Theater People

THEATER PEOPLE!! I'm so excited to tell you that I've teamed up with BROADWAY ICON Jennifer Simard--the two time Tony Nominee and star of the upcoming Death Becomes Her for a brand new podcast called The Golden Girls Deep Dive Podcast! AND WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SHARE EPISODE 1 WITH YOU RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW! Each week we recap an episode of The Golden Girls with laughter and sass and then at the end of each episode we bring you a fully researched deep dive on something from The Golden Girls Universe--like, what ever happened to Coco the gay chef from the pilot episode? Or what's the deal with this rumored on-set feud between Bea Arthur and Betty White? You know you're gonna love it! So listen to episode 1 here and then go follow us wherever you listen and check out episode 2 which is out now! 

HELLO THEATER PEOPLE!! For the first time in FIVE FREAKING YEARS I'm breaking the silence of the Theater People Universe to bring you a VERY SPECIAL episode. A few months ago, I discovered the podcast "Stage Combat"  it's a true crime style THEATER PODCAST in which actor Sean Hayden tells his TRUE horror story of being cast as a lead in the Goodspeed production of "Billy Elliot." It was a dream come true for him, until everything went wrong. I don't' want to give too much away here, but this is the kind of story we NEVER hear in the theater world--one in which an actor does the unthinkable by standing up for himself even when he knows it's going to cost him everything. For this very special episode, we're going to play episode 1 of "Stage Combat" and then stick around for my in-depth interview with Sean. You are not going to believe this story. And you're going to come away inspired. And I can't wait for you to  hear it!Binge all of season 1 of Stage Combat here. And make sure you're subscribed so you'll automatically get the brand new episodes when season 2 premieres on July 25th. 

Laura Benanti needs no introduction, you guys!! The Tony winner and five-time nominee joined me live on the main stage at Broadway con where we chatted like old pals....in front of 2500 people. We swapped parenting stories and talked about everything from 'Women on the Verge,' because I'm still obsessed, to Melania Trump and Stephen Colberet. I'm obsessed with her. Enjoy!

Live From Broadwaycon 2018, we bring you "Being Out on Broadway!" Each BroadwayCon, I ask some of my favorite LGBTQ guests to sit down for a live panel discussion about how it is to be OUT on Broadway. On this year's panel, we discussed everything from dating to politics to polyamory. to the state of union under Trump. I look forward all year to moderating this panel at BroadwayCon. The conversation is always lively and fun and this year was no exception. Enjoy!

We're Back! Take a listen to this episode's intro to find out what Patrick and Producer Mike have been up to and how the Theater People production schedule will be a little bit different going forward. AND THEN, prepare ye for our interview with Jennifer Ashley Tepper.We are THRILLED to welcome our friend Jennifer Ashley Tepper to the podcast! Jenn is a writer ("The Untold Stories of Broadway"), producer, director, Programming Director at Feinstein's/54 Below, and all around force of nature. She's currently producing Joe Iconis' "Be More Chill" off-Broadway at NYC's Signature Theater AND is producing / directing the upcoming "The Jonathan Larson" project at Feinstein's/54 Below. She is the embodiment of theater kid living our her dreams on Broadway and I'm obsessed with her. We did this interview sitting on the floor of her office and I never wanted to leave. Enjoy!

Hey Theater People! Yes, it’s been a minute since our last episode. We will have much more on that in our next episode—an interview with newly minted Tony nominee Lindsay Mendez. You guys, if you haven’t seen "Carousel" yet, RUN, do not walk to the Imperial Theater. The one thing I do want to let you know is that Theater People is NOT going away. And we WILL continue to produce new episodes with Tony winners, Broadway legends, and today’s brightest theater stars. There are going to be some changes to our release schedule, but again more on that next time. Today we’re excited to share a new episode of one of our favorite sister podcasts, "The Ensemblist." After a four month hiatus, "The Ensemblist" is back to share some of their favorite stories from their website. In this episode, they’re sharing some of the very best stories from their blog this spring read by the actors who wrote them including George Abud, Aaron Albano, and Tomar Wilson with stories from Hamilton, The Band’s Visit, and more. And as a special bonus "The Ensemblist" is bringing back their reviews of favorite performances of Broadway ensemblists in their spring round table. So enjoy this episode of "The Ensemblist" and we’ll see you in about two weeks with a brand new episode of Theater People featuring Tony Nominee Lindsay Mendez.

Hey theater People! We have big big news! Check it out!

We're SO thrilled to welcome Adam Kantor back to the podcast! When we last chatted with Adam, he was mid-run as Motel in the 2015 Broadway revival of "Fiddler on the Roof." Adam is now back on Broadway as Telephone Guy in "The Band's Visit," one of the most critically acclaimed new musicals of the year. For the episode, we chat about how Adam won the roll, working with creative team (including one of our personal favorites, David Yazbeck) on creating the role, and perfecting his character's haunting and beautiful song "Answer Me."

YOU GUYS!!!! Sitting down with Lea Salonga for this interview was literally a dream come true. Lea, of course, needs no introduction, but since I have to put something here, here goes: In 1989 she was selected to star as Kim in "Miss Saigon"--first in London and then on Broadway where, of course, she won the Tony Award for her work. She would go on to star in "Les Miserables," "Flower Drum Song," and "Allegiance" to name just a very few shows. She was also the singing voice of Jasmine in the Disney film version of "Aladdin" and Mulan in "Mulan." In the Philippines, where she is a mega-star, she is a co-host of the popular TV show "The Voice" Her credits go on and on and on. And now she's back on Broadway as Erzulie, The Goddess of Love, in Michael Arden's utterly magical production of "Once on this Island" now playing at Circle in the Square. It was one of the high honors of my career to get to meet and chat with Lea. Enjoy!

You Guys!! We are the biggest Ryann Redmond fans ever! We first fell in love with her in 2012 when she made her Broadway debut as Bridget, the lovably awkward sidekick in "Bring It On: The Musical." From there, she went on to originate roles in "if/Then" and the critically beloved off-Broadway hit "Gigantic." This season she's back on Broadway in the Jimmy Buffet crowd pleaser "Escape To Margaritaville" which begins previews at the Marquis Theater on February 16th. We LOVED chatting with Ryann! enjoy!

We're SO excited to welcome Telly back to the podcast! Since we last spoke with him, Telly has solidified his standing as one of Broadway's most popular leading men! For the episode, we'll chat about his recent move to the New Amsterdam Theatre where he as taken over the title role in Disney's "Aladdin.' We'll also chat about last season's "In Transit" and "Allegiance." Enjoy!

For our final episode of 2017, we're chatting with our pal, everyone's favorite Olivier winner, Lesli Margherita (Matilda The Musical, Dames At Sea, Zorro The Musical). This holiday season, Lesli is starring in the one-woman (insert Ru Paul voice) extravaganza "Who's Holiday" at the Westside Theater. Lesli plays a grown-up Cindy Lou Hoo, the beloved character from the classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Grown-up Cindy Lou is a drinker (amen) who, after an affair with The Grinch and a stint in jail, has fallen on hard times and she shared her story in rhyming couplets. We're obsessed!"Who's Holiday" runs through New Year's Eve. RUN out and see it!

YOU GUYS!!! I am completely obsessed with today's guest, Gillian Pensavalle. Not only is the creator, producer, editor, and host of "The Hamilcast," but she is ALSO Patrick's podcast soulmate and ch-host of "True Crime Obsessed," their comedy / true crime podcast (which you should all be listening to!). Today, Gillian shares the story of how "The Hamilcast" came to be and tells us EVERYTHING about getting Lin-Manuel Miranda hammered in her living room and doing a 4-hour interview with him which resulted in FOUR EPISODES of the "The Hamilcast." Take a listen and find "The Hamilcast" wherever you get your podcasts!

YOU. GUYS. I. AM. DYING. OF. EXCITEMENT! We have been trying to get Helene Yorke on Theater People for YEARS! We have been completely obsessed with her since seeing her in her star-making turn as Olive in "Bullets Over Broadway" but we became full on Helene Yorke maniacs after seeing her in "American Psycho." Words cannot explain how much we loved that show and her performance as Evelyn. She was everything we hoped she'd be and more! Enjoy!

This episode has been YEARS in the making. We are so so so excited to welcome Jeremy Jordan to the podcast. .And actually, we sort of tricked him into it. Jeremy initially agreed to sit down for an interview for the "Bonnie and Clyde" episode of our other podcast, Broadway Backstory. But we enjoyed each other so much that he agreed to stick around for what we like to call the "full Theater People." Jeremy made his Broadway debut in 2009 as an understudy in "Rock of Ages." He went on to play Tony twice a week in the Broadway revival of "West Side Story." He originated the role of Clyde Barrow in 2011's "Bonnie and Clyde" (which we are obsessed with) and earned a Tony nomination for originating the role of Jack Kelly in 2012's "Newsies." We love him. Enjoy!

YOU GUYS!! We are SO excited to welcome director Jeff Caohoun to the podcast!Jeff has been at the helm of some of our favorite shows like "Brooklyn: The Musical," "Bonnie & Clyde," and "Newsies." He shared AMAZING stories from his decades long career on Broadway as a performer, choreographer, and director. We're obsessed with him! Enjoy!

YOU GUYS! I've been obsessed with Morgan James for years and I was SO thrilled to get to learn more of her story for this episode. Morgan first moved to NYC to study voice at Julliard--and the story of how she made that happen is one of the coolest stories I've heard. And then, after graduating from one of the best conservatories in the world, she struggled to find work. She, of course, went on to work on Broadway in "The Adams Family," "Wonderland," "Godspell," and "Motown: The Musical." In recent years she's taken a sidestep away from theater to focus on music, first as an artist with Epic Records and now with her very own label.

YOU GUYS!! We are so so excited to welcome today's guest, Tyler Hanes! I first met Tyler years and years ago when he was making his Broadway debut in "Oklahoma!" and I have been creepily stalking his career ever since. Since then he's stacked up 8 more Broadway credits including "Hairspray," "The Boy From Oz," "A Chorus Line," and Gaby in "On the Town." He is currently starring as Rum Tum Tugger in "Cats" and he is sooooooooo good n the role! And more. It was SUCH a thrill to catch up with him. Enjoy!

This Week: A Two-Parter! First Up, the FABULOUS Alexandra Silber share stories from her amazing career on Broadway (2015's "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Master Class") and The West End ("The Woman in White" and Fiddler on the Roof"). And she shares how her own life story prepared her to write the new novel "After Anatevka" which follows the character Hodel after the events of "Fiddler on the Roof." In the second part of the show, Tony winner Reed Birney talks "1984," the terrifying and thrilling new play based on George Orwell's best-selling novel.

We're OBSESSED with Julia Murney! In the early days of her career, Julia made a name for herself working downtown in some of off-Broadway's hottest theaters. Her biggest break early on came in 2000 when she was cast in the leading role of Queenie in Andrew Lippa's "The Wild Party." She made her Broadway debut in 2005 in "Lennon" and is probably best known for taking over the role of Elphaba in 2007 in the Broadway production of "Wicked." Her TV, commercial, and film roles are too many to name, but she will forever live in my heart for her work on "Sex and the City." We talk about all of it! Enjoy!

Today's episode is in two parts, you guys! Up first is our dear friend Laura Osnes, making her FOURTH appearance on the podcast). Laura recently invited us to her perfectly appointed dressing room at the Jacobs Theater where she is starring as Julia Trojan in "Banstand." We talk about how it's been for her to see the show through from it's very first reading all the way to Broadway. In the Second half of the episode, we chat with "The Play That Goes Wrong's" Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer--co-writers and actors in the show. The pair share the show's Broadway Backstory and how it developed from a one-act being performed in a 60-seat theater above a put to the Olivier Award winning hit and Broadway favorite.

The handsome, charming, and talented Derek Klena invited us to his dressing room at the Broadhurst theater to chat about starring in "Anastasia." He also shared the AMAZING story of his road to professional acting, and his work in "Carrie: The Musical," "Wicked," and "Dogfight." Enjoy!

It's no secret that I'm OBSESSED with "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"--I truly think it is one of the most powerful and affecting pieces of theater I've ever experienced. The first time I saw the show, I knew we had to have Brittain Ashford, who plays Sonya, on the podcast ASAP. Brittain has been with the show from the earliest readings and has played Sonya in all of the show's incarnations. In the episode we find out where she came from, how she met the show's creator Dave Malloy, and how it is to be making her Broadway debut in such an unusual and magnificent work.

It's a 2017 Tony Extravaganza! In this two-part episode, we have two of this year's most loved nominees! Up first, two-time Tony winner Andy Blankenbuehler ("In the Heights" "Hamilton) talks this year's "Bandstand" which he directed and choreographed. He is nominated for his choreography. In the second part of the show, we chat with Johanna Day about her work and Tony nomination for her work in this year's Pulitzer Prize winning "Sweat." I LOVED chatting with these two! Enjoy!

YOU GUYS! The "Come From Away" obsession continues! For today’s episode, I had the great honor of sitting down for a chat with the Irene Sankoff and David Hein who conceived the show and wrote the music, book, and lyrics. I could barely contain myself. The show, of course, is nominated for 7 Tony Awards this year including Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for Irene and David. It's also nominated for the all important Best New Musical. It was so exciting to get to chat with them about how the show came to be and it’s journey from their living room to Broadway. I loved them SO much! Enjoy!

I still can't breathe, you guys! Words cannot explain the pure exhilaration of sitting across the table from the one and only Betty Buckley and the concentration it took trying to sound smart while asking her questions! This Tony-winning Broadway legend certainly needs no introduction, but for the uninitiated, Betty made her Broadway debut in 1969 in 1776--a role she won on her VERY FIRST DAY IN NEW YORK and for which she earned her first Tony nomination. Among many other credits, she originated the role of Grizabella in "Cats," the role for which she won her Tony, she also originated the title role in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" as wells as in "Song and Dance," "Carrie" (!!!!!!!!!), and "Triumph of Love." She also won raves for playing Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard" in both the West End and on Broadway. You can get her new album "Story Songs" on iTunes or wherever else you get your music. I'm obsessed with her. Enjor!

Full Disclosure, you guys, I’m OBSESSED with "Come From Away" And I’m equally obsessed with today’s guest, Caesar Samayoa. Caesar plays multiple roles in the show including Kevin, who is one half of a gay couple in which both men are named Kevin, and Ali, a Muslim chef, both of whom are stranded in Gandor, Newfoundland on September 11th 2001 during the true events that make up the plot of "Come From Away". Caesar’s performances in the show are spellbinding and I was thrilled to get to ask him all the questions about it. Caesar made his new York city debut in 1998’s long running off-Broadway production of "R & J". He made his Broadway debut in 2006 in "Hot Feet." He was also seen in on Broadway in "The Pee Wee Herman Show" and "Sister Act" before landing his roles in "Come From Away." I love this guy! Enjoy!

This was, without a doubt, one of the most fun and interesting interviews I've ever done, you guys. Gabriel Ebert talks being cast as Mr. Wormwood in "Matilda" at the age of 24--winning a Tony Award for the role at age 25--and a new and BRILLIANT play called "Gently Down the Stream" which is currently playing off-Broadway at the Public Theater.

You Guys, I said it the day it happened and I'll say it again: The chat I had with Miss Saigon's Eva Noblezada is one of the most memorable I've ever had. I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I found her to be SO charming and SO funny and SO downright personable that I just wanted to talk to her for hours. I won't give too much away here, but her story of being literally plucked from obscurity--with NO professional theatrical credits--to lead the company of the "Miss Saigon" revival is amazing. She is such a delight! Enjoy!

At Long Last the Jenn Colella interview is here! We couldn't be more excited to talk with the fabulous Broadway star about her work in this season's "Come From Away" and to hear her AMAZING and HILARIOUS stories from "If/Then," "Chaplin," "High Fidelity," and "Urban Cowboy." We're obsessed with her and you need to be too! Enjoy!

You guys, We're OBSESSED with Ariana DeBose! Ariana is Currently co-starring as Jane in the critically acclaimed "A Bronx Tale"--directed by Robert De Niro and Jerry Zacks. She made her Broadway debut in 2012 in "Bring it On: The Musical" (one of my faves!) and went on to join the Broadway cast of "Pippin." In 2013 was invited by Lin-Manuel Miranda to participate in the first readings of the show that would become "Hamilton." She would stay wit the show through its off-Broadway and Broadway runs as a member of the ensemble and, notably, #TheBullet. Enjoy!

28-year-old Gideon Glick is giving one of the most buzzed-about performances on Broadway this season as Jordan Berman, an unlucky in love New York City bachelor in the play "Significant Other." It was such a pleasure chatting with him about this star-making turn, his real life love life (which is going great!), and his earlier work on Broadway--2006's "Spring Awakening" and 2011's "Spiderman: Turn off the Dark." Enjoy!

I LOVE NATHAN LEE GRAHAM! As a lot of you know, I'm a bit of a gay history nerd, so I was thrilled recently to get to see Nathan--one of my favorite NYC actors--in the new off-Broadway musical, "The View Upstairs." The show tells the little-known true story of The Upstairs Lounge--one of the country's first gay bars--where an arsonist set a fire which killed many of the bar's patrons. Nathan made his Broadway debut in 2000 in Michael John Lachuisa's "The Wild Party." He was also seen in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" and the acclaimed off-Broadway show "Wig Out." Enjoy!

YOU GUYS!!! I've been pursuing this interview with Rebecca for YEARS! I'm totally obsessed. I first fell in love with this incredible woman in 2008 when I saw her in the Broadway production of "Passing Strange"--a show she'd been with since the 2007 production at The Public Theater. I fell even deeper in love with her when I saw her in 2010's "American Idiot," and, of course, I loved her in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." And now she's making her play Broadway debut--yes, that's a thing--in the TERRIFIC "Significant Other." Sheeeeeeeeee's amazing! Enjoy!

You Guys! It was such a thrill to spend an afternoon chatting with the perfectly British and perfectly handsome and perfectly hilarious Michael Xavier. Currently starring opposite Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway, Michael is on loan to us from Mother England where he is one of the West End's biggest stars. With two Olivier nominations to his name, he's brought his charm and talent across the pond and is giving one of this season's most celebrated performances as Joe Gillis in one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest works.

YOU GUYS!! Theater People is 100 episodes old!! To mark the occasion, we recorded this episode live at BroadwayCon. Basically I made some of my favorite guests listen to me talk about how much I love them. Hilarity ensued! Enjoy!

What an episode, you guys! In the first segment two-time Tony winner (and five time nominee!!!) Michael Cerveris is back to talk making his own music, acting, and life post-"Fun Home." In the Second half of the show, two of our favorite guests ,Jose Llana and Laura Michelle Kelly, return to talk all things "The King and I" tour! Enjoy!

You guys, we've been working on locking down an interview with today's guest Rory O'Malley for YEARS! He was originally scheduled to be the THIRD ever guest of Theater People! For this episode we talk all things "Hamilton"--he was King George on Broadway before heading off in the role on the national tour. We also talk about "Book of Mormon," "Little Miss Sunshine," politics, boyfriends, and everything in between. I looooooooooved chatting with him! Enjoy!

We are SOOOOO excited to finally welcome everyone's favorite Screltress, Shoshana Bean to the show! As if I need to tell you guys, Shoshana made her Broadway debut in 2002 in the original cast of "Hairspray." She, of course went on to be the first replacement for the role of Elphaba in the Broadway company of "Wicked." She is also beloved internationally as a recording artist with her chart-topping albums "Superhero," "O'Farrell Street," and "Shadows to Light." We LOVE her! Enjoy!

YOU GUYS!! today is the day that we get to bring you our interview with the one and only Rachel Bay Jones. You all helped us book her when you all responded to my call via twitter to let her know just how much we wanted to chat with her. She is amazing and hilarious. She made her Broadway debut in 1989 in "Meet me in St Louis", She was in the recent Broadway revival of "Hair", she has a HILARIOUS story of understudying Patti LuPone in "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" that she shares with us here. You probably also remember her as Catherine in the 2013 revival of "Pippin." And if you’re anything like me, you’ve been crying your eyes out listening to her and the rest of the cast on the recently released cast album of "Dear Evan Hansen" in which she stars as Heidi Hansen, Evan’s mom. We did this interview in her dressing room just before a show. She was warm and delightful and I LOVED chatting with her! Enjoy!

We are SO SO SO excited to welcome Tony-winning actress LaChanze back to the podcast! For this return visit, we get to talk about her life and career in a way that we didn't the first time. We start with a little bit of background about growing up and discovering her talent at a young age, we then talk about her iconic work in "Once On This Island," "Bubbly Black Girl...," and "The Color Purple. And we end with some exciting news:On February 27, 2017 LaChanze is bringing her one-woman show "Feeling Good" To the Highline Ballroom. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.highlineballroom.com

Tony nominee--and just fabulous human--Orfeh has an incredible story of growing up in NYC, going to high school at the famed La Guardia High School (the "FAME" school), starting a pop band and getting a record contract that took her all over the world, and then landing on Broadway in such shows as "Saturday Night Fever," "Footloose," and "Legally Blonde"--earning a Tony nomination for playing the role of Paulette. She's divine and totally my kind of gal. Enjoy!

The handsome and charming Michael Park is currently co-starring in this season's hottest new musical, "Dear Evan Hansen." Michael has been a working NYC-based actor for almost 25 years. He got his start off-Broadway in the almost legendary productions of Michael John Lachiusa's "Hello Again" and Jeanine Tesori's "Violet." Prior to "Dear Evan Hansen", his Broadway credits include "Carousel," "Smoky Joe's Cafe," and one of my favorites from last season, "Tuck Everlasting." We loved chatting with this guy! Enjoy!

The genius Orchestrator / Arranger / Musical Director tells all about his experiences working on Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, In the Heights, and more! We go deep and get great stories of working alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Tommy Kail, Michael Greif, Ben Platt, and more!

We're OBSESSED with Emily Skinner and we FINALLY get to meet her!! Emily made her Broadway debut in 1997 in the original Broadway cast of "Jeckyll & Hyde." Less than a year later she originated the role of Daisy Hilton in "Side Show." She was next seen in "James Joyce's The Dead" before originating the role of Vicki Nichols in "The Full Monty." She was most recently seen on Broadway in "Billy Ellliot: The Musical" where she was hand picked by director Stephen Daldry to play the role of Mrs. Wikinson. She's amazing and we love her to pieces.

For today's show, we're doing something a little different! We're traveling to Philadelphia, PA to spend the afternoon with the creative team behind the fabulous new musical "Found," which is now playing at the gorgeous Philadelphia Theatre Company. The show, which began in the basement theater of the Drama Bookshop and had it's off-Broadway premiere last year at the Atlantic Theater Company, is inspired by the popular "Found Magazine" and it's founder Davy Rothbart. Our guests are Davy Rothbart, Lee Overtree (co-book writer / director), Eli Bolin (music & original lyrics) and Victoria Lang (producer)

Today's the day, Theater People! Our brand new podcast," Broadway Backstory", premieres today! Episodes 1 and 2 tell the incredible true backstory of the Tony Award winning "In The Heights". We're playing the first 20 minutes of episode 1 here, but you can get the first two full episodes RIGHT NOW by searching iTunes, Stitcher, Googleplay or any other podcast catcher for Broadway Backstory. Enjoy!

We loved chatting with this guy!! He's funny, charming, has a GREAT head of hair, and really knows how to tell a story! Brandon made his Broadway debut in 2011's "Baby It's You." He received a Tony nomination for his turn as Adam Hochberg in last season's "An American in Paris," and can now be seen eight times a week as Mendel in William Finn's and James Lapine's hilarious and heartbreaking "Falsettos." He shares great stories about his long road to booking "Falsettos," how James Lapine was lovingly hard on him throughout the rehearsal process, and that time he accompanied Katie Holmes on a shopping spree.

WE"RE OBSESSED! We had the MOST fun hanging out with Mandy Gonzalez in her dressing room backstage at the Richard Rodgers Theater before a performance of "Hamilton." It had been less than two weeks since she'd taken over the role of Angelica, and she still hadn't completely moved in!Mandy made her Broadway debut in 2000 in "Aida" as the Amnneris standby-she eventually took the role over full time. She went on to originate roles in "The Dance of the Vampires" and "Lennon" before winning her breakout role as Nina in Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In the Heights"--a role she originated in the show's pre-Off Broadway days. She went on to take over the role of Elphaba in "Wicked," and can now be seen eight times a week in the hottest show on Broadway--"Hamilton."

I am so excited to announce that Theater People has partnered with the fab folks at TodayTix to create a brand new podcast called Broadway Backstory. Each episode tells the story of how a show develops from an idea to a full Broadway production. We get the behind-the-scenes story directly from the people who lived it - the concievers, actors, directors, producers, composers, and more. Season 1 will feature stories from "In the Heights", "Fun Home", "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", "The Secret Garden", "Legally Blonde", and the Deaf West production of "Spring Awakening". And the best part: You, our listeners, get to vote on our 7th show! We've picked another 5 shows for you to vote on, and the most popular wins! We'll get to work interviewing everybody we can find who was involved with the show!Episodes 1 and 2, which premiere on Tuesday, November 15th, tell the incredible true backstory of the Tony-winning "In the Heights."