Employee of the Month

In this episode Catie Lazarus talks to Obama’s former Deputy Chief of Staff  of Operations Alyssa Mastromonaco and comedy writer Peter Grosz.

In this episode Catie Lazarus talks to acclaimed actor, writer, and director Tim Blake Nelson and singer songwriter Jill Sobule. 

Adam Gopnik has held many dream jobs, all in the same office. After almost forty years (and counting) at The New Yorker, Gopnik has served as a food, art, and music critic, and he’s written his own novels, children’s books, musicals, and solo shows. His latest (and first) political book A Thousand Small Sanities delves into how liberals can save Democracy. In this interview Gopnik talks to Catie Lazarus about the infighting between liberals and progressives, his upcoming solo show at The Red Bull Theater, and the incalculable torment of sibling rivalry.                                                                                                Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Theme song by Lady Rizo.

After making her stand-up debut in Washington, D.C., Aparna Nancherla quickly became a comedy darling in Los Angeles and New York, writing for FX’s Totally Biased with Kamau Bell and Late Night with Seth Meyers. She also became a welcome fixture in New York’s competitive stand-up scene thanks to her smart and self-aware one-liners. When she opened up about her own anxiety and depression, more fans flocked. As a writer and actor, she has worked on HBO’s Crashing, Comedy’s Central’s Corporate, and Netflix’s Bo-Jack Horseman. Now she’s eager to explore new terrain in her next stand-up special but worries what fans and Hollywood will think. In her conversation with Catie Lazarus, Nancherla talks about the solitary nature of stand up and writing, the toll it takes to regularly joke about anxiety, and how to say no to too much work. 

Adrienne Truscott reveals what comedians mean by “funny is funny.” Her debut solo show transformed #MeToo, #TimesUp and still manages to be hilarious, as she proves just how funny feminsists can be. Plus, Pamela Adlon’s Better Things on FX starts up again, while Orange is the New Black reaches its final season. What do they share in common? Actor Alysia Reiner. The actor speaks about the two hit series and her film EGG, which co-stars Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, and cracks into motherhood and work from a fresh, fun, and smart angle. 

With Fever Pitch, About a Boy and High Fidelity, Nick Hornby created a niche penning romantic comedies from the male perspective and launching the crush worthy careers of Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Jon Cusack on both sides of the pond. Then he went on to prove that he can deftly embody a female lens with the box office hits Wild and Brooklyn and the critically acclaimed Education. Now, Hornby has teamed up with Stephen Frears to tackle marriage from both male and female perspective in their new TV series State of the Union, which stars Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd. In the interview, Hornby discusses the new project, whether philanthropy is harder to pull off in the US than in England, and how Brexit will be the end of everything. He also talks about what he gets out of doing philanthropy and why it is easier to get honest feedback in the film industry than publishing books. 

Timing is how the ever so humble Lisa Kron explains how she revolutionized theater, first with Well, and then with Fun Home. Both of these plays went to Broadway and re-invented how we think about what qualifies as a “Broadway show.” Since Donald Trump was elected, Kron has become involved in activism. She discovered that protests require better chants, and what the right sound can offer. Then, Catie Lazarus speaks with Director Desiree Akhavan about shooting sex scenes in The Miseducation of Cameron Post, which debuted at Sundance last year and won the Grand Jury Prize. Akhavan’s latest television series The Bisexual is available on Hulu, and she is currently working on her first book. This episode of Employee of Month with Catie Lazarus was recorded live at Sundance Film Festival. Thanks to Russ & Daughters for sponsoring this episode.  

Three-time Employee of the Month winner, Reggie Watts, returns to discuss his latest, greatest project Runnin’, which expands the cathartically original, prolific, and mischievously wry comedian, musician, and dancer’s oeuvre. Catie Lazarus spoke with Watts about burn out, why he can’t quit his night job, and his recent foray into VR with Runnin’, which premiered at Sundance. The Film Festival is known for launching acting and directing careers, and given the breadth of VR experiences on display as part of their New Fontiers Exhibits, Sundance is proving equally deft at debuting inventive interactive and immersive technology. Watts teamed up with the remarkable producer and director Kira Benzing, and the delightful composer John Tejada, so that you can strap on the clunky goggles and dance like no one is watching. We spoke about the process of creating a virtual dance party - the first of its kind - and how Watts thinks it will enhance empathy. Runnin’ certainly offers the escapist fun of tripping without a hangover, and will delight fans of all ages.   

Utkarsh Ambudkar didn’t give away his shot when he turned down Hamilton. The rapper and star of Brittany Runs a Marathon, who currently can be seen in Freestyle Love Supreme’s sold out off-Broadway run, talks about how Hollywood is finally casting more men of color as romantic leads. Ambudkar is joined by Mindy Project alum and director Nisha Ganatra, who spoke with Catie Lazarus about what role a Vedic astrologer played in her meteoric rise. Ganatra and Mindy Kaling’s feature film Late Night sold for $13 million to Amazon at Sundance and Ganatra, who is Indian American and gay, is transparent about how Jill Soloway helped her pave her way. After Ganatra and Ambudkar rap with Catie Lazarus about resilience to rejection, Ambudkar freestyles with DJ J. Period. This episode of Employee of Month with Catie Lazarus was recorded live at Sundance Film Festival. 

After Kevin Allison broke into comedy on the cult classic sketch show MTV’s The State; he struggled for years, until he risked everything and shared stories from his life. Since then he has helped thousands of people tell their tales as host of the hit podcast and live storytelling show RISK! Then Catie Lazarus sits down with her Employee of the Month co-host, beatboxer Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan, who shares how he melds music, hip-hop, and comedy. 

The Moth’s artistic director, Catherine Burns, talks to Catie Lazarus about grief at work and what makes the perfect story. Then Lazarus chats with comedian Jo Firestone about writing for other comedians like Jimmy Fallon, Joe Pera, and Chris Gethard, and for her own shows. 

Ezra Klein, co-founder of Vox and host of the podcast “The Ezra Klein Show,” talks to Catie Lazarus about tribalism, fan fiction to the data on dry humping. Plus, after leaving Saturday Night Live, Sasheer Zamata’s stand up career continues to flourish, from her special Pizza Mind to performing with Nicole Byer, and how she and Amy Schumer met. Zamata is not just a writer, actor and stand-up. The superstar joins FreeStyle Love Supreme’s Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan, Andrew “Jelly D. Bancroft” and Arthur Lewis for some freestyle karaoke, before leaving New York for Los Angeles. This special episode of Employee of the Month with Catie Lazarus was part of Bentzen Ball’s DC Comedy Festival at The Kennedy Center.

Kicking off 2019 with NPR’s “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!” host, Peter Sagal. Sagal got his start with screenwriting, penning Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Writing the sequel to Dirty Dancing was a natural transition to hosting a public radio show. Sagal talks to Catie Lazarus about how he wound up hosting National Public Radio’s most popular show, his new book “The Incomplete Book of Running”, and why to get off the grid. 

As 2018 comes to a close, Catie Lazarus shares a super duper special episode of Employee of the Month, which was recorded live at Largo in Los Angeles with comedians and Employee of the Month winners Patton Oswalt and Tig Notaro. You can catch Patton Oswalt’s most recent comedy special ANNIHILATION on Netflix, as the prolific stand up, actor and writer is currently balancing multiple writing projects and prepping for his next special. Oswalt talks to Catie Lazarus about the three challenges he faces in writing, especially for heroes. He also shares his experience as a fan to being in the film BIG FAN. Plus Lazarus speaks with Tig Notaro, whose stand-up special HAPPY TO BE HEAR is also on Netflix. She reveals  how she dealt with being fired and letting someone go on her own TV series ONE MISSISSIPPI to pitching her upcoming film FIRST LADIES to co-star Jennifer Aniston. Oswalt and Notaro also share how in the aftermath of grief, they found love and began new chapters in their lives. Here is hoping our country, if not world, can make a similar leap.  Podcast production by Phil Surkis.  Theme song by Lady Rizo.

On this episode of Employee of the Month, Catie Lazarus interviews and honors comedians Wyatt Cenac and Negin Farsad. It is possible to be funny and make a difference as they both reveal. Cenac currently hosts HBO’s Problem Areas, which is the only political comedy show to consistently shed light on activists to policy wonks and how we can better deal with issues like prison reform to homelessness. He also talks about leaving The Daily Show and  mentor Colin Quinn at SNL. Negin Farsad who is the author of Hoe to Make White People Laugh and host of the podcast Fake the Nation on Earwolf shares how she dealt with death threats to the beauty of “blackout boning.” Podcast production by Phil Surkis. Theme song by Lady Rizo.

As suicide rate rises amongst the military, Republicans are slashing government funding for mental health care. So, when military struggling with PTSD wanted to stage a performance to help cope with PTSD, Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright volunteered to direct them. HBO’s riveting new documentary We are Not Done Yet chronicles their process and how the military trains artists. The Tony and Emmy winner also shares his love for Jack Daniels and how he guarded Brett Kavanaugh in football. Plus, Lazarus speaks with Brian Lehrer, the Peabody winning and duly beloved host of WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show, who embodies Lao Tzu's philosophy that, "The best leaders are those the people hardly know exist." But is he a Yankee or a Mets fan? Catie Lazarus, with help from Mike Pesca, tests Lehrer’s baseball trivia and his hairy past. 

Catie Lazarus, Hannibal Buress and Marina Franklin, talk about sex, stand up, consensual sex, podcasting, code-switching and Chicago and New York’s comedy scenes. Buress reveals his secret to acting and Marina reveals how Amy Schumer inspired her to come into her own. 

Emily Mortimer, star of Mary Poppins Returns and Lovely & Amazing, talks to Catie Lazarus about merkins, The Sex Pistols, work wife Dolly Wells and babysitter/husband Alessandro Nivola. Dolly Wells, best known for Bridget Jones Diary and HBO’s Doll and Em, offer a sneak peak of what they’re working on next.

Catie Lazarus talks with Emmy Award winner Chris Jackson, best known for originating the role of George Washington in Hamilton. He was also a lead in In The Heights and composed music for Sesame Street penning the music for a Will.I.Am hit “What I Am,” which is addictive, no matter how old you are.   Plus, Catie sits down in the studio with CUNY Professor and Poet Celina Su to discuss how to avoid burnout as a political activist, refugees, and prose. 

Catie Lazarus talks with comedian Fred Armisen who did prank videos before Youtube, which launched his career, beginning with Saturday Night Live and later on IFC’s Portlandia and Documentary Now!. His latest series is Amazon Prime’s  Forever, in which he co-stars with Employee of the Month alumna Maya Rudolph. Then Catie chats with comedian and author of American Tantrum Anthony Atamanuik on what it takes to have compassion for Donald Trump. 

Once a muse for Calvin Klein, actor Martha Plimpton had ample training before becoming a role model to destigmatizes abortion. Today, Plimpton, who continues to be a prolific actor on and off Broadway, as well as in hit TV shows like The Black List, Younger, and Raising Hope, works with A Is For. A breadwinner from a young age, Plimpton talks to Catie Lazarus about how she coped with burnout. Then Lazarus speaks with National Book Award-winner and New Yorker columnist Masha Gessen about inviting yourself to the table when an invitation does not emerge. She shares the cost of intergenerational trauma, Putin’s war on journalists, and how writing became her night job.  

Between ensuring Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen's global tours are as magnetic off-Broadway as they are on it, to scoring feature films, musical maestro Alex Lacamoire’s schedule is relentless. The 43-year-old Cuban-American hasn't stopped making music since he began dazzling audiences at piano recitals at age four. But much like Alexander Hamilton, Lacamoire struggled. The prolific polymath reveals to Catie Lazarus how he grapples with his own hearing impairment to the harsh reality of breaking into Hollywood, even as a Grammy, Tony, Olivier and Employee of the Month winner. Plus, The Resistance Revival Chorus explains why joy is an act of resistance. Want a second or third jolt of joy? Hit up Employee of the Month's Youtube page to see The Resistance Revival Chorus  and Alex Lacamoire, who performed an impromptu medley of idol Billy Joel's hits.

New episodes coming fall 2018, now from Slate Magazine. 

REBECCA TRAISTER reveals the price of elitism within journalism and publishing, and how it decides who and what gets published. Today, most journalists, writer and reporters earn less than minimum wage which determines who can afford to do this critical job. Now, she is one of New York Magazine's star columnists and talking head on Real Time with Bill Maher, but she got her start as a reporter. Her experience shows. Her self-awareness and research contextualizes the nuances of sexism, racism, and elitism. She didn't rise the ranks alone. She talks to Catie Lazarus on Employee of the Month about what her mentors, including the late great editor of The New York Observer Peter Kaplan and Billboard's Frank DiGiacomo did. She touches on why The New York Observer crumbled under Jared Kushner and how her views of Hilary Clinton changed in covering her for her first book, BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY. Her second book ALL THE SINGLE LADIES was also a New York Times best seller. Traister is working on a third about women and anger. To find out more about Employee of the Month, go to www.employeeofthemonthshow.com or follow host Catie Lazarus @catielazarus on Twitter.

Sexual assault, sexism and harassment in the work place is getting its due in the news, but in ACTUALLY, currently on Broadway at the Manhattan Theater Club, playwright Anna Ziegler examines whether colleges are any more objective than our criminal system. It is nearly impossible for women of all races seeking justice for rape and sexual harassment in our criminal system. Men of color are also considered "guilty until proven innocent." What happens when these two issues collide? And on a college campus? Ziegler speaks about the challenges of judging these cases to her big break, which she credits to Nicole Kidman starring in the West End Production of Ziegler's beloved PHOTOGRAPH 51. Ziegler's works often touch on loneliness, love, and, most recently, ambition, which she deftly tackles in THE LAST MATCH, which is also currently on Broadway. Loosely based on tennis stars Roger Federer and Novak Djokic The Last Match is a "must see" at The Roundabout Theater Company. We also spoke about writing a television series for HBO, based on ACTUALLY, and another for AMC/Sundance. If you can't make it to any of the numbers regional, national and Broadway productions of her nine plays, well, Oberon Books published the first collection of her works Anna Ziegler: Plays One.

After getting her start as a PA for Woody Allen, director and writer Nicole Holofcener gave stars like Jennifer Aniston in FRIENDS WITH MONEY, Julia Louis Dreyfus in ENOUGH SAID, Jake Gyllenhaal and Catherine Keener in LOVELY & AMAZING their meatiest, roles. With her new Netflix film THE LAND of STEADY HABITS, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Edie Falco, Elizabeth Marvel, and Thomas Mann, Holofcener will focus for first time from the perspective of a male protagonist. On this episode off Employee of the Month, Catie Lazarus talks to Holofcener about her about being labeled a female director versus a director, rejecting actors, being rejected, and aging, and directing Yoplait ads to TV shows like Amazon's ONE MISSISSIPPI with Tig Notaro so she can do her own iconic, feature films.

EMPLOYEE of the MONTH is a talk (and awards) show about what it truly means to have a dreamy job. CATIE LAZARUS, who created and hosts Employee of the Month, only selects good eggs for the prestigious EMPLOYEE of the MONTH award, so no wonder she picked Steven Wright. He is utterly hilarious, thoroughly original, and hope you will enjoy our interview. You're welcome. PS Please excuse the AMAZING sound quality. Can't do anything about my voice, but you can donate if you want to help us improve the actual recording quality. No donation too big or too small. www.employeeofthemonthshow.com

There are actors who anoint themselves activists, without considering that most activists don't suddenly claim they are actors, simply because they bought movie tickets. That said, there are consummate professionals, like Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner CYNTHIA NIXON, who will consciously support causes. Nixon has her plate full with upcoming films, like LIFE ITSELF, JAMES WHITE, and STOKHOLM, PENNSYLVNIA; directing a one woman show, and prepping to play Emily Dickinson, among other gigs, but she is passionate about certain causes. We spoke about how she chooses what she gets involved with and what it means to be an activist. Cynthia also weighs in on the challenges of breaking into Hollywood, when you aren't a blonde Barbie doll or white bread beefcake, as well as the hard part of turning down roles when you finally get enough traction as an actor to enable other voices to be heard.

Peeno Noir is Expanding! Actor Tituss Burgess’s real wine company Pinot Noir, inspired by his Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s character viral music video, will unveil a new wine for Pride Week and a rosé. Whether your celebrating the LGBTQ or can’t get enough of the nimble actor and deliriously delightful singer, you’ll feel better about splurging on Pinot Noir after seeing how Burgess does in a blind taste test. Catie Lazarus, host of Employee of the Month, wanted to see if the 37 years old, Georgia native really knows his wine. A consummate performer, Burgess was game. His honesty and humility, as much as his humor, makes their interview a must listen. “Sometimes on Broadway, you have an inflated budget to do what is essentially a community theater production,” Burgess explains with refreshing candor. Without missing a beat, he flashes a mischievous grin. As he acknowledges the bad and the ugly about working in theater, he never forgets the good. Burgess points out how intoxicating Broadway and television, at their best, can be as he tips his proverbial hat to the legendary Patti LuPone and fellow actor Jon Hamm, who are seated in the audience at Joe’s Pub, and will also be individually interviewed and honored on Employee of the Month’s season finale. Their interviews were recorded live at Joe’s Pub and will roll out over the next three weeks on Employee of the Month’s podcast. A performer herself, Lazarus talks to Burgess about the nitty-gritty of auditioning, and the two confess to being late for their 30 Rock Auditions. For Burgess, tardiness, he says, worked in his favor, but it’s really his talent which led Tina Fey took a risk in casting a relatively unknown bit player in a recurring role as D’Fwan in 30 Rock. Burgess batted it out of the park, but she may have developed a role for him in the break out comedy hit on Netflix because he is clearly also a joy to be around. He also displayed depth, as he spoke openly about the role faith and spirituality play and the challenges of homophobia growing up as a gay, black, devout Christian. It’s not just Lazarus and the audience who are having fun, as Burgess thanks Lazarus and says, “this is one the greatest night of my life.” Check out her upcoming interviews with Jon Hamm and Patti LuPone, the latter of which features Burgess and LuPone singing impromptu Meadowlark, composed by Stephen Schwartz, to hear why. Can't get enough? Follow @CatieLazarus and @TitussBurgess, you can check out Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix, to enjoy his many wines, got to www.pbtbwine.com, and to find out more about Employee of the Month, check out www.employeeofthemonthshow.com

I selfishly don't want Zadie Smith to quit her day job, but the famed novelist could easily moonlight as a singer. The author of the critically acclaimed, best-selling novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW, and, most recently, Swing Time shared her insight on plagiarism, plots, outlines, and publishing. A regular contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, she has written about everything from Brexit to Key & Peele to her late father. She once flirted with being a cabaret singer, and once you hear our interview, which was recorded live at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, you'll know why. It was a pleasure and privilege to speak with Zadie about publishing, awards, critics, and to hear her and Lady Rizo sing "Lady and the Tramp."

This October marks Al Jaffee reign as Mad Magazine’s longest running contributor, clocking in 59 years and over 479 issues. Since 1952, the comic book turned magazine infused a childish silliness with biting political depth and orignal artwork. By engaging readers to add their own “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” and even mangling the magazine to solve the “Fold-In” picture riddle, Mad was one of the first enterprises to treat consumers as co-conspirators. The result was an entirely new forum for humor in an era when few questioned whether father really knows best. It’s allure for children and teenagers simultaneously fueled outrage from the FBI to Congress the collective imaginations of future comedy writers and cartoonists. Writers behind The Simpsons, The Daily Show, The Onion, and The Colbert Report credit Mad Magazine for inspiring them. The sheer joy Jaffee’s work provides fans offers to fans is inverse proportion to what he and his three brothers experienced growing up. In his biography Al Jaffee’s Mad Life, co-authored by Mary-Lou Weissman, Jaffee details how his father, who enjoyed drawing, turned his four sons, especially his eldest two, Al (nee Abraham) and Harry, onto the funny pages. When Al’s mother uprooted the boys from their stable homelife in Savannah, Georgia to spend six impoverished, hungry years in Zarsai, Lithuania, Al lived for packages his father sent of newspaper clippings of the “funny pages.” While his father managed to get his then abused and neglected boys back to the States, Al’s mother moved them again to a Jewish ghetto in Lithuania. Their father father managed to get the boys out narrowly avoiding the Nazi takeover, although their mother didn’t make it to the train station on time to say goodbye. It was the last time, Jaffee saw his mother, who perished in the Holocaust. An artist through and through, cartooning became a refuge. Al was so gifted that when he landed in the Bronx, his teacher recommended him to attend the first class of High School and Music & Art, which the then Mayor LaGuardia had just created. There Jaffee met his future partners-in-crime Will Eder, Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin, and Al Feldstein and gained classical drawing skills. Cartooning wasn’t part of the curriculum or even respected, although it didn’t stop Jaffee from doodling. Luckily, between the admiration he garnered from classmates, teachers, and an advertisement for Flit cigarettes drawn by Theodore Geisel, Jaffee decided to make a go of cartooning. As you will hear in our interview, Jaffee is first and foremost a mensch.

DAVEED DIGGS, a rapper, actor, and now Broadway star in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, stopped by Employee of the Month at Joe's Pub to reveal why Diggs hated working at Pier 1. You'll get to hear him freestyle rapwith Jelly D. and Shockwave, who are both the MC's for Employee of the Month Show's house band, and bandmates of Daveed's in Freestyle Love Supreme. In this episode, which was taped live, you will also here Jelly D. and Daveed rap and Shockwave beatbox the Employee of the Month rap up as I give out awards to all of my guests from the live taping in May 2015 at Joe's Pub. To hear my conversations with those guests, The New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, Emmy nominee Anna Chlumsky, and soul singer Lee Fields, as well as Lee Fields singing, subscribe to Employee of the Month's podcast. This is part 1 of a two part interview with Daveed, who plays Jefferson and Lafayette in Hamilton on Broadway. Once you hear our interview, you'll know why he had enough swagger, drive, and talent to take on a starring role, even though it's his first Broadway show.

An Emmy, Grammy, Tony, Pulitzer and Employee of the Month winning composer, actor, writer, and hip-hop super star performer, Lin-Manuel Miranda can currently be seen performing in Marry Poppins. He spoke with Catie Lazarus about creating political commercials for Hillary Clinton to Elliot Spitzer, collaborating with Stephen Sondheim on West Side Story, and playing bar-mitzvahs before In the Heights and Hamilton made him a global sensation. Hamilton Mix tapes premiered off-off-Broadway at The White House, and led to the least known Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, finding his place in the pantheon of complex, prolific leaders. No other musical has done what Hamilton has. Miranda's riveting, utterly unique masterpiece brought together Republicans and Democrats, toddlers and elderly, wealthy and working class, and hip-hop devotees and musical theater junkies.

If you looked up the phrase "comic's comic," Wayne Federman's name should appear. For decades after the late great Gary Shandling cast Wayne as his brother in Larry Sanders Show, Shandling remained close friends with Wayne. While Federman is presently touring with Judd Apatow and has done so with Jimmy Fallon, and writes for both comics as well, he has started to compose theme music. After appearing in and on over fifty hit movies and television shows, including Legally Blonde, Knocked Up, X-Files, and The New Girl, Federman had no idea he'd become the composer for the new Employee of the Month's theme song! Dreams, you never dared to dream, can come true. Even though Wayne has worked throughout his career, we spoke about the uncertainty that befalls any artist. For more about Employee of the Month, go to www.employeeofthemonthshow.com and follow host @catielazarus on Twitter. This episode was produced by Rob Schulte(https://robkschulte.com)

"Bobcat Goldthwait came to the show with the same fear I did," On this episode of Employee of the Month, comedian Kevin McDonald shares what it is like to be judged both about how you write about your life and lived it. We spoke about his one man show as well as the love of being part of a group and loneliness of no longer being one of the cool kids. In their twenties, Kevin McDonalds and Dave Foley, darlings of the sketch comedy world, described themselves as "punk rock," as Kids in the Hall, which began in Canada, became one of the first sketch comedy shows on Comedy Central and HBO and now working with a protege Trevor Moore from the sketch group The Whitest Kids You Know. We spoke about Kevin's relationships with Mike Meyers, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dom Deluise. Kids in the Hall still performs. Kevin also hosts his own podcast Kevin McDonald's Kevin McDonald Show, and appears in films and TV shows, including Sorry for Your Loss with Justin Bartha and FX's Man Seeking Woman by fellow Employee of the Month alum Simon Rich. Enjoy our episode and check out our episode with Simon Rich as well. For more about Employee of the Month, go to www.employeeofthemonthshow.com and follow host @catielazarus on Twitter.

Best known for HBO's iconic Sex-And-The-City, CBS's Two Broke Girls and HBO's The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow Michael Patrick King talks about being Catholic to how Hollywood's corporate maze is more like feudal system, and his new show with cabaret star and Employee of the Month alumni Bridget Everett, of Inside Amy Schumer fame. If you have ever wanted to work in Hollywood, listen to Michael Patrick King as he reveals the discipline, passion, and politics of the entertainment industry. This episode was produced by Rob Schulte(https://robkschulte.com)

Seth Herzog became nationally known for his wry one liners on Vh1's Best Week Ever. He spoke to Catie Lazarus about what he discovered at camp Stagedoor Manor to Zog's Place to acting in New York City with Ethan Hawke, Live Schrieber, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. Herzog's early jobs, including painting, performing as Wonder Woman, and his initial hesitation about being a warm-up comic for Jimmy Fallon, who he frequently tours with and often appears alongside of and writes for on The Tonight Show. Herzog's beloved comedy show Sweet is a must-see for comedy nerds. Find out more at (https://employeeofthemonthshow.com) This episode was produced by Rob Schulte (https://robkschulte.com)

The word multi-tasked doesn't begin to describe Shonali Bhowmik, who somehow juggles, law, music, and comedy. It would've been harder to grow up tone deaf in Nashville than Indian-American, and Shonali describes how progressive her immigrant parents were when raising Shonali and her sister Ruchi, who went on to serve as former Deputy Assistant to President Barack Obama. Shonali was no slouch either. She juggled law school while touring with her band ULTRABABYFAT. After opening for comedian David Cross, Sony came knocking with a record deal. She hadn't stopped practicing law, yet somehow added comedy to the mix. Shonali teamed up with Heather Lawless (Bob's Burgers), Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn 911), and Andrea Rosen (Episodes, Stella) to create Variety SHAC. It was the first time female stand-ups came together to produce videos, host live shows at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and promote one another's work. In doing so, the foursome transformed the indie comedy scene. Today, Shonali also perform with The New Yorker illustrator Marcellus Hall, as part of Monkeys and Tigers, and co-host the podcast We Don't Even Know. For more great interviews check out employeeofthemonthshow.com or follow @CatieLazarus. It won't be weird.

If you didn't have a crush on Josh Lyman, you will after hearing the Emmy Award-winning star of West Wing sing. In our Employee of the Month interview, Bradley Whitford discusses starting out in theater to whether he gets the irony of his fabulous portrayal of well-meaning white liberal in Jordan Peele's hit horror film Get Out, as the actor would have voted for former President Barack Obama for a third term. Whitford tells a very funny story about Bill Clinton, why he finally did Law & Order, hates David Mamet and donates to his alma mater Wesleyan. We also speak about Transparent and, of course, Revenge of the Nerds II. -------- This episode was produced by Rob Schulte (https://robkschulte.com)

A beloved actor, Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe winner Edie Falco, will star in Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. I spoke with her on Employee of the Month, about her marriage and off-screen relationship with James Gandolfini on The Sopranos, shifting priorities, and challenges single parents face. She talked about making money, her rise early on as an indie film queen after SUNY Purchase, and theater ticket prices. Edie mentions Brad, as in The West Wing's Bradley Whitford, as we discuss the pitfalls with certain acting teachers, MFA's and BFA's. The two co-star in a new film Megan Leavey, and you can hear my interview with him up next. Plus, Edie Falco and Stephen Wallem, Nurse Jacki alum, give a special surprise treat, you can't miss. For more great episodes, check out http://employeeofthemonth.com or follow @catielazarus

William Shakespeare shed light on humans’ hypocrisy, absurdity, and complexity with unparalleled acuity. It’s obvious why Keegan-Michael Key, who with his gifted partner-in-crime Jordan Peele, chartered new waters with their hilariously subversive sketch comedy series Key & Peele, has always felt an affinity for the bard. But it is a dream come true, one he'd spoken of for decades, for the Emmy and Peabody winning actor to be in Hamlet at The Public Theater in New York. Directed by Tony winner Sam Gold and starring Oscar Isaac as Hamlet, the three month run sold out as soon as tickets went on sale. In our Employee of the Month interview, we spoke about Keegan’s two-decade detour in comedy, his first film Hamtramck, improvising with President Barack Obama for The White House Correspondents Dinner, and how comedian Mike Birbiglia’s indie Don’t Think Twice proved the perfect segue for extending his already rich repertoire to more dramatic roles. Did I mention Keegan-Michael Key can sing? Oh, you’ll here him....

This week on Employee of the Month, I spoke between songs with indie darling Adrianne Lenker. In our interview, which was recorded live at Joe's Pub, the singer, guitarist and front woman of Big Thief performed the heralded Masterpiece and a new surprise from their second album Capacity. She also spoke about her early forays performing at open mic nights in Minnesota as a kid and the craft of storytelling. In addition to Lenker, Big Thief features her longtime partner Buck Meek (guitar) as well as Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). On June 9th, their second album will be out on Saddle Creek. ------This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

Priya Natarajan, a world-renowned theoretical astrophysicist, is making dark matter maps of clusters of galaxies, the largest known repositories of dark matter in the universe. Her accessible, fascinating book Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos (Yale University Press) chronicles her journey, as well as that of the field of astrophysics which has undergone astronomical changes in recent years. In our interview, which was recorded live at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, Natarajan revealed what it’s like to be an outsider in academia, and what it meant to her to watch Carl Sagan as a child, growing up in India. Find out more at http://employeeofthemonthshow.com -----This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte

John Roberts is a musician and comedian, who got his start when his hilarious Youtube videos inspired by his own mother went viral. He perfectly captured the spirit of his Italian, suburban, Catholic, New Jersey mom. His career as a comedian took off and he has toured doing comedy with Margaret Cho and gained national fame as the voice of Linda Belcher on Fox's hit animated series Bob's Burgers. Roberts, who is also a musician, also performs with Blondie, Gregory Brothers and as a solo act. At the end of our delightful interview, Roberts was joined by Alex Borstein, an Employee of the Month Alum who plays Lois on Family Guy to gives real quotes by President Donald Trump the gravitas they deserve.Our episode was recorded live at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. www.employeeofthemonthshow.com or @catielazarus and @johnrobertsfun This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

RACHEL FEINSTEIN is best known for her stand up, and we spoke about how she started acting, be it in her roommate's INSIDE AMY SCHUMER on Comedy Central, RED OAKS on AMAZON or Judd Apatow and Pete Homes new HBO series, CRASHING. We spoke about how she embodies characters, living with comedians, like Amy Schumer and Sherrod Small, and the myth that all comedians are broken. Her own comedy special ONLY WHORES WEAR PURPLE is out and she performs stand-up all over the world. Catch her @rachelfeinstein and for more, on Employee of the Month Show, go to @catielazarus and www.employeeofthemonthshow.com ----------This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

"Don't ask for instructions " Cecile Richards, who serves as President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, explains what it takes to be a labor. She has been involved in helping women fight for basic healthcare and economic equality since she was only a teenager in Texas. Before 2006, Ms. Richards served as deputy chief of staff for House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, founded the NGO America Votes, and began her career organizing low-wage workers. For more @catielazarus http://employeeofthemonthshow.com and http://plannedparenthood.org This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

In a city overpopulated with ambitious, brilliant misfits, Oskar Eustis holds his own. The Artistic Director of the legendary Public Theater is somehow directing Julius Caesar with a star-studded cast including Oscar Isaac and Keegan-Michael Key for Shakespeare in the Park, while teaching at NYU, developing new works as far as Hong Kong, and as far, at least politically, as rural and Midwest, Trump voting counties go, while overseeing the mothership with a 120-person staff and at least 4 productions seven nights a week, not including the multiple writing and outreach programs, and stages, including Joe’s Pub. Eustis is an exceptional leader. Eustis is even training and nurtures potential successors. We spoke about how the Public became a global brand, his mission to make theater free and accessible, leadership, and what the windfall from Fun Home and Hamilton’s success on Broadway offers. This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

After winning a Grammy with Yo-Yo Ma (Songs of Joy and Peace), the inaugural Edinburgh Fringe Cabaret Award and the London Cabaret Award for best vocal act, Lady Rizo is touring with a whole new album Indigo. In 2004, her cabaret act was born. We spoke about her time before then from Princess Cruiselines, finding her own voice after flirting with the improv scene at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, and loves, old and new. Our interview was recorded live at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. You can check her out at www.ladyrizo.com and www.employeeofthemonthshow.com This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

John Benjamin Hickey, who won a Tony for his role in “The Normal Heart,” isn't a stranger to the grueling schedule of theater. He started hosting his own radio show on Sirius. But the Julliard-trained thespian was itching to be on Broadway, and is enjoying being in the revival of John Guare’s 1990 Tony- and Pulitzer-nominated play, “Six Degrees of Separation.” For starters, it means being reunited with Allison Janney. We spoke about contrived intimacy, dating within your profession, and why Six Degrees of Separation is sadly still timely. Find out more and purchase tickets to the live show at http://employeeofthemonthshow.com This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

While Steve Martin and Ricky Gervais dove into stand-up after they’d made a name for themselves and enough money for their great-great grandchildren’s grandchildren to never need to work, Judy Gold got her start in stand-up. It wasn’t easy to miss the 6’3, religious Jewish lesbian on the line-up, but it was her fearlessness and hilarity which won crowds over. She made a name for herself in theater, starting with her two one-woman shows 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother and The Judy Show, but she has more recently appeared in Shakespeare in the Park. We spoke about why she takes acting classes and her first job on Roseanne to Louie. When not performing stand-up or acting, Gold is also an Emmy Award-winning TV writer and producer and hosts her own podcast KILL ME NOW. Find out more at http://employeeofthemonthshow.com This episode was produced by Rob Schulte http://robkschulte.com

I selfishly don't want Zadie Smith to quit her day job, but the famed novelist could easily moonlight as a singer. The author of the critically acclaimed, best-selling novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW, and, most recently, Swing Time shared her insight on plagiarism, plots, outlines, and publishing. A regular contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, she has written about everything from Brexit to Key & Peele to her late father. She once flirted with being a cabaret singer, and once you hear our interview, which was recorded live at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, you'll know why. It was a pleasure and privilege to speak with Zadie about publishing, awards, critics, and to hear her and Lady Rizo sing "Lady and the Tramp."