Debra Sperling is a professional voiceover artist with over 26 years of experience. Throughout her career, Debra has been the voice of dozens of national television campaigns such as Charmin, Cascade, Pampers, Maybelline, Listerine, Walmart, Folgers, Kellogg’s, Olive Garden, Johnson and Johnson, Band-Aid, and many more. Debra is a big player in the Promo world as well, having been the voice of The Oxygen Network and the voice of WEtv, with ongoing promo spots for many networks including NBC, National Geographic, USA, Investigation Discovery, A&E, Animal Planet, and HBO. She is also equally passionate about teaching and coaching, and her renowned "Authenticity in Voiceover" class has helped students worldwide. After attending the High School of Performing Arts, Debra went on to earn her BA in Theatre, her MFA in Acting, and has “been an actor since”. Although she makes her living as a voiceover artist now, she speaks candidly about how her journey began, noting she didn’t really know what voice overs were when she first started out. Debra talks about her approach to acting for theatre, TV or film compared to acting for voice overs: why “it is the same thing” for her, and how it starts with bringing your authentic self to the microphone, stage, or set. She also opens up about her love for teaching and coaching, and shares why she feels like leading her voice over class on Zoom during COVID saved her.  In this episode, we talk about:  The culture shock she felt while attending her first show in London  Morgan Freeman’s voice  Why she tells people to “stop acting words”  Stephen McKinley Henderson as a mentor and teacher  Missing the collaborative aspect of voice over work due to COVID Connect with Debra: Web: debrasperling.com/about IG: @debrasperlingvo ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

Ep182 - Debra Sperling: The Voice You Didn't Know You Know

We've successfully completed yet another year around the sun (sorry flat Earthers, the truth hurts), this time with only about 4 months of Broadway theatre to talk about, and we're already seeing more shows permanently closed than expected due to Omicron breakthrough cases. Sheesh. Ayanna Prescod, a Broadway producer, critic, writer, and creator, and host of What's Up Broadway joins us for this final episode of the year as we discuss our favorite moments, shows, and what we're looking forward for in 2022. A big shout out to all the shows of 2021 that closed too early: Is This A Room Dana H Chicken & Biscuits The Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular Diana, the Musical Thoughts of a Colored Man Jagged Little Pill Waitress Beautiful Ain’t Too Proud Connect with Ayanna: Twitter: @AyannaPrescod Web: OurBKSocial.com Listen to What's Up Broadway: bpn.fm/wub ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep181 - 2021 End of Year Wrap-Up with Ayanna Prescod

Ilda Mason is a Panamanian actress, singer, and dancer who began her career in productions including Peter Pan, The Beauty and the Beast, A Chorus Line, Hello Dolly, and Legally Blonde. She performed as a professional dancer on Panama’s Dancing with the Stars for two seasons, and made her Broadway debut in Ivo van Hove’s adaption of West Side Story in 2020. Ilda has also performed in two other productions of West Side Story: at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, and at Paper Mill Playhouse. Ilda can now be seen as Luz (a Shark) in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation and remake of West Side Story, now in theatres.  Born and raised in Panama, Ilda talks about moving to NYC 8 years ago to study musical theater and acting for film, and the “feeling” she had in high school that even though she didn’t know how she was going to do it, she was going to be a performer. She details how she found out about auditions for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, the audition process, and booking the role of Luz without an agent or a manager. Ilda also opens up about why acting matters to her, and why it is her dream.  In this episode, we talk about:  Studying structural architecture as a plan B  Writing imaginary essays to Steven Speilberg  Taking stock of her accomplishments, and enjoying the moment  Her love for movie trailers  Working with Stephen Sondheim  “The Movies That Made Us” series, and Jurassic Park  Connect with Ilda: IG: @IldaMason Twitter: @liveMariana ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep180 - Ilda Mason: Spielberg's "West Side Story"

Michael Zegen is an actor who may be most well known for his various roles on TV, including Joel Maisel, on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Damien Keefe, on Rescue Me, in addition to various recurring roles on Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead, How To Make It In America, and Girls. Michael made his Broadway debut in Ivo Van Hove’s Tony Award winning A View From The Bridge starring opposite Mark Strong in 2015. Other theatre credits include creating the role of Liam in Bad Jews off-Broadway, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, and The Spoils, both with The New Group. His film credits include The Seagull, Frances Ha, Brooklyn, Adventureland, and Taking Woodstock. You can currently catch Michael back on the Broadway stage in the breakout play Trouble In Mind.  Michael chats about his newest role as Al Manners in Trouble In Mind, calling the production bittersweet as Alice Childress (the black female playwright) was never able to see her dream of having a play on Broadway come to fruition while she was alive. He opens up about what he finds so satisfying about performing on stage, but why ultimately he’s not particular about the medium (film, TV, theatre), as long as he’s doing good work with great people. Michael also shares some of his first impressions from the early days of filming The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and what’s it’s been like to witness the show get bigger and bigger every year.  In this episode, we talk about:  The history behind Trouble In Mind  One of his first gigs being on The Letterman Show  An early crash course in learning about getting an agent  What he does in his very spare downtime  Goals and aspirations for his writing  Connect with Michael: IG @michaelzegen Twitter: @zegenmichael ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep179 - Michael Zegen: The Marvelous Mrs. Miasel, Trouble in Mind, Rescue Me

The podcast's first ever repeat guest, Steven Sater (Tony/Grammy/Olivier/Lortel/Drama Desk Award-Winning Awesome Guy) rejoins us to discuss his latest project, the grammy nominated concept album called Some Lovers, a collaboration with friend Burt Bacharach. This episode is pulled from a brand new podcast that I started with co-host Heather Vickery called 'Was It Chance?', all about how embracing fear and how taking intentional risk helps shape people's creative successes. More information about the new podcast via bpn.fm/wasitchance, or find it wherever you're listening to this podcast now! And now, here's the description from the 'Was It Chance?' feed: A chance encounter with Burt Bacharach led Steven Sater to collaborate on a decade-long project to produce a full length musical concept album featuring some of the industry's biggest artists. Now 93, Burt hasn't written anything for the stage since Promises, Promises in 1968. Steven felt drawn to Burt, this project, and their mission to explore what it's like to write love songs for couples after the "newness" of the relationships are over, and they've settled into their routines. This album is a must-listen, and this podcast episode is ... an even muster-listener. Find Some Lovers on Spotify, or everywhere you stream music: https://open.spotify.com/album/1tEyFYVH36zYUYfFK58gPN. List of featured artists include: Christy Altomare Kristin Chenoweth Lilli Cooper Auli'i Cravalho Santino Fontana Molly Gordon Jonathan Groff Jennifer Holiday Derek Klena Katrina Lenk Lea Michele Laura Osnes Ashley Park Graham Phillips Conrad Ricamora Colton Ryan Ari'el Stachel Ethan Slater Tracie Thoms Betsy Wolfe Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @vickeryandco and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus - Steven Sater! (and introducing 'Was It Chance?')

Robin de Jesús is an actor and singer who has received Tony Award nominations for his roles in In the Heights, La Cage aux Folles, and The Boys in the Band. He made his Broadway debut in Rent in 2005, and has also appeared as Boq in Wicked on Broadway. His film and TV credits include his breakout role in the independent film Camp, as well as appearances in Hair Brained, How to Make It in America, and Law & Order: SVU. Robin can now be seen starring alongside Andrew Garfield as Michael in the musical drama tick, tick… BOOM!, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and available on Netflix.  Robin takes us behind the scenes of working with Andrew Garfield, from their first reading, to the table work where they realized the weight and importance of Michael and Jonathan’s relationship as a catalyst for the second half of the movie. He opens up about his Puerto Rican heritage, and talks about the full circle moment of starring in tick, tick… BOOM, having made his Broadway debut in Rent years ago. Robin also speaks about representation, taking care of his mental health, and why he would love his career to showcase range, in a predominantly gay career.  In this episode, we talk about:  How simple, human, and in the moment Jonathan Larson’s work is Laying the foundation for Rent in tick, tick… BOOM!  Why and how he’s trying to be a “disruptor”  A fortuitous visit to his grandmother in Puerto Rico when he was 2  The audition process for tick, tick… BOOM! Connect with Robin: Watch tick... tick... Boom! on Neflix IG: @robinofjesus Twitter: @robinofjesus ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep178 - Robin de Jesús: tick... tick... Boom!, In the Heights, La Cage aux Folles, The Boys in the Band

Jake Bazel is a puppeteer, voice actor, writer, director and coach with over a decade of experience working in children's media. Credits include multiple productions of Sesame Street (HBO, PBS, Apple TV and NBC), Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Disney’s Muppets, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Paddington Gets in a Jam, Sandra Boynton’s Frog Trouble, Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Live!, and many others. He has directed two national tours of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, as well as an international tour and two regional co-productions. Jake helped create and write Disney Theatrical’s newest collaboration, Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation, which he stars in, and is now playing off-Broadway.  Jake chronicles the four year development of Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical adaptation: the desire to target the off-Broadway market, working with Jonathan Rockefeller on the pitch, the writing and workshopping process, and taking on the role of Pooh himself. He takes us back to his start as a puppeteer, sharing he was a huge Jim Henson and Muppets fan growing up, and was already building puppets himself as a child before later participating in Sesame Street workshops. Jake also chats about the staying power of the Winnie The Pooh stories and characters; stories about relationships and friendships, stories full of metaphors for humanity, and stories full of characters both children and adults alike have come to cherish.  In this episode, we talk about: The impact of COVID on the production, and Jake personally Developing the souvenir books which serve as programs for the audience  How he operates and brings Pooh to life  Acting with a puppet v. without one  His love for working on projects for multi generational audiences Connect with Jake: Web: www.jakebazel.com IG: @jakebazel Twitter: @jakebazel ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep177 - Jake Bazel: Disney's Winnie the Pooh; Puppeteer, Voice actor, Writer, Director and Coach

Broadway and West End stars Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden have reunited with a new album of classic and contemporary Broadway duets. Sierra Boggess is best known for originating the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid on Broadway, as well as for multiple appearances as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. Other credits include West Side Story, The Pirates of Penzance, The Boy Friend, and Sweet Charity. Julian Ovenden has starred on Broadway and West End stages, as well as television series and films both in the U.K. and U.S. Theatre credits include Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel, Annie Get Your Gun, Sunday in the Park with George, among others, while TV credits include Downton Abbey, Smash, Person of Interest, and Bridgerton. Recorded remotely during the pandemic, “Together At A Distance” features iconic musical theatre hits from legendary Broadway composers, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown and more. Sierra and Julian take us back to how they met while singing together at The Proms (short for promenade) at the Royal Albert Hall, a concert series founded in August 1895, and one which Julian calls “the biggest classical music festival in the world”. They speak about their love for classical singing, classic musical theatre, and how they share the same type of musical language. They dive into what sparked the idea to create their new album, noting a need for connection, healing, and making music during the pandemic, and also detail how they went about recording remotely and apart from one another.  In this episode, we talk about:  The Proms concerts at Royal Albert Hall  Creating improvised home studios to record their album  Why and how they were drawn to particular duets  How people responded once they began releasing tracks  What this project has meant to them Connect with Sierra and Julian: Listen to Together At A Distance: https://found.ee/TogetherAtADistance IG: @officialsierraboggess and @julianovenden ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep176 - Sierra Boggess & Julian Ovenden: Together At A Distance

Stephen Levenson is a Tony award winning playwright and screenwriter who famously won his Best Book of a Musical Tony for Dear Evan Hansen. He later adapted the script for the film adaptation. Stephen has numerous Off-Broadway credits, as well as a resume boasting TV and film. He was a writer for the Showtime series Masters of Sex, and served as show runner for the miniseries Fosse/Verdon. Most recently Stephen penned the screenplay for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s biographical musical tick, tick… Boom!, starring Andrew Garfield and available now on Netflix.  Stephen shares an inside look to all aspects of his newest project, from the research, to the writing, to casting, through production. He recalls acting in a production of tick, tick… Boom! in college, already having reverence for Jonathon Larson, and how desperately he wanted to be involved in 2017 when he heard Lin-Manuel would be directing a film adaptation. Stephen talks about the impact of COVID on filming, which shut down the production after only 10 days in March 2020, and how the pandemic gave the film a new urgency once shooting resumed. He also opens up about the weight and responsibility he felt telling someone else’s story in tick,tick… Boom!, versus writing a script with his own original thoughts and ideas in Dear Evan Hansen.  In this episode, we talk about:  The extensive research and process behind the script for tick, tick… Boom!  Having Julie Larson on board and in the room Andrew Garfield’s progression from non-singer, to musical theater performer Workshopping the film as if it were a stage production Working with Netflix versus a traditional big studio Watch the Tick... Tick... Boom! trailer: https://youtu.be/YJserno8tyU ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep175 - Steven Levenson: Tick... Tick... Boom!, Dear Evan Hansen, Fosse/Verdon

Actress and singer Julia Murney originated the role of Queenie in Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party (earning her first Drama Desk Award nomination), and later became one of the most well known Elphaba’s in both the national tour and Broadway companies of Wicked. Her other New York credits include her 2005 Broadway debut in the musical Lennon, Falling (earning her second drama desk nomination), A Class Act, The Landing, Saved, Crimes of the Heart, Queen of the Mist, and Time and Again (Lucille Lortel nomination). Julia was also seen in the Actors' Fund benefit concerts of Funny Girl, Chess, Hair, and the World AIDS Day Benefit Concert Pippin. She has been featured on television in Sex and the City, Ed, NYPD Blue, 30 Rock, Elementary, Succession, and Madam Secretary, among many others. She can now be seen in the Out of the Box Theatrics production of the Tony nominated musical Baby, which opened November 14th. In addition to our wonderful chat with Julia, we had friend Andrew Lippa crash the interview! Born and raised in New York City, Julia grew up making up shows in her childhood bedroom, and fell in love with singing after joining the choir in junior high. She shares an inside look at her newest project, a revival of the 1980’s musical Baby, noting the necessity for rewrites, and the beauty of having same sex and interracial couples represented on stage. She opens up about the ups and downs of playing the iconic Elphaba: from the weight of people's expectations to the extraordinary high of finishing the first act with broom in hand, aloft in a cherry picker. Julia also reunites with longtime friend and colleague Andrew Lippa, and together they share memories of their first meeting and the instant kinship they felt.  In this episode, we talk about:  Working with Baby lyricist Richard Maltby The influence of her childhood choir director  The fun of community and chosen family in theatre  Singing Meadowlark for Stephen Schwartz, accompanied by Andrew Lippa Recognizing a kindred spirit in Andrew Lippa ﻿Connect with Julia: IG: @pepamama Twitter: @JuliaMurney ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep174 - Julia Murney: Baby, The Wild Party, Wicked (plus a surprise interview crash from Andrew Lippa)

Actor, dancer, musician and producer Aaron Dalla Villa was most recently seen as the slimy Mordred in the Bay Street Theater production of Camelot. His Off-Broadway credits include Seeing You, and Sleep F$@cking: Revision, while regional theater roles include Mr. Mistoffelees in CATS, Treat in Orphans, and Peter Pan in Peter Pan Workshop (Broadway Asia). His slew of TV credits include Gossip Girl, Girls5Eva, Madam Secretary, Duels, Gotham, On The Verge, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. He can also be seen in numerous films including Alpha Rift, All Those Small Things, Pledge, Trick, and Immortal. Aaron is both a classically trained ballet dancer, and a rapper.  Growing up in Suffolk, Virginia, Aaron’s affinity for rap and hip hop put him on the path to becoming a trained ballet dancer, and eventually, an actor. He opens up about a creative endeavor which he has only recently begun sharing publicly - writing and producing his own music. He speaks candidly about his journey with therapy, sobriety, and self-reflection, which have all allowed him to stay grounded and focused on his artistic choices and career. Aaron also shares his hopes for inspiring “that little kid in the audience” (who was at one time him), and the beauty of capturing moments, albeit differently, on stage and on screen.  In this episode, we talk about:  A missed opportunity to audition for Billy Elliot on Broadway  Why “dance” is under special skills on his resume  His drive to be a movie star How he unwinds, recharges, and takes care of himself  The importance of consistently showing up Tracing his Italian roots ﻿Connect with Aaron: IG: @aarondallavilla Twitter: @aarondallavilla ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep173 - Aaron Dalla Villa: A classically trained ballet dancer, rapper, singer, and actor

Ana Villafañe is an Outer Critics Circle Award, Astaire Awards, and two-time Drama League Award nominated actress and singer best known for originating the role of Gloria Estefan in On Your Feet!, and starring in the hit musical throughout its entire run on Broadway. She was named one of the New York Times 30 Under 30, and has been honored by the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts for trailblazing Latin representation in entertainment. Her TV credits include Mozart in the Jungle, South Beach, New Amsterdam and Younger, among many others, and she will soon appear as a series regular in the upcoming NBC series Night Court, a sequel to the classic sitcom. Ana is now helping to usher in the return of Broadway starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago, the Broadway classic.  Ana was a kid with a lot of energy, and performed in her first musical at a regional theater in Miami when she was nine years old. She opens up about being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when she was 7, being confined to a wheelchair frequently as a result, and how her struggle with the illness growing up shaped her approach to life and her career. Ana recalls finding out about the open call for On Your Feet!, feeling “magnetically drawn” and called to audition, and what a life changing experience the show was for her. She also speaks candidly about embracing her inner dancer, and joining the well-established company of Chicago on Broadway as Roxie Hart.  In this episode, we talk about:  Moving to LA by herself at 18 years old  Being an empath  Learning the importance of discipline and self-care after burning out  Landing the role of Gloria Estefan  Being the daughter of immigrants Being on the set of Night Court with John Larroquette ﻿Connect with Ana: IG: @anavillafaneofficial Twitter: @aanavee ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep172 - Ana Villafańe: Chicago, On Your Feet, Mozart in the Jungle

Neal Brennan is a three time Emmy nominated writer, director, producer and stand up comedian known for co-creating and co-writing the Comedy Central series Chappelle's Show with Dave Chappelle, with whom he also co-wrote the cult classic film Half Baked. He is currently a creative consultant and on air correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, served as executive producer on Chris Rock's latest stand up special Chris Rock: Tambourine, and has performed stand-up on Last Call with Carson Daly, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Lopez Tonight, and Conan. Neal’s directing credits include the feature film The Goods starring Jeremy Piven, multiple episodes of Inside Amy Schumer, JAY-Z’s 4:44 documentary series, and Michelle Wolf's recent HBO special Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady, to name a few. His critically acclaimed one man show 3 Mics enjoyed a sold out Off-Broadway run in New York City in 2016, and now he is back for his new show Unacceptable, which has just been extended through November 21st.  Neal was always funny, and after spending years of grade school weekends traveling to NYC to see his brother perform in comedy clubs, Neal applied and got into NYU to study film. Neal shares how he met Dave Chapelle while working the door of a comedy club, why he dropped out of school, and how he started writing. He chronicles his journey to creating Half Baked, now a cult classic, and how that experience informed how he approached work on later projects like The Chappelle Show. Neal also opens up about his personal genre of theatrical comedy, performed in Off-Broadway houses rather than comedy clubs, and how their vulnerability sets them apart.  In this episode, we talk about:  The trial and error of stand-up comedy Why he didn’t like film school His turbulent childhood Using comedy as a coping mechanism  Why he would rather do something sober than drunk ﻿Connect with Neal: IG: @nealbrennan Twitter: @nealbrennan Web: nealbrennan.com/ ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep171 - Neal Brennan: Unacceptable, 3 Mics, Chappelle's Show

Megan Hilty is a Tony Award nominated actress and singer who may be best known for her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked. Other credits include Broadway’s 9 to 5: The Musical as Doralee Rhodes and Noises Off as Brooke Ashton (which also earned her Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations), as well as Annie Get Your Gun and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at New York City Center. She became a worldwide triple threat known as Ivy Lynn on NBC’s musical drama Smash, with other television credits including Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce, The Good Wife, BrainDead, Sean Saves the World, Louie, Desperate Housewives, and Ugly Betty among many others. Megan has performed across the globe to sold out houses, including concerts with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. She's recorded three albums of her own and is now making her 54/Below debut with a six show series running from November 2-7th.  Growing up outside Seattle, Washington, Megan was an avid singer and a veteran performer within her local community theater. She chats with us about what first drew her to theater as a child, and what keeps her coming back to the stage even with a successful film and tv career. While in LA with Wicked, Megan recalls realizing the need to diversify her career, and shares how she began her journey into the TV and film world. She reflects on the heartbreak of closing 9 to 5: The Musical, and speaks candidly about leaving NYC, pounding the pavement in LA, and finding herself in an audition room for Smash. Megan also gives us an inside look at her upcoming 54 Below debut, which she calls “a huge pinch me moment”.  In this episode, we talk about:  Almost going the opera singer route  Being inspired by Bernadette Peters’ career Landing Wicked in NYC right out of college  The reality of the harsh comparisons and criticisms actresses endure  Performing with Brian Stokes Mitchell  ﻿Connect with Megan: Get tix to her 54/Below event IG: @meganhilty Twitter: @meganhilty Subscribe to the 54/Below Podcast: bpn.fm/54below ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep170 - Megan Hilty: Wicked, Smash, 9 to 5, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty - and so many more

Gavin Creel is an actor, singer and songwriter who received a Tony Award for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly!, starring Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce. He made his Broadway debut originating the role of Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which he received his first Tony Award nomination, and has additional Broadway credits that include La Cage aux Folles, She Loves Me, Mary Poppins, Waitress, and Hair, which earned him his second Tony Award nomination. Gavin originated the role of Elder Price in the West End production of Book of Mormon (earning an Olivier Award), and reprised the role on Broadway and the US National Tour. On television he co-starred alongside Julie Andrews in ABC’s Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime, and stars in Ryan Murphy's new spin off American Horror Stories. Next up Gavin can be seen as part of the upcoming Halloween special “I Put A Spell On You: The Sanderson Variant”, which streams on Thursday, October 28th, with all proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. From conservative Ohio, to the lights of Broadway, Gavin is a proud member of the theatre community, but also talks candidly about the mental, physical and emotional toll of a life on the stage. He reflects on the last few years through the pandemic, how he went “inward” in a way he never has before, and opens up about the ways in which therapy - “unconditional acceptance” and support - have helped him. Gavin talks about using his voice to support activists/activism, and shares the story of his involvement in getting the green light for the Broadway’s Hair to miss a show and join the National Equality March in Washington, D.C in 2009. He also chats about the history of Broadway Bares, and the magic of “I Put A Spell On You: The Sanderson Variant”.  In this episode, we talk about:  His friendship with Jay Armstrong Jones  The format for this years I Put A Spell On You event  Learning to set boundaries for your mental health  Activism through theatre and the arts  The new show he is writing through MetLiveArts ﻿Connect with Gavin: More info about "I Put A Spell On You: The Sanderson Variant" Get tix to his MetLiveArts event On the web: gavincreel.com ﻿Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep169 - Gavin Creel: Hello Dolly!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, I Put A Spell On You: The Sanderson Variant

Intimate conversations with theatre’s biggest talents including stars, producers, directors, tv stars with theatre history and more. This is a podcast for theatre people by theater people. With over 2 decades of experience in film and theatre both as cast and creative, host Alan Seales speaks with Broadway and beyond’s biggest talents to learn more about not only how the world of theatre and performing operate, but also what makes it so real and human. In-depth, personal, behind-the-scenes conversations will highlight special details of the industry that most people may not know exist, will always find out what makes the guests love their craft, what makes them tick, and what truly inspires them.

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The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

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