Podcasts about musical theatre factory

Sherz shares! Sherz Aletaha joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul on the day of the 2024 Solar Eclipse to talk all things making her Broadway debut in Merrily We Roll Along, meeting Meryl Streep, bringing her authentic self to every role and more. Sherz, which is pronounced like “more than one Cher,” is an Iranian American actor, singer, and vocal coach. Originally from Southern California, Sherz is based in Manhattan and is currently appearing in the hit Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along alongside Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez. She has been seen on stage at The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Ars Nova, as Lalume in Kismet (directed by Lonny Price for the Santa Barbara Symphony), Aldonza in Man of La Mancha (Triad Stage), in Archetypes (Prospect Theater Company), Spring Alive (Dixon Place, cast album available) and the 2022 Off Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along (NYTW). She is frequently seen in concerts around New York City and is often part of readings and workshops of new and developing works at theater companies like Playwrights Horizon, The York, and Musical Theatre Factory. As a voice over artist, she has recorded work for Netflix and Age of Learning among others. Her on-camera work includes appearances on "Powerbook III: Raising Kanan," “The Detour,” “The First Wives Club,” “Three Trembling Cities,” “Wing Women,” "Insomnia," and numerous commercials. Follow Sherz: @morethanonecher Follow us: @artofkindnesspod / @robpeterpaul youtube.com/@artofkindnesspodcast Support the show! (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theaok) Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Kushner is one of New York's leading multi-hyphenates, photographer, producer, actor, podcast host, and author. Michael is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association, and has featured in notable performances, including On The Town at Barrington Stage directed by John Rando, Much Ado About Nothing at Barrington Stage directed by Julie Boyd, Sons Of The Prophet at GableStage directed by Joe Adler, and Toxic If Swallowed at Ars Nova directed by Charles Quittner. As a photographer, Michael's work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Tony Awards, and in publications in print and online. He is the creator of The Dressing Room Project, a photographic journal of actors prepping for their roles on Broadway. Michael has photographed Idina Menzel, Julie Andrews, and many more notable artists. As a producer, Michael is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons. He is an Executive Producer on the award winning and EMMY-nominated web series, Indoor Boys, created by Wes Taylor and Alex Wyse. Michael and Wes' short film XaveMePlease, starring Isaac Powell, played Frameline43 Festival in San Francisco and OutFilmFest in CT. He served as Associate Producer on Bernie and Mikey's Trip to the Moon with 59E59 and Strangemen and Co. Michael is proudly on the Advisory Boards of Out of the Box Theatrics and Wingspan Arts. He is also an investor in Be More Chill on Broadway. Every year, Michael participates in Stage and Screen Sleep Out with Covenant House. He has worked with the youth of Covenant House, NY and helped them create the project I Am Worth It,. Michael and the Broadway Podcast Network launched Dear Multi-Hyphenate, exploring how multidisciplinary artists exist in show business. He is also the creator of his one man show, Moo With Me directed by Max Crumm. Michael is now an Expert Contributor to Backstage. Michael graduated with distinction from Ithaca College with a BFA in Musical Theatre.   Hey everyone! Welcome to today's episode of the Wright Conversations Podcast! For today's episode, I'm joined by Michael Kushner to talk about being a multi-hyphenate, the sexless actor expectation, and sex and sexuality in the studio. We also talk about Michael's most incredible shoots, establishing trust and comfort, and get Michael's advice to aspiring multi-hyphenates. Let's delve in!   In this Episode You'll Learn: [01:47] A bit about Michael. [02:52] What is a multi-hyphenate? [08:02] Introducing Rachel. [10:37] Sexless actors. [13:55] Sex and sexuality in the studio. [17:19] Creating comfort in photoshoots. [19:27] What it takes to trust someone. [23:32] Michael's favorite shoots. [30:02] Michael's advice to aspiring multi-hyphenates.   Quotes: “We exist as many things, all at once.” [12:32] “Communication and conversation in photoshoots is really important.” [18:22] “A headshot doesn't belong on your mom's fridge.” [22:36] “Multi-hyphenating is different to multitalented, multifaceted, and multitasking.” [30:39]   Connect with Michael Kushner Website:            www.michaelkushnerphotography.com.                         www.michaelkushneronline.com. Instagram:          @themichaelkushner. TikTok:              @themichaelkushner. Podcast:            Dear Multi-Hyphenate.   Connect with Rachel Wright Website:            https://rachelwrightnyc.com Instagram:          @thewright_rachel Twitter:              @thewrightrachel   Resources How to Be a Multi-Hyphenate in the Theatre Business.   Get 20% OFF Your First Order at The Honey Pot! Use Promo Code: Rachel20   WIN A FREE INTIMACY AFTER DARK DECK!   Get 30% OFF the NEW After Dark Deck! Use Promo Code: Rachel   Get your Zumio Discount!   Call to Action Please, if you love this episode, share it with your friends and others. To help this podcast grow, please leave a review, and don't forget to subscribe.

Live from The Gospel According To Heather press event, I interviewed Director & Choreographer, Rachel Klein.In this interview, Rachel pulled back the curtain to reveal:How The Gospel According To Heather found its way to herWhat she related to most about the showOne rule she lives byVisit my website, Call Me Adam dot com, for behind-the-curtain story you won't hear in the interview!In The Gospel According To Heather, Heather Krebs just wants a boyfriend. But how can she even navigate her way through high school if she might be the New Messiah? A small town in Ohio grapples with politics, religion and teenage romance in this eclectic pop musical.The Gospel According To Heather plays at Theater 555 in NYC through the newly extended date of July 16, 2023.*At The Gospel According To Heather press event, members of the media were given a sneak peak of this new Off-Broadway Musical. More on Rachel Klein:Rachel Klein is a NYC based director, coined "Endlessly Clever," (The New York Post), "Nothing short of brilliant," (Broadway World) and of whose work The New York Times has stated: "What makes this show pop is the bracing vision of its director, Rachel Klein."Rachel's direction and choreography have been seen all over New York City including at the House of Yes, (le) Poisson Rouge, the Highline Ballroom, the National Arts Club, La MaMa, Night of 1000 Stevies, the Hiro Ballroom, Dumbo Dance Festival, the Kitchen, and the Slipper Room. Some of Rachel's credits include: Red Roses, Green Gold, Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions, The Anthem, Around the World in 80 Days, Gay Bride of Frankenstein, & Symphony of Shadows.Rachel holds a degree in Theatrical Direction from Columbia College, is a member of the SDC, a member of Musical Theatre Factory, and attended The Actor's Gymnasium School of Circus Arts, as well as The International Directors Symposium in Spoleto, Italy.Special Thanks:Richard Hillman PRTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergMore Call Me Adam:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYC

Better than a Romy and Michele's High School Reunion reboot, picture it: A milestone high school reunion at an ultra-conservative Catholic High School in Orange County…Shakina Nayfack, Class of (fill in the blank, we don't do ages): performer, director, writer, producer, artistic director, and activist whose groundbreaking career has encompassed television, theater, and music with projects on Amazon, Hulu, Audible, and NBC; making television history not once, not twice, but three times. Sounds like a Most Successful Honoree, correct? Too bad the high school asked her to leave when she was the victim of bullying because of her identity as part of the LGBTQ community. The multi-hyphenate entertainment goddess Shakina Nayfack survived those tough years and went on to become a founding member and artistic director of New York's Musical Theatre Factory, developing hundreds of musicals, including the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning A Strange Loop and her one-woman show, unabashedly titled Manifest Pussy, to critical and audience acclaim. For her theatre work, she has received the Lilly Award, the TRU Humanitarian Award from Theatre Resources Unlimited, and the Beatrice Terry Fellowship Award from the Drama League. She has had a pivotal role in front of and behind and behind the camera for the Transparent Musicale Finale, Hulu's Difficult People with Billy Eichner, NBC's Connecting, and Quantum Leap. And what a leap her life has had.In this amazing chat, we talked about it all…in her candid, opinionated way…we chatted about her coming out journey, her first years moving to NY, getting into the theatre scene, the evolution of the LGBTQ community in media, activism fatigue and the need for mental rest, making TV history for the trans community, what the hell is going on in the nation right now, and yes, even those early high school years. Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez.

In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with Musical Theatre Factory artistic director Brisa Areli Muñoz about creating stories in a way that centers justice and communities, expanding our definition of what musical theatre can be, centering radical care and embodied healing, and reimagining artists' roles as agents of creative change in their communities. Click here for a transcript of the episode! Episode Notes Guest: Brisa Areli MuñozHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsMusic: Chloe Geller Episode Resources: Musical Theatre Factory 1776 the Musical - Broadway and national tour Mercedes - Oye Group and Musical Theatre Factory Kundalini Activation Process One Nation/One Project Guest Bio: Brisa Areli Muñoz (she/her) is the Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory, an organization that develops changemaking new musicals in a joyous, collaborative community free from commercial pressures. Brisa was an inaugural Artistic Director of New York City's first-ever All Inclusive All-City Theater Ensemble, a NYC Department of Education citywide theater company that creates original musicals with teens of all abilities. Brisa has also served as Manager of Community Partnerships for The Public Theater's Public Works program, a major initiative that invites community members to take classes, attend performances, and join in the creation of ambitious works of participatory theater. Muñoz has directed and facilitated work on Broadway, across the world, and in communities in partnership with the Roundabout Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Repertory Theater, Center Theatre Group, The Kennedy Center, The Public Theater, Carnegie Hall, REDCAT Cal Arts Theater, Arts Emerson, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, BRIC Arts Media, Sojourn Theatre, Oye Group, CUNY Creative Arts Team, Hi-ARTS, CO/LAB, and Actionplay. Find Brisa Online: Instagram: @brisaareli and @mtfmusicals Thanks for listening! Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here. The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

Host Luisa Lyons chats with choreographer, director, producer, and digital theatre artist Brandon Powers. Brandon shares his journey to becoming a choreographer/director, along with his fascinating insights into the integration of VR and live theatre, Musical Theatre Factory's XR initiative, TikTok, and the future of filmed theatre. Brandon Powers is a creative director + choreographer who creates experiences across physical and virtual space. His work focuses on capturing liveness in the digital, building interdisciplinary communities, and shifting culture towards a more embodied future. His key projects include VR saga Queerskins: ARK (Venice International Film Festival), Frankenstein AI (Sundance Film Festival), and Duet (New York Live Arts). On TikTok, Brandon has grown a community of over 70,000 inviting audiences into the process of creating theatre and dance. He founded Constellation, an immersive strategy and production studio building engaged digital communities for theatrical properties. Brandon is a Creative Producer at Musical Theatre Factory, where he leads MTFxR, a program supporting XR musical theatre experiences. He has spoken on the intersection of arts and technology at the TCG National Conference, Verizon's 5G Lab, Lincoln Center and more.Show Links: Learn more about Brandon: https://www.brandon-powers.com/ Musical Theatre Factory MTFxR: https://mtf.nyc/mtfxr/ 5th Wall Forum: https://www.5thwallforum.com/5wf-about Constellation: constellationtheatrical.com Medium Article: https://brandonpowers.medium.com/the-future-of-musical-theatre-is-on-tiktok-8ecb7ef660a1 Follow Brandon on social media: Instagram Tiktok TwitterYouTubeSupport the showFilmed Live Musicals is where musicals come home. Use the searchable database to find musicals filmed on stage to watch from the comfort of your living room! Visit www.filmedlivemusicals.com to learn more. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also support the site at Patreon. Patrons get early access to the podcast and site content, no matter how much you pledge. Become a Patron today! Filmed Live Musicals is created by Luisa Lyons, an Australian actor, writer, and musician. Luisa holds a Masters in Music Theatre from London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now lives, works, and plays in New York. Learn more at www.luisalyons.com and follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Rona Siddiqui is a composer/lyricist based in NYC. She is a recipient of the Jonathan Larson Grant and Billie Burke Ziegfeld award and was named one of Broadway Women's Fund's Women to Watch. Her musicals include Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan, an autobiographical comedy about growing up bi-ethnic in America, One Good Day, Hip Hop Cinderella, and Treasure in NYC. She is the recipient of the ASCAP Harold Adamson Lyric Award, the ASCAP Foundation Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award and ASCAP Foundation/Max Dreyfus Scholarship. She is currently part of Musical Theatre Factory's Makers Residency and Ars Nova's Vision Residency. Rona is also the music director of A Strange Loop on Broadway. Rona's musical 'Hip Hop Cinderella' runs at the New Victory Theater from Feb 10-26, 2023. https://www.newvictory.org/tickets-and-events/2223-live-performance-hip-hop-cinderella/ More Info: https://ronasiddiqui.com/

Synopsis: Ben finds himself in 2012 in the midst of the Mendéz family as they help their transgender daughter, Gia, who dreams of playing on her high school basketball team. Magic and Jenn discover another piece of the puzzle of why Ben leapt in the first place. We are excited to be joined by episode writer, actor and director, Shakina, for the discussion of this episode! (@Shakeenz on Twitter and Instagram; Shakina.nyc on the web) Shakina is a celebrated actress and activist. She initially made television history on NBC’s “Connecting” as the first transgender person to play a series regular on a network comedy. She can also be seen in Amazon’s GLAAD Award Winning “Transparent Musicale Finale,” which she helped write and produce, and Hulu’s “Difficult People” as the iconic trans truther, Lola. Her play “Chonburi International Hotel and Butterfly Club” premiered on Audible in 2020 in collaboration with Williamstown Theatre Festival and was recognized with a 2021 Drama League Award for Best Audio Theatre Production. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory, where she helped to develop hundreds of new musicals including Michael R. Jackson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning “A Strange Loop,” along with her own autobiographical glam rock odyssey, “Manifest Pussy.” Recognitions include The Lilly Award for Working Miracles, Theatre Resources Unlimited Humanitarian Award, The Kilroys List, Logo 30, two-time Drama League fellow and two-time OUT 100 honoree We have updated merch, including tees, mugs, stickers and more! Fate’s Wide Wheel TeePublic Store Thank you, Patrons! Al’s Place Leap Fan Site, Bourbon and Boardgames, Carolyn, Cosplay Dad, Joanne Bartlett, Dana Bius, Rich Bourque, Kevin, Kevin Butcher, Carol Davis, Deckslower, Dermot Devlin, Barry Donovan, Brian Dreadful, Troy Evers, Larry Ganni, Jason Geis, Michelle Hoffman, Amy Holtcamp, Laurie Johnson, Bess A Korey, Lady Eternal, Robb Nunn, Oddly Specific with Audra, Christopher Redmon, Adrian Sal, Karyn Saxon, Jerry Seward, Mike Stoufer, Heather Strbiak, Damon Sugameli, Larry Trujillo, Stuart Williams, Jill Wilson, Our Anonymous Patrons And as always, a special shout out to Jessica Conger and Betsy Frymire, our spouses who provide vital childcare while we record our show. Become a patron or donor yourself: Monthly: Fate’s Wide Wheel on Patreon One-Time: Fate’s Wide Wheel on Buy Me a Coffee Feedback? Send us an email: fateswidewheelpodcast@gmail.com We Frequently Use These Resources: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, by Matt Dale Al’s Place by Brian Greene The Quantum Leap Podcast

Kent Nicholson from Broadway Licensing stops by the show to discuss how plays get published and how to create more publishable plays. In this episode, we discuss:How the publishing process worksHow Broadway Licensing is now a content-creating entitythe IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION of how to create a produceable and publishable playhis involvement in the development process of A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson And more!Resources MentionedBroadway LicensingAbout Our GuestKent Nicholson is the Director of Acquisitions and New Works at Broadway Licencing. He most recently served as Associate Producer of Musical Theatre at Playwrights Horizons in New York overseeing the creation and production of works such as A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson. Previously Kent served as the New Works Director for Theatreworks, Silicon Valley where he created the New Works Initiative and their New Works Festival. He also co-created The Uncharted Writers Group at Ars Nova, and has served on the boards of The Playwrights Foundation, The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and Musical Theatre Factory. His directing work has been seen at South Coast Repertory, Berkeley Repertory, Seattle Repertory and The Old Globe, among many others.Connect with Our Guestbroadwaylicensing.comConnect with host Melissa Schmitz***Sign up for the 101 Stage Adaptations Newsletter***101 Stage AdaptationsFollow the Podcast on Facebook & InstagramRead Melissa's plays on New Play ExchangeConnect with Melissa on LinkedInWays to support the show:- Buy Me a Coffee- Tell us your thoughts in our Listener Survey!- Give a 5-Star rating- Write a glowing review on Apple Podcasts - Send this episode to a friend- Share on social media (Tag us so we can thank you!)Creators: Host your podcast through Buzzsprout using my affiliate link & get a $20 credit on your paid account. Let your fans directly support you via Buy Me a Coffee (affiliate link).

“There is something that I think gets in my way, or has gotten in my way in the past when thinking about the multi-hyphenate,” says é boylan. “And I think it's the hyphen. It's the idea why I like I'm a non binary human that doesn't like to hyphenate the non and the binary because that's another binary! It's like the barrier in the middle. It feels sometimes like it's divisive within myself.” Topics of conversation: individual approaches to the multi-hyphenate the pros and cons of branding capitalism in multi-hyphenating bragging about callbacks on social media misinformation on social media é's new project The Doctor is Dead.  é is the creator of The Doctor is Dead, a new audio musical released by Musical Theatre Factory. This podcast series is a contemporary fantasy for queer imaginations following a secret society of trans outcasts living underground. Using their unique abilities to investigate a mysterious empty coffin, the outcasts sing a song of leaving, of grief that becomes giving, of what begins in the end. The production can be heard on all podcast platforms beginning September 2nd, with new episodes released weekly. You can listen to the trailer now, HERE.  é boylan (they/them) is a NYC based director, creator, and composer developing new work towards trans liberation. Selected Honors Include: New Writer in Residence at Lincoln Center Theater, 2019 Trans Lab Fellow, 2019-20 Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellow, 2021 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriter, 2021 Prospect Theater Co. MT Lab, 2022 MTFxR Garage Artist, 2020-22 Roundabout Theatre Co. Directors Group, and currently Musical Theatre Factory's Makers Cohort. www.eboylan.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with new musical theatre writing team Tidtaya Sinutoke and Isabella Dawis. We learn about the development processes for their musicals Half the Sky and Sunwatcher, and we talk about incorporating elements of other cultures into American musical theatre and lessons learned from the pandemic. Click here for a transcript! Episode Notes Guests: Tidtaya Sinutoke and Isabella Dawis Hosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews Music: Chloe Geller See full episode notes here Guest Bios Tidtaya Sinutoke (she/her) is a Jonathan Larson Grant, Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award, International Theatremakers Award and Fred Ebb Award-winning musical theatre composer, writer, and musician. Born in Thailand and now based in NYC, her compositions draw from multiple genres, combining classical music, traditional Thai/world music tonality, and the complexities of contemporary meters and pop hooks. Composition credits include: Half the Sky (The 5th Avenue Theatre's First Draft Commission & 20/21 Digital Season, Weston-Ghostlight New Musical Award); Sunwatcher (The Civilians R&D Group, Ancram Play Lab, Global Forms Theater Festival), and Dear Mr. C (NYFA's City Artist Corps Grants, Polyphone Festival, The Crossroads Project). Her works have been developed and supported by the Composer-Librettists Studio at New Dramatists, Yale Institute for Music Theatre, Johnny Mercer Foundation, NYFA IAM Mentoring Program, Robert Rauschenberg Residency, Kurt Weill Foundation, Drama League, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, and the American Opera Project. A proud member of ASCAP, Dramatists Guild, Maestra, MUSE, and Thai Theatre Foundation. BM: Berklee College of Music; MFA: NYU. tidtayasinutoke.com Isabella Dawis (she/her) is a Filipina-American playwright and performer. As a librettist and lyricist, she is the recipient of the 2022 Kleban Prize in Musical Theatre, the 2021 Fred Ebb Award, and the 2020 Weston-Ghostlight New Musical Award. She currently holds a Composers and the Voice Fellowship with the American Opera Project. Her musical theatre works include HALF THE SKY (5th Avenue Theatre Digital Radio Play/First Draft Commission, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Mu's New Eyes, Theater Latté Da's NEXT), SUNWATCHER (Civilians' R&D, Goodspeed's Writers Grove, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Ancram Opera House, Tofte Lake Center), and BEFORE THE LAST METER (Atlanta Opera). Isabella's writing has been supported by the Primary Stages Rockwell Scholarship, the Kurt Weill Foundation's Lotte Lenya Songbook, Musical Theatre Factory, Coalition of Asian American Leaders, and more. B.M. summa cum laude, piano performance, University of Minnesota, with vocal study at New England Conservatory. Find Tidtaya and Isabella Online: www.tidtayasinutoke.com www.isabelladawis.com Thanks for listening! Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here. The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

“The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Yianni Papadimos. “The Diogenes Club is the queerest club in London, and Mycroft one of the queerest men.” Yianni Papadimos is a Greek-American actor and writer. His favorite credits include Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Barnstormers Theatre), Matt in Swimming Upstream (Detroit Repertory Theatre, World Premiere), and Ira Stone in Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Barnstormers Theatre). Onscreen, Papadimos has been featured in projects that have premiered across the country. Favorite credits include The Tankhouse Theatre (2018 SeriesFest) and Better To Live (2015 TriBeCa Film Festival). His first full-length musical, co-written with Ben Chavez (The Cobalteans), was an official selection of the 2015 New York Musical Festival. He received awards for Outstanding Book and Outstanding Lyrics. Elysium: An American Fable, the team's second full-length musical, has been developed at the Village Theatre (Issaquah, WA), Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH), and the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival (Auburn, NY). Their work has been featured at NYC venues such as Feinstein's/54 Below, The Musical Theatre Factory, The Laurie Beechman Theatre, Dixon Place, and Don't Tell Mama. He proudly holds a BFA in Drama and English Literature from NYU. Content warning (and spoilers because this is a doozy!): Kidnapping, torture, violence and threats of violence, and general nasty behavior. Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/ https://twitter.com/improbablepod

Preston Max Allen is a playwright, composer, and lyricist whose work has been featured at the New Amsterdam Theatre, Lincoln Center, Signature Theatre, Musical Theatre Factory, Feinstein's/54 Below, Joe's Pub, Theatre 80, New York Musical Festival, Laurie Beechman Theatre, York Theatre ("Tune In Time" winner), Gallery Players, Lululemon (it's a long story), and Second City Chicago. Preston conceived and wrote book, music, and lyrics for WE ARE THE TIGERS (Album now streaming; L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation winner for Best Lyrics/Composition, nominee for Best Musical); AGENT 355 (dramaturgy/co-book Jessica Kahkoska, Marion Fellowship Award Winner); and THE RAGE: CARRIE 2, AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY (Jeff Nominee, Best New Musical). His play MODERN GENTLEMAN was featured as part of the 2020 PRIDE PLAYS Festival (dir. Blayze Teicher). Additional projects include music/lyrics for A VERY NETFL*X CHRISTMAS MUSICAL: NOW STREAMING LIVE! and AMY ADAMS WINS AN OSCAR (books by Edward Precht); book/lyrics for FRANKLIN PIERCE: DRAGON SLAYER (composer Will Buck); music/lyrics for BRADICAL AND THE PINK SOCKS; and music/lyrics for THE HUNTED: ENCORE (LA Webfest Outstanding Score). Preston is a member of the Ars Nova Play Group (2019/20), graduate of the Second City Chicago Comedy Studies Program, and an alum of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. Above all, he is the proud father to his cat -> Hero. @prestonmaxallen

QUOTE:There are a lot of people who have never interacted with a Veteran.You cannot help but be transformed by being party to these [veterans] stories.Mentioned in the Show:Free meditation CD: “A Voice for Healing”De-Cruit: using Shakespeare and Science to promote healingVAW-OP: Veterans Arts Workshop-Online Portal access to free virtual classes in the arts/mindfulnessPoetic Theater-Veteran Voices-programs offering writing/performance skills with community building for veterans and their family membersAbout the Guest:MJ is a proud veteran, having served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, specializing in  Neonatal Intensive Care. She is honored to offer free guided meditation classes to veterans on the Veterans Arts Workshop-Online Portal. She serves as a De-Cruiter, using personal narrative and Shakespeare to promote healing in the veteran community as well as a facilitator and program developer for Poetic Theater's “Veteran Voices”, where veterans and their family members craft and perform personal stories to ritualize and share the moral burden of war.She is currently an actor with three-plus decades of professional experience buoyed by an MFA  in Acting from American Conservatory Theatre. You might have seen her perform in the  Broadway National Tours of The Phantom of the Opera, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Sister  Act, and All Shook Up, as well as creating over fifty roles in regional & off-Broadway theatre.  She co-wrote, produced, and starred in the short film Trumped as well as her one-woman show,  Captain MJ's Fantastic Adventure. On television, she appeared in One Life to Live, Masters of  Sex, Pan Am, and loves working on NYC indie films. She is currently featured as Una, a “Nazi bombmaker on a mission” in Hunters on Amazon Prime. As a founding artist of New York's  Musical Theatre Factory, she is a recipient of their inaugural “Builder's Award”.  MJ is a native New Yorker and thanks to her husband, Broadway musician John Johnson, for being her pandemic pod-mate and home studio gaffer. Where to Find Mary Jo:WebsiteInstagramAbout the Show:There's a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression for each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.Where to Find Me:InstagramTwitter

Feeling stressed? Anxious? or just need a moment to connect with yourself? Well—in this inaugural MICRODOSE episode of Clarity is King, Miller guides you through a breathing exercise to help you center yourself and bring calm to your day. Sit back or lay down, whichever you like and enjoy taking a moment to celebrate you! and if you enjoy this episode, feel free to come back to it when you need that moment to sit with yourself. Enjoy! Check Out Get Clear: A Mindfulness Workbook Get Clear: Your Mindfulness Journal About Brandon Brandon Webster is a Brooklyn-based Composer, Dramaturg & Storyteller working in Afro-futurism and Afro-Surrealism. His storytelling with music explores complex questions relating to Blackness, Masculinity, Queerness, and Community. Brandon is a 2021-2022 winner of the Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University's Lewis Center For The Arts, part of the inaugural class of MAKERS at Musical Theatre Factory, The 2017 MCC Theater Artistic Fellow, and BMI Musical Theatre Workshop class of 2013. Contact info: Facebook: BrandonWebsterMusic IG Digital Portfolio: @BrandonWebsterMusic Linked In: linkedin.com/in/brandonwebstermusic Email: BrandonWebsterMusic@gmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/clarityisking/message

For Video Edition, Please Click and Subscribe Here: https://youtu.be/kq6aWF0uZaE ttps://54below.com/events/michael-kushner-sings-his-hits-for-pride/ Michael Kushner is NYC's leading multi-hyphenate and the Executive Producer of the EMMY Nominated series Indoor Boys. Performance: On the Town at Barrington Stage (Pre Broadway, Directed by John Rando), Sons on the Prophet at GableStage (Directed by Joe Adler). He is the creator of his one man show, Moo With Me (Directed by Max Crumm). Photography: Featured in The NYTimes, Vogue, The Tony Awards, Playbill, and more. Producing: Emmy Nominated web series, Indoor Boys, created by Wes Taylor and Alex Wyse, XaveMePlease, starring Isaac Powell. Michael is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons, and was awarded the first ever MTF Builder Award.   www.michaelkushneronline.com or www.michaelkushnerphotography.com.  Podcasts: Dear Multi-Hyphenate and My Broadway Memory with Broadway Podcast Network. Proud AEA Member. Ithaca College BFA Musical Theatre. @themichaelkushner on IG and TikTok. 

Most recently, SHAKINA NAYFACK made television history starring in NBC's Connecting… as  the first transgender person to have a starring role in a network comedy. She can also be seen in Amazon's GLAAD Award Winning Transparent Musicale Finale, which she helped write and produce, and Hulu's Difficult People, for which she was a writing consultant. Her play Chonburi International Hotel and Butterfly Club premiered on Audible in 2020 in collaboration with Williamstown Theatre Festival and was recognized with a 2021 Drama League Award for Best Audio Theatre Production. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory, where she helped to develop hundreds of new musicals including Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize winning musical, A Strange Loop and her own autobiographical glam rock odyssey, Manifest Pussy.Weekly Round-Up:Watch the documentary Disclosure on Netflix.Listen to the On the Rookie podcast episode “The Roadmap For Liberation, feat. Janet Mock” and then read Janet's book, Redefining Realness.Read My Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein.Visit Shakina's website to learn more about her work and download her award-winning Audible play, Chonburi International Hotel and Butterfly Club.Support the Juneteenth Jubilee, organized by Intersectional Voices Collective.

Happy Pride! “The type of multi-hyphenate I am is I need to really clearly be able to compartmentalize what version of myself is being put into what thing. In terms of photography, if I have not been doing freeform things - I feel like I'm being worked to the bone.”  L Morgan Lee (A Strange Loop) is an artist who sees herself through her photography. And if anyone wants to know anything about her, all you have to do is look at one of her images. As we celebrate Pride month in 2021, this episode is an enjoyable and honest slice of life for two LGBTQIA+ multi-hyphenates in the theatre industry, both of who happen to be photographers. L Morgan's first priority is being an actress. She keeps in mind that perception is so much a part of the business, so it's in her best interest to be as specific as possible in terms of being an actress. “The group of ladies that I would love to be with in terms of acting,'' she says, “You can't just go on a website and book them for headshots.” Being a multi-hyphenate also welcomes different communities. “I think community is number-one a life line to me,” she says. “I need to have people that I feel close to. I have a community of trans women who are over fifty. There's two or three girls who have taught me so much without even knowing they are teaching me.” And of course, there's some photographer dishing - so are you ready for the tea to be spilled? Between L and Michael, the stories from behind the lens are endless. For one, they view the headshot as a survival job, while the other views the headshot as a way to express themselves. So, if each photographer has their own view of the art form - is there contention? Is there jealousy? Is it territorial? What are the boundaries we enforce to protect our heart?  Plus, if you're a business owner, like a photographer, L Morgan and Michael go deep into the practices of owning a business and finding the sweet spot of how to stay accessible, but also charging rates where the business owner can survive.  Enjoy this episode as Michael and L Morgan dive into knowing one's worth, money management, trans identity, joining the circles of our inspirations, a photographer's boundaries, and what it means to take charge of how the industry perceives an artist.  L MORGAN LEE (she/her) is an Obie award-winning actress, theatre maker, and photographer. She is most known for her performance in the Pulitzer Prize winning musical, A Strange Loop which garnered her a Lucille Lortel nomination and the distinction of being the first openly transgender actress to originate a role in a Pulitzer Prize winning piece of theatre. Most recently, L Morgan was cast to portray artist Lili Elbe in a British musical adaptation of the novel, The Danish Girl being workshopped in the UK. She is also developing a new play entitled, The Women (2021) which was seen in Ars Nova's 2021 Vision Residency. Other credits include new works with Long Wharf Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, 5th Avenue Theater, Musical Theatre Factory and more. L Morgan is dedicated to being a part of work centering underrepresented voices on both stage and screen. "She needed a hero, so that's what she became." For more: lmorganlee.com Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I am a believer in the ‘Why'. Once I owned that purpose, once I identified that that was my purpose… all my hyphens made sense. Instead of feeling like a jack of all trades, master of none - I was finally under this umbrella of ‘Why'. I'm a healer.”  Mary Jo McConnell's purpose is simple: to heal. Not only is this incredible artist a part of the theatre industry for 35+ years as an actor, but her identity as a Veteran has provided her the incredible opportunity to work with, and most importantly heal, Veterans by using theatre as medicine tools in personal healing. This episode is incredibly unique in a multitude of ways. Mary Jo opens us up to the perspective of Veterans healing by using theatre and also leads us through an exercise to ground ourselves and be present in the moment without judgement.  “Oftentimes the givers, the healers will extend themselves to show compassion for others, and hold space for others, and forget about the need to do it for themselves.”  As we emerge from the pandemic, healing should be in the forefront of our mind. How can we help heal the world around us, while still being present for ourselves? After recharging her batteries, Mary Jo has the perspective and experience to lend expertise as we gently guide ourselves towards recovering from the trauma.  If you're looking to begin to move on, this episode is the gateway to start. Mary Jo's voice is calming, shifting, and above all else: healing. While her voice is soothing, her intensity shines through. When asked about the comparisons between a soldier and an actor, she says, “I think the fact that they are two very committed beings, two incredibly committed entities, and committed in mind, body, and spirit. All of those things need to be aligned in order to achieve the mission. There's something about being in the military - that level of camaraderie - that I have not found duplicated… even in the theatre.” Please be advised this episode contains conversation of sexual assault in the military.  Broadway National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), All Shook Up, Sister Act. Original Soap Star in the off-Broadway production of Menopause, the Musical. Regional theaters: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Paper Mill Playhouse, and more. Currently: UNA, the Nazi bombmaker in the Amazon Prime Series Hunters. Other TV: Pan Am, Masters of Sex, and One Life to Live. Indie films: “Trumped” (producing, co-writing and starring). Proud founding artist and winner of an inaugural “Builder Award” from The Musical Theatre Factory. Veteran: De-Cruit: using personal narrative and Shakespeare to mitigate trauma. CD: “A Voice for Healing”. Co-founder of the Veteran Arts Workshop-Online Portal (VAW-OP) and is offering free classes in arts/mindfulness to veterans and their families. IG: @maryjomcconnell Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok) @dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode I am joined by the true multi-hyphenate Michael Kushner. He is the Executive Producer of the EMMY Nominated series Indoor Boys and his next project is The Pink Unicorn film starring Tony Winner Alice Ripley, for which he'll be serving as producer and director of photography. He has performed in such shows as On the Town, Much Ado About Nothing, Sons on the Prophet and he is the creator of his one man show, Moo With Me. His photography has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Tony Awards, Playbill, and more. Creator of The Dressing Room Project, Michael has photographed Idina Menzel, Julie Andrews, and many more notable artists. Michael is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons, and was awarded the first ever MTF Builder Award. During CoVid-19, Michael has stayed active in the theatre community by serving as Director of Photography and producing virtual events such as Moments in the Woods (A Virtual Gala for the HFWAA featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, which was nominated for a BroadwayWorld Award), Betsy Wolfe's A Pants Optional Holiday, and It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play featuring The Skivvies with Laguna Playhouse, and Leslie Kritzer's Holiday Show for The Actors' Home. He's an active participant with Covenant House and in 2020, Michael served as the KeyNote speaker for Florida Thespians.He currently has two podcasts out: Dear Multi-Hyphenate and My Broadway Memory with the Broadway Podcast Network. We discuss the science behind being a multi-hyphenate, how casting protocols need to change, and he is using his many platforms to serve his life and others. Get in touch: Michael Kushner Instagram: @themichaelkushner on IG and TikTok.Website: www.michaelkushneronline.com Photography: www.michaelkushnerphotography.com.Ayana Major Bey Website: www.ayanabey.comInstagram: @ayanambey, @theartistpivot********************Executive Producer & Host: Ayana Major Bey Editor: Kieran NiemandSupport the show

On this episode I am joined by the true multi-hyphenate Michael Kushner. He is the Executive Producer of the EMMY Nominated series Indoor Boys and his next project is The Pink Unicorn film starring Tony Winner Alice Ripley, for which he'll be serving as producer and director of photography. He has performed in such shows as On the Town, Much Ado About Nothing, Sons on the Prophet and he is the creator of his one man show, Moo With Me. His photography has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Tony Awards, Playbill, and more. Creator of The Dressing Room Project, Michael has photographed Idina Menzel, Julie Andrews, and many more notable artists. Michael is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons, and was awarded the first ever MTF Builder Award. During CoVid-19, Michael has stayed active in the theatre community by serving as Director of Photography and producing virtual events such as Moments in the Woods (A Virtual Gala for the HFWAA featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, which was nominated for a BroadwayWorld Award), Betsy Wolfe's A Pants Optional Holiday, and It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play featuring The Skivvies with Laguna Playhouse, and Leslie Kritzer's Holiday Show for The Actors' Home. He's an active participant with Covenant House and in 2020, Michael served as the KeyNote speaker for Florida Thespians.He currently has two podcasts out: Dear Multi-Hyphenate and My Broadway Memory with the Broadway Podcast Network. We discuss the science behind being a multi-hyphenate, how casting protocols need to change, and he is using his many platforms to serve his life and others. Get in touch: Michael Kushner Instagram: @themichaelkushner on IG and TikTok.Website: www.michaelkushneronline.com Photography: www.michaelkushnerphotography.com.Ayana Major Bey Website: www.ayanabey.comInstagram: @ayanambey, @theartistpivot********************Executive Producer & Host: Ayana Major Bey Editor: Kieran NiemandSupport the show

About the Guest Thao Nguyen is an Actor/Singer who is comfortable on both the operatic and musical theatre stage. Nguyen is acclaimed by critics for his "velvety baritone and his ease and grace on stage." Most recently: Off-Broadway, The English world premiere of Tropical Angels with Musical Theatre Factory and the Taipei Cultural Center in Taiwan. As a champion of new music in the classical world, Nguyen was delighted to be a part of the evolution of opera in this first-of-its-kind "Zoom Opera” Fortune's Children by David Wolfson with Hartford Opera Theater. He is likewise thrilled to be invited back to rejoin the cast in its sequel, Changing Fortunes, which is now streaming on BroadwayOnDemand. Noted musical theatre roles include Bobby (COMPANY), Thuy (MISS SAIGON), and Donkey in the multi-Broadway World Award-winning production of SHREK. As an in-demand vocalist, Nguyen can frequently be seen on stage as a soloist in symphony concerts and as a guest artist in pop concerts. Also active in Film and TV, Nguyen can be seen in the indie short Just a Body, Unmasked and the upcoming 2022 feature film NEMESIS ETERNA, directed by award winning director Stephen Van Vuuren. Nguyen is represented by The Brock Agency for Film/TV/Commercial.  A graduate of UNC School of the Arts, Nguyen is currently based in Winston Salem, NC where he maintains a private voice studio. You can follow Thao on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @thetaoofThao andhttp://www.thaotnguyen.com/ ( www.thaotnguyen.com) for further information. Links/Resources (Mentioned in this Episode) https://beltlinetobroadway.org/category/torn/ (TORN: Theater on Racist Negativity) http://ma-yitheatre.org/ (Ma-Yi Theater Company) http://www.aapacnyc.org/#:~:text=The%20mission%20of%20AAPAC%20(ASIAN,on%20New%20York%20City's%20stages. (Asian American Performers Action Coalition) Connect with Beltline to Broadway Facebook – @beltlinetobroadway Twitter – @beltlinetobroadway Instagram – @beltlinetobroadway Web http://www.rduonstage.com/ (www.beltlinetobroadway.com) Beltline to Broadway is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of RDU on Stage must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/rdu-on-stage/campaigns/3999 (Make an Online Donation to Beltline to Broadway now.) Support this podcast

On this special edition INSIDE SCOOP the gals are interviewing Shakina Nayfack - star of NBC's "Connecting". Shakina is the FIRST transgender person to be cast as a series regular on a network sitcom. In addition to her incredible acting career, Shakina is an activist, writer, and founding artistic director of NYC's Musical Theatre Factory. We chat everything from shooting a tv show in the middle of a pandemic to dating in NYC to best advice ever received. Shakina's story telling is going to have you begging for MORE! We are sure you will be as obsessed with Shakina as we are so be sure to follow her on Instagram to stay in the know on what she is up to next! @shakeenz For more info check out @Obsessedwiththebestpod on Instagram and email us at obsessedwiththebestpod@gmail.com with questions, comments, & suggestions on what to try or talk about next! Support us by supporting our host network, DimlyWitProductions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally from Southern California, Shakina is a performer, director, writer, producer, and social activist living in New York City. She is well known for her work as Lola on the comedy series Difficult People, Ellis in the sitcom Connecting, and as the Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory, where she has supported the development of over 100 new musicals including her own autobiographical rock musical, Manifest Pussy.  Follow Shakina on Twitter: @Shakeenz Follow She's a Woman Podcast on IG: @shesawomanpodcast You can listen and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform https://bit.ly/ShesAWomanPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Jaime Jarrett - a New York based composer/playwright - whose mission is to tell honest and imaginative queer stories that simultaneously break the rules of cis-heteronormativity and break the supposed rules of our physical universe. Most recently, his musical Wonder Boy was developed through a staged reading at Musical Theatre Factory. Jaime is the recipient of New York Musical Festival’s “Outstanding Emerging Artist Award” as well as the Ira Brind School of Theatre Arts’ “Excellence in Playwriting Award.” In this podcast we learn about how he came up with this incredible new musical and also listen to a beautiful new song, “The Body”. Jaime gives us the amazing backstory of how this song came to be which is authentic and vulnerable. Learn more about Jamie on his website: https://www.jarrettwritesmusicals.com, and on IG @sauci_boy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Gomez is a composer, lyricist, and librettist. His songs have been shared at Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, and Birdland in NYC. David is also one of the 2020-2021 Dramatist Guild Fellows and one of Musical Theatre Factory’s MAKERS for 2021. David is invested in continuing the tradition of rancheros y corridos which use lyrics to celebrate Latinx stories. Find David on instagram @gomez_zdavid

Actress, director, writer, producer, and activist Shakina Nayfack answered my call to bare it all on my podcast Baring It All with Call Me Adam, on the Broadway Podcast Network. Shakina received international attention for crowdfunding her gender confirmation with her 2014 KickStartHer campaign and has since written three rock musicals about her transition. Shakina played a guest-starring role in the series finale of Amazon's Transparent, a Musicale Finale on which she was also a writer and producer. Shakina's fans know from her work as "Lola" in Hulu's cult-comedy series Difficult People and most recently, playing "Ellis" on NBC's new comedy Connecting. In this interview we discuss: Connecting on NBC’s Peakcock/Hulu Finding Love Musical Theatre Factory Shakina’s activism Her new audio play Chonburi International Hotel, and Butterfly Club recorded by Audible Rapid Fire Questions End with Shakina baring something she has not talked about previously Stream Connecting on Peacock or Hulu Connect with Shakina: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Like What You Hear? Join my Patreon Family to get backstage perks including advanced notice of interviews, the ability to submit a question to my guests, behind-the-scene videos, and so much more! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit: https://callmeadam.com for more my print/video interviews Special Thanks: My Patreon Family for their continued support: Angelo, Reva and Alan, Marianne, Danielle, Tara, and The Golden Gays NYC. Join the fun at https://patreon.com/callmeadamnyc. Theme Song by Bobby Cronin (https://bit.ly/2MaADvQ) Podcast Logo by Liam O'Donnell (https://bit.ly/2YNI9CY) Edited by Drew Kaufman (https://bit.ly/2OXqOnw) Outro Music Underscore by CueTique (Website: https://bit.ly/31luGmT, Facebook: @CueTique) More on Shakina: Originally from Southern California, Shakina enjoys an eclectic career as a performer, director, writer, producer, and social activist. Shakina can be seen on Marvel's Jessica Jones (Netflix) and The Detour (TBS) and heard as the voice of “Hana” in the Gkids remaster and English dub of the Satoshi Kon anime cult classic Tokyo Godfathers. Shakina's autobiographical rock musicals One Woman Show (2013), Post-Op (2015), and Manifest Pussy (2106) all premiered to sold-out houses at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York City. She has performed on Broadway in 24-Hour Plays and Gypsy Of The Year, as well as Off-Broadway in M.J. Kauffman's Masculinity Max at The Public Theater, and in Manuel Versus The Statue Of Liberty (As Lady Liberty). Shakina received international attention for her 2016 Rebel Tour of North Carolina, where she performed in protest of the anti-trans law HB2 ("The Bathroom Bill"). Shakina is also the Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory (MTF), a non-profit artist service organization dedicated to developing new work. In 2015 Shakina received a Lilly Award recognizing the remarkable contributions to the American Theatre made by women. She is also a two-time Drama League fellow, having been selected for the New Musical Directing Fellowship (2011) and the Beatrice Terry Fellowship for women playwright/directors (2017), supporting the development of her new play, Chonburi International Hotel, and Butterfly Club. Shakina roots herself as a Butoh-inspired artist trained beneath Diego Piñón, founder of Body Ritual Movement. With an MFA in Experimental Choreography and a Ph.D. in Critical Dance Studies (both from the University of California at Riverside), Shakina has pioneered her own Butoh for the Actor method, developed through masterclasses at the University of California at Santa Cruz, the Chicago Cultural Center, Casa del Teatro in Mexico City, Barrington Stage Company, The Drama League, the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, and most recently as adjunct faculty at NYU Tisch Drama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally from West Africa, Sierra Leone.  Early dance training, as a scholarship student, with Jacques d’Amboise and his National Dance Institute. Appeared at Madison Square Garden’s Felt Forum, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center’s Outdoor Festivals, American Ballet Theatre, New York State Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Balboa Park (San Diego), NDI’s schools (Maine and New Hampshire), and the Rodotto and Fenice (Venice, Italy). As a member of Tap Kids USA, appeared with the Pointer Sisters, for Polaroid's 50th Anniversary (Boston). Featured performer on 20/20 feature on NDI, promoting The Event of the Year on the Today Show. Danced in Emile Ardolino’s film OFF BEAT. Has performed with Mary Tyler Moore, Ann Reinking, Cloris Leachman, Charlotte d’Amboise, Christopher d’Amboise, Judy Collins, and Savion Glover. Additional training at Dance Theatre of Harlem with classes at Alvin Ailey and Broadway  Currently, Oya is an Acting Coach/Co Choreographer for Theatrics-Miller Place, a Dance Instructor at Stage Door-Patchogue, Staff Choreographer for Bellport Middle School’s Musical, just finished her 6th season Choreographing for Theatre Three’s Musical Theatre Factory and is thrilled to be a Teaching Artist for the Tilles Arts and Education Program.  Time Stamps [00:00:58]    -Referred from a Friend and Oya’s Childhood Africa [00:06:36]    -First Dancing exposures- Crispy fingers! [00:08:40]    -Why dancing? -Teachers belief -Communicating with the rhythm [00:10:45]    -Learning with Savion Glover [00:13:02]    - National Dance Institute A New Family-Learning to teach [00:16:17]    -Dancing with Mary Tyler Moore- Finishing Time with NDI [00:18:40]    - Boarding school- Diversity of dance- West African -Modern [00:24:03]    -Learning to be a Choreographer - and Discovering Discrimination [00:29:15]    - The role of art in changing the world [00:32:24]    -Physically Getting to the audience- Movement and Stage Blocking [00:37:09]    -Parental expectations vs. Dreams [00:43:23]    -Boston University-Tufts-Becoming a teacher [00:47:01]    -Alvin Ailey Training -Dance Theatre of Harlem- Modern Dance [00:50:26]    -Mixing techniques- Meet Shakespeare and Christopher Walken   [00:53:30]    - Becoming a teacher- falling in love with it (kind of) [00:57:30]    - Teaching the basics – no baggage -no judgement [01:01:00]    - Back to Performing [01:05:30]    - Speaking to Problems in our Culture right NOW through Art.   [01:11:00]    -How to help through the craft [01:17:00]   -Safe pace to be free to create and play [01:21:28]   - Breaking Barriers- “cant” is a bad word [01:23:37]   -Oya’s next venture “Project Move” [01:26:49]   -Where to find her in NY area Links Links to Russ on YouTube and his Websites https://linktr.ee/russcamarda (https://linktr.ee/russcamarda) Oya’s Links https://projectmoveny.org/ (https://projectmoveny.org) Russ Movies https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2137381/ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2137381/) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2414886/ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2414886/) http://www.russcamarda.com/ (http://www.russcamarda.com) http://tagstudiony.com/ (http://tagstudiony.com) Production partners https://idunleashed.com/ (https://idunleashed.com) Support this podcast

PRESTON MAX ALLEN is a playwright, composer, and lyricist whose work has been seen at the New Amsterdam Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York Musical Festival, Signature Theatre, Musical Theatre Factory, Feinstein's/54 Below, Joe's Pub, Laurie Beechman Theatre, York Theatre and Second City Chicago. Preston conceived and wrote book, music, and lyrics for We Are The Tigers which won the L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation award for Best Lyrics/Composition, Never Better, and The Rage: Carrie 2, An Unauthorized Musical Parody and many others. His play Modern Gentleman was also featured as part of the 2020 PRIDE PLAYS Festival. Preston is a member of the Ars Nova Play Group, graduate of the Second City Chicago Comedy Studies Program, and an alum of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.

Mei Ann Teo is the current Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory in New York City. They are a queer immigrant from Singapore making theatre & film at the intersection of artistic/civic/contemplative practice. As an artistic director, they allow budding multi-hyphenates thrive and create new work. Teo is an extremely grounded, soulful, and charming person who allows for some spiritual conversation on art - especially on one of my favorite topics: passion vs. purpose. This episode marks the start of the NEW Dear Multi-Hyphenate with interactive qualities that push the listener into a creative direction designed specifically to get you out of your quarantine rut. Follow @dearmultihyphenate on Instagram for more! Connect with Michael: @themichaelkushner @thedressingroomproject dressingroomproject.com Produced by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Wednesday! Today we’re talking to Kate Lumpkin, CSA to investigate the roles and responsibilities of the casting director in context. She’s dishing on her experience as a young woman in casting, how she built her own business, and how she actively advocates for change in the theatre industry. How is Kate working to create more equitable stage pictures and why is she asking us to ditch the phrase “behind the table?” Press play to find out. Kate Lumpkin is a casting and creative director based in NYC. Her casting credits include new works at The Kennedy Center, The A.R.T, Actors Theatre of Louisville, NY Theatre Workshop, Musical Theatre Factory, Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway, National Tours, Celebrity Cruise Ships, and more. She currently sits as Director of Education at The Broadway Collective and is the founder of The No Marking Society, institutions that offer training to a wide demographic of artists from across the globe. Do you have an experience to share about casting or any of the topics we’ve discussed on 4W? We wanna read that shit! Send it to us so we can get your perspective and possibly share it on the show! → hello@fourthwallpod.com. FIND KATE, THE BWAY COLLECTIVE, & THE NOMARKING SOCIETY ONLINE: Kate Lumpkin: @katelumpkin kate-lumpkin.com Broadway Collective: @bwaycollective bwaycollective.com No Marking Society: @nomarkingsociety thenomarkingsociety.com FIND FOURTH WALL AND YOUR HOSTS ONLINE: Fourth Wall on Instagram: @thisisfourthwall 4W’s Community Inbox: hello@fourthwallpod.com Abigail Brazier: @thenameisabstract Alaina Newell: @alainanewell ~~~ Fourth Wall: the podcast is created with TLC by hosts Alaina Newell (@alainanewell) and Abigail Brazier (@thenameisabstract) Produced with grace and elegance by Tyler McKenzie Creative Studio (@tylrmckenzie, tmcreativestudio.com) Audio editing done by Daniel K Stanley (danielkstanley.com) With original music by Ben Bailey (@benianbailey) And assistance from Production Consultants Nick Buchholz (@nicholas_buchholz) and Sara Flatow (saraflatow.com). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fourthwall/support

Recorded on July 17, 2020   The skillfully compassionate director and visionary arts leader Mei Ann Teo joins the series from her native country of Singapore. Nilan, Associate Artistic Director, moderates the discussion from Teo's thoughts on consciously decreasing harm in the workplace, the work of the auteur, her work as Producing Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory, and so much more.    IN CONVERSATION, The Drama League's acclaimed series of discussions with the directors changing the face of theater, television, and film, is now online! The process of creating art is revealed in these intimate, surprising, and wide-ranging conversations with award-winning creators from around the world.   The artists in this video have donated their time and fees to help provide much-needed aid, relief, and programs for stage directors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can help! Donate here: dramaleague.org/ghostlight If you're a director needing assistance, visit our COVID-19 resources and emergency relief programs here:dramaleague.org/covidresources/covid19resources Learn more about Mei Ann Teo: https://meiannteo.squarespace.com/    Watch Teo's film Let Me Kill My Mother First: https://www.viddsee.com/video/let-me-kill-my-mother-first/in32i?locale=id     Learn more about Musical Theatre Factory: https://mtf.nyc/   Editing services donated by: https://catalinmedia.com/

Originally from Southern California, Shakina is a performer, director, writer, producer, and social activist living in New York City. You can see Shakina most recently on the Transparent musical series finale. She is most known for her work as Lola on the Hulu comedy series Difficult People (seasons 2 and 3) and as the Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory, where she has supported the development of over 100 new musicals including her own autobiographical rock musical, Manifest Pussy. Shakina is a Lilly Award winner, TRU Humanitarian Award winner, two-time Drama League Fellow, and a proud graduate of University of California Santa Cruz (Community Studies) with an MFA and PhD from UC Riverside. Eve Lindley is an actress and model. She is best known for her roles in Dispatches from Elsewhere and All We Had. In 2016 she was named in Out magazine's OUT100. As a model she has worked with Barneys New York. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. We appreciate your support! Thank you to our guests, producers, and Broadway Podcast Network! @eveclindley @shakeenz Want more of My Broadway Memory?! Follow us on Social! @MyBroadwayMemory on Instagram and Facebook and @MyBwayMemory on Twitter MICHAEL KUSCHNER: Instagram or The Dressing Room Project Dear Multi-Hyphenate Podcast BRIAN SEDITA: Instagram, Website, Page to Stage Podcast BROADWAY PODCAST NETWORK: Website or Instagram #MyBroadwayMemory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel B. New is the winner of the American Theatre Wing’s Jonathan Larson Grant and MAC's John Wallowitch Award. His musicals include "To Hell and Back,” performed at the New York Musical Festival in 2015; "McKenzie and the Missing Boy," developed by the Musical Theatre Factory; and the EP “Cabot Cove,” which is inspired by Murder She Wrote. His shows have been workshopped or performed at many of the best incubators in the country, including Ars Nova, New York Theatre Barn, Prospect Theater Company, and overseas at Broadway au Carré in Paris! Joel describes his newest work, “Monkey Trouble: Unleashed,” as “a violent musical comedy,” inspired by two critically obscure films. It will debut October 6 at The Duplex in New York City!

Grappling with Otherness "Don't ever forget, you will be thought of as an other." - Cynthia Meng Within a year of freelancing, Cynthia has worked in rooms for musicals in-development on Broadway, Off-Broadway and out-of-town tryouts. What is her secret? Does it only have to do with luck, like she puts it? Or is it more? I believe there's certainly more to that and we investigate that in the episode. In This Episode, You Will Learn: What Cynthia thought of playing classical piano (3:05) What Cynthia studied at Harvard (13:45) How Cynthia got to work on Hadestown (21:19) The difference between Broadway and Off-Broadway for Cynthia's jobscope (29:12) How has Cynthia conquered being Asian and Female in this industry (34:03) And so much more… Some Questions We Discuss: What was classical piano competitions like? (3:52) Was musical theater part of family tradition? (8:41) Did she actively run away from what her parents associated with? (12:40) What was it like to work on a Tony Award winning musical? (23:37) Does seeing yourself represented on stage makes a difference in your career choices? (37:30) Links and Resources: Follow Cynthia on Instagram Follow Listening Party on Instagram Follow Canal Street Market on Instagram Harvard University - Computer Science Moulin Rouge (Musical) Lempicka (Musical) Hadestown (Musical) Follow East Side Story on Instagram Follow Cheeyang on Instagram Did You Enjoy the Podcast? If you did, please leave a review on iTunes!

A true multi-hyphenate, Michael Kushner is an amazing example of how you can be heavily involved in theatre without being on stage all the time. He is an actor, producer, makeup artist, and photographer whose work has been featured in The New York Time, Vogue, The Tony Awards in addition to publications in print and online internationally. He is the creator of The Dressing Room Project (which photographed the first #BlackGlinda on Broadway), and is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons. Michael has produced several web series and films with Wesley Taylor. In addition, he’s recently begun investing in productions, most notably Be More Chill. Michael continues to strive for ways to express himself and is an integral part of the Broadway community. Listen to this episode to collect all of these secrets and more… Interview content begins at 2:50. Closing standards begin at 50:41. Connect with Michael online:Instagram: @themichaelkushner, @thedressingroomproject, @sandwichthefrenchbulldogTwitter: @tdrpbwaywww.michaelkushneronline.comConnect with The Theatre Podcast:Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcastFacebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcastTheTheatrePodcast.comAlan’s personal Instagram: @alansealesJillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochmanEmail us at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. We want to know what you think.Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com.

Michael Kushner bases his work on the idea that he can do anything whenever he wants. He selects his projects his carefully. He is a multi - hyphenate: a person who has multiple proficiencies, often cross pollinating into each other to help flourish professional capabilities. Michael is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and some favorite credits include ON THE TOWN and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Barrington Stage and TOXIC IF SWALLOWED at Ars Nova. Michael graduated with distinction from Ithaca College with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Michael's photography has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Tony Awards, and in publications in print and online nationally and in the UK. He is the creator of THE DRESSING ROOM PROJECT, a photographic journal of actors prepping for their roles on Broadway. Michael is one of the founding members of Musical Theatre Factory, currently in residency with Playwrights Horizons. He served as Associate Producer on Bernie and Mikey’s Trip to the Moon with 59E59 and Strangemen and Co. He is an Executive Producer on the award winning web series, Indoor Boys, created by Wes Taylor and Alex Wyse. He is also an investor in Be More Chill on Broadway.

Today's episode focuses on the Musical Theater Composition program of the New York Youth Symphony, directed by Anna Jacobs. Her musicals include: POP! (book & lyrics by Maggie-Kate Coleman) ANYTOWN (book by Jim Jack) TEETH (co-book & lyrics by Michael R. Jackson) CAGE MATCH and MAGIC 8 BALL (Prospect Theatre Company; w/ Sam Salmond & Michael R. Jackson) KAYA: TASTE OF PARADISE, a soon-to-be-released movie musical commissioned by the New York Film Academy and featuring Okieriete Onaodowan (screenplay by Jerome Parker, directed by Paul Warner) Anna was recognized for her work as a composer/lyricist with the prestigious Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award. She’s a former Sundance Fellow and Dramatists Guild Fellow, and has been an Artist in Residence at Ars Nova, New Dramatists, Musical Theatre Factory, Goodspeed, and Barrington Stage Company. Anna holds an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU-Tisch and is on faculty at The New School. www.annakjacobs.com Also featured in this episode are two students in the MT Composition program, Sydney Altbacker and Tate Robinson, along with their new piece "Song for Marilyn" which was written for the class. Follow them on Instagram: Sydney /  Tate Watch the full interview with Sydney, Tate, and two other students on the WINMI YouTube Channel. The New York Youth Symphony, founded in 1963 as an orchestra to showcase the metropolitan area's most gifted musicians ages 12-22, has since grown to encompass programs in chamber music, conducting, composition, and jazz, with performances at world class venues including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Joe's Pub at The Public. --------------- Please consider buying me a coffee to support this work that goes into each episode.   Join the WINMI community by following on Instagram or Twitter as well as reaching out to Patrick with any questions or comments: contact.winmipodcast.com   -------------------------------Intro music and interludes:"Reverie (small theme)" by _ghost2010 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

ZACHARY NOAH PISER is currently playing Tobias Ragg in off-Broadway’s popular production of SWEENEY TODD. He was most recently seen as Boq in the Broadway production of WICKED. Off-Broadway/Regional include Mad Libs Live! at New World Stages, Godspell, and The Fantasticks!. He has performed at various venues throughout NYC, including Feinstein’s/54 Below, Merkin Concert Hall, Musical Theatre Factory, LCT, The Cell, Green Room 42, and Joe’s Pub. He graduated from Northwestern University and you can give him a follow at @zach_piser.

JBN sat down with Michael Kushner, a performer, photographer, makeup artist and Founding Member of Musical Theatre Factory (mtf.nyc). Song Premiere: "Other Plans" from MACKENZIE & THE MISSING BOY. Music and lyrics by Joel B. New (joelbnew.com). michaelkushnerphotography.com, michaelkushneronline.com, @michaelkushnerphotography, @thedressingroomproject. Recorded live on Monday, May 15th, 2017 at the Dramatists Guild in NYC.

In Episode 412 of "Something New" -- a musical theatre podcast that interviews diverse artists and premieres original songs -- award-winning songwriter Joel B. New went to Paris, France and sat down with Lisandro Nesis, the artistic director of Broadway au Carré, which produces a monthly series of concerts and open mics that showcase American contemporary musical theatre. For the live song portion of the episode, Lisandro performs "Better than Fine" from New's song cycle STANDALONE, and a duet entitled "The Ballad of the Cluck Cluck Sisters" is premiered by Jessica Gabrielle and Lily Kerhoas. Featuring Joel at the piano and Vincent Gilliéron on egg shaker. Both performances were recorded live from Joel's recent Broadway au Carré concert on Friday, June 10th, 2016. "Something New" is available on iTunes, Stitcher, and TuneIn. Joel B. New is the recipient of an American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson Grant for his music and lyrics. His stage projects include TO HELL AND BACK, MACKENZIE & THE MISSING BOY, AWAKENING (book: Jenny Stafford, music: J. Oconer Navarro), STANDALONE, AGATHA IN THE ATTIC, and RSVP. Joel’s work has been seen and developed at Ars Nova, Lincoln Center, 54 Below, New York Theatre Barn, Prospect Theater Company, Musical Theatre Factory, and the 2015 New York Musical Theatre Festival. He is currently in production for his solo EP Cabot Cove, a collection of songs inspired by book titles referenced to in the TV series Murder, She Wrote, starring Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury. For more info, visit joelbnew.com.

In Episode 411 of "Something New" -- a musical theatre podcast that interviews artists and premieres original songs -- award-winning songwriter Joel B. New sat down with Tim Eliot and Lauren Sowa, a real-life couple with an enormous bag of theatrical skills between them. Tim Eliot met Lauren while doing Cymbeline in Maine. He has been featured on Boardwalk Empire, in Christina Kallas’s The Rainbow Experiment and Keith Boynton’s Seven Lovers, and on the webseries The 3Bits, duder, and Pride. A veteran of classical and downtown theater, Tim played MacBeth and Hamlet with Everett Quinton and many Sleep No More alums. He has also directed NYC productions of Much Ado About Nothing, Erdman’s Suicide!?, and Romeo and Juliet. Tim recently finished his second year of study with William Esper and holds an MFA from the ART/MXAT Institute and a BA from Yale. www.timeliot.com Lauren Sowa is thrilled to be taking part in this podcast! Lauren is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she received her BFA in Drama. She is a big-time animal lover, and has yet to meet a pretzel she doesn't like. When not acting, you can find her reading a good book, catching up on old films, doing yoga, and watching soccer (Tim’s influence). Recent credits include: Harvey and Private Lives (Walnut Street Theatre), the title character in Jane Austen’s Emma for the Lantern Theater Co. in Philadelphia. Other credits include: Imogen in Cymbeline (Opera House Arts), Othello and Much Ado About Nothing in repertory (The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre), Juliet in the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival’s production of Romeo & Juliet, We’re Drunk/This is the End at The Old Vic as part of the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange (Kevin Spacey’s program for emerging theatrical talent), and All’s Well that Ends Well and Hamlet at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival! www.laurensowa.com For the live song portion of the episode, Lauren and Tim premiered "A Duet", music and lyrics by Joel B. New. Tim also performed "Omission" from New's chamber musical, RSVP. Accompanied by Justin Brown on piano (www.justineliottbrown.com). These performance will also be available on SoundCloud and YouTube. "Something New" is available on iTunes, Stitcher, and TuneIn. Joel B. New is the recipient of an American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson Grant for his music and lyrics. His stage projects include TO HELL AND BACK, MACKENZIE & THE MISSING BOY, AWAKENING (book: Jenny Stafford, music: J. Oconer Navarro), STANDALONE, AGATHA IN THE ATTIC, and RSVP. Joel’s work has been seen and developed at Ars Nova, Lincoln Center, 54 Below, New York Theatre Barn, Prospect Theater Company, Musical Theatre Factory, and the 2015 New York Musical Theatre Festival. He is currently in pre-production for his solo EP Cabot Cove, a collection of songs inspired by book titles referenced to in the TV series Murder, She Wrote, starring Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury. For more info, visit joelbnew.com.

Shakina Nayfack is the Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory and the first transwoman to be honored with a Lilly Award recognizing the remarkable contributions to the American Theatre made by women. Her autobiographical ONE WOMAN SHOW has played Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, Sophie’s, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Barrington Stage Company, and was the flagship project of her groundbreaking KickStartHer campaign to crowdsource funds for her gender confirmation. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Community Studies, a Minor and a Graduate Certificate in Theatre Arts from the University of California Santa Cruz, as well as an MFA in Experimental Choreography and a PhD in Critical Dance Studies from UC Riverside. Shakina is a proud alumna of the Drama League Directors Project and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers union. Her writings on theatre and dance have been published in The Drama Review and the anthology Dancing Across Borders. Her first book Butoh Ritual Mexicano - Alchemy is Dancing is really good but no one buys it because it was published by an obscure academic press in Germany and it's really expensive, so if you want to read it email her and she'll send you a PDF. Song Presentation: "Your Baby Better Covers His Tracks" from Joel B. New's MACKENZIE & THE MISSING BOY. Recorded live at Musical Theatre Factory (mtf.nyc).