The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

From a comedian in LA to a Broadway veteran in NYC, Jenn Colella is driven by connection and joy, and shares how she is moving through the shifts in her career as they come, including her latest podcast appearance on The Flame: An Original Podcast Musical.Jenn Colella is a comedian, actress and singer perhaps best known for her Tony Award nominated performance as Captain Beverley Bass in Broadway’s Come From Away; a role she originated, earning her Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards. Other Broadway credits include High Fidelity, Chaplin, If/Then, and Urban Cowboy (her Broadway debut). Jenn’s Off-Broadway credits include Closer Than Ever, Slut! the Musical and Side Show. She also has several television credits, including appearances on All My Children, The Good Wife, and Elementary. Jenn can now be heard as one of the leads in The Flame, an original romantic comedy musical podcast on the Broadway Podcast Network.Growing up just outside Charleston, South Carolina, where there wasn’t a great deal of theatre, Jen quickly became a “choir nerd” eager to sing anywhere she could. But while watching a production of Phantom of the Opera in high school, something clicked - she thought “I can do that. I need to do that”.Jenn chronicles her time in undergrad at Columbia College, during which she worked at an insurance company, was the lead singer in a rock band, and a company member at the only professional theatre at the time called TrustUs Theater. She shares her journey from grad school to stand-up comedy, recalling trips to LA watching sets at the Comedy Store and Laugh Factory, and encouragement by people “to just write a set” and try to get up there, and how she did. Jenn also opens up about her process for developing a character based on someone who actually exists in real life (namely Captain Beverley Bass), and the immediate kinship she felt upon meeting Captain Bass for the first time. In this episode, we talk about:  One of her earliest memories, which connected music to joy Embracing downtime and learning to adapt during COVID-19 Her love for the rehearsal room The Flame, developed by an LGBTQ identifying creative team The courageousness stand-up comedy offered her Witnessing Captain Beverly Bass watch Come From Away Connect with Jenn: IG: @jenncolella Twitter: @jenncolella Subscribe/listen to The Flame Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special LIVE podcast panel discussion, Alan Seales hosts cast & creatives of THE PROM on Broadway to celebrate Pride Month. After premiering on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre in October 2018, The Prom was the first musical of the 2018–2019 Broadway season to be named a New York Times Critics Pick. To celebrate a Pride like no other, after a year like no other, The Prom creatives join to speak about their own personal reasons for bringing this story to the page and stage, highlighting the show's universal messages of acceptance, understanding, empowerment, and love. They are joined by members of the original cast, who discuss their personal journeys as they relate to the queer community, and why the show is, and always will be, important to them.Watch the video of the event here: https://youtu.be/laQQ4MAZ24IThe Prom panel guests include creatives Matthew Sklar (music), Bob Martin (book), and four-time Tony Award winning Producer Dori Berinstein, as well as original cast members Caitlin Kennunen (Emma Nolan), Josh Lamon (Sheldon Saperstein), Isabelle Mcalla (Alyssa Greene), and Michael Potts (Principal Tom Hawkins). In this episode, we talk about:  What Pride means to each A brief history of Pride  Reactions and responses from audience members  How the show’s journey affected personal journeys  Theatre as a tool for social activism  Making history at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade  Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This performer’s life changed after being cast in a summer stock production starring Rita Moreno, and she’s been gracing stages ever since. Kate Reinders is a multi-talented performer who originated the role of Portia in the Broadway musical Something Rotten!, as well as the role of Caroline in the Broadway jukebox musical Good Vibrations. Other Broadway credits include June in the 2003 revival of Gypsy starring Bernadette Peters, Glinda in Wicked, Into The Woods, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and most recently Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Kate’s TV credits include Ugly Betty, Modern Family, and Anger Management. As of 2019 she has been portraying drama teacher Miss Jenn in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, currently finishing it’s second season on Disney Plus. Kate grew up in small town Spring Lake, Michigan, knowing nothing about Broadway. But one summer while attending a theater camp, she was encouraged to audition for a nearby summer stock production of Gypsy (starring none other than Rita Moreno), and “that was the beginning of the rest of” her life. Kate talks about growing up in a time before Broadway.com or podcasts existed; when her only knowledge of musical theater came from Fiddler on the Roof and Yentl, the first videotapes her father brought home after they bought a VHS player, and repeated viewings of Sound of Music which she taped from the TV. She candidly chronicles her career which began with a series of swing and understudy roles, and then “shot out of a canon” after landing the role of June in the 2003 Broadway revival of Gypsy. Kate also chats about growing up in a small Christian reformed Dutch community, and how her eyes were opened to the diversity and inclusion of the theater world, and the world at large, while briefly attending University of Michigan before moving to New York City. In this episode, we talk about:  Her first professional show as a child, alongside Rita Moreno Being starstruck by Sandra Bullock only after working with her  Making her actual Broadway debut playing a pig  Flying to London to audition for Sam Mendes  Her comedy duo/band Tastiskank, with Sarah Litzsinger Playing Miss Jenn on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Connect with Kate: IG: @katereinders Twitter: @katereinders Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Broadway veteran, who finished a Tony and Grammy nominated run in Ain’t Too Proud just before COVID-19 shut the industry down, reflects on the inner work and reflection last summer's protests and pandemic prompted in both himself and the country, and shares hopes for audiences to watch Ain’t Too Proud and similar shows with new eyes.No stranger to originating Broadway roles, actor and singer Derrick Baskin recently earned Tony and Grammy nominations for playing Otis Williams in Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud. Other Broadway roles he originated include Gator in Memphis (a role he reprised in the filmed version), Jetsam in The Little Mermaid, and Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Derrick has numerous TV and Film credits including Marshall with the late Chadwick Boseman, Nate on three seasons of Hulu’s critically acclaimed sitcom Difficult People, starring alongside Ethan Hawke in the miniseries The Good Lord Bird, and a recurring role on Law & Order: SVU. Derrick’s concert experience includes performances with Wynton Marsalis, Michael Buble, Wiz Khalifa, and Mariah Carey, and now he has a brand new show coming up at 54 Below, playing June 29th to July 3rd. Born in North Carolina, the oldest of six kids, Derrick Baskin’s first true love was music and singing; however, he was also a science geek. After graduating college with a biology degree (pre-med) and taking the MCAT, a self-reflective moment prompted Derrick to buy a one way ticket to NYC and never look back. During our conversation, Derrick shares his early experiences in New York working as a waiter alongside other aspiring artists. He recalls “following them around”, and how he ended up at his first open call audition for Rent. Derrick opens up about his close relationship with Otis Williams (or “Uncle O”, as he calls him), who he portrayed in Ain’t Too Proud, sharing what it was like creating the show alongside him, as well as watching Otis experience the show as an audience member. Derrick talks about his time on set for the film Marshall, reverently remembering Chadwick Boseman’s infectious energy, and incredible work ethic. Derrick also fills us in on his upcoming show at 54 Below, and shares why this is the first time he is headlining at the venue. In this episode, we talk about: The impacts of the BLM movement  How Dominique Morisseau honored the lives of The Temptations in her writing  The support system his parents have provided  How his dream found him while watching Rent for the first time  His relationship with best friend and fellow Broadway star James Iglehart  Performing at the Tony Awards while his kidneys malfunctioned Connect with Derrick: IG: @derrick.baskin Twitter: @derrickbaskin Web: derrickbaskin.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From iconic stage roles, to cabaret and rock band performances, this performer is building a successful artistic career while also navigating an autoimmune disorder with grace. - “I would so much rather have tried and failed, or tried and not gotten to where I want to be, than to have never have tried.”An actress, singer, and songwriter, Lauren Marcus made her Broadway debut as Brooke in Be More Chill after previously originating the role at Two River Theatre in 2015, and again off-Broadway at Signature Theatre in 2018. She also starred as Amy in Company at Barrington Stage Company alongside Aaron Tveit, and as Brigid in The Humans at St. Louis Rep., a performance which earned her a BroadwayWorld Regional Theatre Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. As a retro pop singer/songwriter, Lauren performs regularly with her band around New York City, and in 2016 released her debut EP Never Really Done with You. She is also a veteran at cabaret clubs like 54 Below, Joe's Pub, and Rockwood Music Hall. Up next, Lauren will appear in the movie adaptation of Tick, Tick... Boom, and debut a brand new show on June 18th at 54 Below. From Chicago, to New York, to Scotland, Lauren shares that she “always wanted to be an actor”. And like every artist, she has had a unique experience navigating life during COVID-19.She shares with us feeling like she’s “living COVID backwards”, having felt fine at the start, but now like she’s dragging; and how she pushed through to create her newest song (and video) “Big Hat” for the NPR 2021 Tiny Desk Contest. Lauren talks about her desire and drive to create and leave behind things that will outlive her; a legacy - things her future children can listen to. She candidly opens up about her journey with alopecia, both the internal and external struggles she navigates as a performer, and notes that losing her hair “affected every single aspect” of her life in a way that she never, ever would have guessed. We also discuss Lauren’s upcoming show at 54 Below on June 18th! In this episode, we talk about: Lauren’s retro pop singer/songwriter style  Imposter Syndrome  How she and husband Joe Iconis support each other’s work  Writing a one woman show about her Alopecia journey  The number one thing Alopecia has taught her  Leading by example, and the importance of visibility Connect with Lauren: IG @laurmarcus Twitter: @laurmarcus Web: LaurenMarcus.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He didn't smash watermelons, he smashed cups of yogurt. After memorizing entire Gallagher comedy routines as a kid in West Virginia, Trevor Dion Nicholas and his family always loved musical theater. His parents encouraged him to follow his passion and put him into improv and theater classes. Being a "big black kid in West Virginia", the expectations put upon him were that he'd focus on sports. Able to put that pressure aside, he found his extended family on stage, and now a new home in London. Now West End royalty, he is co-hosting THE SHOW MUST GO ON LIVE AT THE PALACE THEATRE with fellow theater legend Bonnie Langford. "Theatre is not a passion, it's a profession."The Show Must Go On Live at the Palace Theatre is set to be the biggest celebration of musical theatre this year with 18 of the biggest musicals in London West End all performing! Including Tina, Dear Evan Hansen, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, SIX, Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, Wicked, Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical, & Juliet, Les Misérables, Disney’s The Lion King, The Prince of Egypt, Come From Away, The Phantom Of The Opera, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia! Back to the Future The Musical and Pretty Woman The Musical along with a thrilling line-up of West End talent, a multi award winning creative team and the finest musicians in London.In this episode, we talk about: Dealing with the expectations of being a "big black kid in West Virginia" Performing all over the world What's to come with Aladdin: Live From the West End coming soon to Disney+ Navigating the emotional highs and lows of quarantine The athletic training required to prepare to play Genie Connect with Trevor: IG: @astonishingtrev Twitter: @astonishingtrev Watch The Show Must Go On: https://www.youtube.com/theshowsmustgoon Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After moving to NYC as a Broadway hopeful, and discovering the drag community, power and freedom simultaneously, Jackie Cox now looks ahead to a more inclusive future for the entire theatrical community. Jackie Cox may be best known as one of the top four contestants from Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and was the first Queen of Iranian descent to appear on the show. In New York City. Jackie has long been a feature of the theatrical cabaret scene, with performances of her own original shows at the famed Laurie Beechman Theater. She's also appeared on TV in ABCs What Would You Do?, Fusions Shade: Queens Of NYC, as well as numerous appearances on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. Jackie is back touring again doing her amazing live shows (ticket information can be found on her Instagram page, and she also hosts a podcast called “It Do Take Nerd” that is an amazing intersection of queerness and nerdom.As a kid, Jackie loved to tell stories. She loved making people smile, and sharing truth through theatre. But after moving to NYC in 2010 and discovering pretty quickly that the traditional theatre route wasn’t for her, she found drag “kind of by luck”. It was in drag that Jackie discovered power in the ability to own the stage and express herself in new ways. During our conversation, Jackie talks about the inspiration for her podcast “It Do Take Nerd”, emphasizing the importance of representation and celebrating the queer themes that are found in a lot of “nerdy things”. She educates us on the intersection of the drag and trans communities, noting that trans women were really the pioneers in the gay rights movement. And in light of the conversation around gender happening across the country, Jackie honors drag as a welcoming space for all genders to participate or enjoy. In this episode, we talk about: The inspiration behind and creation of her podcast “It Do Take Nerd” Discovering drag after moving to NYC  Peppermint’s contributions to the trans community and the drag community  Her YouTube series celebrating Broadway performers  The birth and growth of Jackie Cox  Making a living as a drag Queen  Connect with Jackie: Subscribe to It Do Take Nerd IG: @JackieCoxNYC Twitter: @JackieCoxNYC Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Best known for credits that include performances as the original Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray, the original Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (for which she earned a Tony nomination), Tina in Ruthless (Outer Critics/ Drama Desk Nominations), and Glinda in Wicked, Laura Bell Bundy cannot be stopped. Outside of New York City her credits include the national tour of The Sound of Music, and Gypsy at Paper Mill Playhouse. Laura has appeared in over 100 hundred episodes of television including roles on Good Behavior, American Gods, How I Met Your Mother, The Guest Book, Home Improvement, Hart of Dixie, Fuller House, AJ & The Queen, and Anger Management. She has toured in concerts worldwide since 2010, released several studio albums, and penned hundreds of songs. Along with her cohort Shea Charter, she co-hosts Women Of Tomorrow, a musical podcast that explores issues women are facing today, examines the history of those issues and provides solutions for moving forward. Their album Women of Tomorrow (which inspired the podcast) is out now and available everywhere you listen to music. Raised in Kentucky, Laura was 5 years old when she was introduced to show business as a beauty pageant contestant, which led to an unexpected modeling contract in NYC. But Laura realized really quickly that modeling was boring, and acting, singing and dancing were much more fun. Laura opens up about her early experiences in NYC as a child, renting out rooms in small apartments with her mom, and the cast of characters they encountered. She speaks passionately about the creation and mission of her album and podcast of the same name, Women of Tomorrow, and credits the work behind both for igniting her passion for learning more about women’s history. Laura also shares her thoughts on the important roles both truth and vulnerability play when you are an actor. In this episode, we talk about: Her experience in the world of beauty pageants The importance of self-awareness  How the 2016 election inspired the creation of Women of Tomorrow  How women’s rights have changed over time  Her spiritual beliefs about our collective human experience Connect with LBB: Listen to Women of Tomorrow (the album) Listen to Women of Tomorrow (the podcast) IG: @laurabellbundy Twitter: @laurabellbundy Web: laurabellbundy.com YouTube channel Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our BPN Podcasters bring you exclusive interviews with cast and creatives from In the Heights, in theaters on June 11 2021. Watch the video version of this event here: https://youtu.be/py3YLSt8MSo.Interview 1: Daphne Rubin-Vega, interviewed by Salisha Thomashttp://bpn.fm/bhblInterview 2: Olga Merediz and Jimmy Smitts, interviewed by Dori Berinsteinhttp://bpn.fm/ddbInterview 3: Quiara Alegría Hudes (screenwriter), interviewed by Jesse McAnallyhttp://bpn.fm/mwcInterview 4: Scott Sanders (producer), interviewed by Ruthie Fierberghttp://bpn.fm/wwtInterview 5: Gregory Diaz, interviewed by Eli Tokashhttp://bpn.fm/takeabowInterview 6: Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins and Leslie Grace, interviewed by Alan Sealeshttp://bpn.fm/ttp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Broadway shutdown has been hard for people across the country, but this performer shares that amidst the difficulty, it’s also “been an incredible reminder of how lucky I've been... What a great career that I feel I've personally had.” Max Von Essen is an actor and singer who most recently starred on Broadway as Gleb in Anastasia, followed by touring the country as Marvin in the Lincoln Center production of Falsettos. Max performed in the Broadway revival of Evita in 2012, playing Agustin Magaldi while frequently stepping in for Ricky Martin in the role of Che, and in 2016 he completed his Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominated run in An American in Paris. Other Broadway credits include Jesus Christ Superstar and the first revival of Les Misérables, as well as the national tours of Xanadu, Chicago, West Side Story (European Tour), and a backup singer for Liza Minnelli. Max’s regional theatre credits are numerous, and his TV credits include The Good Wife, Gossip Girl, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: SVU, and Elementary. Next up, Max will be performing on May 24th in the Town Hall’s Signature Series Broadway by the Year: The Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber Years virtual concert. Born in Queens, and growing up in Long Island, Max has always been a New Yorker, and from a young age knew he would end up in NYC. Introduced to the magic of piano in elementary school, he begged for piano and voice lessons, which naturally led him to musical theater. Max shares that while he didn’t go to college for theater, he still performed anywhere he could during his time there. He opens up about knowing he had the potential to succeed, even though it was going to be hard. Max also speaks candidly about how COVID has affected this chapter of his life; the difficulty, as well as the positive realizations - “I do it for more than just a job… I do it because I love it so much, and it's like part of my soul”. And while he loves the Broadway stage, Max talks about his affinity for regional and touring productions, sharing that some of his best experiences have been at different theaters around the country. In this episode, we talk about:  His early memories of being enchanted by the piano What he would be doing if he wasn’t performing The importance and success of touring productions  His experience playing the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar Virtual performances during quarantine Connect with Max: Get tickets to Broadway By The Year IG: @maxizpad Twitter: @maxizpad Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I 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.A very special thanks to our patrons who help make this podcast possible! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices