Podcasts about Avenue Q

Joel “Jay-Ray” Anderson is a drummer that was recently touring with The Wiz.I caught up with him mid-tour. We talked about growing up in a musical family in Fort Lauderdale, learning drums from YouTube and his oldest brother, coming up through the Dillard High School drumline, studying music at Broward College and Florida Memorial University, landing his first tour (Pretty Woman) the week after graduation, and transitioning to The Wiz through a network built one relationship at a time. We got into gospel drumming history, drumline battles, a month spent touring Japan, and why networking, not just chops, is what actually opens doors.Jay-Ray comes from a house full of musicians. His father plays guitar and sings; his oldest brother plays drums and keys; another brother sings, plays drums, and plays saxophone; and a third brother plays bass, guitar, and keys while producing. Jay-Ray's own introduction to the drums came at six years old, when his oldest brother sat him down in front of a kit for the first time. By twelve, he had his own Sonor drum set, a gift from that same brother, and was already teaching himself by copying drumming videos on YouTube.Jay-Ray attended Dillard Center for the Arts, where he played in two jazz bands, marched snare in the wind orchestra and drumline, and got pulled onto snare drum as a freshman after impressing section leader Javon with a string of paradiddles. He talks about the discipline instilled by band directors Christopher Dorsey and Dr. Sheldon McClain, learning traditional grip for the first time, and the intensity of real drumline battles.Jay-Ray studied at Broward College (Associate's in Music Performance) before transferring to Florida Memorial University for his bachelor's degree, where he played under percussion director Taurus Lovely, a 25-year Broadway touring veteran (including Tina Turner: The Musical) who would later become the person who got Jay-Ray his first tour. Jay-Ray's first trip to New York came in 2018, when Dillard's jazz band won the Essentially Ellington competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the same trip where he first saw a Broadway show, Ain't Too Proud.The day after Jay-Ray graduated from Florida Memorial in May 2023, Taurus Lovely called with an audition opportunity for the Pretty Woman national tour. Jay-Ray recorded four songs from the show, landed the gig, and was in rehearsals in Syracuse, New York within months. He talks candidly about the learning curve of running click tracks and Ableton on the road, getting walked through the system by original drummer Kevin Maynard, and the parts of touring nobody warns you about, like setting up and breaking down your own kit on travel days. Over roughly two years with the show, he toured extensively across the U.S. and spent a month performing in Japan (Shinjuku, Tachikawa, Kyoto, and Osaka).Jay-Ray's move to The Wiz came through his network: Sammy Merandino and Quentin “Q” Robinson recommended him, and MD Michael Aarons brought him in. Jay-Ray left Pretty Woman in Wichita and, within a week, was in New York starting rehearsals, spending his off-hours studying original drummer Trevor Holder's book and comparing the Broadway cast recording to the touring arrangement. He also shares how he first met Q Robinson years earlier, showing up at Hamilton's closing show in Fort Lauderdale just to introduce himself.Asked what he'd tell a high school or college drummer chasing a career like his, Jay-Ray's answer is simple: networking. Every opportunity in his career, from Pretty Woman to The Wiz to this very podcast episode, traces back to a relationship someone else made on his behalf.Where to Find Jay-Ray* Instagram & TikTok: @jay.ray04* Facebook: Joel Anderson* Email: joel.r.anderson04@gmail.comResources * Free: How to Land a Broadway Gig Roadmap — subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101 (free or paid) and grab it at broadwayboundbook.com/roadmap* The Broadway Sub Playbook ($7.99) — available at signaturebrandworks.com* Broadway Drumming 101 merch (backpacks, tees, hats, mugs, and more) — signaturebrandworks.com* Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career by Clayton Craddock — out nowClayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Two months ago, Mackenna Tolfa was a guest on Episode 107 of the Broadway Drumming 101 podcast.She told us what it took to become the first featured female drummer for the Blue Man Group World Tour. Broadway national tours. Mean Girls. The Book of Mormon. Twenty plus countries. A career built one relationship, one gig, one yes at a time.Now she's returning the favor.On August 27, I'm the guest at her final masterclass of the summer. We're not talking about how to land your first Broadway chair, we're talking about what happens after. How relationships open doors that auditions never will. Why versatility keeps you working when one show closes. What financial resilience actually looks like when your paycheck depends on a contract that could end tomorrow. This is the part of the business almost nobody talks about.$5 gets you in the door. Sign up here today: https://calendly.com/mackennatolfamusic/clayton-craddock-masterclass/2026-08-27T17:00:00-04:00Spots are filling up fast. See you there!Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

The Adam Wolfe Interview — Now on VideoThis is the video version of a Broadway Drumming 101 classic, first published back in 2022.Adam Wolfe made his Broadway debut on Frank Wildhorn's Wonderland after playing its out-of-town tryout at Houston's Alley Theatre. From there he built one of the most versatile résumés in the city, subbing on Rent, Evita, Matilda, Cats, Hello Dolly, Anastasia, The Prom, West Side Story, and more, plus chairs on Bandstand, Jerry Springer the Opera, and Clueless the Musical. A classically trained percussionist with serious drum set chops, Adam is the kind of hybrid player who can walk into almost any pit and hold it down.In this conversation, Adam talks about what it actually took to build that career: the prep, the trust-building, and the versatility that keeps the calls coming.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.If you want the roadmap for building a career like this, grab a copy of Broadway Bound and Beyond. It's the book I wish I had when I started, and it lays out the actual sequence: how to build the reputation, the relationships, and the readiness that get you in the pit and keep you there. Get it at broadwayboundbook.com.And if you're already working toward sub gigs, check out The Broadway Sub Playbook. It's a short, direct four-week guide covering pit prep, etiquette, and the habits that get you called back. Get it at signaturebrandworks.com.Watch the full interview, then go get both. Nobody hands you a career in this business. You build it.Clayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Based in NYC since 2011, Adam came to New York by way of Houston, TX, where he completed his Master's Degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music (2008). Adam grew up in Northeast Ohio, where he attended Cleveland State University (2006). Formally studying classical percussion throughout his education, Adam also actively performed as a freelancer on drum set — his classical background combined with his drum set skills gave him a unique blend that turned out to be very well-suited for musical theater.After playing its out-of-town tryout at Houston's Alley Theatre, Adam had his Broadway debut as the drummer on Frank Wildhorn's WONDERLAND when it transferred to Broadway (Spring 2011). OBCR on Sony Masterworks.With his foot in the door from his first Broadway show, Adam set about the work of subbing and building a reputation in and around the city. Subbing on NYC productions as diverse as RENT, EVITA, MATILDA the Musical, AVENUE Q, CATS, HELLO DOLLY, ANASTASIA, THE PROM, WEST SIDE STORY, COME FROM AWAY, and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS — and many more — Adam routinely demonstrates a wide-ranging versatility. A unique hybrid player, Adam is equally at home on drum set and percussion, excelling in situations that demand both contemporary drum set styles and legit classical/orchestral sensibilities.Adam's most recent NYC chairs include 2017's BANDSTAND on Broadway (TONY Nomination for Best Orchestrations, TONY WINNER for Best Choreography), Jerry Springer the Opera, and Between the Lines with acclaimed writers Samsel & Anderson — where Adam not only played drums and percussion but helped create the percussive mix elements. Adam is often found developing new works in NYC's rehearsal studios, working with established and new writing teams whenever possible. Most recently, Adam subbed on CATS: The Jellicle Ball.Adam has supported many of NYC's finest singers, including Caroline Bowman, Austin Colby, Jordan Dobson, Natalie Weiss, Justin Guarini, Sierra Boggess, Laura Osnes, Josh Young, Orfeh, Andy Karl, Patti LuPone, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Fankhauser, Brian Justin Crumm, Jenna Ushkowitz, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Kacey Velazquez, Loren Allred, Andy Mientus, and Crystal Monee Hall, among many others.When not in the theater, Adam is often found in NYC recording studios playing for singer/songwriters and composers like Desi Oakley, The Jack Mosbacher Band, Michael Mott, and David Mallamud — playing cabaret spots like Feinstein's 54 Below, performing at Lincoln Center, and downtown venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, Piano's, and The Bitter End. Adam also records drum tracks and produces at his studio in Midtown Manhattan.Recordings Adam Has Played On:* Between the Lines Original Cast Recording* BANDSTAND Original Broadway Cast Recording* Desi Oakley, “Repeat”* Michael Mott, “Abandoned Heart” (Released on Broadway Records, September 15, 2017)* A Rockin' Midsummer Night's Dream – World Premiere Recording* You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (2016 Off-Broadway Cast Recording) — available on iTunes, Amazon, and Barnes & NobleCollaborators featured on these recordings include David Mallamud, Nat Zegree, The Jack Mosbacher Band, and Desi Oakley.Connect with Adam:Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Contact form for bookings and inquiries.Site: home | about | media | recording/programmingClayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

My next guest on the Broadway Drumming 101 Classic series is drummer Adam Wolfe, and this is actually a return visit. Adam first joined the podcast years back, when he was known for his work on Wonderland, Bandstand, and Clueless the Musical, on top of subbing everything from Evita to Matilda and Cats.I can speak about Adam from firsthand experience too. He was my only sub on Cats: The Jellicle Ball for a long stretch, until I eventually brought in someone else, a great young drummer who I helped get his first ever Broadway show subbing gig. I was about to start bringing in more subs as the show went on, but we are closing today. That's a story for another time. The point is, that kind of trust doesn't happen by accident. I even heard him play the show himself on Monday, and he's fantastic! I'm genuinely glad to know him and even more glad I get to call him a colleague.In this episode, we get into what it really takes to sub a Broadway show, the times he had weeks to prepare and drilled every bar until he was almost tired of the show before opening night, and the times he got the call with barely any notice and had to cram a stack of fast, dense charts while still working. Make sure you subscribe so you're notified the moment this episode drops. And if you know a drummer who needs to hear this, send it their way.Clayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

In the first of our special programmes from the Edinburgh Festivals, actress Stockard Channing - star of Grease, Six Degrees of Separation and Practical Magic - joins us alongside her friend, actor David Westhead, to discuss their production of Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape, in which a cynical and disillusioned older man reflects on his early life as an ambitious and idealistic writer.Jeff Whitty, Tony Award winning creator of the hit musical Avenue Q, which is currently running until 2027 in London's West End, tells us about Midsummer!, his new production inspired by Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's dream, set in the Gilded Age and performed in a contemporary verse translation. We have a live performance from siblings Maddie and Marcus Rice from their show with songs Goodbye Dandelion, an exploration of an unlikely friendship between an 87 year old and their much younger friend, which is the recipient of the inaugural Underbelly Futures Fund Award. And we hear how deaf actors and artists are taking centre stage at this year's Festival, with Stijn Van Opstal, the director of the acclaimed production [seagull], performed in Flemish sign language by Belgian company Olympique Dramatique - and with director Cora Bissett and deaf performer Jamie Rea, whose gig theatre production The Singer, centres on Joe, a deaf artist who 'sings' with his hands, and Andy, a washed-up musician seeking a comeback, and features music by KT Tunstall. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

Spencer Inch is one of those musicians who makes you realize how wide this career can actually be. We talked about his path from Wilton, Connecticut to the national touring circuit, and I kept thinking: this is exactly what Broadway Bound and Beyond is about.Here's what we got into:* Spencer started on drums at age six when his parents bought him a CB700 from a neighbor — he still talks about that kit like it was a Stradivarius* He studied classical percussion at Penn State, then pivoted to jazz drum set at the University of Miami's Frost School — going from big fish to small pond overnight, and what he did about it* He did multiple contracts on cruise ships right out of grad school, playing everything from waltzes to Glenn Miller to German polka with no internet and no time to prepare — and why he says he learned more there than in six years of school* He toured the country opening for the Counting Crows with singer-songwriter Seán Barna — playing to amphitheater crowds of 3,000 to 7,000 people, and the moment the Counting Crows' drummer handed him the sticks to close out a show* He spent a year and a half on the Come From Away national tour playing bodhran — on stage, in the action, 467 shows — after saying yes to an instrument he'd never played before* He's now on the Water for Elephants national tour, a gig that came directly through the music director he built a relationship with on Come From AwayThe throughline in Spencer's story isn't talent. It's relationships, saying yes, and taking every single gig seriously — no matter what it is. The polka gig. The Les Mis at a children's theater. All of it.Watch the full episode above!Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Earlier this week I brought back the audio of one of my favorite conversations from the vault. Today, the full video version is here.If you missed the audio episode, here's the short version: in 2018, Mariana Ramirez became the first female Mexican percussionist to ever perform on a Broadway show, subbing Once On This Island. A year later she held the percussion chair on that show's national tour. Then came sub work on Head Over Heels (drumset book) and Ain't Too Proud, plus Off-Broadway runs of Merrily We Roll Along and Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.Today she holds the percussion chair at the hit Broadway show SIX.But watch this interview and you'll see the chair is just one piece of a much bigger career.Mariana began her studies at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, where she won the percussion position at the Carlos Chávez Youth Orchestra, then earned her Bachelor of Music at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, picking up the Percussive Arts Society Thomas Siwe Scholarship along the way.She founded Percussion Quartet Excelsis — the first multinational all-female percussion quartet in the U.S. — which Jonathan Haas, head of the NYU Percussion Department, called one of the most innovative and exciting ensembles of this era of chamber music. Excelsis has performed twice on NPR's From the Top, at the Zeltsman Marimba Festival, Tippet Rise in Montana, and the Newport Classical Music Festival, and in 2024 the group received Chamber Music America's highest grant.Her recording credits include Platinum Girls and Song of Solomon on Broadway Records, and a concerto for bandoneon and violin with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has performed with the National Symphony of Mexico, the first all-women orchestra of Mexico, and premiered new works at Alice Tully Hall. She's appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and in Mozart in the Jungle. She won the FONCA grant for Mexican artists twice in a row, touring an original percussion-and-dance project across five Mexican cities. She teaches. She's endorsed by Sabian, Pearl, and Innovative Percussion.Traditional Mexican music. Symphony halls. Chamber ensembles. Television. Education. And eight shows a week on Broadway.Nobody builds a career like that by waiting for the phone to ring. Watch the conversation and you'll understand exactly how she did it — starting with a Santana concert in Mexico City when she was 11 years old, watching three percussionists light up a stadium and deciding, right there, what her life was going to be.Watch the full interview above.The audio version is available now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you'd rather listen on the go.And coming up next on the podcast: Spencer Inch. Stay tuned — that one's going to be worth the wait.For the complete roadmap to building a career in theater, grab Broadway Bound and Beyond at broadwayboundbook.com.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

A few weeks ago, a longtime listener and subscriber named Leo tried to order my book on Amazon. It didn't go smoothly — stock issues, shipping headaches, the usual Amazon runaround. Most people would have just given up and moved on.Leo didn't. He found his way to Signature Brandworks and ordered a copy directly from me instead. That alone means a lot. Leo's been with the podcast and the site for a long time, and knowing he cared enough to track down the book rather than let a broken checkout page stop him is exactly the kind of support that keeps this whole project going.But what really got me was what he said after he read it.Leo described the book as “pure gold” — not just for drummers, and not just for musical theater players, but for any working musician taking on all kinds of gigs. That phrase has been stuck in my head ever since, because it's exactly what I set out to make. This was never meant to be just a drumming book. It's a career guide — contracts, negotiating with producers, breaking into a market, understanding the business side most of us were never taught. If you're a professional musician of any kind, that's information you need.Leo put it better than I could, so I'll let him say it in his own words:“This is pure gold for anyone who's interested, especially in musical theater, but it applies to any kind of musician doing all sorts of gigs. Beyond our instrument — we get really focused on the instrument — but looking up content and resources that are important for a professional musician's training... financial education, negotiation, understanding contracts, and the laws that apply to musicians. I think all of that is important for us to become better professionals and to improve the market for everyone too.”Coming from someone who's spent 23 years developing his own teaching method, that's not a compliment I take lightly.Who is Leo?Leo Bandeira is a Brazilian drummer, author, and educator — and honestly, someone every drummer reading this should be following. He's the author of Teoria Musical para Bateria (Music Theory for Drums), the accompanying Livros de Exercícios volumes 1–3, and Leitura à Primeira Vista (Sight Reading). He also teaches A Bateria no Teatro Musical — Drums in Musical Theater — so when a guy who spends his career teaching this stuff calls my book pure gold, that means a lot to me.His beginner-level video course builds directly on those books: over 400 exercises covering reading, writing, coordination, orchestration, and rhythmic dictation, all developed over two decades of teaching drummers how to actually read and understand music, not just play by feel. If you're a drummer looking to get more literate on your instrument, his material is worth your time.Follow Leo here: instagram.com/leobandeiramusicoLeo's Full Review (translated from Portuguese)I wanted to share it in full, exactly as he gave it, rather than just pulling the one line:Guys, I want to share with you a book I just finished reading, and it's amazing. Clayton is a Broadway drummer with a ton of experience. He has a podcast where he interviews Broadway musicians, so he really lays out how the industry works over there, you know? Which is basically the top of the musical theater world.So, in this book, he explains exactly how everything works over there: contracts with producers, how negotiations happen, how you break into the market. He talks about networking — honestly, he covers so many topics. This is pure gold for anyone who's interested, especially in musical theater, but it applies to any kind of musician doing all sorts of gigs, you know?Yeah, it's really important information that every professional musician should have access to.So folks, I'm leaving his Instagram here so you can find his materials. I think being a good professional musician also means doing your research. Beyond our instrument — we get really focused on the instrument — but looking up content and resources that are important for a professional musician's training, you know?Financial education, negotiation, understanding contracts, and the laws that apply to musicians. I think all of that is important for us to become better professionals and to improve the market for everyone too. Alright? So here's the golden tip. Follow him over there, and look for the book. Thanks!And if you've been on the fence about the book like Leo was — go grab a copy on Amazon. Or get a copy from me here at SignatureBrandworks.com. Also, Leo, if you're reading this: I'm taking a lesson from you the day I finally make it to Brazil, no excuses.I'm proud of this one, and it means the world that it's resonating with musicians outside the Broadway pit too.Clayton Craddock is the founder of Broadway Drumming 101.His Broadway and off-Broadway theater credits include Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Memphis, Altar Boyz, and tick, tick... BOOM!, plus subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour. He's appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards, performing alongside artists from Chuck Berry to Kristin Chenoweth.His book, Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at Signature Brandworks. His course, Broadway Bound and Beyond: The Course — The Career Foundation Every Working Musician Needs (But Nobody Teaches) — is coming soon.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

There is a lot you can do with puppets. This week Raven and Campbell discuss redoing college life, communication in situationships, and puppet bigotry in the 2022 Happily Ever After Productions performance of Avenue Q at Het Amsterdams Theaterhuis Not Your Mama's Shirley Temple Recipe: 1 oz grenadine 0.75 oz vodka 0.25 oz aperol 4 oz sprite Combine grenadine, vodka, and aperol in a glass with ice and stir. Top with sprite and garnish with lime slices if you feel like it.   You can support us by donating to: Education Through Music at https://www.classy.org/give/442371/#!/donation/checkout The D'Addario Foundation: http://www.daddariofoundation.org/about/donate  Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: https://www.mhopus.org/donate/  Email us at boozicals@gmail.com or comment your musical requests or cocktail recommendations! Also be sure to follow us on our Instagram @boozicals and Letterboxd for updates on your now favorite podcast.

In 2018, Mariana Ramirez walked into the pit at Once On This Island as a sub and made history. She became the first female Mexican percussionist to ever perform on a Broadway show.Nobody handed her that moment. She built it.I first published this conversation in March of 2022, and it remains one of my favorites. Most of you weren't subscribed back then, so I'm bringing it back — the story is too good to leave in the archive.Who is Mariana Ramirez?Mariana is an NYC-based freelance percussionist who began her music studies at the National Conservatory of Mexico in Mexico City before earning her Bachelor of Music in Percussion at Rutgers University.That first Broadway sub gig at Once On This Island opened doors. She went on to sub Head Over Heels and Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, then hit the road holding the drums/percussion chair on the Once On This Island national tour. Off-Broadway, her credits include Merrily We Roll Along and Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, among many others. Today, she is one of just two female Mexican drummer/percussionists performing on Broadway.But her career stretches far beyond the pit.She has performed across Europe, Asia, and Mexico with Mexican traditional music bands, symphonic ensembles, chamber orchestras, and pop bands. You may have caught her on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in the series Mozart in the Jungle, or at the NBC Universal Upfronts at Radio City Music Hall.She also founded Percussion Quartet Excelsis, which Jonathan Haas, head of the NYU Percussion Department, praised as one of the most innovative and exciting percussion ensembles of this era of chamber music. Excelsis has performed twice on NPR's From the Top, at the Percussive Arts Society New York Weekend of Percussion, Brooklyn Bound with Sō Percussion, Zeltsman Marimba Festival, and Tippet Rise Music Festival in Montana. The group is endorsed by Sabian Cymbals.As a symphonic percussionist, she has performed with the National Symphony of Mexico, Orquesta de Minería, the first all-women orchestra of Mexico, Dartmouth Symphony, South Florida Symphony, New England Ensemble, Fairfield Orchestra, and most recently with The Dessoff Choir, premiering works for choir and orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.Traditional Mexican music. Broadway pits. Symphony halls. Chamber ensembles. Television. That range is not an accident — it's the career.In this conversation, we talk about:* The Santana concert in Mexico City that made an 11-year-old girl decide, on the spot, what she wanted to do with her life* Her path from the National Conservatory of Mexico to Rutgers to New York* What it took to break into Broadway subbing — and what it meant to be the first* How versatility across genres and settings keeps a freelance career aliveAnd when you're done with this one, keep an eye on your inbox. Up next on the podcast: Spencer Inch. You won't want to miss that conversation.For the complete roadmap to building a career in theater, grab Broadway Bound and Beyond at broadwayboundbook.com.Broadway Bound and Beyond isn't theory. It's twenty-six years on Broadway broken down into what actually works: how auditions really get decided, how reputation gets built or destroyed, how money works in this business, why versatility keeps you employed, and what it takes to last decades instead of one season. If you want the full career picture, the hardcover is at broadwayboundbook.com.If subbing is specifically your way in, the book gets you the mindset and the etiquette, but the Broadway Sub Playbook goes further. It's the actual system: the four-week prep formula, the show-day routine, how to take notes that stick, how to handle a pit you've never sat in before. It's built for one job — getting you ready for that call when it comes — and it's the resource a lot of working subs wish they'd had before their first one.Grab both at signaturebrandworks.com.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.She Was 11 Years Old at a Santana Concert. That Was It.From the vault: one of my favorite conversations on the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast.Picture a stadium in Mexico. Bigger than Madison Square Garden. Open air. Packed. Santana is on stage with a humongous band — three percussionists and a drummer. Somewhere in that crowd is an 11-year-old girl, watching the faces around her. Tens of thousands of people losing their minds at the same time. She's never seen anything like it.And in that moment, she knew.“That's what I wanna do.”That girl was Mariana Ramirez.She went from the National Conservatory of Mexico to Rutgers to New York — and in 2018, she became the first female Mexican percussionist to ever perform on a Broadway show, subbing Once on This Island. Then Head Over Heels. Then Ain't Too Proud. Then the percussion chair at SIX.I first published this conversation back in March of 2022. It was one of the early episodes of the podcast, and it's still one of my favorites. Most of you reading this weren't subscribed back then, which means most of you have never heard it. That's exactly why I'm bringing it back.Mariana's story is a masterclass in what actually builds a career: preparation, relationships, and knowing what you want before anyone hands you anything. Nobody handed her that chair.Here's what's coming:The full episode drops again in a few days on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. But since you're subscribed here, you don't have to wait for your podcast app — you'll be able to listen right here first. The video version follows a few days after that.Stay tuned.And once you've heard Mariana's story, don't go anywhere — because up next on the podcast is Spencer Inch. That's a conversation you're not going to want to miss.If you want the complete roadmap for building a career in theater, grab Broadway Bound and Beyond at broadwayboundbook.com.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Mackenna Tolfa grew up in Green Bay with a blue sparkle drum kit called “The Rock Star.” Decades later, she's touring North America as the first featured female Rockstar character in Blue Man Group's history. The name on the kit was foreshadowing nobody knew about until recently — including the Blue Man marketing team.In this episode, we dig into the full journey: from a family tradition built around an uncle with an accordion, to classical percussion study, to pit playing Broadway shows, to landing one of the most unique drumming roles in live entertainment.Here's some of what we covered:* How growing up watching Neil Peart and Phil Collins shaped her musical identity from the start* Why she started on classical piano — and what that gave her as a percussionist* The pivot from Broadway pit playing to the Blue Man Group world tour, and what each world taught her about the other* The wild audition story — filmed at 115 degrees in a back room in Spain with a rented kit, two hours to record and send it back, and over 100 applicants in the original pool* Being flown to New York for the final callback and walking in to find the audition was nothing like what she'd spent two months preparing for* What it means to play a character when the character is essentially just you* Her time subbing on the Book of Mormon national tour — and what it was like watching audience reactions city to city* How a fun COVID project learning Ableton ended up being crucial to landing the Blue Man gig* A Cirque du Soleil invite-only audition in London that came directly from a YouTube video she posted just for fun* Her upcoming solo project (a band called Lemon) and her work as arranger and orchestrator on the new musical Dust Bowl Radio Hour* Why she tells every student: don't wait for the degree to start networkingThe advice she gave at the end of this episode is the kind of thing that takes most people years to figure out. Start the relationships now. Know your role. Understand that every gig — pit, stage, session, tour — is drumming, but the approach is completely different.If this conversation resonated with you, the roadmap for building a career in theater music — the relationships, the mindset, the financial reality — is laid out in my book Broadway Bound and Beyond.Get your copy at broadwayboundbook.comClayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Mackenna Tolfa is the first featured female drummer in Blue Man Group history. She plays ‘The Rockstar' on the current North American Tour — the character she originated on the World Tour in 2021 after performing in more than 20 countries. Before returning to Blue Man, she held the drum chair on the national tours of Mean Girls and The Book of Mormon. She's also the orchestrator and arranger for The Dust Bowl Radio Hour, a new musical with a concept album.In this conversation we get into how all of it happened. How she chose the University of Minnesota specifically to study with Fernando Meza, the original percussionist for The Lion King. How she wrote a letter to the drummer from The Band's Visit as a high school student, had it delivered to the stage door, and how that relationship eventually led to her finding out about the Blue Man audition years later.And the audition itself. She was in a remote desert town in Spain — 400 people, no drum set anywhere nearby — when she got the call. She drove two and a half hours, rented the one kit in a back room, and filmed her audition in 115-degree heat with no air conditioning. She booked the role.We also get into what it means to originate a role versus step into a chair, how the Book of Mormon book is one of the most technically demanding on tour right now, and why following curiosity sideways — marimba physicality, Ableton, a fun cover video — has shaped her career in ways she never planned.Catch this episode wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you're finding value in these conversations, please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts — it helps other musicians find the show.ResourcesIf you're serious about landing a gig in this business, start with the free How to Land a Broadway Gig Roadmap. It breaks down how the industry actually works — who the key players are, how relationships drive hiring, and how to position yourself to get the call. Free with any subscription to Broadway Drumming 101.broadwayboundbook.com/roadmapFor the full picture, pick up Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career. Everything the roadmap introduces, the book goes deeper on — the mindset, the preparation, the relationships, and the financial side of sustaining a career long-term.broadwayboundbook.comAnd coming soon — Broadway Bound and Beyond: The Course. The Career Foundation Every Working Musician Needs (But Nobody Teaches). More details dropping soon. Stay subscribed.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Dizzy Gillespie didn't hand his name to just anyone. Karl Latham played in the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars. Then he played in the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience alongside Paquito D'Rivera. Two different bands carrying one legend's name, and Karl had a chair in both.We recorded this conversation back in February 2022. It's been sitting on the Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube channel for a while. Now the audio is finally out everywhere you listen — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your shows. A lot has changed for Karl since we sat down, including new Broadway credits that weren't on his resume yet when we hit record.Karl's career doesn't sit in one lane. He's played with Claudio Roditi, Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Jon Faddis, and Cyrus Chestnut. He's logged time with Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter. He was music director for The Shirelles. He's worked with Mark Egan's UNIT1, the Bernie Worrell Orchestra, and a long list of players most drummers only get to study, not stand next to.His Broadway sub list reads the same way. Hamilton. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Ain't Too Proud. Bring It On. Two Strangers. Five different shows, five different chairs, all earned the same way every sub gig gets earned: somebody trusted him enough to make the call.Karl leads his own projects too. He co-leads Big Fun(k) with Don Braden. He co-led Constellations, the group that picked up a nomination for the 2016 BMW Welt Jazz Award. As a leader, he's released Dancing Spirits, Resonance, and two volumes of Living Standards — the second one bringing in Wolfgang Lackerschmid, Mark Egan, Henry Hey, Mitch Stein, and Roger Squitero.And he never stopped teaching. Karl is the current Co-Chair of the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee. He's adjunct faculty at four schools: Drew University, County College of Morris, Raritan Valley Community College, and Blair Academy. Touring, recording, subbing on Broadway, and teaching at four schools. Most people pick one career. Karl runs four in parallel.Karl is an endorsing artist for Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals, ProMark Drumsticks, Evans Drumheads, Big Fat Snare, AEA Microphones, Radial Engineering, Heil Sound, ProLogix Percussion, and RME.Press play. And if this episode gives you something, leave us a five-star review wherever you listen. It takes thirty seconds and it means a lot to the show.If you're serious about your own path in this industry, pick up Broadway Bound and Beyond at broadwayboundbook.com. Signed copies at signaturebrandworks.com.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

There's nothing quite like watching your colleagues light up a TV stage.The cast of Cats: The Jellicle Ball performed “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat” on The Tonight Show last night. Every time I see something like this, I get excited. They always look and sound great, and there's something special about watching people you work with get that kind of shine.I've been lucky enough to be on that side of the screen a few times. Tonight Show with the Ain't Too Proud company on opening night in 2019. The Colbert Report and The View with Audra McDonald for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill in 2014. The Tony Awards stage twice — Memphis: The Musical in 2010, Ain't Too Proud in 2019.So I know what that feeling is.Someone asked me why the orchestra hasn't appeared alongside the cast on any of these TV performances. Honest answer: the orchestra isn't featured in this production the way it's been in others I've been part of. We're in the basement. You don't see us.But you hear us on every one of those tracks.And I don't mind watching from home on this one. Every time they air one of those performances, I get a check in the mail.Mailbox money. I'll take it!Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Karl Latham played in The Fantasy Band alongside Dave Valentin, Dave Samuels, Chuck Loeb, Noel Pointer, and Roy Ayers. Five names that don't usually end up on the same bandstand. Karl made the cut for all of them.We recorded this conversation back in February 2022. A lot has changed for Karl since we sat down, including new credits that weren't on his resume yet when we hit record.Karl's reach goes deep into the jazz world. He's played with Freddie Hendrix, Roberta Gamberini, Mark Gross, and Eric Alexander. He's worked with Michael Urbaniak and Andy Snitzer. He was part of The New Voices of Freedom and joined Howard Paul for sessions with Tom Scott and Anat Cohen. He's played with Ali Ryerson alongside Mark Egan and Pete Levin, and worked the Wolfgang Lackerschmid group with Attila Zoller, Ed Cherry, Cameron Brown, and Mark Egan. He's also recorded with pianist Johannes Mossinger's band, a lineup stacked with Joel Frahm, Calvin Jones, Don Braden, Boris Kozlov, and Kermit Driscoll.He's subbed on Broadway too: Hamilton, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ain't Too Proud, Bring It On, and Two Strangers. And when he's not touring or subbing, he's teaching. Karl is Co-Chair of the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee and adjunct faculty at four schools: Drew University, County College of Morris, Raritan Valley Community College, and Blair Academy.Karl is an endorsing artist for Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals, ProMark Drumsticks, Evans Drumheads, Big Fat Snare, AEA Microphones, Radial Engineering, Heil Sound, ProLogix Percussion, and RME.Press play. And if this episode gives you something, leave us a five-star review wherever you listen. It takes thirty seconds and it means a lot to the show.Broadway Bound and Beyond isn't theory. It's twenty-six years on Broadway broken down into what actually works: how auditions really get decided, how reputation gets built or destroyed, how money works in this business, why versatility keeps you employed, and what it takes to last decades instead of one season. If you want the full career picture, the hardcover is at broadwayboundbook.com.If subbing is specifically your way in, the book gets you the mindset and the etiquette, but the Broadway Sub Playbook goes further. It's the actual system: the four-week prep formula, the show-day routine, how to take notes that stick, how to handle a pit you've never sat in before. It's built for one job — getting you ready for that call when it comes — and it's the resource a lot of working subs wish they'd had before their first one.Grab both at signaturebrandworks.com.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Jared Shaw has held the drum chair on national tours of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and The Book of Mormon. He's subbed on Broadway including Tommy, one of the most demanding drum books out there. He's performed at the Kennedy Center and Ghana's National Theater, and he plays groove percussion, orchestral, African percussion, and programs electronics.In this episode, Jared breaks down what it actually took to build a career like that.We cover:* How he approached learning difficult drum books* What touring taught him about preparation and professionalism* How electronic drumming and programming fit into his toolkit* Subbing on Broadway and staying ready for the call* Studying with James Saporito, Shawn Pelton, and Valerie Naranjo* Building a sustainable career as a working musician in New York CityIf you're serious about Broadway, touring, or becoming a more complete drummer, this conversation is for you.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Jared Shaw didn't build his career on one big break.He built it on being ready.National tours of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and The Book of Mormon. Broadway sub credits on Tommy, Boop! The Musical, Beaches, and more. Four years as the drummer for Billy Mira & The Hitmen on the Howard Stern Show. Percussion guest with the National Symphony of Ghana. First drum chair of the NYU Broadway Orchestra under Ted Sperling. Over 40 theatrical productions in New York City.That's not a resume. That's a body of work built one gig at a time.He also came up the right way — NYU Steinhardt, Percussion Performance, University Honors, with minors in Business of Entertainment and Producing. In this episode, we get into what it actually took. How he approached learning difficult books. How he thinks about subbing. What touring taught him about professionalism. How electronic drumming and programming became part of his toolkit — not as a novelty, but as a necessity.We also talk about his studies with James Saporito, Shawn Pelton, and Valerie Naranjo. Three teachers who shaped how he hears music and approaches the instrument.This is a conversation about longevity. About what it actually takes to last in this business. About being the kind of drummer people call — and call back.If you're serious about how to get into subbing on Broadway, or getting a tour, this one's worth your time.For more: https://www.jared-shaw.comClayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Junesical theatre month continues as we discuss another classic that we somehow haven't talked about yet!You can contact the show at agoodpodcast@gmail.com and find us @HowStarWarsIsIt on all platforms, but since all platforms are kind of evil now, you should probably just email us. That's the best way to get a hold of us! You can also follow Mike @WordGospel09 on Youtube and Instagram and Josiah @JosiahDotBiz on social media, but once again, just email us. And don't forget to rate and review on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts! And if you REALLY like the show head over to our Patreon at patreon.com/howstarwarsisit for bonus episodes, Star Wars movie commentaries, and more!

Jennifer Barnhart is an actor, singer, voiceover artist - and a puppeteer! Her career is filled with her extraordinary work on children's programming. She was an original cast member of the Tony Award-winning musical, "Avenue Q.”  She is also an Emmy-nominated performer for her work  on "Sesame Street," where she plays Zoe and Granny Bird, among others. She was Cleo on the PBS show, “Between the Lions” and she has played dozens of characters on a variety of TV shows, including “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “SNL,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and “Bear in the Big Blue House”. My featured song is “To The Zoo!”. Spotify link. —----------------------------------------------------------- The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries! Click here for All Episodes  Click here for Start Here Click here for Guests  Click here for Guest Testimonials Click here for 5 Pillars Click here for Robert's Project Grand Slam Click here to Subscribe  Click here to receive our Email Updates Click here to Rate and Review the podcast —---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH JENNIFER:www.jenniferbarnhart.com —---------------------------------------- ROBERT'S NEWEST RELEASE:“THE BUZZ” - Ft. Darius de Haas (vocals) and Dave Eggar (Celo). Short, Sweet and Totally Different CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL VIDEO CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —-------------------------------------- Audio production: Jimmy RavenscroftKymera FilmsConnect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comFollow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.com    

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Gary Seligson: The Grammy-Winning Broadway Drummer Phil Collins Refused to Work WithoutPhil Collins snuck into a performance of Wicked one night without telling Gary Seligson he was coming.The next morning, he walked into Tarzan rehearsal and told the producers he didn't care who else they put in the band. There was one guy he wanted on drums. Not Chuck Burgi — who had literally replaced Phil Collins in Brand X and was calling in every favor he had to get the gig. Gary Seligson. The one he heard play in the theater when nobody knew he was watching.That's the kind of reputation you build over a career that most Broadway musicians would trade anything for.I chatted with Gary on August 24, 2021. The video is on the Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube channel. Now the audio is available everywhere you get your podcasts — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you listen.Gary is a Grammy Award winner who originated the drum books and recorded the cast albums for Aida, Wicked, Tarzan, A Little Princess, School of Rock, and Soft Power. He held the drum chair on Billy Elliot for over three years. He's on the Motown: The Musical cast recording playing percussion. His Broadway credits span more than two decades — from The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm in 1999 through Bob Fosse's Dancin' and Harmony in 2023. In 2025, he headed back out on the road with the Beauty and the Beast revival. He's also subbed on more than 20 Broadway productions, including Chicago, The Lion King, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Cats, and Rent.Gary grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, banging on his mother's pots and pans before his father bought him a tiny metal snare drum at age three. He studied with the same teacher from second grade through twelfth grade. He went to the Hartt School of Music in Hartford. He found his way to Gary Chester in New York, who completely rewired how he thought about the instrument, and then told him flat out: never leave town for more than four weeks.Gary took a touring gig anyway.Nine years on the road followed. And the moment he pulled into his mother's driveway after finally deciding to come home, the phone rang. It was Bob Billig calling about Chicago. That's how this business works when you've done the groundwork.We get into his first Broadway subbing experience at The King and I — walking into the pit two hours before curtain, sitting down at a drum set that felt completely foreign, getting thrown out by the stage manager before the show even started, then spending an hour and forty-five minutes walking around Midtown getting more nervous with every step. Trial by fire. He made the cut, and word traveled fast.We talk about what it felt like to play alongside Elton John in an Aida rehearsal room. We talk about Phil Collins tapping a pencil on a desk during Tarzan rehearsals — not even playing, just tapping — and how the groove was so wide the entire room felt it. And we talk about the moment Gary flew himself to San Francisco on JetBlue just to watch Wicked out of town, because he needed to know for himself whether to leave Aida for it.He knew by the first number.Gary is a Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Pro-Mark Sticks, Grover Percussion, and Remo Heads endorser, and has been featured in Modern Drummer and DRUM magazine multiple times.Press play. And if this episode gives you something, please leave us a glowing five-star review wherever you're listening. It takes 30 seconds and it means everything to the show.If you're serious about your own path in this industry, pick up Broadway Bound and Beyond at broadwayboundbook.com. Signed copies at signaturebrandworks.com.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

He showed up to watch.9:28 AM. Carroll's Rehearsal Studios. The Tina Turner Broadway show is about to start.Jared's a college student at NYU. He's not there to play. He's there to observe — to see how a real Broadway drummer handles a real Broadway rehearsal. He's looking at the chart on the stand. Not touching anything. Just studying.9:30 hits.The drummer isn't there.Contractor John Miller scans the room. Lands on Jared.“All right, Jared. Sit down. You're on.”He sat down. Blacked out. And sight-read 15 minutes of a mega-mix — a chart he'd never seen, styles flipping every 16 bars, a section in 3/4 buried in the middle — while a friend quietly filmed from across the room.He had no idea that moment would eventually lead to his first touring gig: Beautiful.Not because he was perfect that day, but it was because he was prepared before it.My full conversation with Jared Shaw drops soon on the Broadway Drumming 101 podcast.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.comThis Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.When I recorded this in February of 2022, Rodney was in his drum room. Blue Pearl kit behind him. Meshell Ndegeocello shirt on — second album, Peace Beyond Passion. We both agreed it's her best record. If you've never heard it, fix that before you do anything else today.Now he's the percussionist on The Lost Boys at the Palace Theatre. Twelve Tony nominations. Best Musical on the table. If there was ever a time to bring this one back in full, it's now.He came up in a town in North Carolina with no stoplight. His dad couldn't buy him brushes, so he put mini broomsticks in his hands and showed him what a brush sweep sounds like on a picnic table. That's the foundation. He started on saxophone. Switched to drums at 17. Moved to New York not thinking about Broadway at all. Jeff Campbell put his name in front of Chris Parker. The rest followed.The conversation goes deep on what it actually costs to stack your deck in this business. Playing Diana in La Jolla, then jumping on a plane to Japan with Avril Lavigne, then folding Mrs. Doubtfire in because his wife asked one simple question: what's the worst that can happen?Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.I chatted with Rodney Howard in February of 2022. He was in his drum room — blue kit behind him, Meshell Ndegeocello shirt on — and what started as a podcast felt more like a conversation between two guys who just happened to both live in this world.I had a great time revisiting this one.The Lost Boys is now running at the Palace Theatre with 12 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. It's the most Tony-nominated musical of 2026. Rodney is the percussionist on that show. Before that, he held the drum chair at Mrs. Doubtfire, subbed some of the hardest chairs on Broadway, and spent years on the road with Avril Lavigne, Gavin DeGraw, and Regina Spektor.This episode is about how you build that kind of career. He started on saxophone. Switched to drums at 17. Moved to New York not thinking about Broadway at all. Then Jeff Campbell put his name in front of Chris Parker, and the rest is a masterclass in being ready when the call comes.Two things from this conversation I almost forgot about that were really important. First, he said, take notes literally and broadly, but not too literally. He learned that the hard way at Lion King, following a sub-conductor's shaky conducting because Tommy told him to follow the conductor. The notes you get points you somewhere, but it doesn't replace your judgment.Second, when you sub, use what the drummer uses for monitoring. Not your nice headphones. Not your in-ears. Whatever they use. The mix was built around that. He said he's personally tanked a sub gig because he didn't. Said it like a man who doesn't enjoy repeating the experience.The video drops this Friday. Go listen.Originally released February 2022 on the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

The fan-favourite, award winning comedy musical AVENUE Q is back in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre, and Mickey-Jo recently had the bucket-list-worthy opportunity to meet some of its cast and iconic characters.Mickey-Jo headed to the theatre to sit down with Emily Benjamin, Charlie McCullagh, and Noah Harrison plus Avenue Q residents Trekkie Monster, Lucy the Slut, and Rod to ask them about puppetry secrets, onstage mishaps, musical theatre dream roles, and more.Check out this fun and completely unique interview, and don't forget to book tickets to see AVENUE Q in the West End!About Mickey-Jo:As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 95,000 subscribers. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan grew up in a small town in Kansas. No blueprint for this. No obvious path to musical theater. She found her way to NYU, studied West African music under Valerie Naranjo — which rewired the way she hears everything — and started building relationships one sub at a time.Now she's 600 shows into the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. And the way she talks about this industry is the kind of honest I don't always get on this podcast.We got into some really cool things:— What she does at the kit during the show that nobody expects, and why it actually works — The subbing etiquette mistakes that quietly end reputations before they start — A blacklist situation she handled with more integrity than most veterans twice her age — What ego, patience, and sitting with uncertainty actually look like when you're learning from the people ahead of youCheck out her site: https://www.morganparkernyc.comThis Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This is why I started Broadway Drumming 101. Not to give people a checklist. But to share access with people who figured it out — and let you hear how they actually talk about it.The video is embedded above. Audio is available on every podcast platform.If this is your first episode…welcome! Stick around.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Morgan is the drummer on the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. Six hundred shows in. Almost quit drumming in high school. Grew up in a small town in Kansas with no real map for any of this. Found her way to NYU, subbed MJ and Yiddish Fiddler simultaneously, and landed a tour that's run nearly two years.Her path is not the one anybody draws up. And the way she talks about trust, subbing, ego, and what actually gets you hired — it's the kind of honesty you don't hear enough of.We also get into:* What she does at the kit during the show that nobody expects — and why it actually works* How studying West African music under Valerie Naranjo at NYU rewired the way she hears everything* The blacklist situation she handled with more integrity than most veterans twice her age* The subbing etiquette mistakes that quietly kill a reputation before it even starts* What she learned about ego, patience, and being comfortable with uncertainty from the people ahead of herEpisode #105 is out now. The video version drops this Friday on YouTube.If this is your first time here — Broadway Drumming 101 is the podcast and resource built for drummers and musicians who want to work in musical theater. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.Subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101 on Substack →And if the podcast has helped you — even just one episode — leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It takes two minutes and it's the best way to help other drummers find this. It means more than you know.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

On this week's episode of MusicalTalk, Nick and Robert dive into a trio of very different theatrical experiences! Robert shares his thoughts on London's lagest mega-hit musical: Paddington.     We revisit the gloriously irreverent Avenue Q, discussing its enduring appeal, razor-sharp humour and whether its once-shocking material lands differently with modern audiences.  We also explore the hilarious and affectionate documentary spoof Original Cast Album: Co-Op — a loving parody inspired by the legendary recording sessions of Company. 

This is the video of last week's podcast — and another one in the Broadway Drumming 101 Classic Episode Series.This episode takes us back to January 2022 with one of the most respected drummers in both Broadway and jazz, Jared Schonig.Since we recorded this conversation, Jared has moved into the drum chair for Just in Time at Circle in the Square Theatre, but this episode still holds up because Jared drops a lot of real information about what it actually takes to survive in this business.We talked about:* How he went from jazz gigs and working at Apple to Broadway* Subbing on shows like Grease, American Idiot, and Next to Normal* Building Moulin Rouge from the ground up* Getting orchestration credit as a drummer* Broadway pit life, injuries, setups, pressure, and preparation* Why relationships and reputation matter more than people thinkJared has played with artists including Nicholas Payton, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Cynthia Erivo, Kristin Chenoweth, and many others. He's originated seven Broadway drum books and built one of the most versatile careers out there.One thing I always appreciated about Jared is that he's honest about the work. The preparation. The pressure. The physical demands. The stuff people don't always talk about publicly.It's still one of my favorite conversations I've had on Broadway Drumming 101.Upcoming performances for Jared include shows at Sultan Room, Birdland, Zinc Bar, The Gin Mill, and dates with Brass Against.I may go and check out this show! Let me know and we can all connect there:Check out his site for more info! Click HERE https://www.jaredschonig.comClayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

This is a clip from my upcoming Broadway Drumming 101 conversation with Morgan Parker, currently holding the drum chair for A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.Morgan dropped a lot of wisdom in this episode, but this part really stood out to me.One of her mentors told her that you're going to feel overwhelmed when the phone won't stop ringing… but you're also going to feel overwhelmed when the phone doesn't ring.That's the reality of this business.Morgan also talks about how dangerous it is to compare your path to other people's careers, especially in the social media era. Some musicians land major gigs quickly. For others, it can take years or even decades. Everybody comes to music in their own time.What matters is staying prepared, staying humble, keeping your ego in check, and continuing to grow.Morgan's career is a great example of that mindset in action. Along with Broadway and Off-Broadway credits, she's also worked as a stage manager for The New York Pops and performed in everything from theater productions to television performances and concert halls.Really great conversation. Full episode coming soon on Broadway Drumming 101.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Hannah Mooney hits the cast of Hamilton Musical Theatre's Avenue Q with some Q's on That's the Ticket, ahead of opening night!

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This is another one in the Broadway Drumming 101 Classic Episode Series.This episode takes us back to January 2022 with one of the most respected drummers in both Broadway and jazz, Jared Schonig.Since we recorded this conversation, Jared has moved into the drum chair for Just in Time at Circle in the Square Theatre, but this episode still holds up because Jared drops a lot of real information about what it actually takes to survive in this business.We talked about:• How he went from jazz gigs and working at Apple to Broadway• Subbing on shows like Grease, American Idiot, and Next to Normal• Building Moulin Rouge from the ground up• Getting orchestration credit as a drummer• Broadway pit life, injuries, setups, pressure, and preparation• Why relationships and reputation matter more than people thinkJared has played with artists including Nicholas Payton, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Cynthia Erivo, Kristin Chenowethand many others. He's originated seven Broadway drum books and built one of the most versatile careers out there.One thing I always appreciated about Jared is that he's honest about the work. The preparation. The pressure. The physical demands. The stuff people don't always talk about publicly.It's still one of my favorite conversations I've had on Broadway Drumming 101.Upcoming performances for Jared include shows at Sultan Room, Birdland, Zinc Bar, The Gin Mill, and dates with Brass Against.Check out his site for more info! Click HEREhttps://www.jaredschonig.comSUBSCRIBE to be notifed when the video of this episode will be released.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller played a key role in the production of RENT, Hamilton, In the Heights, Avenue Q, and the revival of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd that starred Josh Groban. His memoir traced his path from ‘Theater Kid' to producer of Broadway mega-hits. Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Silent Friend.' See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller played a key role in the production of RENT, Hamilton, In the Heights, Avenue Q, and the revival of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd that starred Josh Groban. His memoir traced his path from ‘Theater Kid' to producer of Broadway mega-hits. Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘Silent Friend.' See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

On the Saturday May 2, 2026 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Jay Franco, the author of the Star Wars tie-in book “Star Wars: Be More Boba Fett.” As every Star Wars fan knows, bounty hunter Boba Fett was selected by Empire magazine as the 79th greatest movie character of all time, and is included on Fandomania's list of The 100 Greatest Fictional Characters. IGN ranked Boba Fett as the eighth top Star Wars character, due to his fan-favourite status. Boba Fett is also the favourite Star Wars character of my guest Jay Franco. Drawing inspiration from the bounty hunter to offer advice on embracing a freelance, entrepreneurial lifestyle, adaptability, getting the job done no matter what, and being your own boss all while weaving in Star Wars lore and humor. Then, we’ll meet New York Actor/Singer Nick Manna. On and off Broadway you may have seen him in Shrek The Musical, Avenue Q or as Ben Franklin in 1776. Today we’ll talk about his career and touring in the lead role of Dog Man in Dog Man: The Musical, a family-friendly stage adaptation of Dav Pilkey's popular book series playing at the CAA Theatre in Toronto from May 6 to June 14. Check Mirvish.com for more details.

On the Saturday May 2, 2026 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we'll meet Jay Franco, the author of the Star Wars tie-in book “Star Wars: Be More Boba Fett.” As every Star Wars fan knows, bounty hunter Boba Fett was selected by Empire magazine as the 79th greatest movie character of all time, and is included on Fandomania's list of The 100 Greatest Fictional Characters. IGN ranked Boba Fett as the eighth top Star Wars character, due to his fan-favourite status. Boba Fett is also the favourite Star Wars character of my guest Jay Franco. Drawing inspiration from the bounty hunter to offer advice on embracing a freelance, entrepreneurial lifestyle, adaptability, getting the job done no matter what, and being your own boss all while weaving in Star Wars lore and humor. Then, we'll meet New York Actor/Singer Nick Manna. On and off Broadway you may have seen him in Shrek The Musical, Avenue Q or as Ben Franklin in 1776. Today we'll talk about his career and touring in the lead role of Dog Man in Dog Man: The Musical, a family-friendly stage adaptation of Dav Pilkey's popular book series playing at the CAA Theatre in Toronto from May 6 to June 14. Check Mirvish.com for more details.

The award winning comedy musical AVENUE Q is back, with a West End return at the Shaftesbury Theatre.The show features the iconic original puppet designs but is an enhanced version of the initial staging, with some changes made to update the material.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of the show, and whether it still works in 2026...• 00:00 | introduction 01:51 | the material 10:06 | changes / creative choices 16:59 | performances 24:04 | conclusion About Mickey-Jo:As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 95,000 subscribers. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noah Hadland Is Subbing Seven Broadway Shows at Once.He didn't get there by sending cold emails and waiting.He got there by running after a stranger with a stick bag outside the Book of Mormon stage door. By sight-reading act one of MJ on Broadway with 45 minutes of prep. By buying the right person a beer in 2019 and not asking for anything until 2023 — when that same person handed him a Broadway chair.Noah is 30 years old. He's subbing Ragtime, The Great Gatsby, Just in Time, Wicked, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chess, and Death Becomes Her. And in this episode, he breaks down exactly how he built that — the networking, the touch problem of juggling multiple shows, how to take a conductor's note without pushing back, and what he'd tell his 22-year-old self who came out of NYU convinced he should already be playing Hamilton.Watch the full episode above.Building a theater career and want the roadmap? I wrote the book. Broadway Bound and Beyond is at broadwayboundbook.comClayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

BE WARNED: It's LuAnna, and this podcast contains honest, upfront opinions, rants, bants and general explicit content. But you know you love it.On this week's BUMPER LuAnna: Lu and Anna start an MP jingle business, Lu isn't keen on team sports, Anna's brought us all special gifts, we're offering advice to a mum with major mum guilt and hear about possibly the worst 3rd date ever. Plus, we get into the Southport enquiry, Binky Felstead being outed for asking for freebies, bath sharing weirdos, Avenue Q, more Crumble content & an excellent new docco recco for you all to watch.GRAB YOUR TICKETS FOR THE BIG PARTY AT EVERYTHINGLUANNA.COMRemember, if you want to get in touch you can: Email us at luanna@everythingluanna.com OR drop us a WhatsApp on our brand new number 075 215 64640Please review Global's Privacy Policy: https://global.com/legal/privacy-policy/

Nick revisits Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre for its 20th anniversary—and discovers a show that's traded shock value for something warmer, wiser, and unexpectedly nostalgic. In this episode, he explores how Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx's irreverent musical holds up in 2026, from updated references (AI, Trump, and Spotify playlists) to subtle staging tweaks and musical refreshes. There's discussion of what still lands, what's softened with time, and whether the show's once-edgy humour can—or should—still provoke. Along the way, Nick reflects on seeing the show through a different lens two decades on, highlights standout performances (including an impressive turn from Emily Benjamin), and considers why Avenue Q continues to resonate with both returning fans and a brand-new audience.

West End Frame Editor, Andrew Tomlins hosts a solo episode of The West End Frame Show!Andrew discusses the London revival of Avenue Q (Shaftesbury Theatre) and One Day (Edinburgh Lyceum) as well as the latest news about Thelma and Louise, Kimberly Akimbo, Christine Baranski, Samantha Barks and more. This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins. @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening!Email: andrew@westendframe.co.ukVisit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.He came out of NYU convinced he should already be playing Hamilton.He isn't playing Hamilton.He is subbing seven Broadway shows at once.That didn't happen because he sent the right email. It happened because he ran after a stranger with a stick bag outside the Broadway stage door of Book of Mormon. That stranger was Dan Berkery. They talked, stayed in touch, and built a real relationship. So years later, when MJ on Broadway had an emergency — the sub tested positive for COVID 90 minutes before curtain and nobody else was available — the call went to Dan. Dan was already booked. But he knew exactly who to pass the name to. Noah ran to H&M in Times Square to grab black clothes, got to the theater with 45 minutes to spare, flipped through the charts, and sight-read act one of MJ on Broadway in front of a live audience. One conversation outside a stage door changed everything.Over time, his name got around. Now he's one of the busiest subs on Broadway — currently covering seven shows, and by the time you read this, maybe eight or nine. The seven: Ragtime, The Great Gatsby, Just in Time, Wicked, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chess, and Death Becomes Her. That's not luck. That's years of showing up, staying ready, and never burning a bridge.He's still learning. Still building. And I have no doubt that his own Broadway chair is coming — it's just a matter of time.In this episode, Noah breaks down exactly how he built his career.We get into the networking — not the theory of it, the actual mechanics of how relationships in this industry form and pay off years later. We talk about the touch problem: what it actually takes to juggle seven shows without dropping any of them. How to take a conductor's note without pushing back. And what he'd tell the 22-year-old version of himself who came out of school thinking he was already behind.He wasn't behind. He just hadn't started yet.Noah Hadland: https://www.instagram.com/noahhadland/If You're Not Subscribed Yet, I'm Asking You NowIf you're already a subscriber — thank you. You're the reason this show keeps going.If you're not, I'm asking you to subscribe today. Free or paid. Every subscription helps cover the production of this podcast and keeps it alive. This is an independent show built for working musicians and people who want to become one. That only works if people show up for it.Subscribe. It matters more than you know.Two Resources If You're Serious About ThisThe first is free. The How to Land a Broadway Gig Roadmap breaks down how the industry actually works — the key players, how sub lists function, how to build relationships that lead somewhere. Grab it instantly at broadwayboundbook.com/roadmap when you subscribe.The second is The Broadway Sub Playbook — $7.99 at signaturebrandworks.com. From the moment you get the call to show day. How to study the score, build your sub book, take the conductor's notes, and walk into that pit like you belong there.Want the full picture? Broadway Bound and Beyond is available everywhere books are sold online. Signed copy at signaturebrandworks.com.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

In this clip from my conversation with Noah Hadland on the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast, we get into something most drummers don't think about.I asked him what the hardest part is about subbing multiple shows at once. Most people would say the music.It's not.If you've done the work, the notes aren't the problem. The real challenge is touch.Every drummer you sub for plays differently. Some dig in. Some are right on the click. Some lean with the conductor. Some lay back. Some push.When you're bouncing between shows — sometimes in the same day — you have to carry all of that with you. Not just the parts. The feel. You're not covering a book. You're covering a person.That's where most drummers fall short. They learn the notes and think they're ready. But they don't sound like the drummer they're subbing for. Stay tuned for Noah's GREAT interview. Make sure you're subscribed to be notified when the episode is released:Clayton Craddock is the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Amelia Kinu Muus is starring as Christmas Eve in the West End revival of Avenue Q.The anniversary production is directed by the original director Jason Moore with the original Broadway puppets, conceived and designed by Rick Lyon. Avenue Q opened on Broadway in 2003 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The show first ran in the West End between 2006 and 2010.Amelia's theatre credits include: Cathrine Parr in SIX (Vaudeville), cover Lois Lane in Kiss Me Kate (Barbican), cover Tuptim in King And I (UK Tour & Dominion), Rachel Green in Friendsical (Edinburgh Fringe & UK Tour), Bella in Beauty And The Beast (Rose Theatre), Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens (Kings Head) and associate director and swing in Tokyo Rose (Southwark Playhouse & UK Tour)Her screen credits include. Cop in Choose Or Die (Netflix) and Magdalena in Der Teufel Im Spiegel (Servus TV).Avenue Q is booking at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 29th August 2026. Visit www.avenueqmusical.co.uk for info and tickets.This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're heading back to Paper Wing Theatre & Supper Club to talk about Avenue Q!

TCW Podcast Episode 254 - The Elder Scrolls: Arena & Daggerfall   Bethesda Softworks, founded in 1985 by Christopher Weaver with sports titles like Gridiron and Wayne Gretzky Hockey along with licenses like The Terminator, pivoted to RPGs. Demo scene legend Julian LeFay hired Vijay Lakshman as designer and buffer to management so LeFay could focus on games. Together they birthed The Elder Scrolls: Arena, a gladiator combat simulator that morphed, nine months into a 13-month development cycle, into a first-person 3D epic inspired by Ultima Underworld. Arena evolved from a combat management game to a full RPG with a procedurally generated world, unique races like Argonians and Khajiit, and a plot to topple the wizard Tharn. With the second game, LeFay, challenged by Sandy Petersen's claim that CRPGs could never match tabletop RPGs, made Daggerfall a massive world the size of Great Britain: 15,000 cities, towns, and dungeons; 44 regions; 100 factions; skill leveling based on what players actually did; and reputation grinds to unlock quests and plot. Ted Peterson, who took over lead design after Lakshman left, wove a complex plot with gray themes, diverse motivations, and moral quandaries into a simulator packed with layered systems rather than pure RPG simplicity. It sold out the initial run, hit 700,000 units, and became Bethesda's best game yet, bringing fresh air to a fallow RPG era!   TCW 156 - Madden for Some Football: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW156 Gridiron (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0q7sc_T3FU Wayne Gretzky Hockey (NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Apj9IRcpQ Tell Me Your Name (Russia Heat): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYpcZ2NfMYU (Explicit) Sodan & Magician 42 - TechTech (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB5CujcTN8A Terminator 2029 (PC/DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-PBi-N1hQo Flesh+Blood (Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVyLe-k16gw Jason And The Argonauts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq4requMqvY Khajit/Khajiit Has Wares: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/khajiit-khajiit-has-wares Ultima Underworld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee4PUcpGSn8 The Elder Scrolls: Arena (Box Art): https://bigboxcollection.com/TESArena.3DBox The Elder Scrolls: Arena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjEn6ETA7EM What Do You Do With a B.A. in English? (Avenue Q): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYenQEjvlD0 Walk Across the Entire Map in Dragonfall Unity (Timelapse 512x): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xTvdK88cww The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpX5y6jiafg   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1   Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Like I said I would, I want to show you what it's really like to build a Broadway show. Not the opening night photos, the red carpet, or the reviews. I'm talking about the early days. The first speeches. The moment when everyone realizes what they've actually signed up for.On the first day of Cats: The Jellicle Ball at New 42 Studios, we had our official meet and greet. The cast, creative team, and producers all came together for the first time. The energy was high. It was great to see many of the same cast and band members from our time at the Perelman Arts Center near the World Trade Center. There was a sense of history, but also a feeling that something bigger was about to happen.During the meet-and-greet, Matthew Harrison stood up and read a letter he had written to Andrew Lloyd Webber. Matthew is part of Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, the producing team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Michael Harrison. He's spent his whole life around big productions. He's not someone who gets impressed easily.Then he said something that made everyone pause and pay attention.“In nearly 40 years of theatre going, I have never experienced a reaction from an audience like it.”He talked about sitting in the audience and watching the people around him. There was a 19-year-old nearby, two men in their 50s, a straight couple on a date, a couple in their 60s with their 20-year-old son, and a group of young women who see every Broadway show. People of different ages and backgrounds, but everyone reacted the same way.People were pointing at the stage, crying, then cheering. They sang “Jellicle Cats” as if it were their own anthem. Some got out of their seats because they couldn't contain themselves. He counted five standing ovations during the show. Not just at the end, but throughout.He also admitted that he used to roll his eyes when people called the theater a religious experience. He never believed that before. But that night, he understood it.This wasn't just marketing. He was trying to describe something that truly surprised him.I felt something similar the night I took a night off from playing the show downtown and watched it from the audience. I thought it was fantastic. Seriously. I was cheering like everyone else in the audience, and I was part of the rehearsal process before. But seeing it in full bloom was really special. I never liked the original Cats, but this version makes sense.Matthew put it simply. This isn't just a revival. It's a reinvention. It feels new, like Cats is the most relevant musical in New York right now.If you want to work on Broadway, you need to understand this part of the process. Big moments don't just happen. They start with conviction in a rehearsal studio, long before critics arrive. They begin with producers willing to take risks and artists giving their all before anyone knows how the show will turn out.Sitting there on day one and hearing those words, I felt the weight of it all. It was motivating and grounding. Once the speeches are over, the real work starts: long days, lots of details, adjustments, repetition, and precision.That was just the beginning of week one. We're in week two now. There's downtime. There are short sections repeated ad nauseam. It's fascinating to watch something take shape in real time.Next, I'll write about the piano vocal book you get on the first day of a Broadway show, especially when there isn't a drum score yet, and what that means for you as a working musician.If you're interested in how Broadway shows are really built, keep following. Share this with anyone who wants to learn about the process. And if you want everything explained step by step, that's why I wrote Broadway Bound and Beyond.You can get it from signaturebrandworks.com or from any other place you buy books online.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you for being a longtime listener of Broadway Drumming 101.I've been thinking about doing more solo episodes for a while, and I'm finally starting today.Over the past week, I've been deep in rehearsals for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and this version is even stronger than what we did at PAC. Everything feels sharper and more focused. We officially open on April 7th, and I'm excited for people to see it.READ: Two Icons of New York, Ready for Broadway's ‘Jellicle Ball'At NAMM, I brought up a topic that doesn't get talked about enough:How careers really begin.For me, it wasn't Broadway. It wasn't some audition. It was a hotel gig in New Rochelle, playing the same 20 songs every other Friday night.A connection from that gig led me to a tour.That tour opened the door to subbing.And subbing eventually brought me to Broadway.In this new solo episode, I break down:• Why saying yes early in your career matters• Why showing up beats just posting• How small gigs compound over time• And how to know when it's time to start saying noIf you caught my talk at NAMM, this episode goes even deeper into that topic.READ: And if you're serious about building a real career in theater, get my book:Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.You can order it right now on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.If you want a signed copy, go to SignatureBrandWorks.com.Listen to the new solo episode.Pick up the book if you're interested.And I hope to see you at the Broadhurst!Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Guest: Elena Bonomo, drummer for SIX. Originally released January 14, 2022.This is one of those conversations that still holds up years later.In this episode, Elena Bonomo talks through what it actually looks like to build a career in theater music from the ground up. Elena shares how early musical experiences with her family shaped her connection to music, why drums always felt like fun instead of work, and how getting her first drum set set everything in motion.We also talk about her early pit experiences, reading music at a young age, and how playing school musicals laid the foundation for what she does now. She breaks down her time at Berklee, why versatility mattered to her more than locking into one lane, and how musical theater work at school mirrored the real expectations of Broadway life.Elena also gets honest about touring right after school, making very little money, and learning the realities of life on the road. From there, she talks about cruise ship work, adaptability, and how every gig, even the unglamorous ones, added tools to her toolbox.If you're trying to understand how Broadway careers are actually built over time, this episode is full of perspective that's still relevant today.https://www.elenabonomo.comThis Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.If you want to go deeper into this world, Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career, is available now on Amazon.com.If you'd like a signed copy by Clayton, along with Broadway Drumming 101 merchandise, head to signaturebrandworks.com.The book lays out the mindset, preparation, relationships, money realities, and long-term thinking behind real theater careers.Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe