Breaking the Curtain

We're so excited to have Aubrey Matalon join us on the podcast to chat all about playing Flounder in the upcoming production of The Little Mermaid at Paper Mill Playhouse!The Little Mermaid runs from May 29th until June 29th, 2025!

It's our first theatre news updates of Season 7!We have so much to discuss today from the theatreverse: TJR and The Chicks are teaming up for a new jukebox musical, we finally know the full cast for the Heathers revival, the three Dolly's are announced for DOLLY: An Original Musical, the Ragtime revival, the online audition open call controversy, and so much more!

It's officially Tony Season and we're bringing you our early morning unfiltered and (sometimes) chaotic reaction following the 2025 Tony Award Nominations!

We are so excited to be joined by David Thaxton who plays Max Von Mayerling the highly-acclaimed revival of Sunset Boulevard. David shares his experience bringing the revival from the West End to Broadway, the show's technical elements, and a few hidden Easter eggs in the new production!

Shannon Lewis is the Choreographer of the new Broadway musical Just in Time starring Jonathan Groff.We were thrilled to sit down with Shannon to discuss her role as a choreographer, the influence of the 1950s/60s era, working with Jonathan Groff, and, of course, bringing Bobby Darin's story to the Broadway stage.

We are thrilled to be joined by the incredible Hannah Kevitt to talk all about Maybe Happy Ending!Hannah chats with us about being a standby for Claire in Maybe Happy Ending, her recent debut in the role, the haunted Belasco theatre, and more!

It's another updates episode!The sun is shining and the days are getting warmer as we approach Tony Season! We're chatting all about the latest theatre news including the Maybe Happy Ending cast album, Mamma Mia! back on Broadway, the Swept Away reunion concert announcement, SMASH first preview chatter (including our vision of a Choose Your Adventure style adaptation), The Great Gatsby online drama, and so much more!

We are delighted to be joined by the incredible Claire Kwon ahead of her debut as Claire in Maybe Happy Ending!Claire chats with us about being a standby for Claire in Maybe Happy Ending, her upcoming debut in the role, memories from her time in Almost Famous, and much more!

Draaaaamaaaaa! In this episode, we are joined by two of our favourite humans and podcasters: Connor & Dylan MacDowell from the hit theatre podcast Drama!We chat with Connor and Dylan all about their podcast journey, special guest moments, the 2024/2025 Broadway season, Tony nomination predictions, and a transparent conversation about podcasting. Follow DRAMA

March 24th, 2025, marks 15 years since Green Day's American Idiot began previews on Broadway. To celebrate, we're joined by cast members: Stark Sands, Tony Vincent, Brian Charles Johnson, and Mary Faber for a special reunion episode.From performing with Green Day at the Grammys to Billie Joe Armstrong surprising folks on Chat Roulette and dressing room tattoos, settle in for a fun trip down memory lane and relive the moments that made this production truly epic!

In this episode, we're joined by Katie Tonkinson, currently touring the UK & Ireland as Raven Falco in Bat Out of Hell: The Musical! We dive into an exciting conversation with Katie about this electrifying musical, life on the road, funny on-stage mishaps, her favourite costumes from the show, and so much more

Happy Valentine's Day! We're covering one of the most romantic stories of all-time: The Notebook.We dive into the history behind the original Nicholas Sparks novel, beloved film, the Galeotti & Aniello early 2010s stage adaptation, the road to Broadway and more!

It's another update episode!We're chatting about the Swept Away cast recording, the opening number preview from SMASH, the full cast announcement for John Proctor Is the Villain, and we head back to fifth grade with a Valentine's Day-inspired game of “The Ultimate Broadway Boyf” March Madness style!

It's another theatre updates episode, y'all! This week, we're diving into The Last Five Years studio recording teaser, Joshua Boone leaving The Outsiders, all of the recent stage door drama, the countdown to the Swept Away album and so much more!

In this episode, we're joined by the incredibly talented Stephanie Styles! Stephanie is currently preparing to star as Hope in Encores! production of Urinetown! We chat all things musical theatre, her time in Newsies, and preparing for Urinetown. Plus, we dive into our shared love for Taylor Swift, Disney, and even create our own dream productions!

We're thrilled to be joined by Alaina Anderson to chat all about Mystic Pizza! Alaina talks with us about the iconic movie, her favorite song from the '80s/'90s music catalog featured in the show, Hot Take Pizza questions, and more! You can catch her starring as Katherine 'Kat' Arujo in Mystic Pizza, currently playing at Riverside Theatre and coming soon to Paper Mill Playhouse.

What a dream come true! We're joined by the incredible producer, author, and theatre historian Jennifer Ashley Tepper to chat about the upcoming off-Broadway premiere of The Jonathan Larson Project! We sit down with Jennifer to discuss her years of researching Jonathan Larson's work, curating a show featuring songs from Larson's never-produced archived works like 1984 and Superbia, cut songs from RENT and tick, tick... BOOM, including some never-before-heard tracks. We also discuss her latest book: Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy That the History Books Left Out

Listen, Nessa... We've got one heck of a fun episode for you! We're joined by Hunter Brown from Broadway's Swept Away to chat all about this incredible musical on its final weekend of performances. We also discuss his viral TikTok moment ("Um, Nessa"), growing up in Florida, the tale of Lon Crisp, and more. Plus, we've got two special guests dropping by to say hi! The Astroband

Shall we go for it, girlfriend? We're thrilled to welcome Constant Bernard on deck to chat all about Titanique, now playing in Toronto at Mirvish Productions! In our conversation, Constant shares his journey on the ship of dreams, the kookiest craziest parts of this show, and of course the woman behind it all: Celine Dion. You can catch Titanique docking in Toronto through January 19th before sailing to Montreal in February!

*Spoilers ahead!* It's another theatre updates episode, y'all! Crissy just returned from a week in New York City, so you're in for a treat. We're diving into Swept Away (we circle back to talk about the show throughout the entire episode because we're OBSESSED), a recap of The Notebook's closing night, another return to The Outsiders (and hitting PB Bingo), the Bat Out of Hell sitzprobe, Andy Karl joining the cast of Moulin Rouge, and so much more!

We're honoured to be joined by Orville Mendoza to chat all about Broadway's Swept Away! In our conversation, Orville shares insights on the whirlwind closing announcement, followed by the two-week extension due to popular demand. We also talk about recording the cast album ('Ain't No Man' is available now!) and what Orville hopes audiences will take away from experiencing Swept Away.

It's been a long time coming, and we're SO excited to finally be joined by Dan Berry to talk all about The Outsiders on Broadway! In this episode, we chat with Dan about his role as Paul, understudying the roles of Sodapop and Darrel, and his personal favorite magnet from the 'Dan Berry on a magnet' collection. We also dive into the Macy's Day Parade performance, on-stage mishaps and so much more!

We're thrilled to be joined by Noah J. Ricketts to talk all about playing Nick in The Great Gatsby on Broadway! In this episode, Noah shares what it's like portraying Nick, the lessons he hopes audiences will take away, and his thoughts on the original novel. Plus, we have some fun building a Broadway-style Gatsby party!

Sweet Oz! It's Finally Happening—Our Wicked Movie Review is Here!  Join your Broadway Besties for an 'oz-tastic' hour-long discussion as we dive deep into Part 1 of the much-anticipated Wicked movie adaptation! From Glinda in the bubble all the way to the iconic Defying Gravity scene, we break down everything you need to know about this emotional rollercoaster through Oz!

We're thrilled to be joined by Sophie Carmen-Jones who is currently in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway as Nini after originating the role in the West End! In this episode, Sophie shares what first sparked her love of theatre, how her portrayal of Nini has evolved over the years, and what she loves most about playing such a fiery character. She also talks about staying energized for eight shows a week, a memorable moment from her time with the show and more!

We're beyond excited to sit down with Matt DeAngelis to dive into the world of Swept Away, the brand-new Broadway musical! In this episode, Matt shares insights into the preview process of a show, the stunning music by The Avett Brothers, working alongside the incredible John Gallagher Jr., and so much more.

What a whirlwind week in Broadway news! Join us as we dive into the thrilling SMASH cast announcement, discuss Jeremy Jordan's upcoming departure from The Great Gatsby, and unpack the Broadway closing announcement for Back to the Future. We'll also explore the exciting developments of 13 Going on 30 in the UK and preview the upcoming Broadway performances at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade featuring Death Becomes Her, The Outsiders, and Hell's Kitchen. We also question the "Ponyboy seat," celebrate Wicked movie month, and so much more!

It's another updates episode! Your Broadway Besties are back to answer your Q&A questions, discuss the latest Broadway news (another Dirty Dancing stage adaptation? Suffs closing?!), controversies, Solea & John joining Moulin Rouge, the shows we're most looking forward to this season, our funny Swept Away story and so much more!

We're beyond thrilled to be joined by the wonderful Jennie Harney - Fleming who is currently starring as Lil Hardin in A Wonderful World - The Louis Armstrong Musical on Broadway. We chat with Jennie about the incredible Lil Hardin, the process of tech and previews on Broadway, along with what she hopes audiences take away from A Wonderful World. A Wonderful World - The Louis Armstrong Musical is currently in previews at Studio 54.

All you dancing queens better put on your go-go boots for this episode because we're joined by Sophie Sheridan herself, Alisa Melendez! We chat with Alisa all about touring around as Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia, the joy this musical brings to so many, who Alisa thinks is Sophie's biological dad, let's hear it for the aunties, our love of Almost Famous the Musical and so much more!

Welcome to Tulsa, 1967! In this episode, we explore the journey of The Outsiders from S.E. Hinton's groundbreaking novel to its powerful film adaptation, and how its timeless themes inspired a Tony Award Winning Best Musical on Broadway! We discuss the original workshop productions, the La Jolla pre-Broadway run, major changes made from book to stage and more! TW: Dally's death

We're beyond thrilled to be joined by the incredible Caitlin Houlahan, who is currently starring as Rita in Prelude to a Kiss! We chat with Caitlin all about this exciting new production currently playing at Milwaukee Repertory Theater! We also discuss the 'Freaky Friday' element to the musical, her long friendship with 'Prelude' co-star Chris McCarrell, her time in Waitress as Dawn and so much more!

"Damn the man, save the Empire!" We're thrilled to be joined by Analise Scarpaci to chat all about starring as Debra in Empire Records: The Musical! Empire Records is currently playing at McCarter Theater through October 6th and you absolutely do not want to miss this exciting new musical! Don't forget to check out Analise's new song "Flashbacks" available on September 27th!

Welcome to the rock! We're beyond excited for Come From Away to make its return to Toronto on September 22nd! We're joined by company members: Saccha Dennis, Jawon Mapp and Kristen Peace to discuss this beautiful musical making its way back to Toronto, the importance of Come From Away, kissing the cod and so much more! Follow us on social media! ⁠Instagram⁠ @breakingthecurtain ⁠TikTok⁠ @breakingthecurtain ⁠breakingthecurtain.com

It's another updates episode! Can you believe it's already September? Get cozy with a pumpkin spice latte and listen as your ‘Broadway Besties' recap their summer adventures, discuss putting together the Outsiders Interview Series, an exclusive announcement, the upcoming fall Broadway season (‘tis the season of Audra!), the Wicked movie and more!

We're thrilled to be joined by the incredible Kevin William Paul, who is currently starring as Bob Sheldon in the 2024 Tony Award Winning Best Musical: The Outsiders! We chat with Kevin about his journey from growing up in Florida to starring in The Outsiders on Broadway, the craziest story to ever grace the podcast, taking on the role of Bob Sheldon, a little T-Swift serenade moment and more!

We're thrilled to be joined by the incredible Trevor Wayne, who is currently a Booth Singer and Ponyboy Curtis understudy in the 2024 Tony Award Winning Best Musical: The Outsiders! We chat with Trevor about his journey to Broadway, the beautiful support from the Outsiders fans, the possibility of bringing his own version of Ham4Ham to the stage door and so much more!

We're thrilled to be joined by the incredible Brent Comer, who is currently starring as Darrel in the 2024 Tony Award Winning Best Musical: The Outsiders! We chat with Brent about beginning his Outsiders journey as Paul in the La Jolla run to then taking on the role of Darrel for Broadway, meeting the incredible S.E. Hinton, what's really in the 'hamburger mystery surprise' and more!

In a world where cell phones and social media have become all the rage, the rise of platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have dramatically transformed the way we experience theatre. From the early days of message boards to the rise of theatre influencers, 'parasocial relationships', and TikTok trends, we explore the evolution of the digital impact on Broadway and beyond. So, grab your virtual front-row seat and join us as we uncover how the digital age is rewriting the script for theatre.

Hey Queendom! We're honoured to be joined by our Canadian queen, Maggie Lacasse! Maggie recently wrapped up playing Jane Seymour in the Toronto production of Six the Musical! Maggie chats with us about the transition period following closing a production, the support of the Queendom, her insane audition story (you NEED to hear this!), a special announcement and more!

Welcome to the whirlwind of a week that is Crissy's Big Broadway Adventure! Join Crissy and Jocelyn as they discuss The Notebook, The Outsiders, MJ, Moulin Rouge, cancelled flights and Stage Door etiquette.

We're beyond thrilled to be joined by Cara Ricketts on Breaking the Curtain! Cara is currently playing Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway! We chat with Cara all about playing this iconic role, our own personal experiences growing up with Harry Potter, the magical aspect of the show and so much more!

We're beyond thrilled to chat with SarahGrace Mariani, who is currently playing Marcia in the 2024 Tony Award Winning Best Musical: The Outsiders! Join us as we chat with SarahGrace about this exciting new musical, our favourite boys: Sergei and Melvin, the incredible support from fans, on-stage mishaps and more!

We're back with another updates episode! Did you miss our theatre ramblings? We sure missed you! On this episode, we discuss the big Tony win for The Outsiders, crying over Jonathan Groff, Aaron Tveit and Jojo (not Siwa) returning to the Moulin Rouge, being a 2000s theatre fangirl, The Last Five Years going to Broadway and more!

Mean Girls is returning to Toronto this month and we had the joy of chatting with Alexys Morera who plays the iconic role of Janis in the musical! Mean Girls runs at the Royal Alexandra Theatre from July 30th to August 25th! You don't want to miss this show, it is so fetch!

We're beyond thrilled to chat with Caden Brauch. Caden is currently touring around North America as everybody's favourite Future Boy, Marty McFly, in Back to the Future: The Musical! We chat with Caden about playing this iconic role, performing alongside Don Stephenson, life on the road and more!

Take a journey with us through the history of the Tony Awards! We start with Antoinette Perry's vision to celebrate excellence in theatre, and further explore how this prestigious event has evolved over the decades. We reminisce about unforgettable iconic moments, Opening Numbers, discuss the magic of theatre, and reflect on some of the controversies that have sparked important conversations. We also share our thoughts on this latest Tony Awards season, spotlighting standout shows and performers!

We're beyond thrilled to bring you another interview with a cast member from The Notebook! In this episode, we're joined by the incredibly talent, Jordan Tyson! Jordan is currently starring in The Notebook as Young Allie. We chat with Jordan about her portrayal of Allie, working with Ingrid Michaelson, on-stage mishaps, the iconic film and more!

We are thrilled to be joined by Gage Thomas of Dog Man: The Musical! Gage chats with BTC about playing Harold & Others, theatre for children, and the importance of PLAY. Dog Man: The Musical is a hilarious production based on the worldwide bestselling series from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club. Best buds George and Harold have been creating comics for years, but now that they're in 5th grade, they figure it's time to level up and write a musical based on their favorite character, Dog Man, the crime-biting sensation who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!! How hard could it be? Catch Dog Man: The Musical through June 9th at the CAA Theatre in Toronto!

We are thrilled to be joined by Aaron James McKenzie to chat all about playing Elijah in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of Gun & Powder! Gun & Powder is a new musical inspired by the true story of Mary and Martha Clarke, African American twin sisters who take extraordinary measures to settle their mother's sharecropper debt and save her home.    In 1893 Texas, the Sisters Clarke—passing as white—embark on a remarkable Wild West adventure that examines race, family, and identity with two electrifying women who transformed from farm girls to outlaws to legends. Catch Gun & Powder now through May 5th at Paper Mill Playhouse!

We're so thrilled to be joined by Delaney Guyer who is currently starring as Cosette on the National Tour of Les Miserables! We chat with Delaney about portraying the role of Cosette, the show's lasting legacy, the touring production and bringing it back to Toronto audiences!