enjoyable and sustainable career. 

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

Even before the pandemic, the life of any artist was one of constant change. Times when you have more work than you know what to do with and other long stretches of time where you have to take other side jobs just to keep going. For centuries the term "jack of all trades" has been used to describe an individual who knows a variety of skills and is able to bring these disciplines together in a practical and ideally profitable manner. In more recent years, though, “jack of all trades” has become synonymous with another term: multi-hyphenate, especially when it comes to actors and other artists who branch out beyond their main creative focus. But in my conversation today with Ashley Danyew, we will be talking about yet another term: the portfolio artist. 

A few years ago The Guardian wrote about the need for more portfolio musicians. The article says, “As 21st-century professional practitioners, a musician must not only excel as a performer, but also as a teacher, leader, and creative collaborator across a range of styles and genres.” It goes on to say that artists and musicians are increasingly engaging with people, places and digital technology, producing all sorts of environments for creation and performance, with an ever-greater blurring of boundaries between artforms.

Now, in addition to all this artistic creativity, we must also be entrepreneurs who thrive as much on the business side as we do the performance. That of course can be much easier said than done. Especially during times like this past year with the pandemic. Ashley even had her own devastating setback when she lost her voice and had to learn how to just speak and sing again. Through that experience and others, Ashley learned how important it is to pivot throughout our careers and find work in a variety of way. And so in today’s episode she shows through her own experiences as a teacher, musician and performer how each of us can blend the creative and corporate halves of our career together, in a more seamless and sustainable way.

• Follow Ashley - Blog / Podcast / Musician & Co. 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex and Podington Bear is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Well, here we are at the third and final installment of my young artist series. And it could be argued that I’ve saved the most prolific artist for last. As both a performer and writer, Joshua Turchin has crammed a lot of experience into his very young career. Whether it’s on stage at the Hollywood bowl or a national tour OR composing his own award-winning musical OR Music directing his weekly cabaret series, Joshua certainly stays busy. Oh yeah, he also has school and homework to deal with as well.

And so in the conversation you’re about to hear we’ll talk about the many facets of his creativity, and how he learned to play 11 instruments and compose his first musical at the age of 11 called The Perfect Fit. The New York Times reviewed his musical, saying "Joshua Turchin proves his worth as a composer, actor and a book writer, delivering a richly layered show about the lives and loves of showbiz preadolescents."

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

I have to admit it’s artists like Joshua that make me realize I haven’t done as much with my own career as I could’ve or should’ve. That being said, we can all learn a thing or two from this teenage musical tour de force. Joshua is a beautiful light with a never-ending positive attitude, whose smile and spirit are definitely contagious. 

• Follow Joshua - Website / Early Night Show / YouTube 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out these Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Incidental music in the episode by Chad Crouch is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

When it comes to actors, we really are part of a family and community with one another, and no matter how long or how short a time we’ve been in this business, there’s always something we can learn from each other. I mean that's really the basis of this podcast, and today’s guest is a perfect example of this.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

For the most part Chloe Noelle is just your average teenager, who loves games, movies, and time with her friends. But Chloe‘s first big acting job came on the huge hit show TRUE BLOOD. And while it was certainly a big juggernaut for her career, in today’s episode she shares how it came with expectations of what kind of actress she should be.

In this episode, we discuss the ups and downs of her young career and how she continues to grow with each new role and performance. In addition to TV, she’s done classic musicals, had her own segment on the morning news show, and has even performed stand-up comedy for Comedy Central. Chloe has certainly done a lot in the last 10 years and shares with us what she’s learned during that time as well as the sometimes difficult journey it’s been. 

• Follow Chloe - Website / Instagram / Twitter 
• Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
• Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Kai Engel and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Being a coach and leading master classes has been something I truly enjoyed doing. Imparting my experience and insights to students and watching them have those a-ha moments and discovering something new about themselves or their own skills and talents. But sometimes it’s good to flip that around and ask those just starting out their career what THEY have learned so far and where THEY see not only themselves going in this career but where the industry is going as a whole. So for the next three episodes I’m going to be talking to young artists about what they’ve discovered along their own journeys.

And I begin today with actor, writer, director, and producer Alex J Dean, who is actually graduating from film school this month. What a time to be starting an arts career, huh? But as you listen to our conversation I think you’ll recognize that he has a pretty good head on his shoulders that will enable him to navigate these very strange and tumultuous times.

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Alex started out as an actor on stage and on screen, and was co-host of the award-winning Nerdtabulous series. Even in real life he has embraced the nerd moniker, as a fan of Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Japanese anime. So it should come as no surprise that Alex has found a real home behind the camera as a director and writer, creating worlds and stories from his own imagination. His final thesis project for college was a horror anthology film, with plans to release it later this summer or early in the fall under his own production company Penny Arcade Pictures.

So suffice it to say, Alex loves to stay busy and immerse himself and creativity and production. But as you and I know this is certainly a tough time to get started in the arts field, and that is where we begin our conversation today.

Follow Alex - IMDB / Instagram 

Join WINMI and get Members-Only Episodes on Supercast

Check out Artist Resources and Offers

Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

In this past year, as most actors and artists were forced to stay at home, we found new ways to keep creating. The most obvious is the explosion of zoom readings and productions of both new and existing works. Others discovered this medium of podcasting, and in just one year the number of podcasts doubled.

But in today’s episode, in honor of Pride Month, I’m talking with two women who set out to explore a relatively new art form, the podcast musical. Ellie Brigida and Leigh Holmes Foster are the creative force behind The Flame musical. It's the story of two women -- Jamie, a queer bar owner, and Sam, the woman selling the building that the bar inhabits -- and the inevitable sparks that end up flying between them

Follow Ellie | Leigh | The Flame

And at the end of this episode I play one of the songs from the first episode of The Flame: "Keep It Lit"

Lead vocals: Jenn Colella as Jo, Ellie Brigida as Jamie, and Leigh Holmes Foster as Heather

Ensemble vocals: Dayna Arnett, Briana Bonilla, Leesa Charlotte, Benjamin Doncom, Ashton Grooms, E. Maloney, Quince Mobley, Liz Mongrello, Sydney Nicholson, Vico Ortiz, Dana Piccoli, Saria Schuyler, Mickie Rose Wadsworth

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Just some of the ways to connect with WINMI as well as opportunities to grow as an artist:

• The monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

This week I'm sharing a conversation I had on another podcast called Blatantly Honest. At the end of this episode I also talk about the recent survey and the need for a reassessment of WINMI Podcast.

Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 

Makaila Nichols is the founder of the Blatantly Honest Foundation. She is also a national speaker, podcaster, and best-selling author of Blatantly Honest: Normal Teen, Abnormal Life. In her book, she shares her personal struggles with issues teens may encounter such as: bullying, body image, sexual assault, peer pressure, and more. 

To reach an even larger audience, Makaila has a podcast series that focuses on changing the stigmas behind teen social issues. She is able to accomplish this by chatting with celebrities, influencers and experts about their own struggles and triumphs.

Follow Makaila - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Just some of the ways to connect with WINMI as well as opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Last week on the podcast I spoke with an acting teacher (Terry Knickerbocker) about techniques and the creative process for us actors. Well, this week a publicist will guide us through the business side of our profession, and how best to promote and grow our careers, not letting others and especially ourselves stand in our way. 

Join or Donate to WINMI - whyillnevermakeit.com

Back in March 2021 I appeared on a podcast called sing dance act thrive hosted by PR and marketing coach Diane Foy. Other guests of that podcast have included Akon, Bif Naked, Timbaland, and Broadway life coach and former WINMI guest Bret Shuford. And I enjoyed being on her podcast so much, I invited her to join me here and share her vast knowledge and experience in the entertainment industry.

The 6 C’s Roadmap to Book Gigs & Make Money

1. Clarity - laying your personal vision and professional goals
2. Confidence - finding motivation and acknowledging your skill, strengths, and weaknesses
3. Captivate - evaluating your personally, exploring your story, and embracing your image (Big Five Personality Test, https://www.truity.com/test/big-five-personality-test)
4. Competitive Advantage - researching those who have the career you want as well as what sets you apart, figuring out your business and artistic audiences, and what other sources of income can come your way
5. Content Creation - sharing your personal and professional stories systematically yet authentically, making sure your brand is consistent across all platforms
6. Communication - finding your target audience and how to engage with them, interpersonal and business/media skills

Are You A Multipotentialite? A TED Talk On Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling

Follow Diane - Website / Instagram / Podcast 

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Just some of the ways to connect with WINMI as well as opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The last time a couple came on the podcast was way back in Season 1. And on today's episode Evelyn LeBel and her fiancé Chris Stepanek join me to discuss their different roles backstage, why unions are so important, and how networking is the name of the game in finding work.

Give your feedback in the 2021 Listener Survey.

This Broadway dresser and Master Technician would have been married last year but something called Covid got in the way, and it continues to affect all arts workers professionally and personally.

Follow Evelyn and Chris on Instagram.

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Just some of the ways to connect with WINMI as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Give your feedback in the 2021 Listener Survey.

Ever since I became WINMI's sole host and producer, I have wanted to have an acting teacher on this podcast. Well, it certainly took long enough, but that time has finally come. Terry Knickerbocker has been guiding students for almost 30 years, having trained and taught with William Esper, one of the most respected protégés of Sanford Meisner. And The Terry Knickerbocker Studio is this month's featured Artist Resource. 

You can find a full list of artist resources at resources.whyillnevermakeit.com. 

The studio has four primary objectives when it comes to their actor training, and Terry and I will be touching on these topics throughout today’s episode:

1. To provide students with tools and a process for creating authentic imaginative acting.
2. To cultivate uncompromising Standards of craftsmanship and artistry.
3. To empower students to embrace the full range of their unique humanity.
4. To support students with the entrepreneurial skills needed to be a successful working actor.

Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter. 

Follow Terry - Website / Instagram / YouTube 

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

As you and I certainly know there is so much more to Theater then just what happens on stage. There are those behind the scenes and backstage, contributing just as much to the production of any show. The next four episodes will be focusing on this important work and how we as Actors can collaborate with them. Today’s guest is not only an actress but has worked as a dresser in more than 20 Broadway shows. But for Kimberly Faye Greenberg, performing in a Broadway show is still on her bucket list.

If you’ve ever listened to the very end of one of these episodes, you’ll hear me talk about this podcast’s association with Broadway Makers Alliance. They are a collective of small business entrepreneurs and artists who have all found outlets for their love of theater and especially Broadway. Well, it was actually one of the leaders of Broadway makers that introduced me to today’s guest, and I am so grateful to have met and spoken with Kimberly. And after this episode, you will be too.

Follow Kimberly - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $5-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

It’s really no big secret that having children involved in the performing arts can have a major impact on them in school and out of school. Well, today’s guests are training some of these young artists in a fine arts conservatory down in Miami, Florida called MoonAmie Productions. Monica Rosell and Priscilla Blanco join me to discuss their important work and the creative home they provide their students. 

Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter. 

My conversation begins with Monica, Owner and Artistic Director, who holds both a master of fine arts and a bachelor of arts. She’s taught script analysis and theater history it has been both a private acting coach as well as director of many musicals and plays in South Florida. While MoonAmie productions focuses on stage work and musicals, they also produce short films with their students Who are receiving highly structured and individualized instruction, and this really sets moonamie apart from most other theater schools for young artists.

"How the Performing Arts Benefits Kids" - Scholastic

I then bring on Music Director Priscilla, who has a Bachelor's and Master's in music education, and she works as a vocal coach and accompanist throughout South Florida. She was also in the public school system there and was the president of the Dade County music educators Association. But her work has gone beyond just Florida —she is also the cofounder of Spark music initiative, a nonprofit based in Grand Cayman, which focuses on introducing and igniting students’ interest in music through free workshops and camps that focus on world music, technology, improvisation, and songwriting. And the work she does with the students at MoonAmie is very similar.

join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow MoonAmie - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

In the last episode we learned the importance of producing our own work as actors. Well today's guest, Joel B. New, will show us that just because you build it doesn't mean people will come. After the hard work of creating, then comes the daunting task of producing and promoting it, getting others to take notice and support that work. Learn how Joel found unique ways to get the word out on one of his own musicals.

"Strong Hands" - performed by Ernie Pruneda "The Fort" - performed by Marita Stryker

Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter. 

Follow Joel - Website / Instagram / YouTube 

Joel's Birthday Concert - https://joelbnew.com/birthday

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes like the Final Five
• Coachings and Consultations
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

At one point or another there is a lesson that all actors have to learn, and this past year has driven home that lesson even more so, and that is the need to create our own work. Today’s guest, Ashley Kate Adams, Not only added producing to her already sizable acting resume, but she put all of her thoughts and lessons learned into a new book called Be Your Own Producer. 

#BYOP - https://amzn.to/3wUPUF9 (pre-order for August publication)

Join WINMI - http://whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Ashley - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $5-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Incidental music in this episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

On today’s podcast journalist Marcus Scott shares his love of telling stories and how he suddenly found himself writing musicals. 

Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter 

Real life writing, that’s really the best way to describe the kind of work Marcus does. It’s something of the moment. It's meaningful, insightful, and true to the experiences that Marcus knows firsthand or has researched down to a minute detail. And one of the most ever present issues affecting Artist right now is the pandemic, and even through this hardship Marcus continues to grow as a an artist and a writer. 

Besides the pandemic, the social justice and race issues of the past year have been particularly inspiring to Marcus‘s writing.

• List of Marcus' works on New Play Exchange 
• His Interview in MIRANDA 

Follow Marcus - Website / LinkedIn / Twitter 

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $3-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, is a part of Helium Radio Network, and is a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

While natural talent certainly plays a part in the capabilities of any actor to perform, there’s one skill that has to be learned and nurtured for any actor to really make it in this business, and in part two of my conversation with Joyce Hshieh, she talks about this all important ability to learn and memorize lines. 

As an actor she struggled with memorizing lines, but as a trivia enthusiast she learned several simple and easy techniques to boost her memory. She studied and researched the science of memory and learning and figured out what works and what doesn’t. She shares what she learned and the program she created to help actors, called OFF BOOK IT.

Watch the free masterclass - Line Memorization Without the Stress and Headache!

Sign up for the free WINMI Newsletter and get your Members-Only Bonus Episodes starting at only $3/month.

Topics and references in this episode:

• Actors who couldn't memorize lines - Grunge 
• Rita Ora in Fifty Shades of Grey - The Independent 
• How actors remember lines - Psychology Today 
• Regional actor Patrick Treadway and the Body List - Spokesman Review 
• FOR EXTRA CREDIT - Marilu Henner and her ability to remember everything  

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, is a part of Helium Radio Network, and is a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance.

Music in the episode by Bortexx, Chad Crouch, and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Almost every actor would seize upon the opportunity to be in a big TV show. But even with a BFA in acting and conservatory theater training, none of it had really prepared Joyce Hshieh for one of the biggest roles of her life, Becoming a three day champion on the game show jeopardy.

Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter. 

In part one of my conversation with Joyce, we talk about her theater training and her struggle to find fulfillment as an actor. She shares how surprising it was to find herself on Jeopardy and how similar it is and isn’t to her work as an actor. In part two, we’ll talk about the course she created all about memorization and how Actors can better learn lines and retain scripts.

Follow Joyce - IMDB / Instagram / WeAudition / Website

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Season 5 offers ways to connect with me and the guests as well as other opportunities to grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Bonus Episodes starting at $3/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, is a part of Helium Radio Network, and is a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Music in the episode by Bortexx and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

On December 23, 2020, Broadway and musical theater lost one of its most beautifully talented leading ladies, Rebecca Luker. In the second half of my conversation with Sally Wilfert, we talk about their close friendship and the last project of Rebecca’s life, a duo album called All the Girls. 

We also touch on what made her such a unique and special individual who touched the lives of so many. We also share personal stories of knowing and working with Rebecca, and discuss the legacy she leaves behind.

Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter.

Follow Sally - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Music in the episode by Bortexx is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Other music from YouTube:

• Luker and Wilfert at 54 Below: https://youtu.be/Ndw6NNhlq5M 
• "And This Is my Beloved" from KISMET: https://youtu.be/-qvxqRKmuLA
• "All I Ask of You" at the Mormon Tabernacle: https://youtu.be/bqGcB1f6Z9E 

Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $3-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, is a part of Helium Radio Network, and is a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance.

 

Sally Wilfert is a Broadway actress and an amazing vocalist who understands the rigors and demands of performing at the top of her game. In part one of my conversation with Sally, she and I discuss the difficulties, injuries, and self-doubts she’s endured. 

Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter. 

Unlike other jobs like accounting, engineering, or even medicine, singing is uniquely personal, expressing parts of ourselves that may go unspoken or unknown at any other time except through the music and lyrics that we bring to the stage. But for Sally singing was something that she did in private, a secret enjoyment just for herself. As she slowly began to let others hear it, though, it changed not only that enjoyment but gave her added purpose as well.

Follow Sally - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $3-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, is a part of Helium Radio Network, and is a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance.

 

Music in the episode by Bortexx and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Other music from YouTube: "Unworthy of Your Love" from Assassins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRD1OJDxC1k, "Anytime" by William Finn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVLV654tUD4  

 

As we talked about in Part One, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is what put Gabrielle Ruiz on the map. However, it was her theater training and performance abilities that made it possible for her to be cast in the show. In this episode we talk more about her time on the stage and what drives her most as an artist. 

Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Gabrielle - Website / Instagram / Twitter / WAFF Podcast

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Here are ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $3-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

My good friend and amazing performer Gabrielle Ruiz joins me for Women's History Month to chat about her journey from ensemble member on Broadway to a principal role on primetime television. It's a path many of us actors wish to have, but hers has not been without personal and professional setbacks. And in part one of our conversation we touch on some of the highlights as well as how she's handled the low points.

Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Gabrielle - Website / Instagram / Twitter / WAFF Podcast

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Here are ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $3-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Bortexx is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Fifty years ago this month 10 people were inducted into the songwriters Hall of Fame. Included on that list are well-known names like duke Ellington, Ira Gershwin, and Alan J Lerner. The only woman in that group was Dorothy Fields. But despite her talents for lyrics and storytelling, her journey to becoming a songwriter wasn’t easy. In fact, there were some pretty big roadblocks in her way.

This episode Is presented in conjunction with Maestra Music.

Women's History Month continues wirth part two of my conversation with musical theater historian Kristin Stultz Pressley. We dig a little deeper into her Dorothy Fields biography: I can’t give you anything but love baby. We discuss what it was like for a woman writer in a man’s world, how Fields transitioned from one decade to the next, from one musical genre to another, and we get into this idea of fame and success and what that meant to Dorothy Fields. Listen to part one of our conversation. 

• Kristin's biography of Fields at Amazon - https://amzn.to/38sPxXQ
• WINMI Newsletter and Members-Only Episodes - join.whyillnevermakeit.com
• Follow Kristin - Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and a member of Broadway Makers Alliance.

Music in the episode by Chad Crouch, Bortexx, Kevin Macleod, and Latch Swing is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

This week for Women’s History Month, I’m sharing a special conversation with Dr. Broadway about prolific lyricist and librettist Dorothy Fields, who collaborated with some of the most iconic and legendary composers in Broadway history. For much of the Golden Age of the American musical, Fields was one of the only women writing for the Broadway theatre.

This episode is presented in conjunction with Maestra Music.

Even if the name Dorothy Fields isn't completely familiar to you, her songs and musicals are some of the most well-known words in the Great American Songbook:

• On the Sunny Side of the Street
• A Fine Romance
• The Way You Look Tonight
• Hey, Big Spender
• It's Not Where You Start

Kristin Stultz Pressley first appeared in Season Two, talking about the Tony awards and musical theater history in general. Well, she is back and talking about her new book, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby, chronicling the remarkable life and career of one of the most successful female songwriters of all time. Listen to part two of our conversation. 

Follow Kristin - Website / Instagram / Twitter / PhD Dissertation on Fields

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast, only $5-10/month
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music in the episode by Crowander and Latch Swing is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The church plays and school musicals of Carrie's childhood eventually gave way to on-camera acting and her desire to become a "black girl James Bond." So she was introduced to stunt work and martial arts classes, giving her a whole new set of skills that she also created careers of themselves. That's when she also discovered WeAudition and it online video community for actors.

Sign up for the WINMI newsletter and get 25% off a WeAudition membership. 

We also talk about her travels abroad and the interesting stereotypes and fetishes she had to confront in other countries as well as America. 

Learn more about CB Seed - https://www.cbseed.org/

Follow Carrie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

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Season 5 offers plenty of ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Carrie Bernans is the perfect person to kick off Women's History Month. She is a strong individual who knows who she is, what she wants, and usually how to get there. That’s not to say it’s been all smooth sailing for her, either personally or professionally, but she never lost her faith or belief in what’s possible.

She isn’t just an actress, she’s also trained in martial arts, stunt work, and body movement in addition to theater. Growing up she not only performed in plays and dance recitals but also competed in track and field. She’s been a world traveler and now speaks six different languages. There is simply no way to pigeonhole Carrie into this box or that genre. And it is this variety in her life and her work that has created so much opportunity for her, particularly landing roles in Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame.

Sign up for the WINMI newsletter and get 25% off a WeAudition membership. 

Learn more about CB Seed - https://www.cbseed.org/

Follow Carrie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

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Season 5 offers plenty of ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and John Bartmann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

In part two of my conversation with Brie Eley, she talked about her latest project that has been such a mountaintop experience for her and we get into her organization that promotes and supports black actresses, providing them with opportunity and community but also showcasing the vast diversity among these black actresses.

Topics discussed:

• The High Republic - a new digital series from STAR WARS
• Pew Research - social media and Black Americans
• Nielsen Company - 2019 Diverse Intelligence Series report on African Americans

Any actresses interested in learning more about Here and Ready and how to build a profile, head to the Actor Portal: Here and Ready Talent Database for Black Actresses 

Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Brie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

When it comes to being an artist, Brie Eley is the very definition of a multi-hyphenate. She is a classically trained actress and improviser, spent more than 10 years in marketing and small business development, and she creates, produces, and directs independent productions.

As Black History Month comes to a close, Brie joins me to talk about the wide variety of projects in her career, the daily grind of being an actor, and the persistence that we all need to keep going. Because no matter how busy we get or how many projects we may take on, finding real success can still be tough and elusive.

Rules for Using Social Media - Jeremy Gordon, casting director

Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Brie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB / Here & Ready

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions, and Chad Crouch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

One of the hardest lessons for any actor to learn is to not take constant rejection personally. Adrienne Walker and I continue in part two of our conversation with stories from our own struggles and failures in the audition room and on stage.

We also get into her YouTube Series called 32 Bar Cut as she seeks to help others navigate this tricky business. But first, I did a little deeper into something she said about bringing her blackness into the audition room and try to gain a better understanding of what that means to her. 

join.whyillnevermakeit.com 

Follow Adrienne: Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB 

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist: 

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. John Bartmann music is public domain.

While the goal of every actor is to perform, our day-to-day job is actually auditioning. As we continue Black History Month here on the podcast, Adrienne Walker from The Lion King on Broadway joins me for a very open and candid conversation about being in such an iconic show. We also touch on some very important issues: auditioning as a black actress and the need for authentic black voices in theater.

But we start off talking about The Lion King, when it and Broadway are coming back, the show’s history both culturally and theatrically, and the pressures she faced in taking on the role of Nala.

join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Adrienne: Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

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Season 5 brings new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

 

Music used in the episode by John Bartmann and is Public Domain.

In the second half of our conversation, Erin Cherry focuses on her weekly show Sundays with a Cherry on Top, a health and lifestyle show that showcases Black Culture in all its forms. She also joined playwright Mfoniso Udofia, Ngozi Anyanwu, and Chinyere Anyanwu as a founder producer of NOW Africa. This playwrights festival seeks to introduce, and sometimes reintroduce, artists and academics to the masters of African Dramatic Literature, both classic and contemporary.

Thank you for joining me and Cherry for these episodes. Stay tuned next week for my conversation with Adrienne Walker from The Lion King.

join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Cherry: Website / Instagram / YouTube

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Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

For almost a year now Actors have had very little in the way of exercising and using our creative muscles, so in this episode I wanted to remind us of the craft and joy of acting. As Black History Month continues here on the podcast, who better to discuss the ins and outs of acting with than Emmy-winning actress Erin Cherry.

join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Cherry, as she prefers to be called, coaches and teaches actors at Maggie Flanagan Studio in New York City. It’s a Meisner based acting program, which basically aims to help actors get out of their head and behave instinctively to the surrounding environment. Well, Cherry put her training and coaching to good use in the Amazon Prime show After Forever. In 2019 she received her first Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series. 

In part one of our conversation, Cherry talks about her first love, theater, and the amazing experience she had sharing the stage with Andre DeShields. She talks about making that transition from the stage to the screen and how us actors can handle the consistent self doubt and rejection we face. 

Follow Cherry: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. And John Bartman's music is Public Domain.

The life of any actor is one of going in and out of employment. But for Geoffrey Owens back in 2018, his side job was captured in a photo and spread across the Internet. In part two of our conversation for Black History Month, Geoffrey opens up about what led to his job at Trader Joe’s. We talk about the importance of work and how hard it can be for Actors to find it.

join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Geoffrey: Website / Instagram / IMDB

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Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Bortexx is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Throughout his career Geoffrey Owens has been an actor, director, and teacher. But for more than 35 years he has been known as Elvin from The Cosby Show. As we kick off Black History Month here on the podcast I sat down with Geoffrey to talk about his own history as an actor, the lucky breaks that have come his way as well as the hardships he’s faced, the photo that surfaced in 2018 of him working at Trader Joe’s, and what it means to be so singularly identified with one show.

join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Links and References: Huxtable family watches "I Have a Dream" • Carsey/Werner Production • Alvin Poussaint Interview • Claire sets Elvin straight 

Follow Geoffrey: Website / Instagram / Twitter

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Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes on Supercast
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers
• Instagram and Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Kevin MacLeod, and Chad Crouch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

I think it’s fair to say that artist are an emotional bunch in general. We feel things deeply and react with conviction. And that goes for the wonderful and exciting emotions but also goes for the heavy and worrisome emotions as well. In part two of my conversation with Ashley Monique Menard, she reveals the yen and yang of her confidence and her self-doubt, she compares her dating life to Broadway, and has a few choice words for perfectionism. 

Join WINMI to listen to the Final Five episode: join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Don't forget to check out EGCC.edu for free college course and degree programs.

Thank you for joining me for part one of my conversation with Ashley. Come back next week when I talk to Cosby Show actor and theater coach Geoffrey Owens.

Follow Ashley: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

—————

Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes and videos
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers

All this and more can be found at the website: whyillnevermakeit.com 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

In theater or really in any performing art, we have certain genres or types of characters and stories that fit us better than others. And today’s guest Ashley Monique Menard found her niche in comedy. But often, even what we’re good at doesn’t really begin to blossom and grow until we really hone that craft and work on it.

So in part one of our conversation we’ll talk a lot about that comedy, how it’s helped her find and strengthen her voice, but also how an honest assessment of her talents and limitations was key in finding the best ways for her to shine. One of those ways was going back to school to learn more about business and writing and marketing, and she’s doing it all for free. And she’ll share how you can do it for free as well: EGCC.edu

Thank you for joining me for part one of my conversation with __________. Come back for part two in just a couple of days.

Follow Ashley: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Join WINMI: Website / Memberships / Instagram / Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

—————

Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes and videos
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers

All this and more can be found at the website: whyillnevermakeit.com 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

As the host of NPR‘s the big listen, Lauren Ober was basically podcasting about podcasts and through that became a bona fide podcast expert. Maybe you’ve thought of starting your own podcast. In part two of our conversation, she takes us through her production process on Spectacular Failures and what it takes to make a great podcast. 

Join WINMI: Website / Memberships / Newsletter

Thank you for joining me for part two of my conversation with Lauren Ober. Come back next week for for my discussion with actress and comedian Ashley Monique Menard.

Follow Lauren: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

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Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes and videos
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers

All this and more can be found at the newly updated website: whyillnevermakeit.com 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

Here on Why I’ll Never Make It, we focus on the challenges and setbacks that artists face, but there is one podcast out there focusing on the Spectacular Failures of companies and organizations. Lauren Ober is the host and producer of that podcast and is also a journalist, a noted speaker, and voice coach. In part one of our conversation She and I discuss some of the parallels between being onstage and behind a mic, but we focus mainly on the rise and fall the big Broadway production company Livent.

Listen to "The Curtain Falls on a Big Broadway Company" on Spectacular Failures.

Thank you for joining me for part one of my conversation with Lauren Ober. Come back for part two in just a couple of days.

Follow Lauren: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Join WINMI: Website / Memberships / Instagram / Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

—————

Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes and videos
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers

All this and more can be found at the newly updated website: whyillnevermakeit.com 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Welcome back to part two of my conversation with Justin Guarini! He’s already shared pivotal moments from his childhood and given us a cautionary tale of his college experience. So we pick up with his decision to stick with American Idol instead of making his Broadway debut with The Lion King. 

Get Justin's book Audition Secrets and learn his tips and secrets to auditioning. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 
• Julie Andrews and her vocal surgery 
• Justin in Wicked 

Follow Justin: Website / Instagram / Twitter

Join WINMI: Website / Memberships / Instagram / Twitter 

————— 

Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes and videos
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Happy New Year to you! And welcome to the premiere episode of Season Five.

Today’s guest is Justin Guarini, who you probably know from American Idol but has done so much more and has a lot to teach us about becoming an artist, finding our own path, and realizing that fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Get Justin's book Audition Secrets or possibly win a signed copy of this book by becoming a member of WINMI as a Maker, Producer, or Artist. Sign up for one of these memberships by January 31, 2021, and one lucky winner will get Justin’s tips and secrets to auditioning. 

 

Follow Justin: Website / Instagram / Twitter

Join WINMI: Website / Supercast / Instagram / Twitter 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

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Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me and the guests and new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

• Members-Only Episodes and videos
• Coachings and Consultations
• Ask questions to upcoming guests
• Monthly WINMI Newsletter
• Artist Resources and Offers

All this and more can be found at the newly updated website: whyillnevermakeit.com 

Thank you for joining me for part one of my conversation with Justin Guarini. Come back for part two in just a couple of days.

All music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

A look back at the year that was unlike anything we would’ve hoped for or imagined. Still, this podcast had its good moments and a plethora of fantastic guests.

• 0:28 - Introduction
• 1:10 - COVID update
• 3:31 - Broadway Makers Alliance & Helium Radio Networks
• 5:42 - Season Recap and Top 5 Guests
• 7:55 - My two favorite episodes
• 10:51 - Season 5 Preview with Justin Guarini
• 12:19 - Final Five: Sammi Cannold
• 34:44 - Members-Only episodes

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website 

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• Donate to WINMI and gain access to members-only bonus episodes. 
• Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/  

Merry Christmas! :)

In honor of the recent release of THE PROM movie on Netflix, here is a special combo episode of my conversations with star of the Broadway production, Caitlin Kinnunen (starts at 1:58), and one of the co-producers, Abigail Rose Solomon (starts at 35:18).

Also, this holiday season don't miss the 12 Days of Auditions, available at donate.winmipodcast.com. Become a WINMI Producer and listen to former guests share their most memorable audition stories.

Listen to Caitlin's full second season episode and audition story here.

And Abigail's full conversation and Final Five from season four is here.

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• Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts
• There's also another way to listen to this podcast: https://vurbl.com/station/6Wr76KvsqOG  

 

Today’s episode is part two of my conversation with the final guest of Season 4.

Sammi Cannold is a remarkable artist and director. She was even named to the 2019 Forbes List of 30 under 30 in entertainment for her innovative and unique approach to directing for the stage. And today’s conversation is going to be focusing on a few of those productions...

• her remarkable staging of the musical Violet on an actual bus
• her 2019 New York City Center Gala production of Evita

I have my own personal connection to Evita having done the national tour of the latest Broadway revival. Even our music supervisor Kristen Blodgette worked with Sammi in her production. In fact, It was that revival production that inspired Sammi to become a director in the first place.

Follow Sammi: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website 

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• Donate to WINMI and gain access to members-only bonus episodes: pod.fan/winmipodcast 
• Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/  

 

Here we are at the final guest of Season Four...

In part one of my conversation with New York director, Sammi Cannold shares the details of an article she wrote for The Stage, detailing how South Korean producers have made theater safe and possible for both creatives and audiences.

While Sammi remains more diplomatic, I am not gentle in my rebuke of the Broadway League and Actors Equity, who have either kept silent for much of this pandemic or have actually been a hindrance to getting theater up and running again. We highlight the leading efforts by Andrew Lloyd Webber and how there is no equivalent here in the US.

Part two will be a conversation more about her directorial projects in New York and regionally as well as her affinity for all things Andrew Lloyd Webber. She was also on the 2019 Forbes List 30 Under 30 in Entertainment.

Follow Sammi: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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In part one of my conversation with Christophe Zajac-Denek, he talked about growing up with dwarfism, his love of music and drumming, and how he just kind of fell into the world of acting on camera. For part two, we continue that journey with the movie and experience that had a profound impact on his life. 

As we start this episode Christophe has moved back to Michigan to go to music school and return to his first love of drumming, but life had other ideas for what Christophe needed to be doing.

Follow Christophe: IMDB / Demo Reel / Website 

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If I’m being honest, I have never really met a little person. Maybe in passing, but never actually sat down and had a conversation with one. But once we got on Zoom, Christophe Zajac-Denek and I chatted for more than two hours and even then we still could’ve kept on talking. There were so many areas of his life and experience that were not only interesting but also inspiring. So this is actually just part one of that conversation.

His fascinating story is such a departure from most conversations I’ve had on this podcast. He answers questions about dwarfism was and the day-to-day life of someone living with this condition. Christophe also shares his love of music and how he found acting...or rather how it found him.

 

Follow Christophe: Website / Instagram / Podcast 

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It's been one heck of a year, yet one arts group wanted to come together and make something to celebrate this season. They asked me to be a part of the event by hosting their Virtual Red Carpet. These interviews with the actors and creative team behind BroadwayMania's Holiday Special were first shown Thanksgiving weekend and led up to the hour-long Christmas program.

• Amanda Varelakis, singer/director (1:51)
• Sean Milas, singer (5:15)
• Amber Dickson, singer (9:38)
• Toby Blackwell, singer/writer (12:43)
• Sadie McCurry, singer (17:46)
• Scott Polovitch Davis, singer (22:04)
• Gray Norton, singer/technician (26:59)
• Cecy Treviño, singer/producer (32:45)

To watch these Red Carpet interviews on YouTube as well as the Holiday Special, go to: https://youtu.be/OyK_xT3tY98 

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The instrumental music in this episode: "Christmas" by AShamaluevMusic 

This past summer, as we were in the midst of massive theater shutdowns and summer season cancellations, I found BroadwayMania on Instagram. It was mostly videos of singers belting out show tunes, well-produced performances that were earnest and passionate.

As I found out more about this organization and their mission to provide opportunities to performers around the world, I was truly captivated by their love of theater. While there are some professional artists in the group, many others come from a variety of backgrounds, from technology and teaching to advertising and the military. 

And Cecy Treviño is the force behind it all, founding the group in 2018 as a hodge podge group of people on a singing app to now a theater company that has just released a YouTube Christmas Special and Holiday album. Cecy shares this journey and the many lessons she learned to make this dream a reality.

The BroadwayMania Holiday Special: https://youtu.be/OyK_xT3tY98  Their GoFundMe page: https://gf.me/u/zajjnw   

Follow Cecy & BroadwayMania: Website / Instagram / YouTube 

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs we all face. 

When it comes to the arts, I aim to give as wide a field of experience and opinion as possible here on the podcast. Yet for the most part I steer clear of politics. This is for a few reasons, but the main two are that I don’t want to add to the already divisive nature of some political activism and I want the content of this podcast to be as relevant today as it will be a year or more from now. Causes come and go, elected officials also change regularly (as does their rhetoric and positions on key issues). 

The closest I’ve come to venturing into the political realm is when I had on two of the founders of Be An Arts Hero, highlighting their efforts to lobby Congress for more funding and attention given to the arts here in America. So there is no doubt a relationship between the arts and politics, throughout history they have been both supporters and adversaries of one another. 

And recently there was a podcast that veered from its normal format to highlight the Politics of Culture that is inherent with so many works of art. The podcast is called Left, Right, and Center. And as the name implies they bring on guests and pundits from all sides to discuss the issues of the day. However, in this recent episode their guests are a television writer, a pop music songwriter, and a stage playwright. The discussions are led by Keli Goff, who is a journalist as well as a playwright and screenwriter herself. 

Of the four guests in this episode, I was particularly struck by the conversations with Stan Zimmerman, who wrote for the classic TV show The Golden Girls, and award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau, who wrote the book for the hit Broadway musical Ain't Too Proud. They both share how their own writings have contributed to social conversations and have addressed important issues.

Like with any episode of Left, Right, and Center there will opinions you agree with and those you may not, but the discussions are nonetheless thoughtful and in-depth.

Stay tuned for the next recommendation, which will be my year-end pick for the best podcast to take us into the new year. Until then take care, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to audio.

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Thanks for coming back to join me and Kristen Hetzel again! This is a bonus episode to the previous conversation, where we cover topics and five specific questions that we didn’t address on the last episode. Today, Kristen talks about her athletic and acting bucket lists and shares wisdom from her Aunt Zee. 

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. 

Make your one-time or monthly donation at donate.winmipodcast.com. There you can become a WINMI Producer and get your members-only episodes.

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website 

• Find out more about Chaz and James dance classes: resources.winmipodcast.com 

In this podcast’s continuing series, Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers we’re finding ways to improve how we work and create, how to push through challenges we face. So far we’ve looked at ways to better our public relations, our mindset and deliberate practice as well as branding strategies and how best to use social media.

Join the WINMI newsletter: whyillnevermakeit.com 

Today, as we head into a long Thanksgiving weekend, we’ll be tying it altogether by talking about persistence and gratitude with Team USA silver and bronze medalist Kristen Hetzel. She’s a runner and cyclist who is also an actress, personal trainer, and holds a doctorate in physical therapy. She shares her secret to getting it all done and how she overcomes what stands in her way.

Follow Kristen: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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Become a WINMI Producer today: donate.winmipodcast.com 

This interview was conducted back in August 2020, hence the reference to my air conditioner. Tony also mentions his episode with Lea Salonga, which has since been released.

He goes on to rant a bit about podcasting and getting interviews, and we discuss online classes from Domestika and General Assembly. And once again, the title of this podcast comes under the microscope.

Take Tony's Digital Wellness Survey, a quick self-assessment of your online presence and learn more about his classes and seminars at tonyhowell.me.

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As always, thank you for supporting and donating to WINMI. I couldn't do this without you! Sign up for the monthly newsletter or reach out to me, I'd love to hear from you!

When it comes to our lives and our careers, perhaps no shift has been more dramatic or significant as our increase in time online and on our phones. The biggest driver of this is social media. Digital strategist Tony Howell pays another visit to the podcast as we talk about branding, online presence, and our use of social apps.

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Tony first appeared on the podcast back in season two. Since performing together on a national tour, he has left the physical stage behind and now helps us artists on the virtual stage, which in this pandemic has grown to be even more important. What I love about Tony’s approach is that it isn’t about tricks and filters and quick fixes for our social media lives. He takes a very personal path to growing and connecting with followers, helping us become a unique presence both online and offline.  

Follow Tony: Website / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube 

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In part three of the month-long series bettering ourselves bettering our careers, this episode is a continuation from the previous conversation about deliberate practice and the 10,000 hours rule. Another psychologist, Alisa Hurwitz, PsyD, joins me today to dive into mindset and how we actors can deal with rejection and the challenges we face in this business.

Her moniker Dr. Drama comes from her many analytical interviews, discussions, and articles on theater, specifically her lifelong passion for musical theater. She’s even consulted on regional and off Broadway productions on elements related to psychological concepts and mental health issues. So she is the perfect person to help us face some of the realities of this make-believe world of theater, a profession that can bring us tremendous joy but also sorrow and frustration.

Follow Alisa: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

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When it comes to bettering ourselves as artists, it involves a lot of training, coaching, and practice. One popular strategy is called the 10,000 Hours Rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell. But today’s guest, psychologist Brooke Macnamara, has done research showing the importance of quality over quantity.

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In his 2008 book Outliers: The Story of Success, Gladwell proposes this rule based on a study of violinists conducted by psychologist Anders Ericcson. And the rule is pretty simple: mastery comes after someone practices one skill, like playing the violin, and according to Gladwell “10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness.” Today’s episode is going to focus on this rule, its implications as well as how or if it can be applied to us as artists.

• Follow Brooke: Website / Twitter 
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Join this podcast as a WINMI Producer and gain access to exclusive episodes and special content.

 

This is the first episode in a new series on the podcast: Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers. And today’s guest provides a great example of both - Lisa Goldberg, Owner of LSG Public Relations.   Support WINMI and get your supporter-only episodes: donate.winmipodcast.com   Lisa represents actors, writers, directors, and choreographers both nationally and internationally, who have won Emmys, Golden Globes, Grammys, and Tony awards. She’s also represented companies and charities as well. But she hasn't always been talking about other performers. When she first came to New York, she was a dancer herself. Pounding the pavement and putting herself out there.   In this episode, she gives some good tips you can use even in a pandemic, ways that you can put yourself out there, network with others, and find projects to stay busy.  

Follow Lisa: Instagram / Twitter 

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On this special bonus episode all about the recent Tony Award Nominations, I’m so happy to introduce music director, conductor, and fellow podcaster Nate Patton. Nate and I first met when he was associate conducting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway. And his podcast called Booked It.

The title to one of his episodes was “Broadway is broken and I alone can fix it.” And it's this kind of witty, tongue in cheek and knowledgeable opinions that I wanted to bring on the show as we talk about these Tony nominations:

• The lone best actor nomination of Aaron Tveit
• The complete snubbing of the lightning thief
• Only plays being nominated for best original score

Nate and I will also get into these topics and more, including what these nominations in general say about the state of theater today, and even make a few Tony predictions.

• Broadway reaches for normalcy with Tony Award nominations 
• Snubs and Surprises: The Tonys Point a Middle Finger at The Lightning Thief 
• Tony Award Snubs, What Ifs And That Strange Case Of Aaron Tveit
• The 2020 Tony Award nominations were weird and sad 
• Tony Awards Announces 2019-2020 Nominating Committee
• Outer Critics Circle Honorees 
• Tony Nominee Reactions 

Support WINMI and get access to a members-only private podcast feed.

Join the monthly WINMI Newsletter by going to whyillnevermakeit.com 

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Music in this episode provided by Chad Crouch and Admiral Bob.

 

 

Meredith and I continue our conversation from the previous episode as she answers the Final Five questions. She shares her national tour ambitions and her love of interior design as well as what she learned from Ali Stroker.

Make your one-time or monthly donation at donate.winmipodcast.com

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The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

In honor of Dysautonomia Awareness Month, Meredith Aleigha Wells joins the podcast to share her struggles and challenges onstage and in life all from the vantage point of a wheelchair. After becoming disabled at the age of 19, Meredith performed in a college workshop production of the new musical Donny Johns, making UMass Amherst history as the first actor who uses a wheelchair to perform in a Mainstage production.

Meredith graduated with a Bachelor's Degree with Individualized Concentration in Musical Theatre. Immediately after graduation, Meredith moved to Cleveland, Ohio to dance with Dancing Wheels, a physically integrated touring repertory company.

In this episode, she opens up about the hard-fought lessons she has been through and how much more there is learn, both in herself and for others.

Topics discussed in this episode:  - Mayo Clinic Physician Philip Fischer, MD   - 10 Facts about POTS   - Dancing Wheels Company founder Mary Verdi-Fletcher   - What does the 30th anniversary of the ADA mean to youth with disabilities? - Youth Today   - Able-Bodied Actors Play 95% of Disabled Characters - Variety   - Ali Stroker's Tony Award acceptance speech 

• Follow Meredith: Website / Instagram / YouTube 
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Support WINMI through monthly or one-time donations.

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This month’s Recommendation comes from co-hosts Jill Jaracz and Allison Brown and their podcast: Keep the Flame Alive, the podcast for fans of the greatest sporting event in the world.

Each week, hosts Jill Jaracz and Alison Brown explore the stories of the Olympics, which is basically the Broadway of sports. They talk to athletes and sports writers as well as coaches and organizers. They explore host cities and sporting histories, showcasing different aspects and perspectives of the Olympic Games. 

Here’s a bit of trivia, can you name some Olympians who have appeared on Broadway?   - One received both a Tony nomination and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. She played the role of Peter Pan into her 60s.  - Another Olympic gymnast is gold medalist played Patti Simcox in Grease during the late 1990s and then went back to the Olympics for a third time in 2000 and won the bronze.  - And in 2014, a world champion figure skater and two-time silver medalist played Billy Flynn in Chicago. 

Another thing I love about Jill and Allison and Keep the Flame Alive is they cover the Paralympics as well. In a recent episode they brought on author David Davis, who wrote the book Wheels of Courage. He talked about how paralyzed veterans from World War II invented wheelchair sports and fought for disability rights.

KEEP THE FLAME ALIVE - https://flamealivepod.com/

British historian and philosopher R.G. Collingwood said, "History is for human self knowledge, the only clue to what men can do is what man has done. So with an ongoing pandemic and theaters shut down for the foreseeable future, what can history teach us about dealing with such hardships and what to expect going forward? That’s what we’ll be exploring in this episode with Professor Charlotte Canning, Ph.D, a theatre and performance historian at the University of Texas at Austin.

Topics discussed in this epiosde: Actor's Equity First Strike - American Theatre Katherine Anne Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider  Shakespeare and the Plague - The New Yorker  "Finding Hope in Theatre That Hasn’t Happened Yet: How to Survive a Global Pandemic" - Sight Lines  Is Merchant of Venice Anti-Semitic? - Smithsonian Magazine  Our Students Are Depending on Us - The Atlantic 

• For Part 2 of my conversation with Charlotte, go to donate.winmipodcast.com for access to this special episode.

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All music underscoring and segues by Blue Dot Sessions, except for WINMI intro music by Patrick Oliver Jones and "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear. All licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Bienvenidos y gracias por acompañarnos en esta edición especial de Why I’ll Never Make It!

En esta segunda parte de mi serie sobre historias hispanas, escucharán a mis invitados anteriores compartir sus propias historias y experiencias en español.

• Roberto Araujo - 1:06 
• Bianca Marroquín - 5:57 
• Luis Salgado - 11:50 
• Jaime Lozano - 16:59 
• Alina Alcántara - 24:43 
• Tadeo Martinez - 28:39 
• Cecy Trevino - 30:52 

Sin embargo, hay una mujer en este episodio que no ha aparecido anteriormente, Cecy Treviño. De hecho, la conocerás más adelante en esta temporada, pero quería aprovechar esta oportunidad para presentarla.

En este episodio no habrán entrevistas, sólo historias hispanas vividas y contadas por los propios protagonistas.

Sitio Web - whyillnevermakeit.com

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Musica: "Being Together" y "Road Trip" por el artista Borrtex. Licencia bajo Attribution-NonCommercial License.

This is part one in a series of former Hispanic guests coming back to share their stories in their own words. The second part - la segunda parte - comes out tomorrow and will be en espanol.   My original idea was to bring back all Hispanic guests for a single Spanish episode. And I ignorantly assumed they would all want to share stories in that language. But Matt Zambrano and Dan Domingues expressed their hesitation at speaking fluently off the cuff about their experiences. While they speak the language, Spanish is not their first language.   In the past year there’s been another clear example of this from one of the Democratic Presidential candidates, Julián Castro. He's talked about his own relationship with the Spanish language.    Matt Zambrano was the very first guest on the podcast and he and i did MAN OF LA MANCHA together in Orlando. Dan Domingues is a NY actor who took part in my Spotlight episode on Only Make Believe, a nonprofit that brings interactive theater into children’s hospitals and cafe facilities. They both share insights about the work they do as well as very personal feelings about their own ethnicity and heritage.    In this episode as well as the Spanish one, there are no back and forth questions from me. In fact, I’ve done very little editing to these recordings, just cleaning up sound quality as much as possible and structuring these episodes together. But in general, I’m simply stepping back to let previous guests tell their own story, and say what THEY want to say.    whyillnevermakeit.com  donate.winmipodcast.com    Your donation will go directly into the podcast, helping to grow the WINMI community and allowing me to do so with greater ease and effectiveness. I wouldn't be here without listeners like you, so your donations are greatly appreciated. All donors will be recognized in a future episode for their generosity.   ---------- Music in this episode: "In Paler Skies" and "Lost Shoe" by Blue Dot Sessions and "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear are licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Welcome back to more conversation with Tadeo Martinez as he answers the Final Five. Tadeo shares two of his favorites pieces of advice and his dream to be on YouTube. He also talks about his award-winning performance in Noises Off in Dallas, Texas.

Would you like to be a part of creating an episode? Find out how you can and support this podcast at the same time: https://ko-fi.com/winmi/commissions 

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When it comes to the guests on this podcast most of them are fairly well established. This allows me to the Google them, find pictures and stories about them, and get to know their body of work. But for Tadeo Martinez, there wasn’t much to go on. I found a couple of show reviews and his website.

Now, this is no slight on Tadeo. I didn’t have much either coming out of college. But what I did find certainly gave me enough cause to bring him on the podcast, especially when I read of his desire to bring more Latino and Hispanic representation to theater. So in today’s episode you and I are going to get to know this extraordinarily talented young man, who graduated from college just one year ago.

Just like last week's guest Bianca Marroquín, Tadeo grew up in Monterrey, Mexico learning both English and Spanish. So while he did have an smoother transition then some coming to America to go to college, that didn’t mean language and communication was easy for him. And it was once he found the secret to address this barrier that his performances and opportunities really opened up.

Follow Tadeo: Website / Instagram /

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Music used in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear and licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Well, I hope you listened to our previous conversation because Bianca is back to answer the Final Five questions. She shares her disappointment in not getting to play Evita but also her joy to portray Chita Rivera in the hit TV show Fosse. She also goes deeper into her love of family and being a stepmom.

Would you like to answer the Final Five questions? Let me know at winmipodcast.com.

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The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

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• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

 

In today's wide-ranging conversation with Bianca Marroquin, one of the issues she addresses is that of language and accent. Growing up near the Texas border, she had the opportunity to learn both languages. So in addition to being the first Mexican woman ever to land a leading role on Broadway, she is also the only one ever to do Chicago in two different languages.

Yet in the 18 years since the Broadway debut as Roxie Hart, she has still faced confusing and ignorant statements from casting directors and reporters, for example, regarding their expectations of what a Mexican is or should be. At the end of this episode I'll shine a spotlight on this week's Hispanic Icon, John Leguizamo, who has a few things to teach us about Latin History. 

But first, Bianca and I discuss an issue we are all dealing with as artists: the state of theater and the arts during this pandemic and what that might look like in COVID's aftermath.

Since childhood Bianca's life has been one filled with change. Though she was born in Monterrey, she grew up living on the Mexican side of the border in Matamoros, yet went to school on the Texas side in Brownsville. She first studied dance at the age of three but by high school was also learning flamenco, jazz, and tap. For college she wanted to study in Spain but her father insisted on a technical college in Monterrey, where she majored in Communications with the intention of becoming a reporter.

But she soon found her dancing feet again in a flamenco company as well as various festivals and concerts. She had made a name for herself, so much so that by the time she was doing Roxie Hart in the Spanish version of Chicago in Mexico City, she won best actress and caught the attention of Chicago's Broadway producers. And in 2002 she came to NYC in the show and role that has come to be the one constant in her life.

 

CBS News - Language Barriers Cause Problems

Patrick Swayze on working with Bianca Marroquin in LA 

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Well, it's the last Monday of the month, so that means it's time for this month's podcast recommendation: THE INDUSTRY, hosted by Dan Delgado.

Every week Why I’ll Never Make It likes to highlight and dive into the areas that hold us back as artists, the realities of this business with all of its ups and downs. Sometimes we find success and other times, like now, we face hardship and/or failure. So when I happened upon a television and movie podcast that did the same thing, focusing on lesser known stories behind the scenes, I was immediately intrigued. 

Since 2018, THE INDUSTRY has taken a closer look at actors who thought too much of themselves, producers who did not know what they were doing, and studios that would do anything for a hit show. Delgado's exposé, for example, of the rival movies Lambada and The Forbidden Dance, which both came out at the same time in 1990, revealed a lot of the behind the scenes bickering and was highly entertaining.

But it was actually a very different kind of episode that first introduced me to THE INDUSTRY. Last Christmas Dan did a bonus episode all about the first Charlie Brown Christmas Special on CBS and how it almost didn't get made. Since that episode I've been hooked.

Dan gives some backstory to his podcast, and in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, he also shares a bit of his own background as well.

So in your playlist of podcasts, I heartily recommend you add The Industry. Just put it after Why I’ll Never Make It, of course.  :)

• Listen and subscribe to THE INDUSTRY 
• Website: theindustrypodcast.com

Luis Salgado was born and raised in Puerto Rico and studied theater there at the University of Puerto Rico. He moved to New York City in 2012 and it was slow going at first for him to book work. But eventually things started to click for him and his career as featured as many credits on stage as off stage, behind the scenes, in addition to film and television work.   But this year has not been kind to so many artists, and work has come to a grinding halt. And so Luis brought himself and his family back to Puerto Rico during this pandemic. And being back has give him a chance to connect with others around all Latin America.   You see, back in 2008 while he was performing his Broadway debut with in the Heights, Luis began a nonprofit organization called Revolucion Latina. Their mission is to activate individuals and promote human growth through artistic experiences they can lead to personal transformation and social change within the Latinx community. And so with his performing career on hold, Luis has been able to focus solely on his organization and reaching out to others.  

Follow Luis: Website / Facebook / Twitter 

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• Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 
• Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/  

 

Music and Sound Bites used in this episode:

"Bom Jardim" by Lobo Loco "Latin Rhythm" by Sunsearcher "Hot Salsa Trip" by Arsonist "Escape" (Karaoke Track) by Rupert Holmes "True Blue Sky" and "Copley Beat" by Blue Dot Sessions "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear "Ayer" (Karaoke Track) - Gloria and Emilio Estefán "Somewhere Nice" by John Bartman "Meekness" by Kai Engel Lin Manuel Miranda on CBS Good Morning  VOX - Why Puerto Rico Is Not a US State  Oscar Hijuelos on New Mexico PBS  Keez in the Pen with DC-7 

After our conversation on the previous episode, Jaime talks about the process of voting on songs and albums for the Grammys, and then he answers the Final Five. He shares his love of Law & Order and his dream to work with Lin-Manuel Miranda as well as what he learns from those who are humble.

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

• For further insights on the topics covered in Jaime's episodes: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

For the next few weeks WINMI is going to be highlighting some amazing Hispanic artists, ranging from composers and dancers to actors and singers. And it's all in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. 

In addition to these interviews I’ll be showcasing important creatives in Hispanic history. It’ll be a chance for us to learn about the wonderful artists who have made such an impact not only in Hispanic communities but to our nation as a whole. 

And so we begin Hispanic Heritage Month with Jaime Lozano, a native of Monterey, Mexico. As a composer his works have been produced Off-Broadway, regionally here in the US, and internationally in France, Germany, England, and of course his home country of Mexico. Jaime has also taken on the roles of arranger, music director, and orchestrator, in addition to adapting, producing, and directing the Spanish world premiere of Jason Robert Brown’s THE LAST FIVE YEARS in 2006 and SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD in 2005.

And it was around that time that Jaime came to New York to study at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He's been on quite the journey and it's a fascinating story of an immigrant artist here in America.

Follow Jaime: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website 

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• Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 
• Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/  

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Music in this episode:

"Yellow Light District" by Lobo Loco. "Kitty in the Window" by Podington Bear. "Basketliner" by Blue Dot Sessions. Savage, a musical by Tommy Newman and Jaime Lozano, performed and recorded at University of Alabama in Birmingham. "Una Historia sin Final Concierto" by Jaime Lozano. "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear. "Night Emotions" by Lobo Loco. "Ayer" by Gloria and Emilio Estefan (Karaoke Track).

Mid-March of this year was a uniquely devastating time for theater and the arts industry as a whole. Broadway and Off-Broadway here in New York as well as theaters all around the country began to close for what they thought would be a possible one-month shut down. 

At the time playwright Lynn Nottage tweeted: “Emotionally and financially preparing for theaters across the country to be shut down. Mourning the beautiful work that will be lost. Alas, protecting our practitioners and our audiences is essential.”

But as you and I know, it’s lasted much longer than anyone anticipated. And while the loss of jobs and the lack of theater options for audiences were immediately felt, there has been a further impact in communities and states around the country. From regional and local theaters to touring companies, stage work has a financial impact beyond just the box office. 

For example, the 2016-17 touring season in cities like Charlotte, NC generated more than $38.2 million in economic impact. In Tempe, AZ their Broadway Season brought in $100 million. And more recently, in Denver the seven-week pre-Broadway run of frozen added about $30 million to the local economy. Theater and the arts are a driving economic indicator in cities and regions around the country, which is why it is vital that we save this industry and do what we can to become an arts hero.

Be An Arts Hero is an intersectional grassroots movement emphasizes arts and cultures $877 billion value added contribution to the nation's economy, highlighting the human and financial toll of letting the contribution collapse. Carson Elrod and Brooke Ishibashi, two of the organization's founders, join the podcast today to share their goal of keeping all 5.1 million Americans who work in the arts 1) alive 2) in their homes and 3) with jobs to return to when the crisis subsides.

Join their efforts: https://beanartshero.com/get-involved 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website 

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• Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 
• Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/  

Music used in this episode:  "Appreciation" by Chad Crouch is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

After our conversation on the previous episode, Alex answers the Final Five. He shares his love of Christopher Nolan movies and his dream to be on Law & Order: SVU as well as what he learned from Will Smith and Michelle Obama.

Check out Alex's web series: P's in a Pod 

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The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

Do you have questions or stories of your own? Share them with me: contact.winmipodcast.com

The process of getting an idea, a story from conception to production to finally being onstage or onscreen can be a rather lengthy process. Hamilton took seven years and La La Land was almost nine. Alex Pires is another one of those with plenty of ideas. He’s an actor who came to NYC with a mission to not only act but to write as well. But as we know having the idea is just the first step on a long journey towards actually seeing it come to life. His comedy web series P's in a Pod released its Pilot Episode in January 2019, but the rest of the seven-episode season didn't come out till April 2020. He talks about that long journey as well as some of the serious subjects addressed on this funny show: stereotypes, racism, depression, and even germaphobia.  

Follow Alex: Website / Instagram / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter 

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• Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 
• Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you! https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/  

For the second month in a row Why I’ll Never Make It goes outside its own podcast walls to recommend another podcaster doing great work in the arts or beyond. The first one was The Ensemblist as part of the episode with Mo Brady. And this month features a recommendation of another one inside the creative arts as well as a former WINMI guest: The Tony Howell Podcast.

Tony is a former actor and singer who has now become a highly sought-after author, speaker, and expert in digital marketing and branding. On this podcast, you’ll find enlightening 1:1 conversations with artists and thought leaders who are changing the world (and web) through their work. And on occasion Tony shares his own original strategies and formulas to help you design your future and impact your career.

To determine your own digital wellness, check out his self-assessment quiz.

Listen to the show on your favorite podcast app.

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs we all face. 

Don't forget to check out all the helpful offers available to you through WINMI guests and partners: resources.winmipodcast.com 

 

After our conversation on the previous episode, Bart Shatto answers the Final Five. He shares his broadcasting aspirations and his dream to do all the roles I've done as well as what he learned from Albert Einstein and Booker T. Washington.

Also, check out his latest project, coming up in October, the 2020 New Works Virtual Festival. Twenty plays in seven days! Everything from full-length plays and short plays to TV pilots and screenplays. It features a star-studded lineup, including Oscar nominees, Emmy Award nominees, and Tony Award winners/nominees! Like and subscribe to the New Works Virtual Festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

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Take the WINMI podcast survey: survey.winmipodcast.com

Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

Broadway is no cure against challenges or setbacks. Bart Shatto has experienced the joys and the hardships of a life in theater, both personally and professionally. He gives an open and vulnerable look at how this business can create wonderful moments and powerful lessons.

Bart particularly shares his time with WAR PAINT, playing opposite Patti LuPone, as well as being in the cast of Tom Kitt's SUPERHERO and dealing with the negative reviews. Even I, the host, open up about the lowest point in my acting career, one that Brat shared in.

 

The WINMI Podcast Survey: https://winmipodcast.typeform.com/to/SdODaMU7 Singers & Songwriters Playlist: spotify.whyillnevermakeit.com

 

Follow Bart: Instagram / Twitter / Website

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Blog 

Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

  ----------   Music used in this episode:  "Bon Journée" by Chad Crouch is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.  "Meekness" by Kai Engel is licensed under a Attribution License.  "Barbara" by U.S. Army Blues is licensed under a Public Domain Mark 1.0 License.  "Driven to Success" by Scott Holmes is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.  "Old City Bar" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, sung by Bart Shatto, recorded at a live concert in Las Vegas, 2011. "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com  

Thanks for coming back to join me and Jason Odell Williams for the final five! This is a bonus episode to the conversation we had previously, covering topics and five specific questions we didn’t address on the last episode. Today, Jason talks about how his teachers inspired him and how he's still learning to process and handle criticism and feedback. 

Take the survey & join the WINMI newsletter - whyillnevermakeit.com 

 

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

 

Jason Odell Williams is an award-winning playwright and Emmy-nominated television producer. But his first love was acting...until it wasn't. In this episode he shares that journey from saying the words to writing them.

We specifically talk about his plays Handle With Care and Church & State, both of which were produced by his wife (and former WINMI guest) Charlotte Cohn. He opens up about his difficulty with taking criticism and how different writing is from the stage to small screen, especially when those shows involve true crime or brain teasers.

Take the survey & join the WINMI Newsletter - whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Jason: Instagram / The New Play Exchange 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Blog 

Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

    Music used in this episode:  "Small Hours" "Dim" "Arrival of the Geese" "Daybreak" and "The Gloaming" by Chad Crouch is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.  

Well, here we are at the Final Five questions, a bonus episode to our previous conversation. Eric is back and shares his passion for branding and being a stylist. He also mentions what distinguishes Gayle King and why he'd love to pick her brain as well as the two distinct life lessons he learned from his parents.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at winmipodcast.com.

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider supporting this podcast: ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

During his years in New York City, Eric Jordan Young bounced around from Broadway productions and national tours to regional shows and concerts. According to most performers, he was living the dream.

But he wanted something else, we wanted something more. So Eric branched out into his own endeavors, from a solo recording album to a one-man tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. Along the way he met some challenges and found out he knew more about the show than he did the business.

And Vegas became the testing ground and base of operations for his own production company, and he found the stories he was truly meant to tell. 

• Listen to Eric and other previous guests on the new WINMI Singers & Songwriters Playlist - spotify.whyillnevermakeit.com. 

Follow Eric: Instagram / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Blog 

Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

  Music used in this episode:  "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com.  "Nocturnal" by Kai Engel is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.  "Holiday Gift" by Chad Crouch is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. "Retreat" by Gold Coast is licensed by soundstripe.com.  

After our conversation on the previous episode, David answers the Final Five. He shares his political aspirations, what he's learned from Broadway directors as well as where the best ideas come from.

Do you have other questions you'd like to ask? Let me know at winmipodcast.com and fill out the survey.

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

David and I first met last year as he directed the 90-minute version of FOOTLOOSE on Norwegian Cruise Line. But In New York, he spends his time working with some of the best directors on Broadway from SCHOOL OF ROCK and BEAUTIFUL to LOMBARDI and NETWORK (starring Bryan Cranston). As assistant director, I ask what's kept him from being In the top spot as well as what he think of cruise ship productions. But the show I really focus on is the most reviewed and vilified Broadway show so far this century -- SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK. As Resident Director, how did he manage and maintain such a constantly changing show? It's a full conversation with plenty of theater know-how and behind the scenes stories.  

Podcast Survey: https://winmipodcast.typeform.com/to/SdODaMU7 

Follow David: Website / Instagram / Twitter  

Follow WINMI: Website / Instagram / Twitter / Blog Check out all the artist resources available to you through WINMI: resources.winmipodcast.com 

————— Support and donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

 

Audio used in this episode: FOOTLOOSE Promo Video and "Somebody's Eyes" (underscoring), Norwegian Cruise Lines. "Hill And Dale" and "Dusk" by Chad Crouch is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com. "Broadway's 'Spider-Man' Musical Turns Off The Lights At Last" by Jeff Lunden on NPR, January, 3, 2014. https://www.npr.org/2014/01/03/256602469/broadways-spider-man-musical-turns-off-the-lights-at-last

Thanks for coming back to join me and Mo for the final five! This is a bonus conversation covering topics and five specific questions we didn’t address on the last episode. Today, Mo talks about his love of NEXT TO NORMAL and how Susan Blackwell from TITLE OF SHOW inspires him. 

 

Don't forget to check out all the offers and resources available to you through WINMI: resources.winmipodcast.com 

 

Follow Mo: Instagram / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Blog 

Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

Co-creator of The Ensemblist podcast and blog shares his love of theater, especially for those out of the spotlight and in the ensemble. Mo Brady grew up building sets and imagining a life on the stage. After finally getting his Broadway debut, two other more personal roles came his way: husband and father. But he still manages to keep up the podcasting and working on the communications team at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. http://www.theensemblist.com/podcasts 

Don't forget to check out all the resources available to you through WINMI: resources.winmipodcast.com 

Share your feedback at survey.winmipodcast.com 

Follow Mo: Instagram / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Blog 

Donate to the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

    Music used in this episode:  "Hill and Dale" and "Daydream" by Chad Crouch are licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.  "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com. 

Instead of answering the Final Five questions, Erin Cronican continues our conversation on producing theater for the online world as well as some insight into her cooking habits (or lack thereof).

 

For now, COVID has ended live theater as we know it, and digital platforms have become a new home for actors and writers to reach audiences. So Erin shares how she's made it work and how Actors Equity Association has (not) helped.

 

Follow Erin: Instagram / Twitter 

 - Donate to the The Seeing Place 

 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Blog 

 - Newsletter / Survey: whyillnevermakeit.com

 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

  The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

 

  The instrumental song "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com. 

Erin Cronican first came on the podcast back in Season One, sharing the ups and downs of making theater while still being an actor. Today, she faces new challenges of producing theater in the middle of a pandemic while also battling cancer once again.

She opens up about her very real and present reality, just living 3 months at a time. Legacy has become very important to her, and through our conversation she shares insights into living with a terminal illness and how it changes the way she approaches theater and the idea of bucket lists.

Follow Erin: Instagram / Twitter 

 - Donate to the The Seeing Place: resources.winmipodcast.com 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Blog 

 - Take the Survey / Join the newsletter: whyillnevermakeit.com

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WINMI is a Top 20 Theater Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.   —————    Music used in this episode:  - "Whispers" by Hyson is licensed under a Attribution License.   - "Cobweb Morning" by Kai Engel is licensed under a Attribution License.   - "Smooth Actor" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com. 

After our conversation on the previous episode, Chaz answers the Final Five. But first, he shares a hilarious audition story, then goes into his dream to work in physical therapy as well as how he learned the importance of preparation. 

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• Jazz with Chaz - resources.winmipodcast.com
• Give your feedback - survey.winmipodcast.com
• Support WINMI - donate.winmipodcast.com

Chaz started dancing at the age of 2in Gahanna, Ohio, and several years later he won the Gold Medal at the US Tap Championships and then won Bronze for the United States at the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany at the age of 14. From his BFA in Musical Theatre Dance to serving as dance captain in the American Spirit Dance Company, Chaz has led a busy life on his feet.

And so it was that I first met Chaz Wolcott at a regional theater in upstate New York during a production of MARY POPPINS. Later that same year he joined the National Tour of NEWSIES and then went on to even bigger heights with "So You Think You Can Dance."    In this episode, he shares the ups and downs of tour life and the doors it opened in his career. He also shares his experience of being cut from FOX's popular dance show and the lesson he learned from it. 

Take the podcast survey and let me know how WINMI can improve as well as what keeps you coming back each episode: survey.winmipodcast.com   - Chaz on SYTYCD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMs24fYbzG0   - THE ADDAMS FAMILY National Tour parody video for NEWSIES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxSvcqFu7tQ&t=149s 

Follow Chaz: Instagram / YouTube / Twitter 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website / Medium 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Podcast thanks to you! https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/  Tunes from NEWSIES featured in this episode: "Something to Believe In" • "Seize the Day" • "Movin' in Circles" • "It's a Fine Life" 

 

After our conversation on the previous episode, Brian answers the Final Five, talking about software engineering and his dream to fix CHESS as well as lessons learned from Elizabeth Gilbert.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at contact.winmipodcast.com.

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

Featuring the third composer of the season, Brian Lowdermilk is a fantastic contemporary songwriter who's found a great deal of success from the internet. And in this day and age where not much theater is happening onstage, that bodes well for both Kerrigan & Lowdermilk. 

Brian (they/them, she/her) shares the nuts and bolts of writing and collaborating on musicals (and is joined by Kait for part of the interview). Then we get into more personal matters of gender identity and theater's place in the LGBTQ community. It's an in-depth, personal conversation with a talented and insightful composer. 

Follow Brian: Instagram / YouTube / SoundCloud 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website / Medium 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

Reach out with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com    The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support the work that goes into each episode.    —————    Brian's music featured in this episode:  "Run Away with Me (Instrumental)" - "How to Return Home" - "Avalanche" - "Say the Word" - "Five and Half Minutes" - "Not a Love Story" - "Run Away with Me (sung by Brian at 54 Below)"   

After our conversation on the previous episode, Roberto answers the Final Five. He shares his love of CBS Sunday Morning and his dream of playing the Baker in INTO THE WOODS as well as that the time he forgot to press the record button.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at contact.winmipodcast.com.

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode: ko-fi.com/winmipodcast

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

  Do you have questions or stories of your own? Share them with me: contact.winmipodcast.com

Season 4 Survey: https://winmipodcast.typeform.com/to/SdODaMU7

I first got to know Roberto when putting together the Season Three opener with Caroline Bowman. He had taken beautiful photos of her as she was preparing for the National Tour of Disney's FROZEN. I wanted him to come on the show to share his experiences and insights on making the best headshots possible. So get ready to take some notes. 

Little did I know, though, the backstory and struggles he's been through. From a family unwilling to accept his sexuality and being homeless in NYC to the "casual racism" he has encountered in the industry. Roberto really opens up and shares an enlightening story that can both inspire our craft and push us to change the underlying biases still present in theater. 

Follow Roberto: Instagram / Twitter / YouTube / Website 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website / Medium 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

Reach out with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com    The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast   

After our conversation on the previous episode, Cris answers the Final Five. He shares why he'd love to teach and his dream to be in CATS as well as what he learned from Tyler Perry.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at contact.winmipodcast.com.

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

 

In this longer episode than normal, I am honored and grateful to have this enormously gifted artist on the show. Cris Eli Blak may only be a senior in college, but he has wisdom far beyond his years to share with all of us.

From thoughts on the current racial tensions gripping this country to how theater can be a voice in the midst of it, Cris shares from the heart and from his art. He opens up about his own challenges and struggles as a writer, how growing up without a father affected him, and the type of writing and storytelling he wants to give the world.

This is a touching and moving episode that will leave you with a better understanding of where we are and a brighter hope for where we can ultimately go.

Topics covered in this episode:

 - Do The Right Thing 30 Years Later 

 - Spike Lee on HuffPost Live 

 - The Brother's Survivor short film 

 - The World Changes Through Art 

 - Our Duty to Confront Racism in Theater Industry 

 - "Like Father, Like Son" on the Logue Lounge 

 - All-White Production Of HAIRSPRAY In Texas Raises Eyebrows 

 - Should There Be All-White Productions of HAIRSPRAY? 

 

Follow Cris: Instagram / YouTube / Medium 

Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website / Medium

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WINMI is a Top 20 Podcast thanks to you! https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

Reach out with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com    The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode. 

The third and final look at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with Michael McBride, a 10-year veteran with the company. Through this organization he not only gained skills and experience in collaborating with some of the best dancers and choreographers on the planet, but he also found the love of his life, Samuel Lee Roberts, a fellow dancer in the company.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Michael. He's had some hard lessons to learn along the way and he talks about some of those, especially in the Final Five questions, also included in this episode.

Topics and People Mentioned:

• Alvin Ailey's REVELATIONS - https://www.alvinailey.org/performances/repertory/revelations 
• Michael's engagement to Samuel - https://www.dancemagazine.com/when-two-ailey-dancers-get-engaged-of-course-there-are-professional-ba-2404644366.html 
• Michael and Samuel dancing together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aD9fGhW7xI 
• Hope Boykin Teaches Revelations - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QefuHRw5948 
• Matthew Rushing - https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/video/view/Matthew-Rushing-and-Hope-Boykin-Rushings-Surprise-Role-in-LIFT-by-Aszure-Barton-/#.XumIcmpKgWo 

Follow Michael: Instagram / Website

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WINMI is a Top 20 Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

More episodes: listen.winmipodcast.com Join the WINMI community: Instagram or Twitter (@winmipodcast)  Reach out with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com    The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.   Music in this episode: "Ah Been 'Buked" by Hall Johnson. The Chamber Singers of Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges, Thomas Lloyd, director. "Kitty In The Window" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com

Samantha Figgins is currently in her sixth season with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. But what many people don't know is that this gorgeous dancer suffers from single-sided deafness. As a baby, Figgins contracted spinal meningitis, which caused her to lose all hearing in her right ear. She never gave up on her dance dreams, though, and fought her way through uncomfortable situations, never missing an opportunity to learn and grow. In this episode, she shares her love of dance, her passion in telling stories, and the discipline that makes it all possible.

Listen to the previous episode all about Alvin Ailey.

Dance Spirit cover in 2013 

Watch Samantha dance in Revelations on TED: https://youtu.be/0f4wtD8eXNk 

Follow her: Instagram / Twitter 

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WINMI is a Top 20 Podcast thanks to you!  https://blog.feedspot.com/theatre_podcasts/ 

More episodes: listen.winmipodcast.com Join the WINMI community: Instagram or Twitter (@winmipodcast)  Reach out with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com    The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

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"I Been 'Buked" and "Fix Me, Jesus" arranged by Hall Johnson. G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

"Kitty In The Window" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com

When it comes to the performing arts and certainly to dance, there are few people more worthy of admiration, of inspiration and imitation than Alvin Ailey. He was both uniquely gifted and qualified to tell the African-American experience which he lived and saw and reacted to through the art of dance. 

If you follow me or the podcast on social media, you know that I’m a white man who also grew up in the South. I was certainly witness to and heard tinges of racism growing up, but was fortunately sheltered for the most part from those who held such a deep-seeded hatred. A bigotry that Ailey knew first-hand. Growing up in the South, he had his own struggles with self-esteem due to the acts of racial violence so prevalent in those formative years.   Within the theater, we have playwrights and lyricists who can put difficult feelings and hard lessons into words. They show us parts of humanity that can be both glorious and despicable. But theater is not with us right now, the stage is silent. And so in the last few days, in light of the events that led to George Floyd‘s death and its aftermath, I have looked for and listened to past voices for both understanding and action, comfort and courage.    One of my most treasured experiences and memories of being here in New York City is getting to watch the Alvin Ailey American dance concerts each winter and summer. They consist of powerful and moving performances by amazingly talented dancers. And so it was only natural that my thoughts would go to the stories and emotions told through the pieces that Alvin Ailey choreographed himself, namely his iconic Revelations, which was inspired by his involvement within the Southern Black church. In fact, all of his work came forth from the people and places and experiences of his life.    People and choreography discussed: 

• Alvin Ailey - https://www.alvinailey.org/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/alvin-ailey
• Judith Jamison - https://www.alvinailey.org/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/judith-jamison
• Robert Battle - https://www.alvinailey.org/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/robert-battle
• Lester Horton - https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ho-hz/lester-horton/ 
• Cry - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuTJSbWm2QY 
• Masekela Langage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxsWWYBxKE0 
• Revelations - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrPJ4kt3a64 

Videos and interviews used in the making of this episode:

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre at 50 A Golden Anniversary Celebration 
• Big Lives: Profiles of LGBT African Americans - Alvin Ailey 
• Alvin Ailey Celebrates 50th - CBS
• Judith Jamison: Early Days with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Alvin Ailey and the Importance of the Arts - The New Yorker
• Alvin Ailey connects cultures through dance
• Alvin Ailey speaking at UCLA  - 3/9/1983
• Revelations from a lifetime of dance - TEDtalk 

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The time and expense needed to compile and edit this epiosde was at times challenging but ultimately rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode. 

For further insights on the topics covered in this episode follow on Twitter @winmipodcast: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 

Quotes and unreleased audio clips follow on Instagram @winmipodcast: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

  Do you have questions or stories of your own? Share them with me: contact.winmipodcast.com 

 

Music used in this episode:

• "Reverie (small theme)" by _ghost. 2010 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)
• "Smoldering" by Kai Engel is licensed under a Attribution License.
• "Jazz Brunch" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 International License. Based on a work at incompetech.com.
• "Barbara" by U.S. Army Blues is licensed under a Public Domain Mark 1.0 License.
• "Something About John Coltrane" by Alice Coltrane. Licensed to YouTube by UMG (on behalf of Verve); BMI - Broadcast Music Inc., UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, UMPI, LatinAutor, Jowcol Music (Publishing), LatinAutor - UMPG, and 8 Music Rights Societies.

At the end of our previous insightful conversation, Douglas Sills gave his answers to the Final Five questions. He shares a story of his mentor who recently passed away as well as his interests finance and veterinarian medicine. After his answer to best advice, I kept the recording going and it opened into a deeper conversation about happiness and feeling (un)motivated.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at contact.winmipodast.com.

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

 

His iconic Broadway debut in SCARLET PIMPERNEL may have made Douglas Sills a Broadway star, but his head has never been in the clouds. In today's episode, he has his feet firmly on the ground and shares how he left the business (twice) and what brought him back.

His insights are a seasoned look not only at his career but at the kind of person he wants to be. From understanding luck's role in his career to realizing that having a life means so much more than making a living, Douglas is both confident and vulnerable in this honest look at what "making it" really means.

That Tony Awards performance that inspired me and made me a fan of Douglas Sills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpAXrY2rf_s&list=RDgpAXrY2rf_s&start_radio=1

Follow Doug: Twitter / Instagram  Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• Reach out to me with comments or questions: https://contact.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is supported through kind donations of listeners like you: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

Music in this episode: "Little Idea" by Scott Holmes is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

After our conversation on the previous episode, Mykal and Hannah answer the Final Five questions. They share stories of the individuals who have inspired them as artists as well as their interests in education and geology. They finish with why it's so important to be on time and the proper place for performance in an artist's life.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at contact.winmipodast.com.

     ----------     

The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 

 

Hannah Elless and Mykal Kilgore (and myself) first met doing a reading of a new musical called THE STAR CHILD. They have each gone on to do three Broadway shows, but they still love that new-car smell of a fresh, unknown piece of theater.

In today's conversation they explain why new works are so important, how their big families taught them to collaborate, and what success means to them and how they are still striving for it. Plus, they talk about the dream of a Broadway debut versus the reality of getting one.

 - Listen to my episode with Jenny Stafford, book writer for STAR CHILD.   - Hear a song from Mykal's A MAN BORN BLACK.   - Watch Hannah's multi-instrument talents on display in "Ashville" from BRIGHT STAR. 

Follow on Instagram: Hannah Elless / Mykal Kilgore 

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• Reach out to me with comments or questions: https://contact.winmipodcast.com 
• Support WINMI through your kind donations: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

 

Music used in this episode from Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. "Sidecar" • "Kitty in a Window" • "Smooth Actor"

Welcome back to my talk with Andrew Lippa as he answers the Final Five questions. This is a bonus episode to the conversation we had previously, covering topics we didn't get to last time. From political aspirations to advice he gives to aspiring artists, this is a deeper dive into a talented composer and performer.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at contact.winmipodcast.com.

     ----------     

May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 
• WINMI is supported through kind donations of listeners like you: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

 

From his first intimate musical, john and jen, to his bigger productions on and off Broadway, Andrew Lippa has been a prolific and award-winning writer. He joins the podcast to talk about his growth along that sometimes bumpy path and what it means to bring a bit of himself into his compositions and lyrics.

He shares the disappoints he felt with The Wild Party and Big Fish, the lessons he learned from The Addams Family, and the personal journey he took in becoming Harvey Milk.

Learn more about Andrew...

Website: https://andrewlippa.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/lippaofficial  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lippaandrew/  His recent shows: The Man in the Ceiling, I Am Harvey Milk, Unbreakable

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Reach out to me with comments or questions: contact.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is supported through kind donations of listeners like you: ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

After our conversation on the previous episode, Hal Luftig answers the Final Five. He shares his love of teaching and his dream to work with Audra McDonald as well as what he learned from famed Broadway producer Emanuel "Manny" Azenberg.

Do you have other ideas for Final Five questions? Let me know at contact.winmipodcast.com.

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 
• WINMI is supported through kind donations of listeners like you: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

Welcome to a month-long look at previous Broadway seasons...the nominations, the wins, and the losses. 

With four Tony Awards to his name, including two as lead producer, and two Olivier Awards, also as lead producer, Hal Luftig knows and thing or two about theatrical success. But he also knows the pitfalls that come and how not every show finds an audience or makes a lot of money. 

Today, he shares those insights and more from the heights of success with KINKY BOOTS to his disappointment with the early closing of CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD. He opens up about the lessons he's learned and what keeps him going. 

Website: https://www.halluftig.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rialtoguy 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/halluftig 

Previous guests who have appeared in his productions: 

• J. Harrison Ghee - KINKY BOOTS
• Caroline Bowman - KINKY BOOTS and EVITA
• James Monroe Števko - FIDDLER IN YIDDISH
• John McGinty - CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD 

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Join the WINMI community by following on Instagram or Twitter (@winmipodcast) as well as reaching out to Patrick with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com   The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

Welcome to another FINAL FIVE Bonus Episode with Alina Alcántara! After our last conversation about staying motivated and the joy she found in performing, Alina sat down to answer five questions on topics and insights not covered in the previous episode. She also mentioned mutual friend and fellow artist Juan Cantu as someone who inspires her both personally and professionally.

1. If you could have any other job outside of the arts what would it be?
2. What is a bucket list role or show you still hope to do one day?
3. Who do you look up to? A mentor or someone who inspires you.
4. Name a lesson or trait that took you awhile to learn or one that you are still learning to this day?
5. What’s the best advice you’ve received?

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The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.   Do you have questions or stories of your own? Share them with me: contact.winmipodcast.com

Former flight attendant Alina Alcántara is a New York native of Dominican heritage, who has lived in Florida for most of her life. And in this episode she shares the rocky road to finding her true calling in life as an actor and singer. But even with this love and passion for performing she has her bad days of feeling inferior and unmotivated. So what keeps her going? Her story will inspire you and put a smile in your heart.

Follow her online and social media: twitter.com/BroadwayBaby73 instagram.com/broadwaybaby1973  https://alinaalcantara.com/

Listen to her on Diagon Alley - https://youtu.be/fwuk_UxndlY

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast 
• Reach out to me with comments or questions: https://contact.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is supported through kind donations of listeners like you: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

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Music in this episode: "Elephants On Parade" and "Shines Through Trees" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. (Based on work at http://soundofpicture.com) 

It's been a month-long break, so welcome back to the FINAL FIVE Bonus Episode!

After our last conversation, Seán answers five final questions not covered in the previous episode. He talks about his bucket list Sondheim musical and reveals his comedic idol... 

1. If you could have any other job outside of the arts what would it be?
2. What is a bucket list role or show you still hope to do one day?
3. Who do you look up to? A mentor or someone who inspires you.
4. Name a lesson or trait that took you awhile to learn or one that you are still learning to this day?
5. What’s the best advice you’ve received?  

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The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.   Do you have questions or stories of your own? Share them with the WINMI Community: contact.winmipodcast.com

Seán Cullen is a Canadian actor, voice artist and stand-up comedian, known for combining improvisation with mimicry and music. He joins me today to share his love of comedy and writing books for his children. But we also dive into the worries and frustrations that come from almost making it and how to bounce back from a canceled show or that inner voice saying we aren't good enough.

• Follow Seán on Twitter - https://twitter.com/mrseancullen 
• Listen to his podcast - http://www.theseanpod.com/ 
• Watch some of his stand-up - https://youtu.be/jTG2Nfcwm6A 
• Corky and the Juice Pigs sing "Eskimo" - https://youtu.be/CwO33oUawM8 

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Join the WINMI community by following on Instagram or Twitter (@winmipodcast) as well as reaching out to Patrick with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com   The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.

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Music in this episode: "Whispers" by Hyson is licensed under a Attribution License. "Mr. Sunny Face" by Wayne Jones.

In the last episode, Rebecca Selkowe reminded us of the groundwork needed to organize and manage our money. Today, she brings it to the present with useful tips and insights we can use during times of crisis like COVID-19.

For more on how The Actors Fund can help you (or ways you can donate to them) go to actorsfund.org and for a mental and artistic break from the daily grind go to starsinthehouse.com, hosted by Seth Rudetsky & James Wesley and benefiting The Actors Fund.

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Do you have specific questions? Anything you need? Reach out to me with anyway I can be of help: contact.winmipodcast.com

Also, join the WINMI Community on Twitter and Instagram @winmipodcast.

Since 1955, April 15th has been Tax Day, until this year...the year of COVID-19 and economic uncertainty. With so many unemployed, especially those of us in the arts, what are we to do. How can we manage our money? What money!?

In this episode, I'm sharing my conversation a year ago with Rebecca Selkowe, author of DOMINATE YOUR DEBT and head of the Financial Wellness Program at the Actors Fund in New York City. This is part one, where she gives us the basics of how we need to approach financial matters, not just from a numbers perspective but also the mental and emotional aspects as well.

Part two comes in the next episode, where Rebecca joins me again to talk about the here and now and what we need to do today to make it through such tough economic times brought on by quarantines, self-isolations, and shutdowns.

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Reach out to me with comments or questions: https://contact.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is supported through kind donations of listeners like you: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

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Music used in the episode:

- Theme songs from both Why I’ll Never Make It and The Spotlight Series, created by Patrick Oliver Jones on GarageBand. - "Miss You" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Overcome with laziness and procrastination, feeling unmotivated, stuck, and just can’t get started? Believe me, you are not alone. 

But there is hope when mired in such complacency. However, it may not be the solution you think it is. You and I were taught from an early age that we need to stay busy and keep moving. And while the intent behind those ideals was good, putting them into practice is neither easy nor always helpful. 

In this episode, I consider what we do as artists and the energy we expend to see if we can eliminate some actions, to see if laziness can be our guide to achieving a greater impact by doing less. This doesn't mean less is more. It means less can be better. 

Explore "laziness" in these articles:   - 7 Reasons Why Lazy People Are More Likely To Be Successful - Lifehack   - BEING LAZY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS - The Independent   - Science: Lazy people are likely to be smarter, more successful, and better employees. Who knew? - CNBC 

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow. 

• For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: https://twitter.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Quotes and unreleased audio clips: https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast/ 
• Reach out to me with comments or questions: https://contact.winmipodcast.com 
• WINMI is supported through kind donations of listeners like you: https://ko-fi.com/winmipodcast 

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Music in this episode:  "Here" and "All Will See" by Hyson is licensed under a Attribution License.  "Kitty In The Window" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. (Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com)

Well, coronavirus is all people can talk about. It has completely changed our daily lives and interactions with others, especially in the world of theater. So I wanted to address it head on with friend-of-the-podcast Clayton Howe. We share how each of us lost our jobs and what we're doing now to keep going and make it through this extraordinary time in the world. 

I also give 5 ways we as artists can regain control during a very uncertain moment in our lives and careers: Commitment, Outside, Variety, Introspection, and Dreams. 

To follow Clayton and his podcast Entertainment(x):  instagram.com/inclaynation & entertainmentx.podbean.com/ 

Articles mentioned in this episode: 

• How stress influences disease - Science Daily
• A Connecticut Theater Finds New Ways To Get Art To Audiences - WSHU
• Getting At Least 7 Hours Of Sleep Helps Prevent Colds - NPR
• How Coronavirus Impacts Broadway – Variety
• How Coronavirus Shifted the World of Theater - The Guardian
• Broadway Finds a Way for the Show to Go On - NBC News 

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow.    For further insights (Twitter) and unreleased audio clips of today's interview (Instagram) be a part of the WINMI community on social media @winmipodcast. And you can always reach out to me on the website: contact.winmipodcast.com 

Lastly, this podcast is supported through kind donations of listeners like you by buying me a coffee. 

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Music used in this episode:

"March" by Kai Engel is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. 

"Jazz Brunch" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 International License. 

Welcome to another FINAL FIVE Bonus Episode! After our last conversation Tiffany answers five final questions not covered in the previous episode. She talks about how she still hopes to do musical theater one day and opens up about her late father and the lessons he taught her... 

1. If you could have any other job outside of the arts what would it be?
2. What is a bucket list role or show you still hope to do one day?
3. Who do you look up to? A mentor or someone who inspires you.
4. Name a lesson or trait that took you awhile to learn or one that you are still learning to this day?
5. What’s the best advice you’ve received? 

Also in this episode, the last of the Women's History Month features. This one highlights three television icons: the very first female game show host, Arlene Francis; the First Lady of Games Shows, Betty White; and the master of letters, Vanna White.

https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/first-ladies-game-shows http://www.tvparty.com/games-female-hosts.html

 

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The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.   Do you have questions or stories of your own? Share them with the WINMI Community: contact.winmipodcast.com

Whether as sidekick or the lady in charge, Tiffany Coyne has made her mark on the popular game show LET'S MAKE A DEAL. She can keep up with Wayne Brady and holds her own in the chaotic fun of each episode.

Starting out as a dancer, she had no thoughts or goals toward television. But when the time came and the support of family, she and her husband made the decision to leave their lives in Las Vegas for what has become an 11-year residence in Los Angeles and the stability to raise two beautiful children. She has studied and learned hosting and improv techniques that have not only boosted her abilities on-camera but also her confidence in life.

This often soft-spoken woman has a powerful story to tell and an example to set of what it takes to seize opportunity while continuing to learn and grow.

Find out more: 

Tiffany Coyne - Instagram (@tiffanylcoyne) • Twitter (@TiffanyCoyne) • IMDB

Let's Make a Deal - Website • Twitter (@letsmakeadeal)

(Her husband Chris Coyne was also on the podcast in Episode 15.)

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow.   For further insights (Twitter) and unreleased audio clips of today's interview (Instagram) be a part of the WINMI community on social media @winmipodcast. And you can always reach out to me on the website: contact.winmipodcast.com 

Lastly, this podcast is supported through kind donations of listeners like you by buying me a coffee.

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Music in this episode:  Barbara by U.S. Army Blues is licensed under a Public Domain Mark 1.0 License.  Clear Progress by Scott Holmes is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Welcome to another FINAL FIVE Bonus Episode! After our conversation on Wednesday about opera and directing, Charlotte gave her answers to five questions and topics not covered in the main interview.

Also, in honor of Women's History Month, this week's Broadway pioneer is Vinnette Justine Carroll, PhD. As an actress and playwright and later as a director, she holds the distinction of many firsts in theater and television: first black female to direct on Broadway as well as receive a Tony nomination for direction, and the first African-American to appear in a week-long television show.

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Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.   Join the WINMI community by following on Instagram or Twitter (@winmipodcast) as well as reaching out to Patrick with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com

Charlotte Cohn was born in Denmark and raised in Israel where she served in the Israeli Army as a commanding officer. She was a founding producer of the New York Music Theatre Festival (NYMF) and MainStreet Musicals. Other producing credits include Rated P For Parenthood, The New York Times critics’ pick Handle With Care and Church & State.

In this episode she chronicles her journey from commander to singer, from Broadway actress to Off-Broadway producer and director. Despite the setbacks faced as she progressed from one to the other, her passion and persistence kept her going...along with a good sense of humor.

Follow her on Twitter (@charlottecohn) as well as her website: https://charlottecohn.wixsite.com/charlotte

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May this podcast be a resource for you as you discover more ways to pursue a career in this industry and sustain it through the many ups and downs that follow.   For further insights (Twitter) and unreleased audio clips of today's interview (Instagram) be a part of the WINMI community on social media @winmipodcast. And you can always reach out to me on the website: contact.winmipodcast.com 

Lastly, this podcast is supported through kind donations of listeners like you by buying me a coffee.

 

• "Traces" by Hyson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.
• "Here" by Hyson is licensed under a Attribution License.
• "September" by Kai Engel is licensed under a Attribution License.