The Quiet Part Out Loud

Josh Breckenridge (Come From Away, Book of Mormon, The Scottsboro Boys) is one of the most employed actors on Broadway. He has a particularly complex relationship to code-switching that likely makes him a wonderful actor.  It is also a pattern in his life that emerged from a confluence of identities that consistently made him feel othered. He is black and gay, but grew up in largely white communities, where it was a constant and multi-dimensional challenge to find belonging - not only in the groups that he was different from, but in groups that he was connected to. It is through a continued search for personal identity that is not centered on making others comfortable that brings Josh closer to himself, and less dependent on the survival of code switching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patti Murin is an actress most notable as the star of Brodway's Frozen. In addition to a practically glowing personality and upbeat optimism, she has also navigated depression that many people might think directly contradicts these qualities. Patti emphasizes how she has worked towards change through acceptance. It was the acknowledging, understanding, and embracing of the largeness of her experience into her identity - the idea of who she is-  that set her on the path towards integration. Ultimately, it is the flexibility of identity as opposed to assurance in who we are that allows us to grow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eden Espinosa (Lempicka, Rent, Wicked) has been a powerhouse on Broadway for decades. She has also experienced the very human contradiction of struggling to own her power in certain areas, where shape shifting to avoid conflict and to maintain the status quo of an imbalanced power dynamic has kept her from stepping into the personal power that she is known for on stage. It is through the hard work of breaking old patterns and prioritizing independence where she is finding a new path forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lonny Price is Broadway royalty and just happens to be one of Bobby's best friends. They have shared several professional successes together, but in the end, it is their deep and enduring friendship they value most. Lonny shares the evolution of his ambition - one that was singly focused on professional success as a young person, and that has balanced into a philosophy based in kindness and perspective.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Bobby Steggert is back with an update for 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara Gettelfinger (Water For Elephants) shares the harrowing story of an addiction that brought her to her knees and interrupted a highly successful career on Broadway. After a decade of struggle and recovery, she has returned to performing with a new perspective and hard-earned wisdom that is an invaluable lesson to us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cody Renard Richard is a highly respected and singularly visible Production Stage Manager on Broadway who has carved out a multi-faceted career in the theater that includes producing, teaching, and advocacy. He shares how his faith, both religious and personal, has fueled his purpose and given larger and wider meaning to his contributions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Cromer is one of our finest directors. His gift for simple yet profound observation of the human condition makes for must-see theater. He's won all the awards, is sought after and one of the rarest of talents - and, like so many of us, he has experienced depression. Leaders often feel required to set themselves apart from the struggles of the rest of us, and perhaps it is his willingness to speak the bare truth of his experience that makes him a leader worth following. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Gajda (Fosse, Movin' Out) is a veteran Broadway dancer who is now a therapist to many artists. Bobby and Lisa share in their similar paths, as well as their mutual focus on IFS, the model of therapy that is the inspiration for this podcast. Lisa's worker part, much like Bobby's drive for achievement, was single-minded in keeping her afloat through productivity. The rest is a journey towards healing and self-acceptance while, hopefully, working a little less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Testa is a theater legend with a storied career spanning 50 years, and it is her natural grit, intuition, and boldness that contribute to her smarts - a part that has enabled her to stand in her power and to know exactly who she is- onstage and in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn Colella (SUFFS, Come From Away) has always been a natural born leader, whether it's with her friends, her cast, or her community. Bobby and Jenn discuss the essential quality of leadership that often goes unnoticed - self-compassion. It is through a commitment to inner grace that Jenn nurtures every aspect of community with genuine optimism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent Comer (The Outsiders) is from Frederick, Maryland - the same small town that Bobby grew up in 15 years earlier. Brent and Bobby explore what it means to come from the very same place, where they had the same teachers and performed on the same high school stage. They discover what bonds them together and how one community molded each of their lives a generation apart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Wartella (Wicked, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tuck Everlasting) found theater as a kid and discovered a sense of power that would change his life, but a career in the arts is filled with uncertainty and powerlessness. Mike and Bobby discuss how overcompensation for fear and insecurity often lead to addictive validation-seeking that can lead us down harmful paths, and that a redefinition of personal power is essential for healthy and sustainable relationships to ourselves and others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lilli Cooper (POTUS, Tootsie, Spring Awakening) has always relied on defiance as a source of personal power - essential to her life as an artist, as someone who has often been the only black woman in the room, and now, as a mother, whose very presence as an actor who is visibly navigating motherhood at the same time is an act of defiance in itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice, School of Rock) and Bobby have been friends since they were in the Broadway production of Big Fish together. They were both quietly struggling with mental health, not knowing where to turn or how to address it. Alex shares how his drive to entertain and succeed was ultimately an obstacle to authentic wellbeing. A decade later, their reunion celebrates the growth and relief in finding paths towards authentic connection, self-care, and life balance. Disclaimer: For anyone considering medication for their mental health, always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider, such as a psychiatrist or doctor, before making any decisions regarding treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction to gambling, visit www.gamblersinrecovery.com for support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana Nogueira is an actor, playwright, and screenwriter whose way with words is just one aspect of her enormous intelligence. She reveals a complex relationship to her intellect, growing up in a family where her emotional and interpersonal understanding of the world were always nurtured, but in school settings where they were minimized. Ana and Bobby explore how artistry requires simultaneous confidence and doubt in one's capacities in order to truly succeed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Krysta Rodriguez (The Collaboration, Smash, Spring Awakening, The Addams Family) explores a complex history of trust (and mistrust) as influenced by many factors in life - religion, family addiction, and a cancer diagnosis at the age of 30. She shares how the journey to self-trust is about continuing to center autonomous choice over reliance on external forces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Puette (Hadestown) shares his story of addiction with honesty and transparency, exploring both the initial benefits of substance use for coping with life's stressors, and the ultimate shame and isolation that inevitably results from it. Opening up about his experience is a reconnection to the world, and central to his recovery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cara Rose DiPietro is an accomplished performer and advocate whose influence on social media has fostered a career in both musical theater and mental health awareness. She opens up about her struggle with an eating disorder that has been a means of control in otherwise uncontrollable circumstances, and how she has evolved towards a more healthy and sustainable control over her life through sharing her story with the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Silber guest hosts as Bobby turns the tables on himself - sharing a part of himself that was central to the isolation and struggle that he navigated for much of his life, but that was also the proving ground for his eventual work as a therapist. Bobby and Al share more about friendship, family, shame, success, and the windy road towards healing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael R Jackson (A Strange Loop, Teeth) is a writer and composer whose prodigious talent combines with a depth of observation that results in powerful, personal storytelling. He shares how his history of inner criticism has been a response to feeling excluded and on the outside, and how his journey towards self-acceptance has been a complicated one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Fraggle Rock) grew up with the single-minded goal of one day working for Jim Henson and the Muppets. Now, forty years later, he is the creative supervisor for Fraggle Rock, the very show that helped him heal from his parents' divorce and envision a future of creative success. John shares how his imagination has always guided him with optimism and kindness, allowing him to manifest his childhood dream into reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gavin Creel is a Tony winner and all-around Broadway royalty, but he is not immune to a history of shame and self-doubt. Bobby and Gavin share a common story of growing up gay and being rejected by a culture that led to patterns of self-rejection that they both still navigate, while also sharing how they've healed through self-acceptance and community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Silber is a true renaissance woman - an actor, singer, writer, director, teacher, and advocate. She also happens to be one of Bobby's best friends. Al shares her Survival Part - one that she has relied on throughout harrowing experiences of loss and serious illness. Bobby and Al also explore the gift of platonic intimacy in sharing the depths and complexities of their own relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gideon Glick (Tony nominee, To Kill a Mockingbird) shares his joyful part - not just a state of being, but a part that consciously shares with others through the simple act of connection. It is a part that he relies on as the antidote to anxiety and isolation, and is a solution that is available to all of us if we choose to recognize the opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!) is a Tony winning actress and singer, a writer and advocate, a wife and a mother. She also lives with a disability that is the result of a spinal cord injury she sustained when she was two years old. Ali shares her anxious part - one that is universal to the human experience, but that has been informed by a loss of control that few can relate to. Ali shares that her particular experience of isolation and the anxiety that resulted is best overcome through connection - to her work, her voice, her community, and her friends and family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alli Mauzey (Kimberly Akimbo) has a freedom and flexibility on stage that makes her a wonder to watch. She shares her free spirit part, which allows her to risk and bush the boundaries, yet it's not a part of her that always came totally naturally. Alli shares how her free-spiritedness is also something she's had to commit to when anxiety would make it easier to play it safe. Help guide the show with me! Submit your request for guest and/or topic(s) to cover by visiting https://bpn.fm/quietquestions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Uranowitz (Tony winner, Leopoldstadt) opens up about a legacy of people pleasing that began in childhood as an effort to reach social acceptance and professional success. His current success, however, is only possible through commitment to an authenticity defined on his own terms. Help guide the show with me! Submit your request for guest and/or topic(s) to cover by visiting https://bpn.fm/quietquestions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celia Keenan-Bolger (Mother Play, The Gilded Age, To Kill a Mockingbird) learned as a young girl that self-sufficiency and a responsibility towards the larger good was what made her belong in a family that valued service above all else. This part has served her extremely well in an already storied career, but she has learned that self-sufficiency is also an obstacle to connection. She is still learning how to risk the intense vulnerability of intimacy with those she's closest, understanding that to reveal herself fully is the only way to create true connection. Help guide the show with me! Submit your request for guest and/or topic(s) to cover by visiting https://bpn.fm/quietquestions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claybourne Elder (The Gilded Age, Company) is one of the nicest guys in show business. What follows is a surprising and vulnerable conversation about the personal costs of people pleasing, even when it might make others more comfortable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whitney Bashor (MJ, The Bridges of Madison County) has the voice of an angel. And what are angels other than perfect? In this episode, Whitney discusses the origins of her perfectionism, which drove her as a child through obedience, body image, and achievement. She shares the surprising drawbacks of having a talent that others perceive to be so perfect, and the work she has done, both as an individual and as an artist, to banish the impossibility of perfection from the menu, and to replace it with the much more interesting complexity of being human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Isaac just finished a seven year run on the hit TV show Billions. He shares the story of his "good boy" part. He's the son of a single mother, a Korean immigrant and devout Christian who he felt an intense responsibility to represent. From his from earliest memory, we was not just Daniel, but he was a representative of his family, of immigrants, of Koreans, and literally, of God himself.  As an adult, Daniel has found happiness in creating his own value systems, and is still on the quest for how to define goodness on his own terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben and Bobby met doing the Broadway revival of Ragtime. Ben was 11, Bobby was 27. Fast forward, now Ben is 26 and starring in the Broadway production of Illinoise. He is on the verge of a big moment, one that he is intent on staying present and grateful for, no matter how it unfolds. The actors discuss hard won lessons in leading with expectations that have led to disappointment and loss of core purpose, while sharing how they both returned to values that redefine success in more personal terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannon Tyo (2023 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence) is a prolific and versatile actor who can take on just about any role. She shares her experience as a transracial, transnational adoptee, and how the mysterious unknown of her origins was the source of her vivid imagination - something that has led to enormous strengths as an artist, and also something she's had to work on in terms of choosing the narratives that serve us best. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon, Hamilton) is a fellow performer of inspiring perspective and heart and kindness.  In this episode, we discuss the parts of us that are driven by ambition - how powerful it can be in the life of a younger performer, and how that ambition is so often driven by the need to be seen, to be validated, and ultimately, to stave off the pain of shame. Rory shares how his ambitious parts have entirely transformed through his experience as a parent, and as someone whose values have found home in family, health, curiosity for the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how your favorite performer actually feels? Well, here's your chance! Tony nominee and psychotherapist Bobby Steggert dives deep with Broadway's finest. Part interview/part therapy, he goes right to the heart of things with some of your favorite artists - What they still struggle with. What lessons they've learned. What they haven't figured out yet.  There's enormous power in saying the quiet part out loud...are you listening? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices