Born in Hunan, China, and raised by two moms outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan, I grew up as one of the only Asian kids in school. And, one of the only queer kids. I stood out from my peers, and for a while, I struggled to really embrace it. I came out as trans when I was 12 and started my social transition in middle school. With the support of a local group for queer and trans youth, I found a way to share my story. I learned how to tell my story in my own words. And later, I went public, documenting my transition online. Through Instagram, Huffington Post Articles, and MTV Voices, I documented my medical transition. I found a community of trans men and queer and trans people of color during my journey. Since coming out, my activism has centered the narratives of trans people, particularly trans people of color; authentic representation in the media; and deconstructing gendered systems. On screen Leo stars as Micah Lee on Showtime’s THE L WORD - GENERATION Q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

Episode 267 - Leo Sheng

Kristolyn Lloyd is an award winning Broadway Actress and Singer who is located in New York. She most recently was Jo March in an Off-Broadway Production of Little Women and Princess Faye in Bliss the Musical in Seattle. She is most known for originating the role of Alana Beck in the Tony Award Winning musical Dear Evan Hansen as well as more noticeable roles such as Heather Duke in Heather the Musical Off-Broadway and Dayzee on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She has worked as an audition coach, teacher, and director for all ages and was more recently honored with the Core Values Award for Artistry Professionalism and Compassion by Broadway For All, an organization committed to the inclusion and equity of BIPOC young professionals in the arts. She has directed and produced her own shows as well as assisted for Tony Award winning directors. She is an Activist and an Artist and is passionate about investing in and educating a more diverse and eclectic future generation of artist. Her training includes a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, John Rosenfeld Studios, and The Upright Citizens Brigade. Before having a successful acting career spent her summers coaching competitive swimmers and Tri-athletes. She was a lifeguard and a fitness instructor for all ages but specialized in cardio and plyometrics training. When she has the time she trains and runs in marathons and triathlons on the east and west coast or you can find her in Cross Fit or Core Rhythm Fitness. She believes that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything and that pushing yourself physically has mental and spiritual benefits.When training or co-training she focuses on the now and achieving personal goals one step at a time in the gym and in the kitchen. Photo Credit- Anthony Chatmon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 266 - Kristolyn Lloyd

Ethan Slater is an actor, writer and musician (mostly) based in New York. He was nominated for a Tony Award, and won the Drama Desk Award for playing SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Musical, which also happened to be his Broadway debut! As a writer, some upcoming projects include the films Intervenors and Silent Mode, both of which he co-wrote and co-stars in. He’s released two EPs of original music, available on Spotify (or wherever you listen to stuff). As an actor, other theater includes: Who’s Your Baghdaddy..., PEMDAS, Camelot (Lincoln Center), and when theater returns this fall (!), he will be playing Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer in Assassins at Classic Stage Company. Some TV/film credits: Fosse/Verdon (FX), Law and Order (NBC), Murphy Brown (CBS), SpongeBob: Live On Stage (Nickelodeon), Evol, Untitled Vanessa Del Rio Biopic (upcoming), Kurt. (upcoming). IG: @ethanslater TW: @ethansaslater Nick Blaemire is a writer and performer based in Brooklyn. At 23 years old, Nick wrote the Broadway one-night-sensation rock musical Glory Days, which has since had over 50 productions around the world -- and will re-open in Japan in Fall 2021. He has written five other original musicals: A Little More Alive (commissioned by Broadway Across America, produced at Williamstown, Kansas City Rep, Barrington Stage, and is optioned as a feature film); Soon (premiered at Signature Theatre, upcoming at the Prima Theatre Fall 2021); Fallout (with Kyle Jarrow), Edge of the World (with Ethan Slater) and Space Dogs (with Van Hughes, upcoming Winter 2022 Off-Broadway at MCC Theatre). Nick has released three EPs of pop songs, all available on iTunes, Spotify, etc. As an actor, he most recently completed the National Tour of Falsettos as Mendel, recurred on Dash & Lily on Netflix, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Jon in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tick, Tick...Boom!. IG: @blaemire TW: @nickblaemir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 265 - Ethan Slater and Nick Blaemire

1964-2021 Rarely at a loss for work, Garson had appeared in over 300 episodes of television and more than 70 films. Garson is best known for his long runs on television, as Mozzie on WHITE COLLAR, Stanford Blatch on SEX AND THE CITY, and Henry Coffield on NYPD BLUE. Other TV series include ASK HARRIET, and JOHN FROM CINCINNATTI. He had been recurring as the grifter with a heart of gold Gerard Hirsch on "HAWAII 5-0" since 2015. Born in New Jersey, he started training at The Actors Institute In New York, before majoring in Psychology and Theater at Wesleyan University. After graduation, he quickly started landing guest roles on shows such as CHEERS, FAMILY TIES, THIRTYSOMETHING, LA LAW, as well as continually recurring on a wide array of shows including XFILES, TWIN PEAKS, TWO & A HALF MEN, STARGATE, PUSHING DAISIES, THE PRACTICE, ALLY MCBEAL, JUST SHOOT ME, SPIN, SALVATION, etc etc. His favorite longform on TV was Dr. Kreutz for Steven Spielberg in the acclaimed miniseries TAKEN. On the big screen, other than reprising his SEX & THE CITY role for two features, he has collaborated with the Farrely Brothers on 3 films, SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, KINGPIN, and FEVER PITCH, as well as appearing in SOAPDISH, GROUNDHOG DAY, MARS ATTACKS, THE ROCK, BEING JOHN MALKOVITCH, FEED, POLKA KING, and many others. He has often been re-used by such varied directors as Spike Jonze, Michael Bay, the late great Mike Nichols, and Ron Shelton. Garson continued to perform with various bi-coastal theater companies such as Naked Angles, Manhattan Theater Club, The Roundabout Theater, and The Geffen. He is very involved with many charities, including AMFAR, Camp Joslin for Diabetes, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and especially The Alliance for Childrens Rights, which facilitates adoptions in LA County---this has a special place in the Garson family, as Willie adopted his son Nathen in Los Angeles in 2010, and has twice served as National Spokesman for National Adoption Day, as well as winning the Francis Wheat Award from The Alliance, and many others. Willie and Nathen speak about adoption nationwide. Aside from acting, Garsonwas known as a world-class poker player, having been nicknamed "Evil Willie" on the first episode of CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN, and continued to play in tournaments all over the world, both for charity, and through the WORLD POKER TOUR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 264 - A Tribute to Willie Garson

NGOZI ANYANWU is a playwright, storyteller, and most recently a 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award winner. Previous productions include Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre in NYC / Center Theatre Group in LA) and The Homecoming Queen (sold-out world premiere run at Atlantic Theater Company). Good Grief was on the Kilroys List 2016 and a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and won the Humanitas Award. The Homecoming Queen was on the Kilroys List 2017 and was a Leah Ryan Finalist. Her play Nike… (Kilroys List 2017) was workshopped at The New Black Fest in conjunction with The Lark and The Strand Festival in conjunction with A.C.T and Space on Ryder Farm. Ngozi also has commissions with NYU, The Old Globe, Two Rivers Theatre, Atlantic Theater, and Steppenwolf. Anyanwu has also received residencies from LCT3, Space on Ryder Farm, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The New Harmony Project, New York Stage and Film, and Page 73. She attended Point Park University (BA) and received her MFA in Acting from University of California, San Diego. DANIEL J. WATTS is an NYC-based multidisciplinary artist. For acting, Watts is a 2020 Tony Award nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his portrayal of Ike Turner in the hit Broadway musical TINA. He has appeared in nine Broadway shows including Hamilton, Memphis, and After Midnight. He received the Barrymore Award (People’s Light) and the LA Ovation Award (Geffen Playhouse) for Best Featured Actor for his portrayal of Sammy Davis, Jr. in Lights Out: Nat King Cole opposite Dulé Hill. TV credits include Season 3 of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Seasons 1 & 2 of “The Last OG,” “Blindspot,” and “Vinyl.” Off-Broadway he has starred as the title character in Suzan-Lori Parks' Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead (Signature Theatre) and Whorl Inside a Loop (Second Stage Theater). A play-on-words, Daniel J. Watts’ The Jam pays homage to Watts’ great-grandmother who, after making jam from scratch, would share with others what she was unable to consume herself. The Jam is Watts’ continuation of that legacy, blending elements of stand-up comedy and compelling storytelling with his original spoken word, often set to music and/or dance. The Jam: Only Child was a wide success at the 2020 Public Theater Under the Radar Festival and has also streamed as part of the Signature Theater (DC) 2020-2021 season. Inaugural (2020) ANTONYO Award Winner for Best Quarantine Content. His original work and musical collaborations are featured on Raphael Saadiq’s newest album “Jimmy Lee,” Tituss Burgess’ “Saint Tituss,” Divinity Roxx’s “ImPossible,” Nick Blaemire’s “Ampersand;” as a contributing artist for Armstrong Now in conjunction with The Louis Armstrong House Museum; and featured in the young adult anthology "How I Resist" edited by The New York Times Best Seller Maureen Johnson for Wednesday Books/Macmillan. His TED talk “To Accomplish Great Things, You Need to Let Paint Dry” appears at go.Ted.com/danieljwatts. Watts is an artist in residence at ASU Gammage and also serves as an adjunct professor of NYU's Tisch New Studio. BFA, Elon University Music Theatre Program. 2021 Commencement SpDaniel J. Watts has appeared in eight Broadway shows including Tina : The Tina Turner Musical, Hamilton, In The Heights and Memphis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 263 - Ngozi Anyanwu and Daniel J. Watts

ANTHONY VENEZIALE (Two-Touch) is conceiver and co-creator FLS and FLS Academy. Founding member of American Immigrants (San Francisco). He has used improv techniques to create endeavors with Thomas Kail & Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Bartlett, “The Electric Company”), Daveed Diggs (The Freeze), numerous networks/companies (HBO, Cartoon Network, Sesame Workshop, Boardwalk Pictures, Google) and co-founded speechlessinc.com, an improv thinking company that helps humans create, collaborate, and find their authentic voice. STAGE: Freestyle Love Supreme, Servicemen, Death in One Acts, and Trashin': Time to Waste. TV: ”Sex and the City”, “Freestyle Love Supreme”. ANEESA FOLDS made her Broadway debut in Freestyle Love Supreme in 2019. Off-Broadway/NYC: Sistas The Musical. Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, Arrow Rock Lyceum. National Tour: Ragtime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 262 - Aneesa Folds and Anthony Veneziale

Maddie Baillio can be seen  in the live action remake of CINDERELLA  on Amazon.  Maddie stars in the film as one of the evil step-sisters to Camilla Cabello’s Cinderella and Idina Menzel’s step-mother. She is a trained musical theater actress who first burst onto the scene as Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s HAIRSPRAY LIVE! After beating out thousands for the role. She most recently starred in the Netflix film DUMPLIN’.  Maddie is also an accomplished vocalist who has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 262 - Maddie Baillio

Ilana shares a quick end of summer note Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer Break

Adam Pascal was born on October 25, 1970, in the Bronx and raised in Syosset, New York. He started singing in various rock bands when he was 12, playing the local New York club scene for many years, and has been singing in bands, as a solo artist, in movies, or on the Broadway stage ever since. In 1996, Adam tried out for the then unknown, off-Broadway production of Rent. He landed the role of Roger Davis. Adam was nominated for a 1996 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical), and won a Drama League and Obie award for his performance as Roger. The Show went on to become a worldwide success and one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. In 1997 He reprised the role of Roger (the first of several times he would do so) for the West End Premiere of Rent. In 1998, Adam’s career expanded to the big screen in the independent film SLC Punk! In  2000, Adam was cast as Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s new Broadway musical Aida, for which he received a Drama League award. In May of 2000, his debut solo album, Model Prisoner, was released. Also in 2000, Adam co- produced the hit off-Broadway play Fully Committed with fellow former Rent cast member, Jesse L. Martin. The show went on to garner many awards and played to sold out houses in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and London. In October 2003, Adam once again visited the Broadway stage, this time, asked to be the final Emcee in the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall production of Cabaret at Studio 54, as part  of the closing cast. Also during that time Adam starred alongside Jack Black, as Theo, the lead singer of “No Vacancy” in 2003’s School of Rock. Finally in 2004, Adam’s second CD, Civilian, was released in November, again on Sh-k-boom records. In 2005, Adam reprised the role of Roger in the movie version of Rent. Adam’s journey with Rent finally came to conclusion when in 2009, he reprised the role one last time alongside Anthony Rapp, in Rent The Broadway Tour which traveled all over the U.S. as well as Japan and South Korea.  In 2008, Adam played the role of Freddie Trumper in the Tim Rice/Abba Musical Chess, alongside Josh Groban, and Idina Menzel for two sold out performances at The Royal Albert Hall, in London. The DVD is currently on sale worldwide. In 2010/11 Adam starred as Huey Calhoun in Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical Memphis and in 2013 Adam starred as Billy Flynn in Broadway’s long running hit Chicago. In 2015 Adam starred as Chad in Broadway’s Disaster. In 2017 Adam starred as Shakespeare on Broadway and in the first national tour of the musical Something Rotten. Most recently he starred as Edward Lewis in Broadway’s Pretty Woman and Harold Hill in the 5 Star Theatrical’s production of The Music Man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 261 - Adam Pascal

Rosanny currently stars as a series regular lead on Season 2 of Showtime’s THE L WORD: GENERATION Q. She will next be seen in Sam Esmail's limited series ANGELYNE for Peacock and UCP. Among her many NYC theater credits, Rosanny starred in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for the Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park). She recently performed the role of “Natasha” in the Roundabout Theater’s workshop of Anton Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS spearheaded by Resident Director Sam Gold. Rosanny's brilliant performance in the titular role of Jose Rivera's MARISOL while at Juilliard catapulted her into the NYC theater world. Rosanny is a major talent out of Juilliard – recurring recently on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for Netflix, MODERN PERSUASION on Hulu, as well as THE CODE, and INSTINCT for CBS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 260 - Rosanny Zayas

BILL IRWIN:  Original member of Kraken and San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus.  Original works include: On Beckett, Old Hats, Fool Moon, Largely New York, The Harlequin Studies, Mr. Fox: A Rumination, The Happiness Lecture, and The Regard of Flight. Theatre: The Iceman Cometh, Show Boat (SF Opera), Endgame, Bye Bye Birdie, Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Waiting for Godot (2009 Drama Desk Nomination), Broadway/West End revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (2005 Tony Award, Helen Hayes Award), The Goat or Who is Sylvia, King Lear, Accidental Death of An Anarchist, 5-6-7-8 Dance! , Waiting For Godot at Lincoln Center, Scapin, The Tempest, Garden of Earthly Delights, Texts for Nothing, A Flea In Her Ear, 2003/2004 Signature Theatre Playwright in Residence, The Seagull, A Man's A Man, 3 Cuckolds. Television: PBS Great Performances: Bill Irwin Clown Prince, Third Rock from the Sun, Northern Exposure, Sesame Street, Elmo's World, The Regard of Flight, Closing Ceremony 1996 Olympic Games, The Cosby Show, The Laramie Project, Subway Stories, Bette Midler: Mondo Beyondo, Law and Order, Life on Mars, A Gifted Man, CSI, The Good Wife, Lights Out, Monday Mornings, Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, Quarry, Sleepy Hollow and Legion on FX.   Film: Irresistible, HBO’s Confirmation, Interstellar, Identity Theft, Rachel Getting Married, Higher Ground, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Definitely, Maybe; Igby Goes Down, Lady in the Water, Dark Matter, Raving, Across The Universe, Popeye, Eight Men Out, Silent Tongue, Illuminata, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, My Blue Heaven, A New Life, Scenes from a Mall, Stepping Out. Awards: National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer's Fellowship, a Guggenheim, a Fulbright and a MacArthur  Fellowship.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 259 - Bill Irwin

Eric Petersen stars in the AMC series “Kevin Can F*** Himself” alongside Annie Murphy. A dark comedy that mixes single-cam and multi-cam shooting in front of a studio audience to re-examine the trope of the passive sitcom wife while peeking into her secret life, the series was developed by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and created by Valerie Armstrong.  A veteran of television and the Broadway stage, Petersen’s previous television credits include the TV Land series “Kristie,” and voicing Ant’ney the pigeon on the hit DreamWorks’ animated show “Madagascar: A Little Wild” now available on Hulu/Peacock. On stage Petersen has starred in the hit Broadway production and national tour of “Shrek: The Musical,” as Shrek, “School of Rock” as Dewey Finn, the musical “Escape To Margaritaville,” as Brick, and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”  Petersen hails from the Chicago suburb of Carol Stream, Illinois. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he earned a degree in Acting. He currently resides in both Los Angeles and New York with his wife and two children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 258 - Eric Petersen

Described by The New York Times as a “one-of-a-kind performer who combines the sass of a classic blues mama with the skill of a Broadway star,” Lillias White is world-renowned for her glorious voice and extraordinary ability to communicate the heart of a song. Her performance in Cy Coleman’s Broadway musical, The Life, won her the TONY® AWARD for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for a second TONY® AWARD for her brilliant work in Fela! Additional Broadway credits include: Barnum, Dreamgirls, Cats, Carrie, Once on This Island, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Chicago. Other Off-Broadway and Regional Credits include The Public Theater’s Romance in Hard Times, for which she won the OBIE® AWARD, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (directed by Phylicia Rashad), for which she won the NAACP AWARD, and the Carnegie Hall Concert version of South Pacific, starring Reba McEntire, which was also broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances.  In addition to receiving Broadway acclaim, Lillias is internationally-recognized for her TV and film work. Lillias received the DAYTIME EMMY® AWARD for her role as Lillian Edwards for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series on Sesame Street in 1992, and is beloved by audiences around the world for voicing the lead muse Calliope in Disney’s animated feature Hercules. Film credits include Pieces of April (starring Katie Holmes) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (starring Jim Carrey). Recent TV credits include the Baz Luhrmann-directed NETFLIX series The Get Down, as well as Russian Doll and Search Party. She has appeared in cabarets and concert halls around the world, including The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. She can be heard on several Broadway cast albums, in addition to her acclaimed From Brooklyn to Broadway. Get Yourself Some Happy! which is Lillias’ first solo studio album, was released on July 23, 2021 via Old Mill Road Recording.  Instagram  @LilliasWhiteOfficial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 257 - Lillias White

Alyssa first trained at UCB, and continues to do stand up all over the country. She has performed her solo show “No Bad Days”, in which she uses stand-up, sketches and even Zumba to look back on losing her father to brain cancer, at multiple festivals including Providence Fringe, Cinderblock and Improv Boston. She continues to host a podcast with May Wilkerson called “Crazy; in Bed”, where the two best friends join each week to discuss mental health, pop culture and more. Alyssa stars in the Gravitas Ventures film, TOO LATE, which can be found in select theaters and on digital platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Fandango Now and all major cable/satellite platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 256 - Alyssa Limperis

Andy Señor Jr. was born and raised in Miami, Florida. In the summer of 2021 he made his film directorial debut with the HBO Original Documentary Revolution Rent, Executive produced by Neil Patrick Harris . He was the Associate Director of Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s musical On Your Feet! on Broadway, Netherlands, and UK West End Productions as well as Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. He served as Associate Director on the new musical FLY at Dallas Theatre Center w Jeffrey Seller. Andy made his professional debut in the Tony Award winning musical RENT as "Angel," playing the role on Broadway, London’s West End, and US National and International Tours. Later he became the Assistant Director to Michael Greif on the RENT revival Off Broadway, and went on to re-stage the production in Tokyo, Japan and the historic production in Havana, Cuba. Most recently he directed two new Nilo Cruz plays, Tsunami and Farhad and the Secret of Being. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Florida International University who honored him with a Torch Award, noting him as a distinguished alumni, and further trained at The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare LAB where he appeared in All’s Well That Ends Well at the PUBLIC Theatre Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 255 - Andy Señor Jr.

With her unique style of hosting, Ilana Levine gives her listeners up close and personal access to today's biggest stars from Broadway, Film and Television. Her intimate and revealing conversations with Tony Award, Academy Award, Grammy Award and Emmy Award winners gives listeners the feeling they are part of a conversation between old friends. Guests include Julianne Moore, Matthew Broderick, Isabelle Huppert, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Platt, Uma Thurman, Matt Bomer, Aasif Mandvi, Octavia Spencer, Edie Falco, Allison Janney, Beanie Feldstein, John Slattery, Judith Light, Molly Ringwald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth, Anthony Rapp, Jason Alexander, Tony Shalhoub, Griffin Dunne, Kaskade, Laura Linney and many more. New episodes are released on Mondays.

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Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

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