“For years I was referring to myself as a Swiss Army Knife of talent,” says Jennica McCleary. Artists often say, “and then one thing led to another,” but what does that mean? Jennica McCleary is a Bette Midler impersonator based in Orland, Florida. Her incredible story of how she became Walt Disney World’s go-to Winnifred Sanderson is an inspirational one for the ages. Also getting the blessing from the bombastic, austentatious, and Divine Miss M ain’t so bad either.  “Honey, if you sing -- you’ll make money. Good luck,” says Midler to McCleary.  McCleary is an actress, burlesque performer, producer, and Bette Midler impersonator who also happened to survive Breast Cancer. A hard worker, McCleary found herself more upset at having to cancel or reschedule gigs in order to get treatment. What are the lessons in this? How does this help an artist take time for themselves and discover what’s important? What are the expectations we put on ourselves?  Her Winnie Sanderson is the gift that keeps on giving -- and it’s all because McCleary showed up to an audition she knew she was perfect for. In this episode, we hear an UNHEARD story of how the casting process with Disney works. We also unpack the importance of being specific with one’s career, even with choosing which auditions to attend. Plus, we dish on rumors regarding Hocus Pocus 2! “Being a mimic is hard,” says McCleary. “There’s expectations that people have. There’s expectations that people have with Winifred. And you’ve got to find the way to make who you are as a performer work in that while still giving them those nuances that they want.” That’s not it -- McCleary is bringing her show Winnie’s Rock Cauldron Cabaret to The Green Room 42 in NYC for an incredible and highly anticipated Halloween celebration on October 31st at 7pm and 9:30pm. This performance is going to be epic, so make sure you buy tickets at https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/show/details/NZG2rfezEBrSrVmMKxTm/1635721200000 A classically trained Singer/Dancer/Actor who also dabbles in Burlesque, Wig Design, and Choreography, Jennica McCleary is best known for her work as a Bette Midler Tribute artist. In addition to her self-produced shows Divine Deception and Winnie’s Rock Cauldron Cabaret, Jennica originated Winifred Sanderson at Disney’s Magic Kingdom production ‘Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular’ 2015. Her Regional Theatre credits include Fun Home, Jekyll & Hyde, Sweeney Todd, and Cabaret. Jennica has also worked with Legends in Concert and Pattycake Productions, and been seen on The Freeform Network, MTV, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Comedy Central’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade.  Bette Midler Tribute Artist, Jennica McCleary, originated Winifred Sanderson at Disney’s Magic Kingdom production ‘Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular’ 2015 (a now viral video) in Orlando, FL. She has worked with Legends in Concert and Pattycake Productions and has been featured MTV, VH1, Entertainment Tonight. She was also featured in The Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Bash on Freeform as well as Freeform’s Halloween Road. She is thrilled to have conjured Winnie’s Rock Cauldron Cabaret, a fan-fiction style concert, while battling breast cancer, to celebrate everyone's inner magical badass witch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear Multi-hyphenate

#54 - Jennica McCleary: Disney's Own Winnie Sanderson

What’s it like to open the first new musical post Broadway shut down? Ben Fankhauser and Alex Wyse have come together to create A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet, a new musical playing Off-Broadway at the DR2 Theatre in NYC.  “The amount of time that you have is the correct amount of time,” Fankhauser says. “That idea that like, ‘Ugh -- if I only had another week’ it’s like that took me a long amount of time to grow out of that idea because you have exactly the amount of time that you need.” This is the mentality that helped Frankhauser and Wyse open up a new, in person, musical Off Broadway. In this episode, we go on the journey of Ben discovering his multi-hyphenate identity, and like so many of us -- we are all multi-hyphenates… we may just call it something different.  “It took me a while to realize what I was all about, however looking back I think I was always a multi-hyphenate. I was always a musician, an actor, a wannabe writer, a storyteller, a producer. But I never really had considered… it was more an innate knowledge of the kind of things I want to do with my life. Frankly, it wasn’t until I heard of your program years ago when I was like, “Oh that’s a genius name for it.” There’s a crossover -- for me the crossover always existed, it just hadn’t really registered that it was a thing or that you could be a person who didn’t crossover. To me, we all crossover whether you want to or not.”  Waiting is the most exhausting part of being an actor -- and after a phone call between Wyse and Fankhauser, they decided they don’t need to wait for permission. They didn’t know what their journey would be but they went on it. Finding success in this industry is attributed to what makes one happy -- so how does one find happiness? It’s about sharing a specific story. Everyone has one and there’s room for everybody.  “We are the first new, original musical that is opening up post pandemic. A lot of the things we’re seeing open have been open pre-pandemic. We are a brand spankin’ new original musical and it is the best feeling to offer up something that no one has ever seen before. It’s not based on anything. It’s our creative brainchild and we hope it gives people the chance to come in and laugh and experience some joy and experience some music they’ve never heard before and all those things that we go to the theatre for -- we go to see musicals for -- it just feels a little sparklier and more special.”  In this episode Ben and Michael discuss comparing themselves in their journey, what makes someone write a new musical, building the ideal version of one’s career, tips to staying healthy while working on a musical during the pandemic, how to successfully multitask or switch between hyphens when writing and starring in a new musical, and the flexibility with change.  The hysterical and zany A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet is running from September 27th through November 14th at DR2 Theater in Union Square, New York City. For tickets, visit www.reginacomet.com Ben Fankhauser is best known for playing Davey in Newsies (Original Broadway Cast & Movie). Other New York: Mack & Mabel (Encores!), Saturday Night and Bar-mitzvah Boy (York Theatre). First national tours: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Spring Awakening. Regionally Ben has been seen in Flamingo Kid (Hartford Stage), American In Paris (MTW) Big River (Sacramento Music Circus), I Hate Hamlet (Bucks County Playhouse) Next To Normal (North Carolina Theatre), Television: The Deuce, Indoor Boys, Tony Awards. Ben is a frequent guest performer at many cabaret venues in New York City including Feinsteins/54 Below where his solo concert Ben’s Fank’d Up Broadway had a sold out run. Hear more on Spotify/Itunes/Youtube BFA: Ithaca College. Cleveland Native. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#53 - Ben Fankhauser: It Always Works Out

“Wow, first of all I love that word. When I first saw it in an email, I was like, ‘It’s gotta be the cousin to multi-faceted’ because that’s the word I carry with me.” Jason tried for the conservatory. He tried for Macbeth. He tried to be the Latinx Carrie Bradshaw. He couldn’t be just one -- he had to find a way to access all of these proficiencies. “When you come from a place without privilege or access, you have no choice but to be multi or just fall to the ground,” says Rodriguez.  Jason understands that his work doesn’t end after he’s done performing -- he knows as a Latinx performer, he must create accessibility into the industry. He and his business partner, Ricardo Sebastn, are trying to change the game with their new agency Arrangency -- with the singular mission of bringing BIPOC, Trans, and Queer people to the forefront of all creative industries. “We’re trying to build a support system for talent when they walk into set,” says Rodriguez. “When they go to their jobs, when they do their gigs… their projects… create their production… and they know they have a team behind them that they can relate to… that see them… that understand them and then it just becomes the work between the talent and the work. Nothing else is in the way.” In this episode Jason and Michael dissect what it means to provide access in the industry, delegating the steps to starting a new agency, working relationships, representation for artists, hopes and dreams, and more. Jason Rodriguez is the unequivocal face of voguing for an entirely new generation of dancers and dance enthusiasts. He starred for three seasons as Lemar in Ryan Murphy's Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated television series “POSE,” where he also shared his expertise with the cast as Movement Coach and Choreographer. Born and raised in Washington Heights NYC, Jason’s name has become synonymous with the art form of voguing. Jason’s masterful embodiment of the art form has been noted by countless dance critics and journalists, including The New York Times’ Gia Kourlas, who described how his “radiating limbs transform his torso into a solid stretch of sinew and muscle, making him at once tense, velvety, and effortless.” Jason has taught Vogue across the U.S. and the world and currently teaches at various schools and institutions throughout New York City. In addition to “POSE,” Jason has been seen on Baz Lurhmann’s “The Get Down” on Netflix, “Saturday Church,” and on HBO's “The Deuce.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#52 - Jason Rodriguez: Agencies in the Theatre Industry

“Child, I said dust mites of opportunity -- Lord help us, Jesus.” Roger Q. Mason (they/them) is an energy like no other. When they were twelve years old, Mason felt the most free when standing on stage -- which was taken away by queer shaming and gener policing. After spending years, reclaiming what they lost, Mason became versed in writing, though they kept performing and writing separate. “At that time, I was interested still in being a man of letters -- so I still had a very two dimensional literary relationship to writing. I hadn’t quite understood that writing was a blueprint, at least for theatre, I hadn’t understood writing as a blueprint for performance.” Mason always identified as a multi-hyphenate, yet was socialized into ignoring that aspect of their artistry. Eventually, they found the freedom of expression to become the multi-faceted they are today. Today, Mason continues to promote freedom of expression by helming the New Visions Fellowship, an innovative and rigorous year-long professional development program created to support emerging Black trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) playwrights. The 2021 New Visions Fellowship playwrights will each be awarded $5,000, fully funded by National Queer Theater, to develop a play, musical, or performance experience of their design and choosing. National Queer Theater will host a professionally cast and directed reading of their play at the end of the program. They will also have the opportunity to participate in professional development sessions covering a wide range of artistic topics. In addition, they will receive a five-year complimentary membership to The Dramatists Guild including access to contracts, business advice, and career services, to help protect the artistic and economic integrity of their work. Take some Meyer Lemons and turn it into Meyer Marmelade and listen to this episode where Michael and Mason speak on the Auteur, Queer relationship to dramturgy, and how multi-hyphenating is much like gender, blurring the lines of the binary -- and so much more.  Roger Q. Mason (they/them) is an award-winning writer, performer and educator known for using history's lens to highlight the biases that separate rather than unite us. Mason's playwriting has been seen on Broadway at Circle in the Square (Circle Reading Series); Off and Off-Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, New Group, The Fire This Time Festival, Dixon Place, American Theatre of Actors, Flea Theatre, and Access Theater; and regionally at McCarter Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Steep Theatre, Serenbe Playhouse, Theatre Rhinoceros, Open Fist Theatre Company, EST/LA, Coeurage Theatre, Rogue Artists Ensemble, Son of Semele, and Skylight Theatre. They are an honoree of the Kilroys List; the recipient of the Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award; the Fire This Time Festival Alumni Spotlight, and the Hollywood Fringe Festival Encore Producers Award; and a finalist for the Geffen Writers' Room, Lark Playwright's Week and the Screencraft Play Award. Mason's films have screened at the Outshine Film Festival, Rochester International LGBTQ Film Festival, and the Pan African Film Festival. They've been recognized by the AT&T Film Award and Atlanta International Film Festival. Mason holds degrees from Princeton University, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University. They are a member of Page 73's Interstate 73 Writers Group, the co-host of Sister Roger's Gayborhood podcast, and the co-founder/lead mentor of the New Visions Fellowship for Black Trans and Gender non-conforming playwrights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#51 - Roger Q. Mason: Wig the F*ck Out

“As multi-hyphenates, we are living boldly and loudly. We’re putting a lot on the line, right? In a world that’s full of judgement -- you’re allowing a lot of people in a lot of different ways to be like, “I wonder how this turns out.” Andrew Levitt attributes his lengthy stay at Drag Race to the many years he’s dedicated to building his career. He always knew he was a creative person -- but at the age of 16, Levitt started to come to terms with his sexuality and used the theatre to connect with other men like him. The hysterical Andrew Levitt, has always been well versed in pop culture because of his early exposure to shows like Murder She Wrote and Laugh In.  Levitt, who as Nina West has entered the hearts of millions across the world after winning Miss Congeniality on RuPaul’s Drag Race is now about to enter theatres all across the nation as Edna in the upcoming national tour of Hairspray.  As a multi-hyphenate, Levitt identifies as a drag queen - actor - writer - producer - podcaster - self made everyman - brother - son. It’s always so interesting when artists include their family roles in their hyphens, but Andrew says that it’s informed every step of his career.  “My dream was worthy and valuable,” he says. “They needed to be guided a little bit. I can’t fault them for that. My multi-hyphenate is almost almost always in regard to the evolution and the belief that I am capable of more than just.” Andrew gets to define himself through his art in a very personal way -- which leads to an evolution, something that every multi-hyphenate artist experiences. Multi-hyphenation is all about evolving and claiming one’s own power. “I think it’s okay to say I want the world,” says Levitt. “And I think it’s okay to say I have the world. I can be a badass drag queen. I can go act. I can go write a book. I can release music. I can also produce a television show and consult on a musical. Look at what I can do.” This episode is full of gay humor, Drag Race dish, multi-hyphenate inspiration, stories of past lives, and Levitt’s experience auditioning for the upcoming national tour of Hairspray!  Nina West is an American drag queen, actor and singer/songwriter based in Columbus, Ohio played by Andrew Levitt and is the most Googled Drag Queen In The World from 2020-2021 with over 7.8 billion unique searches. She rose to national prominence in 2019 with her appearance on VH1’s Emmy winning show RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11, where she placed sixth and won Miss Congeniality. In 2021 she returned to the show and was anointed “America’s Sweetheart” by RuPaul herself. She has released 3 EP’s. In 2021, she partnered with Nickelodeon and Blues’s Clues for a series of Pride videos that went viral with over 2million views. On June 27th 2021, Nina Hosted the First Ever DISNEY PLUS PRIDE Celebration Spectacular, a celebration of the LGBTQ Community with Disney classics reinterprutted by LGBTQ artists like Hayley Kioyoko, Todrick Hall and Alex Newell. West has been performing in central Ohio and around the United States for the last 18 years, doing regional theater and of course, drag. As Nina West, she has produced over 35 main stage production shows. West writes/hosts/directs/performs in the annual sold out "Heels of Horror" show at Axis Nightclub. In 2008, she won the Entertainer of the Year award, and was included in Columbus Business First's "40 Under 40" list in 2018 and2019. Nina is a LGBTQ advocate and has raised over $4million for charitable causes in the last decade alone, through her charitable foundation The Nina West Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#50 - Nina West: Drag Race ASMR

According to Alex, a multi-hyphenate is someone who sees the world and wants to offer their own prism.  All her friends think she’s crazy -- with her crystals adorning her dressing room at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Broadway. But Alex brings up The Saturn Return, which is a personal change that happens in a human’s life around every 30 years. Connecting it to the theatre, she looks at it like the three acts of a person's life.  Alex was fortunate when she graduated from The Boston Conservatory in 2011. She was asked by a professor what her dream was -- and she responded with “paying bills as an actor.” But Alex realized after graduation, when she booked the national tour of The Addams Family, that she could not make her living touring on the road. She began to set new goals and boundaries on herself, but still risking burn out and approval from the rooms she was auditioning in. “Around the Saturn Return time, I started to realize how much of that creative power I was giving away to other people,” Matteo says.  If you’re an artist, we check how the industry is perceived in the media and how it negatively and positively affects the expectations of young artists. This episode is chock full of inspirational information for starting a new project, establishing new goals and boundaries, self worth and productivity, being a Slave to the Muse, and unpacking the moments where we say, “There has to be more.”  “Your profession can’t be your everything,” continues Matteo. “You have to have other things that spark creativity within you. We are all creative beings and we all have this thread of creativity that runs within us, and I think that the people who are really successful, regardless of what you do, are people who have tapped into that creative energy and figured out how to work with it, as opposed to fight it.”  Alex Matteo - Broadway: Mrs. Doubtfire, A Bronx Tale, Annie (u/s Lily, Grace, Star to be) National Tours: Dirty Dancing (u/s Baby, Lisa, Elizabeth), Anything Goes, Addams Family (u/s Wednesday) Select Regional: 5th Avenue (doubtfire), Walnut Street/Riverside (Stephanie Mangano - Saturday Night Fever), MSMT (Stephanie Mangano - Saturday Night Fever), Goodspeed (A Sign of the Times), DTC (A Sign of the Times, u/s for Chilina Kennedy). Alex is a Broadway actor/woo woo enthusiast walking that fine line between surviving and thriving all while trying to give her dog Millie the life she deserves. After nearly a decade on Broadway Alex realized, true creativity stems from seeing the world that's handed to us and offering back something more beautiful. Whether on stage, in the kitchen or at home, Alex is fueled by the belief that our unique creative lens is what brings people together. She is an avid supporter of crop tops, and it is said she can assemble the most impressive charcuterie board this side of the Mississippi. She is also the creator and host of the Pull It Together Podcast. Pull It Together pulls back the curtain on life as a creative. Each week Broadway actor, Alex Matteo sits down with multi-passionate creatives who are breaking the mold debunking myths of creativity. Whether through food, design, art or entertaining Pull It Together is your destination for creativity with an emphasis on finding beauty in the everyday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#49 - Alex Matteo: The Saturn Return

Carlie Craig (MadTV) and host Michael Kushner started their journey into the theatre industry together when they were young kids. Growing up doing theatre in a facility that houses national tours, music performances, comedians, fine art and more - it allowed us to be exposed to a plethora of different kinds of art.  The pandemic has caused many artists to revisit the things they know are true. And for Carlie, it’s back to the basics. Heading back to her home state of Florida, she’s not only spending a temporary time where she grew up but also spending time with the teachers who helped shape her.  When Carlie headed back to Florida, she hit up her first voice teacher. “I can’t really explain it… just something, when I was deciding to come home for a couple of months, something was just lingering in the back of my head that was like “You should call Gisbert” because I knew being home, I wanted to work on my craft… I wanted to continue to evolve. I wanted to continue to grow.”  After some personal road bumps and soul searching, Carlie found herself with an opportunity to invest in herself and her healing journey. It seems to be a pandemic theme, doesn't it?  But when Carlie has a will, she finds a way, “What I’ve learned,” she says, “as long as you have some sort of finish line in place, everything else will work itself out.” Even when she booked 54 Below in NYC for a solo show before she even could afford a plane ticket, Carlie figured out a way to make it happen. After MadTV abruptly ended, Carlie listened to what she knew best… going back to the stage. And that’s what this episode is all about -- listening to what is true to you and following it through. Carlie’s vibrance is contagious, and truly, she makes you feel like everything is achievable, no matter what. After listening to Carlie’s stories of how she booked some of her biggest credits to date, anything actually is achievable. Carlie Craig is an actress, singer and South Florida native who is most known for her work on the CW's reboot of the iconic sketch show MADtv. Carlie moved to Los Angeles ten days after graduating from Florida State University with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre & Media Production. She then began her work as assistant to Broadway star and YouTube sensation, Todrick Hall, which led to touring with him internationally as a singer & actress, starring in his hit MTV docuseries Todrick and serving as a vocalist on his groundbreaking visual album, Straight Outta Oz. Carlie gained online recognition with her video Celebrity Impressions, which has been viewed over 8 million times across multiple platforms. She then appeared on USA's comedy competition show, First Impressions with Dana Carvey, where she wowed the SNL alum with her spot-on impersonations of Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth and Emma Stone. Carlie has performed her all-original one woman musicals Have Several Seats and Me! The Musical! in cabaret venues across Los Angeles & NYC and cannot wait to bring her shows back to audiences again once we are all finally vaccinated. You can currently catch Carlie starring in Kevin Hart's LOL Network comedy series The Donors, streaming now on lolnetwork.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#48 - Carlie Craig: Have the Finish Line in Place

Happy Pride! "Ultimately, I think our job as artists is to share the secrets of our heart so that others may be set free... saving our own lives so that others can save theirs." Erik Liberman soothes the soul, simple as that. Whether or not it’s his voice, his charm, his talent, or his point of view, Erik makes the world better for other people.  “It’s not enough to want to make it, you’ve got to have something to make it with,” is a quote he holds near and dear. After the experience of seeing Chita Rivera in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and having said that to Erik, it kept him focused and able to hang in the industry and build success; a concept we touch on in this episode paired with failure.  Whenever interacting with someone, Erik tries to hold a vision for who someone was and who they will be. In a place of presence, it not only meets them in the now, but it extends forward and backwards. “We seek to be drawn from the plague of linear time into an encounter of infinity,” he says. “And that’s why with great stars they say they stopped time.” Erik is also a survivor of a near death experience, which has informed his artistry. “What I realized was the thing that everything was fearing: death, was the wrong place to put the focus,” he says. “The place to put the focus is on utilizing the time one has in the body to do what one came for.” In this episode, Erik provides incredibly useful insight and tools on how the multi-hyphenate experience helps us understand the ecosystem of show business as a whole. You’ll also hear us touch on the concept of vulnerability, weaponizing vulnerability, near death experiences, dignity & alignment, existentialism, commercial theatre, activism, and the discipline to sit down with yourself and create something that is bigger than you.  "Multifaceted, irreducible, and astonishing." - Joan Juliet Buck, former editor-in-chief of French Vogue Mentored by Maureen Stapleton, named a YoungArts winner in high school, and trained at London's Complicité and National Theatre, where he came under the wing of Dame Judi Dench. He received a grant to study with master clown teacher Philippe Gaulier in France, and in Los Angeles, was the face of noted improv-and-sketch-comedy school, The Groundlings. Liberman was "discovered" by 21-time Tony Award winning director and producer Hal Prince as a winner of the Lotte Lenya Competition. Prince hired him for his Broadway debut in Lovemusik, written by Oscar winner Alfred Uhry and starring Tony winners Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris, remarking of the actor, "Erik is the real deal. Once you've seen him, you can't forget him." Liberman went on to receive Helen Hayes, Ovation, Garland, and Connecticut Critics Circle Awards, his onstage work reviewed as "a showcase of sheer star power." He originated the roles of The Telephone Guy in the award-winning Band's Visit opposite Tony Shalhoub, Charles Revson opposite Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole in War Paint, and Clopin in Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, and Peter Parnell's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Other theatre highlights include: Motel the Tailor in Fiddler opposite Harvey Fierstein and the film's star, Topol. Some television credits include: Amazon’s Transparent, Modern Family, and Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl, and he will soon appear in the film American Dream.  Liberman has contributed to books including Performance of the Century, Wisdom From an Empty Mind, and Luminous Life. His master class series, Bridge to Broadway, benefited 45 charities and earned him a 2020 Encore Award from The Actors Fund, and he is currently developing a new book, documentary, and series for television.  For more information, please visit www.erikliberman.org and follow @erikliberman. Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#47 - Erik Liberman: The Near Death Experience

Happy Pride! “The type of multi-hyphenate I am is I need to really clearly be able to compartmentalize what version of myself is being put into what thing. In terms of photography, if I have not been doing freeform things - I feel like I’m being worked to the bone.”  L Morgan Lee (A Strange Loop) is an artist who sees herself through her photography. And if anyone wants to know anything about her, all you have to do is look at one of her images. As we celebrate Pride month in 2021, this episode is an enjoyable and honest slice of life for two LGBTQIA+ multi-hyphenates in the theatre industry, both of who happen to be photographers. L Morgan’s first priority is being an actress. She keeps in mind that perception is so much a part of the business, so it’s in her best interest to be as specific as possible in terms of being an actress. “The group of ladies that I would love to be with in terms of acting,'' she says, “You can’t just go on a website and book them for headshots.” Being a multi-hyphenate also welcomes different communities. “I think community is number-one a life line to me,” she says. “I need to have people that I feel close to. I have a community of trans women who are over fifty. There’s two or three girls who have taught me so much without even knowing they are teaching me.” And of course, there’s some photographer dishing - so are you ready for the tea to be spilled? Between L and Michael, the stories from behind the lens are endless. For one, they view the headshot as a survival job, while the other views the headshot as a way to express themselves. So, if each photographer has their own view of the art form - is there contention? Is there jealousy? Is it territorial? What are the boundaries we enforce to protect our heart?  Plus, if you’re a business owner, like a photographer, L Morgan and Michael go deep into the practices of owning a business and finding the sweet spot of how to stay accessible, but also charging rates where the business owner can survive.  Enjoy this episode as Michael and L Morgan dive into knowing one’s worth, money management, trans identity, joining the circles of our inspirations, a photographer’s boundaries, and what it means to take charge of how the industry perceives an artist.  L MORGAN LEE (she/her) is an Obie award-winning actress, theatre maker, and photographer. She is most known for her performance in the Pulitzer Prize winning musical, A Strange Loop which garnered her a Lucille Lortel nomination and the distinction of being the first openly transgender actress to originate a role in a Pulitzer Prize winning piece of theatre. Most recently, L Morgan was cast to portray artist Lili Elbe in a British musical adaptation of the novel, The Danish Girl being workshopped in the UK. She is also developing a new play entitled, The Women (2021) which was seen in Ars Nova's 2021 Vision Residency. Other credits include new works with Long Wharf Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, 5th Avenue Theater, Musical Theatre Factory and more. L Morgan is dedicated to being a part of work centering underrepresented voices on both stage and screen. "She needed a hero, so that's what she became." For more: lmorganlee.com Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#46 - L Morgan Lee: The Perception of the Multi-Hyphenate

“I am a believer in the ‘Why’. Once I owned that purpose, once I identified that that was my purpose… all my hyphens made sense. Instead of feeling like a jack of all trades, master of none - I was finally under this umbrella of ‘Why’. I’m a healer.”  Mary Jo McConnell’s purpose is simple: to heal. Not only is this incredible artist a part of the theatre industry for 35+ years as an actor, but her identity as a Veteran has provided her the incredible opportunity to work with, and most importantly heal, Veterans by using theatre as medicine tools in personal healing. This episode is incredibly unique in a multitude of ways. Mary Jo opens us up to the perspective of Veterans healing by using theatre and also leads us through an exercise to ground ourselves and be present in the moment without judgement.  “Oftentimes the givers, the healers will extend themselves to show compassion for others, and hold space for others, and forget about the need to do it for themselves.”  As we emerge from the pandemic, healing should be in the forefront of our mind. How can we help heal the world around us, while still being present for ourselves? After recharging her batteries, Mary Jo has the perspective and experience to lend expertise as we gently guide ourselves towards recovering from the trauma.  If you’re looking to begin to move on, this episode is the gateway to start. Mary Jo’s voice is calming, shifting, and above all else: healing. While her voice is soothing, her intensity shines through. When asked about the comparisons between a soldier and an actor, she says, “I think the fact that they are two very committed beings, two incredibly committed entities, and committed in mind, body, and spirit. All of those things need to be aligned in order to achieve the mission. There’s something about being in the military - that level of camaraderie - that I have not found duplicated… even in the theatre.” Please be advised this episode contains conversation of sexual assault in the military.  Broadway National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), All Shook Up, Sister Act. Original Soap Star in the off-Broadway production of Menopause, the Musical. Regional theaters: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Paper Mill Playhouse, and more. Currently: UNA, the Nazi bombmaker in the Amazon Prime Series Hunters. Other TV: Pan Am, Masters of Sex, and One Life to Live. Indie films: “Trumped” (producing, co-writing and starring). Proud founding artist and winner of an inaugural “Builder Award” from The Musical Theatre Factory. Veteran: De-Cruit: using personal narrative and Shakespeare to mitigate trauma. CD: “A Voice for Healing”. Co-founder of the Veteran Arts Workshop-Online Portal (VAW-OP) and is offering free classes in arts/mindfulness to veterans and their families. IG: @maryjomcconnell ﻿Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#45 - Mary Jo McConnell: Healing: The Artist & The Combat Soldier

“I think there needs to be a new wave of producers who lead from the heart. Producing can be an artistic, beautiful process if you choose to make it that way.” Vasthy Mompoint has frequented Broadway in shows such as The Prom, Spongebob, Mary Poppins, and more. Most recently, Vasthy played Tameka in the Ryan Murphy Netflix film version of The Prom. She is also the creator of Vasthy’s Friends, a children’s show born out of the realization that there is a disconnect in the education system regarding racism and equality, which promotes activism in kids.  To Vasthy, a multi-hyphenate is using all parts of the artistic brain without the limits put on you by the industry. It’s breaking the handcuffs of all the technicalities and allowing for artistic freedom.  Vasthy produces, she performs, she plays the guitar, she writes… “And it’s not because I’m brilliant at them,” she says, “I just genuinely enjoy doing those.” A little over two years before we recorded this episode, Vasthy became very sick - and because she was sick she wasn’t able to do many of the things she loved. Instead, she started writing which came out freely. After writing and producing a show for 54 Below and then submitting her writing to CBS, Vasthy found a whole new voice as a writer and producer. Out of illness came a new identity.  “Producing your own show doesn’t have to be imitating something someone else did, or looking at the way it’s all been done… it’s literally bringing who you are, your authentic self, how you feel, how you want to tell your story because it’s you - you get to control everything.” Vasthy wants to see real people and stories on stage - so going from Spongebob to The Prom on Broadway was incredibly special as she was able to connect with audiences of a younger age who were able to see themselves on stage. Vasthy also keys us into the incredible way she fights the system, by producing Vashty’s Friends which provides young children to not only see themselves on screen, but also to learn compassion and empathy about others. “It’s easier to teach a kid to love, than to teach an adult how to not hate.” Vashty says. And she’s completely correct.  Vasthy Mompoint is an Actress, Dancer, Singer, by way of Alabama, North Carolina, and Haiti. On-screen Vasthy has appeared in Nora from Queens (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), The Prom Movie (dir Ryan Murphy), Dick Johnson is dead (Kirsten Johnson) The Mysteries of Laura (Norman Buckley), The Detour (Jason Jones) and The Cartoon show, The Winx Club. On stage, Vasthy has appeared on numerous stages from Broadway to Egypt including Prom The Musical, Spongebob Squarepants, Mary Poppins, The Taming of the Shrew, Rocky, Ghost, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Aida, Hair, 42nd Street, and Ragtime. As a dancer, Vasthy has performed with James Corden, Yolanda Adams, Brian McKnight, Michael Jackson, Marc Anthony, Gloria Gaynor and more. And Vasthy has also created Vasthy’s Friends, a video platform for Broadway performers to write, choreograph, and and compose original kid-friendly programming. Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#44 - Vasthy Mompoint: Find Your Treehouse

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on him not understanding it.”  If we looked at the industry like a cell, Jen Waldman would be the mitochondria, or the powerhouse. With a lustrous career on stage, Jen began to venture into other facets in the industry breaking down barrier after barrier as an acting teacher - acting coach - leadership coach - podcaster - business owner - director/choreographer. “When it's working at it’s best,” Waldman says of her outlook on theatre, “I think of theatre as really responsible and relevant story telling with an eye on the impact that you seek to have not only on the audience, but the audience’s audience.” Not everything needs to be loaded with emotion, pathos, or drama, but we do need to hold ourselves accountable when creating theatre. Jen continues how when she sees theatre, she tries to go on a day where there is a talkback available in hopes of continuing the circular experience of taking responsibility, unpacking the story as a community, and calling yourself in for how one sees the show.  In this episode we speak about theatrical environments, multi-hyphenate potential, how a Swing on Broadway is a multi-hyphenate in itself, the individual journey, and how the industry can prevent the growth and experience of the multi-hyphenate.  And speaking of the stunting of the multi-hyphenate experience, Waldman goes in on how the multi-hyphenate potential is there for everyone and it is infuriating the way our industry has tried to dissuade people from having multiple pursuits. This episode is incredibly inspiring to any artist at any level, so dive into Jen Waldman’s incredible outlook and be inspired to get to work, no matter the ways show business tries to silence your impulses. This episode also features a question from Luisa L. which touches on burnout in the segment You Got A Question. Jen is the founder of Jen Waldman Studio, a creative home and training studio for professional theatre Artists . On March 12, 2020, when Broadway shut down, JWS Artists were appearing in 14 Broadway shows. On April 5, 2020, JWS moved its entire operations online and is now a creative home to theatre Artists in 39 states and 13 countries. Jen brings her 20+ years of Broadway experience into the world of business and served as the Artistic Director of the Hangar Theatre and as the Artistic Director of Breaking Bread Theatre Company. She served a 5 year term as the Theatre Chair for the National YoungArts Foundation, and was awarded a Proclamation from the City of New York in 2009 for her work galvanizing the Broadway community in support of marriage equality. She has directed and choreographed productions at theatres across the country. Earlier in her career, Jen worked as an actor, appearing on Broadway in Titanic and Wicked, also touring the US as Nessarose, the Wicked Witch of the East. Jen is the co-host of the podcast The Long and the Short of It with PeterShepherd. Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#43 - Jen Waldman: The Titanic Leader

“Being open to the idea that your dreams coming true often look very different to how you first imagine them.”  Bringing compassion and kindness; intentional generosity into whatever space is possible. That’s what Come From Away’s Christine Toy Johnson is all about. In fact, that’s what this whole episode is about. From sharing where we were on 9/11 to global world views in casting a representation, in this episode we tackle what it means to integrate compassion, kindness, and intentional generosity into our art.  When did Christine start to identify as a multi-hyphenate? When Christine was four years old, she began as a child model who also put on plays for her family about the Twelve Days of Christmas. It wasn’t long after she realized she needed to do many things not just to survive, but to find happiness.  Christine is an actor, writer, director, and advocate for inclusion and her career truly is an extension of her soul. Right at the top of her bio, she prides herself on breaking the color barrier. What does that mean? When Christine started out in the industry, there was almost an expectation of the roles she could play. On representation, Christine says, “There is a direct line between underrepresentation and the perpetualization of harmful stereotypes all the way to the dehumanization and erasure of the three dimensional people that make up the population whose actions are they trying to reflect.” In the episode, Christine breaks this down from the perspective of an advocate for inclusion.  Christine is right - and she’s built a career on being right! But of course, we’re human and sometimes we get in our own way. But Christine always rises above. She says, “There’s no time to wallow in self doubt that would debilitate you and take you off course.”  Speaking of rising above, Christine took quarantine by the horns and focused on her writing. She finds her through line is about belonging, finding her place in the industry, and being sure that we all belong, all while finding that other people (consciously or subconsciously) disagree.  This episode is full of joy, inspiration, first hand experience, and lots of helpful steps for budding producers and creators - for example, what a grant is and how to apply for one. As always, please rate, review, and subscribe to Dear Multi-Hyphenate! Christine Toy Johnson is an award-winning writer, actor, director and advocate for inclusion. Her written works have been produced and/or developed by the Roundabout, Village Theatre, Barrow Group, Prospect Theatre, Weston Playhouse, O’Neill, Women’s Theatre Festival, CAP 21, Greater Boston Stage Company, the Abingdon Theatre Company and more and are included in the Library of Congress’s Asian Pacific American Performing Arts Collection (Playwrights Division). She is an alum of the BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, was a 2016 fellow of The Writers Lab (supported by Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Oprah Winfrey), serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild and is host of the Guild’s podcast "Talkback" on Broadway Podcast Network. As an actor, Christine has appeared extensively on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in regional theatres across the country and nearly 100 television and film appearances including recurring guest star roles on Marvel’s “Iron Fist”, “Bull”, “The Americans”, “You”, “Law and Order: SVU” and more and is on "extended intermission" from the North American tour of COME FROM AWAY. Rosetta LeNoire, JACL, Asian American Arts Alliance, Obie awards for advocacy in diversity and inclusion. For details, please visit www.christinetoyjohnson.com   In the segment You Got A Question? Michael features a question from a college student who asks "When do we know when to add a hyphen to our multi-hyphenate identity?" Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#42 - Christine Toy Johnson: Breaking the Color Barrier

“It’s not going to be perfect, but nothing is perfect. The hardest thing about making music is finishing music.” How does the multi-hyphenate differ from coast to coast? On this episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate, dj-choreographer-producer-performer, wasn’t originally drawn to the word multi-hyphenate or “Renaissance Woman”. But in 2021, Penny Wildman, who also goes by PENNYWILD, resonates with the phrase as she no longer waits for permission to tackle her avenues.  Are we in a new era of Artist’s Guilt and has it flipped on its head? Where an Artist's Guilt is usually born out of an artist feeling they aren’t creating enough… in a response to a pandemic, is it the guilt now is a response to creating too much, especially in a world where so many people are less inspired to create.  PennyWild is always finding the balance in, you guessed it, social media - especially TikTok. The app can change lives, but is the Russian Roulette gamble worth it? What does growth actually look like and how can we get from point A to point B. Like PennyWild says, sometimes we are just flying by the seat of our pants. Sometimes it just takes ONE moment to hit us in the “pleasure center” to disenroll from our college courses and switch gears. People may think it’s weird, but when we find paths for artistic opportunities - it can create a beautiful orb of work. It may not make sense on paper, but it’s a beautiful thing. “Nothing in life is black and white. It’s all very nuanced. It’s all very complicated and that really checks out with this year.” Penny Wildman is a Music Producer, DJ, Director, and Choreographer living in Los Angeles by way of New York City. She has choreographed/directed for the likes of Zedd, Rich The Kid, Laidback Luke, Enrique Iglesias, Marian Hill, Weird Al, Gucci Mane, amongst others. Theatrical Choreography credits include Ryan Murphy’s FEUD: Bette & Joan (FX), ANNIE at The Hollywood Bowl (Associate), Merrily… at The Wallis Theatre (Associate), The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Boston Conservatory, Little Miss Fix-It at PACE University, etc.  As PENNYWILD, she has performed at globally renowned music festivals such as Coachella, SXSW, Lightning in a Bottle, BUKU Arts Festival, HARD Summer etc. She released her 1st single on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records, followed by her debut EP on Dome of Doom Records in October 2020. Her sophomore EP will be released Summer 2021.  Penny appeared on London’s prestigious West End in the iconic Broadway musical West Side Story and toured with the production throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. Penny is also a Dance Coach/Choreographer for MTCA (Musical Theatre College Auditions).  Find her @PennyWildMusic and PennyWildMusic.com.  Michael Kushner is NYC’s leading multi-hyphenate and the Executive Produce of the EMMY Nominated series Indoor Boys. Performance: On the Town at Barrington Stage (Pre Broadway, Directed by John Rando). Featured in The NYTimes, Vogue, The Tony Awards, Playbill, and more. Creator of The Dressing Room Project. Other Producing: XaveMePlease, starring Isaac Powell, (Frameline43 Festival in San Fran), Moments in the Woods (A Virtual Gala for the HFWAA featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, nominated for a BroadwayWorld Award), Betsy Wolfe’s A Pants Optional Holiday. Upcoming Producing: The Pink Unicorn, a film starring Alice Ripley, written by Elise Forier Edie. In 2020, Michael served as 2020 KeyNote speaker for Florida Thespians. www.michaelkushneronline.com or www.michaelkushnerphotography.com. Proud AEA Member. Ithaca College BFA Musical Theatre. @themichaelkushner on IG and TikTok. In the segment You Got A Question? Michael features a question from Jessica P. on (asked on TikTok) who asks why we should no longer use the word 'quirky' when describing ourselves to headshot photographers, agents, and managers. Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#41 - PennyWild: An Artist's Guilt

“I don’t feel good about myself in the day unless I’m making something.” This inspiring and hysterical episode is just two gay, Jewish boys kibbitzing about our trajectories in the theatre while breaking down stereotypes and expectations. If you’re a fan of the hit web series Indoor Boys, breaking heteronormitve barriers, selling projects, and… The Hindenburg… then this episode is for you.  Alex Wyse is an accomplished actor in tv/film and Broadway who not only performs, but his hyphens also include writer, director, and producer. From his earliest memories of being an aspiring child magician, he realized he too can also write a song, write plays, and create. After a college experience that was less than favorable, he began to write on his own work out of necessity. Like many multi-hyphenates, Alex also ran into the statement many people tell us - which is, “You have to pick one thing.” Together, Michael and Alex break down the idea of why picking one art form is outdated and, quite frankly, not helpful. The world today is more receptive to the multi-hyphenate than ever before, but people do still believe artists have to be stuck in the binary. How can your art defy genre and expectations?  Alex and writing/directing partner Wes Taylor have also struck gold. Together, they wrote an Emmy Nominated character in their webseries Indoor Boys, which Michael produced. Telling stories that influence change, no matter how big or small, is what Alex is about. Through whatever his hyphen, Alex wants to give space to people to tell the stories they are meant to tell. This episode was recorded on the day a straight actor was nominated for a Golden Globe for portraying a gay man, which infuriates Alex and goes against what Alex stands for. Alex says, “The way I can be a social advocate is through my writing.” Alex Wyse is an actor, writer, director, and producer. He co-created the digital series “Indoor Boys,” which was nominated for an Emmy Award, won twelve Indie Series Awards, and was acquired by Here TV. He has been seen on Broadway in Waitress, Spring Awakening, Lysistrata Jones, on Tour in Wicked, off Broadway in Ride the Cyclone, Bare, and Triassic Parq, and regionally at Hartford Stage, Deaf West, Paper Mill Playhouse, Cleveland Play House, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, and more. He’s been seen on TV in “Iron Fist,” “Masters of Sex,” “NCIS: LA,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Modern Family,” “Agent X,” “Bad Judge,” “A to Z,” “Switched at Birth,” and “Bored to Death,” and on film in X/Y and Dating My Mother. He co-produced What the Constitution Means to Me on Broadway and on Tour. BFA: Boston University. In the segment You Got A Question? Michael features a question from Heather A., who asks if her daughter should go to college for theatre and what is the difference between a BA and a BFA? Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#40 - Alex Wyse: "Oh, the Humanity!"

Dear Multi-hyphenate explores the full potential of an artist in show business. Are you unsure if you could do anything other than what your BFA allows you to do? Are you sitting on a project and you have no idea how to get started? What if others have cornered you into thinking that you are just an actor, or just a director, or just a producer? Let go of the rules and take agency of your full potential! Listen to me and my guests, the leaders of the multi-hyphenation station, as we dissect the mentality and possibilities about doing it all.

hubhopper

Dear Multi-hyphenate

hubhopper